Judge Death

The Chronicles of Judge Dredd #1 1984. ™ & © Rebellion A/S. COVER ART BY BRIAN BOLLAND.

Judge Death

(pop culture)Judge Dredd, one of comics' most ruthless lawmen and star of the British cult sci-fi comic 2000 AD, has nothing to fear as judge, jury, and executioner of the post-apocalyptic metropolis Mega-City One—except for demented monstrosities like Judge Death. The brainchild of writer John Wagner and artist Brian Bolland, Judge Death is a supernatural ghoul from another dimension who has come to wreck havoc on Mega-City One. Witnessing the truism that all crime is committed by the living, Judge Death reasoned that life itself is a crime, so he embarked on a personal mission of destroying all life. As such, this super-fiend reaches into the chests of his victims to extract their heart. Although Dredd is forever hunting his rival, Judge Death cannot be killed by ordinary means; once his physical body is destroyed, his spirit moves on to possess another human being. Judge Death frequently operates with his equally horrific brothers Judge Fear, Judge Fire, and Judge Mortis. Judge Death first appeared in a 1980 issue of 2000 AD, but has regularly confronted his nemesis in his quest to turn the dystopian Meta-City into a wasteland. Since Dredd's inception in 1977, the character has inspired a Daily Star newspaper strip, his own annuals and specials, a monthly “megazine,” and a 1995 live-action motion picture (starring Sylvester Stallone in the lead role), the majority of which have included appearances by Judge Death. Dredd and Death are the subjects of several computer games and a host of assorted merchandise. In 2005, the adversaries starred in the DC miniseries Judge Dredd: Dredd vs. Death.