Judge Griffin
Encyclopedia
Chief Judge Griffin is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd
comic strip in 2000 AD. He was chief judge
of Mega-City One
between 2101 and 2104.
, and personally trained whole generations of the city's judges
, including Judge Dredd. He was foremost among Dredd's band of resistance fighters against the insane tyrant Chief Judge Cal
who had usurped control of the city. Following Cal's death, Dredd was the unanimous choice of the judges for the office of chief judge, but Dredd declined and nominated his old mentor Griffin instead. Griffin maintained a great respect for Dredd; when the other members of the Council of Five
questioned Dredd's actions after the Judge Child
quest, it was Griffin who staunchly defended Dredd and his judgement, reminding the others of Dredd's actions during the reign of Judge Cal. Griffin vetoed an inquiry into Dredd and the possibility of another quest to find the Judge Child.
Griffin was leader of his city during its peak, and proved to be a capable ruler. However his term of office proved to be a short one. Early in the Apocalypse War
of 2104 he was captured by the enemy and brainwashed, to be used as a puppet quisling
leader for propaganda purposes, to encourage the surrender of the war-weary population. Since a rescue operation would have been impossible, Dredd found it necessary to assassinate him instead. Griffin actually managed to fight back through the brainwashing to confess his guilt live on air just before this event.
He was succeeded by Judge McGruder
, who was the sole member of the ruling Council of Five to survive the war.
. He serves on the Council of Five
and openly expresses his views that Mega-City One
needs a tougher criminal code and to expand executions to include lesser crimes. When Judge Dredd is put on trial for murder and seemingly incontrovertible evidence is introduced, Chief Judge Fargo
asks to halt the proceedings so that he can confer with Griffin. Fargo is deeply upset that Dredd may be guilty of murder and may have the same homicidal tendencies as Rico Dredd
, both of whom were products of a top secret cloning program (the "Janus Project") that the Concil of Five initiatied over forty years ago, which may now come to light. Griffin suggests that if Fargo takes the Long Walk
out to the Cursed Earth
he can get Dredd's sentence commuted from death to life imprisonment, and this will prevent the truth from coming out. Fargo does so, and Griffin becomes Chief Judge, and it soon becomes clear that Griffin plotted the removal of Dredd and Fargo, to become Chief Judge and to push through his new, stricter laws, and restart the cloning program on a larger scale. Unfortunately he had arranged for Rico to escape from jail to help in these schemes, and Rico kills Griffin in an attempt to seize power for himself.
This version of Griffin effectively fills the role of Judge Cal in the comic.
Judge Dredd
Judge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner...
comic strip in 2000 AD. He was chief judge
Chief Judge of Mega-City One
Chief Judge of Mega-City One is the title of several supporting characters in the Judge Dredd comic strip published in 2000 AD. The chief judge is dictator and head of state of Mega-City One, a fictional future city of around 400 million people in 22nd-century America...
of Mega-City One
Mega-City One
Mega-City One is a huge fictional city-state covering much of what is now the Eastern United States in the Judge Dredd comic book series. The exact boundaries of the city depend on which artist has drawn the story...
between 2101 and 2104.
Fictional character biography
Before becoming chief judge, Griffin was principal of the Academy of LawAcademy of Law
The Academy of Law is a fictional place of learning appearing in the Judge Dredd series that appears in the British comic 2000 AD.-Fictional history:The Academy of Law is where the Judges of Mega-City One are trained...
, and personally trained whole generations of the city's judges
Judge (2000 AD)
Judge is a title held by several significant characters in the Judge Dredd series, which appears in the British comics 2000 AD and Judge Dredd Megazine...
, including Judge Dredd. He was foremost among Dredd's band of resistance fighters against the insane tyrant Chief Judge Cal
Judge Cal
Chief Judge Cal is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. He was loosely based on the real life Roman emperor Caligula, who is widely considered to have been insane...
who had usurped control of the city. Following Cal's death, Dredd was the unanimous choice of the judges for the office of chief judge, but Dredd declined and nominated his old mentor Griffin instead. Griffin maintained a great respect for Dredd; when the other members of the Council of Five
Council of Five
The Council of Five is a fictional legislature and court in the Judge Dredd comic strip appearing in 2000 AD. It first appeared in 2000 AD prog 86 ....
questioned Dredd's actions after the Judge Child
Judge Child
The Judge Child was an extended storyline in the 2000 AD comic strip Judge Dredd that ran from issues 156 to 181 in 1980. It introduced a character with the same name...
quest, it was Griffin who staunchly defended Dredd and his judgement, reminding the others of Dredd's actions during the reign of Judge Cal. Griffin vetoed an inquiry into Dredd and the possibility of another quest to find the Judge Child.
Griffin was leader of his city during its peak, and proved to be a capable ruler. However his term of office proved to be a short one. Early in the Apocalypse War
Apocalypse War
The Apocalypse War is a storyline from the comic strip Judge Dredd, first published in British comic 2000 AD in 1982. A sequel to the story "Block Mania", it was written by John Wagner and Alan Grant and illustrated by Carlos Ezquerra...
of 2104 he was captured by the enemy and brainwashed, to be used as a puppet quisling
Quisling
Quisling is a term used in reference to fascist and collaborationist political parties and military and paramilitary forces in occupied Allied countries which collaborated with Axis occupiers in World War II, as well as for their members and other collaborators.- Etymology :The term was coined by...
leader for propaganda purposes, to encourage the surrender of the war-weary population. Since a rescue operation would have been impossible, Dredd found it necessary to assassinate him instead. Griffin actually managed to fight back through the brainwashing to confess his guilt live on air just before this event.
He was succeeded by Judge McGruder
Judge McGruder
Chief Judge Hilda Margaret McGruder is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd stories published in the British comic 2000 AD. She was the first female Chief Judge of Mega-City One, and the first Judge of Mega-City One to become Chief Judge twice...
, who was the sole member of the ruling Council of Five to survive the war.
Judge Dredd movie
A different version of Judge Griffin appeared in the 1995 Judge Dredd film, played by Jürgen ProchnowJürgen Prochnow
Jürgen Prochnow is a German actor. His most well-known roles internationally have been as the sympathetic submarine captain in Das Boot , Duke Leto Atreides I in Dune , the minor, but important role of Neo-Stalinist dictator General Ivan Radek in Air Force One and the villain Maxwell Dent in...
. He serves on the Council of Five
Council of Five
The Council of Five is a fictional legislature and court in the Judge Dredd comic strip appearing in 2000 AD. It first appeared in 2000 AD prog 86 ....
and openly expresses his views that Mega-City One
Mega-City One
Mega-City One is a huge fictional city-state covering much of what is now the Eastern United States in the Judge Dredd comic book series. The exact boundaries of the city depend on which artist has drawn the story...
needs a tougher criminal code and to expand executions to include lesser crimes. When Judge Dredd is put on trial for murder and seemingly incontrovertible evidence is introduced, Chief Judge Fargo
Chief Judge Fargo
Chief Judge Eustace Fargo is an important fictional character from the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. He is Judge Dredd's clone father....
asks to halt the proceedings so that he can confer with Griffin. Fargo is deeply upset that Dredd may be guilty of murder and may have the same homicidal tendencies as Rico Dredd
Rico Dredd
Rico Dredd is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD magazine. He is the brother of Judge Joe Dredd, the strip's eponymous lead character.-Appearances:...
, both of whom were products of a top secret cloning program (the "Janus Project") that the Concil of Five initiatied over forty years ago, which may now come to light. Griffin suggests that if Fargo takes the Long Walk
The Long Walk (Judge Dredd)
The Long Walk is an event occasionally depicted in the long-running British comic strip Judge Dredd, which appears in 2000 AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine. It also featured in the 1995 film starring Sylvester Stallone....
out to the Cursed Earth
Cursed Earth
The Cursed Earth is a part of the fictional universe from the Judge Dredd series that appears in the UK comic book 2000 AD.-Background:...
he can get Dredd's sentence commuted from death to life imprisonment, and this will prevent the truth from coming out. Fargo does so, and Griffin becomes Chief Judge, and it soon becomes clear that Griffin plotted the removal of Dredd and Fargo, to become Chief Judge and to push through his new, stricter laws, and restart the cloning program on a larger scale. Unfortunately he had arranged for Rico to escape from jail to help in these schemes, and Rico kills Griffin in an attempt to seize power for himself.
This version of Griffin effectively fills the role of Judge Cal in the comic.