JUDGE DREDD

Judge Dredd

The Apocalypse War 25 episodes (Progs 245 to 270) 153 pages
Script: John Wagner/Alan Grant, Artist: Carlos Ezquerra
Featuring: Judge Anderson, Judge Griffin (assassinated by Dredd), Judge McGruder (becomes Chief Judge)
Sov-Blok invasion of MC-1. Roughly half city and population wiped out. East Meg-One destroyed. Not in Prog 268.
Timeline data: 2104
Reprinted
Titan: Judge Dredd Epics Apocalypse War 1 (1-13)
Titan: Judge Dredd Epics Apocalypse War 2 (14-25)
Titan: Judge Dredd Epics The Apocalypse War
Titan: Judge Dredd Epics The Complete Apocalypse War
Rebellion: Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files 05
The Complete Judge Dredd 24 (1-10)
The Complete Judge Dredd 25 (11-20)
The Complete Judge Dredd 26 (21-25)
Eagle: Judge Dredd 20 (1-5), Colour: John Burns
Eagle: Judge Dredd 21 (6-10), Colour: John Burns
Eagle: Judge Dredd 22 (11-15), Colour: John Burns
Eagle: Judge Dredd 23 (16-20), Colour: John Burns
Eagle: Judge Dredd 24 (21-25), Colour: John Burns
Fleetway Quality: The Law of Dredd 24 (21-25), Colour: John Burns
Hachette: Judge Dredd The Mega Collection The Apocalypse War

With Mega-City One in chaos (as a result of the Block Mania virus, introduced by Sov agent Orlok) the Sov-Block Diktatorat headed by Supreme Judge Josef Bulgarin launched the second phase in their attack against their old enemy and the Apocalypse War had begun. A simultaneous attack through the skies, beneath the seas and from space was lead by War Marshal Kazan. Despite Mega-City One's laser defences the city was devastated by the nuclear attack and many millions of citizens died. Afraid of reprisals from the Sov-Block's allies, both Mega-City Two and Texas City chose to abstain from the conflict.

Mega-City One's retaliation came in the form of the TAD (Total Annihilation Device), each one capable of destroying East-Meg 1 twice over. Over 90 TAD's were deployed, however the Sov-Block employed the Apocalypse Warp, a device that caused the TAD's to disappear from Dredd's dimension only to appear above a more peaceful Earth, which was then totally destroyed. As the last chances for Mega-City to inflict damage on the Sovs died, Strato-V craft brought Sov Judges, Rad-Sweeper Tanks and the robotic killing machines, the Sentenoids. As the resistance fought on, another contest for power was taking place in East-Meg 1. War Marshal Kazan made a successful coup, destroying the three members of the Diktatorat and assuming total control of the Sov forces.

The captured Chief Judge Griffin, a victim of psycho-surgery, appeared on TV with Mikhael Parkinov the Sov chat show host, as a propaganda tool for the Sovs. In order to limit the damage done, Judge Dredd was forced to execute Griffin. Despite a brave resistance by the Mega City Judges, Dredd realised the war could not be won and so assembled a team in order to make a last desperate attack upon East-Meg 1. Gaining access to a Sov missile Silo, the nine Judges were able to launch an attack that would destroy East-Meg 1 and with it 500 million lives. As news of East-Meg 1's destruction reached them, the Sov spirit crumbled and Dredd finally ended Kazan's life, unopposed by the Sov judges. The Sovs unconditionally surrendered and many made their way to East Meg two. With over half the city destroyed and an estimated 400 million citizens dead, SJS head McGruder was inaugurated as Chief Judge and the task of rebuilding Mega City One began.

Paul Scott