Bennett Beeny

First Appearance

Bennett Beeny was a famous singer whose life was inextricably and fatally entwined with that of his childhood sweetheart, America Jara.

## Personality

Being raised in the tainted environment of Mega-City One made Bennett a weak, frightened person who was willing to do whatever the Judges wanted as long as he wouldn't be hurt. However, his most bizarre actions were motivated by a perverted desire to keep his lover and daughter safe.

## History

Bennett held a candle for America Jara ever since they were both children, but she didn't see him as boyfriend material. Their lives drifted apart as they grew older: America got involved with pro-democracy activists, whereas Bennett became a famous pop star who wrote catchy ditties about knee pads.

After they had been out of contact for years, Bennett unexpectedly bumped into America while he was out looking for prostitutes. America was posing as a slab-walker in order to lure Judges to her, so that the pro-democracy terrorists Total War could kill them. In the ensuing fracas Bennett was shot in the throat, meaning that he had to have an artificial voice box installed. Fortunately, he was interviewed by Judge Dredd before that happened, so he had to type out all his replies from his hospital bed... veeerrrryyy sloooowlyyyy. Dredd was so irritated by this that he ended up accepting Bennett's "I didn't see nuffin, guv, honest" defence and leaving him alone.

America was grateful that Bennett had covered for her. She came round to his mansion while he was convalescing, slept with him, and told him the story of her troubled life and the Judicial brutality that had led to her joining Total War. Then she asked him for a large sum of money to help Total War bomb the Statue of Liberty.

Bennett gave America the money but told Total War's plan to the Judges, on the condition that America's life was spared. Nevertheless, while the terrorists were being apprehended a Judge disobeyed orders and shot America in the head, leaving her brain-dead. A distraught Bennett had his brain implanted in America's body, in order to keep her alive (sort of) and to make his entire physical existence a constant reminder of how he'd betrayed her. Before this, however, he impregnated her. Nine months later, America's body, animated by Bennett's brain, gave birth to their daughter, America Beeny.

Despite the fact that he was (a) living in a woman's body and (b) clearly someone with only the vaguest notions of important ideas like 'personal autonomy' and 'a woman's right to choose', Bennett was a surprisingly good father. The infant America had a happy life. Bennett was not so lucky: his guilt was enormous, he was gang-raped while a Judge (yes, them again) watched and did nothing, and America Jara's body rejected his brain, causing a debilitating terminal illness.

After his daughter was kidnapped by Total War and rescued by the Judges, Bennett decided that the only place where she would be safe was the Academy of Law. He had America Beeny enrolled as a cadet Judge and then underwent voluntary euthanasia.

## Trivia

* The wealth Bennett had accumulated meant that his daughter had a better upbringing than he had, because she was raised in a mansion with its own garden and servants instead of in an overcrowded city block plagued by criminals (Bennett's own father was murdered by a serial killer).
* Even before the whole 'body transfer' thing, Bennett was as much of a rarity among the citizens of Mega-City One as a psychic or an illegal mutant: he had a job.