Things said by or about Judge Joseph Dredd

Unnamed criminal: "I hope it's Judge Dredd you blast, Whitey — he's the toughest of the judges!" First mention of Judge Dredd in 2000 AD prog 2.

'Grand Judge': "Sometimes I think we're all going to die like Alvin, Dredd."

Dredd: "Maybe, but in my book, that's the only way to go... in defence of the law!" 2000 AD prog 2.

Dredd: "The law can show mercy, too!" 2000 AD, prog 3.

Dredd: "When will lawbreakers learn... in the 21st century — no one can escape justice!" 2000 AD, prog 3. (This was before he'd met PJ Maybe.)

Child: "Why does the judge never smile, ma?"

Mother: "It's his job, child, it's tough upholding the law in Mega-City One!" 2000 AD, prog 6.

Dredd: "Yes, lawbreaker Krilz! I ordered the walk-eezee to be put in reverse! Something that must never happen to the law!" 2000 AD, prog 8.

Criminal: "I'll get 40 years for this. Reduce my sentence, Dredd, and I'll tell you where you can find our leader Mr Buzzz! He's holed up in a cheap hotel in oldtown—"

Dredd: "Many thanks. In recognition of your co-operation I sentence you to 39 years, 364 days in an isolation cube!" 2000 AD prog 22.

Dredd: "I am the law and you'd better believe it!" 2000 AD prog 40.

Dredd: "The penalty for littering is six months' penal servitude. Merry Christmas, citizen." 2000 AD prog 44.

Dredd: "Sometimes war is necessary — but don't ever let creeps like this tell you it's fun. War is pointless. War is evil. WAR IS HELL!" 2000 AD prog 51.

Dredd (thought balloon): "Mega-City 1... 800 million people and every one of them a potential criminal. The most violent, evil city on earth... but, God help me, I love it." 2000 AD prog 59.

Dredd (infected by alien parasite): "I'm... going to have... a baby!" 2000 AD prog 313.

Dredd: "What Justice dept giveth, Justice dept can just as easily taketh away." 2000 AD prog 355.

Dredd: "Damned if I'll let some jumped-up spook kick us out of our own sector house! WE'RE the law in this city!" 2000 AD prog 361.

Psi-Judge Omar: Whatever's in there, Dredd — it's dangerous."

Dredd: "So am I." 2000 AD prog 363.

Dredd: "Strange. We can colonise distant planets — we can send probes through the heart of the sun — but we still can't find a cure for bingo." 2000 AD prog 372.

Med-Judge (injecting Dredd with multibiotic): "No alcohol for 36 hours, and lay off the romance for a week."

Dredd: "You trying to be funny?" 2000 AD prog 385.

Reinhart (psychiatrist): "You have just entered the Academy of Law. How do you feel?"

Dredd: "Strange... I'm with others, but I feel alone... confused... What am I doing here? Who am I?"

Reinhart: "Don't you know?"

Dredd: "All I know is... My name is Dredd. I am a cadet judge. Before that... ...it's clouded..."

Reinhart: "Dig deep! Go back. Try to remember. What do you see?"

Dredd: "I'm... floating. It's warm — bubbling warm... friendly. I live here and... and..."

Reinhart: "And...?"

Dredd: "Nothing. There's nothing else." 2000 AD prog 389.

Reinhart: "You are eight. How do you feel now about your origins — about being a clone?"

Dredd: "At first I was... hurt. Then proud. To be of the same blood as Fargo, the father of justice — it was a great honour."

Reinhart: "Do you still feel pride?"

Dredd: "No. I am a cadet judge. There must be no place in my life for petty self-congratulation."

Reinhart: "Do you enjoy being a cadet?"

Dredd: "Yes. It's my life — what I was cloned for. It's all there is." Ibid.

Reinhart: "You're twelve now. Your clone-brother Rico is also excelling at the Academy."

Dredd: "I'm glad he's doing well. There is a strong bond between us. We are one and the same. I must strive to overcome this feeling. Personal affections impair efficiency." Ibid.

Reinhart: "No matter how hard we try to control it, sooner or later the human being behind the mask always starts to come out. Even in a street-hard judge like Dredd." Ibid.

Dredd: "All right, citizen. Get your clothes on — you're clean. Take my advice. Next time, don't look so shifty." 2000 AD prog 390.

Judge Benson: "You... killed a judge to... to save a judge-killer! It... ain't right..."

Dredd: "Gotta be right. It's the law." 2000 AD prog 392.

Psi-Judge Anderson: "But you can't change the future! It's impossible!"

Dredd: "Yeah? Show me the rule book."

Anderson: "But, Dredd, we've been there! We've seen it! It's happened!"

Dredd: "Then I'll UNhappen it!" 2000 AD prog 406.

Dredd: "Any cadet that can put his mother away for eighteen has got the makings of a damned fine judge." 2000 AD prog 421.

Bella Bagley: "I'll be everything you always wanted in a wife!"

Dredd: "Wife? Get off me, woman! Get this straight — I don't love you! I'll never love you! I am incapable of loving you! I'm a judge and the only thing I love is the law — which right now you happen to be breaking!" 2000 AD prog 444.

Shojan: "Are you eager for death?"

Dredd: "I can take it or leave it." 2000 AD prog 452.

Dredd: "Twenty years on Titan. Was love worth that, Sladek?"

Sladek: "Oh, yes. It was worth it. That and more. But I guess that's something you'll never understand." 2000 AD prog 463.

Dredd: "I'm a judge, loudmouth. Harassment's my job. Want some?" 2000 AD prog 483.

Judda: "Curse you, Dredd—!"

Dredd: "That's what they all say!" 2000 AD prog 558.

Mrs Deever: "It's this city, you know... pressing in on us all the time, trapping us... like rats in a cage. Driving us crazy! Never gave him a chance... never gave any of us a chance... It's our full mental jacket."

Dredd: "Yes, I know, citizen. I know." 2000 AD prog 582.

Dredd: "Wilbur Yess was a, uh, good citizen and, uh, a first rate trouser designer. I didn't know him personally but we, uh... we all wear his trousers. Mine seem to fit okay." 2000 AD prog 593.

Dredd: "In this city, pal, there are no good guys." 2000 AD prog 601.

Dredd: "Control, we have an attempted break-in, basement apartment, Rowdy Yates."

Control: "You're joking!"

Dredd: "I've got 'em on monitor now. Can you send a unit?"

Control: "What the heck for? Can't you deal with it?"

Dredd: "Negative. I'm in the bath." 2000 AD prog 626.

Narrator: "It felt too good just to lie back, soak the old bones, let some of the weariness slip away... This body... a patchwork of scars. Once he could recall where each one came from, but now... just too many... And there were the ones you couldn't see — the twists and sprains and fractures. A body that had been tortured, forced to the limit of its endurance too many times. Still a good machine but — getting on..." Ibid.