Written by: Elliot S! Maggin
Continuing from Part 1, Cable is fleeing the temporal storm rewriting his future of 3999 A.D. as he realizes that to save his future, he may have to aid Apocalypse in his plan back in the 1990s. As he reaches his own period's time machine and prepares to use it, Cable sees his son Tyler running towards him, only to fade from existence as the temporal storm claims him. Not having time to grieve, knowing he can save Tyler by dealing with events in the past, Cable time-slides to the 1990s.
When he arrives, his first attempt to alter past events by confronting Bishop fails, so he then attempts to interrupt when Bishop and the X-Men are dealing with the mob against the quarantined mutants but is forced to retreat after being engaged by Rogue, who recognized him from Muir Island previously. Taking refuge at his headquarters in a rundown motel, Cable has his computer give him the lowdown on the X-Men. When it gets to Wolverine and mentions his healing factor, Cable begins to formulate a plan to save both Bishop's future and his own future.
At Beast's Senate hearing, after Creed is infected by his own plague, Cable arrives and escapes with Wolverine, but not without Jean probing his mind and learning some valuable information from it.
After knocking Wolverine out back at his hideout, Cable takes him to Creed's headquarters in Virginia, just when Bishop and the other X-Men confront Creed and the disguised Apocalypse in the plague's laboratory. When Cable arrives, he blasts Apocalypse in the chest, forcing the genocidal mutant to drop his disguise, and the battle goes as before, but this time, when Bishop is about to protect Wolverine from being shot into one of the containers that the plague was in, Cable holds Bishop back and throws a force-field generator grenade at Apocolypse, holding him back long enough to allow Wolverine to be infected. Thankfully, Wolverine's healing factor counteracts the plague and creates antibodies necessary for Cable and Bishop's times to remain. With the cure in their possession, Cable and Bishop destroy the lab, but Apocalypse, repelled by the forcefield, chooses to flee, allowing Bishop to return to 2055, only to find from Forge that something else still has his future a mess, while back at the X-Mansion, Beast analyzes Wolverine's blood to find the antibodies to Creed's plague, mentioning how those will save a lot of lives in the future - both human and mutant alike.
Speaking of that, back in 3999, Cable returns to find his future safe and reunites with Tyler.
This episode contains examples of:
- And This Is for...: "This one's for the future!"
- Cassandra Truth: When Cable tries telling Wolverine Apocalypse is responsible, Wolverine doesn't believe him.
- Continuity Nod: When attacking Cable, Rogue references their previous encounter.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Cable suffers this against the combined forces of the X-Men and Bishop, including getting shot in the arm by Bishop, Rogue decking him and Storm spamming numerous lightning bolts at him, and deciding to retreat for the time being. That said he does hold his own against them for an impressive amount of time, while entirely alone, battling all of them and the Friends of Humanity alike.
- Didn't See That Coming: After shooting him, Cable gets surprised by Bishop's energy absorption power.
- "Eureka!" Moment: While viewing intel about the X-Men, Cable gets an idea to save the day after learning Wolverine has a Healing Factor.
- Everyone Has Standards: Cable is disgusted that he's essentially on the same side as Apocalypse and the Friends of Humanity.
- Hero Antagonist: Cable struggles with being this. He's trying to save his own future, but he sympathizes with Bishop's situation and doesn't want anyone to die. He even hesitates during the perfect opportunity to kill him. Thankfully, he manages to make sure it doesn't come to that and saves the world his own way.
- In Spite of a Nail: Once more, despite all Bishop's efforts, the future appears to be exactly the same.
- Mandatory Line: Unlike in Part 1, Gambit gets one line of dialogue (right after Cable abducts Wolverine).
- Murder Is the Best Solution: Cable's computer suggests just killing Bishop to solve everything. Cable refuses, with too much death on his mind as it is.
- The Needs of the Many: Cable's computer tells him it is mathematically simple for millions to die in order for billions more to be born. Cable naturally doesn't see it so casually.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Cable and Bishop alike in their desperation to preserve their timelines. Cable initially tried to talk reasonably with Bishop about the situation, but getting brushed off instead of working together leads to a running shootout.
- Oh, Crap!: Bishop, when he realizes Cable is using a hologram as a decoy.
- Outliving One's Offspring: Cable witnesses his son, Tyler, erased from existence.
- Out of Focus: After the previous episode, Jubilee isn't even in this one.
- Poor Communication Kills: Bishop's short temper doesn't help, but Cable doesn't exactly make the best case for listening to him; rather than explaining, "If you do this, you and the X-Men will be killed," he says he can't let Bishop stop the plague his way.
- Recycled Animation: Justified. Cable travels back to the point when Bishop arrived in Part 1, so some scenes and dialogue play out as they did before, while others get changed. Bishop's final scene also uses new dialogue over old footage from the end of the "Days of Future Past" two-parter.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After taking a beating from multiple X-Men and Bishop, Cable declares he doesn't need this and teleports out.
- Take a Third Option: Cable is able to save both the past and his timeline by taking advantage of Wolverine's healing factor.
- Teleport Spam: Cable fights Bishop by using his time-slider several times to get the drop on him.
- Terminator Twosome: But of course.
- This Cannot Be!: Jean when she reads Cable's mind and learns who he really is.
- Underestimating Badassery: After being forced to retreat, Cable concedes the X-Men aren't the wimps he thought they were and has his computer give him intel about their abilities.
- Villain: Exit, Stage Left: His plans thwarted by Cable, Bishop, and the X-Men, Apocalypse merely escapes rather than take out his wrath on them and kill them all like in the previous timeline, due to Cable's forcefield still keeping him at bay.
- What You Are in the Dark: Early on, Cable has a bead on Bishop with his rifle, but refuses to shoot.
