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Necropolis (Judge Dredd story)
Encyclopedia
Necropolis is a 26-part Judge Dredd
epic by John Wagner
and Carlos Ezquerra
, published in 1990 in 2000 AD
progs 674–699. The story was the subject of extensive foreshadowing in the comic, beginning with The Dead Man
(progs 650–662), followed by "Tale of the Dead Man" (progs 662–668), and finally three stories collectively known as "Countdown to Necropolis" (progs 669–673). It pulled together various story threads going back four years (see also Democracy (Judge Dredd storyline)
). "Necropolis" was also followed by a number of epilogues and other follow-up stories, and had repercussions within the Judge Dredd strip which lasted for years.
Unusually, Judge Dredd himself does not appear in 13 of the 26 episodes of "Necropolis", or in any of the 5 episodes of "Countdown to Necropolis."
following the resignation of Judge Dredd in "Tale of the Dead Man." The Justice Department considered Dredd a symbol of justice, and that knowledge of his resignation could adversely affect public order. To that end, Kraken
, a clone-brother of Judge Dredd rescued from the fanatical Judda
sect, was ordered to assume Judge Dredd's identity. He soon fell under the psychic influence of the Sisters of Death
, and kidnapped Psi-Judge
Kit Agee, whose psychic powers were used to form a bridge between Deadworld and Mega-City One. Realising something was up, Chief Judge Silver
ordered a full-scale assault on Dunc Renaldo Block; the last known location of Judge Agee. The Sisters retaliated, their illusions making short work of the Judges. Top psi-judge
Anderson
realised that Kraken was under the Sisters' control, but was knocked out before she could raise the alarm. She disappeared beneath a tank, only to fall through a crumbling roadway into the Undercity
; the remains of old New York
. In the midst of this chaos, the Sisters sent Kraken to Tech 21, the dimensional research laboratory, and forced him to use their technology to free the Dark Judges
from another dimension.
With their Sisters' psychic power, the Dark Judges seized control of the city's Judges. Chief Judge Silver attempted suicide, but was captured, killed and then reanimated as their pet zombie and torture victim. The Sisters of Death shrouded the city in impenetrable shadow and blotted out all sun- and starlight, plunging the city into darkness; transforming Mega-City One
into Necropolis. All life was outlawed, and the Dark Judges sentenced the entire population to death. Under their rule at least ten thousand citizens were rounded up and killed by the Dark Judges each day, with Kraken forced to take part in the slaughter; many others committed suicide, were shot by judges for breaking curfew, or fell to disease and starvation.
This reign of misrule continued for months, with few managing to escape. Judge Dredd and former Chief Judge McGruder
, returning from exile to fight back, encountered a column of refugees that had fled into the Cursed Earth
, while four Cadet Judges (Giant, Ekerson, Santando and Monk) had evaded pursuit from Judge Mortis and escaped into the Undercity, where they encountered the injured Psi-Judge Anderson. They soon met and joined forces with Dredd and McGruder and formed a plan of action. Following Judge Anderson's advice, Dredd decided to kill Kit Agee and thus break the Sisters' link with Earth. The Judges returned to the surface, hijacked an H-Wagon and used its weapons to destroy Dunc Renaldo block, where Kit Agee was imprisoned. With Agee dead, the psychic bridge was destroyed and the Sisters of Death were banished to Deadworld. The Judges regained control of themselves, and quickly regrouped under McGruder's command, redoubling their efforts to put a stop to the slaughter.
The Judges managed to recapture three of the Dark Judges: Fear was imprisoned in the miracle plastic Boing; Judge Fire was drawn out of his body by a powerful vacuum; while Anderson uses her psi-powers to trap Judge Mortis. Judge Death
, when confronted, leapt from a city block window down to City Bottom, where he vanished, masking his presence with his own psychic talents. In this fashion he was able to escape and hide himself among the dead, and was soon buried with them in one of the many mass graves excavated to contain the sixty million citizens who died during this period. Kraken, free of Death's influence at last and overcome with guilt, welcomed his execution at Dredd's hands.
story arc which had begun four years earlier, and which now continued in a new direction. The story also reintroduced the character Judge McGruder
, absent from the strip for four years, now with obvious mental problems as a result of her prolonged exile in the radioactive Cursed Earth desert. McGruder's mental illness became an important aspect of the "Mechanismo
" story four years later.
The story also reintroduced Judge Death and his fellow Dark Judges as a serious presence in the series, having not appeared since being exiled to another dimension in the first "Anderson Psi Division" story several years earlier. The story also introduced the "Sisters of Death."
For the time being this arc also put an end to Dredd's doubts about the Justice System, which would not resurface in a major way until "Origins
" 15 years later.
The arc also sees the deaths of Judge Kraken and Chief Judge Silver (though Silver would reappear as a zombie the following year).
A few weeks after the end of the story a follow up, "Wot I Did During Necropolis," would reveal that serial killer PJ Maybe
had escaped his isocube in the chaos, setting up his next appearances.
and in the Judge Dredd Megazine
, in particular:
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...
epic by John Wagner
John Wagner
John Wagner is a comics writer who was born in Pennsylvania in 1949 and moved to Scotland as a boy. Alongside Pat Mills, Wagner was responsible for revitalising British boys' comics in the 1970s, and has continued to be a leading light in British comics ever since.He is best known for his work on...
and Carlos Ezquerra
Carlos Ezquerra
Carlos Sanchez Ezquerra , who has also worked under the alias L. John Silver, is a Spanish comics artist who works mainly in British comics and currently lives in Andorra...
, published in 1990 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...
progs 674–699. The story was the subject of extensive foreshadowing in the comic, beginning with The Dead Man
The Dead Man
The Dead Man was a science fiction strip in the British comic 2000 AD by writer John Wagner and artist John Ridgway, published in black and white in 1989–90. Although it was not billed as a Judge Dredd story, it was set in Judge Dredd's world in 2112, and featured a new character called the Dead Man...
(progs 650–662), followed by "Tale of the Dead Man" (progs 662–668), and finally three stories collectively known as "Countdown to Necropolis" (progs 669–673). It pulled together various story threads going back four years (see also Democracy (Judge Dredd storyline)
Democracy (Judge Dredd storyline)
Democracy in the fictional future city of Mega-City One has been a significant recurring theme in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. In particular, a number of stories published since 1986 have addressed the issue of the Judges' dictatorial system of government, and efforts by the citizens to...
). "Necropolis" was also followed by a number of epilogues and other follow-up stories, and had repercussions within the Judge Dredd strip which lasted for years.
Unusually, Judge Dredd himself does not appear in 13 of the 26 episodes of "Necropolis", or in any of the 5 episodes of "Countdown to Necropolis."
Plot
Set in the year 2112, the story concerns the tragedy that befalls Mega-City OneMega-City One
Mega-City One is a huge fictional city-state covering much of what is now the Eastern United States in the Judge Dredd comic book series. The exact boundaries of the city depend on which artist has drawn the story...
following the resignation of Judge Dredd in "Tale of the Dead Man." The Justice Department considered Dredd a symbol of justice, and that knowledge of his resignation could adversely affect public order. To that end, Kraken
Judge Kraken
Judge Kraken is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip featured in the long-running British comic 2000 AD. Although he only appeared in a few episodes, he was nonetheless a very important character in Tale of the Dead Man, in which he was given almost equal billing with Dredd, and in...
, a clone-brother of Judge Dredd rescued from the fanatical Judda
Morton Judd
Morton Judd is a fictional character from the Judge Dredd comic strip and appears in progs 559-563 of the British comic 2000 AD, in the story "Oz"....
sect, was ordered to assume Judge Dredd's identity. He soon fell under the psychic influence of the Sisters of Death
Dark Judges
The Dark Judges are recurring villains in the fictional Judge Dredd universe recounted in the UK comic 2000 AD. They are Judge Death, Judge Fire, Judge Fear and Judge Mortis. Later storylines added the "Sisters of Death" , to their ranks...
, and kidnapped Psi-Judge
Psi Division
Psi-Division is a fictional organisation in the Judge Dredd and Anderson: Psi-Division comic strips in 2000 AD and Judge Dredd: The Megazine. It is the branch of Mega-City One's Justice Department that deals in supernatural phenomena, using Judges with psychic abilities. Psi-Judges are often...
Kit Agee, whose psychic powers were used to form a bridge between Deadworld and Mega-City One. Realising something was up, Chief Judge Silver
Judge Silver
Chief Judge Thomas Silver was chief judge of the fictional city of Mega-City One in the Judge Dredd comic strip.-Fictional character biography:...
ordered a full-scale assault on Dunc Renaldo Block; the last known location of Judge Agee. The Sisters retaliated, their illusions making short work of the Judges. Top psi-judge
Psi Division
Psi-Division is a fictional organisation in the Judge Dredd and Anderson: Psi-Division comic strips in 2000 AD and Judge Dredd: The Megazine. It is the branch of Mega-City One's Justice Department that deals in supernatural phenomena, using Judges with psychic abilities. Psi-Judges are often...
Anderson
Judge Anderson
Judge Cassandra Anderson is a fictional character that started as a supporting player in the comic story Judge Dredd of 2000 AD and eventually rose in prominence and became the star of her own series, which is entitled Anderson: Psi-Division. It was created by writer John Wagner and artist Brian...
realised that Kraken was under the Sisters' control, but was knocked out before she could raise the alarm. She disappeared beneath a tank, only to fall through a crumbling roadway into the Undercity
Undercity (Judge Dredd)
The Undercity is a part of the fictional universe featured in the Judge Dredd series that appears in the UK comic book 2000 AD.-Background:...
; the remains of old New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In the midst of this chaos, the Sisters sent Kraken to Tech 21, the dimensional research laboratory, and forced him to use their technology to free the Dark Judges
Dark Judges
The Dark Judges are recurring villains in the fictional Judge Dredd universe recounted in the UK comic 2000 AD. They are Judge Death, Judge Fire, Judge Fear and Judge Mortis. Later storylines added the "Sisters of Death" , to their ranks...
from another dimension.
Mega-City One
Mega-City One is a huge fictional city-state covering much of what is now the Eastern United States in the Judge Dredd comic book series. The exact boundaries of the city depend on which artist has drawn the story...
into Necropolis. All life was outlawed, and the Dark Judges sentenced the entire population to death. Under their rule at least ten thousand citizens were rounded up and killed by the Dark Judges each day, with Kraken forced to take part in the slaughter; many others committed suicide, were shot by judges for breaking curfew, or fell to disease and starvation.
This reign of misrule continued for months, with few managing to escape. Judge Dredd and former Chief Judge McGruder
Judge McGruder
Chief Judge Hilda Margaret McGruder is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd stories published in the British comic 2000 AD. She was the first female Chief Judge of Mega-City One, and the first Judge of Mega-City One to become Chief Judge twice...
, returning from exile to fight back, encountered a column of refugees that had fled into 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:...
, while four Cadet Judges (Giant, Ekerson, Santando and Monk) had evaded pursuit from Judge Mortis and escaped into the Undercity, where they encountered the injured Psi-Judge Anderson. They soon met and joined forces with Dredd and McGruder and formed a plan of action. Following Judge Anderson's advice, Dredd decided to kill Kit Agee and thus break the Sisters' link with Earth. The Judges returned to the surface, hijacked an H-Wagon and used its weapons to destroy Dunc Renaldo block, where Kit Agee was imprisoned. With Agee dead, the psychic bridge was destroyed and the Sisters of Death were banished to Deadworld. The Judges regained control of themselves, and quickly regrouped under McGruder's command, redoubling their efforts to put a stop to the slaughter.
The Judges managed to recapture three of the Dark Judges: Fear was imprisoned in the miracle plastic Boing; Judge Fire was drawn out of his body by a powerful vacuum; while Anderson uses her psi-powers to trap Judge Mortis. Judge Death
Judge Death
Judge Death is a fictional character of the Judge Dredd universe recounted in the UK comic 2000 AD. He is the leader of the Dark Judges, a sinister group of undead law enforcers from the alternate dimension of Deadworld, where all life has been declared a crime since only the living commit crimes...
, when confronted, leapt from a city block window down to City Bottom, where he vanished, masking his presence with his own psychic talents. In this fashion he was able to escape and hide himself among the dead, and was soon buried with them in one of the many mass graves excavated to contain the sixty million citizens who died during this period. Kraken, free of Death's influence at last and overcome with guilt, welcomed his execution at Dredd's hands.
Significance
Besides its epic length and the cataclysmic events depicted in the story, "Necropolis" was a major turning point in the long-running DemocracyDemocracy (Judge Dredd storyline)
Democracy in the fictional future city of Mega-City One has been a significant recurring theme in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. In particular, a number of stories published since 1986 have addressed the issue of the Judges' dictatorial system of government, and efforts by the citizens to...
story arc which had begun four years earlier, and which now continued in a new direction. The story also reintroduced the character Judge McGruder
Judge McGruder
Chief Judge Hilda Margaret McGruder is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd stories published in the British comic 2000 AD. She was the first female Chief Judge of Mega-City One, and the first Judge of Mega-City One to become Chief Judge twice...
, absent from the strip for four years, now with obvious mental problems as a result of her prolonged exile in the radioactive Cursed Earth desert. McGruder's mental illness became an important aspect of the "Mechanismo
Mechanismo
Mechanismo is the title of a Judge Dredd story published in the British comic Judge Dredd Megazine in 1992. It was the first story in a series of stories published over the next two years in both the Megazine and 2000 AD, most notably the epic "Wilderlands." The stories concern the Mechanismo...
" story four years later.
The story also reintroduced Judge Death and his fellow Dark Judges as a serious presence in the series, having not appeared since being exiled to another dimension in the first "Anderson Psi Division" story several years earlier. The story also introduced the "Sisters of Death."
For the time being this arc also put an end to Dredd's doubts about the Justice System, which would not resurface in a major way until "Origins
Origins (Judge Dredd story)
Origins is one of the longest Judge Dredd storylines to run in the pages of British comic 2000 AD. Making extensive use of flashbacks, it tells the story of how the Judges of Mega-City One rose to power. It was written by John Wagner and illustrated by Carlos Ezquerra, who between them created...
" 15 years later.
The arc also sees the deaths of Judge Kraken and Chief Judge Silver (though Silver would reappear as a zombie the following year).
A few weeks after the end of the story a follow up, "Wot I Did During Necropolis," would reveal that serial killer PJ Maybe
PJ Maybe
Philip Janet Maybe is a fictional character in the 2000 AD comic strip Judge Dredd. He is a notorious serial killer, and most notably assumed the identity of Mayor Byron Ambrose, who he murdered.-Fictional character biography:...
had escaped his isocube in the chaos, setting up his next appearances.
Trade paperbacks
The story has been reprinted several times, both as a trade paperbackTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
and in the Judge Dredd Megazine
Judge Dredd Megazine
Judge Dredd: The Megazine is a monthly British comic magazine, launched in October 1990. It is a sister publication to 2000 AD. Its name is a play on words, formed from "magazine" and Dredd's locale Mega-City One.-Content:...
, in particular:
- Judge Dredd: Necropolis (collects "Dear Annie" and "Necropolis," Hamlyn, 192 pages, 1998, ISBN 0-600-59640-0)
- Judge Dredd: Necropolis Book One (collects "Tale of the Dead Man," "By Lethal Injection," "Rights of Succession," "Dear Annie," and beginning of "Necropolis," TitanTitan BooksTitan Publishing Group is an independently owned publishing company, established in 1981. It is based at offices in London, England's Bankside area. The Books Division has two main areas of publishing: film & TV tie-ins/cinema reference books; and graphic novels and comics reference/art titles. The...
, 144 pages, 2003, ISBN 1-84023-601-9) - Judge Dredd: Necropolis Book Two (collects rest of "Necropolis," Titan, 136 pages, 2003, ISBN 1-84023-635-3)
- Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files 14 (collects "Tale of the Dead Man," "By Lethal Injection," "Rights of Succession," "Dear Annie," and all of "Necropolis," Rebellion, 272 pages, 2009, ISBN 978-1-906735-29-6)
Related stories
- "Bloodline" (written by John WagnerJohn WagnerJohn Wagner is a comics writer who was born in Pennsylvania in 1949 and moved to Scotland as a boy. Alongside Pat Mills, Wagner was responsible for revitalising British boys' comics in the 1970s, and has continued to be a leading light in British comics ever since.He is best known for his work on...
, with art by Will Simpson, in 2000 AD #583-584, 1988)- Introduces Kraken.
- "The Shooting Match" (written by John Wagner, with art by John HigginsJohn Higgins (comics)John Higgins is an English comic book artist and writer. He did significant work for 2000 AD, and he has frequently worked with writer Alan Moore, most notably as colourist for Watchmen.-Biography:...
, in 2000 AD #650, 1989)
- "A Letter to Judge Dredd" (written by John Wagner, with art by Will Simpson, in 2000 AD #661, 19901990 in comics-Year overall:Days of Future Present, the sequel to Days of Future Past, appeared in the annuals of Fantastic Four, New Mutants, X-Factor and X-Men.-January:* Dinosaurs for Hire is cancelled by Eternity Comics with issue #9....
)- Prologue to "Tale of the Dead Man."
- "Tale of the Dead Man" (written by John Wagner, with art by Will Simpson and Jeff Anderson, in 2000 AD #662-668, 1990)
- Dredd resigns.
- See also The Dead ManThe Dead ManThe Dead Man was a science fiction strip in the British comic 2000 AD by writer John Wagner and artist John Ridgway, published in black and white in 1989–90. Although it was not billed as a Judge Dredd story, it was set in Judge Dredd's world in 2112, and featured a new character called the Dead Man...
(Judge Dredd spin-off in #650-662)
- "By Lethal Injection" (written by John Wagner, with art by Carlos EzquerraCarlos EzquerraCarlos Sanchez Ezquerra , who has also worked under the alias L. John Silver, is a Spanish comics artist who works mainly in British comics and currently lives in Andorra...
, in 2000 AD #669-670, 1990)
- "Rights of Succession" (written by John Wagner, with art by Carlos Ezquerra, in 2000 AD #671, 1990)
- Kraken assumes Dredd's identity.
- "Dear Annie" (written by John Wagner, with art by Carlos Ezquerra, in 2000 AD #672-673, 1990)
- "Necropolis" (written by John Wagner, with art by Carlos Ezquerra, in 2000 AD #674-699, 1990)
- "The Theatre of Death" (written by John Wagner, with art by Ron SmithRon Smith (artist)Ron Smith, born 1924, is a retired British comic artist whose career spanned almost almost fifty years, during which time he built a solid reputation as one of the most popular and well respected illustrators working in his field....
, in 2000 AD #700-701, 1990)
- "Return of the King" (written by Garth EnnisGarth EnnisGarth Ennis is a Northern Irish comics writer, best known for the Vertigo series Preacher with artist Steve Dillon and his successful nine-year run on Marvel Comics' Punisher franchise...
, with art by Carlos Ezquerra, in 2000 AD #733-735, 1991)- Contains flashbacks to unseen events during "Necropolis" and reveals Silver's ultimate fate.
See also
- City of the DamnedCity of the Damned (Judge Dredd story)City of the Damned is a Judge Dredd story which was published in British comic 2000 AD in issues 393–406 . It was written by John Wagner and Alan Grant and illustrated by Steve Dillon, Ian Gibson, Ron Smith and Kim Raymond. It was the first Judge Dredd story to feature time travel...
, an earlier Judge Dredd story which contained a lot of the elements that would later appear in Necropolis.
- Democracy (Judge Dredd storyline)Democracy (Judge Dredd storyline)Democracy in the fictional future city of Mega-City One has been a significant recurring theme in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. In particular, a number of stories published since 1986 have addressed the issue of the Judges' dictatorial system of government, and efforts by the citizens to...
- "Oz"Oz (Judge Dredd story)Oz is a mini-series featured in the comic 2000 AD, running for 26 episodes from 24 October, 1987 to 16 April, 1988....
, the story which introduced the Judda.