"Necropolis" is a 26-part story featuring British comics science fiction character Judge Dredd. Written by John Wagner and painted by Carlos Ezquerra, it was published in 1990 in 2000 AD progs 674–699. The story was the subject of extensive foreshadowing in the comic, beginning with The Dead Man (progs 650–662), followed by "Tale of the Dead Man" (progs 662–668), and finally three stories collectively known as "Countdown to Necropolis" (progs 669–673). It pulled together various story threads going back four years (see also Democracy (Judge Dredd storyline)). "Necropolis" was also followed by a number of epilogues and other follow-up stories, and had repercussions within the Judge Dredd strip which lasted for years. Unusually, Judge Dredd himself does not appear in 13 of the 26 episodes of "Necropolis", or in any of the 5 episodes of "Countdown to Necropolis". Plot Set in the year 2112, the story concerns the tragedy that befalls Mega-City One following the resignation of Judge Dredd in "Tale of the Dead Man". The Justice Department considered Dredd a symbol of justice, and that knowledge of his resignation could adversely affect public order. To that end, Kraken, a clone-brother of Judge Dredd rescued from the fanatical Judda sect, was ordered to assume Judge Dredd's identity. He soon fell under the psychic influence of the Sisters of Death, and kidnapped Psi-Judge Kit Agee, whose psychic powers were used to form a bridge between Deadworld and Mega-City One. Realising something was up, Chief Judge Silver ordered a full-scale assault on Dunc Renaldo Block; the last known location of Judge Agee. The Sisters retaliated, their illusions making short work of the Judges. Top psi-judge Anderson realised that Kraken was under the Sisters' control, but was knocked out before she could raise the alarm. She disappeared beneath a tank, only to fall through a crumbling roadway into the Undercity; the remains of old New York. In the midst of this chaos, the Sisters sent Kraken to Tech 21, the dimensional research laboratory, and forced him to use their technology to free the Dark Judges from another dimension. With their Sisters' psychic power, the Dark Judges seized control of the city's Judges. Chief Judge Silver attempted suicide, but was captured, killed and then reanimated as their pet zombie and torture victim. The Sisters of Death shrouded the city in impenetrable shadow and blotted out all sun- and starlight, plunging the city into darkness;