The newest installment of the series takes the sci-fi excitement to new heights, immersing viewers in the intricacies of time travel. Continuing from the cliff-hanger of Part 1, we witness Cable’s journey from the future to the present day, with a mission to thwart Bishop’s valiant efforts against Apocalypse’s devastating plague. Here, time travel transcends its role as a mere narrative tool; it becomes the core of the plot, intricately crafting a narrative rich in complexity and edge-of-your-seat suspense. It pays homage to the classic Back to the Future (Part 2), reimagining familiar scenes with a unique twist as Cable intervenes in historical events. The experience is reminiscent of navigating through a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book, yet this adventure unfolds on the small screen.

In this episode, the X-Men return with explosive action, confronting a malevolent entity determined to eradicate mutant kind. The time travel element introduces a sense of urgency, propelling our heroes into a frantic race to stop a deadly virus. The highlight is undoubtedly the intense showdown between Wolverine and Apocalypse – a battle of monumental stakes and razor-sharp action.

Moreover, the episode explores the ramifications of tampering with time, a recurring motif in time travel tales. Cable’s well-intentioned efforts to secure his timeline inadvertently wreak havoc on Bishop’s future. The narrative skill fully navigates the concept of causality, illustrating the ripple effects of decisions across different timelines, underscoring the unpredictable nature of altering the past.

In the distant future of 3999 AD, Cable is on the verge of a time-traveling mission to prevent the X-Men and Bishop from annihilating a plague created by Apocalypse. Amidst his preparations, his son Tyler Summers is wiped from existence by the ravaging temporal storms. Undeterred, Cable journeys back to intercept Bishop, adamant that the future must not be altered, but Bishop escapes after a violent confrontation.

Simultaneously, the X-Men rendezvous with Bishop at the mutant quarantine facility, only to find Cable lying in wait to take out Bishop. The situation escalates into a skirmish when Storm and Rogue spot and challenge the time traveller. As the X-Men engage Cable, they also navigate the chaos of anti-mutant protests. Eventually, Cable, weary of battle, vanishes via teleportation.

Back at his base, Cable consults his A.I. cube for intel on the X-Men, pinpointing their vulnerabilities and strengths. Armed with this knowledge, he formulates a plan involving Wolverine‘s regenerative abilities. Concurrently, Beast publicly addresses the plague, assuring that mutants are not carriers. The event is disrupted by Graydon Creed and the Friends of Humanity, leading to Cable’s abrupt appearance and subsequent abduction of Wolverine, whom he convinces to join the fight against Apocalypse and his catastrophic plague.

Upon reaching Creed’s stronghold, the X-Men descend into the subterranean laboratory. A fierce battle ensues as they confront Apocalypse, with Cable and Wolverine joining the fray. In a dramatic turn, Wolverine is thrust into vials of a devastating plague, which he contracts. Miraculously, his healing abilities neutralize the infection. Amidst chaos, the facility detonates, but the X-Men, along with Bishop and Cable, narrowly escape.

Bishop travels forward in time, relieved to discover the plague averted, yet the future remains grim. Meanwhile, at the X-Mansion, Beast confirms Wolverine’s complete recovery from the plague, his body having produced the vital antibodies Cable required to salvage his own future. Cable journeys back to his timeline, greeted by a reality unchanged and Tyler unharmed.

CABLE 101

Rogue recalls her brief encounter with Cable on Muir Island in The Cure, and Gambit from their time in Genosha during Slave Island. Yet, it appears these events haven’t occurred for Cable, as his familiarity with the X-Men is somewhat vague.

The term ‘somewhat vague’ comes to mind because he informs his Professor cube of his extensive knowledge regarding Cyclops and Jean Grey. His method of teleportation, known as body-sliding, is showcased – a technique he’s long favoured. However, this method isn’t without its drawbacks, as it once resulted in the accidental fusion of Deadpool and Cable.

During a psychic scan, Jean uncovers a vision of Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor linked by a strand of DNA. She withholds this revelation from Cyclops, a decision that, in hindsight, could have been pivotal during the events of X-Men ’97‘s Fire Made Flesh.

Wolverine and Cable literally clashed the second issue after he arrived in the past and their relationship has never been amicable. In may have something to do with the fact that Logan killed his son Tyler in Wolverine #100.  

Cable uses telekinesis to clear debris off himself after his battle with Bishop. His power signature is blue – just like Jean’s.

BISHOP’S CROSSING

Bishop came to the present in pursuit of a serial killer, only to stay with the X-Men to save them from a future traitor by appointing himself Charles Xavier’s personal bodyguard. He officially joined the team in Uncanny X-Men #287. It takes 30 years, but X-Men ’97 finally adds him to the team and he’s billed in the opening titles.

Lucas Bishop has a complicated story: It takes place seventy years in the future, where a young Bishop was raised in a mutant concentration camp in the aftermath of the Summers Rebellion, an uprising in which mutants and humans joined forces to destroy the Sentinels. After his parents’ deaths, Bishop came under the care of the enigmatic LeBeau, also called the Witness for his reputedly being the last man to see the fabled X-Men alive. Bishop joined the ranks Xavier’s Security Enforcers (XSE), a police force that hires mutants to hunt their own kind. He was on the trail of an unhinged fugitive named Trevor Fitzroy when he portaled to the X-Men’s present from the mid-2000s in Uncanny X-Men #282. Bishop later joined the 20th century team at Xavier’s request.

Cable and Bishop met each other during the X-Cutioner’s Song storyline, which took place shortly after both time-travellers arrived in the present. Their relationship has been fraught with conflict, with Bishop chasing Cable and Hope in a desperate attempt to kill the “mutant messiah”. Despite their past rivalry, they have also been forced to work together, such as in the Children of the Vault storyline.

TIME DOUBLE!

This episode is an homage of sorts to Back to the Future (Part 2). It features some of the exact scenes as Part 1, just with slight alterations as Cable is now inserted into five different moments in the second episode.

Time Fugitives (Part 1). | A Rogue’s Tale