TREVOR FITZROY: Page 4 of 4

Publication Date: 19th Sep 2019
Written By: Monolith.
Image Work: Douglas Mangum.
Biography

BIOGRAPHY page 4

Whether a day or a decade passed in the Chronomancer's era is hard to say. When he felt prepared, however, Fitzroy reached back in time to the X-Men's era, not long after he first left. Shard had been reincarnated since Fitzroy's last encounter with Bishop as a photonic lifeform, a living hologram who worked alongside the X-Men and X-Factor. The Chronomancer set a trap to draw out Shard and, through her, Bishop as well. The bodies Fitzroy had used to fuel his growing powers were deposited in a New York tenement, a charnel house that even shocked the X.S.E. siblings when they found it. Fitzroy's Chronotroopers ambushed Bishop and Shard, and they all ended up back in the Chronomancer's era.

Fitzroy's ambitions had grown with his powers. Ruling his kingdom as the Chronomancer proved unfulfilling once the initial conquest was accomplished. Bringing Bishop to his new era was an effort to end their long vendetta, proving to Bishop that he wouldn't run away from his nemesis any longer, but would stand and face him when he was ready. But the Chronomancer's goals went beyond simple revenge. Fitzroy's newfound ability to control time left him convinced he could become time itself, shedding his human body to become pure temporal energy and dominate the timestream by becoming one with it.

Once the pieces were in play, Fitzroy worked to set his plans in motion. Dazed and confused, Bishop arrived in the Chronomancer's era and fell in with a band of thieves and refugees on the outskirts of Fitzroy's kingdom. Trevor sent his Chronotroopers to slaughter their camp, provoking Bishop into gathering allies and building a coalition against the Chronomancer, giving Fitzroy the challenged he desired. He also captured Shard upon her arrival in the era. Although soulless and mad, Fitzroy still had feelings for Shard and sought to use her to fulfill his various needs. First, she served as an extra impetus for Bishop to seek him out for their final battle. The Chronomancer also saw it as a challenge to cajole her into loving him again. As a "gift," he offered to use his temporal powers to restore her to flesh-and-blood life. By folding her back on her own personal timeline, Fitzroy could revert Shard from holographic life to her previous human state. More than a good deed or persuasive tool, this act also allowed the Chronomancer to test his ability to change energy into matter before attempting to perform the reverse when he ascended to godhood as master of time. [Bishop: The Last X-Man #1-3]

The Chronomancer allowed Bishop to roam free for several months, building his alliances with a token resistance from the Chronotroopers to keep him agitated and off-balance. In the meantime, Fitzroy plied his charms on Shard and continued killing and draining his subjects to build his power levels. The confederation of regents were no longer necessary, and the Chronomancer took great pleasure in turning on his allies and absorbing them all as fuel for his ascension. A confused and weakened Shard finally accepted his promises, and Fitzroy began the process of transforming her back into living flesh. Bantam grew tired and fearful of his master's madness and escaped from Chronokeep to warn Bishop of where his sister was being held. [Bishop: The Last X-Man #4-11]

Bishop's army of human and mutant soldiers finally arrived and lay siege to Chronokeep. While the infantry struck at the fortress, Bishop, Bantam and a few allies snuck inside through underground tunnels to find Shard and open the gates for the army to invade. However, Fitzroy was prepared for this maneuver and set a trap for Bishop's army, surrounding them in the courtyard using hidden Chronotroopers while portaling even more reinforcements to overwhelm them. Bishop himself was captured with ease as he was unaware of the Chronomancer's new ability to freeze subjects in time. Fitzroy taunted his immobilized foe before striking him unconscious. [Bishop: The Last X-Man #12]

Fitzroy imprisoned Bishop in his dungeon, parading Shard and other captives before his nemesis and torturing Bishop's allies. Breaking Bishop would be the last bit of fulfillment he enjoyed before ascending from the flesh. But he failed and, despite all his efforts, Bishop would not bow. Frustrated, Fitzroy abandoned his foe and went out into the snow to begin his ceremony of ascension, opening a vast and powerfully-charged portal that he believed he could merge with and become like onto a god. Bishop's allies rallied their forces, though, and freed him from the dungeon. Battered and bruised, Bishop arrived at Fitzroy's portal determined to stop him. [Bishop: The Last X-Man #13]

Bishop's attack caught Fitzroy at his most vulnerable. The moment after creating the portal but before stepping into it meant all his power was tied up in his creation, leaving him weak. He tried to get his hands on Bishop long enough to reabsorb some life-energy, but Bishop's assault left him little room to concentrate. The lifelong foes took out their hatred on each other in a brutal beating. The slippery Fitzroy managed to feign weakness long enough to grab Bishop and drain some of his lifeforce, partially restoring himself and leaving Bishop ready to drop. As Fitzroy stumbled towards his portal, Shard arrived and gave herself over to Bishop. She allowed her still-photonic form to become pure energy for him to absorb, charging Bishop so he could reach the portal before Fitzroy fully passed through it. Bishop caught "the Chronomancer" halfway through his portal to godhood and held him firmly. As the portal lost its charge and began to collapse, Trevor Fitzroy was trapped in-between two planes of existence. Bishop fell free of the portal, still holding the lower half of Fitzroy's body. Of the top half... nothing more was seen. [Bishop: The Last X-Man #14]

Through unknown circumstances, Trevor Fitzroy was revived and returned to the X-Men's era. Whether his upper body ascended into energy and somehow was restored to full form or if this was a parallel temporal version of some kind is unknown. In what seemed to be the final days of mutantkind, the X-Men were nearly all dead, a cure for mutancy was openly distributed and the Office of National Emergency was hunting down the remaining threats. Fitzroy reunited with Shinobi Shaw, Fabian Cortez and Siena Blaze to rekindle the Upstarts competition, choosing to go out on their own terms if these were the end days. After killing the Nasty Boys, they fought and were defeated by the X-Men. The Upstarts were imprisoned at Harry's Hideaway, but a raid was conducted by O*N*E. Fitzroy and Siena Blaze were reportedly casualties of the raid, although their bodies were never shown. [Uncanny X-Men (5th series) #20-21]