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Shojun, Warlord of Ji had powerful psionic abilities and attempted to take over the world.

Shojun came from the infamous Radlands of Ji (radioactive wastes in post-nuclear war China), home to some of the most dangerous individuals on the planet. He arrived in Mega-City One in 2108, and immediately warned the Judges not to interfere with his plans. His demonstration of his considerable powers began with the destruction of a building by will alone, resulting in over 250 deaths. He also had the ability to generate a psionic shield to protect himself, to stop bullets in mid-air, to attack people with blasts of psychic energy, to teleport himself and other people, and even to kill with a thought.

Impressed by his powers, Mega-City One's ruler, Chief Judge McGruder, thought it would be prudent to wait and see what Shojun intended to do before deciding on a course of action. In this matter she overruled the advice of Judge Dredd, whose immediate reaction was to request Shojun's instant assassination (using a laser since this would be too fast for Shojun to react to). Instead she ordered Dredd to place a bug in Shojun's premises to listen to his plans.

It was discovered that Shojun planned to raise the Seven Samurai, seven immensely powerful demons invulnerable to normal weapons, and use them to take over the world. Realising the gravity of the threat, McGruder finally authorised Shojun's assassination, but not in time. Teleporting to another location before the chief judge's orders could be carried out, Shojun raised the Seven Samurai and embarked on a murderous rampage. Justice Department surrounded the afflicted area with tanks and aerial assault vehicles, but even military firepower was completely ineffective against Shojun and his supernatural servants. In only a few minutes one hundred judges and three hundred civilians were slaughtered.

Although wounded in the encounter, Judge Dredd found one of the Samurai's shuriken (throwing stars) and realised that it alone was capable of penetrating Shojun's psionic shield. Although Shojun saw it coming, even he could not stop it and he was killed.

However, Shojun's death did not stop the Seven Samurai as Dredd had hoped. With the street judges helpless against this unprecedented threat, it fell to Psi Division (psychic judges) to defeat them. Judge Omar, head of Psi Division, destroyed the Seven Samurai, but at the cost of his own life, a price he knew in advance he would have to pay.

Aftermath[]

McGruder blamed herself for the massacre, realising that had she taken Dredd's advice and killed Shojun earlier then the catastrophe could have been averted. She announced her intention to resign as chief judge. This elicited a storm of protest from her fellow judges, who believed her to be an outstanding leader and who were therefore willing to overlook her responsibility for the debacle. However McGruder declared that she would not have tolerated such an error if it had been made by someone under her command, concluding "I can be no less severe on myself."

At her final meeting with the Council of Five, three of the city's most senior judges entreated her to reconsider. Instead she dismissed them from office, believing their leniency indicated poor judgement. Only Judge Shenker, Omar's successor as head of Psi-Division, concurred with her decision to resign, and consequently was the only member of the council to keep his seat.

Bibliography[]

The events described above were depicted in the following stories:

  • Judge Dredd (both written by John Wagner):
    • "The Warlord" (art by Cam Kennedy, in 2000 AD #451-455, 1986)
    • "The Chief Judge Resigns" (art by Cliff Robinson, in 2000 AD #457, 1986)

Both stories have been reprinted, in the Judge Dredd Complete Casefiles vol. 9, as well as others.

External links[]


Judge Dredd
Main Characters Judge Dredd - Judge Hershey - Judge Anderson - Judge Beeny - Judge Buell - Galen DeMarco - Dirty Frank - Judge Edgar - Chief Judge Fargo - Judge Francisco - Judge Giant - Judge Goodman - Judge Griffin - Judge Guthrie - Judge Janus - Judge Karyn - Judge McGruder - Judge Niles - Judge Rico - Judge Shenker - Judge Silver - Judge Solomon - Judge Volt - Detective-Judge Armitage - Inspector Shimura - Devlin Waugh - Johnny Woo - Judge Larter - Judge Jack - Judge Agee - Judge Bennett - Judge Castillo - Judge Dekker - Judge Goon - Deputy Cheif Judge Herriman - Judge Kruger - Judge Munn - Judge Perrier - Judge Prager - Judge Minty - Detective-Judge Steel - Detective Judge Trant - Judge Kazan - Chief Judge Ohno - Judge-Inspector Akio Anaba - Judge Marshall Lawson
Recurring Villains Angel Gang - Mean Machine Angel - Elmer Angel - Junior Angel - Link Angel - Judge Bachmann - Oola Blint - President Booth - Judge Cal - Dark Judges - Rico Dredd - Armon Gill - Judge Grice - Morton Judd - Kleggs - Judge Kraken - Mechanismo - Stan Lee - Marty Zpok - PJ Maybe - Nero Narcos - Orlock - Shojun the Warlord - Judge Sinfield - Call-Me-Kenneth - Mr. Moonie - Murd the Oppresor - Owen Krysler - Don Uggie Apelino - Captain Skank - Father Earth - Kazan - Bulgarin - General Blood'n'Guts - Satanus - Satan - Fink Angel - Ratty - Rhode Island Red - Phobia - Nausia - America Jara - Cesare - Judge Mortis - Judge Fear - Judge Death - Judge Fire - Manners - Ramses - Trapper Hag - Sabbat - Wu Yang - Yin Mie - Randolph Whitely - Judge Choke - Judge Sleep - Judge Sludge - Judge Burroghs - Judge Fistula - Judge Skinner - Judge Stigmata - The Seven Samurai - Rex Peters - Slocum - Kenny Who? - Nosferatu - Grampus - Heavy Metal Kid - Ratty - Elvis - The Warlords - DeGaulle - The Joker - The Scarecrow - The Riddler - Arnold Wesker - Lobo - Judge Kurten - Pink Eyes - Aimee Nixon - Mr. Bones - Effil Drago San - Bella Bagley - Dune Sharks - Xenomorphs - Ueno Hama - Raptaurs - The Explosive Man - Judge Sherman - Ankhhor - President Clinton Box - Pamelina Oswin
Other Characters Chopper - Vienna Dredd - Fergee - Yassa Povey - Jacob Sardini - Walter the Wobot - Henry Ford - Spikes Harvey Rotten - Tweak - Tony Tubbs - Otto Sump - Mrs. Gunderson - Sensitive Klegg - Jack Point - Maria - Benneet Beeny - Grunwalder - Old Joe Blind - Max Normal - Toots Milloy - Mr. Harke - Mr. Burr - Jim Grubb - Dave the Orangutan - Nimrod - The Creep - Johnny Alpha - Wulf Sternhammer - The Fargo Clan - Randy Fargo - Jubal Fargo - Hocus Ritter - Batman - Harry Henson
Storylines America - The Apocalypse War - Block Mania - City of the Damned - The Cursed Earth - Day of Chaos - Democracy - The Doomsday Scenario - The Hunting Party - The Judge Child - Judgement Day - Mechanismo - Mutants - Necropolis - Origins - Oz - The Pit - The Robot Wars - Tour of Duty Trifecta - Wilderlands
Crossovers Judge Dredd vs. Aliens - Judgement on Gotham - Predator vs. Judge Dredd - Mars Attacks Judge Dredd
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