Judge Hershey: the top ten best moments
13th September 2023
The end has come for one of the most iconic characters – Judge Barbara Hershey has been bringing justice to the streets as Mega-City One for over 40 years but now in the pages of 2000 AD Prog 2349, she hangs her Lawgiver up for good.
The youngest and one of the longest-running Chief Judges in the city’s history, she’s been a near-constant presence in Judge Dredd’s world. While there’s never been a dull moment – from dealing with interdimensional crises in Helter Skelter, to tackling Xenomorphs and terrorist bombing campaigns – she became a shrewd and pragmatic leader, but succumbing to realpolitik saw her come to rely on black ops and clandestine networks, with calamatous results.
So now, as she completes her mission of revenge and heads off on the ultimate Long Walk, we look back at the top ten greatest moments in the life of Judge Barbara Hershey (and one not-so-great one)…
1. Dangerous debut (1980)
Shortly after graduating from the Academy of Law at the age eighteen, Hershey joined Judge Dredd on a deep-space mission to retrieve the Judge Child, Owen Krysler, from the clutches of the Angel Gang. Showing her skill and coolness under pressure, even after the death of her comrade Judge Lopez, she was highly commended in Dredd’s personal log although she was shocked by his decision not to kill Krysler at the end of the mission.
Where to read it: the Judge Child storyline is contained in Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files Vol.4
2. Battling The Fink (1981)
Although hardened by her experiences in space, even Hershey struggled to take down The Fink, the murderous mutant brother of the Angel Gang who sought revenge on the Judges responsible for the death of his family. She may have been taken hostage and was destined to be buried her alive before Dredd rescued her, but Hershey still gave as good as she got – and she soon joined Dredd’s “Apocalypse Squad” for a commando raid which ended The Apocalypse War by wiping out East Meg One.
Where to read it: The Fink story is contained in Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files Vol.4
3. Hershey the Vampire (1984)
Vampire Hershey? It happened! Four years after Dredd spared Krysler’s life, Dredd and Psi Judge Anderson travelled to the future to investigate a prediction of a calamity that would destroy the city. In City of the Damned, they find a nightmarish Mega-City One where Owen Krysler – spared by Dredd years before – has taken as The Mutant. Hershey is one of thousands of Judges transformed into vampires who, as the “Hell Street Blues”, prey on the city’s surviving citizens. She tries to use her and Dredd’s history to get him to drop his guard, but he quickly sees through her ruse and executes her.
Where to read it: the City of the Damned storyline is contained in Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files Vol.8
4. Appointed to the Council of Five (1986)
After the attack of The Warlord (2000 AD Progs 451-455), Chief Judge McGruder resigned her position, creating a power vacuum that was filled by Chief Judge Thomas Silver. But at only the age of 24, Hershey became the youngest ever member of the Council of Five, the advisory panel that represents the different arms of Justice Department. She and the council appointed Silver to his role, inadvertantly beginning the series of events that would lead to Necropolis.
Where to read it: The Warlord and A Chief Judge Resigns stories is contained in Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files Vol.9
5. Necropolis (1990)
When the Dark Judges overrun Mega-City One, Hershey is just one of the Judges who they bend to their will, forcing them to execute millions of their citizens before Dredd and Anderson can stop them. It was a process that had begun years before as Chief Judge Silver took over and it was his fateful decision to replace Dredd with the unstable Judge Kraken that led to the crisis. In Return of the King, we not only found out what happened to Hershey during Necropolis but she got to see the kind of fate that seems to await Chief Judges of Mega-City One…
Where to read it: the Necropolis saga is contained in Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files Vol.14, and Return of the King is in the following volumes, Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files Vol.15.
6. Judgement Day (1992)
During the zombie apocalypse of Judgement Day, Hershey was made acting-Chief Judge in the absence of Chief Judge McGruder and led the forces attempting to keep the zombie hordes out of the city with her usual aplomb. This was a taste of the future, as Hershey increasing came to be trusted and relied upon to step up and fulfil the duties of Chief Judge in all but name.
Where to read it: the Judgement Day storyline is contained in Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files Vol.17
Art by Colin Wilson
7. Chief Judge for the first time (2000)
After a series of solo stories and supporting roles in the 1990s, Hershey sought to replace the outgoing Chief Judge McGruder, only to came last in the election behind Hadrian Volt. She remained on the Council of Five and, following the murder of Deputy Chief Judge Herriman, became Deputy Chief Judge. Volt died during the failed coup by billionaire criminal businessman Nero Narcos and Hershey stepped into his place – the city’s youngest ever Chief Judge. Faking a heroic death for her predecessor, Hershey then ousts Judge Edgar, the infamous and powerful head of the Public Surveillance Unit.
Where to read it: the Doomsday Scenario storyline spans Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files volume 23, volume 29 and volume 30, with the aftermath and Hershey’s election in volume 31.
8. Chief Judge for the second time (2012)
Following her support of Dredd’s reforms of the anti-mutant laws, Hershey was ousted from power and replaced by Dan Francisco. Exiled off-world and disappointed that Dredd did not resign over Francisco’s more hardline policies, she returned to the city to once again assume the highest office after the brutal Chaos Day, when tens of millions lost their lives. Over the years her close relationship with Dredd cooled and in an incredibly tense exchange before another coup attempt – this time by the corrupt head of Justice Department’s Black Ops, Judge Maitland – Hershey calls Dredd out over how he wishes to control events without taking responsibility for them.
Where to read it: you can read Bachmann’s attempted coup in the Judge Dredd: Trifecta collection
9. “I no longer recognise your authority” (2018)
During the Trifecta crisis, it was revealed that Judge Smiley had been coverting manipulating the city and a team led by Dredd engaged in a secret war against him without informing Hershey. After becoming aware that he has been carrying out secret missions she confronts him but, in a counter to the stand-off in Trifecta, he boldly tells her “I no longer recognise your authority”. While they worked together to bring down Smiley, the damage was done and they never regained their previous level of trust, with Hershey resigning soon after.
Where to read it: get the whole storyline in Judge Dredd: Small House
Art by Colin MacNeil
10. Her ‘death’ and ‘resurrection’
Unbeknowst to everyone, while offworld Hershey had contracted an incurable virus that was slowly killing her. To the outside world, she was euthanized and her funeral shuttle fired into the sun. However, aware that Judge Smiley had left deep-cover agents across the planet, Hershey had arranged for her death to be faked so she could spend her last days hunting them down.
Meanwhile, it was revealed that years before Hershey had donated her eggs to her sister, who moved to Guatemala and had a daughter, Elinora, who was genetically Hershey’s – Dredd was charged with rescuing Elinora and her children from Guatemala’s robot dictatorship.
Hershey then embarked on her mission haunted by guilt, regret, and unbearable pain. Her brutal quest would uncover uncomfortable truths and long buried secrets, but her uncompromising dedication to her duty would see a fighting send-off for one of the strip’s most iconic characters…
Where to read it: you can follow Dredd’s mission to rescue Hershey’s children and grandchildren in Judge Dredd: Guatemala, and the first book of Rob Williams and Simon Fraser’s stunning Hershey: Disease is available as a collection now.
Although it definitely doesn’t belong in a list of the ‘best’ Hershey moments, we can’t mark her passing without remembering that she featured in the 1995 movie Judge Dredd. Portrayed by actor Diane Lane alongside Sylvestor Stallone’s Judge Dredd, Hershey seems a very different character to how she has been portrayed in 2000 AD – not least because of the infamous ‘kiss scene’ at the movie’s end, for which she should had at least received a demotion…
