History[]
Warden Worldwise is a character in the 2000 AD strip Harry Twenty on the High Rock. He was the cruel, saturnine and possibly slightly unhinged man in charge of the High Rock, a satellite prison orbiting the dystopian Earth of the future and inhabited by 10,000 murderers, thieves and political dissidents. His eyepatch, widow's peak, high-collared cape and air of suave menace gave him the appearance of a James Bond villain, an impression reinforced by his hypnotic model of the High Rock orbiting Earth (which he used to try to mesmerise prisoners into telling him their escape plans) and his incredibly realistic robot prisoner, which he used as an agent provocateur to help the prisoners escape so he could then recapture them, thereby crushing their spirits and annihilating all hope. The cost in time, money and manpower of this psychological torture is not known, but it is doubtful that the High Rock ever kept within its budget. Sadistic staff such as Chief Thrower and Guard Pusser may have been taking out their frustrations on the prisoners because they hadn't been paid for six months.
Warden Worldwise's name has connotations of skilled cynicism — the sort of person who, because he can see that all of human life is a mere puppet show, is adept at pulling the strings. However, his love of Machiavellian plots could have caused chaos outside a restricted environment. It is not known whether control of the High Rock was a coveted sinecure or a way for the military dictatorships on Earth to sideline a man whose influence would be pernicious if he wasn't exiled to space (which would make Warden Worldwise a prisoner too, albeit with fewer restrictions than inmates like Genghis Eighteen, Big Red One or Twenty-One Toady).
When the prisoners, led by Harry Twenty, rioted and took over the High Rock, Warden Worldwise tried to fight a guerrilla war against the ex-convicts but was ultimately electrocuted by the power pack of his hypno-model.
Powers and abilities[]
Abilities
Leadership skills.
Weaknesses
Monologuing (see quotes).
Paraphernalia[]
Equipment
Hypno-model.
Weapons
Ice pick.
Notes[]
In Warden Worldwise's first ever appearance he was shown asking Chief Thrower why he was beating Harry Twenty, and then telling him to continue. This deftly outlines his main characteristics: he likes to exercise his authority just to feel powerful, even though such an exercise has no real purpose (prisoners get beaten by guards every hour on the High Rock), and he delights in cruelty.
Links[]
- Appearances of Warden Worldwise
- Character Gallery: Warden Worldwise
- Images that feature Warden Worldwise
- Fan-Art Gallery: Warden Worldwise
- Warden Worldwise quotations
Discover and Discuss[]
- Search News for: Warden Worldwise · Warden Worldwise