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Harlem Heroes is a British comic strip that formed part of the original line-up ('Thrill 5') of 2000 AD. Inspired by the popularity during the 1970s of kung fu films and the Harlem Globetrotters, Harlem Heroes was devised by Pat Mills, employing elements from his Hellball comic strip, and scripted by Tom Tully. Initially, the series was to have been drawn by Carlos Trigo but the Spanish artist was replaced by Dave Gibbons prior to the first issue's publication. From Prog 25, Massimo Belardinelli drew the concluding episodes of the first series and would be retained as its regular artist for the strip's reinvention as Inferno.

Contents 1 Harlem Heroes 1.1 Summary [first series] 1.2 Episodes 2 Inferno 2.1 Summary 3 Judge Dredd 3.1 The Academy of Law 3.2 Episodes 4 Harlem Heroes 4.1 Summary [second series] 4.2 "Harlem Heroes" 4.3 Death Sport 4.4 Grey Ghost Overflight 4.5 Cyborg Death Trip 5 Whatever Happened to John "Giant" Clay? 6 Trivia 7 Footnotes 8 External links

By the year 2050,^[1] the game of Aeroball has swept the world! It's Football, Boxing, Kung Fu and Basketball all rolled into one! Players roar through the air wearing jet packs (controlled by buttons on their belts) and score "air strikes" by getting the ball in the "score tank". One of the top teams is the all-black Harlem Heroes!^[2]

Having made it through the preliminary round of the World Aeroball Championship, the Harlem Heroes' team bus crashes, killing all but four players. Louis Mayer, his brain alone surviving the tragedy, convinces his three fellow survivors, 'Slim', 'Hairy', and team captain John 'Giant' Clay, that they can still win the championship title.

2000 AD Progs 1 — 27, 2000 AD Annual 1978, 2000 AD Annual 1979 (29 episodes)

Timeline: 21st Century

"The Sport of Tomorrow" -- Prog 1 (1 episode)

"The Berlin Blitzkreigs" -- 2000 AD Annual 1978 (1 episode)

"[title required]" -- 2000 AD Annual 1979 (1 episode)

"The Baltimore Bulls" -- Progs 2 — 5 (4 episodes)

"The Siberian Wolves" -- Progs 6 — 8 (3 episodes)

"The Montezuma Mashers" -- Progs 9 — 11 (3 episodes)

"The Flying Scotsmen" -- Progs 12 — 15 (4 episodes)

"Gorgon's Gargoyles" -- Progs 16 — 21 (5 episodes)

"The Bushido Blades" -- Progs 22 — 24 (3 episodes)

"The Teutonic Titans" -- 25 — 27 (3 episodes)

Script

Pat Mills, Tom Tully (Prog 1)

Tom Tully (Progs 2 — 27)

Art

Dave Gibbons (Prog 1, Harlem Heroes pages 1 — 4), Carlos Trigo (Prog 1, Harlem Heroes page 5)

Dave Gibbons (Prog 2 — 24)

Massimo Belardinelli (Progs 25 — 27)

Inferno is the violent sequel to Harlem Heroes.

2000 AD Progs 36 — 75 (40 episodes)

Timeline: 2078

Script

Tom Tully

Art

Massimo Belardinelli

"Never mind, Citizen Giant. Look at it this way -- you've lost a son but Mega-City One has gained a darned fine Judge."^[3]

Judge Giant senior graduates from Mega-City One's Academy of Law, much to the delight of his proud father, John 'Giant' Clay.

2000 AD Progs 27 — 28 (2 episodes)

Timeline: 2099

Script

John Wagner

Art

Ian Gibson (part 1), Mike McMahon (part 2)

A revival of the first series in name only.

2000 AD Progs 671 — 676, 683 — 699, 701 — 705/745 — 749/776 — 779/928 — 939 (49 episodes)

Timeline: 2109

2000 AD Progs 671 — 676, 683 — 699, 701 — 705 (28 episodes)

Script

Michael Fleisher

Art

Steve Dillon and Kev Walker (parts 1 — 16, 18 — 21, 23 — 26)

Steve Dillon and Simon Jacob (part 17)

Steve Dillon (part 22)

Simon Jacob (part 27)

Kev Hopgood (part 28)

2000 AD Progs 745 — 749 (5 episodes)

Script

Michael Fleisher

Art

Geoff Senior

2000 AD Progs 776 — 779 (4 episodes)

Script

Michael Fleisher

Art

Ron Smith

2000 AD Progs 928 — 939 (12 episodes)

Script

Michael Fleisher

Art

Kev Hopgood and Siku

Judge Dredd Megazine #216 (1 episode)

Timeline: 2126

Script

Gordon Rennie

Art

Rufus Dayglo

• Harlem Heroes episodes 8 and 9^[4] make reference to Mega-City One, the vast megalopolis patrolled by Judge Dredd.
• Aeroball Rule 16

Either squad leader can call for a two-minute time out if two or more of his players have withdrawn from the Thrill Bowl because of injury.^[5]

• Aeroball Rule 28

The score-holes of the 'tank' are surrounded by electrified prods. If a player hits them, he must go to the penalty pen.^[6]

• Aeroball Rule 59

Computronic players must reduce their energy output to human levels during the game.^[7]

• Judge Dredd is the graduating officer of Judge Giant senior.^[8]
• Although her identity has not been disclosed, there is some fan speculation that the mother of Judge Giant senior is Cindy Lamont, former Harlem Hellcat and partner of John 'Giant' Clay.^[9]

1. ^ It's unclear when exactly the first series of Harlem Heroes takes place. 2078, the year that Inferno is set, contradicts the generally accepted view that its predecessor takes place in 2050.
2. ^ Quoted from Harlem Heroes "The Sport of Tomorrow", 2000 AD Prog 1.
3. ^ Quoted from Judge Dredd "The Academy of Law", 2000 AD Prog 28.
4. ^ Harlem Heroes 2000 AD Prog 8, page 4.5 and Prog 9, page 1.1
5. ^ Harlem Heroes 2000 AD Prog 4, page 2.3
6. ^ Harlem Heroes 2000 AD Prog 3, page 3.5
7. ^ Harlem Heroes 2000 AD Prog 16, page 2.1
8. ^ Judge Dredd "The Academy of Law", 2000 AD Prog 28
9. ^ Inferno 2000 AD Progs 36 — 75 [exact citation required]

• 2000 AD page