Apocalypse War - Plot

Plot

Set in 2104, it tells of the invasion of Dredd's city, Mega-City One by its Soviet counterpart, East Meg One. While the city is still vulnerable, most of the population having been infected by the Block Mania drug, the East-Meg forces launch a surprise attack on all fronts, including nuking random sectors of the city. Soviet nuclear weapons are then detonated across Mega-City One's Eastern seaboard, creating a tidal wave that destroys the Atlantic Wall and many sectors. With the wall's laser defences gone, the Sovs are able to launch nuclear saturation bombardment of the southern sectors, killing 150 million people in one swoop. Mega-City One's nuclear counterstrike is rendered ineffective by East-Meg One's "Apocalypse Warp", a forcefield which diverts the incoming missiles to a peaceful alternative Earth, destroying it in the process. Mega-City Two and Texas City refuse to aid their ally in order to give themselves time to develop their own forcefield. East Meg ground troops then swarm into the stricken city via the Northern sectors, occupying most of it in only four days while Dredd tries to lead a guerrilla resistance movement.

A decisive turning point was the Mega City Judges' use of the Stub Gun, an experimental two handed cutting weapon able to slice through almost any substance. However, while this weapon was very powerful, sustained use would lead to it overheating and exploding. Dredd leads a band of Mega City Judges who "stubbed" a Mega-City transport nexus forcing East-Meg forces through to the city bottom. Thermal charges were employed in a devastating ambush, temporarily holding the invading forces in the north.

In a few days the Soviets, led by War Marshal Kazan, conquer ninety percent of the city, including the Grand Hall of Justice. Chief Judge Griffin is abducted and brainwashed into spreading pro-Sov propaganda, forcing Dredd to assassinate him. Devastating and random weather conditions sweep the city with the destruction of Weather Control, millions of citizens flee to the Cursed Earth, and those deemed Sov collaborators are executed out of hand.

The war is eventually won when Dredd leads a commando unit to seize an East-Meg missile silo and uses it to obliterate East-Meg One, with the loss of 500 million lives. East Meg One could not use its force field to protect itself in time, due to the proximity of the silo. With no hope of victory the East-Meg forces inside Mega-City One are defeated by a counter attack and forced to surrender.

The war left Mega-City One in ruins, with many highly radioactive areas and other hazards and half of its 800 million population dead. It fell to the new Chief Judge McGruder to begin the long task of rebuilding.

The destruction of East-Meg One would have consequences in several further stories. In 2121, in the story The Doomsday Scenario, Dredd was abducted and put on trial for war crimes by a group of East-Meg survivors at the New Kremlin, but he escaped and killed many of them before the kangaroo court could return its verdict.