Dredd History

[radiator]

Just to clarify - yes there are two Ricos. The first was Dredd's clone brother who turned to a life of criminality, was imprisoned for twenty years and eventually executed by Dredd (as seen in Case Files #1).

The second Rico, as Mike says, is a clone of Dredd himself, and significantly younger. He was introduced as a supporting character around ten years ago, has yet to turn evil (in fact he's if anything even more by-the-book than Dredd), and is currently in action in the current Judge Dredd storyline Tour of Duty.

There's been quite a few Dredd clones over the years - the whole 'bloodline' thing is a recurring theme in Dredd - but don't let that put you off - it's nowhere near as tedious as the Spiderman clone thingy.

[Mike Gloady]

Or as complicated. 

[TordelBack]

There's been quite a few Dredd clones over the years

Wasn't a figure of 7 in Justice Dept. mentioned at one point?  Not sure if that included Rico II, [spoiler]Nimrod and/or Dolman[/spoiler].  And do we class clones of Fargo as clones of Dredd?  I'd say not, but if we do then who knows how many there are or were,[spoiler] including the Judda[/spoiler].

The best bit about clones in Dredd is the subtle way it's handled.  Children with Fargo's genetic makeup are obviously highly suitable for intensive physical and mental training, and are individuals that tend towards the extremes of human behaviour and capacity.  However, we've had the full spread of outcomes once those genes are expressed as people, with a range of flaws and strengths, nit just super-good and super-evil.  It's as much a meditation on the limitations of DNA in creating the individual as it is about good or bad duplicates of Dredd.

[radiator]

Children with Fargo's genetic makeup are obviously highly suitable for intensive physical and mental training, and are individuals that tend towards the extremes of human behaviour and capacity.

And massive chins.

[madashell6]

Just to clarify - yes there are two Ricos. The first was Dredd's clone brother who turned to a life of criminality, was imprisoned for twenty years and eventually executed by Dredd (as seen in Case Files #1).

The second Rico, as Mike says, is a clone of Dredd himself, and significantly younger. He was introduced as a supporting character around ten years ago, has yet to turn evil (in fact he's if anything even more by-the-book than Dredd), and is currently in action in the current Judge Dredd storyline Tour of Duty.

There's been quite a few Dredd clones over the years - the whole 'bloodline' thing is a recurring theme in Dredd - but don't let that put you off - it's nowhere near as tedious as the Spiderman clone thingy.

Oh the clone thing won't bother me, if anything it adds more to Dredd, since it's been done right. As for Spider-Man I never read that arc, but I've heard mixed things.

[madashell6]

Thanx for the chronology, Radiator  . Well the clone thing brings up a whole new topic. Mind you that I haven't read that far yet, but I thought that they killed Dredd's brother/clone Rico or did they make another? And I remember hearing that the Angel gang was killed in, I think the the Block wars, except for Mean Machine. Sadly they were the only part in the Dredd movie that I liked, not so much for the acting, but the makeup was done quite well, especially for Mean Machine.

Regarding Mean Angel
Mean made his first appearance in "The Judge Child Quest" and, it's no secret, died in it.  Wagner had a habit of killing off his best villains, but that's the price he paid for having such a hardarse hero who would kill an opponent if he thought it necessary. 

Wagner immediately regretted it and brought him back from the dead (one of the few times this sort of thing has happened in Twoth, but it's since been proved a wise move.  .[spoiler]Mean went on to have a son and was eventually "cured" of his head-but habit and general grumpiness, released into his son's custody, minus the claw[/spoiler]

Regarding Judge Rico:
Rico was a clone of the Fargo/Dredd bloodline first seen in, I think, Dredd Angel?  One of the Mean Machine storylines from the early days.  Not that you'll SEE him, he's a clone in a gestation machine.  He first shows up MUCH later. 

Rico is his SURNAME but that wasn't always the case - originally it was Dredd and he didn't HAVE a first name (presumably still doesn't).  He picked a Dredd-family name to avoid confusion with the old man among other reasons.  The Dredd collection "Brothers of the Blood" will give you his first stories as well as other VERY cool stuff.

Hopefully that's as spoiler free and accurate as I can manage.

So they didn't kill Mean Machine, instead they made him a family man? So I take it the rest of the Angel Clan is no more?
Thanx for the clarification on Dredd/Rico.

[locustsofdeath!]

Speaking of Judda and Dredd clones, I always felt bad for Kraken. I think he really wanted to be one of the "good guys" but he got a raw deal having to immediately live up to and replace Dredd. When he injected himself with the death juice, I took a liking to him. Wagner handled the character brilliantly, really giving him a good deal of pathos.

[worldshown]

So I take it the rest of the Angel Clan is no more?

Not quite. Pa and Junior apparently were not killed by lava in "The Judge Child" but were rescued by fishing monks and preserved in amber for about 15 years before being recovered by Dredd to use as leverage against Mean Angel so he would assist in "The Three Amigos"*.

Thankfully, this resurection has been quietly forgotten.

*_{I haven't read the story in years, but that's pretty much how I remember it.}

[TordelBack]

When he injected himself with the death juice, I took a liking to him.

Definitely one of the best scenes in Dredd history and  a perfect [spoiler]way of flipping reader sympathies after the 'old man' remark, and establishing Kraken as having the same strength of character as Dredd himself.  However, at the end of the Big Nec, Joe was either being nice, misinformed or totally mistaken - he would not have fallen into the Sisters' trap in the way Kraken did, because as soon as he started having blackouts, never mind finding himself with Kit's badge, he would have turned himself in.   Of course, they may well have toasted him at that point, but at least the dimension bridge would have stayed closed.[/spoiler]

[locustsofdeath!]

When he injected himself with the death juice, I took a liking to him.

However, at the end of the Big Nec, Joe was either being nice, misinformed or totally mistaken - he would not have fallen into the Sisters' trap in the way Kraken did, because as soon as he started having blackouts, never mind finding himself with Kit's badge, he would have turned himself in.[/spoiler]

You summed up pretty much why I liked Kraken so much; he was flawed, and it was interesting to see 'Dredd' with self-doubt and at times lacking confidence. He was more human with all that inner-struggle. He got scared and did the wrong thing and the Sisters preyed on his weakness. Just an amazing job by Wagner.

[Mike Gloady]

The whole Dead Man/Tale of the Dead Man/Necropolis arc still stands as my favourite Dredd period.  And Case Files 14 is now out.  And I'm sitting on my wallet because I'm saving it for Christmas.  Hurray!

Wagner's handling of Kraken is just beautiful. 

[locustsofdeath!]

Agreed, agreed and agreed Mike Glowdy. Favorite arc ever.