Cable (comics) - Definition and Overview

Cable (Nathan Christopher Summers, also called "Dayspring" and "Askani'Son") is a Marvel Comics superhero, associated with the X-Men. Created by Rob Liefeld, he first appeared in The New Mutants #87 (1990).

A mysterious cyborg, Cable became the leader of the New Mutants, a junior X-Men team. After the New Mutants developed into the harder-edged X-Force in 1991, Cable became one of the most popular superheroes of the 1990s and graduated to his own series in 1993.

However, many comic book fans criticized him as a gun-toting, anti-hero cliché, a critique of several Leifeld-created characters. The writers of various X-Books attempted to flesh out his mythos, revealing him to be the time-traveling son of the X-Men’s Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor, as well as a mutant with great psionic powers.

In the late 1990s, his popularity waned, despite a brief stint in the X-Men in 2000. His series was remodeled as Soldier X in 2002 and cancelled in 2003. He is now featured in Cable and Deadpool, pairing him with another of Liefeld's X-Force characters.

History

Cable was born Nathan Christoper Charles Summers, the child of Scott Summers (Cyclops) and Madelyne Pryor (Madelyne Pryor was later revealed to be a clone of Jean Grey, created by Mister Sinister for the express purpose of mating her with Scott to create Cable). Sinister carefully orchestrated Cable's birth, planning to use him as a weapon against his hated master, Apocalypse. Unfortunately, Apocalypse learned of this treachery, and infected the child with a techno-organic ("T-O") virus that would slowly kill him.

When Apocalypse was defeated on the Moon, a woman from the future appeared to Cyclops. Calling herself Askani, she told him that the only way to save his son would be for her to take him into the far future.

In the future, Mother Askani (a time-displaced Rachel Summers) had the child cloned, in case Nathan succumbed to the T-O virus. Minions of Apocalypse attacked and stole the clone, whom Apocalypse raised as his heir, Stryfe.

Using her chronoskimming power for the last time, Rachel pulled the minds of Scott and Jean into the future, where (as "Slym" and "Redd") they raised Cable for twelve years. During their time together, the "family" prevented Apocalypse from transferring his essence into a new body, ending his reign of terror. [The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix]

The vacuum of power was filled by a group called the New Canaanites, led by Stryfe. Cable was arrested, and learned from fellow inmate Blaquesmith where to find the last enclave of the Askani. Blaquesmith helped him escape, and Cable joined the Askani resistance against Stryfe and the New Canaanites.

When Stryfe travelled to the 1990s, Cable followed him, with the aim of stopping Stryfe's plans as well as preventing Apocalypse's rise to power. Cable formed a group initially called the Wild Pack, but conflict with Silver Sable (who already had a group called the Wild Pack) forced him to change the name to the Six Pack. Cable travelled between the 1990s and his future with his ship Graymalkin, which contained a sentient computer program called Professor (the future version of the program built into X-Factor's Ship).

The Six Pack performed missions for "Mr. Tolliver," which put the group in direct conflict with Stryfe. In their last mission, Cable and the Pack confronted Stryfe, but they refused to fight because they weren't getting paid. Cable did not listen, and even when Stryfe threatened the lives of his comrades, Cable did not back down. He abandoned his team in an underground base in order to follow Stryfe, which resulted in Hammer becoming paralysed from the neck down, and Garrison Kane's bionic limbs being ripped off.

Cable came into conflict with Stryfe's Mutant Liberation Front, the United States government, and Freedom Force. The New Mutants intervened, and Cable saw them as potential soldiers in his war against Stryfe. He became their new leader, outfitted them, and renamed the team X-Force. [The New Mutants #87-100]

Cable rescued Domino from a year of imprisonment, and learned from Kane that Stryfe was apparently his identical twin. In return, Cable took Kane to the future and had him outfitted with bionics to restore his functionality.

Stryfe attacked Professor X while posing as Cable, initiating a series of momentous events. starting the X-Cutioner's Song event. When Cable returned from the future, he found that nearly every super-powered force on the planet was after him, including multiple X-teams. After convincing Wolverine and Bishop of his innocence, Cable battled Stryfe on the Moon, culminating in a temporal explosion that seemed to kill them both. ["X-Cutioner's Song" crossover]

Cable reappeared in the Clan Chosen future, with Stryfe's consciousness riding along in his mind. He destroyed the New Caananites' time travel device and returned to the present to confront the consequences of the X-Cutioner's song and learned from Mister Sinister that Stryfe was his clone, and not the other way around (as Stryfe had told him).

Cable eventually fulfilled his destiny and killed Apocalypse using a "Psimitar". His purpose in life (as Sinister had ordained it) now completed, Cable rescued Rachel Summers from an alternate future where she had become trapped, then became a globe-traveling mercenary known as "Soldier X" for a short time. Currently, Cable is a reluctant partner to the mercenary Deadpool.

Powers and abilities

As a mutant, Cable possesses high-level telepathy and telekinesis, although his use of these has traditionally been highly limited by his need to constantly use his telekinesis to retard his techno-organic infection.

He is trained in the use of many futuristic and conventional firearms, as well as guerrilla tactics.

His left eye glows, for some reason related to his mutant powers. Nate Grey (X-Man) shares this feature.

External links

Spotlight On... Cable at UncannyXmen.Net (http://www.uncannyxmen.net/db/spotlight/showquestion.asp?faq=10&fldAuto=64)