Bishop (born Lucas Bishop) was a mutant with the ability to absorb and redirect energy. He was one of the few survivors in the Sentinels Dystopia and also the founder of a mutant resistance group, namely Free Mutants.
Biography
Original TImeline
Escaping from Camp X-Ray
At some point in or before 2018, Bishop succeeded in fleeing a mutant holding facility called Camp X-Ray.[1]
Bishop forming the Free Mutants
Founding the Free Mutants
Later in 2018, Bishop builds a global network of mutant resistance dubbed the “Free Mutants.”[1]
Sentinels' Arrival
- "Time's up!"
"Sentinels!" - ―Blink and Warpath to the Free Mutants
Bishop and Shadowcat rushing to a vault
In 2023, while hiding in a bunker in Moscow with Blink, Warpath detects three incoming Sentinels. Immediately after, Blink teleports the two to reach the rest of the Free Mutants, warning them about the impending attack. Bishop then asks Sunspot to redirect the solar energy into his body, charging his weapon. Immediately after, Shadowcat, using her phasing ability, rush to a hiding spot along with Bishop in order to project his consciousness back in time to warn their past selves about the future danger. As the two leave, Warpath, Blink, Colossus and Sunspot prepare to battle the Sentinels. Soon after, two Sentinels, drilling through the ground, reach the bunker and face the Free Mutants. The first one battles Sunspot in his solar form, while the other is attacked by the steel-enhanced body Colossus along with Warpath with the assistance of Blink. While on the run, Shadowcat and Bishop is interrupted by a Sentinel. Bishop then blasts the Sentinel's face and neck with his enhanced energy gun, decimating the surface part of its skin. However, the attack is inadequate and right before the Sentinel could attack the two, Warpath jumps through a portal, created by Blink, attacking the Sentinel's neck, trying to buy time for Bishop and Shadowcat to escape. After throwing Warpath away, the Sentinel continues to pursue the rushing two. Seconds later, with the assistance of Blink, Iceman reaches and holds off the chasing Sentinel for Bishop, battling it with his glacier form. As the rest of the members are clashing with the Sentinels, Bishop and Shadowcat finally arrive the locked steel vault of the bunker, proceeding the to send Bishop back few days before the attack while hiding behind the vault.[2]
Shadowcat projecting Bishop back in time
After Sunspot, Colossus and Iceman are slaughtered, the Sentinel group starts heading towards to Bishop and Shadowcat's location. As one of them is approaching the vault, Warpath and Blink, using their final strength, try to prevent the Sentinel from reaching the other two. However, both of them are eventually killed as the rest of the Sentinels arrive. Mimicking the power of Sunspot, a Sentinel then dissipates a part of the vault's door by applying extreme heat in order to put its targets within the attack range. However, before the Sentinel could kill Bishop and Shadowcat using its face blast, Bishop completes his mission, permanently redirecting the flow of the timeline.[2]
Changing the Past
- "What if someone's mind has a way of snapping back? What if someone can heal as fast as they're ripped apart?"
"It's a risk."
"Yeah, I'm getting that."
"Not just for you. You do this, you change history."
"Well, that's kind of the point."
"Some of us could be killed, some of us may never be born. We have no idea how things may change." - ―Wolverine and Bishop
Bishop and Sunspot after Professor X and Magneto told the Free Mutants about their plan
With the timeline altered, the Free Mutants retreat to a remote monastery in China and meet up with the rest of the X-Men, including Professor X, Magneto, Wolverine and Storm. Later on, Shadowcat informs the X-Men about how the Free Mutants change the flow of time, by sending their leader, Bishop, back a few days prior to the Sentinels' arrival, which will save their lives from a massacre that never happened. Seeing a potential way to end the War of the Sentinels even before its occurrence, Magneto informs Professor X about his belief in the success of the plan, which confuses Shadowcat. Professor X then interprets the origin of the Sentinels as well as his ultimate plan to the Free Mutants to change the fate of all mutants around the world, by sending him back in 1973 to prevent Mystique from assassinating Bolivar Trask, thus stopping the Sentinels from being created. However, Shadowcat says that her ability can only send a person back for a few weeks or a month. In other words, even Professor X, whose brain is considered the strongest in the world, cannot physically endure the brain damage caused by the trip. Nevertheless, Wolverine then suggests that his immense healing ability can actually tolerate the near-instant lethal brain injuries. Still, Bishop opposes the idea as the trip can rewrite history, which can either inadvertently kill or even prevent the birth of some members of the Free Mutants in the timeline. Following by Blink suggesting that they will keep on fighting the Sentinels. Storm then argues that the Free Mutants can either opting to keep sending their leader back in time over and over gain until one day he unexpectedly fails his mission, which will kill all of them or fighting the Sentinels for the last time to give every fallen victims a second opportunity. Sunspot later queries if the X-Men is asking the Free Mutants to fight for the future where they may not even exist in, which is later confirmed by Magneto. Professor X then convinces everyone to sacrifice for a future that gives all mutants around the world a second chance. The Free Mutants eventually agree with the plan, as Professor X read their mind. Warpath along with the Free Mutants and Storm guard the outside, while Iceman, Professor X and Magneto supervise Wolverine's journey to the past inside the monastery.[2]
Protecting the X-Men
Warpath, using his ability, senses that there are twelve Sentinels' carriers heading towards to the monastery ten miles away. Warpath and Professor X immediately warn everyone about the upcoming battle. As the outer group is informed, Storm decides to attack first in order to slow the Sentinels down as Bishop tells her the group cannot kill that many. Storm then unleashes a fierce storm upon the Sentinels' carriers, slowing and eventually causing the carriers to collide to each other, which forces the Sentinels to eject and fly to the monastery by themselves. As Storm is controlling the weather, Bishop asks her to strike her lightning towards him in order to empower his weapon. Blink then teleports herself to reach and assist Bishop by opening a portal adjacent to the flying Sentinels, which allows him to eliminate several among the enemies at a safe distance. Meanwhile, Magneto, using his magnetic manipulation, controls and later uses the metal components of the X-Jet to stab and kill the flying Sentinels. After a while, Storm, using her full strength, strikes toward the X-Jet's power coil, causing a colossal mid-air explosion, destroying numerous Sentinels. However, the explosion also causes the metal shards to fly towards the Free Mutants and X-Men, forcing Magneto to use his magnetic ability. Even so, Magneto is unexpectedly pierced by a sharpened metal piece, leaving a grievous wound.[2]
Moments later, the remaining Sentinels reach the monastery, killing a distracted Storm using the drill hand as Bishop screams in anger. He immediately bursts a Sentinel using his full strength, eradicating its left arm. However, when two other Sentinels arrive, they start to blasting him using heating beams. With the amount of energy storing transcending Bishop's physical limits, his body explodes, eventually eliminating the nearby Sentinels. Unfortunately, the rest of the Free Mutants are ultimately massacred, following by the Sentinels approaching and preparing to destroy the rest of the mutants. Although, once again, their plan succeeds right before the Sentinels managed to kill the rest of the mutants in the monastery, alternating the original timeline with a new one.[2]
Revised Timeline
A Second Chance
- "A second chance, for everyone."
- ―Professor X to the Free Mutants
Due to Wolverine traveling back in time to January 1973, and preventing Bolivar Trask from being assassinated by Mystique, and changing the significant events after that point, the Sentinel Wars never took place. Thus, the Free Mutants were never formed, and its members were never killed in the future war.[2]
Personality
Bishop was one of the few mutant survivors and also a member of the Free Mutants. Little is known about his past or personality. However, as the leader of the group, Bishop was generally respected and entrusted by his fellow teammates. Additionally, like other members of the Free Mutants, he was willing to sacrifice himself to protect and ensure the X-Men's final plan to alter the past, despite the probability of him not existing in the revised future, which was shown when Professor X read all the members' minds. Bishop was also a heroic mutant warrior, as he fought the Sentinels until his eventual death in Moscow and China, despite the apparent gap between their combat prowess.
Powers
Bishop absorbing Sunspot's solar energy
- Energy Absorption: Bishop can absorb various forms of energy. In doing so, he remains unharmed by said forms of energy, thereby making it harder to injure him. However, there seems to be a limit to the amount of energy Bishop can physically endure, as the heavily redundant amount can injure or potentially kill him.
- Energy Manipulation: As shown, he is able to manipulate through his body and redirect the absorbed energy to his weapon. If the utilized amount is sufficient, his weapon is capable of heavily damaging or potentially eliminating Sentinels.
- Superhuman Strength: Via his energy absorption, he is able to enhance his strength.
- Superhuman Stamina: Bishop has an incredibly higher amount of stamina than that of a trained human, allowing him to fight for hours without getting tired while he can absorb energy. Stamina increases the more energy Bishop absorbs.
- Concussive Blasts: He can re-channel the absorbed energy through his body for bio-kinetic concussive blasts or in the same form that was absorbed but with twice the force/power, including Storm's weather effects. This re-channeled energy is apparently able to damage beings normally immune to their own powers.
Relationships
Allies
- Free Mutants - Former Teammates and Friends
- X-Men - Former Teammates
- Magneto †
- Professor X †
- Rogue †
- Storm †
- Wolverine †
Enemies
- Sentinels - Enemies and Killers
Trivia
- Bishop appeared in the novelization of X-Men: The Last Stand.
- In the comics, Bishop was actually from the future, and has a long complicated history with Cable and Hope.
- The plot of Deadpool 2, with Cable going back in time to kill a child who will eventually grow to become a dangerous and powerful killer, is very similar to Bishop’s role in the comic series "Messiah Complex".
Behind the Scenes
- Moses Nyarko was a stunt double for Omar Sy in the role of Bishop.
External links
Bishop on Marvel Database- Bishop on Wikipedia
