With unemployment and boredom rife in Mega-City One, many citizens, especially juves, join gangs. Many gangs identify with and recruit solely from a single block, whilst others pull in members from all across the city, attracted to the gang’s philosophy, colours, or charismatic leader. Many gangs will simply protect their own territory and try to take control of the local ‘black economy’ of illegal drugs and other banned substances such as tobacco, sugar, Umpty Candy and 20th-century comic books. Other gangs identify with causes or crazes, including the many anti-robot and anti-mutant outfits such as the ‘Neon Knights’ and ‘Purity First’ or anti-Judge and pro-democracy terrorism like the ‘Total War’ group. Others go on to specialise in organised crime such as body-sharking, organ-legging, alien- and perp-running!

A hotbed of unemployment, boredom and crime Mega-City One is home to the wild, the weird and the dangerous. Citizens who cannot handle the pressures of the 22nd century succumb to Future Shock Syndrome – a condition known as going ‘Futsie’ – setting out on a frenzy of violence. The thinly stretched Justice Department cannot be everywhere. Vigilantes such as ex-Judge Karl Raider are not uncommon, targeting criminal elements and becoming targets themselves for the Judges. Oola and Homer Blint are, on the face of things, a perfectly well-adjusted couple. However, Oola is one of Mega-City One’s most prolific serial killers, known as the ‘Angel of Mercy’ whilst her husband and accomplice, Homer, is a prominent bat glider. Mortal enemies of Mega-City One following the destruction of East-Meg One in the Apocalypse War, Sov agents persistently try to destroy the Big Meg. Be they sleeper agents or genetik construkts they are an invisible yet very deadly threat...