2000 AD #2
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join free2000 AD #2 (Prog 2, 5 March 1977) marks the debut of Judge Dredd, the character who would become the longest-running star in British comics history and the defining figure of an entire anthology still publishing today. The five-page 'Judge Whitey' strip introduced Mega-City One's concept of a street judge — empowered simultaneously as police officer, judge, jury, and executioner — a satirical concept that cut against both American and British culture and would inspire decades of dystopian storytelling across the medium. Prog 2 also introduced Chief Judge Goodman, the first supporting character in the Dredd universe, establishing the institutional framework of Justice Department from the very first episode. The issue launched what became 2000 AD's commercial and creative backbone, credited with drawing a generation of British talent — Brian Bolland, Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, and many others — into comics, and with inspiring two major Hollywood film adaptations.
In "The Resistance Part 2," John Probe makes a daring descent from a RAF Nimrod onto the back of a rogue Vulcan aircraft carrying nerve gas. With the cockpit breached and hallucinations creeping in after a bullet pierces a gas container, Probe must stay focused to guide the plane to a crash landing in the Thames Mud Flats. Written by Robert Flynn and illustrated by Enio, with lettering by Jack Potter, the issue's cover by Massimo Belardinelli captures the tension of the moment.
In the grim, sun-scorched wastes of a distant future, a malfunctioning Fleshdozer claims two lives, setting off a chain of peril. As Joe and Reagan venture out to retrieve more of the monstrous beasts for the slaughter, a sudden pteranodon assault leaves Joe fighting for his life.
In "Vulcan Part 2," John Probe makes a desperate leap from a RAF Nimrod onto the back of a fleeing Vulcan bomber carrying nerve gas. As he fights his way inside, a single bullet shatters a container, unleashing a wave of hallucinations that threaten to overwhelm him—yet he must stay focused to bring the aircraft down safely in the Thames Mud Flats.
In "Harlem Heroes Part 2," the fractured team grapples with loss and renewal, bringing in grizzled veteran Conrad King and fast-talking street aeroball star Zack Harper as they attempt to reforge their legacy. With momentum building and old wounds still fresh, the road ahead is uncertain—but the fight isn’t over.
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Judge Dredd was conceived by writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra during 2000 AD's development in 1976, but by the time the comic launched in February 1977, both creators had temporarily departed — Wagner disillusioned over IPC retaining all character rights, and Ezquerra angered at being sidelined. Editor Pat Mills kept the strip alive by hiring freelancer Peter Harris to script the debut story and bringing in artist Mike McMahon to draw it, while Mills and Kelvin Gosnell co-wrote a new final page. Ezquerra's original character design, however, was used in a promotional advertisement in Prog 1 and in the title panel of Prog 2, meaning his visual DNA framed the character's very first appearance even though McMahon pencilled the story itself. Wagner returned with Prog 9, and has remained the primary architect of the strip for most of its multi-decade run.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Judge Dredd (Joseph Dredd), created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra; published 5 March 1977 by IPC Magazines.
- First appearance of Chief Judge Clarence Goodman, Mega-City One's longest-serving chief judge; he appears in this issue but is not named until Prog 86.
- The debut story is titled 'Judge Whitey' — a five-page, single-episode strip in which Dredd pursues a gang led by a judge-killer named Whitey through a skyscraper, establishing Dredd's role as judge, jury, and executioner on the streets of Mega-City One.
- Script credited to Peter Harris (pages 1–4), with Pat Mills and Kelvin Gosnell rewriting page 5; art by Mike McMahon. Carlos Ezquerra's original character design appears in the title panel (a stat paste-up from a pre-launch advertisement) but Ezquerra did not draw the story itself.
- The story is set in the year 2099 by later canon, though the issue itself originally dated the setting as 'the year 2000' — a continuity discrepancy noted by readers and later smoothed over.
- Dredd does not appear on the cover of 2000 AD until Prog 5; Prog 2's cover features the anthology's other strips.
- The debut story has been reprinted numerous times, including in Judge Dredd Annual 1982, Quality Comics' Judge Dredd Vol. 2 #2, Fleetway Quality Judge Dredd Vol. 2 #57, and Rebellion's Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files 01 (2005).
- The character spawned two live-action films: Judge Dredd (1995, Sylvester Stallone) and Dredd (2012, Karl Urban), as well as the Judge Dredd Megazine spin-off title launched in 1990.
Cast · 2 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in Eks almanah #107/1 (1978), Eks almanah #184 (1979), Force X #1 (1980), 2000 AD Annual #1982 (1981), Judge Dredd Annual #1982 (1981), 2000 AD Annual #1983 (1982), Campus #4 (1983), Robo-Hunter #1 (1984), Judge Dredd #2 (37) (1986), Sam Slade, RoboHunter #12 (1987), Scavengers #1 [US] (1988), M.A.C.H. 1 #1 (1991), Judge Dredd #57 (1991), Magnum Spesial #5/1991 (1991), The Complete Judge Dredd #1 (1992), 2000 AD Extreme Edition #3 (2004), 2000 AD Extreme Edition #6 (2004), Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files #1 (2005), 2000 AD Extreme Edition #13 (2006), Invasion! #[nn] (2007), Dan Dare The 2000 AD Years #1 (2015), Flesh: The Dino Files #[nn] (2017), Cimoc #8
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