Description
Mega-City One evolved out of a growing urban conurbation stretching from Boston to Washington, which took form in the 21st century to cope with the escalating population crisis in America and - due to the high crime rate - led to the introduction of the Judge system. Originally centered on New York City, eventually Mega-City One stretches all the way from Washington to Toronto, and down to Miami, Florida. Mega-City One was one of three major areas to survive the nuclear war in 2070, due to an experimental laser missile-defense system built not long before. Apart from those megacities, the United States has been reduced to the Cursed Earth.
Quickly growing outwards, Mega-City One swelled to hold most of the population of the East Coast, reaching 800 million by the end of the century. The population and city sprawl was halved by nuclear attack and Soviet invasion in 2104 (in the 1982 story The Apocalypse War), with the loss of the entire south in a saturation nuclear strike. It remained at around 400 million until it was reduced to 50 million in 2134 (the 2012 story Day of Chaos).
Mega-City One has a far greater population density than any city in the present-day world. Most city dwellers (citizens) live in huge apartment blocks (50,000+), though many citizens live a perpetually nomadic existence in vehicular mo-pads (mobile homes) due to inadequate housing provisions. These citizens travel the city via the many public transport routes available, rarely stopping. Some mo-pads are quite luxurious, complete with swimming pools.
Much of the city, including the entire south, was destroyed by nuclear warheads in the Apocalypse War. A small part of the city, known as the North West Hab Zone, became separated from the rest of the city by a stretch of radioactive wasteland called Nuke Alley. The Hab Zone is connected to the main city by a bridge. A tunnel is under construction.
For administrative purposes the city is divided into 305 sectors, most of them renamed to fit the new size of the city after the Apocalypse War. Sectors 1 (the centre) to 300 constitute the main city. Sectors 301 to 305 form the North-West Hab Zone; Sector 301 is disparagingly nicknamed "The Pit" due to its high crime rate. Other slum areas have been called "Angeltown" (Sector 13's slums) and "the Low Life".
Following the events of the 2011-12 story Day of Chaos (set in 2134), Mega-City One was left in ruins and almost 90% of its population was killed. After decades of being the main megacity and superpower on Earth, the city is now in severe decline with many judges considering the situation unsustainable.
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