Terminator Salvation (2009)

In 2003, Dr. Serena Kogan of Cyberdyne Systems convinces death row inmate Marcus Wright to sign over his body for medical research following his execution. Sometime later, the automated Skynet system is activated and becomes self-aware; perceiving humans as a threat to its existence, it starts a nuclear holocaust to eradicate them in the event known as “Judgment Day”. In 2018, John Connor orchestrates an attack on a Skynet base, where he discovers prisoners and schematics in a laboratory for incorporating living tissue to a new type of Terminator, which he recognizes as the T-800 model. John survives an explosion on the base, which is destroyed. Following John’s departure, Marcus emerges from the base’s wreckage and begins walking toward Los Angeles.

John returns to the Resistance headquarters located aboard a nuclear submarine and is briefed by General Ashdown that the Resistance has discovered a hidden signal containing a code protocol which they believe can initiate a shutdown of Skynet’s machines. The Resistance plans to launch an offensive against Skynet’s headquarters in San Francisco. It is decided among the Resistance that the offensive will commence in four days, due to an intercepted kill-list created by Skynet, which plans to kill the Resistance’s leaders within the same time frame. John learns he is second on this list, following Kyle Reese. The Resistance leaders do not understand Kyle’s importance, but John knows that Kyle will eventually travel back in time and become his father, and realizes that Skynet has learned of this fact.