I’m back, and I completely forgot I’d not published this before, so here’s my look at 1985’s progs of 2000 AD, with the assurance that 1986 will be sure to follow soon.

There weren’t many new stories in 1985, with just Anderson spinning off of Judge Dredd and Psi-Testers & Mean Team which started and ended this year. Neither new strip lasted for long, but that’s fine, there was a lot from the core stories.

The issues covered here are: 2000 AD issues 399-450, 2000 AD Summer Sci-Fi 1985, 2000 AD Annual 1986, Judge Dredd Annual 1986

Judge Dredd

Issues Covered: 2000 AD issues 399-450, 2000 AD Summer Sci-Fi 1985, 2000 AD Annual 1986, Judge Dredd Annual 1986

City of the Damned (parts 7-14) continues the journey of Dredd and Anderson in a grimdark future Mega City One that’s somehow even worse than it was before. And Judge Dredd’s fucking eyes get gouged out! The mutant monster in charge of this future is an evolution of The Judge Child and as well as vampire Judges, he’s kept a Zombie Judge Dredd around. The Dredds fight, even getting back to the present. So I guess there’s a smashed up Zombie Judge Dredd body out there now. Dredd gets his eyes back and doesn’t stress the time travel horrors.

The Hunters Club follows the new recruit of a people-hunting club, Chip Chegley. He gets over his head and wants out when it’s his turn to do a murder, and things go awry from there. Monsteroso is a short story where Dredd has to get in the head of a runaway robot. 

There’s a crossover to a Judge Anderson story which I didn’t expect, where Dredd’s having to deal with some of the fallout in the Ron Reagan Home Crock Block. A cadet’s Thirteenth Assignment has them following Dredd and proving himself by turning in his mum.

The Midnight Surfer brings back Chopper and has some beautiful Cam Kennedy interpretations of Mega City One at night. Skysurfers from all over are brought to the city to race, riling up the Judges. There are some chases as the Judges try to stop races in progress, and a bunch of Skysurfers die in the process. Chopper aka The Midnight Surfer, gets arrested, but is also a legend.

What do you think the monster of Nosferatu is? A vampire? Oh, you rube, you fool. It’s a giant spider! It can also mind control and shapeshift. While he’s killed, his victims are stuck trying to serve a dead master.

Crazy R Raiders have some administrative errors as a flyunder is blown up and a Judge killed, all thanks to a mess up from Citi-Def’s training exercise. Crime Call features another one of those wacky citizens who’ll do anything for fame. In this case it includes informing on himself. On the Waterfront has the Judges disrupt a coffee smuggling operation. 

The Man Who Knew Too Much follows a journalist looking into an explosion which the Judges are covering up. Of course, there are nefarious things going on, but unlike a lot of these stories, our brave journalist is lobotomised and the nefarious activities of the Judges can continue.

The Magnificent Obsession brings the Fatties back, specifically One-Ton Tony, who’s trying to get to two tons now the rationing of Mega City One is over. It all ends in tragedy, though, with 14 Fatties dead at the contest and Tony as the winner by default.

Mega-Man (no, not that one) shows the futility of vigilante justice and Love Story has the lengths someone will go to impress Dredd, as well as the fallout. The Lemming Syndrome shows a block plummeting and The Ugly Mug Ball brings back some of Sump’s ugly-making medicines.

All in all, this was a fun selection of stories even if there weren’t any long-term ones. It feels like we’ve given a lot more time to the locals, and several reminders that Judges aren’t the good guys.

Collected in: Judge Dredd Complete Case Files 08 and Judge Dredd Complete Case Files 09 

Sam Slade, Robo-Hunter

Issues Covered: 2000 AD 435-443

Farewell, My Billions brings Sam back, which I hadn’t expected. He’s finally in good shape and free to hunt his former partners down after they ran off with his money. Like previous Robo-Hunter stories, it feels like it goes all over the place in a bit of a shaggy dog tale. Frankly it’s surprising that Hoagy and Stogie are competent enough to evade him for long and to everyone’s horror, they have several duplicates to throw Sam off the trail.

It’s all just a test that he’s still got it, and they spent all his money so he wouldn’t get complacent again. Sam’s not happy with this and pawns both robots. All’s well that ends well…

Collected in: Robo-Hunter The Droid Files 02

Strontium Dog

Issues Covered: 2000 AD 415-436, 445-450, 2000 AD Annual 1986

The Big Bust of ‘49 has a swarm of SD operatives closing in on a refuge for bandits that’s losing its protected status Our lads catch wind of Xen the Brainwraith, who has a massive bounty on his head and isn’t there with the other bandits. The name’s a bit indicative as he’s a brain-hopping entity, getting in Middenface, then Wulf, before getting shot and contained.

The Slavers of Drule is the longest story of the year for Strontium Dog as Smiley’s World is attacked by slavers. Johnny and Wulf are hired to recover them and a chase ensues. They interrogate aliens who buy and eat humans, deal with King Larry the Certifiable… basically the slavers have been busy and it’s a bit of a chase until they’ve got the Keeble family back and blow the slavers up.

The Beast of Milton Keynes is a short story where the lads are hunting Dennis “Beast” Bolsolver, who apparently was a murderer, but doesn’t seem the sort to kill. He was mugged and the muggers killed each other arguing, so the Beast was framed. Once again unlike Dredd, Johnny’s conscience means the Beast goes free. 

Max Bubba (parts 1-6 of 21) flashes back to Johnny Alpha hunting Max Bubba into the past, specifically Viking Times. He meets Wulf Sternhammer who’s not the most popular guy, and luckily pretty much immediately sides with him.

Collected in: Strontium Dog: Search and Destroy 5 (out in April)

Stainless Steel Rat for President

Issues Covered: 2000 AD 399-414

This is the back half of the story where Slippery Jim and his family are trying to rig an election, inspired by a book literally called, “How to Rig Elections” which is owned by their enemy, President Zadilote of Paradiso. They use his playbook, including using emotion manipulators and poison. Eventually Jim wins, but gets shot and fakes his own death to get out of ruling the planet.

Collected in: The Stainless Steel Rat Colour Omnibus

Nemesis: The Warlock

Issues Covered: 2000 AD 399-406, 430, 435-445

Book IV: The Gothic Empire (parts 14-20) brings the ABC Robots back together, with Mongrel, The Gawk gets broken out a a freakshow, Blackblood and Joe Pineapples. And Nemesis is kind of merged with Deadlock? Odd. 

After all of this, Nemesis is told that his wife and child are dead, so he has a bit of a rampage at Torquemada. Nemesis is killed, but just a duplicate to distract Torquemada while the ABC Warriors attack. Finally, Torquemada’s horrendously injured and when he goes to see a medic, his body’s been so warped and horrific he’s no longer human. He stabs himself as penance.

Somehow Thoth Returns in Book V: The Vengeance of Thoth. We, the audience, knew this, but no one else did. He’s a tiny little demon thing who befriends a somehow still alive Satanus and feeds him Judges from the distant past, which is quite an exotic taste. He also brings Torquemada forward in time so there’s a living Torquemada to torment. Apparently humanity’s a bit more tolerant of aliens and when they realise Big T is back, they decide to burn him at the stake as he’s too problematic.

Nemesis and Torquemada team up briefly, until it turns out that Nemesis pretended to be a school bus driver and killed Torquemada’s family. What a wonderful, petty bitch.

The pair stop Thoth, who was looking to destroy everything to get his revenge not just on Torquemada, but Nemesis, too. 

Collected in: Gothic Empire: Nemesis the Warlock Definitive Edition 2, Vengeance of Thoth: Nemesis the Warlock Definitive Edition 3 

Rogue Trooper

Issues Covered: 2000 AD 401-406, 410-419, 422-432, 444-449, 2000 AD Annual 1986

In The Return of Rogue Trooper, Rogue’s back at Milli-Com and the lads have their bodies back! Hooray! Everything’s done, right? Helm gets married to a woman called Azure, but starts to disintegrate! Gunnar and Bagman also start to fall apart. Apparently there’s a contamination which the trio had by being on Nu-Earth. Azure helps Rogue get some new kit and head to planet Horst for an antigen.

Antigen of Horst gives us alien Norts! They rescue an old man and find a Milli-Com base which was abandoned. The Nort aliens include some xenomorph-looking lobster aliens and rhino people. The lads try to prove themselves while Rogue sleeps and we find out that the antigen came from eggs. The gang eventually find them and flee. Mission complete?

Nortville is a short story about a Nort circus with a fake Rogue as part of their propaganda, only the real Rogue takes its place and kills the ringmaster.

Return to Milli-Com continues the main story and Rogue’s put in front of a firing line! Only it’s a prank. Oh, you tricksy Southers. It turns out people are in high spirits as there’s peace between the two factions. Rogue’s dubious, but a treaty’s about to be signed when a new group of aliens show up and butcher the diplomats. Rogue gets down to the planet and the aliens are attacking there, too. Who is this? Why are they doing it? I guess I’ll find out in 1986!

These stories were fine. They never quite reach the heights of the Nu-Earth stories, but hopefully the incoming peace treaties and mysterious attackers will inject some more life into it.

Collected in: Rogue Trooper Complete Collection Volume 3

Ace Trucking Co

Issues Covered: 399-400, 428-433, 2000 AD Annual 1986

Strike (parts 13-14) I was unsure where this would end as Ace rescued his striking workers. Luckily they become more of a co-op than simply having Ace in charge.

The Croakside Trip! is an interesting end to a character, as Ace is dying and prepares to fly into a star which is the titular, “Croakside Trip”. This turns out to be a lie, but too late as Ace burns up.

Collected in: The Complete Ace Trucking: Vol 2

Anderson, Psi-Division

Issues Covered: 2000 AD 416-427

We’ve seen Anderson in a number of Judge Dredd stories and a couple of one-offs in annuals, but Revenge is her first proper solo outing. And it’s really good! Anderson’s been having dreams of the Dark Judges and decides to dip into their realm to make sure they’re in there. It’s a foolish move, but as someone with anxiety, I get the urge.

The Dark Judges are there, and take the opportunity to escape into the real world. Anderson has to chase them down as they wreak havoc in the Ron Reagan Crock Block, a home for the terminally-bewildered. The fallout even bleeds into the main Judge Dredd strip while Anderson’s busy here. Eventually the Dark Judges are disposed of in an infinite amount of other dimensions. Inevitably though, they’ll be back. 

Collected in: Judge Anderson Psi-Files 01

Sláine

Issues Covered: 2000 AD 411-428, 431-434

Time Killer is the main story for the year and it’s a weird one. The Cythrons escape a space prison, arrive on Earth, getting the attention of Sláine and company as they’re flying on Knucker. They help out and Sláine even gets a Leyser gun (because of ley lines, of course). He saves a chieftain’s daughter, even if she ends up getting a bit of a Two-Face treatment. There are some big fights, a few warp spasms and a teleportation into an executioner. Nest gets captured and manages to sort herself out while the others go to rescue her. By the end, the thing in the tomb is regenerating and Tomb of Terror begins with the first four parts of fifteen, as the tomb’s collapsing and the party enter it.

Collected in: Sláine The Definitive Edition Vol 2

D.R. & Quinch

Issues Covered: 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 1985

D.R. & Quinch Get Back to Nature is a short one-off story with the pair allowed to be instructors at a summer camp, helping the kids to learn about crimes.

Collected in: The Complete DR & Quinch (not listed here, but checking out reviews, it is included)

The Ballad of Halo Jones

Issues Covered: 2000 AD 405-415

Book Two begins with a lecture in the distant future about the life of Halo Jones. Then we see her working as a hostess in space on the Clara Pandy. She’s got her robot dog, Toby, as well as new friends in another hostess and a roommate of indeterminate gender who is incredibly good at being unnoticed. 

The space cruise ship doesn’t provide the galaxy-changing legend that we see in the prelude, but has some fun encounters with a dolphin and the rat in charge. Unfortunately things go awry and Halo finds out that Toby’s so obsessed with her that he killed her friend Brianna. A fight ensues and Toby’s stopped with the sacrifice of the forgettable friend, which is also forgotten.

Eventually, Halo Jones is let out when her term’s done. But Rodice didn’t manage to get her trip to the moon, meaning Halo’s completely alone.

Collected in: Ballad of Halo Jones Volume Two (there’s a fancy omnibus edition but the link was dead)

Psi-Testers

Issues Covered: 2000 AD 408-409

Originally created by Alan Hebden and Mike Dorey

I don’t know what happened here, as it feels like a setup for a more ongoing story. Oscar Meek is a psychic who is confronted by Cyclops O’Keefe, who robbed a bank and is now threatening to detonate a bomb if he’s incriminated. Meek tracks O’Keefe and his gang down and has him kill them in order to get him put away. And that’s it, two issues and done. 

Collected in: 2000 AD Presents: Sci-Fi Thrillers

Mean Team

Issues Covered: 2000 AD 437-447

Originally created by John Wagner, Alan Grant and Massimo Belardinelli 

We’re back to space sports again, and also gladiatorial battles. The Mean Team are part of an arena deathmatch team populated entirely by slaves owned by Richman Von. Their captain is Bad Jack, who tows the line of Von more dedicatedly than the others. We also meet Henry Moon, whose brain gets put into Von’s panther so he can continue playing. The rules seem to be pretty basic, with points allocated for violence and murder. Bad Jack racks up 5,000 points and flashes back to being a small child bought by Von. He was promised freedom at 5,000 points and apparently was the only person in the comic or the reading audience who believed Von. He abruptly murders him and escapes with the rest of the team. I see he will be back at some point, so it’ll be interesting to see how this continues.

Collected in: Mean Team

RPG Ideas: If you’re working together then Fight With Spirit could be hacked in a fun way to make this sort of story. Maybe even AGON.

Shako

The 2000 AD Annual for 1986 contained all of the parts of Shako (barring the annual where a baby Shako mauls the people who killed his mum). There was no way I was going to read the annual and not reread all of Shako. You can pick it up collected here.

Conclusion

This was a good year, and not just for Shako. There were some nice long stories from Rogue Trooper, Sláine and Strontium Dog, even if there was only part of one from Judge Dredd. Anderson was a highlight for me, and Mean Team was some excessive fun. Psi-tester felt a bit of a damp squib, but even that was alright.