Bishop (born Lucas Bishop) was a mutant with the ability to absorb and redirect energy. He was one of the few survivors of the War of the Sentinels and was also the founder of a mutant resistance group known as the Free Mutants.
Quick Answers
What is the unique mutant ability of Lucas Bishop in X-Men?
What is the significance of Bishop's role in the War of the Sentinels?
Who are the Free Mutants founded by Bishop in X-Men?
How did Bishop escape from the mutant holding facility, Camp X-Ray?
What role does Bishop play in X-Men: Days of Future Past?
Biography
Original TImeline
Escaping from Camp X-Ray
Bishop forming the Free Mutants
By 2018, Bishop had succeeded in escaping the mutant holding facility called Camp X-Ray.[1]
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[src]
Bishop and Shadowcat rushing to a vault
In 2023, while hiding in a bunker in Moscow with Blink, Warpath detects three incoming Sentinels ejecting from the sky. Immediately after, Blink teleports the two to reach the rest of the Free Mutants, warning them about the impending attack. Bishop, the leader of the group, asks Sunspot to redirect the solar energy into his body, charging his weapon. Shadowcat, using her phasing ability, then 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 imminent 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 the third Sentinel. Bishop then shoots his energy-enhance gun to the lower left of the Sentinel's neck, decimating the surface area of the damaged spot, merely stunning the Sentinel due to the inadequate amount. Right before the Sentinel is able to use its drilling hand to kill the two, Warpath leaps through a portal created by Blink, attacking the Sentinel by trying to penetrate the blasted area adjacent to its head, trying to buy time for his teammates, only to be hurled away by the Sentinel. Meanwhile, the two escape the Sentinel briefly before its drilling hand could reach them thanks to Blink's portal, however the Sentinel soon catches up with them, continuing the pursuit. Seconds later, Iceman, travelling through Blink's portal, reaches and assists his leader by fighting the Sentinel by himself, using his ice form, freezing the Sentinel temporarily while Bishop and Shadowcat are able to flee from the mech.[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]
Joining the X-Men
- "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[src]
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 eventually save their lives from an imminent 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 and Iceman. 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 ever being created and innovated. 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 damage caused by the trip as the brain can only stretch so far before it snaps. 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 saying that they will keep on fighting the Sentinels. Storm then argues that the Free Mutants can opt between projecting their leader back in time over and over gain until one day he unexpectedly fails his mission and the entire group will be eradicated or fighting the Sentinels for the final 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. As Bishop requires a vote from his people, Professor X reads their mind and quickly informs the Free Mutants' unanimous agreement to everyone. Thus, the Free Mutants unofficially become new members of the X-Men. Bishop 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]
Battle of China
Bishop eliminating several flying Sentinels
As Warpath senses twelve Sentinels' carriers heading towards to the monastery ten miles away using his extreme acute senses, he 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 insists her that the group cannot kill that many, by unleashing a powerful tempest 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. Storm then strikes her lightning towards Bishop, letting Bishop store and utilize the plentiful source of energy to empower his gun. Blink then teleports herself to reach and assist Bishop by opening a portal adjacent to the flying Sentinels, which allows him to eliminate several of them at a safe distance. Meanwhile, Magneto, using his magnetic manipulation, controls and later uses the metal components of the X-Jet to stab and disrupt the flying Sentinels. Seconds later, Storm, using her full strength, strikes toward the X-Jet's power coil, creating 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]
Bishop and Storm after the explosion
Moments later, the remaining Sentinels silently climb up the monastery's edge, killing a distracted Storm by penetrating her upper body as Bishop screams in anger. He immediately blast his channeled energy into a Sentinel, eliminating its left arm. However, with two more Sentinels arrived, the mechs proceed to burst him with their powerful heating beams, essentially overpower Bishop's energy manipulative abilities, eventually killing him. His body then explodes, reducing the nearby Sentinels to dust as three other Sentinels arrive. Unfortunately, the rest of the Free Mutants are ultimately massacred due to the Sentinels' pre-eminence. Although, once again, their plan succeeds right before the Sentinels managed to kill the rest of the X-Men in the monastery, altering the original timeline with a new one.[2]
Revised Timeline
A Second Chance
Bishop's death
- "A second chance, a better chance for everyone."
- ―Professor X to the Free Mutants[src]
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
- X-Men - Former Teammates
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
