Uncanny X-Periment # 49: "Bishop"

Uncanny X-Men # 287, X-Men # 8, Uncanny X-Men # 288

I talked about last entry how a lot of these post-Claremont stories are rather mediocre and generally just really nice eye candy. Well, luckily, things take a turn for the better here.

The Gold Team tracks down Bishop as he takes on the rest of the prisoners. During the battle between the prisonors and the XSE officers, Randall and Malcolm bite it. The X-Men come in, then, and take Bishop down. The battle leads to some brutal injuries for Bishop and as he recovers, we're given a flashback to his past (aka, the X-Men's future).

In the future, while apprehending Fitzroy, Bishop and his pals stumble upon the X-Mansion. Once there, they uncover a message recorded by Jean Grey to the other X-Teams. The message, while garbled, reveals that the X-Men were betrayed from within. Bishop goes to someone who looks kinda like a really old Gambit (but calls himself "Witness") and questions him. This gets Bishop nowhere. He goes back to his HQ, only to find that Fitzroy has escaped. Bishop, Randall and Malcolm then travel back in time five issues to get him.

Bishop awakens from his flashback and Xavier invites him to join the X-Men. He accepts, finally realizing he has no other place in this past world. Plus, he'd be working with his idols. That's like an Elvis impersonator working with Elvis.

He meets up with the Blue Team and goes after Gambit, accusing him of either being the traitor or knowing who the traitor is. The X-Men convice Bishop that they trust Gambit more than they him and he partially concedes the point. Storm then takes Bishop under wing and the gang heads to NYC to live it up. Bishop still doesn't quite understand how the world of this era works, but he starts to make an effort.

Meanwhile, there's some actual character development. Jean is starting to worry about Scott's attraction to Pyslocke. Wolverine is questioning his place with the X-Men considering everything that has happened recently - the false memories and the Omega Red shit. Plus, there's tension between Forge and Storm. Not to mention the ever-increasing flirting between Gambit and Rogue.

We're on the right track.

~W~