The Uncanny X-Men #287
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeUncanny X-Men #287 is the payoff issue of the multi-part Bishop introduction arc, delivering the moment fans had been building toward since #282: Professor Xavier formally invites Lucas Bishop to join the X-Men's Gold Team, making him one of the most significant new additions to the roster of the early 1990s. The issue doubles as Bishop's first full origin sequence, using an extended flashback to establish the grim dystopian future of Earth-1191, the Xavier's Security Enforcers, and the lethal events that set his chase of Trevor Fitzroy in motion — world-building that would anchor Bishop-centric stories for decades. It also marks the first appearance of the Witness (the enigmatic future version of Remy LeBeau), which planted the seeds for one of the era's most durable mysteries: the identity of the X-Men's traitor. Together, these narrative achievements made #287 a structural cornerstone of the franchise's 1990s direction.
In "Bishop to King's Five," the X-Men confront the time-jumping mutant Bishop, whose arrival stirs tension and suspicion. As he's questioned and challenged, Bishop recounts a vivid, haunting vision of a future that shaped his desperate journey to the present—leading to his unexpected decision to join the team. Written by Jim Lee and Scott Lobdell, with art by John Romita Jr. and a striking cover by Whilce Portacio and Art Thibert, this 1992 issue marks a pivotal moment in Bishop's story.
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The issue landed at a volatile moment in Uncanny X-Men's editorial history: Jim Lee and Scott Lobdell shared plotting credit, but John Byrne — who had been scripting since #281 — was replaced as scripter by Lobdell beginning with this very issue, marking a clean handoff just as the Bishop storyline reached its climax. With regular penciler Whilce Portacio — co-creator of Bishop — having departed Marvel around the same time to co-found Image Comics, interior art duties fell to John Romita Jr. as a fill-in penciler, aided by a notably large crew of five inkers (Christopher Ivy, Bill Sienkiewicz, Bob Wiacek, Scott Williams, and Dan Panosian), a circumstance that collector forums have attributed to deadline pressure. Portacio did contribute the cover, giving the issue a visual continuity with the arc he had designed.
Trivia · 7 facts
- Story plotted by Jim Lee and Scott Lobdell; this is the first issue scripted by Lobdell, replacing John Byrne who had scripted #281–286.
- Interior art penciled by John Romita Jr. (a fill-in return to the title) with five credited inkers; cover by Whilce Portacio and Art Thibert. Bob Harras edited; Tom DeFalco was Editor-in-Chief.
- Bishop (Lucas Bishop) officially joins the X-Men's Gold Team at Professor Xavier's invitation — the dramatic culmination of the multi-issue arc begun in #282.
- First appearance of the Witness (the future-timeline version of Remy LeBeau/Gambit), who appears in Bishop's flashback as the enigmatic last person known to have seen the X-Men alive.
- Death of Malcolm and Randall: Bishop's two XSE teammates are killed during the nightclub battle with Fitzroy's escaped future criminals, permanently closing out the XSE trio dynamic.
- The issue contains an 11-page flashback revealing Bishop's origin in Earth-1191 — the first time readers saw the dystopian future setting, the XSE's formation, and the events that led Bishop to pursue Fitzroy through time.
- Issue #287 has been reprinted in multiple collected editions, including X-Men: The Coming of Bishop (1995), X-Men: We Are the X-Men (2010), X-Men: Bishop's Crossing (2016), and the Bishop's Crossing Epic Collection Vol. 20 (2022).
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Reprinted in Spécial Strange #86 (1993), Gli Incredibili X-Men #54 (1994), X-Men #8/1995 (1995), X-Men: Prelude to Onslaught #[nn] (2010), X-Men: We Are the X-Men #[nn] (2010), X-Men: Bishop's Crossing #[nn] (2012), X-Men: Bishop's Crossing #[nn] (2016), X-Men Milestones: Onslaught #[nn] (2019), X-Men Epic Collection #20 (2022), X-Men: Blue & Gold - Mutant Genesis Omnibus #[nn] (2025), De X-Mannen #127, La Patrulla-X #126, Mega Marvel #2/1994
Key issues in The Uncanny X-Men
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