.gif)
Bishop (comics)
Encyclopedia
Bishop is a fiction
al comic book superhero, appearing in books published by Marvel Comics
, in particular the X-Men
family of books. Created by Whilce Portacio
and Jim Lee
, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men
#282 (November 1991).
Bishop was a member of Xavier's Security Enforcers
(initially called the Xavier School Enforcers), a mutant
police
force from a dystopia
n future of the Marvel Universe
. He traveled to the 20th century and joined the X-Men, a team he knew only as legends. A brash antihero, he had difficulty adjusting to the norms of the time period. After years of appearing as a member of the team, Bishop became portrayed as one of the X-Men's main antagonists.
Bishop made frequent appearances in the X-Men animated series
of the 1990s.
, XSE, which showcased his past (future), and its sequel - Bishop: Xavier's Security Enforcers. He also teamed up with Gambit
to oppose Stryfe in Gambit and Bishop: Sons of the Atom. He also starred in the series Bishop: The Last X-Man (1999–2001), in which he was trapped in another alternate timeline, and District X
(2004–2005), which cast him as a police officer in New York City
’s "mutant town," as well as the House of M tie-in, Mutopia.
. Bishop has a distinctive M brand
over his right eye, used to identify mutants
in his era. After his parents were killed, Bishop was taken in by a man named LeBeau, also called Witness, who was reportedly the last man to see the legendary X-Men
alive. According to LeBeau (in XSE
#4), Bishop's grandmother took Bishop away from him. Bishop and his younger sister, Shard
, were subsequently raised by his grandmother within a mutant concentration camp
in Nevada
or Brooklyn
(perhaps both).
Bishop's grandmother taught him many legends of the X-Men, who were old allies of hers. Depowered by unknown means, she had entered the camps in secret to raise her grandchildren. Upon her deathbed, she made Bishop swear to protect Shard. After the Rebellion, the mutants were "emancipated" and sent out of the camps to fend for themselves. Bishop and Shard, who were only children, were left alone. They lived on the streets, stealing in order to survive until coming under the care of a family friend, a war veteran named Hancock. Slightly blind, Hancock nevertheless took on the task of raising the two.
One day, Bishop encountered an anti-human group of mutants called the Exhumes, who took Shard
hostage just before the XSE
arrived. Until that time Bishop had admired the Exhumes, attributing to them his proud, idealized notion of the legendary X-Men. It wasn't until the XSE defeated the Exhume and saved his sister, however, that Bishop knew he wanted to join the XSE, and when at the age of fifteen Hancock was murdered by criminals who were promptly arrested by the XSE he and Shard enlisted in their ranks. Shard soon surpassed Bishop to become the youngest XSE officer.
During a training class, Bishop's instructors and some of his fellow students were attacked and killed. Bishop rallied the survivors and led the struggle against the assailants until reinforcements arrived. Bishop gradually climbs the ranks of the XSE until finally becoming their commander.
While on a mission to wipe out a nest of Emplate
s, mutant vampire
s that feed on bone marrow
, Shard was critically injured. Bishop went to Witness for help. Witness, then imprisoned at the New York Stark Fujikawa building, agreed to transfer Shard's essence into a holographic matrix if Bishop would work for him for one year. Bishop agreed, leaving the XSE for a time. The details of Bishop's work during this period are unknown; Bishop appears reticent on the subject, later refusing to tell Shard of his actions.
Immediately upon his re-installment as a commander in the XSE, Bishop and his XSE group the "Omega Squad" captured Trevor Fitzroy
, a murderous ex-XSE trainee in the ruins of the Xavier Institute
War Room. While there, Bishop discovered a damaged recording of Jean Grey
, in which she spoke of a traitor destroying the X-Men from inside. Haunted by his discovery, Bishop confronts Witness for details, but receives only a vague, ambiguous response, leaving Bishop to suspect his former master of being more than simply a witness to the downfall of the X-Men.
offered him a place in the X-Men, and he was placed under Storm's tutelage. He fought and defeated Styglut. When he met Gambit
, Bishop recognized him as possibly a younger version of the Witness and fought him. Bishop also recognized Jubilee
as the 'last X-Man', but this has been proven false.
He soon met Mystique
for the first time, and alongside the X-Men he battled the Morlocks
and the Death Sponsors.
Bishop assigned himself the role of Xavier's personal bodyguard, which he failed at when Stryfe
, the evil double of Cable
, critically wounded Xavier. Initially, the X-Men believed that Cable was the would-be assassin, so Wolverine
and Bishop tracked down Cable, but then traveled to Cable's "Graymalkin" space station, and then joined with them in finding Stryfe. Citing his failure to protect Professor X, Bishop offered to resign from the X-Men. His resignation was rejected by Xavier, and then alongside the X-Men he battled the Acolytes
.
Later, Bishop would be the one to save lives when Sabretooth
escaped from his cell and the other X-Men were busy or unable to fight him.
— went back in time to assassinate Magneto
, Bishop was one of the X-Men sent to stop him. When they failed, and Legion accidentally killed Professor Xavier, Bishop was the only time-traveler to remain when history was altered and became the Age of Apocalypse
. He eventually convinced the Magneto of that era that the existence of this reality was wrong, and with a great amount of sacrifice, managed to correct the error and stop Legion. After the timeline reset itself, Bishop received some of his counterpart's unsettling memories of the Age of Apocalypse.
The traitor in the X-Men was eventually revealed to be Professor X in the form of Onslaught
. Bishop's knowledge of the future was the only thing that stopped Onslaught from killing the X-Men. As Onslaught fired a massive blast of psionic energy at the distracted X-Men, Bishop threw himself in front of them and absorbed the blast that would have killed them. Onslaught, winded from such a massive attack, said that his blast was enough to kill a thousand mutants and "Another time, another place, I would have been proud". Bishop lost consciousness after absorbing the blast, but soon recovered, although it was not enough to prevent Onslaught from nearly destroying all of humanity. He made peace with Gambit, who was not the traitor after all.
On a mission in deep space to stop the Phalanx
, Bishop became separated from the rest of the X-Men. Despite trickery and base manipulation by Deathbird
, he entered into a romantic relationship with her. They had many adventures far out in space, but when she turned on him and the X-Men, he seemingly killed her.
Following this, Bishop spent some time in a distant possible future, detailed in the Bishop: The Last X-Man series, where he again faced Trevor Fitzroy. He was temporarily returned to the present by Apocalypse
who needed him as one of The Twelve, before finally returning permanently during the Maximum Security crossover.
. They left against the will and knowledge of the main team, as the splinter group did not trust in Xavier or the others to use the diaries for the benefit of humanity.
He revealed his first name to be "Lucas", using it on a fake police ID. Even though the X-Men came to believe the diaries to be self-fulfilling, the team stayed together for a while before returning to the mansion. His team started believing that the others had grown more mutant-supremacist, and less interested in integration (the original reason that many of them joined the X-Men). While with his splinter team, Bishop was second-in-command. He would participate in solving murder mysteries, and even used false IDs to convince the local authorities he was one of them.
With the disbanding of the team, Storm formed her own XSE, the X-Treme Sanctions Executive
, which was officially recognized by the government as a mutant police force. Bishop had also begun a friendship with the X-Man Sage
. They helped to uncover the killer of the White Queen
. Bishop was then seen getting close to Angel's ex-girlfriend, Detective Charlotte Jones.
, and appeared regularly in District X
, a police procedural
set in a mutant ghetto
in New York City
. District X, or 'Mutant Town', had a high-population density. It was also a poverty-stricken area with high crime rates. Bishop was assigned to the area in order to resolve mutant-related crimes. The series was canceled after 14 issues.
Since the events of House of M
, Bishop continued to visit New York, but since a majority of the mutant population of District X was wiped out by the Scarlet Witch
, Bishop turned his primary attention back to the X-Men and school. He had been involved with several missions with the team, such as taking down the Shi'ar Death Commandos, helping Psylocke
deal with the Foursaken and the First Fallen, as well as helping Storm save Africa, from soldiers who were taking children from villages.
miniseries Bishop sides with the O*N*E* to bring in the X-Men and the 198
. He argues with Cyclops
over allowing their escape, and states his fear of what the future might hold. Val Cooper
and Tony Stark
let Bishop lead Micromax
and Sabra
into action against Domino
, Shatterstar
, and the rest of the 198. Bishop led them to the base where the 198 were hiding and told the X-Men to stand down upon their arrival. However, General Demetrius Lazer
betrayed him by ensuring that Cyclops attacked Bishop. Though at first he simply absorbed it, the power was too much for him to control and he was overwhelmed. Bishop was forced to direct the energy he had absorbed upwards in a powerful blast that destroyed a O*N*E* Sentinel. He later teamed up with the X-Men to save the 198 from a bomb explosion and then went his own way, leaving the X-Men. Bishop was among Iron Man's pro-registration forces that guarded the Negative Zone
prison. When Captain America
's team breaks in a fight ensues, putting Bishop at odds with his former teammates Storm and Cable
.
. As the Marauders
, on Mister Sinister
's orders, try to gather anyone and anything with knowledge of the future, Bishop is the only target they were unable to locate and terminate. It is revealed that he had betrayed the X-Men, and he attempted to kill the baby. However, before he could succeed, he was thwarted by the Marauders, who escaped with the baby. As X-Men arrive on the scene, Bishop pretends to have attempted to retrieve the baby. As Multiple Man
's duplicate and Layla Miller
find out in their mission to one of the planet's possible futures (80 years in the future) that the birth of the child created, the child apparently kills a million people in an event dubbed the Six-Second War, and the U.S. government incarcerates all the mutants into concentration camps, where Bishop is born, grows up, and sees his parents killed. As Multiple Man's dupe and Layla find out, Bishop wishes at a young age to have had the opportunity to kill the baby, so that, while he would not be born, he would also not have to see his parents die, and to endure the horrors of life in the concentration camps. Layla kills the dupe, so that the information conveyed to them by young Bishop can return to the present, to the Multiple Man prime, who conveys Bishop's treachery to the X-Men. The X-Men then attempted to alert X-Force
to Bishop's betrayal, but he managed to block all of their communication channels. After arriving on Muir Island
and fighting past the Marauders, Bishop found Cable attempting to escape with the baby, and the two fight. Both mutants are then attacked by Predator X, who viciously rips off Bishop's right arm. Bishop cauterizes his torn shoulder on an unconscious Sunfire and in an attempt to shoot down a teleporting Cable, he misses and hits Professor X
instead.
.
ability enables him to absorb all forms of radiant or conductive energy that are directed towards him and to release that energy from his hands. This power is passive, allowing Bishop to absorb energy at all times.
When he releases the energy, he can release it in many different forms, usually as concussive blasts of biokinetic energy, even amplified compared to the absorbed amount. Bishop can also store absorbed energy within his personal reserves, whereupon the energy increases his strength and recuperative abilities, as well as affording him a measure of invulnerability. He is also able to absorb magic energy (as seen when fighting "growing men
" in Limbo) and the psychic energies of psionics as easily as all the other kinds. However, this does not prevent him from being read or manipulated by a telepath but only sustains him and helps him to slow them down. It has been clearly stated that Bishop is also able to absorb and process kinetic energy similarly to Sebastian Shaw
, but in a much less effective way.
His powers make it difficult to harm him with energy-based attacks; however, he can become overloaded from absorbing too much energy, though his upper limits are unknown, even to himself. He is, however, partially vulnerable to non-energy weapon attacks. If he were to be shot by a projectile weapon or hit with a crowbar, it could harm him. He carries guns that fire laser beams and plasma charges, and through which he can channel his personal energies.
He can "let his spirit go" as seen in X-Treme X-Men Annual #1. It's unknown if this is a mutant talent, or an ability taught to Bishop sometime in his life.
He has also demonstrated the ability of instinctively knowing where he is and the present hour and date even if asleep, first mentioned in X-Treme X-Men
#1. Although being the great-grandson of Gateway
, a mutant possessing extensive dealings with time travel, this aspect is not one of Bishop's mutant powers. Bishop's explanation is that due to training, he knows where he is at all times.
Bishop is a highly athletic man, an excellent hand-to-hand combatant with many years of armed and unarmed combat training, and a superb marksman with firearms. When he first came to the modern era, Bishop carried XSE guns from his time that fired laser beams and plasma charges. He also wore his XSE uniform, modeled after X-Men uniforms, which contained body armor.
His current right arm is a prosthetic, stolen from Forge
. A nuclear powered battle ready arm, incorporates in its design a time-travel device, the ability to channel his energy blasts through, and enhanced strength and resilience. It has since been destroyed after Bishop tried to use it to time travel from 6700 A.D. to 2010 to kill Cable and Hope Summers due to Cable tampering with the time travelling device within it.
In Ultimate X-Men
#43 when Emma Frost introduces some of the candidates for the new, government-supported mutant team to the president, a muscular African American
with braided hair and a golden chain around his neck is shown on a screen, who is indicated to have a criminal record.
A time-traveling Bishop appears in Ultimate X-Men #76. Moments after the battle with Cable concludes, he appears asking if he's too late to stop Cable.
Wolverine knocks him unconscious and the X-Men interrogate him. He is wearing the same uniform as the members of Cable's squad
. He appears to be much older than the mainstream Bishop, because of his gray hair. He then leads the team into battle with Cable's squad. However, he fails to stop Cable from kidnapping Charles Xavier (everyone believes Xavier is dead) and is now trapped in the present day, due to Cable's destruction of the device that allowed him to time travel.
In Ultimate X-Men #80, Bishop has a conversation with his younger self, who is incarcerated, in which he tells him not to use his powers to escape. By Ultimate X-Men #84, Bishop has formed a new team of X-Men (consisting of Wolverine
, Storm, Pyro
, Dazzler
, Angel, Psylocke
, and himself). He is using the new team to stop a new wave of Sentinel
attacks on mutants, caused by an unknown enemy, revealed in that issue to be the Fenris
twins and Bolivar Trask
. Wolverine appears to distrust Bishop, promising to gut him if he tries anything suspicious. Bishop was unconscious during the fight with the Fenris twins and the Sentinels, but when Psylocke's life was at risk, he woke up to defend her and revealed that she was his future wife.
He killed both the Fenris twins with his abilities and went on to lead the New X-Men against the Sentinels. At the end of the battle, it was revealed to the reader that he was in fact working with Cable, and that the entire "Cable" affair had been a ruse to make the X-Men a stronger team. The team remains unaware of the deception and Wolverine stabbed Bishop at the end of issue #90, when Bishop stopped Storm and Dazzler from being able to save Angel from being killed by Sinister, before Bishop could reveal this. Bishop believes that it couldn't have happened any other way. Cable later reveals the ruse, but Wolverine shows no regret for killing Bishop. After the battle with Apocalypse
is undone by the Phoenix, there is no evidence that Bishop has been returned to life, even though Angel was.
His powers have been revealed as density control. For example, he destroyed a Sentinel robot by causing its shell to increase in density and crush its inner parts; Bishop then reduced his own density (or increased that of the air around him) and floated to the ground. He also has access to teleportation technology.
Robert Kirkman
later admitted that the Bishop mentioned earlier in the series is the same as the one he introduced; faced with the fact that this Bishop was already introduced into continuity when he would have preferred the character to work with Cable, Kirkman simply introduced him as an older version of the previously-mentioned Bishop.
, by Deathbird
. She will become Majestrix of the Shi'ar
with her father as her Imperial Chancellor.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al comic book superhero, appearing in books published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, in particular the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
family of books. Created by Whilce Portacio
Whilce Portacio
William "Whilce" Portacio is a Filipino-American comic book writer and artist. Noted for his work on such titles as The Punisher, X-Factor, and the Uncanny X-Men. Portacio was also one of the seven co-founders of Image Comics, though he did not become a partner in the company.-Early life:Portacio...
and Jim Lee
Jim Lee
Jim Lee is a Korean-American comic book artist, writer, editor and publisher. He first broke into the industry in 1987 as an artist for Marvel Comics, illustrating titles such as Alpha Flight and Punisher War Journal, before gaining a great deal of popularity on The Uncanny X-Men...
, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men, first published as The X-Men, is the flagship Marvel Comics comic book series for the X-Men franchise. It is the mainstream continuity featuring the adventures of the eponymous group of mutant superheroes...
#282 (November 1991).
Bishop was a member of Xavier's Security Enforcers
Xavier's Security Enforcers
Xavier's Security Enforcers are a Marvel Comics superhero team/police force from the fictional 2070s, a time ruled by mutant hunting/killing robots called Sentinels, who at this point in time had run amok, essentially ruling Earth in order to carry out their objective to protect humanity...
(initially called the Xavier School Enforcers), a mutant
Mutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
force from a dystopia
Dystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
n future of the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. He traveled to the 20th century and joined the X-Men, a team he knew only as legends. A brash antihero, he had difficulty adjusting to the norms of the time period. After years of appearing as a member of the team, Bishop became portrayed as one of the X-Men's main antagonists.
Bishop made frequent appearances in the X-Men animated series
X-Men (TV series)
X-Men, also known as X-Men: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series which debuted on October 31, 1992, in the United States on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup...
of the 1990s.
Publication history
Bishop had four limited series including the self-titled Bishop series, where he tracked and fought MountjoyMountjoy (comics)
Mountjoy is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Comics Universe. The character first appeared in Bishop: The Mountjoy Crisis #1.-Fictional character biography:...
, XSE, which showcased his past (future), and its sequel - Bishop: Xavier's Security Enforcers. He also teamed up with Gambit
Gambit (comics)
Gambit is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero that has been a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Jim Lee, the character first appeared briefly in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 , weeks before a more comprehensive appearance in Uncanny X-Men #266...
to oppose Stryfe in Gambit and Bishop: Sons of the Atom. He also starred in the series Bishop: The Last X-Man (1999–2001), in which he was trapped in another alternate timeline, and District X
District X
District X, also known as Mutant Town or the Middle East Side, is a fictional location in Marvel Comics. It is a neighborhood in New York City, first seen during Grant Morrison's run on the series New X-Men in New X-Men #127, which was primarily populated by mutants...
(2004–2005), which cast him as a police officer in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
’s "mutant town," as well as the House of M tie-in, Mutopia.
Early life
Born about 80 years in the future of the Marvel Universe, Bishop was raised in the aftermath of the Summers Rebellion, an uprising in which mutants and humans joined forces to destroy the SentinelsSentinel (comics)
Sentinels are a fictional variety of mutant-hunting robots, appearing in the Marvel Comics Universe. They are usually portrayed as antagonists to the X-Men. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, they first appeared in The X-Men #14 .According to Marvel canon, Sentinels are programmed to locate...
. Bishop has a distinctive M brand
Human branding
Human branding or stigmatizing is the process in which a mark, usually a symbol or ornamental pattern, is burned into the skin of a living person, with the intention that the resulting scar makes it permanent. This is performed using a hot or very cold branding iron...
over his right eye, used to identify mutants
Mutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
in his era. After his parents were killed, Bishop was taken in by a man named LeBeau, also called Witness, who was reportedly the last man to see the legendary X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
alive. According to LeBeau (in XSE
Xavier's Security Enforcers
Xavier's Security Enforcers are a Marvel Comics superhero team/police force from the fictional 2070s, a time ruled by mutant hunting/killing robots called Sentinels, who at this point in time had run amok, essentially ruling Earth in order to carry out their objective to protect humanity...
#4), Bishop's grandmother took Bishop away from him. Bishop and his younger sister, Shard
Shard (comics)
Shard is a mutant character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Shard was a Lieutenant in Xavier's Security Enforcers, with her older brother Bishop in their native timeline in the 2080s. Shard was born in a mutant concentraton camp, in which mutants were branded over...
, were subsequently raised by his grandmother within a mutant concentration camp
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
in Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
or Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
(perhaps both).
Bishop's grandmother taught him many legends of the X-Men, who were old allies of hers. Depowered by unknown means, she had entered the camps in secret to raise her grandchildren. Upon her deathbed, she made Bishop swear to protect Shard. After the Rebellion, the mutants were "emancipated" and sent out of the camps to fend for themselves. Bishop and Shard, who were only children, were left alone. They lived on the streets, stealing in order to survive until coming under the care of a family friend, a war veteran named Hancock. Slightly blind, Hancock nevertheless took on the task of raising the two.
One day, Bishop encountered an anti-human group of mutants called the Exhumes, who took Shard
Shard (comics)
Shard is a mutant character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Shard was a Lieutenant in Xavier's Security Enforcers, with her older brother Bishop in their native timeline in the 2080s. Shard was born in a mutant concentraton camp, in which mutants were branded over...
hostage just before the XSE
Xavier's Security Enforcers
Xavier's Security Enforcers are a Marvel Comics superhero team/police force from the fictional 2070s, a time ruled by mutant hunting/killing robots called Sentinels, who at this point in time had run amok, essentially ruling Earth in order to carry out their objective to protect humanity...
arrived. Until that time Bishop had admired the Exhumes, attributing to them his proud, idealized notion of the legendary X-Men. It wasn't until the XSE defeated the Exhume and saved his sister, however, that Bishop knew he wanted to join the XSE, and when at the age of fifteen Hancock was murdered by criminals who were promptly arrested by the XSE he and Shard enlisted in their ranks. Shard soon surpassed Bishop to become the youngest XSE officer.
During a training class, Bishop's instructors and some of his fellow students were attacked and killed. Bishop rallied the survivors and led the struggle against the assailants until reinforcements arrived. Bishop gradually climbs the ranks of the XSE until finally becoming their commander.
While on a mission to wipe out a nest of Emplate
Emplate
Emplate is a fictional character, a mutant supervillain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in Generation X #1, and was created by Scott Lobdell and Chris Bachalo. Emplate would serve as one of the major antagonists to the Generation X comic book series during its...
s, mutant vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
s that feed on bone marrow
Bone marrow
Bone marrow is the flexible tissue found in the interior of bones. In humans, bone marrow in large bones produces new blood cells. On average, bone marrow constitutes 4% of the total body mass of humans; in adults weighing 65 kg , bone marrow accounts for approximately 2.6 kg...
, Shard was critically injured. Bishop went to Witness for help. Witness, then imprisoned at the New York Stark Fujikawa building, agreed to transfer Shard's essence into a holographic matrix if Bishop would work for him for one year. Bishop agreed, leaving the XSE for a time. The details of Bishop's work during this period are unknown; Bishop appears reticent on the subject, later refusing to tell Shard of his actions.
Immediately upon his re-installment as a commander in the XSE, Bishop and his XSE group the "Omega Squad" captured Trevor Fitzroy
Trevor Fitzroy
Trevor Fitzroy is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an enemy of the X-Men, in particular Bishop. Created by Jim Lee and Whilce Portacio, he first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #281 .Fitzroy hails from the same dystopian future as Bishop...
, a murderous ex-XSE trainee in the ruins of the Xavier Institute
X-Mansion
In the fictional Marvel Comics universe, the X-Mansion is the common name for Professor Xavier's mansion. It is the base of operations and training site of the X-Men and the location of a school for mutant teenagers, the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, formerly Xavier's School for Gifted...
War Room. While there, Bishop discovered a damaged recording of Jean Grey
Jean Grey
Jean Grey-Summers is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix, and Dark Phoenix and is best known as one of five original members of the X-Men, for her relationship with Cyclops, and for her...
, in which she spoke of a traitor destroying the X-Men from inside. Haunted by his discovery, Bishop confronts Witness for details, but receives only a vague, ambiguous response, leaving Bishop to suspect his former master of being more than simply a witness to the downfall of the X-Men.
Joining the X-Men
Fitzroy escaped from prison and used a large amount of mutant life-force to open a time portal and break out 93 mutant criminal "Lifers" in the process. Bishop found himself in the past, in the time of his heroes, the X-Men. Bishop and the Omega Squad eventually "sanctioned" the Lifers, but did not get Fitzroy. Bishop encountered the X-Men for the first time, but did not believe that they were really the X-Men. He then battled them but later allied with the X-Men in trying to stop Fitzroy, and Malcolm and Randall, the two members of his Omega Squad, died in the process. Professor Charles XavierProfessor X
Professor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero known as the leader and founder of the X-Men....
offered him a place in the X-Men, and he was placed under Storm's tutelage. He fought and defeated Styglut. When he met Gambit
Gambit (comics)
Gambit is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero that has been a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Jim Lee, the character first appeared briefly in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 , weeks before a more comprehensive appearance in Uncanny X-Men #266...
, Bishop recognized him as possibly a younger version of the Witness and fought him. Bishop also recognized Jubilee
Jubilee (comics)
Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men.A mutant, Jubilee had the superhuman power to generate "fireworks" of explosive plasma. A teenage "mall rat," she was the X-Men's youngest member in the early 1990s, often playing sidekick to...
as the 'last X-Man', but this has been proven false.
Mystique (comics)
Mystique is a fictional character associated with the Marvel Comics' franchise X-Men. Originally created by artist David Cockrum and writer Chris Claremont, she first appeared in Ms...
for the first time, and alongside the X-Men he battled the Morlocks
Morlocks (comics)
The Morlocks are a group of several fictional comic book mutants associated with the X-Men in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith, they were named after the subterranean race of the same name in H. G. Wells' novel The Time Machine. They first appeared...
and the Death Sponsors.
Bishop assigned himself the role of Xavier's personal bodyguard, which he failed at when Stryfe
Stryfe
Stryfe is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . The character was created by Louise Simonson and Rob Liefeld, and first appears in The New Mutants #87...
, the evil double of Cable
Cable (comics)
Cable is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared as an infant in Uncanny X-Men #201...
, critically wounded Xavier. Initially, the X-Men believed that Cable was the would-be assassin, so Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
and Bishop tracked down Cable, but then traveled to Cable's "Graymalkin" space station, and then joined with them in finding Stryfe. Citing his failure to protect Professor X, Bishop offered to resign from the X-Men. His resignation was rejected by Xavier, and then alongside the X-Men he battled the Acolytes
Acolytes (comics)
The Acolytes is a team of comic book mutant supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. The Acolytes followed the principles of the mutant Magneto, particularly the mutant right of superiority over normal humans. Some members of the Acolytes even worshipped him with a religious fervor and regarded...
.
Later, Bishop would be the one to save lives when Sabretooth
Sabretooth (comics)
Sabretooth is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne. The character first appeared in Iron Fist #14...
escaped from his cell and the other X-Men were busy or unable to fight him.
Age of Apocalypse
When Professor Xavier's insane son — the mutant LegionLegion (Marvel Comics)
Legion is a Marvel Comics character, created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Bill Sienkiewicz.David is the mutant son of Charles Xavier and Israeli Holocaust survivor Gabrielle Haller...
— went back in time to assassinate Magneto
Magneto (comics)
Magneto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the central villain of the X-Men comic, as well as the TV show and the films. The character first appears in X-Men #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
, Bishop was one of the X-Men sent to stop him. When they failed, and Legion accidentally killed Professor Xavier, Bishop was the only time-traveler to remain when history was altered and became the Age of Apocalypse
Age of Apocalypse
"Age of Apocalypse" is a 1995 - 1996 comic book crossover storyline published in the X-Men franchise of books by Marvel Comics. The Age of Apocalypse briefly replaced the universe of Earth-616, although it was later retconned as having occurred in the alternate universe of Earth-295, it had...
. He eventually convinced the Magneto of that era that the existence of this reality was wrong, and with a great amount of sacrifice, managed to correct the error and stop Legion. After the timeline reset itself, Bishop received some of his counterpart's unsettling memories of the Age of Apocalypse.
The traitor in the X-Men was eventually revealed to be Professor X in the form of Onslaught
Onslaught (comics)
Onslaught is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Man #15 , and was co-created by writers Scott Lobdell, Mark Waid, and artist Andy Kubert....
. Bishop's knowledge of the future was the only thing that stopped Onslaught from killing the X-Men. As Onslaught fired a massive blast of psionic energy at the distracted X-Men, Bishop threw himself in front of them and absorbed the blast that would have killed them. Onslaught, winded from such a massive attack, said that his blast was enough to kill a thousand mutants and "Another time, another place, I would have been proud". Bishop lost consciousness after absorbing the blast, but soon recovered, although it was not enough to prevent Onslaught from nearly destroying all of humanity. He made peace with Gambit, who was not the traitor after all.
On a mission in deep space to stop the Phalanx
Phalanx (comics)
The Phalanx are a fictional cybernetic species in the Marvel Comics universe. They have come in conflict with the X-Men and related groups on several occasions. They form a hive mind, linking each member by a telepathy-like system....
, Bishop became separated from the rest of the X-Men. Despite trickery and base manipulation by Deathbird
Deathbird
Deathbird is a fictional character. She is a Marvel Comics supervillainess, an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum, she first appeared in Ms. Marvel #9....
, he entered into a romantic relationship with her. They had many adventures far out in space, but when she turned on him and the X-Men, he seemingly killed her.
Following this, Bishop spent some time in a distant possible future, detailed in the Bishop: The Last X-Man series, where he again faced Trevor Fitzroy. He was temporarily returned to the present by Apocalypse
Apocalypse (comics)
Apocalypse is a fictional character who is an ancient mutant that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Factor #5 , created by writer Louise Simonson and designed by artist Walter Simonson...
who needed him as one of The Twelve, before finally returning permanently during the Maximum Security crossover.
X-Treme X-Men
Bishop was a founding member of Storm's splinter team of X-Men, whose mission was to search for the Books of Truth, the diaries of the precognitive mutant DestinyDestiny (Irene Adler)
Destiny is a Marvel Comics fictional character, known as an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #141...
. They left against the will and knowledge of the main team, as the splinter group did not trust in Xavier or the others to use the diaries for the benefit of humanity.
He revealed his first name to be "Lucas", using it on a fake police ID. Even though the X-Men came to believe the diaries to be self-fulfilling, the team stayed together for a while before returning to the mansion. His team started believing that the others had grown more mutant-supremacist, and less interested in integration (the original reason that many of them joined the X-Men). While with his splinter team, Bishop was second-in-command. He would participate in solving murder mysteries, and even used false IDs to convince the local authorities he was one of them.
With the disbanding of the team, Storm formed her own XSE, the X-Treme Sanctions Executive
X-Treme Sanctions Executive
The X-Treme Sanctions Executive is a fictional paramilitary police force charged with keeping the peace between mutants and humans. The team was first mentioned in X-Treme X-Men #40, when Storm presented her team with an offer to join a new, government-backed squad.-Creation:During the final issues...
, which was officially recognized by the government as a mutant police force. Bishop had also begun a friendship with the X-Man Sage
Sage (comics)
Sage, also known as Tessa, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She has most often been associated with the X-Men and the Hellfire Club, whom she spied upon for Professor Charles Xavier....
. They helped to uncover the killer of the White Queen
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne....
. Bishop was then seen getting close to Angel's ex-girlfriend, Detective Charlotte Jones.
District X
Bishop joined the Federal Bureau of InvestigationFederal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, and appeared regularly in District X
District X
District X, also known as Mutant Town or the Middle East Side, is a fictional location in Marvel Comics. It is a neighborhood in New York City, first seen during Grant Morrison's run on the series New X-Men in New X-Men #127, which was primarily populated by mutants...
, a police procedural
Police procedural
The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several...
set in a mutant ghetto
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. District X, or 'Mutant Town', had a high-population density. It was also a poverty-stricken area with high crime rates. Bishop was assigned to the area in order to resolve mutant-related crimes. The series was canceled after 14 issues.
Since the events of House of M
House of M
House of M is an eight-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, its first issue debuted in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled...
, Bishop continued to visit New York, but since a majority of the mutant population of District X was wiped out by the Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
, Bishop turned his primary attention back to the X-Men and school. He had been involved with several missions with the team, such as taking down the Shi'ar Death Commandos, helping Psylocke
Psylocke
Psylocke is a fictional character depicted in comic books published by Marvel Comics, most notably those comics featuring the superhero team the X-Men. The character has also appeared in licensed adaptations. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Herb Trimpe, she first appeared in the UK...
deal with the Foursaken and the First Fallen, as well as helping Storm save Africa, from soldiers who were taking children from villages.
Civil War
In the Civil War: X-MenCivil War: X-Men
Civil War: X-Men is a four-issue comic book mini-series, published in 2006 by Marvel Comics.Though published as part of the wider Civil War event, its plot is a continuation of the earlier X-Men: The 198 mini-series.-Plot:...
miniseries Bishop sides with the O*N*E* to bring in the X-Men and the 198
X-Men: The 198
X-Men: The 198 is a comic book limited series that was published by Marvel Comics and set in the Marvel Universe shortly after the House of M and Decimation events...
. He argues with Cyclops
Cyclops (comics)
Cyclops is a fictional character, the leader of the X-Men superhero team in the . A mutant, Cyclops emits a powerful energy beam from his eyes...
over allowing their escape, and states his fear of what the future might hold. Val Cooper
Valerie Cooper
Valerie "Val" Cooper is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe who currently works for the Office of National Emergency. She is most notable for her work as the liaison for mutant affairs in the United States government.-Publication history:...
and Tony Stark
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
let Bishop lead Micromax
Micromax
Micromax is a fictional character, a mutant superhero of the Marvel universe. He first appeared in Excalibur vol. 1 #44.-Fictional character biography:Prior to the discovery of his mutant abilities, Scott Wright was a disk jockey...
and Sabra
Sabra (comics)
Sabra is the alias of Ruth Bat-Seraph, a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:...
into action against Domino
Domino (comics)
Domino is a Marvel Comics character, best known as a member of the X-Men offshoot X-Force. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/co-writer Rob Liefeld, she first fully appeared in X-Force, vol...
, Shatterstar
Shatterstar
Shatterstar is a fictional character, a mutant superhero in the .-Publication history:Shatterstar first appeared in The New Mutants vol. 1 #99 , and was created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld. Since his debut Shatterstar has mainly appeared in the original X-Force title, with some issues...
, and the rest of the 198. Bishop led them to the base where the 198 were hiding and told the X-Men to stand down upon their arrival. However, General Demetrius Lazer
Demetrius Lazer
General Demetrius Lazer was a Marvel Comics villain and enemy of the X-Men. He debuted on Decimation: House of M -- The Day After, the one-shot issue that marked the end of the House of M crossover and the beginning of the Decimation storyline...
betrayed him by ensuring that Cyclops attacked Bishop. Though at first he simply absorbed it, the power was too much for him to control and he was overwhelmed. Bishop was forced to direct the energy he had absorbed upwards in a powerful blast that destroyed a O*N*E* Sentinel. He later teamed up with the X-Men to save the 198 from a bomb explosion and then went his own way, leaving the X-Men. Bishop was among Iron Man's pro-registration forces that guarded the Negative Zone
Negative Zone
The Negative Zone is a fictional setting, an antimatter universe depicted in publications from Marvel Comics, most frequently in Fantastic Four and Captain Marvel. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it first appeared in Fantastic Four #51 .-Fictional description:The Negative Zone in the Marvel...
prison. When Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
's team breaks in a fight ensues, putting Bishop at odds with his former teammates Storm and Cable
Cable (comics)
Cable is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared as an infant in Uncanny X-Men #201...
.
Messiah Complex
In Messiah Complex, the precipitating event causing Bishop's future is finally revealed: the birth of the first mutant child since M-DayDecimation (comics)
Decimation is the late 2005 Marvel Comics storyline spinning off from the House of M limited series. It focuses on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witch stripping nearly all of the mutant population of their powers, thereby reducing a society of millions to one of scant hundreds.This event, which...
. As the Marauders
Marauders (comics)
The Marauders is a team of fictional supervillain characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Romita, Jr., the team first appear in Uncanny X-Men #210 The Marauders is a team of fictional supervillain characters in comic books published by...
, on Mister Sinister
Mister Sinister
Mister Sinister is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #221 and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Marc Silvestri....
's orders, try to gather anyone and anything with knowledge of the future, Bishop is the only target they were unable to locate and terminate. It is revealed that he had betrayed the X-Men, and he attempted to kill the baby. However, before he could succeed, he was thwarted by the Marauders, who escaped with the baby. As X-Men arrive on the scene, Bishop pretends to have attempted to retrieve the baby. As Multiple Man
Jamie Madrox
James Arthur "Jamie" Madrox, also called the Multiple Man, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero, associated with the X-Men...
's duplicate and Layla Miller
Layla Miller
Layla Rose Miller, also known as Butterfly, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared in House of M #4, and was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Oliver Coipel...
find out in their mission to one of the planet's possible futures (80 years in the future) that the birth of the child created, the child apparently kills a million people in an event dubbed the Six-Second War, and the U.S. government incarcerates all the mutants into concentration camps, where Bishop is born, grows up, and sees his parents killed. As Multiple Man's dupe and Layla find out, Bishop wishes at a young age to have had the opportunity to kill the baby, so that, while he would not be born, he would also not have to see his parents die, and to endure the horrors of life in the concentration camps. Layla kills the dupe, so that the information conveyed to them by young Bishop can return to the present, to the Multiple Man prime, who conveys Bishop's treachery to the X-Men. The X-Men then attempted to alert X-Force
X-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...
to Bishop's betrayal, but he managed to block all of their communication channels. After arriving on Muir Island
Muir Island
Muir Island is a small, fictional island off the northern coast of Scotland in the Marvel Comics universe. It plays a prominent role in the X-Men comics and its related series.-History:...
and fighting past the Marauders, Bishop found Cable attempting to escape with the baby, and the two fight. Both mutants are then attacked by Predator X, who viciously rips off Bishop's right arm. Bishop cauterizes his torn shoulder on an unconscious Sunfire and in an attempt to shoot down a teleporting Cable, he misses and hits Professor X
Professor X
Professor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero known as the leader and founder of the X-Men....
instead.
Chasing the Mutant Messiah
Bishop managed to escape the X-Men after he seemingly killed their mentor, and stole a nuclear powered bionic arm from Forge equipped with a timeslide device, which he uses to track down Cable and the newborn mutant. Upon finding them, he shoots Cable twice before being hindered by a local gang. With Cable severely weakened by blood loss, he makes a risky attack before the gang can find heavier weapons. He later manages to track down Cable, slaying several mutated beasts in the process, and shoot the Mutant Messiah. He also finds that in the future generated by his choice, Cable will be always revered as a Messianic figure who tried his best to protect the Child, and saved humanity from the very beasts Bishop unwillingly saved Cable from. It has been revealed that the Messiah child is still alive and Bishop has been captured by the X-Men. However, in his efforts to kill the child Bishop has laid out several traps for Cable throughout the timestream, killing millions in the process, though he doesn't see them as people who actually exist, but as people who wouldn't exist or come back to life if he kills HopeHope Summers (comics)
Hope Summers is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men #205 in 2007 , and was created by writers Mike Carey and artist Chris Bachalo during the "X-Men: Messiah Complex" event...
.
Messiah War
After multiple failings at killing Hope, Bishop locates and enlists the aid of Stryfe, promising him that he would aid him in killing Apocalypse and Cable. Stryfe and Bishop travel to a point in the future where Apocalypse is at his weakest and manage to defeat him. Stryfe builds an empire using Celestial technology and Bishop becomes his right hand man, waiting for Cable and Hope to re-emerge. When they do appear along with X-Force, Hope is kidnapped. Bishop betrays Stryfe and his plot to kill Hope is foiled by Stryfe, who wants to make her his heir. Both attempts are foiled by Apocalypse, X-Force, and Cable. Cable manages to rescue Hope and escape yet again. Bishop escapes into the "near future" of the 21st century, reconstructing his arm, vowing to find Hope once again.Homecoming
After several years at failing to kill Hope, Hope finally decides that it's time to return to the present. During a battle, Bishop manages to knock out Cable. In a fit of rage, Hope's powers awaken and knock him out. Hope attempts to kill him, but is stopped by Cable. They take his time machine and leave him stranded. Bishop is somehow transported with them and begins chasing them through time, in an attempt to kill Hope before they reach the present. In Cable #24, Hope and Nathan return to the present time but Bishop follows them. He attacks them, running Cable through with a sword. As Cable is incapacitated, Hope rushes to his aid but is ultimately overpowered by Bishop. Cable takes out Bishop's time travelling device from his techno-organic arm, performs some alterations on it and places it in Bishop's robotic arm. Cable recovers enough to toss Bishop into the subway. As Bishop attempts to kill Hope one last time, he is transported to a barren and dead Earth (as a result of his efforts to limit Cable and Hope's attempts to find allies and shelter through different time periods) with a red Sun in the sky (cause unknown). Bishop, being overconfident, attempts to travel back to the present time to continue his quest to kill Cable and Hope Summers, but due to Cable sabotaging Bishop's time travelling device, this attempt causes his robotic arm to explode. This leaves him stranded in the year 6700 A.D. Bishop is last shown thinking to himself concerning Cable and Hope, "I was as much a father to that girl as you were. Whatever she becomes, it's because of me. I was doing the right thing. Wasn't I?".Powers and abilities
Bishop's mutantMutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
ability enables him to absorb all forms of radiant or conductive energy that are directed towards him and to release that energy from his hands. This power is passive, allowing Bishop to absorb energy at all times.
When he releases the energy, he can release it in many different forms, usually as concussive blasts of biokinetic energy, even amplified compared to the absorbed amount. Bishop can also store absorbed energy within his personal reserves, whereupon the energy increases his strength and recuperative abilities, as well as affording him a measure of invulnerability. He is also able to absorb magic energy (as seen when fighting "growing men
Growing Man
The Growing Man is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Thor #140 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
" in Limbo) and the psychic energies of psionics as easily as all the other kinds. However, this does not prevent him from being read or manipulated by a telepath but only sustains him and helps him to slow them down. It has been clearly stated that Bishop is also able to absorb and process kinetic energy similarly to Sebastian Shaw
Sebastian Shaw (comics)
Sebastian Hiram Shaw is a fictional comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe, and an adversary of the X-Men.A mutant, Shaw possesses the ability to absorb energy and transform it into raw strength...
, but in a much less effective way.
His powers make it difficult to harm him with energy-based attacks; however, he can become overloaded from absorbing too much energy, though his upper limits are unknown, even to himself. He is, however, partially vulnerable to non-energy weapon attacks. If he were to be shot by a projectile weapon or hit with a crowbar, it could harm him. He carries guns that fire laser beams and plasma charges, and through which he can channel his personal energies.
He can "let his spirit go" as seen in X-Treme X-Men Annual #1. It's unknown if this is a mutant talent, or an ability taught to Bishop sometime in his life.
He has also demonstrated the ability of instinctively knowing where he is and the present hour and date even if asleep, first mentioned in X-Treme X-Men
X-Treme X-Men
X-Treme X-Men was a comic book published by Marvel Comics from 2001 through 2004. All 46 issues of the series were written by Chris Claremont. The first 24 issues were drawn by Salvador Larroca, and the final 22 issues were drawn by Igor Kordey....
#1. Although being the great-grandson of Gateway
Gateway (comics)
Gateway is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe, an Australian mutant with the ability to teleport objects and people from one location to another. He is considered an unofficial member of the X-Men...
, a mutant possessing extensive dealings with time travel, this aspect is not one of Bishop's mutant powers. Bishop's explanation is that due to training, he knows where he is at all times.
Bishop is a highly athletic man, an excellent hand-to-hand combatant with many years of armed and unarmed combat training, and a superb marksman with firearms. When he first came to the modern era, Bishop carried XSE guns from his time that fired laser beams and plasma charges. He also wore his XSE uniform, modeled after X-Men uniforms, which contained body armor.
His current right arm is a prosthetic, stolen from Forge
Forge (comics)
Forge is a fictional character in the , a superhero associated with The X-Men.A mutant with an unsurpassed brilliance in technology, Forge has had a lengthy career as a government weapons contractor. He shared a romantic relationship with Storm, and a brief affair with Mystique which led him to...
. A nuclear powered battle ready arm, incorporates in its design a time-travel device, the ability to channel his energy blasts through, and enhanced strength and resilience. It has since been destroyed after Bishop tried to use it to time travel from 6700 A.D. to 2010 to kill Cable and Hope Summers due to Cable tampering with the time travelling device within it.
Ultimate Bishop
Ultimate X-Men
Ultimate X-Men is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2001 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running X-Men comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...
#43 when Emma Frost introduces some of the candidates for the new, government-supported mutant team to the president, a muscular African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
with braided hair and a golden chain around his neck is shown on a screen, who is indicated to have a criminal record.
A time-traveling Bishop appears in Ultimate X-Men #76. Moments after the battle with Cable concludes, he appears asking if he's too late to stop Cable.
Wolverine knocks him unconscious and the X-Men interrogate him. He is wearing the same uniform as the members of Cable's squad
Six Pack (comics)
The Six Pack is a team of fictional characters in the Marvel Comics Universe. The original team debuted in X-Force #8, March , created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld.-Fictional team biography:...
. He appears to be much older than the mainstream Bishop, because of his gray hair. He then leads the team into battle with Cable's squad. However, he fails to stop Cable from kidnapping Charles Xavier (everyone believes Xavier is dead) and is now trapped in the present day, due to Cable's destruction of the device that allowed him to time travel.
In Ultimate X-Men #80, Bishop has a conversation with his younger self, who is incarcerated, in which he tells him not to use his powers to escape. By Ultimate X-Men #84, Bishop has formed a new team of X-Men (consisting of Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
, Storm, Pyro
Pyro (comics)
Pyro is a fictional character in Marvel Comics and an enemy of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne, he first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #141 ....
, Dazzler
Dazzler
Dazzler is a Marvel Comics superheroine, associated with the X-Men. She first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #130 ....
, Angel, Psylocke
Psylocke
Psylocke is a fictional character depicted in comic books published by Marvel Comics, most notably those comics featuring the superhero team the X-Men. The character has also appeared in licensed adaptations. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Herb Trimpe, she first appeared in the UK...
, and himself). He is using the new team to stop a new wave of Sentinel
Sentinel (comics)
Sentinels are a fictional variety of mutant-hunting robots, appearing in the Marvel Comics Universe. They are usually portrayed as antagonists to the X-Men. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, they first appeared in The X-Men #14 .According to Marvel canon, Sentinels are programmed to locate...
attacks on mutants, caused by an unknown enemy, revealed in that issue to be the Fenris
Fenris (comics)
Fenris are two fictional characters from the Marvel Comics universe, namely German twins Andrea and Andreas von Strucker. They are the children of supervillain Baron Wolfgang von Strucker of HYDRA and the half-brother of Werner von Strucker. Andrea is female, Andreas is male...
twins and Bolivar Trask
Bolivar Trask
Bolivar Trask is a fictional character and a military scientist in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #14 . He is the creator of the Sentinels.-Fictional character biography:...
. Wolverine appears to distrust Bishop, promising to gut him if he tries anything suspicious. Bishop was unconscious during the fight with the Fenris twins and the Sentinels, but when Psylocke's life was at risk, he woke up to defend her and revealed that she was his future wife.
He killed both the Fenris twins with his abilities and went on to lead the New X-Men against the Sentinels. At the end of the battle, it was revealed to the reader that he was in fact working with Cable, and that the entire "Cable" affair had been a ruse to make the X-Men a stronger team. The team remains unaware of the deception and Wolverine stabbed Bishop at the end of issue #90, when Bishop stopped Storm and Dazzler from being able to save Angel from being killed by Sinister, before Bishop could reveal this. Bishop believes that it couldn't have happened any other way. Cable later reveals the ruse, but Wolverine shows no regret for killing Bishop. After the battle with Apocalypse
Apocalypse (comics)
Apocalypse is a fictional character who is an ancient mutant that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Factor #5 , created by writer Louise Simonson and designed by artist Walter Simonson...
is undone by the Phoenix, there is no evidence that Bishop has been returned to life, even though Angel was.
His powers have been revealed as density control. For example, he destroyed a Sentinel robot by causing its shell to increase in density and crush its inner parts; Bishop then reduced his own density (or increased that of the air around him) and floated to the ground. He also has access to teleportation technology.
Robert Kirkman
Robert Kirkman
Robert Kirkman is an American comic book writer best known for his work on The Walking Dead and Invincible for Image Comics, and Ultimate X-Men and Marvel Zombies for Marvel Comics. He has also collaborated with Image Comics co-founder Todd McFarlane on the series Haunt...
later admitted that the Bishop mentioned earlier in the series is the same as the one he introduced; faced with the fact that this Bishop was already introduced into continuity when he would have preferred the character to work with Cable, Kirkman simply introduced him as an older version of the previously-mentioned Bishop.
X-Men Noir
In X-Men Noir, Bishop is depicted as the muscle for Remy LeBeau, the owner of a nightclub and casino called The Creole Club.X-Men: The End
In the non-canon trilogy of miniseries, Bishop learns he has a teenage daughter, AliyahAliyah Bishop
Aliyah Bishop is a fictional comic book character in the X-Men mythos. She first appeared as an illustration in one of Destiny's Diaries in X-Treme X-Men #10, and was created by Chris Claremont and Salvador Larroca.-Fictional character biography:...
, by Deathbird
Deathbird
Deathbird is a fictional character. She is a Marvel Comics supervillainess, an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum, she first appeared in Ms. Marvel #9....
. She will become Majestrix of the Shi'ar
Shi'ar
The Shi'ar are a fictional species of aliens in the Marvel Comics universe. The Shi'ar Empire also called the Aerie, is a vast collection of alien species, cultures and worlds situated close to the Skrull and Kree Empires, and alongside them, is one of the three main alien empires...
with her father as her Imperial Chancellor.
Television
- Bishop guest starred in a few episodes of the X-MenX-Men (TV series)X-Men, also known as X-Men: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series which debuted on October 31, 1992, in the United States on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup...
animated television series voiced by Philip AkinPhilip AkinPhilip Akin is a Canadian actor who has been active for over thirty years in stage, film, and television. He has had featured roles in major American films such as The Sum of All Fears, S.W.A.T., and Get Rich or Die Tryin’...
. He travels back in time to stop the assassination of Senator Kelly and prevent the Days of Future PastDays of Future Past"Days of Future Past" is a popular storyline in the Marvel Comics comic book The Uncanny X-Men issues #141 and #142, published in 1981. It deals with a dystopian alternate future in which mutants are incarcerated in internment camps...
timeline from occurring (with Bishop assuming Kitty PrydeKitty PrydeKatherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 and was created by writer-artist John Byrne....
's role from the comic version of this tale). Bishop believes GambitGambit (comics)Gambit is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero that has been a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Jim Lee, the character first appeared briefly in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 , weeks before a more comprehensive appearance in Uncanny X-Men #266...
to be the assassin, but it is later revealed that Mystique attempts the assassination in the guise of the Gambit. Upon returning to his own time after saving Kelly, he finds the world infected with a deadly plague. He returns in a later episode to stop the spread of ApocalypseApocalypse (comics)Apocalypse is a fictional character who is an ancient mutant that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Factor #5 , created by writer Louise Simonson and designed by artist Walter Simonson...
's techno-organic virusTechno-organic virusA techno-organic virus is a fictional virus in the Marvel Comics universe. The virus transforms organic material into techno-organic material. Techno-organic material resembles both machinery and living tissue...
, however, he also faces resistance from CableCable (comics)Cable is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared as an infant in Uncanny X-Men #201...
, who knows the virus is necessary as it will create antibodies necessary to the stabilization of the mutant genetic code. He also shows up in some more episodes, where he and his sister travel back in time to stop Fitzroy from killing a young Charles Xavier in the past, causing constant war between mutants and humans in the X-Men's time, and his time changes into one in which mutants have been all but exterminated by Master Mold. They eventually manage to save Xavier, but Bishop gets trapped in the Axis of Time during Apocalypse's attempt to control all of time in the "Beyond Good and Evil" episodes. After Apocalypse's defeat, Bishop returns to his own proper timeline. - Bishop appeared in Wolverine and the X-Men, voiced by Kevin Michael RichardsonKevin Michael RichardsonKevin Michael Richardson is an American actor and voice actor who currently stars as Cleveland Brown, Jr. in The Cleveland Show...
. He appears as a member of Professor XProfessor XProfessor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero known as the leader and founder of the X-Men....
's future X-MenX-MenThe X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
team and was trained by Wolverine at a young age.
Video games
- He is a playable characterPlayer characterA player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
in X-Men: Next DimensionX-Men: Next DimensionX-Men: Next Dimension is a fighting game, released in 2002 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, and GameCube video game consoles. It is the third game in the X-Men: Mutant Academy fighting game series, following X-Men: Mutant Academy and X-Men: Mutant Academy 2...
. - He is a playable characterPlayer characterA player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
in X-Men 2: Game Master's LegacyX-Men 2: Game Master's LegacyX-Men 2: Gamesmaster's Legacy was released in 1994 on the Sega Game Gear system. The game starts off with Cyclops and Storm as playable X-Men, although Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Bishop, Jean Grey, and Cable can be unlocked later on...
. - A younger version of Bishop makes a cameo in X-Men LegendsX-Men LegendsX-Men Legends is an action role-playing video game developed by Raven Software and published by Activision. It was released on the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles in the fall of . Barking Lizards Technologies developed the N-Gage port of the game, which was released in early...
, voiced by Grey DeLisleGrey DeLisleGrey DeLisle is an American voice actress, singer-songwriter, and comedienne. To date, she has released four solo albums and has featured on the tribute album Anchored in Love: A Tribute to June Carter Cash and film soundtrack of Loggerheads...
. He is almost killed by a SentinelSentinel (comics)Sentinels are a fictional variety of mutant-hunting robots, appearing in the Marvel Comics Universe. They are usually portrayed as antagonists to the X-Men. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, they first appeared in The X-Men #14 .According to Marvel canon, Sentinels are programmed to locate...
, but is saved by the X-MenX-MenThe X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
. - Khary PaytonKhary PaytonKhary Payton is an American actor and voice actor known for his voice characterizations in animated cartoons, having portrayed Cyborg in the Teen Titans animated series and Aqualad in Young Justice. In the cartoon series Justice League, Payton provided the voice of the villain Ten...
voices Bishop who is a playable character in X-Men Legends II: Rise of ApocalypseX-Men Legends II: Rise of ApocalypseX-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse is an action role-playing game released in 2005 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, N-Gage, PlayStation Portable, and GameCube video game consoles as well as the PC...
. Bishop's status as a time traveler is mentioned in a trivia mini-game. - Bishop appears in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, voiced by Emerson Brooks. He appears as an NPCNon-player characterA non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
for the Pro-Registration side and serves as a boss fight for the Anti-Registration Side. When the heroes are fighting Tinkerer in a Repeater Tower to broadcast a jamming signal, Black Panther mentions over the radio that Bishop has been taken over by The Fold.
Books
- Bishop plays a small part in the X-Men: The Last StandX-Men: The Last StandX-Men: The Last Stand is a 2006 superhero film and the third in the X-Men series. It was directed by Brett Ratner and stars an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Kelsey Grammer, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones,...
novelization by Chris ClaremontChris ClaremontChris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
. He is mentioned as a NYPDNew York City Police DepartmentThe New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
Officer who is in charge of crowd control at Worthington Cure Clinics in the city of New York. He is also mentioned to be a former student at Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters, and he is an acquaintance of IcemanIceman (comics)Iceman is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men vol. 1 #1, ....
. - Bishop is a main character in the Spider-ManSpider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
and X-Men novel trilogy Time's Arrow by Tom DeFalcoTom DeFalcoTom DeFalco is an American comics writer and editor, well known for his association with Marvel Comics and in particular for his work with Spider-Man.-Career:...
with Jason HendersonJason HendersonJason Henderson is a writer of computer games, novels and several comic book series.He is the writer of the young adult novel series Alex Van Helsing from HarperCollins and the comic book series Sword of Dracula from Image Comics, Strange Magic from Marvel Comics, and Soulcatcher...
(The Past), Adam-Troy CastroAdam-Troy CastroAdam-Troy Castro is a science fiction, fantasy, and horror writer living in Miami, FL. He has more than eighty stories to his credit and has been nominated for numerous awards, including the Hugo, Nebula, and Stoker. These stories include four Spider-Man novels, including the Sinister Six trilogy,...
(The Present), and eluki bes shaharRosemary EdghillRosemary Edghill is an American writer and editor, who has often used that pseudonym in place of her legal name, eluki bes shahar...
(The Future), in which he and Spider-Man travel through time and into parallel universes. In these books, Bishop is able to use his energy absorption ability as an active power.
External links
- Bishop at UncannyXmen.net