Cable (character)
Cable is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with X-Force and the X-Men. Nathan first appeared as an infant in Uncanny X-Men #201 created by writer Chris Claremont and penciler Rick Leonardi, while Cable first appeared in The New Mutants #87 created by writer Louise Simonson and artist/co-writer Rob Liefeld; Cable's origin initially was undecided and he was assumed to be a separate character, but it was later decided that he was an older version of Nathan and a time traveler.
Nathan Summers is the son of the X-Men member Cyclops and his first wife Madelyne Pryor, as well as the "half"-brother of Rachel Summers from the "Days of Future Past" timeline and Nate Grey from the timeline of the "Age of Apocalypse" storyline, the genetic template of the mutant terrorist Stryfe, and the adoptive father of Hope Summers. Born in the present-day, Nathan was infected with a deadly techno-organic virus while still an infant. He was sent into a possible future timeline where he could be treated and live his life. In this future world, Nathan grew into the warrior Cable and became an enemy of the villain Apocalypse. He later returned to the present-day era, initially arriving some years before his own birth. Since making his home in the modern era, he has worked alongside the X-Men and reformed the New Mutants group into the original X-Force. He had frequent battles against the near-invincible assassin Deadpool, who later became an on-again, off-again ally for years. In the 2018 Extermination mini-series, Cable was killed and replaced by a younger, time-displaced version of himself who decided that the older one was ineffective in his crusade; this younger version operated until 2021, when the original, older iteration was revived.
Cable was introduced to a wider audience as a recurring character in X-Men: The Animated Series and its sequel series, voiced by Lawrence Bayne and by Chris Potter respectively. The character made his live-action cinematic debut in Deadpool 2, portrayed by Josh Brolin.
Publication history
Creation
Nathan Christopher Charles Summers is the son of Scott Summers, and Madelyne Pryor. Writer Chris Claremont, who had written the series since issue #94, revealed Madelyne to be pregnant in X-Men/Alpha Flight #1. The next depiction of her pregnancy was in The Uncanny X-Men #200, when she goes into premature labor. In the following issue, #201, Nathan first appears as a newborn infant.The character's first appearance as the adult warrior Cable was at the end of The New Mutants #86. He does not appear anywhere in the issue's story except for the "next issue" teaser. This was followed by a full appearance in The New Mutants #87. At first, Cable was not intended to be the adult version of Nathan Summers, but was created as a result of unrelated editorial concerns. Editor Bob Harras wanted to "shake things up" for the book, and felt a new leader was needed, a sharp contrast from the group's founder and first mentor, Professor X. The book's writer, Louise Simonson, thought a military leader would be a good idea, and Harras tasked the book's artist, Rob Liefeld, to conceptualize the character. Harras may also have suggested the character's bionic eye. in Liefeld's sketches his appearance was dubbed a "Dark Schwarzenegger Type" and derived from Arnold Schwarzenegger's roles in The Terminator and Predator. Both Simonson and Liefeld each separately conceived of the leader being a mysterious time traveler from the future. Liefeld chose the name Cable for the character. Liefeld explains the creation of the character:
Liefeld further explained his inspirations for the character stating "Not only was Cable one of the most popular character's in comic books for over a decade, he was born from my love for Six Million Dollar Man growing up. My family will attest that Six Mill was my religion growing up. Eye, Arm, so many influences, mimicking Steve Austin. Lee Majors has stated repeatedly that all cybernetic characters that followed Six Million Dollar Man owed a debt to the character. He isn't wrong."
Harras and writer/artists Jim Lee and Whilce Portacio, who were writing the X-Men spinoff X-Factor that starred Cyclops and the other four original X-Men, decided that Nathan would be sent into the future and grow up to become Cable. Liefeld, who conceived that Cable and his archenemy Stryfe were one and the same, disliked this idea. Eventually, Stryfe was revealed to be a clone of Cable. In the 1991 X-Factor storyline, Nathan is infected by the villain Apocalypse with a techno-organic virus. Because he can only be saved by the technology of the far-future, Scott reluctantly allows Sister Askani, a member of a clan of warriors dedicated to opposing Apocalypse, to take Nathan into the future so that he can be cured, a one-way trip from which she tells him she and Nathan will be unable to return.
''New Mutants'' and ''X-Force''
In his first adult appearance, Cable is seen in conflict with Stryfe's Mutant Liberation Front, the United States government, and Freedom Force. The New Mutants intervene and he asks for their help against the Mutant Liberation Front. Cable sees them as potential soldiers in his war against Stryfe, and becomes their new teacher and leader. He comes into conflict with Wolverine, who is revealed to harbor a feud with Cable. Despite this, the two warriors and the New Mutants team up against the MLF. Cable also leads the New Mutants against Cameron Hodge and the Genoshans in the 1990 "X-Tinction Agenda" storyline.With the aid of Domino, Cable reorganizes the New Mutants into X-Force. The New Mutants ended with issue #100, with Cable and other characters then appearing the following month in X-Force #1. The X-Force series provided further detail for the character's back story revealing that he was from the future and that he had traveled to the past with the aim of stopping Stryfe's plans as well as preventing Apocalypse's rise to power. Cable traveled 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.
In 1992, the character starred in a two issue miniseries, Cable: Blood and Metal, written by Fabian Nicieza, pencilled by John Romita, Jr., and inked by Dan Green, published in October and November of that year. The series explored Cable and the villain Stryfe's ongoing battle with one another, and its effect on Cable's supporting cast.
''Cable'' vol. 1, ''Soldier X'' and ''Major X''
Shortly after Blood and Metal, Cable was given his own ongoing series titled Cable. Issue #6 confirmed the character to be Nathan Christopher Summers, the son of Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor who had been taken to the future in X-Factor #68, introduced by writer Chris Claremont, and appeared in Uncanny X-Men #201. The series ran for 107 issues from May 1993 until September 2002 before being relaunched as Soldier X, which lasted 12 more issues until Aug. 2003.The 1994 miniseries The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix provided further information on the character's back story. In the future, Mother Askani, a time-displaced Rachel Summers, 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. It is furthermore established that Mister Sinister created Cyclops' son Nathan to destroy Apocalypse.
The 2019 miniseries Major X further revealed that at some point in a possible future, where mutants live together in a Utopian society called the X-Istence, Cable has fathered a son named Alexander Nathaniel Summers. Wearing a red-and-black costume that completely covers him from head-to-toe, Alexander under the Major X alias, traveled to the past in search of Cable with the hope he can help save his reality from fading away.