Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Dredd does not say it to claim power, he says it because for him it is simply true, and that is the satire: an authority with no checks that thinks it is the rule book. Fans repeat it as a joke about bureaucracy and as a threat. Anthrax's 1987 song took it as a title, which carried the phrase far beyond British comic readers.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Judge DreddShow the scene
'I am the law!' is Judge Dredd's catchphrase rather than a line from one scene, so there is no single moment to point to. Dredd first appeared in 2000 AD issue 2 (cover date 5 March 1977), a Street Judge in the dystopian Mega-City One, where the Judges act as police, jury, judge and executioner. He says it as both a warning and a statement of fact, and it recurs through the strip. The first use of the exact words was not confirmed.
Sources (2)
- Wikipedia: Judge DreddInfobox and The Judge system sectionReference checked
- Wikipedia: Among the LivingTrack listing notesReference checked
Context reviewed