Judge Anderson

Judge Anderson

Judge Anderson in The Jesus Syndrome (art by Arthur Ranson
Publication information
Publisher Fleetway/Rebellion
First appearance 2000 AD #150 (February 1980)
Created by John Wagner
Brian Bolland
In-story information
Full name Cassandra 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 Bolland in 1980. Since 1988, Anderson has been written almost exclusively by Alan Grant, often working with artist Arthur Ranson.

Contents

Publication history

John Wagner created both Judge Death and Judge Anderson for the story "Judge Death," the latter helping introduce the Psi-Judges, which were seen as a natural progression.[1] Brian Bolland based on the character on Debbie Harry, "having recently drawn the singer into an advertisement for Forbidden Planet." [1]

Fictional character biography

Like her namesake Cassandra, Judge Anderson has psychic powers. In addition to being able to sense approaching danger and foresee events of the near future, as did her namesake, she also has telepathy. This allows her to read other people's minds and use mental attacks. These abilities allowed her to be a member of Mega-City One's corps of Judges as member of the Psi Division, which includes all Judges possessing psychic abilities.

Originally appearing while the city was facing the first attack by Judge Death of the Dark Judges (a group of undead Judges from another dimension who seek to destroy all crime by destroying all life) she was instrumental in stopping the attack. She has since been involved in many other attacks by the Dark Judges, who even managed to use her as an instrument of their plans for a while. Despite her efforts to end their threat, which even included exiling them to empty pocket-dimensions, the Dark Judges always manage to return eventually, ever determined to fulfil their mission. Though both sides claim it as their mission to prevail, in time Anderson and Death have become personal enemies to each other.

Meanwhile she has become a prominent member of her Division and has gained the respect of Dredd despite their differing attitudes. For instance, in the first encounter with Judge Death, Anderson eventually resorts to volunteering to become entombed in 'Boing', the tough but porous material, hoping to keep the fiend contained within her own body. As a result, Anderson is held in state in a place of honor with the designation, 'The Supreme Sacrifice'. This lasts until the Dark Judges have her freed to release their brother and she returned to active duty.

In contrast to Dredd, she has always been critical of the weaknesses evident in the judicial system of Mega-City One, though she has been deemed too valuable to her Division to face consequences for it. Also in contrast to Dredd, she has a sense of humour and she is able to form personal friendships with fellow Judges. She is able to feel doubt and remorse, two feelings that Dredd doesn't allow himself. But her determination to a mission she accepts as her own is similar to Dredd's, and the two have been able to co-operate effectively during a number of missions.

Judge Anderson has had a crisis of conscience following the resurfacing of childhood memories of an abusive father (as told in the story Engram). She was shocked to find that her Division was aware of it but had set mental blocks in her mind to make her forget. Though she understood the Division's belief that she was more effective without those scars threatening her mental health, she still didn't agree with it. This, together with the events chronicled in Leviathan's Farewell (a standalone non-Anderson story concerning Anderson's friend Judge Corey's suicide), Shamballa, The Jesus Syndrome and Childhood's End left her unable to continue serving as a Judge and she resigned. She had a series of space travels while soul-searching and eventually returned to Mega-City One (chronicled in the stories Something Wicked and Satan). Dredd has had a similar experience and they can somewhat relate to each other. Dredd and Anderson are both considered veterans currently, and are regarded with awe by younger and less experienced Judges.

After a deadly run-in with Judge Death, she was placed in a coma and infected with the psychic Half-Life virus that would be released if she ever awoke. Judge Anderson was able to contain the virus within a web of psychic constructions and illusions, but she was slowly dying. A team of Psi-Judges was sent in to rescue her and destroy the virus; they succeeded in rescuing Anderson, at the cost of nearly the whole team, but Half Life passed on to Judge Gistane, who was then experimented on by the mad Judge Fauster so he could use the virus to achieve immortality. When Half Life was unleashed on the city causing a wave of mass murder, Anderson was the one who stopped it.

Since exiting her coma, Anderson is still dealing with her increasing age; she is now almost fifty, and since being a Psi stops her from using the drugs and treatments that keep aging Street Judges like Dredd active, she knows she will eventually be unable to do her job.

Stories

Comics

The following graphic stories feature Judge Anderson and were printed in 2000 AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine.

Anderson as main character:

Anderson as minor character:

Novels

Mitchel Scanlon has written three Judge Anderson novels that have been published by Black Flame:

In other media

Actress Olivia Thirlby will portray Anderson in forthcoming film Dredd.

Awards

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b Bishop 2007, page 70

References

External links

Judges
Villains
Characters
Storylines
Spin-offs
Anderson: Psi Division · Banzai Battalion · The Dead Man · Low Life · Red Razors · The Simping Detective
Crossovers
Locations
Publications
Other media
Miscellaneous