Cursed Earth

The Cursed Earth is a part of the fictional universe from the Judge Dredd series that appears in the UK comic book 2000 AD. It is a radioactive desert which is considered unfit for habitation but is populated by different creatures which are mutants who are not allowed to live in the cities.

Background

Following the Atomic Wars of 2070 most of the United States became a radioactive wasteland. With only the three Mega-Cities surviving (on the East Coast, California, and Texas), the remainder of the country became known as the "Cursed Earth". Although considered unfit for human habitation, the Cursed Earth is populated by all manner of creatures, scraping a living in a tough environment. Since the Atomic Wars, genetic mutations appeared, but mutants are banned from living in the cities, so they are forced to make their homes in the Cursed Earth. The communities are mostly poor, rural groupings with no industry, often dominated by quasi-religious movements. In more extreme cases, these communities become cults organised well enough to threaten Mega-City One as a revenge for the way the city has treated these outcasts.