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The Terminator (timeline)

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Movies : The Terminator | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines | Terminator Salvation


Contents

Paradox

How exactly the timeline looks depends on what you choose to be canon or not from the Terminator franchise. One of the fundamental issues is whether or not Kyle Reese always has been John Connor's father. Some fans do claim this, which results in a predestination paradox. It has also been suggested that in a previous timeline someone else impregnated Sarah Connor and named him John. This John sends back Kyle, who eventually becomes his father in the next timeline. Another example of paradox is the picture Kyle has of Sarah. This is the very same picture where Sarah is being photographed outside a gas station. The reason why Sarah Connor ends up at this exact place, at this specific date and time is because of Kyle Reese, which makes it a paradox.

If you choose not to include the predestination paradox in The Terminator there are actually two timelines ahead of the timeline below, dealing with a alternate solution to the father of John Connor.

No matter how many previous timelines there are, this is undoubtedly the first source revealing the existence of Terminators, SkyNet, et al.

The timeline established by The Terminator

  • 1965[1]
    • Sarah J. Connor is born.
  • May 12, 1984
    • 01:52:00 A terminator, T-800 arrives from the future to kill Sarah Connor.[2]
    • 02:01:00 Kyle Reese arrives from the future, to protect Sarah.[3]
    • Kyle Reese succeeds in destroying the terminator, but dies himself.[3]
    • Some parts from the terminator are left behind at the Cyberdyne facilities.[3] [4]
  • February 28, 1985
    • John Connor is born.
  • Unknown
    • Cyberdyne develops robots and Skynet with help from the robot parts of the terminator.[4]
  • August 4, 1997
    • Skynet goes online. It begins to learn at a geometric rate.[4]
  • August 29, 1997
    • 02:14:00 Skynet becomes self-aware. War breaks out.[4]
  • Unknown
    • John Connor becomes the leader of the Resistance.[4]
  • 2002
    • Kyle Reese is born.
  • 2021-2027
    • Kyle Reese fought with the 132nd under Perry.[5]
  • 2027-2029
    • Kyle Reese was assigned to Recon/Security under John Connor.[6]
  • 2029
    • The Resistance smash Skynet's defence grid allowing them to enter Skynet Central.[3]
    • Skynet decides to send a T-800 back in time to kill Sarah.[3]
    • John Connor decides to send back Kyle Reese, to protect Sarah.[3]

Continuity

Note: The text marked with grey-color indicate time traveling which had already happened before in a previous timeline. When time eventually ends up at the point where Skynet and John send back the Terminator and Kyle Reese again, it is not explained where they end up, i.e do they end up in a timeline where another Terminator and Kyle Reese already existed in 1984, or do they end up in a 1984 unaffected by previous predestination paradox time-travel? The concept of time travel is not well explained in the Terminator franchise, so the events are displayed, but grayed out.


Timeline up to Terminator 2: Judgment Day

  • February 28, 1985
    • John Connor is born with Kyle Reese as his father.[4]
    • Cyberdyne starts researching and developing robot technology from the parts of the terminator.[4]
  • 1994
    • Sarah was placed at a mental institution after trying to blow up a computer factory and telling about the soon to come Judgment Day.
    • John is taken care of by the foster family Todd and Janelle Voight.
  • June 7, 1995
    • John Connor and Katherine Brewster kiss, which leads to a relationship. Katherine later becomes his wife and 2nd-in-command of the human resistance and get contact with Robert Brewster.[7]
  • August 4, 1997
    • Skynet goes online. It begins to learn at a geometric rate.[4]
  • August 29, 1997
    • 02:14:00 Skynet becomes self-aware. War breaks out.[4]
  • Unknown
    • John Connor becomes the leader of the Resistance.[4]
  • 2002
    • Kyle Reese is born.
  • 2021-2027
    • Kyle Reese fought with the 132nd under Perry.[8]
  • 2027-2029
    • Kyle Reese was assigned to Recon/Security under John Connor.[9]
  • 2029
    • Skynet decides to send a T-800 back in time to kill Sarah.[3]
    • John Connor decides to send back Kyle Reese, to protect Sarah.[3]
    • Skynet decides to send a T-1000 back in time to kill John Connor.[4]
    • John Connor manages to reprogram a T-800 and decide to send it back protect his younger self in 1995.[4]



References

  1. ↑ (1)"Skynet Database: Human Central Archive" Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines: DVD Special Features (specifies year as 1965).
    (2) Toyfare issue 142, page 54, 55, June, 2009
  2. ↑ The Terminator, In "Terminator Timeline", Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines DVD Special Feature
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 The Terminator
  4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 Terminator 2: Judgment Day
  5. ↑ Mentioned by Reese himself during interrogation by Dr. Silberman in The Terminator
  6. ↑ Mentioned by Reese himself during interrogation by Dr. Silberman in The Terminator
  7. ↑ John Connor insinuate that if T2 didn't happen, he was suppose to meet Robert Brewster, which were involved in the creation of Skynet, and later became a important person of human resistance. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.
  8. ↑ Mentioned by Reese himself during interrogation by Dr. Silberman in The Terminator
  9. ↑ Mentioned by Reese himself during interrogation by Dr. Silberman in The Terminator
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