The Pit (Judge Dredd story)
Encyclopedia
The Pit is a Judge Dredd
story which appeared in British comic 2000 AD
in 1995
–1996
(issues 970–999). With 30 episodes, it had the greatest number of episodes of any single Judge Dredd story until "The Doomsday Scenario
" in 1999 (although "Oz"
had a higher page count, at 199 pages). However it is mainly notable for introducing the supporting characters of Galen DeMarco
, Judge Guthrie
and Judge Buell
. It tells of Judge Dredd's temporary assignment as the sector chief of Sector 301.
's Sector 301, disparagingly nicknamed "The Pit," is the most crime-ridden and corrupt sector in the future city. Each city sector has its own sector house of street judges
, and the judges in Sector 301 are the worst, as the sector has been used as a dumping ground for every inadequate judge who, but for manpower shortages, would normally have been dismissed from the force. Corruption and incompetence at 301 are rife, and when judges are suspected of complicity in the murder of Sector Chief Rohan, Judge Dredd is appointed sector chief in her place, with instructions to investigate the murder and also to whip the Pit's judges into shape.
Essentially a desk assignment, sector chief is not Dredd's chosen role, and he resents the paperwork and isolation from daily law enforcement. (It is for this reason that Dredd, in an earlier story, turned down the opportunity to become chief judge
of the whole city.) However Dredd diligently sets about his task, and sets up a task force of judges outside the SJS (the Special Judicial Squad, who normally deal with internal affairs), since even the local SJS judges are not above suspicion.
Dredd supplements the task force with judges from outside The Pit, established characters Judge Giant
and Judge Castillo, but their role in the story is less than that of the new characters. Dredd initially appoints Judge DeMarco to lead the task force, as she is the most capable judge in the sector. However he later has to suspend her when Castillo discovers that DeMarco is having an illicit affair with another judge, Judge Warren, in contravention of regulations. DeMarco redeems herself when she saves Castillo from a bunch of thugs, but Warren is suspended, having failed to intervene because it would expose his affair with DeMarco. He loses his temper and assaults Dredd, who immediately places him under arrest. Dredd appoints Judge Buell to take charge of the task force.
From the beginning of the corruption investigation, Dredd is greatly assisted by information provided by a renegade undercover judge, Judge Guthrie
, who has apparently gone rogue after killing three judges and become a fugitive. Guthrie's evidence leads to the discovery that many of Sector 301's judges are indeed corrupt, and some are even in the pay of the "Frendz Mob," a mafia-style organised crime gang. Dredd and his task force eventually arrest twenty-four judges for various crimes, and two more are killed by Dredd and Guthrie while resisting arrest. A third judge is killed in action before his crimes are discovered. A further two judges – the local head and deputy head of the SJS – are also killed by or on the orders of the Frendz Mob, to conceal the Mob's infiltration of the sector house.
In spite of that setback, however, Dredd's mission is otherwise a success, as the sector house has been purged of corruption. Judge Guthrie is reinstated and reassigned to uniform duties, after satisfying Dredd that he is innocent (the judges he killed having been trying to murder him at the behest of the Frendz). DeMarco is also reinstated. Buell and his partner Judge Garcia are promoted to become, respectively, the new head and deputy head of SJS at 301, after Castillo declines the promotion.
Undeterred by the lack of evidence against the Frendz Mob, Dredd initiates a massive campaign of harassment against them, raiding all of their known buildings and vigorously punishing every crime detected, however minor. Eventually this goads the local Frendz boss into a reprisal action, and he instigates a sector-wide riot, which escalates into a full-scale gang war against the judges. Reinforced by new graduates from the Academy of Law
, the beleaguered judges fight back, with Dredd himself in the heart of the conflict. During the chaos, Warren escapes from custody and abducts DeMarco, who is forced to kill him in self-defence. Eventually the judges prevail and regain control of the streets. The local Frendz boss still can not be tied to the recent violence, but when over three hundred unpaid parking tickets come to light he is sentenced to thirty days per ticket: a total sentence of over twenty-five years (in much the same way that Al Capone
was brought to justice for tax evasion in 1931).
Keen to return to his regular duties, Dredd resigns his commission and hands over the sector house to his successor, Judge Uris.
Main artists:
:
The first version has been out of print for some years.
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...
story which appeared in British comic 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...
in 1995
1995 in comics
-January:*After Xavier: The Age of Apocalypse is launched. All X-titles change to different names for the next four months.* Thor marks his 400th appearance in Marvel Comics with issue #482....
–1996
1996 in comics
-Year overall:* Malcolm Jones III commits suicide at circa age 37.* Boody Rogers, creator of Sparky Watts, dies at c. age 92-January:* January 19: Bernard Baily, co-creator of The Spectre and Hourman, dies at age 79.* January 28:...
(issues 970–999). With 30 episodes, it had the greatest number of episodes of any single Judge Dredd story until "The Doomsday Scenario
The Doomsday Scenario
The Doomsday Scenario is the collective name of a series of Judge Dredd comic stories published in 2000 AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine in 1999...
" in 1999 (although "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....
had a higher page count, at 199 pages). However it is mainly notable for introducing the supporting characters of Galen 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:...
, Judge Guthrie
Judge Guthrie
Judge Guthrie is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD.-Fictional character biography:Guthrie first appeared in the comic strip as an undercover judge in 2000 AD prog 971...
and Judge Buell
Judge Buell
Judge Arthur Buell is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in British comic 2000 AD. He is the current head of the Special Judicial Squad, the Internal Affairs division of the Judges of Mega-City One....
. It tells of Judge Dredd's temporary assignment as the sector chief of Sector 301.
Plot
By the year 2117 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...
's Sector 301, disparagingly nicknamed "The Pit," is the most crime-ridden and corrupt sector in the future city. Each city sector has its own sector house of street judges
Judge (2000 AD)
Judge is a title held by several significant characters in the Judge Dredd series, which appears in the British comics 2000 AD and Judge Dredd Megazine...
, and the judges in Sector 301 are the worst, as the sector has been used as a dumping ground for every inadequate judge who, but for manpower shortages, would normally have been dismissed from the force. Corruption and incompetence at 301 are rife, and when judges are suspected of complicity in the murder of Sector Chief Rohan, Judge Dredd is appointed sector chief in her place, with instructions to investigate the murder and also to whip the Pit's judges into shape.
Essentially a desk assignment, sector chief is not Dredd's chosen role, and he resents the paperwork and isolation from daily law enforcement. (It is for this reason that Dredd, in an earlier story, turned down the opportunity to become chief judge
Chief Judge of Mega-City One
Chief Judge of Mega-City One is the title of several supporting characters in the Judge Dredd comic strip published in 2000 AD. The chief judge is dictator and head of state of Mega-City One, a fictional future city of around 400 million people in 22nd-century America...
of the whole city.) However Dredd diligently sets about his task, and sets up a task force of judges outside the SJS (the Special Judicial Squad, who normally deal with internal affairs), since even the local SJS judges are not above suspicion.
Dredd supplements the task force with judges from outside The Pit, established characters Judge Giant
Judge Giant
Judge Giant can refer to either of two fictional characters appearing in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. They are father and son...
and Judge Castillo, but their role in the story is less than that of the new characters. Dredd initially appoints Judge DeMarco to lead the task force, as she is the most capable judge in the sector. However he later has to suspend her when Castillo discovers that DeMarco is having an illicit affair with another judge, Judge Warren, in contravention of regulations. DeMarco redeems herself when she saves Castillo from a bunch of thugs, but Warren is suspended, having failed to intervene because it would expose his affair with DeMarco. He loses his temper and assaults Dredd, who immediately places him under arrest. Dredd appoints Judge Buell to take charge of the task force.
From the beginning of the corruption investigation, Dredd is greatly assisted by information provided by a renegade undercover judge, Judge Guthrie
Judge Guthrie
Judge Guthrie is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD.-Fictional character biography:Guthrie first appeared in the comic strip as an undercover judge in 2000 AD prog 971...
, who has apparently gone rogue after killing three judges and become a fugitive. Guthrie's evidence leads to the discovery that many of Sector 301's judges are indeed corrupt, and some are even in the pay of the "Frendz Mob," a mafia-style organised crime gang. Dredd and his task force eventually arrest twenty-four judges for various crimes, and two more are killed by Dredd and Guthrie while resisting arrest. A third judge is killed in action before his crimes are discovered. A further two judges – the local head and deputy head of the SJS – are also killed by or on the orders of the Frendz Mob, to conceal the Mob's infiltration of the sector house.
In spite of that setback, however, Dredd's mission is otherwise a success, as the sector house has been purged of corruption. Judge Guthrie is reinstated and reassigned to uniform duties, after satisfying Dredd that he is innocent (the judges he killed having been trying to murder him at the behest of the Frendz). DeMarco is also reinstated. Buell and his partner Judge Garcia are promoted to become, respectively, the new head and deputy head of SJS at 301, after Castillo declines the promotion.
Undeterred by the lack of evidence against the Frendz Mob, Dredd initiates a massive campaign of harassment against them, raiding all of their known buildings and vigorously punishing every crime detected, however minor. Eventually this goads the local Frendz boss into a reprisal action, and he instigates a sector-wide riot, which escalates into a full-scale gang war against the judges. Reinforced by new graduates from the Academy of Law
Academy of Law
The Academy of Law is a fictional place of learning appearing in the Judge Dredd series that appears in the British comic 2000 AD.-Fictional history:The Academy of Law is where the Judges of Mega-City One are trained...
, the beleaguered judges fight back, with Dredd himself in the heart of the conflict. During the chaos, Warren escapes from custody and abducts DeMarco, who is forced to kill him in self-defence. Eventually the judges prevail and regain control of the streets. The local Frendz boss still can not be tied to the recent violence, but when over three hundred unpaid parking tickets come to light he is sentenced to thirty days per ticket: a total sentence of over twenty-five years (in much the same way that Al Capone
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
was brought to justice for tax evasion in 1931).
Keen to return to his regular duties, Dredd resigns his commission and hands over the sector house to his successor, Judge Uris.
Contributors
Writer:- 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...
Main artists:
- 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...
- Colin MacNeilColin MacNeilColin MacNeil is a British comics artist, best known for his work on 2000 AD and in particular on Judge Dredd and other stories within his world like Shimura and Devlin Waugh....
- Lee SullivanLee Sullivan (comics)-Biography:Sullivan trained as a wildlife and technical illustrator at Barnfield College before working as a graphic illustrator for British Aerospace...
- Alex Ronald
Collection
It has been collected twice 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...
:
- Judge Dredd: The Pit (HamlynHamlyn (publishers)Hamlyn is a UK publishing company founded by Paul Hamlyn in 1950 with an initial investment of £350. His desire was to create "fine books with the common touch" which remains the foundation of its commercial success...
, 1997, ISBN 0-600-59433-5) - Judge Dredd:The Pit (RebellionRebellionRebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
2008 ISBN 9-10905437-84-9)
The first version has been out of print for some years.
Prequels
- "Bad Frendz" (2000 AD progs 955–959, 1995) introduced the Frendz Mob and its overall leader, Nero Narcos. As well as figuring prominently in "The Pit," the Frendz Mob were also Dredd's main opponents in the 1999 epic "The Doomsday ScenarioThe Doomsday ScenarioThe Doomsday Scenario is the collective name of a series of Judge Dredd comic stories published in 2000 AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine in 1999...
," when they started the Second Robot War.
- "The Cal Files" (progs 959–963, 1995) was published shortly before "The Pit," and depicted Chief Judge Volt ordering Dredd to assume command of Sector 301. "The Pit" began with Dredd already in the sector house.
Sequels
"The Pit" was followed by two thematic sequels, which both portrayed the inner workings of an average sector house.- In "Beyond the Call of Duty" (progs 1101–1110, 1998) Judge DeMarco became chief of Sector 303. This story was the first in a series of stories which ultimately led into the Second Robot WarThe Doomsday ScenarioThe Doomsday Scenario is the collective name of a series of Judge Dredd comic stories published in 2000 AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine in 1999...
.
- "Sector House" (progs 1215–1222, 2000) told of Judge Rico's assignment to Sector 108.
External links
- The Pit overview, by Arthur WyattArthur Wyatt (comics)Arthur Wyatt is a writer for British comic 2000 AD, creating stories mostly in the Future Shock format. Wyatt was also selected as one of 2005's five best new comic book writers, contributing to the 2000AD Winter Special....