Terminator 2: Judgment Day - Nuclear Twilight
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Terminator 2: Judgment Day - Nuclear Twilight is a four part comic series also known as Future War. This comic is the last part of two series; the other title in the series is Terminator 2: Judgment Day - Cybernetic Dawn also known as Present War. These two series are tied up in a fifth issue (Issue #0) which contains two stories that conclude each of the series. Nuclear Twilight mainly takes place in year 2029, and includes with the events until John Connor sends back Kyle Reese and the T-800 to protect Sarah Connor and his younger self. The comic was published by Malibu Comics in 1995/96.
Contents |
Chronology
Previous: Terminator 2: Judgment Day - Cybernetic Dawn
Characters
- Sarah Connor
- John Connor
- Kyle Reese
- Danny 'Dan' Dyson
- Colonel David 'Dave'/'Badge' Mossberg
- Mickey
- McKeever
- Samuel 'Sammy'
- Griffith 'Griff'
- Reynosa
- Williams
- Crane
Mentioned
Terminator 2: Nuclear Twilight (Future War)
Issue #1: Warchild
Judgment Day is a reality. The survivors of the nuclear holocaust on August 29, 1997 have stayed underground for years to get cover from the radiation. John and Sarah Connor, Tarissa Dyson with her children Danny and Blythe, former detective David Mossberg are watching the ruined city of Los Angeles. A small group of people are running to them while two terminators, the children of Skynet are chasing them. They are able to take the first down fast. John succeeds in taking down the last terminator by sneaking behind, taking the risk of jumping on it, planting a bomb on it and running away. They run and hide from the aerial HK. Much later, in year 2029 adult John Connor is in command of the human resistance. He is currently receiving status from Bravo Co, a group of soldiers on their mission to catch a functioning T-800. They report a frozen terminator just in front of them. Back at the headquarters they record a power dip from Skynet, which seems to put all terminators in hive mode off line for a moment. John Connor is concerned about this as he recalls that Sarah Connor told him about this power dip. She once got it from Kyle Reese a long time ago. As Bravo Co are trying to cut the power line, the power comes back again and all are killed. Out of despair and lack of motivation John Connor visits Danny Dyson, as he sometimes does when things get rough. While they are gone, Samuel and Griffith want to check out what Danny really does behind closed doors. While they trust John Connor, they seem to doubt Danny because he is the son of Miles Dyson, who was responsible for Skynet's creation. On Danny's computer they find out Skynet's sourcecode is on this computer and they suspect that Danny is working for the machines.
Issue #2: Suicide Mission
Prologue: Samuel and Griffith are able to check Danny's computer and find Skynet's sourcecode on it. Sammy is completely sure Danny is the bad guy and trying to recreate Skynet. Out of fear they run out of the room as they are called on their next mission.
Colonel Mossberg are about to gather the soldiers while the two last soldiers arrive, Samuel and Griffith are joining Reynosa, Crain, Williams and Reese. As the team Bravo Co failed at retrieving a functioning terminator, they have to complete this mission. John realizes that Kyle Reese has been selected to be on this dangerous mission. He quickly decides to not let him go on this mission so as not to jeopardize his own past. John needs Reese to be alive for another mission. John Connor is informed that another power dip has just occurred. At another location we see two terminators heading for the time displacement facility deep underground and watch a T-800 infiltrator disappear. John has several people working to discover the secret of time travel as well. He knows he somehow has to figure it out to send Kyle and a T-800 back to protect Sarah and himself in the past. While they have a breakthrough in discovering the formula to use the time machine, a third power dip is reported. Meanwhile, the team that is going out to get an intact terminator suddenly realizes that Kyle Reese has secretly persuaded another team member to stay behind instead of himself. Luckily they discover yet another frozen terminator due to the recent power dip and immediately start working on how to disable it. While doing this, they are discovered by an aerial HK. Most of the soldiers are killed except Reese, who is badly hurt, and Griffith who is walking around looking for survivors. Also badly hurt, Griffith is picked up by the terminator and stares into its eyes.
Issue #3: Dead Men Walking
Out on a mission to get an intact T-800, Reese and Griffith have been badly hurt while all the other members have been killed. While looking for other survivors, Reese must hide from a Centurion searching for humans. John Connor finds out about Reese being missing, and immediately sends out rescue teams. Out in the field, Reese is able to disable a T-800 before he is found by the rescue team. Griffith is transported by terminators to a hidden facility. Skynet is interrogating him with two T-1000s to find out about John Connor's plan. Just before he is killed, one prepares to time travel, while the other T-1000 takes the shape of Griffith. Finally having the terminator, Danny Dyson swaps out the old cpu with a reprogrammed cpu. After many years of work, Danny has programed a virus that is to be implanted into the terminator found by Reese, which they call rusty. Their plan is to infect all terminators with this virus. Team Omega Platoon is prepared for a highly secret mission to escort this terminator to Skynets mainframe complex in Cheyenne Mountains. As Jude and Raphael, together with the other team members, reach Skynet's complex, they are facing another group trying to destroy the T-800. This special T-800 is joining other terminators. It now starts an insane fight between two resistance teams, one to protect the T-800 and the other to destroy it.
Issue #4: Father's Day
Prologue: Jude has just witnessed Raphael being badly hurt by another team, but now they are facing the other terminators. Jude is able to activate the special T-800 by saying a phrase before they are both killed.
Kyle Reese is being taken cared of at the infirmary, unaware of what his destiny is. John Connor wonders if he ever will volunteer for his last mission he has so long prepared for. Meanwhile he is preparing the technician and gather what they need to send Kyle Reese to the past. Unaware of if the virus did work, they are heading to the facility where the time machine is located. On the road they face aerial HKs, destroying several of their vehicles. One last power dip is recorded as they enter the facility. Skynet just sent back three terminators - two T-800s and one T-1000. At the same moment Danny's special T-800 just uploaded the virus, and it starts to spread. The virus takes effect just in time to save them from attacking terminators. John declares that a final mission must be completed. Kyle Reese volunteers himself and they send him back in time. While they were able to infect Skynet with the virus and disable all the terminators in hive mode, those in rogue mode were still out there. The war against the machines was still on. The T-1000 who killed and took the shape of Griffith shows up at the headquarters.
Issue #0: The Programming Of Fate
This tie-in issue contains two stories; one called No Fate with the conclusion of Cybernetic Dawn and the other with the conclusion of Nuclear Twilight called The Programming Of Fate.
After sending Kyle to the past, John knows he has more work to do. To preserve the time line he has lived all his life, he needs to send a T-800 back to protect himself at age 10. Previously the resistance managed to infect all terminators in hive mode, but there are still terminators which are in rogue mode. After they enter the facility with T-800 infiltrators, they manage to swap the cpu on one of the terminators, but if they activate it again, they may wake the other terminators as well. Meanwhile, the T-1000 (with the shape of Griffith) enters Dannys office and starts downloading Skynets sourcecode and leaves. As feared, all the other T-800s are activated also and they again start fighting - man against machine. Suddenly the reprogrammed terminator starts fighting along with the humans, and they are able to overcome the other terminators. Finally they are able to send away the T-800 back also.
The other part of this tie-in issue can be read at Cybernetic Dawn.
Note
- During the story the human resistance experienced four power dips, which are linked to Skynets attempt to send terminators back in time. We know they send back a T-800 in attempt to kill Sarah Connor in 1984[1]. Later Skynet send back a T-1000.[2]. Skynet also sent back three terminators (one T-1000 and two T-800) to preserve Skynets creation.[3] The fourth attempt is unknown, but we also know that Skynet previously experimented by sending several terminators back. One of the fourth could be a part of this.
