History[]
Maria is a supporting character from the 2000 AD strip Judge Dredd. She appears to be a stereotypical elderly Italian woman who speaks with an exaggerated Italian accent.
Maria used to work for Dredd as his cleaning lady, housekeeper and cook when he lived in Rowdy Yates block with his self-appointed servant Walter the Wobot. Despite his stern demeanour Maria was very fond of Dredd and liked to make him nourishing bowls of minestrone. She even hugged him occasionally and bought him birthday ('removed-from-cloning-tank-day'?) presents. One of those presents turned out to be a highly illegal brain-bloom, but Dredd let her off with a caution because she didn't know that the semi-sentient plants were banned.
During The Apocalypse War Maria fought bravely, partly because she had been affected by the 'Block Mania' drug which caused her to attack everybody she could see. When East-Meg One sprayed the city with the gaseous Block Mania antidote Maria was the only person not cured, because Walter — fearing that the gas was poisonous — had forced her to wear a dead Judge's respirator.
Maria ended up quitting her job after Mean Angel and his brother Fink Angel kidnapped her, poisoned her with a paralysing substance and hung her upside down in a cave. She became a homeless alcoholic, but a happy one, and spent the rest of her days in the slum known as Box City. Although her family was rich she refused all their attempts to help her: "There were nursing homes, expensive rehab clinics, private sanatoriums. But each time she escaped, choosing to return to the only place she now thought of as home."
Eventually Maria died (helped on her way by Bampot® Synthi-Grog) and left two million creds to Dredd, on the condition that Walter did not come to her funeral. Dredd instructed her brother to donate the money to Justice Department-approved charities.
At Maria's funeral Dredd was surprised to learn that she was not Italian, had no Italian ancestry, and had never left Mega-City One. However, in the list of odd things done by citizens of Mega-City One, 'being a fake Italian for several decades' wouldn't even make the top ten.
Powers and abilities[]
Abilities
Cleaning; cooking minestrone and paella.
Strength level
Elderly human female who gets regular exercise.
Weaknesses
Alcohol.
Paraphernalia[]
Transportation
Sometimes carried by Walter.
Weapons
Cooking laser — very deadly during her service in The Apocalypse War.
Links[]
- Appearances of Maria
- Character Gallery: Maria
- Images that feature Maria
- Fan-Art Gallery: Maria
- Maria quotations
Discover and Discuss[]
- Search News for: Maria Cosgrove · Maria