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The '''Lawgiver''' is a fictional weapon used by the ] in '']'' and related series that appear in the ] ]s '']'' and the '']'', as well as the 1995 movie '']'' and the 2012 film '']''. |
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The Lawgiver is a handgun featuring semi- and fully automatic fire, manual and automatic focusing and targeting, plus a built in computer capable of controlling its operation. It fires a range of speciality ammunition. An in-line gunsight shows the view directly down the barrel. A Lawgiver can only be operated by its designated Judge owner, whose palm print is programmed into the gun's memory. |
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An earlier weapon appeared in the ''Origins'' storyline. Though little was known about the gun itself, it was capable of firing standard and armour-piercing rounds. |
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==Security== |
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Should an attempt be made by an unauthorised person to use the Lawgiver, it will explode in that person's hand. Recognising that this generally practical safeguard can sometimes impede Judges in the execution of their duties, the Justice Department computers contain instructions on bypassing Lawgiver palm-recognition systems. These instructions can be accessed by senior Judges, but are generally employed only in severe emergencies. Judge Dredd demonstrates this process in the story "Goodnight Kiss" after his partner is killed by ]. |
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In the story "The Narcos Connection", criminal ] sabotaged a new batch of upgraded lawgivers by programming them to self-destruct when used by their authorised users (once they received a radio signal, so the rogue command took effect in all weapons simultaneously). This resulted in large numbers of judges being crippled or killed at the precise moment they were attacked by Narcos's "Assassinator" robots at the beginning of the ] in 2121. |
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In the story "Dark Justice", Dredd is given a prototype of the Mark III, but it is proven to malfunction when battling against the Dark Judges. |
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Whether a Lawgiver can be fired by ''any'' Judge, or only a nominated user is inconsistently shown throughout the series. During ] Judge Dredd uses a borrowed Lawgiver without repercussions, whereas Kraken loses his hand after his borrowed gun explodes. East Meg Judge ] uses a stolen Lawgiver to kill a weather satellite technician without difficulty,<ref>Prog 243</ref> and assassin ] is able to use his psionic abilities to fire a Lawgiver, although admits that had he not known about the failsafe he ''"...mighta fell right into that one!"''<ref>Prog 958</ref> In "Dead Reckoning", Dredd is shown disconnecting the grip sensors on another judge's lawgiver to allow him to use it.<ref>Prog 1006</ref> |
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==Ammunition== |
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The gun has a maximum range of up to three miles and has six distinct settings:<ref name ="SF:UK">O'Brien, Daniel. "SF:UK: how British science fiction changed the world," Reynolds & Hearn, 2000</ref> |
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*'''Standard execution''' - A standard bullet, with identical effects to normal kinetic energy projectile weapons. |
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*'''Heat Seeker''' or '''Hot Shot''' - A standard bullet propelled by the unstable element, 'Argon 88 b'. Heatseeker rounds lock onto the target's heat source, enabling the Judge to target fleeing ]s, accurately fire in low-light situations and so forth. |
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*'''Ricochet''' - A metal bullet coated with rubber. Ricochet rounds can bounce off solid surfaces while retaining enough kinetic energy to penetrate flesh. This enables the Judge to, for example, kill a perp that is using a human shield, bouncing their shot off a back wall and hitting the target from behind. |
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*'''Incendiary''' - Capable of setting its target on fire. Less widely used due to practicalities of incinerating targets in built-up city areas, although useful against unconventional adversaries such as ]. |
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*'''Armour Piercing''' - Armour-piercing rounds are extremely dense and contain a more powerful charge for higher muzzle velocity. Useful against ]s and armoured opponents. When used against humans, it can travel through multiple targets. |
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*'''High-Explosive''' (HI-EX) - A round containing an amount of extremely concentrated high explosive. Judges must employ caution when using this extremely dangerous round; the blast caused by the exploding bullets can just as easily harm those firing as well as the target. Generally used rarely; against crowding attackers or large/dangerous foes. |
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Some stories by ''Judge Dredd'' creator ] have added a stun bullet, while stories by ] have included a stunner beam (which doesn't always work) and an "exorcist" bullet for use against supernatural enemies. These and the six modes of fire listed above are ]. The Judge Dredd audio drama ''Wanted: Dredd Or Alive'' has a Tracer bullet, which allows Judges to electronically track what they've shot. One story had a judge fire a marker shell, a round which tags its target with green paint. |
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In early issues, the Heatseeker is clipped over the muzzle and propelled by the standard round (GP - General Purpose). Both Grenade and HE are rounds fired. |
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Some publications replace the Hi-Ex with the ] setting. In addition, the novelisations of ] replaced the Incendiary round with a Gas round, which released a cloud of Stumm gas, the Mega City equivalent of ] or ]. Other issues have shown the new Lawgiver to have a limited number of close-range electrical stun attacks capable of incapacitating large numbers of opponents at close range. |
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==Other versions== |
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In the film ] the "Lawgiver Mark II" handgun is a voice-activated handgun with seven different kinds of ammunition.<ref name ="The Toronto Star">MacInnis, Craig. "'Sly takes no prisoners: Judge Dredd's rough justice not much of a stretch for old Rambo Sylvester Stallone," June 23, 1995, ], Pg. D1</ref><ref name ="The Washington Times">Arnold, Gary. "'Dreadful 'Dredd',"June 30, 1995, ], Pg. C17</ref><ref name ="USA TODAY">Green, Tom. "'Movie stars run hot, cold this summer',"September 1, 1995, ], Pg. 4D</ref> Its ammunition includes standard bullets, rapid fire (all types of ammo), explosive grenade rounds, the "double-whammy" (twin rounds fired simultaneously in different directions), armour-piercing rounds and signal flares. It is somewhat visually different from the way it had been depicted in books. |
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Each individual round fired is tagged with the DNA code of the Judge to whom the weapon belongs, thus making identification of the shooter possible with the recovery of the slugs from a victim.<ref name ="Baltimore Afro-America">Chikwendu, Talibah L. "When lawgivers hit the market, I'll bite," April 7, 2000, ], Vol. 108; No. 33; Pg. 4</ref> |
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Selection Options: |
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*Full-Rapid Fire - automatic firing |
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*Armor Piercing - penetrating armor, doors, destroying enemy weapons |
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*Signal Flare - Fires miniature flare for external illumination |
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*Grenade - Demolition of soft targets (doors, vehicles, etc.) |
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*Double Whammy - Additional barrel; fires two round simultaneously at two separate targets. |
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Instead of exploding when an individual other than a judge picks up the weapon, this version emits a very powerful, incapacitating (and often deadly) shock until the weapon is dropped. |
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In their movie review, '']'' described the Lawgiver as "the only interesting touch" in a movie that was otherwise "the worst kind of science fiction."<ref name ="Santa Fe New Mexican">Bowman, Jon. "'JUDGE DREDD': MIND-NUMBING JUVENILIA," July 07, 1995, ], Pg. 53</ref> |
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In the 2012 movie '']'', a revised version of the Lawgiver II takes on the appearance more akin with its comic book counterpart. A small LED display screen on the side of the gun gives the user information as to the amount and type of ammunition available as well as determine distance to target. It is equipped with a "silencer mode", in which a silencer extends from the barrel for stealth operations. The gun carries a variety of ammunition which are voice activated. |
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*RAPID (Rapid fire)-Automatic firing mode. Not an actual ammo type but the mode in which the gun fires. |
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*FMJ (Full Metal Jacket)-Standard round |
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*AP (Armour Piercing)-Depicted in the film as powerful enough to penetrate concrete. |
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*INC (Incendiary)-Operating like a flare, bursting in mid-air and igniting flammable targets within a large splash zone. |
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*HOTSHOT-A superheated round, retaining high temperatures for a short time after impact. |
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*STUN-Incapacitates the target but does not kill. |
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*HI-EX (High Explosive)-A grenade or demolition round capable of blowing a hole through the wall of a building large enough for people to run through. |
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As in the comic, the gun is tagged to the DNA of its owner. If an individual other than a judge attempts to fire the gun, it self-destructs. In the film, Judge Anderson tricks a suspect into attempting to shoot her with her own Lawgiver; the failsafe detonates the gun and takes his hand off at the wrist, leading to his death from shock. |
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Although the gun is tagged to the DNA of its owner, magazines are not, as Dredd demonstrates when he removes spare magazines from the body of a dead Judge to replenish his depleted supply. |
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Unlike some publications of the comic, the gun is not shown dispensing gas grenades; Dredd and Anderson are instead depicted tossing hand-held gas grenades and stun grenades to assist in taking out large numbers of perpetrators. |
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In a special feature of the ''Dredd'' DVD, it is revealed that the Lawgiver used in the film uses three separate magazines housing separate kinds of ammunition simultaneously, as opposed to the comics where all kinds of ammunition are fired from one universal magazine {{clarify|date=September 2016|reason=rewording required? the original 2000AD Lawgiver has top and bottom magazines so up to four types can be fired without changing magazines }}. This culminates to a moment in the film where Dredd's Lawgiver runs out of all forms of ammunition except for High Explosive rounds. |
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In the video game '']'', the name is changed to Lawgiver MK III. |
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==Inspiration for real-world weaponry== |
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The Lawgiver, because of its security features, has been used as an example of the ultimate ] that could prevent accidental shootings and guns ending up in the wrong hands.<ref name="Baltimore Afro-America"/> |
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In 2000, the now defunct Australian firearms manufacturer ] was inspired by Judge Dredd's Lawgiver to create the Variable Lethality Law Enforcement electronic pistol.<ref name ="21st century soldier">Vizard, Frank and Phil Scott. "21st century soldier: the weaponry, gear, and technology of the military in the new century," Oct 9, 2002, ], Page 107</ref> Like the Lawgiver, the gun is designed to be used only by its designated owner, ensuring that it cannot be fired if lost or stolen.<ref name ="Australian">Baynes, Jim and Rebecca Thurlow. "Smart gun runs rings around the bad guys," April 11, 2000, ], Pg. C3</ref> The designated shooter can be identified by palm or fingerprint, numerical code, swipe card or voice recognition.<ref name ="Sydney Morning Herald">Huxley, John. "War on Terrorism: Weapon system with a difference," September 26, 2001, ], Pg. 3</ref> The gun is capable of firing multiple projectiles which can include traditional bullets as well as pesticides, fertilisers, fireworks, fire-retardants and other rapid-delivery packages.<ref name="Sydney Morning Herald"/> The gun also features an electronic voice that tells the shooter which firing mode the gun is in.<ref name="Australian"/> |
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==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
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==External links== |
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* Licensed replica |
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{{Judge Dredd}} |
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Lawgiver (''Judge Dredd'')}} |
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