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. He is not to be confused with the character Judge Rico (described below).
Character biography
Rico Dredd (2066–2099) was the "clone brother" of Joseph Dredd, which is to say that they were both cloned from the same genetic source, in their case Chief Judge Fargo. Their growth in the cloning tanks was artificially accelerated, so that in a matter of months they emerged with the physical development of children aged five years. They also had their brains electronically induced with knowledge and training which greatly surpassed their apparent physical age, so that they could immediately begin training in law enforcement. Rico was removed from the cloning tanks twelve minutes before Joe, and so he habitually referred to Joe as his little brother (or "Little Joe").
At the Academy of Law Rico consistently demonstrated higher levels of skill than Joe, and he graduated at the top of their class in 2079. During his time as a cadet, he requested to join the older cadets in restoring order to the streets of Mega-City One in the immediate aftermath of the Atomic Wars of 2070. Rico and Joe served with distinction, and were personally chosen to take part in the raid on the White House to depose President Booth (who had usurped his office and had started the War).
However, after graduation Rico began engaging in criminal activities, including extortion, assault and racketeering. Joe felt that this was the result of exposure to radiation when Rico was injured on a training mission in the Cursed Earth. When Judge Kenner, Rico's former Assessing Judge, became suspicious, Rico secretly murdered him and hid the body. His activities were soon discovered by Joe, and after a possible attempt at suicide by cop he was arrested by his own brother. He received the standard sentence for corrupt judges – twenty years hard labour on the prison colony of Titan. While he was there he illicitly fathered a daughter, Vienna Dredd, with a reporter who was interviewing him.
After serving his time on Titan, Rico returned to Mega-City One seeking revenge on Joe. Confronting him at his home, Rico challenged him to a shoot-out to settle their differences, knowing that with his superior skills he could always outdraw his brother. However he had grown used to the weaker gravity of Titan after his twenty years there. This slowed him down by a split second and allowed Joe to shoot him dead. Carrying his brother's lifeless body out into the street, Joe declined a paramedic's offer of assistance, allowing the writer, Pat Mills to conclude the story with a line from the Hollies song, "He ain't heavy - he's my brother!"
Appearances
Rico first appeared in "The Return of Rico" in 2000 AD prog 30 (1977), written by Pat Mills (art by Mike McMahon). The character of Rico was used in 1994 in the novel "Dread Dominion" by Stephen Marley. A year later, original author Pat Mills revisited the Rico story in progs 950 to 952. The character also occasionally recurs in flashbacks, most extensively in "Origins" (2006–2007).
- In the story "Helter Skelter" (progs 1250-1261), an alternative version of Rico from a parallel universe appears, this time the henchman of an alternative Judge Cal.
Badge
Although in the original story Rico was depicted wearing a judge's badge with the name "Dredd," some artists in later stories have erroneously drawn him with a badge labelled "Rico" as though it were his surname. This error was also included in the script to a story by writer Gordon Rennie. This is possibly based on confusion with the character Judge Rico, whose surname is Rico and whose badge therefore bears that name.
Film version
Rico was used as a villain in the 1995 Judge Dredd movie, in which Joe was played by Sylvester Stallone and Rico by Armand Assante. In this version Rico and Joe were non-identical.
Judge Rico
At least eight further clones of the Fargo bloodline (the judge from whom the Dredds were cloned) have been produced by the Mega City One Justice Department. The first of these to graduate was given his final street assessment by Judge Joe Dredd in 2122. His original name was Dredd, so to avoid complication at dispatch, on receiving his full eagle the clone took the surname Rico. He has no first name.
After a short period with the traffic division in Sector 102, Rico was assigned to Sector 108, where he overcame his colleagues' resentment of his ancestry and hardline attitude, and proved himself to be a brave and resourceful judge. He has a strong bond with his clone brother Joe Dredd (although Dredd is old enough to be his father), and when the older man's living quarters were moved to the Grand Hall of Justice, Rico took over his apartment in Rowdy Yates Block.
While serving in Sector 102 Rico had to have his lungs replaced with artificial ones following an injury in the line of duty. Later, in the story "Blood Trails," he suffered a gunshot wound to the jaw, but has since had this replaced with a Titanium copy.
- Judge Rico first appeared in 2000 AD prog 1186.