Mr. Scam

MR. SCAM

Real Name: Buck Scam

Class: Human technology-user

Occupation: Media mogul, trendsetter

Group Affiliation: None

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mega-City One, 2099 AD

First Appearance: Judge Dredd #13 (August, 1995)

Powers: Mr. Scam was a trendsetter whose dangerous crazes resulted in harm for those who fell for them. His Scam-o-Tron 4200 collected and processed vast amounts of data, and was able to interpret legal loopholes.

History: (Judge Dredd #13) - Mr. Scam started a number of dangerous crazes in Mega-City, including convincing people to eat until they were morbidly obese, and to mutilate themselves when ugly was "in." He avoid arrest by exploiting legal loopholes using his Scam-o-Tron 4200. His latest scam was Snag a Civil Servant where competing armed teams sought out pieces of missing or dead bureaucrats. Judge Dredd responded, and Scam told Dredd he couldn't be charged because his trend fulfilled a city ordinance requiring citizens to assist in locating the missing and dead. Dredd altered the wording of the law, and warned Scam to clean up his mess or face capital punishment. Scam's next scheme was chosen from a list of laws hard-coded into the system, and he chose the civil reward program for blocks that showed economic initiative. He pitted the Stargazers and their interest in alien tech against the Rodenti Inventus, rat-men who made service machines who he convinced to build entertaining yet dangerous devices. Their feud escalated, thrilling the very citizens put in danger, and Dredd recognized there was a new craze to deal with.

(Judge Dredd #14, 15) - The Stargazers, under Scam's direction, hosted a convention on extraterrestrials, demonstrating cattle mutilation, mindwipes, and other possible things speculative aliens could subject humans to once they landed on Earth. Scam noticed the crowd getting bored during a probing exhibition, so he caused the probes to malfunction and attack the crowd, exciting them. Dredd broke up the convention and was ready to arrest Professor Fortean before he told Dredd that what he was doing was legal under civic economic improvement laws. Dredd knew Scam was behind the stunt, but couldn't prove it. Scam gave Dredd and Technician Silikon a tour of the Rodenti Inventus themepark, and Dredd kept finding safety violations and arresting Rodenti. Walt Steambot said he had no right because the themepark brought so much happiness to Mega-City One, and Dredd responded that happiness was not a right under the law. Steambot showed him Penitentiary Land, a tribute to the law populated by animatronic lawmen, including a robot Judge Dredd. The animatronic lawmen malfunctioned and turned on Dredd. Dredd destroyed most of the units, and Scam broadcast the chaos on Scam-TV, garnering massive ratings. The jealous Stargazers attacked the Rodenti in full force until Dredd told both groups they were under arrest. He made them come to their senses, realizing they were destroying each other, and when he commanded it Xavier and Steambot told their men to stand down, giving a speech about mutual incarceration and cooperation. The nearly destroyed Dredd animatronic caught up to Mr. Scam and gunned him down.

Comments: Created by D.G. Chichester & Tim Gula.