Trollheart

First print date: February 6 1982
Prog appearance: 250
Writer(s): John Wagner
Artist(s): Carlos Ezquerra
Total episodes: 25

The Apocalypse War, Episode VI

The heinous depths of the Sov plan now become apparent as, rather than just disappear, it seems the TADs launched from Mega-City One are not being absorbed or destroyed by the Apocalypse Warp, but instead transported through a wormhole to another dimension, an alternate Earth, which has been at peace for over a thousand years. Needless to say, the arrival of the wave of destruction from Mega-City One is literally the apocalypse of this world, and it is wiped out, its inhabitants never even realising who their inadvertent killers are. Snekov worries that the shield over East-Meg One, however, drains power at an enormous rate and can only be maintained realistically for about twelve hours. During that time, the Sov forces have to locate, and destroy, all remaining stocks of Mega-City One's TADs. The implementation of this vitally important task has been entrusted to War Marshal Kazan.

A hard taskmaster, he pushes his troops with the fanatical fervour of Hitler wrapped up in Napoleon, and the Mega-City One satellites orbiting Earth are completely destroyed. SKUNKS too are taken out as are the many of the silos. Kazan contacts Dredd, again demanding surrender, as did his Supreme Judge only hours earlier. Dredd's answer is the same: while one Judge lives the city will fight on. Unable to bluff him into surrender, Kazan gives the order to launch a fullscale invasion of Mega-City One.

Quotes

Snekov: “The warp requires enormous power. We can maintain it for only twelve hours, thirteen at most. During that time we have to locate and destroy every annihilation device at the enemy's disposal.”
Vlad: “How can we be sure of doing it? While the Apocalypse Warp is operational, no communication is possible with our external forces.”

Kazan: “I am growing impatient with all of you. If there is no improvement in your kill rate, heads will roll!”
Paski: “But sir, locating underwater kill pods is not that easy.”
Kazan: “Silence! I don't want to know your problems, Paski! You are clearly not equal to the task. Place yourself under arrest. Your number two will assume command!”

Kazan: “You are beaten, Dredd. Surrender now, or I will raze your city to the ground.”
Dredd: “You're full of wind, Kazan! If you'd wanted to destroy us you would have done it by now. No, there's no point in taking over a city if there's no city left, is there? You've won the battle, Kazan, but be sure of this: while one Mega-City Judge is left alive, you'll never win the war!”

Judge: “It's disaster, Dredd! Our TADs are ineffective. The Sovs are picking off our stations at will!”


Laughing in the face of death
It's funny, really, when the TADs, sent through a dimensional wormhole via the Apocalypse Warp, end up in an alternate Earth, where the hippy, peace-loving inhabitants gaze up into the sky, looking at the approach of the missiles, unsure what they are. “They sure are pretty!” says one. It's probably the last sentence uttered on this world.

I AM THE LAW!

Dredd has, as we have seen, clearly taken over control and command of the defence of what remains of Mega-City One. It is he who stubbornly rebuffs War Marshal Kazan's demands for the city's total surrender, telling the Sov that they will fight to the last man. He doesn't consult anyone about this: I would assume that anyone wishing to make peace would be branded a traitor and shot. In his own way, even as his world is literally crumbling around him, Dredd could be seen as as bad a dictator as Bulgarin. Sure, his people may, probably would become slaves of the Sovs if he surrendered and accepted they were beaten, but at least they'd be alive. This way, he's really doing nothing more than ensuring the deaths of millions more, and you do wonder what the people would have to say about it were they asked, but as Bulgarin remarked in episode one: “The people? What have they to do with it?”

Seems Dredd thinks as little of their opinion as the Sov leader. Shades of Hitler? Go down in flames rather than surrender? I mean, every good leader knows when he's beaten and when to sue for terms. Dredd? Could you at this point call him a good leader, or as fanatical as his opposite in East-Meg One?


The Dichotomy of Dredd

As noted above, Dredd is prepared essentially to sacrifice his city rather than give it up to the Sovs. Is this in the best interests of Mega-City One, a city he and every other Judge are sworn to protect? Nobody wants to surrender, admit they're beaten, but there surely comes a time when it seems hopeless and you must embrace, or at least consider, the unthinkable. Mega-City One's last line of defence or attack has been snuffed out by the Sovs: what is left? Their silos, their satellites and their underwater kill-pods are being systematically destroyed, their defence capabilities stripped away, their capacity to attack completely nullified. What's his plan? Throw rocks at the Sovs?

And yet, he has no intention of surrendering. Is this wise? Is this good strategy? Is it logical – is it even sane – to continue to fight when the odds are completely against you, you have nothing to fight back with and the only other option open to you is death at the hands of your enemy? If Dredd is only concerned with the fate of his city, is it not preferable to give Mega-City One its best chance of survival, even under occupation? Is Dredd prepared to take all of Mega-City One down with him in a personal Gottedamerung, rather than admit defeat? Doesn't that sound like someone in history we know? And is it yet possible that his authority will be challenged, particularly as the Sov invasion begins next prog, that cooler heads may prevail and command may be wrested from him, so that someone can negotiate with Kazan and Bulgarin, before Mega-City One is reduced to rubble?

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Trollheart

First print date: February 13 1982
Prog appearance: 251
Writer(s): John Wagner
Artist(s): Carlos Ezquerra
Total episodes: 25

The Apocalypse War, Episode VII

The spearhead of the Sov invasion is indeed terrible to behold. Strato-V bombers fly over the city, releasing jets of gas that pacify the crowds below, killing all instantly and indiscriminately, while T1000 Radsweeper tanks roll over whatever feeble resistance the Judges put up. If there's anything left after that, Karpov MF7 Sentenoids, mechanical soldiers, mop it up as the tanks roll onwards. In the TCB, Dredd considers the situation and again refuses to accept the inevitable. Instead, as he looks out on the ruin of his city, he orders guerilla war, instructing every Judge to engage the enemy, retreat, then engage again, hopefully catching them off-guard. It's a vain plan, and I have to say not a well thought-out one: what possible harm can a few raids here, a few sorties there, do against the might of the Sov advance? Even as he ponders this, the bunker itself is breached and East-Meg soldiers pour in through the upper level entrance. The end can't be far away now.

Quotes

Izaaks: “The invasion point is officially devoid of life, Sir.”
Kazan: “Don't bother me with your corpse count, Izaaks. Mere feathers on the chicken.”
Izaaks: “Feathers, sir? Chicken?”
Kazan: “An old proverb told to me by my Siberian clone mother: If you want to pluck the chicken, it is easier if you first cut off the head!”

Judge Domer: “Only yesterday I was arresting perps on these streets. Now there aren't any perps. There aren't any streets!”

Those clever little touches
As the landing point is pacified, with corpses strewn all around, we see that one of the ruined buildings has a sign proclaiming Life Insurance!

Laughing in the face of death
Not really, but as the motley collection of Judges who remain head out onto the devastated streets of their city, one opines that they are Judges, and must bring order: it is their job. Another points sarcastically to where a fleet of strato-Vs hover and asks “How about there?”


I'll ask the questions, Creep!
Meh, I'm going to ask how the tanks, which are now rolling through what remains of the streets of Mega-City One, got there? I see no ships, as Nelson said, and it's to be assumed they didn't trek across the Cursed Earth without being spotted long before the attack on Mega-City One. Could they have been carried in the strato-Vs? Possible, but they kind of don't look built for that kind of transport duty. Hmm.

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Trollheart

First print date: February 20 1982
Prog appearance: 252
Writer(s): John Wagner
Artist(s): Carlos Ezquerra
Total episodes: 25

The Apocalypse War, Episode VIII

As the Tactical Command Bunker is breached by Sov sentenoids, Dredd orders the upper levels be sealed, and they move deeper into the bunker, sealing off each level as they descend. In a last desperate effort, as they evacuate the Chief Judge and prepare to abandon the bunker, Dredd makes an announcement to the citizens, advising them that the city is now under attack by East-Meg forces, and that they should resist, as the Judges are doing their best to resist, the invader. Needless to say his words go unnoticed, as Block Fever continues to rage, removing, as the Sovs had planned all along, a large part of the resistance that might have risen against them. Blockers love their blocks, but when faced with a common enemy they might have been persuaded to have put their differences aside and taken on the invaders; that will not happen now. Those few who even half-understand the words of Dredd up on the various huge screens around the city don't care, and the rest are too far gone to even realise what's happening.

Back at his own apartment, Dredd's robot Walter encounters Maria, his landlady, who is herself deep in the throes of Block Mania. As the robot tries to explain to her that the Sovs are invading, she shrugs off his protestations and attempts to reason with her, so he decides the only thing he can do is truss her up and take her to Dredd. Meanwhile, Dredd has set the bunker to self-destruct, taking as many Sov soldiers with it as possible, while he and the other Judges convey Griffin to a secret Justice Department spacecraft. Loading him in, they launch it into orbit, desperate to preserve this figurehead behind which people can rally – if they ever shake off Block Mania.

Quotes

Dredd (speaking to the city): “I don't know how many of you are out there listening, I don't know how many of you even care, but hear this: East-Meg forces now occupy the northern sectors and are sweeping south. Our city faces its blackest hour. Judges are under orders to carry on their resistance whenever and however possible. This order extends to all citizens.”
Bugs Bunny Blocker: “What's he on about?”
Billy Smart Blocker: “Who cares? Eat Smart boot, Bunny boy!”

Maria: “You still-a here, Walter? Why you no a-fighting? There's a block-a war a-going on, you know? I only came-a back for my cooking laser. I'm-a fighting for Mario Lanza Rough-a-necks. We're gonna fry some-a Van Cleef Blockers.”
Walter: “Maria, this is cwazy! Don't you know the East-Meggers are ovewunning the city?”
Maria: “No, but you a-hum it and I'll sing along. I just a-gotta time.”

Griffin: “I could stay here, Dredd. Fight ...”
Dredd: “You're in no condition for it. The city needs a figurehead, a symbol of hope. Whatever else happens, our Chief Judge must survive.”

Laughing in the face of death
Although I hate his diodes, the exchange between Maria and Walter, while a prehistoric joke transferred to the future, does help to slightly leaven the sense of doom and foreboding and hopelessness this episode drips with.

I AM THE LAW!
It isn't of course the case, but the unkind reader might think that Dredd is getting rid of Griffin so as to be in absolute command. Were the Chief Judge to recover now, perhaps he might go against Dredd's “no surrender no retreat” policy, so shooting him into space could be seen as a way of ensuring that there is nobody to question Dredd's orders. I don't think that of course, but someone might.

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Trollheart

First print date: February 27 1982
Prog appearance: 253
Writer(s): John Wagner
Artist(s): Carlos Ezquerra
Total episodes: 25

The Apocalypse War, Episode IX

As he leads the remnants of his people to face the advancing Sovs, Dredd is heartened to see that his words have not fallen on deaf ears, as he witnesses the sight of Mega-City One's Weather Control on fire. Without this vital component, Kazan and his men will be subject to the usual vagaries of weather that we here in the twenty-first century live with. Perhaps Dredd will get lucky, and a stray lightning bolt will take out the war marshal? Already, things are slipping out of hand, as the Meg witnesses something it likely has not seen in a long time: heavy flurries of snow. As we learned in an earlier episode, weather is controlled by a popular vote, and naturally, most of us want good weather. I mean, given the choice, would you vote for rain? Or snow? Or freezing fog? But now the weather is beyond man's control and is doing just whatever the damn hell it pleases, and Kazan is finding it hard to advance in such unpredictable conditions.

He is less than impressed, however, with one of his captain's ideas to exterminate the population! You can't blame Judge Pukov (really? Pukov? First Snekov, then Vlad, now Pukov! Oh, Wagner is having fun with those Russian names, isn't he?) - after all, Block War is rampant, and even if he knew that the man who now reprimands him is part of a command structure which created the environment for this mania, it doesn't help him when every single citizen attacks – sometimes each other, but sometimes the invaders, who they probably think are working for another Block (not Blok, as in Sov-Blok! Oh I am having fun here!) - and he faces madmen on every front. Nevertheless, Kazan says he has a better solution, and orders his squadrons of Strato-V bombers to release gas upon the city. This time, however, it does not kill the population but brings them to their senses, being the antidote to the virus which created Block Mania in the first place.

Everyone is back to normal – and no doubt wondering, rather like Custer is said to have said about the Indians, where the fuck all these Sovs came from? - with one rather important exception. Walter has been, as we know (and don't care) on the way to take Maria to see Dredd. When the Strato-Vs release what he takes to be deadly gas (can't blame him: this was their initial tactic when they invaded) he grabs a respirator from a dead Judge and puts it over her head. Unfortunately, this quick thinking has ensured that of all the citizens of Mega-City One, the only one who now remains a Block Maniac is Dredd's landlady!

Quotes

Judge: “Drokk! The whole weather system's on fire!”
Dredd: “Somebody got my message!”

Judge Pukov: “The Block Mania contaminant causes them to fight anything that moves. I've had to issue orders for total extermination of the population.”
Kazan: “Fool! You can try your theories of total population extermination out in Siberia, because that's where you're going to be for the rest of your life!”
(This is an interesting one. Obviously, Kazan is angry with Pukov and is banishing him to Siberia. But, is he going as a prisoner to a work camp or gulag, or just being posted there? The threat could mean nothing, a simple “We'll see how much you want to exterminate populations when you're freezing your arse off in a labour camp!” But it could also be that he is telling Pukov, while yet furious with him, that he will have the opportunity to do what he wants to do when he is posted to Siberia. Hard to say which.)

Blocker (watching the Strato-Vs release the gas): “Hey look! What Block do you reckon they're with?”

Dan Webster Blocker: “Hold it right there! What's your Block?”
Maria: “Mario Lanza Block! We make-a da pasta out of you!”
Walter: “Shut up Mawia!”
Dan Webster Blocker: “Mario Lanza, huh? Pasta, huh? Seems to me they'd be better off dead!”

Judge: “They're acting normal again.”
Dredd: “Of course! That's it! They're spraying the Block Mania antidote!”

Laughing in the face of death

Kind of funny when an unidentified Blocker seems to think that one of the rival Blocks has Strato-Vs at its command.

The Walter and Maria scene is not as funny as it should be.

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The Batlord

FYI, I'm not reading these entries because I was already aware of the Apocalypse War and want to read it for myself.

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Trollheart

First print date: March 6 1982
Prog appearance: 254
Writer(s): John Wagner
Artist(s): Carlos Ezquerra
Total episodes: 25

The Apocalypse War, Episode X

Arriving on the northern front, Dredd and his rag-tag band of Judges take on the rolling, crushing power of the Sov rad-sweeper tanks. Taking out two of them personally, Dredd turns to the Mega-City One refugees, who complain about being sick, but are nevertheless delighted to have been saved by the Judges. Their joy is short-lived, however, as Dredd grimly informs them that they have had the bad fortune to stumble into a radiation zone, and are now doomed to die a slow death from radiation poisoning. The only thing he and his Judges can do for the wretches now is put them out of their misery.

As Citi-Def units, released from the grip of Block Mania, begin to report in, Dredd sees that the city may, at the last hour, have a fighting chance after all. If he can muster all the manpower he can, there may be a way to fight back, now that he's not taking on Block Mania in addition to Kazan's invasion. But to his mind there is only one way to do it, and that is to cut off the northern sector completely.

Quotes

Female citizen: “Feel sick .. Don't know what's wrong.”
Male citizen: “We all feel sick. You have to keep moving.”
(Neither realise they are feeling sick due to radiation poisoning, which is slowly killing them even as they flee from the remorseless Sov advance)

Judge: “One of them (rad-sweepers) is still firing back there.”
Dredd: “Leave it. Hit and run: it's the only way to survive.”
(This probably goes against all Dredd's instincts. A surviving enemy might come back to haunt him, and surely he would rather kill off all opposition, to be sure. But here, in the position he is in, a very weakened one, he must choose between allowing an enemy to fight on and being able to continue the struggle himself.)

Dredd: “You citizens are way off line.”
Citizen: “I recognise that voice: it's Dredd himself!”
Other citizen: “Judges! We've been rescued by Judges!”
Dredd: “You misunderstand me, Citizen. Nobody can help you now. Haven't you wondered why the snow isn't lying? You've stumbled into a radiation zone. Our rad suits protect us. For you, it's too late.”
Citizen: “No wonder we're sick. We're dying.”
Female Citizen: “Skin's already starting to blister. In an hour we'll be gone.”
Citizen: “Nothing's worse than a slow death from rad-poison. Don't leave us like this, Judge Dredd.”
Citizen: “Please. Help us.”
Dredd: “Request granted!” (All Judges fire).

Dredd: “Thousands of refugees. In a bad way. None of 'em have ever seen a blizzard.”
Judge Windermere: “Most of 'em could do with a square meal. We've got spare K-rations...”
Dredd: “Forget it, Windermere. All the K-rations in Justice Department wouldn't give each of them a mouthful. We keep 'em for fighting units.”


Laughing in the face of death

Not a single snigger this episode. In fact, it's one of the darkest in the story so far, with people dying from radiation poisoning and having to be put down as a kindness.

I AM THE LAW!

Although it's said he hasn't got a heart, we know Dredd does, and it must secretly break to see the, as HG Wells described it in The War of the Worlds, “mass of humanity, unarmed and unprovisioned, driving headlong”, lines of refugees stretching as far as the eye can see, and be unable to do anything for them. The fact that most, if not all, were until recently trying to kill each other in Block Wars he knows is not their fault: they were under the influence of the Sov virus. Now that it has been reversed, they find themselves adrift, homeless, hopeless, directionless, and it's a hard man who would not be moved by their plight. But when another Judge suggests sharing their rations with the populace, Dredd grimly, and correctly, points out that they do not have enough, and that what they do have must be kept to feed the troops. He knows two things: if the Judges were to go down there and offer food – even K-rations – to the masses there would be a stampede, and a riot as everyone tried to get just a taste, and fighting would break out. And as well as this, he knows that the only way his Judges may be able to prevail in this war is to heed the words of Napoleon, that an army marches on its stomach. There will be no chance to replenish stocks while the Sovs are in control of the city, so they will have to make do with what they have until such time as they can get fresh supplies. The hard fact is, the Judges must hold on to every gram of K-rations they can, to be able to stand any chance of winning this war.

Welcome to the world of tomorrow!

We've all seen snow, and some of us have seen quite severe blizzards. But nobody in Mega-City One has. Weather here is controlled by computer, and the people decide what kind of weather they want. So when thick drifts of snow carpet the ground and huge flakes fall, and continue to fall, from the leaden sky above, it is a totally new experience to the Meggers, and not one they savour. What is snow, they probably wonder? They soon find out, as they begin trudging through it in an attempt to escape the advancing Sov tanks. It must feel to them as if they have suddenly been transported to another planet. It's like someone who has been used to living in a comfortable apartment all his life, where every aspect is controlled and tailored to his needs, and who is suddenly cast out in the street, streets he has never even walked, and made to fend for himself. Cruel nature, indeed!

The Dichotomy of Dredd

Again, we come up against Dredd's loyalty to, and desire to save his people, and his imperative to save his city. If thousands – millions – must be sacrificed so that the city can be preserved, it would seem Dredd is willing to pay that price. He must be even harder and tougher than he usually is, if he is to lead his forces to victory here, and this is demonstrated nowhere as clearly as when he faces the rad-poisoned refugees, and has to make the decision to kill them all, to spare them the horrible death of radiation poisoning. A hard choice for any man, but you tend to wonder is it that hard for Dredd? In essence, it's the logical choice, and Dredd seldom if ever evinces feelings. Does he feel anything as he carries out this necessary act of mercy?

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Trollheart

Fair enough. I'm actually pausing here anyway and going to do some Strontium Dog, so you'll be safe for a week or so, depending.

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The Batlord

That post was supposed to have a second, more supportive sentence, but I got to the end and went, "Eh...".

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Trollheart

Supportive? You? But let me know if you want the progs sent over to you so you can read them. Also, super cool avvy: I assume this is the She-Thor you were talking about, or has the God of Thunder just suddenly embraced his crossdressing side?

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The Batlord

Yeah that's the female Thor (not She-Thor, just Thor, even though it's not Thor Thor) And I already have all those Dredd comics you sent me way back when, I just have a Trollheart-esque backlog of comics in the ****ing way.

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