Some questions about the Judge Dredd universe

[Rogue Judge]

I'm not interested in reading a comic where the main character wanders the city fretting about his repressed feelings.  Nor am I interested in reading page after page of angry catchphrases and graphic ultraviolence.  But a reflective fascist, busting heads whilst worrying about the future he's creating...that's interesting.

Well said. People who think of Dredd as being a one dimensional character would benefit from your comment.

[Smith]

On of the things I found a bit odd is the relation between Judges and the military.If MC1 has a military(and it obviously does) shouldnt they be a bit more active in defense of the city?Seeing there is a crisis every week.

[JayzusB.Christ]

The judges also serve as the military, but there are citizens' defence (citi-def) units too. The latter, though, generally seem more interested in protecting their own blocks than the city in general.

[Smith]

But there is a military,like Space Corps,Marines and all that.

[JOE SOAP]

On of the things I found a bit odd is the relation between Judges and the military.If MC1 has a military(and it obviously does) shouldnt they be a bit more active in defense of the city?Seeing there is a crisis every week.

When the Judges took power after the Atomic War the military were decommissioned.

[Greg M.]

We know there were "Mega Troopers" who fought with the Judges against Bad Bob Booth, but that was presumably the last action of a conventional US military. MC-1 does seem to have an offworld military force though -Colonial Marines, effectively - judging by stories like 'Mandroid' and 'Spooks'.

[JOE SOAP]

But there is a military,like Space Corps,Marines and all that.

They operate off-world and were only recalled after Chaos Day but they didn't fully exist in-universe until the mid-nineties. They could feel a bit deus ex machina by turning up in stories when they're mostly out of sight and the Judges are all ready a militarised force.

[TordelBack]

To confuse matters a bit, there is a purely military section within Justice Department - we see them led by General Poll in The Fourth Faction, who refers to other judges as 'you guys' and his troops as 'my boys', implying some kind of separate identity, and definitely separate to the Space Corps. I think there was an earlier appearance too, Dredd sharing a flight with some soldiers, but I can't put my finger on it.

[Greg M.]

I think there was an earlier appearance too, Dredd sharing a flight with some soldiers, but I can't put my finger on it.

This probably isn't what you were thinking of, but on Luna-1, Dredd fights alongside allied soldiers against the Sovs. Arguably, this is the story that explains why there's virtually no MC-1 army - no side is supposed to have one, and war is supposed to be settled by small teams. Obviously that goes out the window by the Apocalypse War.

[TordelBack]

Cheers, I always seem to have a mental block about the Luna-1stories, apart from the Oxygen Board, for some reason. The story I was thinking of would be around the 1300s, maybe around the time of Sin City? Possibly a follow-up story? I'd like to say it was a Rennie script but this would be before the Golden Age of Rennie Dredds (the 1400s) - so probably Wagner and maybe Marshall or Walker on art? Any takers?

[Steve Green]

Reprisal?

Wagner/Marshall

http://2000ad.org/?zone=prog&page=profiles&choice=1317

[TordelBack]

Ahah, that fits. Anyone have the story handy? In the Satan's Island trade, according to that.

[Steve Green]

Rough outline - Genetically modified soldiers from MC-1 attack the New Kremlin under Commander Krieg, leave a company to occupy it.

On the way back Sov prisoners are thrown out of the craft, and there is an inquiry with Dredd leading it.

All the soldiers are designed to resist interrogation/fool lie detectors so they can't be found guilty but are deployed to the worst detail Dredd can think of.

[TordelBack]

Man yersel' there, Steve. That's the one. So non-Judge MC-1 terrestrial soldiers alright, albeit under Justice Dept authority. Reasonable to assume this is part of the same force that General Poll commands. Maybe the Heavy Tank units and robots  in Necropolis could be part of the same crew?

Any further info in Regime Change, I wonder.

[Frank]

Reasonable to assume this is part of the same force that General Poll commands. Maybe the Heavy Tank units and robots  in Necropolis could be part of the same crew?

Any further info in Regime Change, I wonder

Hershey frames that as a humanitarian operation under the command of Street Division. She consults 'Defence Chief Votten' on strategy, who looks like a regular judge, without the eye augmentation and eagle chest plate worn by Krieg and Poll.

It's pretty vague; future writers could figure Poll and Krieg as outside contractors from the off-world units we've seen in so many other stories, rather than a vertically integrated division of the Department, if that suits the story they want to tell.

Interestingly, in the Reprisal story Steve summarised, the unit under investigation are described as "genetic infantry".