The Pit (Judge Dredd story)
| "The Pit" | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Fleetway Publications |
| Publication date | 15 December, 1995 – 5 July, 1996 |
| Genre | |
| Title(s) | 2000 AD progs 970–999 |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | John Wagner |
| Artist(s) | Carlos Ezquerra; Colin MacNeil; Lee Sullivan; Alex Ronald |
| Colourist(s) | Alan Craddock; Mike Hadley |
| Editor(s) | Tharg (John Tomlinson and David Bishop) |
| The Pit | ISBN |
| The Pit | ISBN |
| Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files 24 | ISBN |
| Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files 25 | ISBN |
"The Pit" is a Judge Dredd story which appeared in British comic 2000 AD in 1995–1996 (issues 970–999). With 30 episodes, it had the greatest number of episodes of any single Judge Dredd story until "The Doomsday Scenario" in 1999 (although "Oz" had a higher page count, at 199 pages). It introduced the supporting characters of Galen DeMarco, Judge Guthrie and Judge Buell. It tells of Judge Dredd's temporary assignment as the sector chief of Sector 301.
By the year 2117 Mega-City One's Sector 301, disparagingly nicknamed "The Pit," is the most crime-ridden and corrupt sector in the future city. Each city sector has its own sector house of street judges, and the judges in Sector 301 are the worst, as the sector has been used as a dumping ground for every inadequate judge who, but for manpower shortages, would normally have been dismissed from the force. Corruption and incompetence at 301 are rife, and when judges are suspected of complicity in the murder of Sector Chief Rohan, Judge Dredd is appointed sector chief in her place, with instructions to investigate the murder and also to whip the Pit's judges into shape.
Essentially a desk assignment, sector chief is not Dredd's chosen role, and he resents the paperwork and isolation from daily law enforcement. (It is for this reason that Dredd, in an earlier story, turned down the opportunity to become chief judge of the whole city.) However Dredd diligently sets about his task, and sets up a task force of judges outside the SJS (the Special Judicial Squad, who normally deal with internal affairs), since even the local SJS judges are not above suspicion.
Dredd supplements the task force with judges from outside The Pit, established characters Judge Giant and Judge Castillo, but their role in the story is less than that of the new characters. Dredd initially appoints Judge DeMarco to lead the task force, as she is the most capable judge in the sector. However he later has to suspend her when Castillo discovers that DeMarco is having an illicit affair with another judge, Judge Warren, in contravention of regulations. DeMarco redeems herself when she saves Castillo from a gang of thugs (even though this allowed Castillo to discover her affair with Warren), but Warren is suspended, having failed to intervene because it would have exposed them. He loses his temper and assaults Dredd, who immediately places him under arrest. Dredd appoints Judge Buell to take over command of the task force.
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Wikipedia