Judge Shenker
Encyclopedia
Judge Shenker is a fictional supporting character in the Judge Dredd
and Anderson, Psi Division
comic strips in British comics 2000 AD
and Judge Dredd Megazine
. He is the head of Psi Division
. He first appeared in 2000 AD prog 457 (1986).
He was appointed head of Psi-Division by Chief Judge McGruder
in 2108, following the death in action of his predecessor, Judge Omar. Shenker took Omar's seat on the Council of Five
, Mega-City One's
highest government body. His first council meeting was eventful: blaming herself for Omar's death
, McGruder decided to resign. Three other members of the Council urged her to stay, insisting that she was not at fault. Only Shenker spoke in favour of her decision to resign. His opinion was greeted with derision by his three colleagues, but McGruder dismissed them from office and from the Council. Her final act as chief judge was to appoint four new councillors, at a stroke promoting Shenker from the Council's most junior member to its most senior. In this exalted position Shenker was influential in deciding the outcome of the new Council's choice of Judge Silver
to succeed McGruder as chief judge
. This was to be the last occasion on which the Council of Five would choose a chief judge.
McGruder later returned to office for a second term, resigning again in 2116. Since she had previously suspended the Council of Five, and her successor had not yet been chosen, she appointed an Interim Council of three judges to run the city until a new chief judge could be sworn in. By now the city's most senior judge, Shenker was an obvious choice for this ruling body. When the new chief judge re-established the Council of Five, Shenker regained his old seat.
However Psi Division's performance was declining, and it was no longer getting the results it had once boasted of. In the past, psi judges with precognitive abilities had been able to predict future crimes and catastrophes, enabling Justice Department to take pre-emptive action to avoid disaster. But Shenker's people conspicuously failed to foresee the calamitous Second Robot War
which wreaked massive devastation across the city and almost resulted in the end of the Judges' rule. After fourteen years on the Council of Five, Chief Judge Hershey
asked Shenker to resign from his position on the Council to focus on improving his division's performance, a development that Shenker had not needed precognitive powers to expect.
Shenker continues to serve as head of Psi Division, but is under considerable pressure to turn the division around and achieve better results. The problem is that Psi Division has always relied on a few star operators, many of whom have died or been incapacitated over the past ten or so years. Without them and with the number of powerful psis apparently in decline (perhaps due to falling radiation levels), Psi Division will be hard pressed to regain its effectiveness, especially since their star operator Judge Anderson
is nearing fifty and probably on the verge of forced retirement.
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...
and Anderson, Psi Division
Judge Anderson
Judge Cassandra Anderson is a fictional character that started as a supporting player in the comic story Judge Dredd of 2000 AD and eventually rose in prominence and became the star of her own series, which is entitled Anderson: Psi-Division. It was created by writer John Wagner and artist Brian...
comic strips in British comics 2000 AD
2000 AD (comic)
2000 AD is a weekly British science fiction-oriented comic. As a comics anthology it serialises a number of separate stories each issue and was first published by IPC Magazines in 1977, the first issue dated 26 February. IPC then shifted the title to its Fleetway comics subsidiary which was sold...
and Judge Dredd Megazine
Judge Dredd Megazine
Judge Dredd: The Megazine is a monthly British comic magazine, launched in October 1990. It is a sister publication to 2000 AD. Its name is a play on words, formed from "magazine" and Dredd's locale Mega-City One.-Content:...
. He is the head of Psi Division
Psi Division
Psi-Division is a fictional organisation in the Judge Dredd and Anderson: Psi-Division comic strips in 2000 AD and Judge Dredd: The Megazine. It is the branch of Mega-City One's Justice Department that deals in supernatural phenomena, using Judges with psychic abilities. Psi-Judges are often...
. He first appeared in 2000 AD prog 457 (1986).
He was appointed head of Psi-Division by Chief 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...
in 2108, following the death in action of his predecessor, Judge Omar. Shenker took Omar's seat 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 ....
, Mega-City One's
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...
highest government body. His first council meeting was eventful: blaming herself for Omar's death
Shojun the Warlord
Shojun, Warlord of Ji was a fictional villain in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD in 1986. He had powerful psionic abilities and attempted to take over the world....
, McGruder decided to resign. Three other members of the Council urged her to stay, insisting that she was not at fault. Only Shenker spoke in favour of her decision to resign. His opinion was greeted with derision by his three colleagues, but McGruder dismissed them from office and from the Council. Her final act as chief judge was to appoint four new councillors, at a stroke promoting Shenker from the Council's most junior member to its most senior. In this exalted position Shenker was influential in deciding the outcome of the new Council's choice of Judge Silver
Judge Silver
Chief Judge Thomas Silver was chief judge of the fictional city of Mega-City One in the Judge Dredd comic strip.-Fictional character biography:...
to succeed McGruder as 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...
. This was to be the last occasion on which the Council of Five would choose a chief judge.
McGruder later returned to office for a second term, resigning again in 2116. Since she had previously suspended the Council of Five, and her successor had not yet been chosen, she appointed an Interim Council of three judges to run the city until a new chief judge could be sworn in. By now the city's most senior judge, Shenker was an obvious choice for this ruling body. When the new chief judge re-established the Council of Five, Shenker regained his old seat.
However Psi Division's performance was declining, and it was no longer getting the results it had once boasted of. In the past, psi judges with precognitive abilities had been able to predict future crimes and catastrophes, enabling Justice Department to take pre-emptive action to avoid disaster. But Shenker's people conspicuously failed to foresee the calamitous Second Robot War
The Doomsday Scenario
The Doomsday Scenario is the collective name of a series of Judge Dredd comic stories published in 2000 AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine in 1999...
which wreaked massive devastation across the city and almost resulted in the end of the Judges' rule. After fourteen years on the Council of Five, Chief Judge Hershey
Judge Hershey
Judge Barbara Hershey is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd series that appears in British comic 2000 AD. For nearly two decades she regularly appeared as Dredd's sidekick, before being promoted to become his superior: she was chief judge for nine years...
asked Shenker to resign from his position on the Council to focus on improving his division's performance, a development that Shenker had not needed precognitive powers to expect.
Shenker continues to serve as head of Psi Division, but is under considerable pressure to turn the division around and achieve better results. The problem is that Psi Division has always relied on a few star operators, many of whom have died or been incapacitated over the past ten or so years. Without them and with the number of powerful psis apparently in decline (perhaps due to falling radiation levels), Psi Division will be hard pressed to regain its effectiveness, especially since their star operator Judge Anderson
Judge Anderson
Judge Cassandra Anderson is a fictional character that started as a supporting player in the comic story Judge Dredd of 2000 AD and eventually rose in prominence and became the star of her own series, which is entitled Anderson: Psi-Division. It was created by writer John Wagner and artist Brian...
is nearing fifty and probably on the verge of forced retirement.