Dredd's recurring enemies

[kev67]

I like this Noam Chimsky character in Judge Dredd. One thing I've wondered about Dredd are his recurring enemies. Batman has lots of colourful enemies. Doctor Who, before Chibnell ruined it, had recurring enemies who he never managed to kill off completely: the Daleks, the Cybermen, the Master, the Sontarans, the Autons, etc Judge Dredd's recurring enemies are Judge Death and his crew and the Angel Gang, in particular, Mean Machine. There are the Simps, I suppose. I can't think of too many others.

[rogue69]

you've had Orlock and the Sovs plus PJ Maybe

[Mister Pops]

Mega City One

The Cursed Earth








_{(Mark Millar)}

[Funt Solo]

The list can get quite long if you count two or three times as recurring.

 - "Whitey" Logan
 - Owen Krysler
 - Kleggs
 - Undercity werewolves
 - Trapper Hag
 - Stan Lee
 - Slick Dickens
 - Nosferatu
 - Total War
 - Jonni Kiss
 - Oola Blint
 - Judge Manners
 - SJS Judge Pin
 

And can you count pests as enemies, or are these foils?

 - Otto Sump
 - Fatties
 - The "crazes" gang (from Blobs, Jimps & Prezzel Logic)
 - Judge McGruder
 - Bella Bagley
 - The Mental Card guy
 - Kenny Who?
 - Jacob Sardini
 - the dark side of his own bloodline
 - Mechanismo
 - That annoying magic girl on a hover-board that rides giant puppies in The Cute Earth
 - Marlon Shakespeare
 - Jura Edgar


Of course, one thing that happens a lot (and you'll notice from the list) is that a lot of the enemies just get killed off or cubed or forgotten in the milieu - and it's something I appreciate about the strip. One of the fake things about Batman is the endlessly repeating loop of "catch 'em, put 'em in the asylum, they escape" - rinse and repeat. Dredd's had a good few decades of actually moving on from moment to moment, even if that is unraveling now as his age becomes less credible, the wider writing pool so disparate, the canon too stretched and the Regened Cadet version (sensibly, really) making its own decisions (like casually retconning the start date of the Manta Prowl Tank).

[Rogue Judge]

Democracy

[Richard]

I'm with Funt Solo on this. If you keep having the same baddies coming back over and over, you'll end up just telling the same story over and over. That doesn't mean the stories are always bad, of course, but it does make them seem less original with each re-telling. (Although PJ Maybe is a bit of an exception, what with him becoming mayor and everything, it seemed like a fresh start.)

[broodblik]

This has always been the trademark of Dredd his baddies gets toast. Justice is served. That is maybe the reason why there is such a strong storyline over the years, creators must stay original .

[kev67]

I am not saying things should go the Batman way, but a couple more enemies with the charisma of Judge Death or Mean Machine might be good. I really like this Noam Chimpsky character, although he's a foil or a pest as Funt Solo says. I hope he does not get bumped off. If he is cubed he is smart enough to escape. OTOH I hope he is not overused. Is Mean Machine Angel still extant btw?

[Funt Solo]

ISTR he's retired now, but(t) I can't recall the story.

[Dark Jimbo]

Mean was cured and retired by Wagner in 50 Year Man (prog 1536); then killed*, but redeemed, by Carroll in Rising Angel, Megazine 358.

*But given an 'Or is he...?' coda.

[milstar]

This is one of the reasons why I scarcely read superheroes today. Enemies that never really go away. It's boring. As for Ol Stoneyface, I don't think that anyone more deserves the title of his arch nemesis, other than Jufhe Death, who can't ever die. That and the persistent face of crime, never to perish.

[Professor Bear]

Crime
Democracy
Aging
Capitalism
Authoritarianism
Anti-authoritarianism
John Wagner lessening his workload
Boots

[milstar]

Crime
Democracy
Aging
Capitalism
Authoritarianism
Anti-authoritarianism
John Wagner lessening his workload
Boots

Just say everyone who is against status-quo.

[Professor Bear]

The band?

[Funt Solo]

But then that would be nobody at all, obviously.