The future United States is a dystopic irradiated wasteland known as the Cursed Earth. On the east coast lies Mega-City One, a violent metropolis with 800 million residents and 17,000 serious crimes reported daily. The only force for order are the Judge (2000 AD), who act as judge, jury and executioner. Judge Dredd is tasked by the Chief Judge with evaluating new recruit Judge Anderson, a powerful psychic who marginally failed the aptitude tests to become a Judge.