Episode VI: “The Statue of Judgement”
First print date: April 9 1977
Prog appearance: 7
Writer(s): Malcolm Shaw
Artist(s): Mike McMahon
Total episodes: 1
Standing proudly beside the Statue of Liberty --- one of the old landmarks from the Undercity, where the original New York stood, which was brought up from down below --- a new colossus stares out over Mega-City One, its eyes vigilant, its gaze stony. A monument to the law and a reminder to the citizens of Mega-City One that justice never sleeps, the Statue of Judgement is a popular tourist attraction, but to some people another way to describe tourists is as victims.
A gang attacks a man on the ground, and when Dredd steps in, one is shot, one surrenders and the leader, Ringo (the ringleader?)
hijacks an air taxi, attacking Dredd from above. Hurrying to the lift which goes up the Statue of Judgement, Dredd gets to the top and, as Lady Liberty looks on apparently approvingly, uses his high-powered rifle to blow the taxi out of the sky. Score another one for the law!
QUOTES
Ringo: “We can take Dredd. He's not a robot --- he's human! I think...”
(True in one sense, not in another. Although Dredd is from human stock, he is as mentioned previously a clone. Sometimes though you would wonder if he is not secretly a robot...)
Gang member: “Please Judge: let me go! They forced me to take part!”
Dredd: “And they'd have forced you to take your share of the loot too eh? Don't make me sick!”
Citizen: “Bullets are blazing all around the Judge! How can he stay so cool?”
Dredd (thinking): “All part of my training to be calm and behave with dignity at all times!”
Dredd (with the Statue of Liberty in the background): “Nobody can take liberties with the law!”
A tour of Mega-City One
No, not a full tour! What do you expect for an entance fee of, er, nothing? This is the section wherein I'll be talking about landmarks and buildings and areas of the city as they're mentioned or used or referred to in the stories.
The Statue of Judgement stands beside the old Statue of Liberty. The latter was part of old New York, of course, which is all now subterranean tunnels, but some of the more precious and important landmarks were brought up to the surface and transplanted to the new city. Now a new statue stands beside Lady Liberty, and though I can't find any information on its dimensions it looks to be slightly taller than the Statue of Liberty, though that could just be perspective.
Of course, apart from being a tourist attraction, the Statue of Judgement also serves as a warning to the citizens, a reminder that the Judges are watching them, day and night, and that justice never sleeps. In a way, it's something similar to the huge statue of Saddam Hussein that was pulled down when the Coalition forces invaded in 2003. You would have to assume that, were the Judges ever deposed, this statue would be toppled, seen as a symbol of a brutal oppressive dictatorship, which, let's face it, is pretty much what the Judges became. They may have been voted in by the people, but that was after illegally seizing power and suspending the Constitution. Talkin' bout a revolution? There's always another one down the line.
I AM THE LAW!
As much as Dredd hates lawbreakers, he seems to reserve special contempt for those who try to weasel out of their sentences. Truth be told, he probably has more grudging respect for, or at least affinity with, Ringo than he does with the perp who whines about being forced into the crime. At least Ringo stayed true to his twisted principles, and died for them, probably the way he wanted to, in a blaze of glory. Well, a blaze anyway. Anyone who refuses to face up to their responsibilities and tries to blame others is the lowest of the low in Dredd's book.