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thornstocutyouwith · 3 years

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Name: Quindell Nicholas Parker VI

Meaning of Name: Quindell: The Great, Nicholas: Victory of the people, Parker: Park Keeper

Nickname(s): Quin, Nick, Quincy, Wendell, Wendy, Nicky, Parker, Cole, Sleeping Beauty, Prince P.I.T.A., The Prince of Nothing, Pauper Prince, Dell, Ker, Nico, Prince Quin (Or any other nickname), Kindle,

Age: 33

Birthday: December 18

Species/Nationality: Human(?)/American, Polish, Slovene, Romanian, Welsh, Icelandic, Serbian

Accent: No

Language spoken: English, Italian, German, French, Dutch, Spanish

Powers:

Unknown

Weaknesses/Illness/Allergies: Allergic to fish, Traumatic Brain Injury,

Pet: Cinnamon Ferret (Sonic, Male)

Occupation: Captain in a local well known mafia (Rivals to Noah Bellamy) and owner of a popular Spa

Faceclaim: Tom Payne

Description:

Outfit/Accessories/Jewelry:

Height: 5′ 7″

Weight: 123

Body Build: Athletic (Formerly), Underweight/thin (Currently)

Backstory/Background:

Past

Quindell VI was born out of wedlock to Alis and his father, Quindell V. His mother was mostly a stripper who had tended to get around town quite a lot. While his father had been the heir to a popular and wealthy company at the time he met Alis. Alis had been the young Quindell V’s favorite stripper and would treat her almost like a girlfriend, perhaps in a futile attempt to break Alis’ wild, slutty ways. Alis toyed with this special attention, as his wealth seen that she could want for nothing. That was until he had proposed to her after a night of wild sex.

The next day she skipped town and Quindell V would be nothing more than a blip in time of her life, or so Alis had thought. Nearly three months later she had found that she was pregnant. By then she had already gotten into a relationship with another man, as she was not the ideal weight she had been to appeal to most costumers she was used to picking up, her fling was less than ideal. Abusive, even. When it was found that she was pregnant with Quindell VI, she was beaten.

Months later Quindell Jr would be born into the world, it was a lackluster affair. Alis grew bored with her new son very quickly. To deal with her abusive boyfriend she would often abandon the baby to get lost in drink or drugs for hours. That was until child protective services caught wind of what was going on. On and off Quindell would be taken from his mother’s care only to be returned until he was about six years of age. When after being severely beaten by a belt across the back, Quindell could not show up for his usual check ins. This was the final straw, despite the clear need for him to be taken out of that home sooner, to finally get him removed.

Nearly a year later he was placed in a home with a couple who wanted to foster him. It was during this time where he was discovered to have a talent for musical instruments, especially in the cello. Not long after, because of his skill and adaption to the instrument, he was viewed as something of a ‘prodigy’. However, it seemed that his stroke of bad luck continued as he again suffered abuse, both in sexual nature and mentally with his foster parents. They were arrested and Quindell was again placed into the system, before again being returned to his mother Alis when he was a teenager. She had remained destitute and now looked scarred and older than her actual age. Quindell would again face abuse with Alis’ new husband, who was a man that was strict, and if any of his rules were broken, you knew about it with a fist to the face.

One thing Quindell did have to rely on in his life was his talent for playing the cello, however. Alis and her husband had only seen him as a piggy bank, which was the only reason they fought to bring him back into their care after discovering that he was riding on a full scholarship by a local newspaper in the Miami news. This had brought him some fame and attention, as well as his attention attending a wealthy private school most of his school days. Quindell’s money he would earn in his performances were forcibly handed over to his mother who, with her husband. would often spend on drugs and other wasteful things for themselves, only leaving Quindell with the bare essentials.

By the time Quindell graduated high school he had been tired of playing the cello and not being able to reap from its rewards. He had, essentially, become so depressed by these circumstances he was in that he gave up on anything that made him unique, or truly fulfilled and happy. He settled for just being another cog in the machine. This would lead to him falling into a life of crime first in selling drugs, then in poisoning people, which had caught the eye of the Ivory Serpents recruiter who found him.

Once he had gotten into the gang Quindell quickly, with his knack for knife throwing and poisons, began to kill his way up in the rankings of the gang. He managed to make Captain after a couple of years and had managed to keep that position solid over the course of the next years of his life. He was quickly known to be one of the members of the gang that you did not fuck with because of his tendency for sudden hostilities and violent outbursts. Oh, and the murdering of his own. That would probably play plenty of factors of his scope of intimidation within the organization. He sees everyone as fair game.

When Quindell was around thirty or so years of age he fell in love with a man who was persistent in capturing his affection, to the point Quindell would say they were obsessed with him. The two would start an affair with one another, Quindell, being wealthy from his former drug dealing and eventual owning a a massage business in Miami, often liked to lavish his lover in finer things. Then came one night where the two were in his apartment fooling around before dinner. When it came to eating his fling served the meal. Quindell got a few bites in before realizing something was wrong with his dish.

What had been wrong with it was that there had been fish disguised with the rest of the meal in it, a food he was allergic to. While he started to gasp his lover walked over toward him, spewing some nonsense about how he had killed someone they deeply cared about, and how he would pay for it then, there, and now. Laughing at the man, Quindell asked ‘who’ before he was grabbed by the throat and slammed onto the ground. As the man he thought loved him tightened their fingers around his throat, leaving him gasping for breath, they promised to make his death ‘fit for a king’. Quindell had momentarily passed out after that.

When he woke up next, mere seconds after his would be assassin stepped away, he managed to get onto his side and look around for one of his weapons. Finally getting to his feet he ran toward a dresser yanking the drawer open and pulling out a throwing knife laced in a deadly poison of his own concoction, just as the assassin ran toward him, he threw it deep into their chest. Only to be grabbed and thrown around like a rag doll. The pair struggled, Quindell managing to finally get the upper hand, throwing the other into his large living room window/ sliding door.

The window gave way under both their weights, shattering and sending them falling onto the balcony. Quindell took out another knife and tried to throw it at the assassin, only to be tackled by them and thrown over the edge of the balcony. However, he had managed to stab his knife deep into the assassin’s back, managing to catch himself before falling completely when the knife got lodged into the assassin’s body. He only had a split second to attempt to come up with a plan before suddenly they were both tipping over the balcony and falling down toward concrete three floors below. The last thing he heard for nearly two years was his body hitting something hard.

Present

Over the next two years Quindell’s affairs and business were handled by his lawyers. For those two years he was, as was written in his files, left on life support. With no one being able to decide whether to pull the plug on his life support, he mostly faded back into obscurity, forgotten. The doctors predicted that he would possibly never wake up from his vegetative state. However, early in December of 2020 he suddenly woke up. Since then Quindell has been working on his release from the hospital and therapy overall, not making much contact with his former gang as he was recovering. Though he has nearly finished with the required half of his recovery, seemingly regaining full functions over his body and mind to their near normal functions once more.

However, through this incident his biological father has managed to locate his son and has made contact with his son, leaving Quindell with a new sense of superiority over everyone, more than he already had.

Future

(Work In Progress)

Criminal History:

Quindell’s criminal traits began at an early age. He was notably violent as a child, beating up other kids in his school or doing other harmful and cruel things. He would often steal from his peers, but then graduated to stealing from stores. He’d pick fights intentionally and beat the hell out of anyone who so much as looked at him wrong, just for fun.

His reputation got around fast, even faster when he got into selling drugs for a living for a while. He almost completely made his own drug empire; however, before he could do so, he was approached by an Ivory Serpent recruiter who ‘liked his style’ and soon he became a soldier of the gang. Quindell wasn’t satisfied with that though, so he started working his way up the ladder as quick as he could to get more money.

This led him to an initiation mission of killing a Crimson Reaper. He poisoned them with a paralyzes before shooting them in the head execution style. Then the body was buried for him by other gang members while he dealt with the trauma of his first kill. It did not take him long to learn to deal with this sickening feeling of killing, as his thirst for wealth outweighed it at the end of the day. He set his eyes on climbing the ladder within the gang with a new sense of viciousness to him.

Personality:

Erratic, Adaptable, Hostile, Seraphic(Angelic), Empathetic, Patient, Reliable, Orderly, Cheerful, Logical, Vague, Treacherous, Accessible, Captivating, Fun-loving, Physical, Insensitive, Strict, Emotional, Moody, Stubborn,Vindictive, Outspoken, Cute, Superstitious, Malicious, Excitable, Snobbish, Extreme, Irrational, Arbitrary, Insulting, Silly, Tense, Venomous, Tactless, Crazy, Aloof, Intimidating, Delusional,

Quirks/Savvies/Other: Left brained, Left handed, 126 IQ, Blood Type: B-, He has had sex with more people than he has seriously dated, Is in it (Ivory Serpents) for the money, Has a talent for throwing knives, Quin has an extremely low tolerance to alcohol, Played the cello professionally (Child prodigy), Practices kyusho jitsu (Black Belt), Wears glasses/contacts, Never went to further his education after high school because he was too busy making SO much money and buying The Rub Down already, Has a bit of brain damage from a devastating fall he suffered nearly 3 years prior to current events( of the year 2020) which left him in a two year coma that he has woken up from in the last month or so, Is distantly related to a now dead royal dynasty,

Likes: Throwing knives, Playing the cello, Being dramatic, Sex, Drinking, Drugs, Making poisons, Herbalism, Kyusho Jitsu, Racing cars, Motorcycles, Philosophy, Math, Economics, Relaxing, Cooking, Plays, Bargain hunting, jigsaw puzzles, Practicing martial arts, Practicing instruments, Training in weapons, Ice cream, Dog grooming, Chocolate, Hiking, Musicals, Paleontology, Dinosaurs, Dogs, Reading, Pretending he grew up wealthy and spoiled, Acting like his sliver of a link to royalty is more important than it actually is,

Dislikes: Fish, Checkers, Toads, Dolphins, Modern art, Trains, Puppets,

Fears: Kind of afraid of cats, Achluophobia, Zombies, That everyone hates him, Haphephobia

Personality Tests: ENTJ-A, The Individualist (Primary), The Achiever (Secondary), The Enthusiast (Thirdly), 4w3 (The Enthusiast), Neutral Evil, Slytherin, Slytherdor, Horned Serpent, Abraxan Winged Horse Patronus, Element: Fire, Temperament: Choleric/Sanguine,

Other: Sagittarius, Chines Zodiac: Fire Rabbit, Mayan Zodiac: Serpent, Celtic Zodiac: Hawk,

Parent(s):

-> Father: Quindell Parker V

-> Mother: Alis Zabłocki

Sibling(s): Only Child

Starters

Chat’s

Para’s

Face

Stuff

Information

Asks

All

Alternate Universes

#QuindellBio #OrionAU #MafiaOrion #MafiaAU #OrionAUBio #AUBio #AUBios #Bios #AU

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sanktpolypenbourg · 4 years

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One of the most scary aspects of this I didn’t really see anyone talk about so far, with that almost total abortion ban in Poland, is that once your embrace the fundamental error in thinking behind “Pro-life”, it becomes almost inevitable.

Someone putting it more eloquently than me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSAAxHuRewM

If you value “life” or “potential life” above all else, including but most of all bodily autonomy, then pretty much no exception can be made. At this rate, expect r*pe abortions to be next (in practice, of course, they already are).

Except, perhaps even more scary is botched absolutism, and nothing is a better example of botched absolutism than the praxis of “Pro-Life”: Life deserves absolute protection... but only as long as it feeds off the bodies of girls and women* against their will.

If “Pro-Life” really thought this through, then not only would it ban all abortion, but also all forms of self-defense that endanger the life of people trying to attack you. If killing anything with human tissues in any context is murder, then I encourage anyone, especially men, to be gentle to that stranger who tries to hit you with a crowbar, the r*pist pulling down your pants, or heck, while we are at it, the cannibal who corners you in a basement and says “I just want a little bite”. You must let them feed on you.

Nevermind things like the death penalty, any kinds of war (! brave defenders of Poland, if, say, Russian soldiers ever march back into your cities, you better bend over) or police violence.

But you know they won’t think this through, because their logic doesn’t ultimately need to be coherent. They just ride it as far as it pleases them, in other words, straight into the rights of women, and then happily send out their “pro-life” military and police to crack the skulls of those same women if they dare to protest (though of course once again, “pro-life” probably kicks back the milisecond they dare to fight back).

It is a power move to dominate women, and nothing else.

Who gets to defend their body and freedom, and who doesn’t. And somehow, magically, women always lose, even against a bunch of parasitic cells.

Even the most “well-meaning” of these people at best never even question why the exception against bodily autonomy only applies to women, why it feels so comfortable and natural for them to push their righteous, life-protecting absolutism only against women, and against no one else’s bodies. It’s just so natural, innocent, traditionnal for them to see women as acceptable targets, and they may not even realize it.

Then again, a lot of them, gleefully, do.

The ban of abortion is and always will be an anti-civil rights movement pushing to make people into rightless inucbators. The question is not whether you see a fetus as human... but whether you see women as human.

Or perhaps more... charitably, whether or not being a “person” means anything at all, or if it’s all just human substance, with every bit just another cog in a machine, rights being granted only within the context of its function.

...

As for Poland specifically, I see what they’re doing. Like other Europeans, they are in demographic decline. Dehumanizing women will not help, and I bet the leadership knows this, but hating all immigrants and running out of any hope of any significant number of people actually wanting to grow their families, in the country they are running into the ground, they just go through the motions. They are killing the very country they want to grow for their big spectacle of nationhood... which is kinda the most right-wing thing you can do.

*read this as “women and anyone with a uterus”, because while transphobic, that is how the majority of “pro-lifers” see the terminology. But explicitely not excluding trans women, because while not hit by the abortion ban directly, geez louise, are their bodies ever considered acceptable targets.

#tw rape #rape mention #abortion #poland #super long rant

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terrortinc · 5 years

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( jeffrey dean morgan. 49. he/him. ) we spotted DAVID TARRENTINO around toledo today, just another gear in the machine of the apocalypse. i heard he is a TRADER for CAMP AILTON. i guess it fits, seeing as he’s known to be + persuasive & + clever, as well as - self-serving & - surreptitious. they often have ring of fire by johnny cash stuck in their head while they work. i wonder if they’re prepared for what’s coming ?

before.

david tarrentino has always been just a cog in the system. grew up in foster homes and he sure grew up fast. learned the streets and didn’t much care for them. he wanted more, he wanted to throw a wrench in the machine that spit him out. he’s always been calculated, always been careful despite the smug swagger he walks around with. he’s looking out for number one.

it’s easy to band around a kid with a whole lot of confidence and even more connections. the alchemy of managing what one might call a gang ( david calls it a business ) is tricky, but he’s a smooth talker, could cut a deal with a nun.

he started running a small time game, buying and selling (and stealing) guns on a dark market. used the funds to buy his first piece of real estate before his 23rd, flipped it for a major profit and he only went up from there.

around the time the world went to shit david had a whole line of condos to his name and a thriving (albeit underground) weapons business. not to mention a wife and daughter. he really thought if anyone would slither out of the apocalypse it would be him, but not even david could be so lucky.

now.

after his plane crashed, he and his wife left his daughter and their pilot behind. they would find shelter, safety, and bring italia to it. things never work out so easily. he wife died quick, too fast for david to process (to this day) and for the first time he realize he’s not exempt. his daughter presumed dead, david moved on. let the madness roll right off his oily back.

he spent some time bouncing around the rogue factions, riling together a band of merry misfits before leaving them behind (in peace or usually in pieces) when things got too dicey.

about six months back he found ailton, decided he’d be happy to use them for their protection and safety. he plays a character here, just a simple man with no taste for violence. no, see, that’s why he’s a trader. he likes working with the living, not the dead (the one truth in his many lies). and just like before, he runs a game. supplies are often siphoned off, traded for his own nefarious plans and desires. no matter what, david only cares about himself. first and foremost.

traits.

david, though typically charming in a murderous used car salesman kinda way, isn’t a very friendly type. he doesn’t smile, he smirks.

even with his daughter, he was never one to show much love. he cared in other ways, he’s a big picture kind of guy. unless it’s part of a larger goal, he’s not kind nor considerate.

he is, however, a good person to have on your side, if you get him there. he can be fiercely loyal, his true partners are very serious to him. every man, even the bad ones, need someone to lean on once in awhile. david in particular loves a group atmosphere. he loves chaos, anarchy. very much a wild thing.

connections.

people in other camps who trade stolen goods with him, those who might be part of a possibly burgeoning black market.

someone who rightly suspects him of being up to no good. he hasn’t been caught so far, but to have someone on his tail and finding out about his antics would be super fun.

friends ish. prob not super deep, but ppl who might be able to stand him lmao. frenemies are probably more likely. hooks up, too, he’s a pig but hey. some ppl dig that, right?

seeing where a dynamic goes is also v v fun too :~)

#toxinintro #:~)

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tempestuousheinousbitch · 5 years

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( brie larson, cisfemale, she/her, 27 ) — have you seen [ BOBBI MOORE ] around shermer? i hear they’re INDIVIDUALISTIC, but can also be TEMPESTUOUS A HEINOUS BITCH. they remind me of [ KAT STRATFORD from 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU ], but it might just be me. last i saw them, they were working as a(n) [ JOURNALIST ].

GENERAL

FULL NAME: Roberta Jolene Moore NICKNAME(S): Bobbi, Bobbi Jo AGE/DATE OF BIRTH: 27, 01/16/1992 OCCUPATION: Journalist GENDER: Cisfemale PRONOUNS: She/Her HOMETOWN: Seattle, Washington CURRENT RESIDENCE: Shermer, Illinois POSITIVE TRAITS: Individualistic, Eloquent, Organized, Purposeful NEGATIVE TRAITS: Tempestuous, Shrewish, Cynical, Scornful

BIOGRAPHY

non-consensual tw, implied rape tw

there is no greater comfort than the pitter patter of the rain. she loves it - craves it when it’s not around. perhaps that’s a result of growing up in washington state. rain was a constant in her youth, as well as douglas firs peaking out over silvery mist and slate colored skies. yes, it does rain in shermer, but illinois rainfall couldn’t compete with the damp autumns of the pacific northwest. it’s the one thing bobbi misses most as she sits before her laptop, bemoaning the writer’s block that’s keeping her page blank, a room temp cup of black coffee and a deap vally record all but forgotten to the blonde. if only it rained a little more the midwest.

roberta jolene moore was born the eldest of two daughters to an obstetrician and an aspiring writer. but let’s get one thing clear - her name is bobbi. she’ll murder you if you call her roberta. no one calls her roberta. not since the day her mom up and left the family without so much as an explanation. whoever roberta moore was died as the tail lights of her mom’s 1971 corola vanished into the horizon. it would be a few more hours before her dad or younger sister woke up to the news, but bobbi had already witnessed it. she supposed that was a day that a lot changed for her. all of those childlike qualities that little girls so naturally possess seemed to vanish over night. dad was going to need someone to look out for him, and her little sister was going to be in desperate need of a strong female presence. so bobbi filled the gaps that their mother’s departure left. she became a homemaker and a nurturer, a shoulder for her hysterical father and naive sister to lean on, and she became the backbone of a family that had suddenly lost their foundation.

of course this wasn’t the event that lead to the shrewish woman she is often condemned for today. no, maternal abandonment wasn’t going to be the thing that broke her. naturally, it was junior high. bobbi wasn’t exactly the most pretty thing around. like most ninth graders, she was a little awkward looking and experiencing the pains of puberty and acne. but she wasn’t bad looking either - at least, not to the class stud. for whatever reason they dated. probably because bobbi was a much different girl back then. she was someone who wanted to be accepted and who wanted to belong. which made it easy to get her to do what he wanted. all it took was some sweet words and enough wine coolers to cause bobbi moore to lose all inhibitions. she doesn’t remember much from that night. she remembers the music and the laughter of the party, and the first taste of alcohol. the rest was a blur, and her next clear memory was the following morning, laying naked and alone in the guest bedroom of her boyfriend’s house. it was easy to piece together what happened - she got drunk and she lost her virginity at the tender age of fourteen. something switched off for her in that moment, a feeling of discomfort. when her friends had written off the experience as “something she wanted” and “something teenagers all do”, she tried to write it off as all being okay. but of course, when her ‘doting’ boyfriend dumped her shortly after, the humiliation was enough to change bobbi. never again would she let other people’s expectations decide what she was going to do, and never again would she trust anyone else’s intentions with her.

that was the beginning to the bobbi moore evolution, though she isn’t one to admit it. it’s no one’s business why she’s the way she is or what lead to her being such a ‘heinous bitch’. she doesn’t really feel like she owes anyone explanations for the kind of person she is. she’s bobbi moore - shrewd investigative journalist, tempestuous ‘feminazi’ writer, abrasive and aggressively assertive liberal, whatever. she kind of just lets people say what they want to say. to correct them would mean that she cares about her reputation and in the immortal words of joan jett, she “ doesn’t give a damn about her bad reputation. ” if being the town shrew is the only way to keep people at arm’s length, then bobbi is all for it. or people who aren’t worth her time - if you’ve got even an ounce of originality and aren’t a walking and talking cliche then you just might be one of her close circle, the few people in shermer she actually likes socializing with and being associated with. it’s a wonder if there’s anyone that can tame her.

seems unlikely.

MISC

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Pansexual ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: Panromantic LANGUAGES: English FAMILY: Walter Moore (father), Mrs. Moore (mother, estranged), Becky Moore (sister) PETS: a Husky named Ruth Bader Ginsbark and a Golden Retriever named Rosie The Retrieveter ZODIAC SIGN: Capricorn MBTI: ISTJ AESTHETIC: black coffee forgotten and cooled to room temperature; female musicians and feminist bands in vinyl only ( of course ); loose typewriter keys in her pockets; cracked brown leather jackets, vintage band tees; makeup-less face and messy buns; chipped black nail polish; coexist bumper sticker on a beat up 63 dodge dart; reading glasses sitting on the button of her nose, a finger shaped smudge on the right lens; concert ticket stubs, bleached shells, creased poetry slam programs, and scraps of old writing in a trinket box long forgotten in the far corner of the closet; freckles that only come out with the sun, sideways smirks and a mischievous twinkle in dark chocolate eyes; leather bound notebooks e v e r y w h e r e, blue ink stains on hands; long empty hours staring at pages and willing words to appear; nights spent alone and welcoming the solitude

WANTED CONNECTIONS

the brat pack - a close knit crew of like-minded individuals who rise above the regulars of shermer society. popular isn’t a word commonly used for this group and very likely would never be used. they’re the outcasts of society who dare to speak up for themselves and their beliefs. and bobbi loves how they challenge each other to think beyond themselves and the proverbial box which cages much of the “small minded simpletons of shermer society”. jesse shah, open

the vapid one - the epitome of what bobbi hates the most in most people. the white knight of the status quo, the personification of banality, a loathsome creature of society who coasts the mainstream and has made a happy place there. they’re very unlikely to contain an original thought, and it bothers bobbi to no end. yet she’s ardently fascinated with this cliche and despite her best efforts cannot seem to stay away. heather mcnamara

the contender - unlike the vapid one, the contender is someone that bobbi doesn’t just loath for being just another cog in society’s machine - she despises them for the way they unapologetically flaunt it in her face. these two are always at war, constantly bemoaning the other’s existence and arguing over every stupid little thing they can think of. they could probably start a heated debate over the state of the weather if they wanted to - these two can never see eye to eye, and it’s better to steer clear of them when they’re in close proximity to one another. that is, unless you want to witness the pair butting heads again. open

more to come. i’m too lazy to think of anything else ahfiehapfheiapfhea

#* i’m your hell i’m your dream i’m nothing in between ( about. )#shermerintro #I hate this one more than I hate luca’s #ajdjchshhxhws

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mrvava-art · 6 years

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Teenagers

They're gonna rip up your heads, Your aspiration to shreds Another cog in the murder machine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6EQAOmJrbw

#music #artists on tumblr #cheerleader #my chemical romance #teenagers

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2000adonline · 7 years

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40 Years of Thrillpower - Judge Dredd’s Greatest Epics

Last month, of course, saw our beloved weekly Prog reach the big 40. Cue cliches about life beginning at 40, or how 40 is the new 28, or some other bullstomm, that makes middle-aged people feel better about growing old.

In the case of the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic however, similar to the anti-ageing drugs that Dredd himself is occasionally required to take, the mighty mag is regularly infused with youthful talent, keeping it fresh and vital.

But we’re not here to discuss the present roster of top-rate talent, this is a brief history of Dredd’s most memorable multi-part adventures, or as we know them better - the mighty mega-epics!

Dire, deadly threats to the future metropolis, Mega-City One, and its bizarre, vulnerable citizens, are an unsettlingly frequent occurrence. The only defence to these city-shattering challenges are the Judges, sworn to protect MC-1 and its inhabitants. One such lawman in particular takes this oath incredibly seriously, his name, of course, is Judge Dredd and he will do whatever it takes to ensure that his city remains the pre-eminent superpower of his post-nuclear world.

Unfortunately, you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, or should that be heads.., Sadly, this sprawling megalopolis that once housed 800 million citizens, over the years has been decimated, and is presently a shadow of its former self.

Recent tragic events aside, Mega-City One would have perished many years ago, several times over, if not for the iron will of Justice Department’s legendary lawman, Judge Joseph Dredd. Prepare for a tour-de-force of mega-epic proportions, strap in it’s gonna be a bumpy ride...!

The first multi-part storyline, Robot Wars (Progs 10-17, 30Apr-18Jun’77). John Wagner (w). Carlos Ezquerra, Mick McMahon & Ron Turner (a), deals with an idea, that has now become a science fiction staple: robotic servants rebelling against their human masters. In Mega-City One unemployment makes up over 85% of the human population, a robotic workforce deals with the menial tasks deemed beneath mankind. In reality, it’s a lot cheaper to use machines that don’t require payment, complain about workers’ rights or require time off! In other words; the perfect labour force.. Even robots, though, can apparently be pushed too hard. So when a messianic leader, a lowly carpentry droid (sound familiar?), known as Call-Me-Kenneth), malfunctions, overcoming his programming, he hacks the city’s broadcasting outlets and urges his fellow robots to turn on their human owners, with the battle cry: “Death to the Fleshy Ones!” The machines rise up. Only one man can stop this crazed robot, but can even Dredd stop an army of messed-up mechanoids?!”

Possibly the most popular and fondly remembered of all of Dredd’s mega-epics, is timeless classic, The Cursed Earth (Progs 61-85, 22Apr-7Oct’78). Pat Mills takes a rare outing into the world of Judge Dredd, but produces a vintage Thrill-powered tour-de-force. On a mercy mission across the atomic wasteland that was once middle America, the future lawman reveals a more heroically humane side by bringing a life-saving serum from Mega-City One to its west coast counterpart, Mega-City Two, where the inhabitants are tearing each other apart due to the 2T (Fru-T) virus. Fighting all sorts of vicious desperadoes, back-stabbing townsfolk, mutant gangs, and even roaming dinosaurs...not to mention the myriad of mutated Cursed Earth fauna! Breathtaking art duties are shared between two Judge Dredd creative legends, Mick McMahon and Brian Bolland, although employing wildly differing styles, the pair are master storytellers even at this early stage of their careers. A must-read true classic.

The Day the Law Died - Having just saved Mega-City Two from certain doom, you’d think that Dredd would be given a hero’s welcome on his return to his own city, however not everyone is pleased to have the legendary lawman back at Justice Department. A certain ambitious senior Judge, head of the infamous Special Judicial Squad (SJS) - the Judges who judge the Judges - Judge Cal, through blackmail, coercion and ultimately murder has managed to seize the reins of power, in Dredd’s absence, and install himself as Chief-Judge. Cal, aware of Dredd’s influence and possible obstacle to his plans for absolute domination over Justice Department and the city, has been plotting the heroic lawman’s downfall.. The twisted despot successfully frames Dredd for murder. Fatigue and some convincing video footage has even Judge Dredd questioning his innocence. Put on the shuttle to the penal colony on Titan, reserved for Judges who break their own rigid laws, Dredd finally snaps out of the haze of confusion fogging his mind, and with almost superhuman strength breaks the cuffs he is wearing. Dredd overpowers the pilot and guards, and escapes from the downed craft, with the help of Judge Giant who also distrusts Cal and believes in his friend’s innocence. Meanwhile the crazed Cal has enlisted the help of an army of reptilian alien mercenaries known as the Kleggs, appointed his pet goldfish as Deputy Chief-Judge and humiliated, bullied or creatively executed anyone who dares to criticise his increasingly bizarre behaviour. But Dredd isn’t the kind of Judge who goes down easily, as Cal rightly feared, and together with a rag-tag rebel army made up of other Judges and citizens, including a gigantic, baseball bat-wielding simpleton, known as Fergee, ‘King of the Big Smelly’, prepares to fight back.Can Judge Dredd succeed against all odds and defeat Judge Cal before he destroys the entire population of Mega-City One? Find the answers in The Day the Law Died.. wth artwork from a plethora of top UK art talent: Brendan McCarthy, Brett Ewins, Brian Bolland, Dave Gibbons, Garry Leach, Mick McMahon & Ron Smith.

When Judge Feyy, Mega-city One’s oldest pre-cog has a vision of the city being destroyed in 2120, Judge Dredd and a select group of other Judges (including future Chief-Judge Hershey), are sent on a mission to find a boy bearing a birthmark of the Justice Dept. eagle, thereafter referred to as the Judge Child. Apparently, young Owen Krysler may have the power to stop the apocalyptic event from ever happening. It is discovered that an insane 22nd century self-proclaimed pharaoh, Filmore Faro ‘the Garbage God’, has also learned of the child’s alleged psychic powers. In turn, an infamous Texas City badlands family, known as the Angel Gang, steal him away from Faro’s followers and swiftly spirit him off-planet. With the fate of the ‘Big Meg’ in the balance, Dredd follows the boy’s trail through the irradiated wastelands of the Cursed Earth and venture out into the depths of uncharted space to find him!

Often the most critically acclaimed of the multi-part Dredd epics, The Apocalypse War stands out (and holds up) due to the sheer scope and genuine threat to the survival of Mega-City One, Justice Dept., and even Judge Dredd himself. Moreover, it sees the return of art droid, Carlos Ezquerra, to the strip that he co-created after five years away from his character, single-handedly drawing every panel of this 25 episode, 150 + page classic. Mega-City One has maintained an uneasy peace with it’s eastern European counterpart, East-Meg One, for years. However, the Sov-diktatorat, the ruling, military government of East-Meg One, led by the warmongering Supreme Judge Bulgarin, along with Judges Vlad and Snekov, break this detente by releasing the Block Mania virus on the citizens of the Big Meg. The effects of this contaminant, introduced into the city’s water supply by the Sov’s top agent, Orlok the assassin - a thorn-in-the-side of MC-1 and Dredd’s human nemesis time and again - turned citizen against citizen, driving people into a murderous rage, causing all-out wars between neighbouring citi-blocks. Weakened by this viral attack, East-Meg One press home their advantage by launching a devastating nuclear assault against Mega-City One. After the missiles have flown, ground forces invade, led by ruthless War Marshall 'Mad Dog' Kazan. Supported by Strato V aircraft, Rad Sweeper tanks and killer robot Sentenoids, overwhelming numbers of Sov troops cause Dredd and the remaining survivors to engage in a desperate guerrilla war to maintain control of the streets. Kazan, mad with power, eliminates the diktatorat, and takes complete control of the Sov forces, setting up base in the captured Grand Hall of Justice. Chief-Judge Griffin is held prisoner, and becomes a victim of Sov psycho-surgery, transforming him into a propaganda tool - forcing Dredd to assassinate him. The lawman, apparently dead by his own hand, pulls off a dramatic escape, assisted by his loyal droid - Walter the Wobot. Dredd hatches a plan to end the war once and for all, leading a small hand-picked team on a virtual suicide mission. Against all the odds, the squad successfully infiltrate a Sov missile silo and a steely, battle-hardened Dredd, having witnessed 150 million of his citizens die at the hand's of the Sov-Blokkers, destroys East-Meg One along with its population of half a billion people by launching their own nukes at them. Dredd ends the conflict by publicly executing Kazan, and a deflated, dispirited Sov army agrees to unconditional surrender, with remaining survivors fleeing to East-Meg Two. A brutal story, with a massive toll on the population of the ‘Big Meg’, virtually cutting the population from it’s initial 800 million, in half to a more manageable 400 million, and the utter annihilation of another, showing a ruthless, win-at-all-costs side to the heroic lawman, effectively making him the biggest mass murderer in history. One which could come back to haunt him in the decades to come...

The next major mega-epic, Oz (Progs 545-70, 24Oct’88-16Apr’89) focuses on an infamous citizen; serial offender, Marlon Shakespeare aka Chopper, wall-scrawling graffiti artist-turned-illegal World Powerboard Champion, aka the ‘Midnight Surfer’, is a hero to many of the city’s disenfranchised youth. Unfortunately, he is currently serving 18 years in an Iso-cube, for his reckless-but-death defying aerial exploits, in Supersurf 7, that made him the greatest sky surfer of his generation. However, a new, cocky, powerboard protégé, Jug McKenzie, a beer-swilling loudmouth from the Sydney-Melbourne Conurb in Oz, is boasting of his prowess on a ‘board, claiming that Chopper is deliberately avoiding attending the now-legalised Supersurf 10, despite being barely 3 years into his 18 stretch in the most secure detention facilities in the world! The resulting backlash from fans of the ‘Midnight Surfer’ in MC-1 caused a demand for his release to attend the forthcoming world championship on the other side of the planet. Of course, Justice Department were having none of it. But the burgeoning outcry from an outraged populace to silence the mouthy McKenzie and restore the pride of Mega-City One, caused the Judges to move Chopper to an even more secure unit. Somehow, the citizens get wind of this extreme resolution, and when Shakespeare is led from one Iso-cube, carrying his property, including the World Championship-winning powerboard, to a new location, a crowd had formed leading to an unruly mob clamouring for a glance at the high profile prisoner, and perhaps, even a chance to spirit their hero away. In the intervening chaos the ever-expanding horde of highly-charged onlookers burst through the hastily erected Justice Dept. cordons, jostling Chopper’s judicial escorts causing the keys to the prisoner’s cuffs to be dropped. Seizing his opportunity, Shakespeare unlocks his restraints and leaps onto his board, zooming off into the Mega-City skyline. Hiding amidst the towering citi-blocks, avoiding the intense glare of searchlights from Justice Dept. hover-wagons, Chopper makes his way cautiously to his childhood friend, and fellow powerboarder, Flip Tillis’ apartment window. Flip had inherited Chopper’s spare suit, power cells and other paraphernalia associated with their chosen pastime, after Mrs. Shakespeare couldn’t bear to keep them once her son was sent to the isolation cubes for many years. Flip also supplies Chopper with food, whilst informing his friend of the huge clamouring of public support for the Mega-City skysurfing ace to take part in the upcoming Supersurf 10, though it would be held thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean in Oz. The ambitious Shakespeare, ever rebellious with a yearning to be free of MC-1′s harsh laws, has a dawning realisation: give himself up to the authorities and go back to the Iso-cubes - probably for decades, after his daring escape - or make a near-suicidal dash for freedom, cross the Pacific Ocean on a powerboard, win Supersurf 10, in Oz and, most importantly for Chopper, prove that he is the best in the world and, unlike his parents, along with most of MC-1, he is somebody! Meanwhile, as angry as Dredd appears that Chopper got away, it conveniently coincides with a series of attacks on Justice Dept.’s top brass. Mysterious, strange-looking, physically superior assassins, garbed in a twisted version of a Judge’s uniform, have been teleporting straight into the Grand Hall of Justice and targeting important senior Judges. Justice Dept. set up a trap, putting a huge security detail on any vital, veteran Judges, including Dredd himself. They succeed in capturing two of these ruthless killing machines, and killed a third. After interrogating one, who immediately commits suicide by crushing a lethal vial hidden in his tooth, they reverse the controls on the attackers’ teleporters and make the return journey back to a hidden base in the middle of Ayers Rock in Oz. Whilst there, Judge Dredd discovers a hidden race of Judges, cloned and controlled by a former, founding Judge, Morton Judd. Judd was a brilliant, but radical, senior Judge whose cloning programme kick-started the success of Justice Department. The problem was that he wanted to clone the citizens of MC-1, from Justice Dept. material, ensuring a law-abiding, controllable populace. Fortunately, the ‘father of justice’, first Chief-Judge Eustace Fargo vetoes this somewhat sinister solution to crime and public order. A furious Morton Judd storms from the room, but later returns to the Grand Hall, using Judges loyal to him, and attempts to assassinate Fargo. The coup fails, but before he can be captured, Judd flees the city, ending up in Oz, founding a base in Ayers Rock, from which he could build an army of Super-Judges without detection. So, armed with this knowledge, using the cover story that he is there to extradite the fugitive Marlon Shakespeare aka Chopper, should he make the unlikely journey across the Pacific Ocean, Judge Dredd heads to Oz. Fighting muties, giant birdmen, dodging random gunfire and the odd Justice Dept. H-wagon, Chopper has made it across the Cursed Earth to the Pacific Ocean. He looks across the endless horizon and is faced with the sheer enormity of what he has set himself to achieve - crossing the largest body of water on the planet, thousands of miles of hostile conditions, and unknown horrors lurking beneath the waves, on nothing more than a flying plank! After an incredibly eventful journey of stunning wildlife encounters, adverse weather conditions and murderous robotic ship’s cooks, Chopper eventually makes the perilous voyage, barely standing on his board, to a hero’s welcome in Oz. Of course, there is one person who isn’t giving the intrepid skysurfer such a triumphant reception: Judge Dredd.. Immediately, the Mega-City lawman attempts to take Marlon into custody. However in a country where low-level powerboarding is not a crime, and has hosted the last three Supersurf World Championships, the Oz judiciary refuses to cooperate with MC-1, denying any extradition orders, threatening to arrest Judge Dredd himself if he uses any force to bring his fugitive back to Mega-City. A disgruntled Dredd turns his attention back to his primary mission: to capture Morton Judd, destroy his base in Ayers Rock and possibly turn his army of cloned Judges into assets for MC-1′s Justice Dept. Dredd succeeds in destroying the base, but Judd is killed and the brainwashed Judda are too far gone psychologically to be of any use to the Mega-City Judges. Supersurf 10 goes ahead meanwhile, and in a death-defying demonstration of powerboarding mastery, between the ‘Wizard of Oz’, Jug McKenzie, and ‘Midnight Surfer’, Marlon Shakespeare aka Chopper, a nail-biting race for the line ensues. Sadly, for all Mega-City One proud Chopper supporters, the Ozzer, McKenzie pips the ‘Midnight Surfer’ to the post. Fickle fans of the MC-1 man, quickly forget his impossible Pacific Ocean crossing, and no longer want anything to do with the heroic ‘loser’. A begrudgingly respectful Judge Dredd is at the finish line, determined to bring his fugitive to justice, despite Chopper’s fantastic feats, and has a clear shot at his quarry, as Shakespeare turns his back on his nemesis. In an increasingly rare moment for the cynical aging Judge, Dredd hesitates. The previously boastful Jug McKenzie, too, has a newfound respect for his rival surfer, and, ‘accidentally’, flies into Dredd throwing off his aim, as Chopper disappears into the Oz outback, and freedom! An unimpressed Oz Justice Dept. take Dredd into custody, and he leaves the continent empty handed. Back in MC-1 however, there is one of the Judda still alive in custody. Taken from the genetic material of former Chief-Judge Fargo, Judge Kraken, as he is named, is basically a younger version of the aging Judge Dredd. Assigned to Dredd, as his Rookie, Kraken’s future rests in the hands of his older counterpart. Although an outstanding specimen, crackshot, and takes to the streets of the ‘Big Meg’ very quickly, Dredd spots something in this flawed ex-Judda. Others in Justice Dept. disagree, including current Chief-Judge Silver, and overrule the veteran lawman, forcing Dredd to resign and take the ‘Long Walk’ out into the Cursed Earth, but that’s another story...

Which brings us neatly into our next mega-epic, the terrifying nightmare which would lead to Necropolis (Progs 672-99, 31Mar-6Oct’90) After Dredd left, Chief-Judge Silver faked Kraken's death, and kept Dredd's resignation secret from the public, to instil Kraken as a replacement for Dredd, regardless of his failed assessment by the departed Dredd. Kraken was easily manipulated by the Sisters of Death, who had attacked and left Dredd for dead in the Cursed Earth in The Dead Man saga, to bring about the Dark Judges; Judge Death, Mortis, Fire and Fear. They would go on to wreak havoc in Mega City One, creating their own Necropolis, with life the ultimate crime. Kraken was also made a Dark Judge for the duration of their reign. Dredd, who had regained his memory, although visibly scarred, returned from the Cursed Earth along with ex-Chief Judge McGruder, as he sensed that something was wrong with the city he had served so loyally. The Dark Judges had soon taken control of the remaining Judges, who were now executing citizens, that were often committing suicide or succumbing to disease or starvation. Dredd and McGruder met with a group of cadets who were in hiding from the Dark Judges, along with Psi-Judge Anderson, and a plan of action was formed. Firstly, Dredd killed fellow Judge Kit Agee, who had been used as a psychic bridge for the Dark Judges to return. This caused the remaining judges to return to normal, free of the Sisters of Death's control. With the Judges now together and able to form a unit, they began to capture the Dark Judges. All but Death himself were captured, who had flung himself from a city block down into the city bottom, and vanished among the sixty million dead from the Dark Judges' tenure. Judge Kraken, now free of Death's control, accepted his execution at the hands of Dredd. Among the chaos of the Dark Judges' reign, Chief-Judge Silver was killed and then reanimated as a zombie.

Judgement Day (Progs 786-99, 6Jun-5Sep’92) & (Megs 2.04-09, 13Jun-22Aug’92). This multi-part adventure was significant for a number of reasons. Firstly, this was only the second mega-epic not written by Judge Dredd creator, John Wagner (the other was early classic The Cursed Earth by Pat Mills), scripted instead by future comics superstar, Garth Ennis. Ennis himself, admits that it wasn’t his best writing, citing his closeness and childhood affinity to the strip and character as reasons for his below par storytelling Secondly, this was the first ever crossover event, sharing story arcs with recently-released sister comic, the Judge Dredd Megazine (of which Wagner & Alan Grant had been editing, as well as writing, to ensure its success), essentially meaning regular readers had to buy both comics to keep up with the storyline. Set mainly in 2114 it tells of how the Fourth World War took the lives of three billion people when a powerful necromagus called Sabbat raised all the corpses in the world as zombies. It also killed off most of the supporting cast of Judge Dredd. On top of this. it was the first story to feature Johnny Alpha since he was killed off at the end of the Strontium Dog series (from Alpha's point of view it was set two years before his death). The pair had encountered each once before, leaving Dredd initially distrustful of the future bounty hunter who had transgressed one of Justice Dept.’s minefield of strict laws, and escaped unpunished. Alpha & Dredd resolve their issues, and assemble an elite squad of world Judges to bring the fight to the all-powerful dark sorcerer, Sabbat. Using hi-tec Hondo City combat suits, capable of HALO jumping, whilst protecting the wearer from all-manner of threat, including zombie attack, of course. Many Judges are killed off in their frontal assault, including another former adversary of the mega-city lawman, Hondo’s Judge-Inspector Sadu. Alpha and Dredd are also captured, but eventually turn the tables, with their usual mixture of cunning, wile and extreme violence! The lodestone, a massive-crystalline object Sabbat was using to tap into the Earth’s leylines, harnessing the power of the planet, finally became his headstone when Dredd decapitates the planetary overlord, skewering his head onto the crystal’s sharpened point. Although Ennis is critical of this mega-epic, read in one volume, Judgement Day is still a drokking good adventure story. it didn’t quite work, mainly because it was split over the two publications (it’s very rare to have Megazine crossovers these days). Artwork is a slight issue, too, as multiple art droids were drafted in to lighten the load of main artists, Carlos Ezquerra and Peter Doherty, including Chris Halls (aka Chris Cunningham, creator of disturbing Aphex Twin videos) and Dean Ormston. Judge Dredd is a notoriously difficult character to pin down, and other than the legendary Pat Mills who played up Dredd’s heroic side, as opposed to Wagner’s grim-faced stickler for the law, it is only the recent crop of Dredd script droids who understand the relationship between the legendary lawman, and the crazy city he loves, laying down his life over and over, again to ensure its survival; let’s be honest life in the ‘Big Meg’ is rarely boring! Ennis, whilst commendably showing us a view of the larger picture of Dredd’s world outside of MC-1, he takes away the main protagonist, the future megalopolis itself. The most memorable scene from this mega-epic, now an iconic image from co-creator, Carlos Ezquerra, comes in the full-page final scene, showing a bruised and bloody Judge Dredd and Johnny Alpha striding side-by-side; Alpha reminds Dredd that they have a long walk through the most dangerous, inhospitable place on the planet, the Cursed Earth. Dredd simply replies: “Who the hell’s gonna mess with us?”! Classic 2000AD! Great fun, with a massive worldwide death toll, Judgement Day is an enjoyable read, showcasing the talents of a young comics writer, who would go on to write some of the best comic books in recent memory.

Origins - The ambitious, epic history of Justice Dept. and the reign of the Judges. A box is delivered to Chief-Judge Hershey, who informs Dredd that it contains a ransom note and a sample of living tissue which matches the DNA of Judge Eustace Fargo, the first Chief-Judge and the revered founder of the Judge System. (Forensic tests establish that toxins in the tissue show that the source lived through the last century, and so the sample must be Fargo's rather than Dredd's.) The note requires payment of a billion credits in exchange for Fargo's body. As required by the terms of the exchange, Dredd leads a small, lightly armed party on a mission across the hostile Cursed Earth to retrieve their esteemed "Father of Justice". Since Fargo was believed to have died in the year 2051, and the mission takes place in 2129, much of the story consists of Dredd explaining to the members of his team how it is that Fargo could still be alive – a secret history which was concealed from the public for decades. The middle chapters of Origins cover Fargo's life history, and how he founded the Judge System in 2031. After serving twenty years as Chief-Judge, however, Fargo succumbed to a moment of weakness and had an illicit affair with a female colleague, something strictly forbidden by the Judges' code of celibacy. Unable to cope with his own lapse in the exacting moral standards he had inflexibly demanded of his subordinates, Fargo tendered his resignation to the President of the United States. Spurning the entreaties of his two deputies, Judge Solomon and Judge Goodman, and of President Pierce, to reconsider his decision and resume his office, Fargo instead chose to commit suicide. However his attempt to take his own life failed, leaving him with significant brain-damage and without the use of his legs.Fearing that their political enemies would use the scandalous circumstances of Fargo's resignation and injuries to destroy Fargo's legacy, Solomon and Goodman covered them up. Using sophisticated video technology, they faked footage of Fargo bravely sacrificing his life in the line of duty, gunned down in a brutal drive-by shooting. This enabled them to present Fargo as a martyr, increasing public support for the Judges. This deception had been conceived while Fargo's doctors had predicted that he would not long survive. However Fargo defied their expectations and began to slowly recover. He was therefore kept in a secret medical facility, isolated from the world so that the cover-up would not be discovered. When his condition began to deteriorate again, Chief-Judge Solomon had him cryogenically frozen in suspended animation until such time as medical science could cure him.By 2070 President Robert Linus Booth was in the White House, having illegally rigged the voting computers to win the 2068 presidential election, and murdered one of his aides who threatened to expose the fraud. Booth pursued an aggressive foreign policy, openly stating that he would begin a nuclear war if the rest of the world did not comply with his demands. The Judges – now led by Chief-Judge Goodman – attempted to dissuade him, but to no avail, and the Third World War laid waste to most of the world. Booth had believed that his new "nuclear screens" would protect America from retaliation, but only Mega-City One on the east coast, Mega-City Two on the west coast, and Texas City survived. The rest of America was virtually annihilated, creating the Cursed Earth which became populated by mutants and outlaws. Consequently another of Booth's aides turned against him and provided Goodman with evidence of Booth's earlier crimes. Goodman made the evidence public, and public opinion turned against Booth. A demonstration outside the White House became a massacre when troops opened fire on the crowd. But the evidence of election fraud was not conclusive, and impeachment proceedings against Booth were too slow for Goodman to protect his position, for Booth had discovered that Fargo was alive and had been revived from suspended animation. Booth sent troops to arrest Fargo, intending to expose the myth of his death and thereby destroy the Judges' reputation for integrity. Joe and Rico Dredd, cadets at the time, managed to rescue Fargo from capture. However Goodman realised that urgent action was needed to defeat Booth, and the constitutional mechanism for trying him and removing him from office could not be completed in time. On Fargo's advice, Goodman deposed Booth, suspended Congress, and usurped the government of the United States. For his crimes Booth was sentenced to 100 years in suspended animation, to let posterity decide his ultimate fate. Goodman became dictator of the United States (which soon split into three sovereign city-states), with Fargo – his existence still a secret – advising him from behind the scenes.However Fargo soon deteriorated again. He also became demoralised, having intended that the overthrow of democratic government should be temporary, and regretting his own part in establishing a lasting dictatorship. Shortly after surviving an assassination attempt by renegade Judge Morton Judd, Fargo was returned to suspended animation once more. However only one month later Fargo's body was stolen by Judd's agents. When Judd was eventually brought to justice and Fargo's body was still not recovered, it was thought lost forever. Thirty years later Booth's cryogenic machinery failed, and he was inadvertently revived. Judge Dredd resentenced him to life working on a farm in the Cursed Earth, to make amends for the destruction he unleashed on America. (This was first portrayed in the The Cursed Earth.) Instead, however, Booth raised an army of mutants, the "New Mutant Army," who he intended to use to overthrow the Judges and become president again. By 2129 he had discovered Fargo's stolen cryogenic unit, which had been lost in the Cursed Earth when Judd's agents' hovership crashed. When Dredd attempted to exchange the ransom for Fargo, Booth double-crossed him and put him on trial for treason, intending to execute him. However Dredd had anticipated this and planned a timely rescue by his comrades. Taken hostage for use as a human shield, Booth was killed by his own side during the ensuing battle.Back in Mega-City One, Fargo was revived again, but this time he did not survive. His final words were spoken to Dredd alone: "We created a monster ... we're the monster!" He told Dredd that the Judges had gone too far and had destroyed America, and urged Dredd to do everything he could to undo it. Dredd's reaction to this plea was not shown, but when Chief-Judge Hershey asked him what Fargo's last words had been, Dredd lied and pretended that Fargo had said something else less controversial. It was speculated at the time that this theme may be followed up in later stories. This speculation was soon proved correct. Origins was indeed expounded upon in a series of stories, starting with "Mutants in Mega-City One", written by John Wagner. In the first episode Dredd admitted to Hershey that he had lied about Fargo's last words. Hershey in turn admitted that Fargo had said the same thing to her, and that she had told the same lie to Dredd! However, whereas Dredd took Fargo's warning seriously, Hershey dismissed it as the ravings of a brain-damaged invalid, adding that she hoped Dredd would not consider resigning over their differences.This story also featured the return of some of the mutant Fargo Clan (who were first seen, briefly, in Origins) – mutant descendants of Fargo, and therefore Dredd's relatives. In this story, Dredd put forward a motion to repeal the anti-mutant laws, beginning a new story arc about mutants.

Tour of Duty - This far-reaching mega-epic will possibly be Dredd’s toughest test to date. Full of intrigue, betrayal and ultimately murder, primarily within the hallowed corridors of power inside Justice Department itself, who can the city’s greatest lawman truly trust? Dredd’s softening on the ‘mutant issue’, largely in part because of his own mutated genetic heritage, causes him to review the harsh laws on mutant’s rights. Dredd’s new stance to repeal the anti-mutant laws, has not gone down well with the citizens, and this is reflected with many of his colleagues in the department, earning him powerful enemies. With only the backing of Chief-Judge Hershey (and precious few others) Dredd knows that other factions within the Grand Hall are vehemently opposed to his proposed legislature, and feel the time is right for a regime change. Enter Judge Dan Francisco, star of his own hit reality TV show, The Streets of Dan Francisco. Having Mega-City One’s top-rated vid show means that he is a familiar face to the citizens, with a massive fan base. Behind the scenes lurks the ambitious desk jockey, Judge Martin Sinfield. Recently promoted from Head of Traffic Division, to re-organise Administration, the shrewd Sinfield notices Hershey’s dramatic fall in popularity. Together with fellow senior Judges, Cardew and Millan, Sinfield just needs a credible figurehead to lead a campaign to remove Hershey from office in a recall election. Heroic street Judge and TV star, Dan Francisco, is the perfect patsy - a good Judge with a high profile, and massive public approval rating. After an on-screen assassination attempt, with Francisco barely surviving, the popular candidate wins the election hands down. With new Chief-Judge Francisco still in critical condition, Sinfield is made Deputy-Chief. However, he easily establishes himself as the real power behind the throne. His first act, realising the necessity to remove any opposition in his rise to power, was to send Judges Dredd and Hershey to oversee the construction of the newly-built work farms out in the Cursed Earth. Having sidelined Judge Dredd into managing the Cursed Earth mutant camps, the manipulative Judge Sinfield’s plan to take over Mega-City One starts to unfold. With the newly appointed Chief-Judge Dan Francisco being too ill to carry out his duties, Sinfield’s inexorable rise seems to go without a hitch; that is until he unknowingly clashes with the wrong man - notorious serial killer PJ Maybe. Maybe, bored with life of luxury in the corrupt Central American mega-city of Ciudad Barranquilla, concocts an elaborate scheme to install himself as Mayor of Mega-City One, and it turns out he was pretty damn good at it! With his life in danger, Sinfield can only turn to one man for help - Judge Dredd! Mega-City One’s toughest lawman returns to his streets determined to bring Sinfield down and a killer to justice! This hugely significant story arc, is a riveting read, with plot twists galore and a fantastic pay-off. It also reprises Dredd and Alpha’s monumental Cursed Earth crossing, with Joe’s younger clone, Rico Dredd replacing the mutant bounty hunter - worth the cover price for that iconic final page alone!

There are a few multi-part storylines we’ve missed out, including, City of the Damned, The Pit & the more recent seismic shock of Day of Chaos, but the featured classic mega-epics cover most of the disaster-prone history of Mega-City One. If you haven’t already, do yourself a favour and read them. And even if you have, heck- read ‘em again!

#Judge Dredd #Mega Epics #2000AD #40 Years of Thrillpower #classic comics

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