Is IDW Bishop redeemable?

[ChosenOne]

By now, we've had a handful of arcs in the IDW continuity where Bishop is either a major character or even the main villain. True to his role as law enforcement, and enabled by the deep pockets that come with government funding, he remains a proactive, constant threat to the Turtles and their mutant allies. We also know that Agent John Bishop was first introduced into the franchise by the 4kids cartoon and became one of its most successful characters, to the point where he made the jump to a few other adaptations. But in 4kids specifically, Bishop ended up becoming an ally for the Turtles after a long period of violent conflict between them, and they even worked together against common enemies.

I was initially going to phrase my question as "Is IDW Bishop less redeemable than 4kids Bishop?" so feel phrase to take that approach, but the gist of it is: do you think IDW Bishop will ever be redeemed and become an ally to the Turtles, however uneasy and begrudging? Or is he simply too far gone?

I'm genuinely curious to know how other members think things will turn out for him.

[Ninjinister]

I think we need to know a bit more about him to be able to know for certain.

[Utrommaniac]

I think the cyborg that crushes his father with a giant turtle probably isn't going to do so great in the redemption area.

Not everyone can turn tail like Alopex...[tail pun here], and I don't think Bishop will any time soon. Especially since he doesn't appear to have any emotional vulnerabilities at the time.

Krang had the Utroms in stasis and daddy issues.
Shredder had his various betrayals, but Yoshi's most of all
Alopex was a puppet - and has now practically freed herself - earning her redemption.
Stockman takes a "chess" approach to life that's pretty unyielding.
Karai wore herself to the bone to reach her goals and gets no thanks for her efforts.
Koya had lost to Leo on multiple occasions after once trusting him - and now he's taken her ultimate pride as a bird.

Once his weaknesses come around, I think we might go somewhere. He doesn't seem to have any shame in being robotic - at least for the moment.

I don't really have a vote yet, but I still have something to say about it.

[MikeandRaph87]

I think we need to know a bit more about him to be able to know for certain.

That is exactly what I was about to type. We don't know enough to know if it is possible. Did Agent Bishop murder his father or was he a clone who killed Agent Bishop? If he is a clone of himself I suppose the elderly man was redeemed, regretting his life's work. If not and Agent Bishop is a man transferring his consciousness every so often like in the 2003 cartoon and he murdered his father it will be harder to do so. He also did shot first and asked questions later which insighted the whole invasion mess that is going on right now. If he does something noble in the future like in the arc centering around #100, maybe. Time will tell on this one.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

No.

So far, Bishop shows no humanity or relatable motivation.

Krang wanted to save his species from extinction; Oroku Saki is the reincarnated pawn of Kitsune; Old Hob was an unloved alley cat tortured and tested by scientists; even Alopex, whom I dislike, was mutated against her will and saw her family slaughtered.

Bishop curb-stomped an old man in a wheelchair, tortures, and is mangling Slash's soul.

He's a bad 'un. :tcool:

[Redeemer]

I think we need to know a bit more about him to be able to know for certain.

I agree, bc as of right now we only know he is a cyborg lunatic :lol:
We don't even know if thats the actual agent Bishop.

[Mutant Ninja Anole]

The odd thing is, it’s not that Bishop’s motives are that ‘out there’ even compared to Shredder’s megalomania, Krang’s genocidal impulses, and Stockman’s sociapathic narcisicism. It’s simple, protect earth, no matter the cost. He’s just gone so far so blindly at expense of himself and so many people, literally compromising his humanitiy and his family and earth itself that I don’t think he can make a full redemption, definitely not anything quickly. He’d be a prime candidate for ‘carathartic death’ at the end of this arc if I were betting on such things.

[Utrommaniac]

I'd parallel Bishop's ambitions with Krang's a little more closely.

Though, the "feel" of their goals are a little different. Krang was pretty much desperate toward the end (in his own...special, grandiose monologue-y way), but Bishop just seems to be on a "protect Earth" mission as a robotic imperative. And he is robotic.

The other thing is, that 2003 Bishop's motives came from a genuine place of terror and trauma. He was actually abducted by aliens in a time where aliens were a near unthinkable concept. Of course he's going to freak out and want to protect other people from such a fate.

But IDW Bishop doesn't really seem to have much motivation for protecting Earth besides it being his job...and a job that he enjoys at that.
It doesn't seem like he cares about Earth in the same way that Krang cared about Utrominion, or cares about honor the way Saki did, or family like Splinter and the turtles do. Protecting Earth is a job that's in his programming. Probably literally in his programming. If he's a full on Terminator-type of robot. Which would...actually make some sense.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Also, I'm pretty sure the real Agent Bishop was Bishop Sr... aka curb-stomped wheelchair retiree.

Bishop Jr is a programmed android meant to carry out the legacy of his "father"... but has officially taken it way too far.

[Utrommaniac]

Oh yeah, Bishop Senior definitely had the heart for protecting Earth - even with it being born in fear of what he saw in Roswell.

Pretty ironic that the machine he made to carry out his work ended up being more dangerous than he wanted.


And...somewhere in that relationship is an Astro Boy joke, but I'm not sure where it would go :teek:

[miru]

Pretty sure Ravenwood’s introduction sealed the deal that this Bishop’s irredeemable.

[Dejablue]

Pretty sure Ravenwood’s introduction sealed the deal that this Bishop’s irredeemable.


I think Bishop is going to die a villain, if only because his delusions are fueled by some amount of truth. The Triceratons could have been a real threat if the turtles and April didn't come through with the quick compromise. Giant hive mind space bugs are a thing, who knows what else is out there. Krang before he got ate. It's easier to assume any random mutant you come across could easily kill a random human. Easier to assume that than to believe it is friendly. Ninja gangs using mutants to fight, freakin Leatherhead etc. Sure some of them just want peace and freedom but the Turtles are magnets for chaos and they're the good guys. Is Bishop even aware of the supernatural stuff going on? I don't remember. He'll try to blow up the pantheon if he does.

So yeah the fact that the earth really does need to be protected plus him being delusional means an incredibly small amount of room for compromise. He believes he is the hero. I don't ever see Bishop turning good. At best, he is willing to deal with temporary truces but expect him to come knocking down your door in due time if he sees you as an enemy.

And yeah crushing his 'dad' with Slash is when I decided he was irredeemable.

[Utrommaniac]

It's really a question of "when" he's killed.

It would have to be after Battle Lines; as much as the turtles would struggle with it, he would probably be useful for Dragon Lord stuff (unless he is gone by then, maybe replaced by Ravenwood?). Raphael also seems to have been captured by the EPF judging by his Macro issue, so there's that as well.

[neatoman]

I wouldn't say anyone is irredeemable...

... But it is hard to imagine someone who crushes his own senile father to death doing good...

[miru]

It's really a question of "when" he's killed.

It would have to be after Battle Lines; as much as the turtles would struggle with it, he would probably be useful for Dragon Lord stuff (unless he is gone by then, maybe replaced by Ravenwood?). Raphael also seems to have been captured by the EPF judging by his Macro issue, so there's that as well.

Or bringing Alex Winter back. Would be an interesting way to use him even without turning him into Megavolt (I could see him being Yaotl instead, though...)

[Utrommaniac]

That moment when you have to look up who the character is because all you can think of is
63YruDd2nJY

[***First of Two Latin Kings***]

He was redeemed in Fast Forward and there has already been considerable FF influence in this series. If he has an extended life and his current tactics stop working for him, who knows?

[miru]

He was redeemed in Fast Forward and there has already been considerable FF influence in this series. If he has an extended life and his current tactics stop working for him, who knows?

He crushed his own senile father to death with a brainwashed Slash. And Ravenwood has been introduced, seeming more redeemable than him. His chances are still nil.

[bushido]

Speaking of Bishop...neat cover for #87:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/705101/copyOfFirstPage._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Speaking of Bishop...neat cover for #87:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/705101/copyOfFirstPage._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg

As Kite-Man would say... Hell yeah. :tcool:

[Utrommaniac]

https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/023/768/upload.png


Anyway, boy things are going to get interesting.

[ChosenOne]

Speaking of Bishop...neat cover for #87:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/705101/copyOfFirstPage._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg

Sweet! He seems to be all robot, no human under there... Can't wait for his backstory and to see if the events on that cover do come to pass, I've always been a sucker for an everyone-vs-Bishop type of fight like in the 2003 cartoon's (IIRC) "Hun on the Run" episode.

[ProphetofGanja]

Sweet! He seems to be all robot, no human under there... Can't wait for his backstory and to see if the events on that cover do come to pass, I've always been a sucker for an everyone-vs-Bishop type of fight like in the 2003 cartoon's (IIRC) "Hun on the Run" episode.

But is there a human brain in there, making him a cyborg, or was there a human consciousness uploaded to a digital brain, or is he a 100% synthesized creation, programmed to protect humanity at any cost.



In any case, f#ck him, totally irredeemable lol

[MikeandRaph87]

This Agent Bishop has a different origin than the 2003 one and is irredeemable. I suspect by the end of the arc we will have his origin so perhaps 2 months from now things will be a lot clearer. The one thing for sure is this Agent Bishop is no gray area, doing evil that he views for a greater good, just another evil turd yet like Krang may have some sympathy about him at the core of what drives him to do what he does. That by no means makes him able to reform or even move into the gray area.