One unit stumbles upon another TD machine which is far larger than the original. They decide to go back in time to prevent Cyberdyne from creating Skynet in the first place.
One fighter stays behind to destroy the equipment, and is captured by a trio of activated T-800s.
The murderous cyborgs follow the resistance fighters back to 1990, intent on terminating them before they can complete their mission...
In 1990, Dark Horse Comics got the licence to publish Terminator comics, and began publishing a series written by James Robinson, pencilled by Paul Gulacy and inked by Karl Kesel.
As a fan of the '84 original, this run is mana from heaven, as this run is purely influenced
by the horror-inflected tone and style of the first movie.
This is not to denigrate Terminator 2 - this is simply an expression of preference.
The comic book miniseries Tempest collects the first four issues of Robinson's run. There are three subsequent collections of issues, of which I have read about half of the second volume, Secondary Objectives.
Tempest is a fascinating companion piece with Judgement Day, and includes a few ideas that would pop up in future cinematic sequels.
There are a couple of big differences: there is no T1000 - it is an idea so unique other sequels have failed to come up with anything which can top it. The series also does not include the idea of a Terminator learning - the character arc which gives T2 its emotional heft.
The series does pick up a key plot thread from the original film - it includes a variation of T2’s plot, as the scientist the rebels target is - like Miles Dyson - working off the wreckage of the terminator from the original movie. And like the T1000, two of the terminators choose to disguise themselves as cops.
Most interestingly, this series introduces the idea of a terminator-human hybrid, an idea that would be replicated in the characters Marcus (Sam Worthington) from Terminator Salvation, and Grace (Mackenzie Davis) from Terminator - Dark Fate.
The series starts out with a familiar sequel set up - instead of Kyle Reese alone, you get Mary and four of her fellow soldiers; instead of one Terminator, you have four (at least in these initial issues).
One thing the series' creatives get right off the bat is the sense of stakes - when Mary's unit makes their assault on the machine compound, multiple characters are killed. Robinson and Gulacy take the time to establish these characters as important, giving them dialogue and key panels - before killing them in surprising ways.
The tone is pretty consistent with Cameron’s Terminator, down to the blunt functionality of the Terminators themselves.
The Terminators introduced are still the T800 model, but the creative team emphasise their strengths in a pre-Judgement War Los Angeles.
The one wrinkle Robinson introduces is how he takes on the rule that nothing metal can go through the time displacement field - his terminator brings a laser gun to the present by hiding it in a rebel’s (living) body.
The most interesting aspect of these issues is the personal dynamics between the rebels. Mary seems to be more together than Reese, and having other characters who share her experience makes for a different angle from the first film.
While there is a finale of a kind, Tempest is ultimately the first chapter of a broader narrative. I am not sure I will review the rest, but I will definitely keep reading.
If nothing else, this miniseries is interesting as a signpost in time. It might not be Judgement Day, but it is a worthy Terminator story.
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