Megacities in Judge Dredd

Megacities in the Judge Dredd comics are a fictional exaggeration of the real megacity concept: instead of just being a large conurbation, they cover most of their original country and have replaced nations as the dominant political entity. The most commonly seen megacity is Mega-City One. In the strip, these cities are all that remains of their original countries after the Atomic Wars of 2070, and are mostly dictatorships run by the Judges.

The exact number, location, nature, and even name of megacities is dependent on the writer of any given Dredd strip.

Concept

The first mention of other megacities came in Luna 1, when Dredd was appointed Judge-Marshall of the Luna-1 colony, with his order calling it a colony of "the United Cities of North America"; the narration referred to three separate cities, in existence from 2061. The next issue would mention Texas City as one of these cities, and The First Luna Olympics would introduce "the Sov-Cities" and "Brit-Territories".

These early strips also referred to nations, but as the strip went on it would be megacities that would be the dominant concept. Luna 1 also showed a modified US flag - three stars instead of 50 - and mentioned the "United Cities of North America" under a body called the Triumverate. The start of The Cursed Earth would then show Mega-City One and Two as autonomous and prog 128 would refer to the Soviet East-Meg One as an independent entity. This would be the default from then on.

In Dredd backstory, the megacities formed out of growing urbanisation and reached crisis point in 2027, forcing the United States to impose an "instant justice" form of law enforcement. This was widely copied by the foreign megacities, which included the Union of Soviet Mega-Cities, the European City-States, Brit-Cit, and the Sino Block by 2070. During the run of Dredd, seven cities have been destroyed.

List of cities

Prog 701 showed a global map in Anderson: Shamballa, which was placed on the 2000 AD website in a post-Judgement Day version (now archived at 2000 AD Database. Another map was printed in Judge Dredd Megazine for the Pan-African Judges strip. Outside of that, the number and names of megacities comes from the comic strips they appear in.

North America

• Mega-City Two - covers five thousand miles across the Californian West Coast. The city was destroyed by a nuclear strike on the orders of Judge Dredd, after being overrun by zombies during the Judgement Day crisis. In Chopper: Supersurf 13, it was reconstructed by Hondo-City authorities to house their surplus population, though details regarding the new incarnation were very vague; this idea was soon dropped after a change in editors, and in prog 1738's letters page then-editor Matthew Smith stated that the comic was "ignoring that particular continuity blip".

• Texas City - originally called Mega-City Three (and given both names in the 701 world map). It fought a civil war against Mega-City One and Two to gain greater autonomy. Began to expel mutant citizens in 2102, in line with its fellow Mega-Cities, and by 2117 a ghetto of mutant ex-citizens existed at the border, used for cheap labour. Corrupt Chief Judge Wotan came to power in 2119 and was assassinated in 2110 by Saul "Killer" Cain. The architecture is dominated by Wild West imagery No license is needed for any type of firearm. Original home of the notorious Angel Gang.

• Las Vegas - centred entirely on gambling; there had been a Judge system but the Mafia usurped control of it after the Atomic War, with Mega-City One unaware of what had happened. The office of "God Judge" was chosen after an annual gang-fight between contestants. Dredd and the rebel League Against Gambling overthrew out these Judges in 2100 and the League became the new Judges, but the old regime seized control again some time after Dredd had left. Destroyed in 2126 by a nuclear strike launched by Judge Death.

• Honolulu - only shown on the prog 701 map.

• Uranium City - a small city in a larger Alaska, possesses its own Judge force but de facto run by large corporations; divided into the wealthy Core for corporate HQs, the industrial Indcom, the Strip (gambling and pleasure industries), and the 'Burbs where factory workers live. Psyko-personality drugs, giving the user a specified emotion, are legal. Rural settlements and mining colonies throughout Alaska are overseen by sheriffs (usually apathetic) and Circuit-Judges (usually absent). Uranium City Judges are trained in the Academie de Justice. A bio-bomb was detonated in the Hall of Justice in 2118.

• Bruja - shown on the online world map; appears to be Haiti. War-torn Bruja City is associated with poverty, corruption, and devil worship.

Latin America

• Pan-Andes Conurb - in the Andes, seems to cross Bolivian and Peruvian borders. In its first mention as the "Andean Conglom" it was carrying out "the purges". The city and Judge System was detailed in The Sugar Beat (prog 873-8), showing their Judge uniforms [1] and revealing them to be corrupt and incompetent.

• Mex-Cit - Mexico. First mentioned in prog 626, shown in prog 649 (both 2111 AD). The Luna-1 run of stories showed Mexican Judges, who resembled Texas City Judges but with sombreros. Has a rivalry with the Pan-Andes Conurb.

• Ciudad Barranquilla - based on the sprawl of Buenos Aires, Argentina; nicknamed Banana City. It is well known for its Judicial corruption and haven status for criminals. Dredd has worked undercover in the city, hunting down a rogue Mega-City One Judge. Invaded in 2128 by a Mega-City Coalition led by Mega-City One and Dredd himself, ostensibly to end wide spread human rights abuse through regime change. The wealthy Judges provide their own uniforms which tend to vary in colours.

• South-Am City - based on the original city of Santiago, Chile. When shown in Judge Anderson: Shamballa (prog 701), it had soldiers holding a crowd back rather than Judges. Destroyed by nuclear strike on Judgement Day.

• Brasilia - based on the huge urban sprawl of Brasilia, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro; destroyed by nuclear strike on Judgement Day. Previously the centre of the illegal coffee trade to Mega-City One.

• Lima - shown on prog 701 map.

• Panama - mentioned by PJ Maybe in a cover story in The Talented Mayor Ambrose.

Europe

• East-Meg One - Soviet Union. A former antagonist of Mega-City One's, behind multiple acts of aggression, it was destroyed by Judge Dredd during the Apocalypse War. Megagrad was built on its ruins. Survivors from the city have attempted numerous retributive actions against Mega-City One, and a New Kremlin was set up at the Mediterranean Free State.

• East-Meg Two - Soviet Union. A glasnost period existed in East-Meg Two for several years, but after the assassination of Supreme Judge Traktorfaktori it has since returned to hostilities with Mega-City One. Under Traktorfaktori, it was involved in helping Mega-City One (and others) against the Deros threat and Judgement Day, with noted Judges Asimov and Brylkreem sacrificing themselves against these respective threats. Has attempted multiple covert operations against Mega-City One since.

• Glasnost City - mentioned as "new" in Megazine 2.27, set in 2115.

• East-Meg Three - another communist-themed city based in northern China. Has since been retconned into Sino-Cit One (see below).

• Brit-Cit - in the south of England. The Judges operate out of the New Old Bailey and their uniforms are similar to those of the American Mega-Cities, save for a Union Flag-styled badge and lion emblems on their right shoulder pads (instead of eagles) and helmets. Chin tattoos are common amongst Brit-Cit Judges.

• Cal-Hab - short for Caledonian Habitation Zone (Scotland). Mostly rural and under Brit-Cit jurisdiction, though Cal-Hab judges have a separate uniform drawing on tartan and the Scottish saltire.

• Murphyville - Mega-City of the Emerald Isle (Ireland); impoverished until it got Brit-Cit corporate funding, which turned into a theme park. The Judges wear uniforms based on the Irish flag and have a much more laid back approach to their jobs, similar to traditional police forces. Rarely sees violence, outside of Judgement Day and the Bloody Monday Morn terrorist attack in 2113. Signed the Judicial Charter with Mega-City One between

• Ciudad Espana - in Spain. First shown in prog 701. Described in Wetworks as having matador-style uniforms.

• New Málaga - shown in prog 1766.

• Euro-City/Euro-Cit - Centered around Strasbourg. It possesses a "French Quarter", "Belgian Sectors", and German-speaking citizens. A Euro-City Judge was briefly shown in Megazine #246. Ruled by German-accented Chief Judge Boltstern in 2126, until he was killed by Juddah (Jihad audio drama). The Euro-Cit crime families circa 2134 are said to be especially brutal.

• Berlin Conurb - possesses a Judge force that cooperates with Mega-City One and shown as relatively peaceful in 2080, ten years after Atomic War.

• Ruhr Conurb - mentioned in prog 425 as the home of skysurf champion Klaus Reich.

• Vatican City - now covering a larger area of Italy, and possessing its own Judge-Inquisitor force and DeepCore, a special/covert ops group. Has a remit to provide a global defence force against demonic incursions, as well as having off-world spies; uses freelance agents like Devlin Waugh to this end.

• Italian City States - mentioned in Judge Dredd Megazine 3.15's reprint of Heavy Metal Dredd, including Milan. Milan is later called the Milano Enclave in prog 1474. Prog 1767 introduces the Italian city of Firenzia (future Florence), with a Da Vinci International Airport.

• Geneva - victim of a terrorist attack by Ursa Dancer, killing tens of thousands after she poisoned the enclave's hydropons.

• Czech Protectorate - seen in prog 1765, split into enclaves like the Prague Enclave. Used in 2134 by Sov agents to send the Chaos Virus to MC-1, which caused an outbreak of the virus in the Protectorate.

• Mediterranean Free State - floating city-state of various buildings and detritus from global wars; inhabited by international refugees and dissidents; policed by the Free State Police, a traditional police force, and ruled by a Secretary. East-Meg One survivors gathered there under the New Kremlin. MC-1 Genetic Infantry launched a reprisal assault on the New Kremlin part of the Free State, killing civilians in the process, and occupied it in 2124.

• New Amsterdam Free-Zone - mentioned in the Grud is Dead audio drama.

• Midgard - Scandinavian city-state introduced in 2004 audio story Jihad; Chief Judge Sven is part of the 2126 Global Justice Summit.

Asia

• Hondo City - in Japan. Originally referred to as Nip-Cit. Technologically advanced even in comparison to the other Mega-Cities, it still suffers from extremely conservative and traditional social elements, and the Yakuza have heavy influence within the Justice Department. The Judge-Inspectors wear uniforms based on the Japanese flag. It took until 2112 for the first female Judge to be approved - Judge-Inspector Inaba - but there have since been others, including in senior positions).

• Sino-Cit One - in northern China, shown in the 701 world map; destroyed by nuclear strike on Judgement Day.

• Sino-Cit Two - in southern China. Shown in the 701 world map. Has become a rival of Mega-City One's, with both states attempting espionage and covert operations against each other. Run by the People's Justice Ministry. Possesses re-education camps.

• Hong Tong - in Hong Kong, and under dual Brit-Cit/Sino Cit control. Heavily dominated by the triads; Sino-Cit officially claims it's "contaminated" by the West and they use it to keep unrest away from the main city, though unofficially the money Hong Tong generates is used to fund judicial crackdowns back home.

• Indo-City - in India, on Shamballa map. Implied to be a separate city to Nu-Delhi in Eclipse, where an Indo-City national plans to flee from Luna-1 to Nu Delhi.

• Delhi-Cit/Nu Delhi - named Delhi-Cit in prog 842, Nu-Delhi in prog 1441. Judge Anderson: Shamballa refers to the original Delhi being one of the Atomic War ruins (prog 704). Possesses a Judge force with Psi-Judges; an ally of Mega-City One, has run exchange programs Implied to be a separate city to Indo-City in Eclipse.

• Calcutta - home of famed skysurfer Ghostman Patel in Oz.

• Bhopal - mentioned in Song of the Surfer.

• New Raj Protectorate - in India, possibly a Brit-Cit overseas territory (mentioned in Armitage story "Dumb Blond").

• Katmandu - shown in "Return of the Taxidermist", Megazine 2.37-46. Ruled by a brutal military junta in the 2080s, then by reformist religious leader Guru Mahama by 2116; held the 2116 Mega-Olympics. The generals killed Mahama and retook control, but were overthrown in a popular uprising.

• Bangkok - suffered massive assault in Judgement Day, almost falling. At some point (possibly still), there was a New Thai Confederacy. Used to be famous for its genetic engineering, until sanctions were placed on it during the 2090s.

• Djakarta - Indonesia. Born again cannibals assumed high office during the Deros crisis (prog 701); later destroyed by nuclear strike on Judgement Day.

• New Jakarta - mentioned in Megazine #301, presumably a successor city to Djakarta.

• The Web - a network of Indonesian islands under Hondo-City jurisdiction, linked by mutant coral which has overrun the islands; used as a dumping ground for undesirable, and a lawlessness hellhole. Djakarta appears to have abandoned its islands rather than deal with the coral and crime problems. Lacks a Judge system but Hondo keeps a garrison there.

• Beirut - mentioned in "Return of the Taxidermist", the host of the 2082 Mega-Olympics.

• Turkestan Protectorates - around Turkmenistan, mentioned in The Medusa Seed. Occupied by the former Surrey New Raj, a faction that lost the Brit-Cit Civil War.

• Ankara - on 701 map.

• Samarkand - on 701 map. Devlin Waugh has visited several times; said in Vile Bodies to be ruled by a Shar.

Oceania

• Sydney-Melbourne Conurb - in southeastern Australia, frequently referred to as Oz; one of the more relaxed and peaceful Mega-Cities. Held the legalised Supersurf 10 (which Oz's two-time champion Jug Mackenzie won) in "Oz"; Ayers Rock was the base of the Judda. Friendly to Mega-City One, helping against the Judda, but still gives refuge to Chopper. StigCorp blackmailed Chief Judge Bob in 2112, in order to get revenge on Chopper. Targeted by Ula Danser some time before 2124 and had a Chaos Bug outbreak in 2134.

• Perth Island - southwestern Australia, separated from the mainland after the Atomic War.

• Okker - northeastern Australia, part of former Queensland (renamed Bananaland).

• Brisbania - mentioned in prog 1389, where Chopper's ex-girlfriend Charlene moved.

• Solomon City - Solomon Islands, shown only in the 701 world map.

• Friendly City - appears to be Tonga, historically called "Friendly Islands"; shown only in the 701 world map.

• New Pacific City - appears to be Easter Island; shown only in the 701 world map.

• Kiwi-Cit - future New Zealand. In Wetworks, allegedly the most crime-free state on the planet. Kiwi-Cit's Ross Tek-Centre in the Antarctic is jointly run with Antarctic City Justice Dept.

Africa

• Casablanca - Pan-African Judges map states the city moved east into Algeria to escape the Great African Dustbowl (Shamballa map drew it too far east) and had no formal law and was highly disorganised, outside of Algerian soldiers, until at least 2116. Said to be "as big as a Meg". Suffered a severe attack on Judgement Day, almost falling. By 2118, a Casablancan Judge force was introduced in "Dredd: Darkside" - via Psi-Judge Hassid - and implies that the legal system is based on Sufi principles.

• Luxor - in Egypt, now run under Ancient Egyptian religious law.

• Simba-City - central Africa, based on Gabon. Shown on world maps.

• Zambia Metropolitan - mentioned in "Return of the Taxidermist".

• New Jerusalem - Ethiopia. First shown in Shamballa map. Pan-African map says this is the centre of Ethiope, encompassing Ethiopia and "disputed territories" of Somalia: the new Jewish homeland after the destruction of Israel.

• Siwa - Pan-Africa map. Small city-state on the Egyptian coast. Symbol of Pan-African Compromise and HQ of Pan-African Committee.

• Dar es Salaam - south-east coast. Maps. Said on Pan-Africa map to be a megacity-sized squatter camp and refugee city, on the coast of the Katanga Development Area.

• Timbuk2

• Umur - name mentioned on 701 map, located vaguely in North Africa; absent from Pan-African map

• New Nairobi - mentioned in The Final Cut

Africa also contains the Guinea, Congo, and Katanga Development Areas: large swathes of the continent open to private buyers, as a compromise after the Credit Wars. Microstates exist within.

Other

• Organisation of Extremist City States - mentioned in Megazine 2.33

• Antarctic City - world map seems to place it in the Australian Antarctic Territory. Administers the Antarctic Territories and is politically neutral, as well as a major tax haven. Has its own Justice Department. The Atomic War left it with a large jungle. Held the 2120 Mega-Olympics. An Antarctic City with a surrounding jungle also appears in Strontium Dog.

• Atlantis - Somewhere in the Black Atlantic, a midway point in a transatlantic tunnel; overseen jointly by Brit-Cit and Mega-City One.

• Luna-1 - an extraterritorial city on the Moon. The city is protected by oxy-domes constructed of self-repairing cellu-foam, with oxygen originally supplied by the government-run Oxygen Board. Beyond that lay the unforgiving wastes of the ironically named Oxygen Desert. In 2099, it was still an expanding frontier, with new plots of land being opened to claimants; it strongly resembled the Wild West in many respects. Years later, it was a more modernised and highly cosmopolitan city-state, with international influences through the Global Partnership Treaty. In practice, the foreign cities used this to jockey for influence and in 2126, East-Meg Two tried to destabilise the colony so they could send troops to 'restore order. As a result of this, Dredd (acting as Marshall) dissolved the Treaty, privatise & breakup the Oxygen Board, and reinstate the six-month Marshal program. The city did not handle this independence well: in 2127 it was run-down, suffering from crime, unemployment and corruption, and the oxygen companies had private monopolies A criminal conspiracy in 2127 left the oxygen companies in economic ruin and they were bought out & merged by 2134 by MC-1's Enormo Overdrive.

The Judge system is in operation here. Due to the low gravity there, the Judges ride hover versions of Lawmaster bikes and wield specially designed Lawgiver guns. They are not answerable to any Earth jurisidiction but traditionally the three North American Mega-Cities did send units of Judges to its Justice Department, governing under the title "the Triumverate"; they also appointed a Judge-Marshal from their cities every six months until 2100, when Dredd (acting as Marshal) promoted Deputy-Chief Tex to that position permanently. After Judgement Day, this practice has severely decreased due to the loss of native Judges but foreign cities began sending hudges under the Global Partnership Treaty: this included the Pan-Andes Conurb, East-Meg 2, Brit-Cit, Simba City, Hondo, Casablanca, Sydney-Melbourne Conurb, and Vatican City. After 2126, these foreign judges were recalled and the Luna-1 Justice Department was purely local, except for Mega-City One/Texas City Judge-Marshalls.

• Puerto Luminae - another lunar colony, which refused to adopt the Judge system. The Mega-Cities instigated a trade embargo and isolated the colony, leading to social collapse. Birthplace of Drago San. Developed a trade relationship with Brit-Cit.

• Shi Shen Territories - Sino-Cit owned lunar colonies, in the Sea of Vapours. First claimed in the 2050s, leased out to mining corporations; also contained a private estate for the "Global Psycho" killer Amanda Dreyer until 2132. Has a lunar city, Zhang Heng, with a military garrison.

• Mars - had seven cities in 2115, until the city Eden was destroyed by aliens. Eden was an independent, domed city with one million inhabitants; there was an elected council and the local judges were "bred from Earth stock". Guns and explosives were banned because they could damage the oxygen dome; the judges used electricity blasters. One of the other six cities is Viking City (borrowed from ABC Warriors) and a second is Mars City.

Nations

Several traditional nations have also been mentioned:

• Algeria - shown in Pan Africa map

• The Bahamas - possesses its own Justice Department and Special Judicial Squad. Has a news service, Bahamas News Centre (BANC). Devlin Waugh is a frequent visitor. When the underwater prison Aquatraz was overrun by vampires, the Bahamas created the "Fangland" resort on Andros where tourists could hunt the vampires down; the vampires sacked the island years later in 2125.

• Balkan Republik - mentioned in "Return of the Taxidermist", set during 2116.

• Belgium - obnoxious boy billionaire Richie Richer bought Belgium in 2117, becoming its president and petty tyrant. Had been involved in the 2115 Olympics. (See also Euro-Cit's Belgian Sectors.)

• Canadia - future Canada, said to be under a pocket ice age in Wetworks. Unknown if it has a Judge force, but in Mandroid: Instrument of War, the law enforcement is shown to be weak and unable to prevent criminal settlements being set up on its border (instead hoping Mega-City One stops them). Earlier strips referred to the "Canadian Wastes", where criminal gangs have set up sugar plantations to supply MC-1. Strips placed Uranium City in Alaska and maps of Mega-City One show it absorbing the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor, implying Canada has lost a lot of territory after the Atomic War.

• Cameroon - Pan Africa map

• Central African Republic - Pan Africa map

• Chad - Pan Africa map

• Colombia - refugees from Colombia are shown in Megazine 4.5-6; a coup in 2117 and druglord purges in 2123 had caused thousands to flee.

• Greater Nigeria - Pan Africa map, covers Nigeria and Niger

• Guinea Confederacy - shown in Pan Africa map, covering the coastlines of the north-west from Guinea to Morocco. Great African Dustbowl restricts it to the coasts.

• Korea - mentioned in "Return of the Taxidermist".

• Kenya - mentioned in "Return of the Taxidermist".

• Liberia - Pan Africa map

• Libya - Pan Africa map, said to be a secular Islamist state.

• Malagasy Republic - Pan Africa map, former Madagascar. Bombed during Atomic Wars, half-destroyed and fighting to save rainforests; isolationist.

• Mongolian Free State - a lawless area, home of many criminal activities in exchange for kickbacks (such as the Bad Mother show). Possessed its own military forces and was run by a President in 2122 (Prog 2001). East-Meg Two carried out the brutal Mongolian Clearances in 2125, killing millions; in 2134, former East-Meg One agents were using Mongolia as a secret base.

• The Philippines - part of the 2115 Mega-Olympics; mentioned as having a Justice Department in Wetworks; victim of the InterDep conspiracy in 2117.

• Neo-Cuba - originally a Sov ally, it switched allegiance to Mega-City One in 2128 after they were tricked into believing the Sovs had backed a coup. In the earlier "Return of the Taxidermist", set in 2116, the country was the Cuban Wastes.

• New Zealand, mentioned in a joke by Australian character Jugs Mackenzie during "Oz". (See also "Kiwi-Cit" above)

• Scandinavian Confederation - so far unseen, but they possess an embassy in Mega-City One (shown in a 2008 Judge Dredd story, Regrets). Swedish sex-meks (androids made for sexual use) are popular product in Mega-City One. Previously called the "Scandinavian Sub-State" in 2124.

• Sierra Leone - Pan Africa map

• Volta - Pan Africa map. Ivory Coast and Ghana.