"Robots"
Mega City One Year: 2099
Published 23rd April 1977, 2000ad Prog: 9 (Judge Dredd: The Early Cases 1, Judge Dredd Annual 1986, The Best of 2000AD, The Complete Judge Dredd 1, Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files 01)
Parts: 1
Written by John Wagner
Illustrated by Ron Turner
Letters by John Aldrich
Synopsis
The robots of Mega-City One have gone beyond the novelty of service droids and maintenance machines. Fully independent yet obedient robots have become the new novelty, complete with emotional sophistication. As Judges Dredd and Diablo look over a robot exhibition due to a potential ransom threat, Dredd laments the days robots were just that. Moments later the ransom demand rings true, as a citizen aboard a robot chair (an artificially intelligent robochair) flies into the exhibition and launches deadly myclon gas, killing every human, including Judge Diablo, with only Dredd surviving thanks to applying his helmet’s gas respirator in time and blasting the roof off the arena to let out the gas for the city’s air purification to deal with. The robochair citizen left behind a blanket, which Dredd uses in conjunction with a very much alive police bloodhound robot from the exhibition to track the lawbreaker. Dredd successfully takes down the robochair to catch its lawbreaker pilot. It leaves Dredd questioning when this new intelligent robot population will start breaking the law themselves…
Review
John Wagner is the co-creator of Judge Dredd with artist Carlos Ezquerra and would become the most prolific and prominent Judge Dredd writer in both 2000ad and the Judge Dredd Megazine, penning over a thousand stories (yes I am aware I have my work cut out here). Wagner’s first published Dredd tale is a corker, and serves as a taster for his superb long-form storytelling.
Robots marks the first appearance of any judge other than Dredd, as well as direct reference to a judge’s gun having the capability of several types of ammunition. The respirator would become a common tool that is vital to a judge’s survival. The air purification of Mega City One is introduced, accompanying the already referenced weather control. Robots are clearly commonplace in Mega City One, as they approach sophistication and sentience on an almost human level. There is a lot introduced here yet it is so tightly told and perfectly paced. We also have the first instance of Mega City swearing, with Judge Diablo’s use of the word ‘Stomm’. Conventional swearing is never used in Dredd’s world, and more often than not it is used by Judges such as Dredd than the public. The real Dredd storytelling begins here, make no mistake about it.
Line of the strip: “by Stomm, Dredd! That robot melted well!"
Be back next time citizens for the first Dredd multi-part saga Robot Wars!
