Bishop (comics)

Template:Superherobox Bishop, alias "Lucas Bishop", is a comic book fictional character in Marvel Comics' universe. He first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #282 (November 1991). Bishop's mutant ability enables him to absorb all forms of energy and release the absorbed energy in the form of a burst of concussive force.

Character history

Born about 60 years in the future of the Marvel Universe, Bishop has a distinctive M brand over his right eye, used to identify mutants in his era. After his parents were killed, Bishop was raised by a man named LeBeau, also called Witness, reportedly the last man to see the legendary X-Men alive. He was reunited with his grandmother and sister in a concentration camp in Nevada, shortly before the Summers Rebellion, when mutants and humans joined forces to destroy the Sentinels.

After the Rebellion, the mutants were "emancipated," sent out of the camps to fend for themselves. Bishop came across an anti-mutant group called the Exhumes, who took his sister Shard hostage when the Xavier Security Enforcers entered the situation. After the XSE defeated the Exhume member, Bishop knew he wanted to join the XSE. When he got the chance, he accepted only if Shard could join as well.

While on a mission to wipe out a nest of Emplates, mutant vampires that feed on Bone marrow, Shard was critically injured. Bishop went to Witness for help, and he agreed to transfer Shard's essence into a holographic matrix, if Bishop would work for him for one year.

Bishop and his XSE group "Omega Squad" captured Trevor Fitzroy, a murderous ex-XSE trainee in the ruins of the Xavier Institute War Room, where Bishop found a damaged recording of Jean Grey, which said something about a traitor destroying the X-Men from inside. Witness gave him very few answers, and Bishop thought that Witness did more than just witness those events.

Fitzroy escaped from prison and used a large amount of mutant life-force to open a time portal and break out 93 "Lifers" in the process, Bishop found himself in the past, in the time of his heroes, the X-Men. Bishop eventually "sanctioned" the Lifers, but did not get Fitzroy, and Professor Xavier offered him a place in the X-Men. When he met Gambit, Bishop recognized him as possibly a younger Witness, and the two even came to blows at one point.

When the insane mutant Legion 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 Charles Xavier, Bishop was the only time-traveller to remain when history was altered and became the Age of Apocalypse. He convinced the Magneto of that era that their existence was wrong, and with a great amount of sacrifice, managed to correct the error and stopped Legion. After the timeline reset itself, Bishop still had unsettling memories of the Age of Apocalypse.

Bishop's knowledge of a traitor within the X-Men was not enough to prevent Onslaught from nearly destroying all of humanity, but he made peace with Gambit, who was not the traitor after all.

When trapped in deep space, Bishop became romantically involved with Deathbird, but when she turned on him and the X-Men, he vented her. Bishop spent some time in an alternate timeline, where he finally defeated Fitzroy.

Although a little lacking in humour, he has been a loyal fighter, and most recently joined the team searching for the Books of Truth, the diaries of the precognitive Destiny, and started using "Lucas" as a first name to go with his fake police ID. Even though the diaries became invalid due to a prediction being stopped, the team stayed together for a while before returning to the mansion. His team has recently formed their own X.S.E. - the X-Treme Sanctions Executive Bishop has also begun a friendship with the new X-Man Sage.

Lately, Bishop joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation and now appears regularly in District X, a police procedural set in a mutant ghetto in New York City. He still continues to work with the X-Men.

Trivia and speculation

Given that very little is known about Bishop's past before he appeared in the present time, much has been hinted at and speculated about regarding his origin. One theory that has prevailed is that Bishop is one of Storm's children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren. Some questioned this theory's legitimacy once Bishop and Storm began to have a relationship in the present. Others have argued the possibility that a relationship between Storm and Bishop in the present might lead to descendants, one of which would become Bishop himself someday.

A dizzy Bishop once confused young M of Generation X for his grandmother. Another hint to his possible ancestry.

It has been recently revealed that the Australian aboriginal mutant Gateway is his great-grandfather.

He is a playable character in the upcoming console role-playing game X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse.