Bishop: The Last X-Man Appreciation 2020

[superjosh]

Sometimes I feel that some people forget that, and they truly believe that characters make autonomous decisions.

Yeah there's this Psylocke fan site that has some crazy board members. They literally act like Betsy Braddock has been defiled and stripped of her honor and that Kwannon is the conniving Asian faker/victim and it's all her fault... like they're real people. The way they attack Kwannon really walks the line of being racist too.

Sorry just going on sidebar for a second lol!

I do like the idea of Bishop in a mentor-type scenario. He's supposed to be a captain; he's a detective, strategist, combat expert, but none of this has been fully utilized as of late. He's always just the tough guy with a big gun.

I actually like what Benjamin Percy has done with Forge. He turned a fairly one-dimensional character into this kind of quirky nut... which is a perfect characterization for someone with his power set. Bishop is in dire need of some personality. Why hasn't Bishop ever been part of an X-Force lineup?? He should be their new leader.

[jwatson]

Reppin my boy bishop. Been drawing this off an on today. Still a few fixes to go like Storm's neck and bishops hand.

[Technopriest]

I actually like what Benjamin Percy has done with Forge. He turned a fairly one-dimensional character into this kind of quirky nut... which is a perfect characterization for someone with his power set. Bishop is in dire need of some personality. Why hasn't Bishop ever been part of an X-Force lineup?? He should be their new leader.

Forge actually had a fairly well defined personality when he debuted (the traumatized Vietnam vet that threw himself headlong into his inventions without thinking about the consequences). The problem was that most writers after Claremont simply reduced the character into a one dimensional inventor and stand in for tech savvy Beast when he wasn't available. I actually feel that Claremont gave Bishop a cool personality and purpose in X-treme X-Men that was continued in District X, sadly all that got derailed when the powers that be decided to turn him into a baby killer.

[Technopriest]

Bishop to me was a one note/one dimensional character when he debuted, a combo between angry black man/Judge Dredd ripoff and kewl powers with big guns (I mean his power is to absorb and redirect energy and they gave him big guns on top of that). I feel that the only person who even attempted to give Bishop a personality beyond that was Ostrander in his mini. It wasn't till Claremont got a hold of the character that I became interested in him, because he became relatable as a person and not as a gimmick. The whole superdetective/future man that can multitask weirdly enough made him relatable and interesting to me. I think the potential was always there but most writers before that just had him as a silent/strong type who is there to be a tank (complete with guns!) Sadly the whole Messiah Complex derailed that and he went back to being a one dimensional character with the added bonus of being a monster now. Sadly he was never given a redemption arch and we are supposed to pretend that that Bishop no longer exist I guess. Hopefully a writer that actually wants to develop him more gets a hold of him, because he is being wasted in Maraurders (and I refuse to read that series). I still think that the best position for him would be to become a sort of Cable to the younger mutants, heck just stick him in New Mutants to fill that position there (he can be in charge of training the younger generations with the rest of the cast).

[superjosh]

Forge actually had a fairly well defined personality when he debuted (the traumatized Vietnam vet that threw himself headlong into his inventions without thinking about the consequences). The problem was that most writers after Claremont simply reduced the character into a one dimensional inventor and stand in for tech savvy Beast when he wasn't available. I actually feel that Claremont gave Bishop a cool personality and purpose in X-treme X-Men that was continued in District X, sadly all that got derailed when the powers that be decided to turn him into a baby killer.

You're right, Forge did have that kind of somber, quiet seriousness of the guilt-ridden war veteran character when he first debuted. I think one of the reasons Percy's characterization clicks with me is that his Forge is really funny but in a kind of an unstable, disturbing way. It matches up with someone that is hiding something a little dark inside.

And you're also right that CC did try to add some dimension to Bishop's character. I can't remember if he's the first writer (I didn't read Bishop's mini) to really play up the detective angle with him. Unfortunately, modern CC has the subtlety of a sledgehammer. He relied too much on cheesy beats like showing how Bishop loves to cook (and use cilantro!). A man that cooks is not groundbreaking. The same with why he's been unable to write a compelling adult Kitty. His idea of her being grownup is just like, make her sexy! She's a bartender! She has lots of earrings! She rides a motorcycle!

[Technopriest]

And you're also right that CC did try to add some dimension to Bishop's character. I can't remember if he's the first writer (I didn't read Bishop's mini) to really play up the detective angle with him. Unfortunately, modern CC has the subtlety of a sledgehammer. He relied too much on cheesy beats like showing how Bishop loves to cook (and use cilantro!). A man that cooks is not groundbreaking. The same with why he's been unable to write a compelling adult Kitty. His idea of her being grownup is just like, make her sexy! She's a bartender! She has lots of earrings! She rides a motorcycle!

Ostrander actually did write Bishop more like a thinking detective and less than a rip off Dredd, sadly he only had 4 issues and very little of that Bishop influenced the one in the main books. Bishop under Claremont was the first time that he was treated more as a detective than a soldier, and I actually enjoyed the little touches like him cooking as it just made sense to me (the guy mostly lived on his own for years and it fit the whole multitasker persona). I also liked how he would observe the other X-Men movements and studied someone like Wolverine enough as to beat him in a sword practice fight. He went from angry black man persona into a thinking strategist that could outmaneuver his own teammates. It's a shame that then he was reduced to a one dimensional character during the Hope saga and now into wallpaper.

[superjosh]

Ostrander actually did write Bishop more like a thinking detective and less than a rip off Dredd, sadly he only had 4 issues and very little of that Bishop influenced the one in the main books. Bishop under Claremont was the first time that he was treated more as a detective than a soldier, and I actually enjoyed the little touches like him cooking as it just made sense to me (the guy mostly lived on his own for years and it fit the whole multitasker persona). I also liked how he would observe the other X-Men movements and studied someone like Wolverine enough as to beat him in a sword practice fight. He went from angry black man persona into a thinking strategist that could outmaneuver his own teammates. It's a shame that then he was reduced to a one dimensional character during the Hope saga and now into wallpaper.

Thanks for the info! I may take a look at the mini-series! I do love old school Carlos Pacheco!

Regarding CC... he just overdoes it. Sure Bishop can cook and that makes sense, but CC depicts it in a way that just looks forced. I don't remember the sword fight, but that's great. Bishop is highly skilled in all kinds of combat, but he's always portrayed as a bruiser. People like Logan and Betsy (and Kitty and Gambit) are shown to use skill, and Bishop is supposed to be up there in fighting ability with the best of them. (I'm a 90s kid so I have all the collectible cards to prove it lol!)

If anything, circling back to the talk of romances, I would love to see Bishop as a man with wants/needs/desires/ambition/MOTIVATION. Does he even have a friend in the whole X-universe? His relationship with Shard was probably it. As far as love interests... he helped Storm pick up a plant, flirted with a waitress one time, and had an off-panel(?) romance with Deathbird? As bad as Age of X-Man was, we got to see a teeny bit of a sexy side to Bishop as just a man, and that was long overdue.

[Outburstz]

Has bishop had a story about tracking down his father and mother in the 616 or talking to Gateway about what kids he would have in this timeline since he was his great grandfather.

[superjosh]

Has bishop had a story about tracking down his father and mother in the 616 or talking to Gateway about what kids he would have in this timeline since he was his great grandfather.

I don't think Bishop's parents would be born yet in 616, but I guess the grandparent that's the child of Gateway should be. Another plot thread left hanging!

[Marvell2100]

Has bishop had a story about tracking down his father and mother in the 616 or talking to Gateway about what kids he would have in this timeline since he was his great grandfather.

They haven't devoted any time for Bishop's backstory since the Life and Time of Lucas Bishop.

@jwatson, nice work bro.

[Agent Z]

Someone on reddit painted Bishop's 1992 X-Men Series 2 trading card onto wood.



https://www.reddit.com/r/Marvel/comm..._trading_card/

[yogaflame]

Looks like a print; if they actually hand painted it, that would be quite impressive.