I have a slightly different view of Bruce. Yes he could time travel, saw TEOTWAWKI, came back to found the C.O.T. to try and prepare.
BUT he sowed the seeds of TMP's failure.
I postulate that the COT not only set up TMP to save civilization from itself, but COT actively tried to change the world so that TEOTWAWKI would not happen. This alters the time line that Bruce knows about. So the 1989 that happened in the canon now come to pass. Prime Base falls. THe backups fail. THe project is screwed.
On another one of his future trips forward, Bruce changes from one set of realities to another. He is lost in the reality of "his" 1989. Hence the reality we discuss here in this forum of later dates, equipment upgrades, etc.
Another two cents from yours truly.
Mike