Oz is a mini-series featured in the comic 2000 AD, running for 26 episodes (Progs 545 to 570) from 24th October, 1987 to 16th April, 1988. [1] The series was written by John Wagner and Alan Grant and, due to the short time-frame in which it had to be illustrated by a large number of regular 2000 AD contributors including, among others Cliff Robinson, Jim Baikie, Brendan McCarthy, Steve Dillon and Barry Kitson.
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Plot
Chopper (real name Marlon Shakespeare) is a skysurfer and graffiti-artist, who has been imprisoned for three years following Supersurf 7, in which he became a legend among skysurfers by 'shooting the fox' backwards, an impossible manoeuvre involving flying down a road tunnel against the traffic flow. As the now-legalised Supersurf 10 approaches, Chopper finds his fame challenged by Australian skysurfer Jug McKenzie. Despite calls from the citizens of Mega-City One for Chopper to be released in time for him to challenge McKenzie on his home turf, Judge Dredd refuses to bow to public opinion.
Chopper's Journey to Oz
As Chopper is being moved to a maximum-security isolation cube, he succeeds in escaping from the Judges and flees the city. Chopper makes his way over the 'west wall' into the Cursed Earth. His journey is followed by the Mega-City One media as he evades Cursed Earth mutants and travels to the Mex-Zone. Finally arriving at the Pacific Ocean, Chopper faces the decision to return to imprisonment or to strike out 11,000 kilometres across the Pacific to Oz. As his board runs out of power, Chopper is rescued by a lone ship piloted by a maniac robot chef. Chopper eventually takes control of the ship and heads to Oz by sea.
The Judda
During Chopper's journey, three teleporters enter the Halls of Justice. Announcing themselves as "The Judda" they set about hunting down and killing important Judges, including Dredd himself. Dredd succeeds in capturing one of the Judda, and Tek judges discover that they contain the same cloned DNA as Dredd, Fargo and Rico. Dredd travels to Oz, ostensibly to arrest Chopper and return him to Mega City One and imprisonment, however he is arrested as Chopper arrives in Oz and placed under house arrest. The Judda attack once more, but Dredd is prepared and blocks their escape. using one of the Judda's teleporters he travels into Ayers Rock, where he discovers an army of cloned Judda preparing to attack Mega City One. Dredd transports a nuclear warhead into the rock and destroys the Judda.
Supersurf 10
Chopper is narrowly defeated by Jug McKenzie. Dredd is waiting at the finish line to arrest him, however Jug distracts Dredd at the last second, and Chopper escapes into the Rad-back.
Continuing Storyline
The "Oz" storyline had some lasting implications for future 2000 AD storylines. Kraken, a Judda cloned from the same genetic material as Dredd, was captured by Justice Department and later featured in the Necropolis series.
Publication
The series originally ran for 26 episodes (Progs 545 to 570) from 24th October, 1987 to 16th April, 1988 and has been reprinted several times including:
- The Complete "Judge Dredd in Oz" (Titan, ISBN 1-85286-436-2)
