"Robot Wars Part 7”
Mega City One Year: 2099
Published 11th June 1977, 2000ad Prog: 16 (The Complete Judge Dredd 1 and Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files 01.)
Parts: 8
Written by John WagnerArtist: Ron TurnerLetters: Tony Jacob
Synopsis
As Call-Me-Kenneth and his remaining Heavy Metal Kids squad charge upon the Grand Hall of Justice, Dredd and Walter take to the air to Mega City One’s atmosphere control station to initiate a lightning strike and take down the robot army for good. However, the station won’t legally permit Dredd to initiate any such strike. It is up to Walter once again to save the day by short-circuiting the system, and the resulting lightning strike causes the Heavy Metal Kids to turn on, and ultimately destroy, each other. In desperation, Call-Me-Kenneth has slipped away, with Dredd intent on taking the robot leader out and ending the war for good….
Review
The big takeaway from this one is the lightning aspect. The legal framework of Mega City weather was brought in over eighty years ago, and it’s clear that many have no idea what lightning is when it eventually strikes, yet Dredd would think to use it as the deterrent proactively? Hmm.
It’s a return of the norm art-wise, although McMahon’s is the most defined through this series. Turner’s art is fine here though, and in this era draws one of the best Dredd’s. It’s otherwise a well-paced episode, setting up the final showdown nicely.
Line of the strip - Dredd: "Robot destroyed, and I don’t need any advice from an overgrown vending machine like you, Walter!"
Be back next time citizens for “Robot Wars - The Finale!”
