THARG’S NERVE CENTRE

IN THIS PROG // WAR BUDS Mega-City One, 2139 AD. Home to over 72 million citizens, this urban hell is situated along the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America. Unemployment is rife, poverty widespread, and crime is rampant. Tensions rest on a constant knife-edge, and only the zero-tolerance Judges — empowered to dispense instant justice — can stop total anarchy. Toughest of them all is JUDGE DREDD — he is the Law!

Judge Dredd created by John Wagner & Carlos Ezquerra THE ALIENIST // INHUMAN NATURES England, 1908. Madelyn Vespertine, an Edwardian woman of unknown age and origin, BORAG THUNGG, EARTHLETS! investigates strange events of an occult nature, accompanied by Professor Sebastian Call me Tharg The Mighty, all-powerful alien Wetherall. Little do those that meet the pair know that the Professor is actually an actor editor of this explosive SF anthology! called Reginald Briggs, a stooge covering for the fact that Madelyn is not human. Now, Two new Thrills this prog, Terrans: , she has teamed up with the sinister Professor Praetorius to look into a time-breach...

Lawrence Rennie and Karl Richardson team up for an The Alienist created by Gordon Rennie, Emma Beeby & Eoin Coveney infernal 3riller in the shape of Mechastopheles, while John Wagner and Dan Cornwell collaborate on the GREYSUIT // FOUL PLAY Judge Dredd story War Buds, which deals with the London, 2014. John Blake is a GREYSUIT, a Delta-Class assassin working for a branch fallout — emotional or otherwise — from the nuking of of British Intelligence. Given superhuman powers through extreme mental conditioning, East-Meg One at the end of the Apocalypse War. You Greysuits are feared for their ruthlessness. But Blake’s programming has broken down, may recognise the Cornwell droid as the pencil-bot on and his memories have returned. Now, he’s getting payback on his handlers, and the Rok of the Reds, the football/sci-fi mini-series that next one on his list is Doctor Green, responsible for his terrifying ‘primals’... was scripted by Wagner and , and published Greysuit created by & John Higgins by BHP Comics, and here he makes his debut for the Galaxy’s Greatest under my emerald eye! HOPE // ...FOR THE FUTURE Don’t forget, my Squaxx, that the first volume in An alternate 1940s Hollywood. WWII is over, victory having been secured by occult the utterly scrotnig Hachette Partworks 2000 AD means. Now, magic is a part of everyday life, its practitioners commonplace. Mallory Ultimate Collection is out 23 August, for a mere £1.99 HOPE is one such skilled operative, though calling on the dark arts takes its toll on the — yes, I know! You can own The Horned God for just a user. He’s also a private investigator, hired for all manner of down n’ dirty jobs, and now couple of groats! — and if you catch this in time pop his services are required to find a missing boy, the child star Buster Ritz!... along to London’s Forbidden Planet on the 23rd where Hope created by Guy Adams & Jimmy Broxton spine artist Boo Cook will be signing copies between 6 and 7pm, and the first lucky hundred purchasers of THARG’S 3RILLERS // MECHASTOPHELES issue one will be able to pick up a print of the zarjaz Three episodes, one complete, self-contained story — a condensed hit of super-charged spine art. In the meantime, humes, head over to Thrill-power beamed to you directly from the Nerve Centre! It is a year after the Fall, 2000ADcollection.com for all the subs details! when the demons rose and society collapsed. Now, the human survivors that are SPLUNDIG scratching out an existence amongst the ruins struggle to avoid the creatures that VUR THRIGG! roam this blighted world as they search for a safe haven that they can call home... Mechastopheles created by Gordon Rennie, Lawrence Rennie & Karl Richardson THRILLS OF THE FUTURE

COVER ART Cliff Robinson COVER COLOURS Dylan Teague

Advertising, Marketing and PR Enquiries: 01865-792201 ([email protected]). 2000 AD is published every Wednesday by Rebellion, Riverside House, Osney Mead, Oxford OX2 0ES, Earth. All contents © 2017 Rebellion A/S, unless specifically stated otherwise. 2000 AD® is a registered trademark. Reproduction, storage in a retrieval system or transmission in any form or by any means without prior permission of Rebellion is strictly forbidden. 2000 AD must not be sold for more than the selling price shown on the cover. Any resemblance to people living or dead, or to any companies or institutions (except for satirical purposes) is unintended and purely coincidental. Printed in Great Britain by PCP. SampleDistribution/Trade file Enquiries: Seymour, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London EC1A 9PT. Tel: 020-7429-4000. ISSN 0262 284X. TMO assisted by Cyber-Matt. Design by SAM 2.0, OZ-BRN-1 and MA2. Damage Report: Mega Collection, Ultimate Collection, Mega Collection, Ultimate Collection — Cyber-Matt rattles between both, delivery schedules coming out of his ears. Wait, what’s that? Diamond wants their OCT17 PREVIEWS solicitation copy tomorrow? OK, that can be factored in. Who needs holidays anyway? Oh, hang on — I’m going on holiday next week. Aaargggh! WWW.2000AD.COM FOR SUBS ENQUIRIES, BACK ISSUES AND MERCHANDISE By Ian Edginton & INJ Culbard CALL 01865 797022 OR VISIT SHOP.2000AD.COM WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BEST IF YOU SIGNED HIM OFF, CONSIDERING YOUR LONG ASSOCIATION. \ KNEW THE MAN FOR A FEW DAYS AT MOST. WE WERE HARDLY PART CLOSE. WAR BUDS ONE

THE RESTRAINT SUIT PREVENTS HIM HARMING HIMSELF _ OR OTHERS. HE’S CAPABLE SampleOF BOTH. file SCRIPT JOHN WAGNER ART DAN CORNWELL COLOURS ABIGAIL BULMER LETTERS ANNIE PARKHOUSE DO YOU \’M THINK \ DON’T SORRY! \’VE REGRET IT? EVERY TOLD YOU A MOMENT OF MY THOUSAND DAMN LIFE! TIMES _ OH GRUD, IF ONLY \ COULD! IF ONLY \ COULD!

HE WANTS TO DIE _ TO ATONE FOR WHAT HE’S DONE, OR IMAGINES HE HAS.

THIS IS A SAD CONDITION TO FIND YOU IN, D-DREDD...? COSTA.

HELLO, COSTA. UHHHH...?

WE... WE DID WE DID IT’S THE A TERRIBLE THING, WHAT WE BABIES, DREDD. DREDD. HAD TO. THEY’RE THE WORST. MILLIONS AND \ WAS MILLIONS OF A DOCTOR! A BABIES. DOCTOR! DO NO HARM! THAT’S WHAT \’VE WE LIVE BY! DO _ COUNTED NO _ HARM! OH, THEM. \ COUNT \ DID HARM ALL THEM EVERY RIGHT! DAY, EVERY NIGHT.

CAN YOU HEAR THEM? Sample fileSCREAMING? CRYING? BECAUSE OF WHAT WE DID. YOU AND ME. \ TELL THEM \’M SORRY! \ TELL THEM ALL THE TIME! THEY WON’T LEAVE ME ALONE! THEY WON’T LEAVE ME ALONNNNNE!

Sample file TWO. JORDAN WE’VE BEEN YOU’VE LENO HERE AT TREATING HIM TAKEN A SECOND THIS INSTITUTION AND FOR MANY YEARS. OPINION? PROFESSOR WYATT AT HIS CONDITION M.U. BOTH AGREE WITH HAS GROWN MY RECOMMENDATION. PROGRESSIVELY YOU’LL SEE THEY’VE WORSE. SIGNED THE CONSENT FORM. QUITE CLEARLY HE’S NEVER GOING TO IMPROVE. THE MAN IS LIVING A NIGHTMARE.

WHAT’S UP, MAC WENT MAC? YOU TO SEE CHARLIE SOUNDED REAL TODAY. BUGGED.

IT’S NOT HEY, YOU RIGHT! IT’S NOT EASY, SHOULDA SEEN GRUDDAMN MAC. HIM EARLIER. HE RIGHT! WAS SPITTIN’ Sample file BLOOD! MR MACDONALD, MAY \ HAVE A WORD WITH YOU?

YOU’RE CHARLES WAR BUDS. HE’S IN A WAY COSTA’S DESIGNATED VISITOR, GOT NO FAMILY, AND THAT’S WHY \ WANT \ UNDERSTAND. HIS ONLY ONE. THE OTHER GUYS KINDA TO TALK TO YOU. AFTER YOU WERE FRIENDS? GAVE UP. FOUND IT TOO CAREFUL CONSIDERATION DEPRESSING. WE’VE DECIDED TO CARRY OUT EUTHANASIA ON MR COSTA.

YOU MUST REALISE, HIS CONDITION IS IRRETRIEVABLE. EUTHANASIA? IT IS RIGHT, JEEZ, MAN... THERE IS NO HOPE OF A CURE. HIS EXISTENCE IS MR MACDONALD. NOTHING SHORT OF TWO OTHER VERY MISERABLE. EMINENT DOCTORS AGREE THAT IT’S THE BEST COURSE.

AND JUDGE YEAH, BUT, DREDD. \ HAVE YOU CAN’T JUST... HIS SIGNATURE \ MEAN... IT’S NOT ON THE CONSENT RIGHT, MAN. FORM HERE.

DREDD... GRUD, \ NEVER EXPECTED HIM TO... \ DUNNO, MAN. BELIEVE ME, IT’S THE BEST THING FOR HIM. AS IT IS HE’S JUST A BURDEN ON HIMSELF... AND ON THE PUBLIC PURSE.

STICK YOUR ANYTHING HE NEEDS, PUBLIC PURSE! ANYTHING, HE OUGHTA GET! HE’S CHARLIE COSTA GAVE TWICE THE MAN YOU ARE! THE GOOD SERVICE! HE LEAST HE DESERVES IS GAVE HIS LIFE FOR YOUR RESPECT! THIS CITY, THOUGH NOBODY FREAKIN’ APPRECIATES IT!

JUVES TODAY HE’S BLEW THEM NEVER EVEN HEARD OF SCHEDULED SOVS TO HELL, MAN. US, HAM _ DON’T KNOW FOR THE NEEDLE THE APOCALYPSE WHAT WE DID. DON’T MONDAY _ SQUAD _ YO! KNOW HOW WE SAVED SampleTHEIR BUTTS.file IT’S DREDD THAT GETS ME... SIGNING CHARLIE OFF LIKE THAT, LIKE SO MUCH GARB. AFTER EVERYTHING WE WENT THROUGH TOGETHER. AN’ FRIED A FEW MILLION SOV ONES. WELL, \ AIN’T GONNA LET IT HAPPEN! WE AIN’T GONNA LET IT HAPPEN! WE’RE GONNA MORANT _ GET HIM OUTTA THERE!

IF IT AIN’T MACDONALD, HAMBLE AND KWAN, THE OLD GANG TOGETHER.

THOUGHT \ DID MY TIME YEAH? AND WHAT \’M _ \’VE GOT TO GET THE DO YOU DO WITH HIM WE... WE TAKE NOT PART OF SHOULDER TOO? THEN, MAC? THESE MEETS HIM TO TEXAS CITY. NOW? YEAH. THEY GOT BETTER WE’RE NOT DOCS THERE. THEY’LL HOLDING ANYTHING FIX HIM UP. AGAINST YOU, MORANT. IT’S JUST _ YOU’VE GOT TO ADMIT, YOU HAVEN’T BEEN THE BEST WE’D BE OF COMPANY SINCE YOU BREAKING THE GOT OUT. LAW. WE COULD ALL GO TO THE CUBES.

THEY GOT A EUTHANASIA ORDER OUT ON COSTA. WE’RE GONNA BUST HIM OUT!

WE COULD ALL HAVE COSTA’S NOT BEEN VAPED, TAKIN’ THAT THE ONLY CRAZY SOV SILO. THAT DIDN’T STOP ONE. CUBE TIME’S US. WE’RE HIS BUDS! YOU NO CAKEWALK, DON’T LET A BUDDY YOU BETTER DOWN. BELIEVE IT.

WHAT DO STILL, YOU SAY, ARE YOU WHAT THE HELL. WITH ME? \ NEVER LET A BUD DOWN, AND \’M NOT STARTING NOW. SURE, \’M IN. MAC, WE WON’T LETCHA DOWN, BUD. YO! THE APOCALYPSE YOU, SQUAD LIVES MORANT? AGAIN! Sample file

NEXT PROG LIVING DEATH! THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION THE ESSENTIAL 2000 AD® GRAPHIC NOVEL COLLECTION WITH DEFINITIVE STORIES AND EXCLUSIVE BONUS CONTENT

SampleON SALE file NOW! WWW.2000ADCOLLECTION.COM

2000 AD® is a registered trademark © 2017 Rebellion A/S. All rights reserved. HERE!

HMM. NOT GOOD ENOUGH, AT ALL.

H U M A N N I N AT U R E S : : PA R T 4

VERY WELL. STOP.

DO YOU HEAR ME? \ SAID STOP. S K E E E E C H

SCRIPT GORDON RENNIE & EMMA BEEBY ART EOIN COVENEY LETTERS ELLIE DE VILLE

SEE? IT’S STARTING TO TURN. DISGUSTING. IT’LL HAVE TO BE REPLACED.

\ MISS REGGIE. AFTER WE FIND HIM. PUTTING THESE TWO REDUNDANT OBJECTS OUT TO PASTURE. HMM. IF THIS IS INDEED WHAT YOU SUSPECT, IT WILL NO LONGER BE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.

THE SOCIETY ISN’T ALONE IN ITS INTERESTS HERE, AND THEIR WAY OF DEALING WITH THESE THINGS SampleIS - file

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?