Miles Dyson

Dr. Miles Bennett Dyson was the original creator of the neural-net processor, the foundation for Skynet—an advanced AI designed to control electronically linked weapons and defend the United States. However, Skynet ultimately became self-aware and launched a global war of extermination against humanity. Through his research, Dyson unintentionally became the most pivotal figure responsible for Judgment Day and the near-extinction of mankind. Despite this, his intentions were never malicious, and he did everything in his power to prevent the catastrophic consequences of his work.

Miles was married to Tarissa Dyson, with whom he had two children, Danny and Blythe.

Names	Dr. Miles Bennett Dyson
Gender	Male ♂
Race	Human
Occupation	Director of Special Projects at Cyberdyne Systems
Origin	Terminator 2 Judgement Day (July 3, 1991)
Alignment	Mixed
Age	33
Created By	James Cameron, William Wisher, Jr
Personality Type	INTP, 5w6 (Enneagram)
Portrayed By	Joe Morton (Terminator 2: Judgment Day), Phil Morris (in TSCC photo), Courtney B. Vance (Terminator Genisys)

Appearance

Dr. Miles Bennett Dyson is an African-American man with short black hair and a medium build. In Terminator 2: Judgment Day, he is typically seen wearing professional attire, such as dress shirts and slacks, reflecting his role as a high-ranking Cyberdyne scientist. During the infiltration of Cyberdyne, he wears a bulletproof vest over his clothes. After being shot by the SWAT team, he appears visibly weakened, struggling to breathe before ultimately sacrificing himself to destroy the lab.

Personality

Dr. Miles Bennett Dyson is a brilliant and dedicated scientist, driven by a passion for technological advancement. He is deeply committed to his work, believing that his research will revolutionize computing and benefit humanity. However, he is unaware of the catastrophic consequences his creations will have on the future.

Despite his pivotal role in the development of Skynet, Miles is not malicious; he is a good-hearted man who loves his family and has no intention of causing harm. When confronted with the truth about Skynet and Judgment Day, he is horrified and immediately takes responsibility for his actions. He shows great courage and selflessness, willingly aiding Sarah Connor, John Connor, and the Terminator in their mission to destroy his research. Ultimately, he sacrifices himself to ensure Skynet's destruction, proving his integrity and commitment to doing what is right.

Biography

Original Timeline

Born and raised in Detroit, Miles initially aspired to be a professional athlete. When his skills fell short of earning a scholarship, he shifted his focus to technology after excelling in mathematics. By 1995, Dr. Dyson had become a cybernetics scientist and the Director of Special Projects at Cyberdyne Systems Corporation. He was tasked with developing a groundbreaking neural-net processor using recovered components from a classified ten-year-old crime scene—specifically, the Terminator's arm and CPU.

Believing his work would revolutionize automation and artificial intelligence, Miles worked tirelessly at both Cyberdyne and his home office. As the project neared completion, he was unknowingly on the brink of finalizing the prototype for Skynet. Once activated within the military defense network, Skynet would have gained self-awareness and initiated a genocidal war against humanity.

Judgment Day Timeline

Sarah Connor, determined to prevent Skynet's creation, tracked Miles to his home, intending to assassinate him. Armed with a CAR-15 sniper rifle, she attempted to shoot him, but he narrowly avoided the fatal shot due to a distraction from his son, Danny. Sarah then switched to full-auto, damaging his equipment but failing to harm him. Advancing with a .45 caliber handgun, she shot Miles in the shoulder before cornering him with his wife and child.

With a gun to his head, Miles pleaded for an explanation. Overcome with emotion, Sarah accused him of dooming humanity, but she ultimately hesitated to execute him in front of his family. At that moment, her son John and the reprogrammed Terminator arrived to intervene. When Miles demanded answers, the Terminator revealed its robotic arm, shocking him with the realization that his research stemmed from future technology.

Once his wound was treated, Sarah and her allies explained Skynet's apocalyptic impact. Horrified, Miles vowed to destroy his work. However, the Terminator made him realize that as long as Cyberdyne's lab and technology remained, Skynet could still be created. Determined to prevent that future, Miles agreed to accompany the Connors and the Terminator to destroy all related research. He also sent his family into hiding.

Miles initially hoped to dismantle the lab without confrontation but was denied entry due to the late hour and lack of authorization. Forced to break in at gunpoint, the group restrained the security guard and began collecting and destroying Cyberdyne’s technological artifacts. Miles helped John gather critical materials before preparing a massive bomb using polydichloric euthimal to ensure total destruction.

Before they could detonate the explosives, a SWAT team stormed the building, opening fire. Miles was critically wounded but managed to hold onto a detonator trigger. With his strength fading, he signaled Sarah to escape. As his grip weakened, the device activated, triggering a massive explosion that obliterated Cyberdyne’s research facility, killing Miles and ensuring Skynet’s immediate termination.

The Sarah Connor Chronicles Timeline

Following Miles’ death, Sarah became a fugitive, blamed for his murder. Despite his sacrifice, elements of his work were repurposed for the creation of artificial intelligence systems, including John Henry and an unknown AI.

Resistance Timeline After Judgment Day, Resistance scientist Edwin Mack discovered remnants of Skynet’s original programming, including a vulnerability referred to as "Zero Exploit." Recognizing its significance, Mack, under John Connor’s orders, developed a virus that altered the Machines’ behavior, delaying the Annihilation Line and buying the Resistance critical time. This suggests that, in some timelines, Sarah never attempted to kill Miles, allowing Skynet’s creation to proceed.

Genisys Timeline

Due to the altered timeline, the events of Terminator 2: Judgment Day never occurred, and Miles Dyson remained alive. His son, Daniel Dyson, became the chief developer for the Genisys project.

Trivia

In the Marvel Comics adaptation, Dyson pulls out a photo of his family and says goodbye before dying.