Judge Edgar
Encyclopedia
Judge Jura Edgar is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd
comic strip in 2000 AD
. Although in most of her stories she is not evil or a murderer in the manner of most villains in the Judge Dredd series (though in her last story it transpires that she is responsible for a number of murders), she is nevertheless one of Dredd's adversaries. She was the head of the Public Surveillance Unit
from 2100 to 2122, and then the governor of a prison farm
in the Cursed Earth
.
Edgar became head of PSU when she lost the use of her legs after receiving a back injury when wounded in the line of duty. She moved around using a hoverchair (anti-gravity wheelchair), and became renowned for her strict discipline and high expectations of her staff. She became PSU's longest serving head, serving twenty-two years. She occasionally used the wealth of confidential information at her disposal to play power games with other judges to increase her own influence. One notable example of this is when, to avenge herself on Judge Dredd for a perceived slight against her, she orchestrated a disciplinary investigation into Judge DeMarco
– one of Dredd's associates – which led to DeMarco's resignation. Edgar's reputation for this sort of behaviour led people to compare her to the 20th century FBI director J. Edgar Hoover
, and she acquired the nickname "J. Edgar Hover" (only ever used behind her back).
In 2117 she was discovered to be illicitly keeping sensitive information on other senior judges, which had been compiled by Judge Cal
for the purposes of blackmail when he was head of the SJS, the Judges' internal affairs division. Chief Judge Volt
decided to take no action against her, but when Judge Hershey
succeeded him as chief judge in 2122, Hershey immediately had Edgar arrested and investigated by the SJS. On trial before the Council of Five
, Edgar defended herself with skill and defiance. She briskly and brusquely discredited what had initially seemed to be overwhelming evidence, reducing the prosecution case to nothing more than empty innuendo, and claiming that the charge was politically-motivated.
Besides the seniority of the defendant, Edgar's trial is also notable for being the first occasion when Judge Dredd
ever sat on the Council – having always declined a permanent seat – when he agreed to sit in a vacant seat to make up the numbers for the duration of the trial.
Although Edgar was acquitted of all criminal charges, she was still dismissed from office by Chief Judge Hershey. Judge Niles
, who was head of SJS and who had personally led the investigation (and brought the whole affair to Hershey's attention in the first place), was transferred from SJS to take over command of the PSU. Edgar was demoted to the lowly position of commanding Cursed Earth Correctional Facility 17, where she remained for eight years.
During the "Chief Judge's Man"
story arc she was astonished to be asked to help Dredd catch a killer, as there was clearly too much bad blood for the two to ever reconcile.
By 2130 she was in very ill health and on the verge of death from cancer. As part of a final revenge, she steered Dredd towards the remaining members of the Citizen Court — one of whom (Judge Ramos) was a member of the Council of Five — hoping Dredd would be killed by one of them resisting arrest. By the time Dredd had uncovered her involvement she had died, too late for him to arrest her for the murders.
Judge Dredd
Judge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner...
comic strip in 2000 AD
2000 AD (comic)
2000 AD is a weekly British science fiction-oriented comic. As a comics anthology it serialises a number of separate stories each issue and was first published by IPC Magazines in 1977, the first issue dated 26 February. IPC then shifted the title to its Fleetway comics subsidiary which was sold...
. Although in most of her stories she is not evil or a murderer in the manner of most villains in the Judge Dredd series (though in her last story it transpires that she is responsible for a number of murders), she is nevertheless one of Dredd's adversaries. She was the head of the Public Surveillance Unit
Public Surveillance Unit
The Public Surveillance Unit or PSU is a fictional institution in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. It was introduced in progs 954 and 959 . Notable PSU characters in the comic strip are Judge Niles, its chief, and Judge Roffman, who frequently assists Judge Dredd in surveillance, espionage...
from 2100 to 2122, and then the governor of a prison farm
Prison farm
A prison farm is a large correctional facility where penal labor convicts are put to economical use in a 'farm' , usually for manual labour, largely in open air, such as in agriculture, logging, quarrying, etc...
in the Cursed Earth
Cursed Earth
The Cursed Earth is a part of the fictional universe from the Judge Dredd series that appears in the UK comic book 2000 AD.-Background:...
.
Fictional character biography
An ambitious Judge, in the 2090s Edgar was part of a small group of Judges that committed vigilante killings, under the alias of the Citizens' Court. By working at PSU, Edgar was able to ensure that the others were not caught. After seventeen killings, she had the group disbanded so it could not cause problems for her career advancement.Edgar became head of PSU when she lost the use of her legs after receiving a back injury when wounded in the line of duty. She moved around using a hoverchair (anti-gravity wheelchair), and became renowned for her strict discipline and high expectations of her staff. She became PSU's longest serving head, serving twenty-two years. She occasionally used the wealth of confidential information at her disposal to play power games with other judges to increase her own influence. One notable example of this is when, to avenge herself on Judge Dredd for a perceived slight against her, she orchestrated a disciplinary investigation into Judge DeMarco
Galen DeMarco
Galen DeMarco is a fictional character in the world of Judge Dredd. She is a former street judge who first appeared in the Judge Dredd storyline "The Pit" in 2000 AD #970.-Biography:...
– one of Dredd's associates – which led to DeMarco's resignation. Edgar's reputation for this sort of behaviour led people to compare her to the 20th century FBI director J. Edgar Hoover
J. Edgar Hoover
John Edgar Hoover was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States. Appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation—predecessor to the FBI—in 1924, he was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972...
, and she acquired the nickname "J. Edgar Hover" (only ever used behind her back).
In 2117 she was discovered to be illicitly keeping sensitive information on other senior judges, which had been compiled by Judge Cal
Judge Cal
Chief Judge Cal is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. He was loosely based on the real life Roman emperor Caligula, who is widely considered to have been insane...
for the purposes of blackmail when he was head of the SJS, the Judges' internal affairs division. Chief Judge Volt
Judge Volt
Chief Judge Hadrian Volt is a fictional character from the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. He was chief judge of Mega-City One between 2116 and 2121 .-Fictional character biography:...
decided to take no action against her, but when Judge Hershey
Judge Hershey
Judge Barbara Hershey is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd series that appears in British comic 2000 AD. For nearly two decades she regularly appeared as Dredd's sidekick, before being promoted to become his superior: she was chief judge for nine years...
succeeded him as chief judge in 2122, Hershey immediately had Edgar arrested and investigated by the SJS. On trial before the Council of Five
Council of Five
The Council of Five is a fictional legislature and court in the Judge Dredd comic strip appearing in 2000 AD. It first appeared in 2000 AD prog 86 ....
, Edgar defended herself with skill and defiance. She briskly and brusquely discredited what had initially seemed to be overwhelming evidence, reducing the prosecution case to nothing more than empty innuendo, and claiming that the charge was politically-motivated.
Besides the seniority of the defendant, Edgar's trial is also notable for being the first occasion when Judge Dredd
Judge Dredd
Judge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner...
ever sat on the Council – having always declined a permanent seat – when he agreed to sit in a vacant seat to make up the numbers for the duration of the trial.
Although Edgar was acquitted of all criminal charges, she was still dismissed from office by Chief Judge Hershey. Judge Niles
Judge Niles
Judge Rog Niles is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in British comic 2000 AD. He first appeared in 2000 AD prog 706 . He is the head of the Public Surveillance Unit...
, who was head of SJS and who had personally led the investigation (and brought the whole affair to Hershey's attention in the first place), was transferred from SJS to take over command of the PSU. Edgar was demoted to the lowly position of commanding Cursed Earth Correctional Facility 17, where she remained for eight years.
During the "Chief Judge's Man"
Armon Gill
Armon Gill, also known as the Chief Judge's Man, is a fictional villain from the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD.-Fictional character biography:...
story arc she was astonished to be asked to help Dredd catch a killer, as there was clearly too much bad blood for the two to ever reconcile.
By 2130 she was in very ill health and on the verge of death from cancer. As part of a final revenge, she steered Dredd towards the remaining members of the Citizen Court — one of whom (Judge Ramos) was a member of the Council of Five — hoping Dredd would be killed by one of them resisting arrest. By the time Dredd had uncovered her involvement she had died, too late for him to arrest her for the murders.