Origins (Judge Dredd story)
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For other use of the word, see Origin.
Origins, is planned to be one of the biggest Judge Dredd storylines to run in the pages of 2000 AD.
A story called "The Connection" (prog 1500-1504), written by John Wagner and drawn by Kev Walker, which acts as the opening prelude to the main "Origins" story line, also written by Wagner and drawn by Dredd's other creator Carlos Ezquerra. This will run for 23 episodes and reveal more of Dredd's background but Wagner had nothing to say about the plot other than the fact that in Origins we will meet 'Joe's mutant relations'.
Wagner has this to say about it:
"There were many unresolved questions about the origins of the Judge system and some apparent contradictions that required sorting out... It's a task I'd always shied away from because of the difficulty of making sense of it all while still telling a story that was worth reading - but I knew that sometime it had to be done, if for no other reason than my own satisfaction"[1]
And current editor Matt Smith has expanded on this to touch on the contents:
"John has aways been waiting for the right story to come along to tell Dredd's origins... And in this case he's come up with a riveting plot that will keep readers intrigued and excited, as well as filling in some of the backstory that we've never seen before - President Robert Booth's initiation of the Atomic Wars, Chief Judge Fargo taking control of Mega-City, etc. The fact the story comes just as 2000AD is approaching its 30th year anniversary gives it a nice sense of history too." [2]
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[edit] Plot
[edit] The Connection
Strange things are coming in from the Cursed Earth and Dredd is having disturbing recurring dreams of Rico and Fargo. In these it is hinted that there may be something wrong with the bloodline of Fargo and that he may have gone a bit mad before he died. This may also be why Rico turned bad before his clone brother Joe killed him. Elsewhere mutants have arrived in Mega-City One.
Out in the Cursed Earth, Dredd discovers the bodies of the men who should have been carrying cargo into the city but is given pictures of the muties that have arrived in the city. The muties meanwhile go on a tour of Mega-City One, paying careful attention to the Grand Hall of Justice. At the hotel, Sven The Night Guy thinks they're up to something and steals a mysterious box which was hidden in a vent in the muties' room. When they get back to their room and find the box missing they threaten the new Night Guy who doesn't know anything about it, but at the same moment Dredd, already working on the case, walks in on them.
Dredd opens fire immediately, calling for backup at the same time. Dredd kills one of the muties but the other takes the new Night Guy hostage. He fools Dredd however by shooting the Night Guy through the chest at close range, causing Dredd to get shot from the bullets. Backup arrives and Dredd is given ten days off for his concussion and other wounds. He is also given confirmation on the muties who are Keever (the one Dredd kills), Tooey and Chuck (Tooey's chest mutation who is in charge). They also get a search out for Sven The Night Guy, who at his apartment, has opened the box. Inside he finds a ransom note for Fargo, the first Chief Judge of Mega-City One. Later Sven goes out to the Sleepeezy but finds the place crawling with Judges. Tooey and Chuck spot him as he heads away elsewhere.
He is found dead in a garbster 30 minutes after the murder by a judge who informs Dredd, noticing that Dredd left a message on his com. Dredd has a quick dream about Fargo where he appears as a cadet, telling Fargo about the box who tells him opening it could give him more than he bargained for. Dredd heads off for a speedheal after telling the judge that the suspect is Tooey, the mutant. Tooey meanwhile has the box back and visits a Mr Gant who knows Tooey and Chuck's boss Linus. He tells Mr Gant that he'll be delivering the box. Dredd meanwhile has yet another dream where Fargo tells him that it's not too late. Once Dredd has left the speedheal he gets a message from Aldous at PSU, who has spotted Tooey. Dredd arrives just on time as Tooey makes his escape through traffic. Dredd orders him to pull over before Tooey opens fire on him.
The judge is not Dredd this time, but in fact a Judge Madley. He tells control and other judges that the mutant Tooey is escaping in Sector 1. Dredd takes Madley's place and catches up with Tooey before shooting him. Dredd has him corner at a bridge but the wounded Tooey jumps off and onto a bus. He mocks Dredd before he himself hits a bridge, killing him. Dredd watches as the other mutant on Tooey's chest passes away. Dredd searches the body but can't find the box. Dredd calls the judges at Gant's house who say that Gant may have the box. He is spotted by a judge at PSU so Dredd heads off to find him. Gant meanwhile gives the box to a boy for 100 credits, telling him to deliver it to the Grand Hall of Justice. Dredd finds Gant and gives him a heart attack when he tells him that he's under arrest. They still don't find the box and Dredd wonders if it was fate that they'd never open the box. His luck changes though when the boy arrives at the Grand Hall of Justice with the box.
[edit] Origins
[edit] Characters
Dredd has assembled a team to help with his mission:
- Judge Logan
- Judge Cohn
- Judge Venables
- Judge Waters
- Judge Renga, previously seen in "The Hunting Party" [1] and "The Scorpion Dance" [2]
- Judge Ozman
- Judge Sanchez
- Judge Curzon
They have also encountered a number of mutants:
- Nicey
[edit] Plot
Dredd and Judge Logan are selecting a team for a new mission. Logan nominates himself and Dredd accepts. The team are told that they are to transport a 1 billion credit ransom for the body of Chief Judge Fargo. After Dredd explains that Fargo was never kept in the tomb in the Hall of Justice (to a surprised and shocked team), Dredd also reveals that a few days previously, a young boy delivered a package to Justice Central (See The Connection storyline, Prog 1500-1504) which contained a section of human tissue with DNA identical to Dredd's, and a ransom note for the money. The toxins in the tissue show that the man lived through the last century and that it was taken from a living organism. This suggests that Judge Fargo may still be alive. The team pursue their investigation...
[edit] Publication
- Judge Dredd (with John Wagner):
- "The Connection" (with Kev Walker, in 2000 AD #1500-1504, 2006)
- "Origins" (with Carlos Ezquerra, in 2000 AD #1505-ongoing, 2006-2007)
[edit] References
- ^ SFX magazine #148, October 2006. Page 48
- ^ ibid
[edit] External links
- Origins trailer
- Dredd: Origins - A Mega Epic In The Making..., by Regie Rigby
- Interview with John Wagner about Origins, by Forbidden Planet
- Script for the first episode of Origins
