American Comic Expert Talks Movies: I’ll be BACK!!! Terminator Timeline Analysis - Part Two


This is the second part of the Terminator timeline. This time, we will focus on novels, video games, and comics not covered in the previous part. Of course, some elements are continuous, so please refer to the first part.


The Terminator 3 tie-in comic, published by Beckett, consists of six issues. It tells the story of the future scenes from the third movie, specifically Timeline E, detailing how the T-850 that killed John was captured by the Resistance. The first two issues show how its programming was rewritten, the middle two issues describe the T-850 assisting the Resistance in battle, and the final two issues arrive at Timeline F, the present timeline of the third movie, concluding with the battle against the T-X at the military base until its head is crushed.

At that time, a Terminator 3 video game was also released, which was integrated with the tie-in comic mentioned above. While Kate was reprogramming the T-850 that killed John, it helped the Resistance fight, but consequently arrived in a parallel future where humanity had been completely wiped out. It survived in that future, eventually returning to the third movie to protect John and Kate. After using its internal power cell to destroy the T-X, the head of this T-850 remained (a scene also present at the end of the movie). John repaired it, allowing it to help the Resistance gain an early advantage in the war.

The Terminator Infinity and Revolution comic duology, published by Dynamite Entertainment, continues from Timeline F but disregards the plot of the fourth movie. The divergence point is the death of John's wife, Kate, leaving John alone (the Terminator in the image is an Infinity model).
Infinity Timeline A, the Skynet timeline for the comic duology
● In 2032, Skynet discovered that no matter which past it returned to, it would be destroyed. It finally found a timeline with a higher chance of survival, so it dispatched an Infinity model Terminator with a built-in time travel device to 2009 (the year of the third movie) in an attempt to alter the future.
Infinity Timeline B, a timeline where John has already become the leader
● In another future timeline, John, who has already become the leader of the Resistance, sends a T-800, calling itself Uncle Bob, back to 2009 to assist his younger self in becoming the leader. However, he is unaware that Skynet from another timeline would dispatch an Infinity model Terminator. Uncle Bob's statement about never having seen an Infinity model proves that they originate from different future timelines.
Infinity Timeline C, a timeline diverging from the fourth movie, created by the intervention of Bob and Infinity
● The main setting of the comic story, where John meets several human survivors
● Bob also meets John but encounters an Infinity model attack for the first time.
● John and the surviving humans occupy a radio station, attempting to send messages to other survivors.
● John and three volunteers go to delay the Terminator army, but only John survives.
● Kyle tells others about his earlier discovery that Bob is a Terminator, and John explains to everyone.
● Marine Sergeant Tara Horton arrives to verify the message and joins John's team.
● Uncle Bob is destroyed, and John briefly gives up, but eventually rallies and leads the Resistance in a counterattack.
Revolution Timeline A, a continuation of Infinity Timeline C, until an Infinity model Terminator arrives in 2015 to assassinate Tara, who has become John's wife, thereby altering the entire sequence of events.

● The Infinity model launches a surprise attack, but John stands his ground and, along with this Terminator, travels to 1996.
● Skynet, having lost track of the Infinity model, sends