.gif)
Cable (comics)
Encyclopedia
Cable is a fiction
al character
appearing in comic book
s published by Marvel Comics
. The character first appeared as an infant in Uncanny X-Men
#201 (January 1986). His adult identity of Cable, which was created by writer Louise Simonson
and artist/co-writer Rob Liefeld
, first appeared in The New Mutants
#87 (March 1990), though he was not revealed to be the adult incarnation of the infant Nathan Summers until years later. He is the son of Scott Summers (Cyclops
) and Madelyne Pryor
, and was born in the present, but was sent into a distant future where he was raised.
The character's first appearance was a cameo in The New Mutants #86 (Feb. 1990) followed by a full appearance in The New Mutants #87 (March 1990). Though the artist Rob Liefeld
is responsible for his visual design, name, and much of his personality, it is claimed that Cable also got some inspiration from editor Bob Harras
. Liefeld explains the creation of the character:
's Mutant Liberation Front
, the United States government
, and Freedom Force
. The New Mutants
intervened and he asked for their help against the Mutant Liberation Front. Cable saw them as potential soldiers in his war against Stryfe. He became their new teacher and leader, and outfitted them. He came into conflict with Wolverine
, noting that the two had an old feud between them. Cable and the New Mutants teamed up with Wolverine and Sunfire against the MLF. Cable also led the New Mutants against the Genosha
ns.
With the aid of Domino, Cable reorganized 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 had a two issue miniseries, titled 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 the people that surround Cable.
Shortly after Blood and Metal, Cable was given his own ongoing title. Issue #6 (Dec. 1993) confirmed the character to be Nathan Christopher Summers, the son of the X-Man Cyclops
and Madelyne Pryor
, who had been taken to the future in X-Factor #68 (July 1991), introduced by writer Chris Claremont
, and appeared in Uncanny X-Men
#201 (Jan. 1986). The series ran from May 1993 until August 2003, including the revamping of the book to Soldier X, and the book initially had trouble finding a stable creative team. A writer/penciller team would complete no more than three issues in a row until Jeph Loeb
and Ian Churchill
began work on issue #20 and finish on #35. Loeb and Churchill provided the first instance of stability, working together on fifteen of the twenty issues from #20-39. During their run, they explored characters in Cable’s past, his feeling of responsibility toward Nathan Grey
, his relationship with Domino
and Blaquesmith
, and further adventures with Kane, the Sugar Man
, and the Microverse
.
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.
. The series largely dealt with Cable's efforts to change the world for the better, including turning his old spaceship Greymalkin into the floating utopian island of Providence
. . The first story arc of the series features a Cable that has learned to suppress his techno-oranic virus to a nearly effortless degree, allowing him to access the better part of his vast psionic powers. He gains a power level similar to his Nate Grey
counterpart from The Age of Apocalypse reality and tries to use them to force the people of the world to live peacefully. Using his powers at this magnitude also means that he will die due to the vast power being too much for his body to continuously maintain. He tries to carry out his plans quickly, defeating the X-Men, Power Pack and S.H.I.E.L.D.
with little effort. They turn the tide of the battle on Cable by inlisting the aid of the Silver Surfer
. Cable and the Silver Surfer battled, destroying buildings and other structures but were immediately rebuilt by Cable's vast telekinesis. All the while Cable tried to explain his good intentions to the Surfer with no avail. Although Cable destroyed his board and briefly held his own against the Surfer, he was ultimately defeated when the Surfer destroyed Cable's arm. Eventually Cable recovered but his psionic powers were close to none. Around the same time period, Cable becomes a member of a team of X-Men
that consists of Rogue
, Iceman
, Cannonball
, Sabretooth
, Mystique
, Lady Mastermind
, and Omega Sentinel
. In preparation for Messiah Complex
, Cable seemingly died when he detonated Providence remains to prevent Gambit
and Sunfire from stealing his database, causing the series to focus mostly on Deadpool for the next six or so issues. This series was canceled at the fiftieth issue and was replaced by two series starring each of the characters.
It is revealed that Cable survived, and has the mutant baby girl that the X-Men, Marauders
, and Purifiers
have been seeking during the Messiah Complex storyline. In 2008, Marvel Comics
released Cable vol. 2, a new ongoing series by Duane Swierczynski
and artist Ariel Olivetti
. This new series directly follows the events of "Messiah Complex
". The series features Cable, and the messianic child's time traveling adventures. The dangers of the future and pursuit by Bishop
are balanced with the humor of "Cable the soldier" becoming "Cable the Nanny."
It is revealed that Cable and the mutant messiah have taken refuge in the future in the secluded safe haven of New Liberty. There, Cable gets married to a resident, Hope, who later dies defending the child. Cable decides to name her Hope
, in honor of her deceased stepmother.
In 2009, Cable vol. 2 had a seven-issue crossover with X-Force
, X-Force/Cable: Messiah War
, which is the second story in a three-part storyline that began in X-Men: Messiah Complex.
After the events of the Messiah War, Hope and Cable are separated in time, appearing in the same spot but in different years. When Cable touches down from the spot, he appears two years after Hope, and is steadily losing control of his body due to the techno-organic virus within him. It alters his appearance so much that Hope doesn't register Cable's face. Eventually, Bishop, using his codename as a way to portray himself as a holy figure, gains on them, and Cable and Hope jettison themselves into space in the last ship the planet had. Bishop, armed with a thermonuclear device in the stump of his arm, states that he knows how to make his own ship and it'll only be a matter of time.
Cable was canceled in April 2010 with issue #25 (the final issue being called Deadpool and Cable #25).
The 2010 event Second Coming
built upon the events of both Messiah Complex and the cancelled Cable series, and as part of the storyline, the character was killed. Within the narrative, the character succumbs to the techno-organic virus in his bloodstream while holding open a time-portal that allowed other members of X-Force to escape from the future. The death was shown in X-Force #28 written by Craig Kyle
and Chris Yost
, who noted that, "For us, Cable was always a character whose death was something the character himself would put forward — if that's what it took to complete his mission, he wouldn't think twice about it."
On July 27th, 2011, Marvel announced at the San Diego Comic Con that Cable will return in December 2011. The project, originally titled as "Cable Reborn", now re-titled as "Avengers: X-Sanction". will be written by Jeph Loeb
and drawn by Ed McGuinness
.
, although the writer "missed Cable's heyday in the early 1990s," Cable is "[his] kind of antihero — the cryptic, Man With No Name of mutantkind. If [Swierczynski had] quibbles with the Cable of yesteryear, it's that he was just a tad too powerful. [Cable] could port around the world at will, fetch beer from the fridge with the power of his mind, and then crush said beer can against his metallic love handle." When asked whether Nathan Summers was a tragic character in his mind, Swierczynski replied that, "Cable's still a bad ass soldier, make no mistake. But [the mission to protect Hope Summers in X-Men: Messiah War
] is breaking him down like he's never been broken down before" and said that "[the readers are] going to see Cable struggling with a new bodily problem, one directly borne out of his experiences in 'Messiah War.'"
and telekinetic
abilities, however, the extent to which he has been able to utilize these powers have varied dramatically throughout his appearances. Originally both were limited by his need to restrain his techno-organic
infection and his powers were negligible compared to his more traditional fighting skills. However, following the subsidence of the infection they gradually increased to the point where they were similar in magnitude to those of Nate Grey
, to whom he is genetically identical. At their height, he demonstrated the ability to simultaneously levitate the floating city of Providence
and combat the Silver Surfer
. Following that story, his powers were burnt out and he replaced both with technological substitutes. Later he states that both his telepathy and telekinesis have faded to nothing.
During Messiah War, during the fight with his clone, Stryfe, Cable demonstrates the ability to hide others from Stryfe's mental view, implying that at least he retains some of his telepathic powers. He also still possesses some of his telekinesis, but he is using it solely to keep the techno-organic virus in his body at bay.
His techno-organic body parts possess enhanced strength and durability, and his techno-organic eye gives him enhanced eyesight, allowing him to see farther than a normal human and in the infrared
spectrum. He is also able to interface his techno-organic body parts with machinery, using them to hack
into computers, open electronic lock
s, and travel through time.
Cable also made use of a spear-like weapon called the Psi-Mitar, which was originally a long staff with a spear point on one end and a scythe blade on the other, used primarily by the Askani. It functions as a focus and amplifier for telepathic or telekinetic power, which it can project as power blasts.
incarnation, Cable has had been depicted in other fictional universe
s.
timeline, the Techno-organic virus
has overtaken Cable's body, who has become a blob of organic metal.
Wolverine: Rahne of Terra, Cable's counterpart is a wizard called the Mage, who carried the Warlock
Staff and a crossbow.
, Cable is a future version of Wolverine
who goes back to the past to capture Professor Xavier, returning with him to the future in order to train him for the coming battle with Apocalypse After Apocalypse's death, Cable fades out of existence.
asks, "What If Cable Destroyed the X-Men?" In this story, Cable clashes with Professor X and the X-Men over their beliefs and differences in methods. Ultimately, Cable leads a faction of mutants loyal to him and assassinates the Professor, Cyclops
, and Jean Grey
before embarking on a violent crusade. Cable is ultimately killed by Wolverine
, but his actions have already led to the further oppression of mutants. Magneto
attempts to take control of America in the chaos, but is killed by a new model of plastic Sentinels
, who decide that enslaving humanity is the best way to root out mutants. However, Wolverine assembles several surviving mutants to fight against the Sentinels as a new team of X-Men.
. He is shown to possess telepathic powers. Cable appears in one panel of the series but no connection between Cable and Nathan is made.
" storyline, which was a top vote getter for the Comics Buyer's Guide
Fan Award for Favorite Comic-Book Story for 1997.
.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al character
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
appearing in comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. The character first appeared as an infant in Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men, first published as The X-Men, is the flagship Marvel Comics comic book series for the X-Men franchise. It is the mainstream continuity featuring the adventures of the eponymous group of mutant superheroes...
#201 (January 1986). His adult identity of Cable, which was created by writer Louise Simonson
Louise Simonson
Louise Simonson, born Mary Louise Alexander , is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as Power Pack, X-Factor, New Mutants, Superman: The Man of Steel, and Steel...
and artist/co-writer Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. A prominent artist in the 1990s, he has since become a controversial figure in the medium....
, first appeared in The New Mutants
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of teenaged mutant superheroes-in-training published by Marvel Comics. They have been the main characters of three successive comic book series, which were spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise....
#87 (March 1990), though he was not revealed to be the adult incarnation of the infant Nathan Summers until years later. He is the son of Scott Summers (Cyclops
Cyclops (comics)
Cyclops is a fictional character, the leader of the X-Men superhero team in the . A mutant, Cyclops emits a powerful energy beam from his eyes...
) and Madelyne Pryor
Madelyne Pryor
Madelyne Pryor is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. As the love interest and first wife of X-Men leader Cyclops , she became a long-standing member of the X-Men supporting cast, until a series of traumas — being abandoned by her husband, losing her infant son, and...
, and was born in the present, but was sent into a distant future where he was raised.
Creation
Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. A prominent artist in the 1990s, he has since become a controversial figure in the medium....
is responsible for his visual design, name, and much of his personality, it is claimed that Cable also got some inspiration from editor Bob Harras
Bob Harras
Robert "Bob" Harras is an American comics writer and editor, who was editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics from 1995 to 2000 and currently serves as editor-in-chief of DC Comics.-Career:...
. Liefeld explains the creation of the character:
New Mutants, X-Force, and Cable (vol. 1)
Cable is first seen in conflict with StryfeStryfe
Stryfe is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . The character was created by Louise Simonson and Rob Liefeld, and first appears in The New Mutants #87...
's Mutant Liberation Front
Mutant Liberation Front
The Mutant Liberation Front, or MLF, is a Marvel Comics supervillain group, primarily enemies of X-Force. Created by writer Louise Simonson and artist/co-writer Rob Liefeld, the original MLF first fully appeared in The New Mutants #87 ....
, the United States government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
, and Freedom Force
Freedom Force (comics)
Freedom Force is the name of two teams within Marvel Comics' universe.The original was a supervillain team, though they occasionally acted in a heroic capacity as well. It was a government-sponsored team originally composed mainly of Mystique's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants...
. The New Mutants
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of teenaged mutant superheroes-in-training published by Marvel Comics. They have been the main characters of three successive comic book series, which were spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise....
intervened and he asked for their help against the Mutant Liberation Front. Cable saw them as potential soldiers in his war against Stryfe. He became their new teacher and leader, and outfitted them. He came into conflict with Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
, noting that the two had an old feud between them. Cable and the New Mutants teamed up with Wolverine and Sunfire against the MLF. Cable also led the New Mutants against the Genosha
Genosha
Genosha is a fictional country that has appeared in numerous comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is an island nation that exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as "Earth 616" in the Marvel Universe. The fictional nation served as an allegory for slavery and later for South...
ns.
With the aid of Domino, Cable reorganized 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
X-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...
#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
Apocalypse (comics)
Apocalypse is a fictional character who is an ancient mutant that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Factor #5 , created by writer Louise Simonson and designed by artist Walter Simonson...
's rise to power. Cable traveled between the 1990s and his future with his ship Graymalkin
Providence (comics)
Providence is a fictional island featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Providence, located in the South Pacific Ocean, southwest of Hawaii at 20°N 165°W, is an artificial island made of parts from Cable’s old space station Graymalkin...
, which contained a sentient computer program
Computer program
A computer program is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task with a computer. A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program's instructions in a central processor. The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute...
called Professor, the future version of the program built into X-Factor's
X-Factor (comics)
X-Factor is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is a spin-off of the popular X-Men franchise, featuring characters from X-Men stories. The series has been relaunched several times with different team rosters, most recently as X-Factor Investigations.X-Factor launched in...
Ship
Ship (comics)
The fictional A.I. entity originally known as Ship has appeared in several incarnations in the Marvel Universe. At times controlled by both the X-Men and their enemies, the sentient Ship A.I. has been at the core of a Celestial starship, two space stations, and a techno-organic being.-Ancient...
.
In 1992, the character had a two issue miniseries, titled Cable: Blood and Metal, written by Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza is an American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as X-Men, X-Force, New Warriors, Cable and Deadpool, and Thunderbolts, for all of which he helped create numerous characters.-Early life:The son of Omar and Irma Riguetti Nicieza, Fabian...
, pencilled by John Romita, Jr.
John Romita, Jr.
John Salvatore Romita, Jr. is an American comic book artist best known for his extensive work for Marvel Comics from the 1970s to the 2000s...
, and inked by Dan Green, published in October and November of that year. The series explored Cable and the villain Stryfe
Stryfe
Stryfe is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . The character was created by Louise Simonson and Rob Liefeld, and first appears in The New Mutants #87...
's ongoing battle with one another, and its effect on the people that surround Cable.
Shortly after Blood and Metal, Cable was given his own ongoing title. Issue #6 (Dec. 1993) confirmed the character to be Nathan Christopher Summers, the son of the X-Man Cyclops
Cyclops (comics)
Cyclops is a fictional character, the leader of the X-Men superhero team in the . A mutant, Cyclops emits a powerful energy beam from his eyes...
and Madelyne Pryor
Madelyne Pryor
Madelyne Pryor is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. As the love interest and first wife of X-Men leader Cyclops , she became a long-standing member of the X-Men supporting cast, until a series of traumas — being abandoned by her husband, losing her infant son, and...
, who had been taken to the future in X-Factor #68 (July 1991), introduced by writer Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
, and appeared in Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men, first published as The X-Men, is the flagship Marvel Comics comic book series for the X-Men franchise. It is the mainstream continuity featuring the adventures of the eponymous group of mutant superheroes...
#201 (Jan. 1986). The series ran from May 1993 until August 2003, including the revamping of the book to Soldier X, and the book initially had trouble finding a stable creative team. A writer/penciller team would complete no more than three issues in a row until Jeph Loeb
Jeph Loeb
Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III is an American film and television writer, producer and award-winning comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series Smallville and Lost, writer for the films Commando and Teen Wolf and was a writer and Co-Executive Producer on the NBC TV show Heroes from its...
and Ian Churchill
Ian Churchill
Ian Churchill is a British comic book artist, who has mostly worked in the American comic book industry.-Career:Churchill's early work included stints on Supergirl, Uncanny X-Men as well as the Deadpool: Sins of the Past limited series, in addition to a lengthy stay on Cable, the latter gaining him...
began work on issue #20 and finish on #35. Loeb and Churchill provided the first instance of stability, working together on fifteen of the twenty issues from #20-39. During their run, they explored characters in Cable’s past, his feeling of responsibility toward Nathan Grey
Nate Grey
Nathaniel "Nate" Grey is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those related to the X-Men franchise...
, his relationship with Domino
Domino (comics)
Domino is a Marvel Comics character, best known as a member of the X-Men offshoot X-Force. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/co-writer Rob Liefeld, she first fully appeared in X-Force, vol...
and Blaquesmith
Blaquesmith
Blaquesmith is the name of two characters in the Marvel Comics universe. One is a mutant from the future and an ally of Cable, the other is a man hired to impersonate the former when he was presumed dead.-Blaquesmith :...
, and further adventures with Kane, the Sugar Man
Sugar Man
Sugar Man is a fictional character, a mutant villain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Chris Bachalo, he first appeared in Generation Next #2 ....
, and the Microverse
Microverse
Microverses are dimensions occurring within the fictional Marvel Universe.The Microverses are often visited by the Fantastic Four in various adventures. They were formerly defined as any universe only accessible through vibrational attunement...
.
The 1994 miniseries The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix
The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix
The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix was a four-issue comic book mini-series written by Scott Lobdell, drawn by Gene Ha, and published by Marvel Comics in 1994. It is important in revealing much of the back story for the character Cable, much of which had been implied before, but was still...
provided further information on the character's back story. In the future, Mother Askani, a time-displaced Rachel Summers
Rachel Summers
Rachel Anne Summers is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne for Marvel Comics....
, 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.
Cable and Deadpool, Cable (vol. 2)
After his solo series ended, he was paired with the mercenary Deadpool in a new ongoing seriesCable & Deadpool
Cable & Deadpool was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics beginning in 2004. The title characters, Cable and Deadpool, shared the focus of the book. The series was launched following the cancellation of the characters' previous ongoing solo series. The book's mix of humor, action, and...
. The series largely dealt with Cable's efforts to change the world for the better, including turning his old spaceship Greymalkin into the floating utopian island of Providence
Providence (comics)
Providence is a fictional island featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Providence, located in the South Pacific Ocean, southwest of Hawaii at 20°N 165°W, is an artificial island made of parts from Cable’s old space station Graymalkin...
. . The first story arc of the series features a Cable that has learned to suppress his techno-oranic virus to a nearly effortless degree, allowing him to access the better part of his vast psionic powers. He gains a power level similar to his Nate Grey
Nate Grey
Nathaniel "Nate" Grey is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those related to the X-Men franchise...
counterpart from The Age of Apocalypse reality and tries to use them to force the people of the world to live peacefully. Using his powers at this magnitude also means that he will die due to the vast power being too much for his body to continuously maintain. He tries to carry out his plans quickly, defeating the X-Men, Power Pack and S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
with little effort. They turn the tide of the battle on Cable by inlisting the aid of the Silver Surfer
Silver Surfer
The Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
. Cable and the Silver Surfer battled, destroying buildings and other structures but were immediately rebuilt by Cable's vast telekinesis. All the while Cable tried to explain his good intentions to the Surfer with no avail. Although Cable destroyed his board and briefly held his own against the Surfer, he was ultimately defeated when the Surfer destroyed Cable's arm. Eventually Cable recovered but his psionic powers were close to none. Around the same time period, Cable becomes a member of a team of X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
that consists of Rogue
Rogue (comics)
Rogue was first slated to appear in Ms. Marvel #25 , but the book's abrupt cancellation left her original introduction story unpublished for over a decade, before seeing print in Marvel Super Heroes #11 in 1992. Rogue's first published appearance was in Avengers Annual #10...
, Iceman
Iceman (comics)
Iceman is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men vol. 1 #1, ....
, Cannonball
Cannonball (comics)
Cannonball is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, associated with the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod, Cannonball first appeared in Marvel Graphic Novel #4: The New Mutants ....
, Sabretooth
Sabretooth (comics)
Sabretooth is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne. The character first appeared in Iron Fist #14...
, Mystique
Mystique (comics)
Mystique is a fictional character associated with the Marvel Comics' franchise X-Men. Originally created by artist David Cockrum and writer Chris Claremont, she first appeared in Ms...
, Lady Mastermind
Lady Mastermind
Lady Mastermind is a fictional supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared as Regan Wyngarde in X-Treme X-Men #6 and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Salvador Larroca....
, and Omega Sentinel
Karima Shapandar
Omega Sentinel is a fictional character associated with the X-Men and its spinoff Excalibur. She first appeared in X-Men Unlimited, vol...
. In preparation for Messiah Complex
X-Men: Messiah Complex
"Messiah Complex" is a comic book crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics from October 2007 to January 2008, which ran through the various X-Men books....
, Cable seemingly died when he detonated Providence remains to prevent Gambit
Gambit (comics)
Gambit is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero that has been a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Jim Lee, the character first appeared briefly in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 , weeks before a more comprehensive appearance in Uncanny X-Men #266...
and Sunfire from stealing his database, causing the series to focus mostly on Deadpool for the next six or so issues. This series was canceled at the fiftieth issue and was replaced by two series starring each of the characters.
It is revealed that Cable survived, and has the mutant baby girl that the X-Men, Marauders
Marauders (comics)
The Marauders is a team of fictional supervillain characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Romita, Jr., the team first appear in Uncanny X-Men #210 The Marauders is a team of fictional supervillain characters in comic books published by...
, and Purifiers
Purifiers
The Purifiers, also known as the Stryker Crusade, are a fictional paramilitary/terrorist organization in the Marvel Comics universe and enemies of the X-Men...
have been seeking during the Messiah Complex storyline. In 2008, Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
released Cable vol. 2, a new ongoing series by Duane Swierczynski
Duane Swierczynski
Duane Louis Swierczynski is an American crime writer who has written a number of non-fiction books, novels and also writes for comic books.-Early life:...
and artist Ariel Olivetti
Ariel Olivetti
Ariel Olivetti is an Argentine comic book penciller best known for his work on American comic book titles such as Daredevil, X-Man, Space Ghost and Punisher War Journal.-Career:...
. This new series directly follows the events of "Messiah Complex
X-Men: Messiah Complex
"Messiah Complex" is a comic book crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics from October 2007 to January 2008, which ran through the various X-Men books....
". The series features Cable, and the messianic child's time traveling adventures. The dangers of the future and pursuit by Bishop
Bishop (comics)
Bishop is a fictional comic book superhero, appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular the X-Men family of books...
are balanced with the humor of "Cable the soldier" becoming "Cable the Nanny."
It is revealed that Cable and the mutant messiah have taken refuge in the future in the secluded safe haven of New Liberty. There, Cable gets married to a resident, Hope, who later dies defending the child. Cable decides to name her Hope
Hope Summers (comics)
Hope Summers is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men #205 in 2007 , and was created by writers Mike Carey and artist Chris Bachalo during the "X-Men: Messiah Complex" event...
, in honor of her deceased stepmother.
In 2009, Cable vol. 2 had a seven-issue crossover with X-Force
X-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...
, X-Force/Cable: Messiah War
Messiah War
"Messiah War" is a crossover storyline running through the issues of Cable and X-Force with cover dates of May through July 2009 as well as a one-shot titled X-Force/Cable: Messiah War published by Marvel Comics...
, which is the second story in a three-part storyline that began in X-Men: Messiah Complex.
After the events of the Messiah War, Hope and Cable are separated in time, appearing in the same spot but in different years. When Cable touches down from the spot, he appears two years after Hope, and is steadily losing control of his body due to the techno-organic virus within him. It alters his appearance so much that Hope doesn't register Cable's face. Eventually, Bishop, using his codename as a way to portray himself as a holy figure, gains on them, and Cable and Hope jettison themselves into space in the last ship the planet had. Bishop, armed with a thermonuclear device in the stump of his arm, states that he knows how to make his own ship and it'll only be a matter of time.
Cable was canceled in April 2010 with issue #25 (the final issue being called Deadpool and Cable #25).
The 2010 event Second Coming
X-Men: Second Coming
"Second Coming" is a crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics that ran through the most of the X-Men comic books from March to July 2010.-Publication history:...
built upon the events of both Messiah Complex and the cancelled Cable series, and as part of the storyline, the character was killed. Within the narrative, the character succumbs to the techno-organic virus in his bloodstream while holding open a time-portal that allowed other members of X-Force to escape from the future. The death was shown in X-Force #28 written by Craig Kyle
Craig Kyle
Craig Kyle is an American writer for Marvel Comics. He has also produced several of Marvel's Direct to DVD animated films and co-produced Thor.-Biography:...
and Chris Yost
Chris Yost
Christopher Yost is a film, animation and comic book writer best known as the head writer of the Marvel animated series The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes and co-writer of the comic book series New X-Men and X-Force.-Career:Yost began his career in 2002 as an intern in Marvel Comics' west...
, who noted that, "For us, Cable was always a character whose death was something the character himself would put forward — if that's what it took to complete his mission, he wouldn't think twice about it."
On July 27th, 2011, Marvel announced at the San Diego Comic Con that Cable will return in December 2011. The project, originally titled as "Cable Reborn", now re-titled as "Avengers: X-Sanction". will be written by Jeph Loeb
Jeph Loeb
Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III is an American film and television writer, producer and award-winning comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series Smallville and Lost, writer for the films Commando and Teen Wolf and was a writer and Co-Executive Producer on the NBC TV show Heroes from its...
and drawn by Ed McGuinness
Ed McGuinness
Edward "Ed" McGuinness is an American comic book artist and penciller, best known for his work on books such as Superman, Superman/Batman, Deadpool, and Hulk...
.
Characterization
According to Duane SwierczynskiDuane Swierczynski
Duane Louis Swierczynski is an American crime writer who has written a number of non-fiction books, novels and also writes for comic books.-Early life:...
, although the writer "missed Cable's heyday in the early 1990s," Cable is "[his] kind of antihero — the cryptic, Man With No Name of mutantkind. If [Swierczynski had] quibbles with the Cable of yesteryear, it's that he was just a tad too powerful. [Cable] could port around the world at will, fetch beer from the fridge with the power of his mind, and then crush said beer can against his metallic love handle." When asked whether Nathan Summers was a tragic character in his mind, Swierczynski replied that, "Cable's still a bad ass soldier, make no mistake. But [the mission to protect Hope Summers in X-Men: Messiah War
Messiah War
"Messiah War" is a crossover storyline running through the issues of Cable and X-Force with cover dates of May through July 2009 as well as a one-shot titled X-Force/Cable: Messiah War published by Marvel Comics...
] is breaking him down like he's never been broken down before" and said that "[the readers are] going to see Cable struggling with a new bodily problem, one directly borne out of his experiences in 'Messiah War.'"
Powers and abilities
Cable was born with telepathicTelepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
and telekinetic
Psychokinesis
The term psychokinesis , also referred to as telekinesis with respect to strictly describing movement of matter, sometimes abbreviated PK and TK respectively, is a term...
abilities, however, the extent to which he has been able to utilize these powers have varied dramatically throughout his appearances. Originally both were limited by his need to restrain his techno-organic
Techno-organic virus
A techno-organic virus is a fictional virus in the Marvel Comics universe. The virus transforms organic material into techno-organic material. Techno-organic material resembles both machinery and living tissue...
infection and his powers were negligible compared to his more traditional fighting skills. However, following the subsidence of the infection they gradually increased to the point where they were similar in magnitude to those of Nate Grey
Nate Grey
Nathaniel "Nate" Grey is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those related to the X-Men franchise...
, to whom he is genetically identical. At their height, he demonstrated the ability to simultaneously levitate the floating city of Providence
Providence (comics)
Providence is a fictional island featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Providence, located in the South Pacific Ocean, southwest of Hawaii at 20°N 165°W, is an artificial island made of parts from Cable’s old space station Graymalkin...
and combat the Silver Surfer
Silver Surfer
The Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
. Following that story, his powers were burnt out and he replaced both with technological substitutes. Later he states that both his telepathy and telekinesis have faded to nothing.
During Messiah War, during the fight with his clone, Stryfe, Cable demonstrates the ability to hide others from Stryfe's mental view, implying that at least he retains some of his telepathic powers. He also still possesses some of his telekinesis, but he is using it solely to keep the techno-organic virus in his body at bay.
His techno-organic body parts possess enhanced strength and durability, and his techno-organic eye gives him enhanced eyesight, allowing him to see farther than a normal human and in the infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
spectrum. He is also able to interface his techno-organic body parts with machinery, using them to hack
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
into computers, open electronic lock
Electronic lock
An electronic lock is a locking device which operates by means of electric current. Electric locks are sometimes stand-alone with an electronic control assembly mounted directly to the lock. More often electric locks are connected to an access control system...
s, and travel through time.
Cable also made use of a spear-like weapon called the Psi-Mitar, which was originally a long staff with a spear point on one end and a scythe blade on the other, used primarily by the Askani. It functions as a focus and amplifier for telepathic or telekinetic power, which it can project as power blasts.
Other versions
In addition to his mainstream Marvel UniverseMarvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
incarnation, Cable has had been depicted in other fictional universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
s.
Earth X
In the Earth XEarth X
Earth X is a 1999 comic book limited series written by Jim Krueger with art by John Paul Leon and published by Marvel Comics. Based on Alex Ross' notes, the series features a dystopian future version of the Marvel Universe....
timeline, the Techno-organic virus
Techno-organic virus
A techno-organic virus is a fictional virus in the Marvel Comics universe. The virus transforms organic material into techno-organic material. Techno-organic material resembles both machinery and living tissue...
has overtaken Cable's body, who has become a blob of organic metal.
Geshem
In the fantasy world depicted in the graphic novelGraphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
Wolverine: Rahne of Terra, Cable's counterpart is a wizard called the Mage, who carried the Warlock
Warlock (New Mutants)
Warlock is a fictional character, a cybernetic alien superhero published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in New Mutants vol. 1 #18 , and was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz.-Publication history:...
Staff and a crossbow.
Ultimate Cable
In Ultimate X-MenUltimate X-Men
Ultimate X-Men is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2001 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running X-Men comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...
, Cable is a future version of Wolverine
Ultimate Wolverine
Ultimate Wolverine is an alternative version of Wolverine who appears in comics containing stories set in the Ultimate Marvel universe. He first appears in Ultimate X-Men #1 and was created by Mark Millar and Adam Kubert.-Early years:...
who goes back to the past to capture Professor Xavier, returning with him to the future in order to train him for the coming battle with Apocalypse After Apocalypse's death, Cable fades out of existence.
What If?
A two-part storyline in What If...What If (comics)
What If, sometimes rendered as What If...?, is the title of several comic book series published by Marvel Comics, exploring "the road not traveled" by its various characters...
asks, "What If Cable Destroyed the X-Men?" In this story, Cable clashes with Professor X and the X-Men over their beliefs and differences in methods. Ultimately, Cable leads a faction of mutants loyal to him and assassinates the Professor, Cyclops
Cyclops (comics)
Cyclops is a fictional character, the leader of the X-Men superhero team in the . A mutant, Cyclops emits a powerful energy beam from his eyes...
, and Jean Grey
Jean Grey
Jean Grey-Summers is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix, and Dark Phoenix and is best known as one of five original members of the X-Men, for her relationship with Cyclops, and for her...
before embarking on a violent crusade. Cable is ultimately killed by Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
, but his actions have already led to the further oppression of mutants. Magneto
Magneto (comics)
Magneto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the central villain of the X-Men comic, as well as the TV show and the films. The character first appears in X-Men #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
attempts to take control of America in the chaos, but is killed by a new model of plastic Sentinels
Sentinel (comics)
Sentinels are a fictional variety of mutant-hunting robots, appearing in the Marvel Comics Universe. They are usually portrayed as antagonists to the X-Men. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, they first appeared in The X-Men #14 .According to Marvel canon, Sentinels are programmed to locate...
, who decide that enslaving humanity is the best way to root out mutants. However, Wolverine assembles several surviving mutants to fight against the Sentinels as a new team of X-Men.
X-Men Forever
X-Men Forever is an alternate universe written by Chris Claremont that takes place after the events of X-Men vol. 2, #3. In it, it is revealed that X-Factor's confrontation with Apocalypse ended differently — Nathan was saved, but aged somehow from a toddler into a child. Nathan lives with his great-grandmother and grandfather in Alaska. An attack by mysterious agents causes Nathan to be moved to the protective custody of the StarjammersStarjammers
The Starjammers are a fictional team of space pirates from the pages of the X-Men comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Starjammers first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #107 and were created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum...
. He is shown to possess telepathic powers. Cable appears in one panel of the series but no connection between Cable and Nathan is made.
Film
- In 2009, Marvel attempted to hire a team of writers to help come up with creative ways to launch its lesser-known properties, such as Black PantherBlack Panther (comics)The Black Panther is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and penciller-co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #52...
, Cable, Iron Fist, NighthawkNighthawk (Marvel Comics)Nighthawk is the name of several fictional characters that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. There have been five versions of the character: a supervillain-turned-superhero from the mainstream Marvel Universe continuity, Kyle Richmond, who belonged to the team Squadron Sinister;...
, and VisionVision (Marvel Comics)The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The first Vision was created by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that...
.
Television
- Cable made six appearances in X-Men: The Animated SeriesX-Men (TV series)X-Men, also known as X-Men: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series which debuted on October 31, 1992, in the United States on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup...
in the episodes "Slave IslandSlave Island (X-Men)-Summary:Hearing that mutants are welcome on the island nation of Genosha, Professor Xavier sends Storm, Gambit, and Jubilee there for a vacation. Here they were captured by a Sentinel in last episode, Cold Vengeance....
", "The Cure", "Time Fugitives (Parts 1-2)", and "Beyond Good and Evil (Parts 1-4): The End of Time". He was voiced by Lawrence BayneLawrence BayneLawrence Bayne is a Canadian actor, born November 11, 1960 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He has appeared in various movies and television series, both live action and animated, and also sings/writes with his band The Lawrence Bayne Issue....
in the English version, and by Tesshō GendaTessho Gendais a Japanese voice actor. He is employed by the talent management firm 81 Produce. When he debuted, he used his real name, . as artist name. Because he had experience with ballet, he was known by the nickname "Pirouette Genda."...
in the Japanese dub. This version of Cable possessed his trademark metal arm but it is referenced as being a bionic construct rather than a result of the techno-organic virus. In this series, he lacks his comic book counterpart's telepathic powers, though telekinetic powers remain. There is also a discontinuity as to the age of his son TylerGenesis (comics)Genesis is a fictional character in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a mutant and foe of Cable and Wolverine. He first appeared in a flashback in X-Force #1...
, who appears as a child and an adult in different episodes both set in the year 3999, though several changes to the time-line had occurred.
Video games
- Cable appears as a playable character in the fighting gameFighting gameFighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
Marvel vs. Capcom 2Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroesis a fighting game, developed and published by Capcom. It is the fourth game in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. With the fourth installment of this series, Capcom simplified the controls to make the gameplay more accessible for casual players. The button configuration was trimmed down to 4 main...
. - Cable is an exclusive hidden character in the PSPPlayStation PortableThe is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
version of the role-playing game X-Men Legends II: Rise of ApocalypseX-Men Legends II: Rise of ApocalypseX-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse is an action role-playing game released in 2005 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, N-Gage, PlayStation Portable, and GameCube video game consoles as well as the PC...
. - Similarly, Cable was a hidden character in the Sega Game GearSega Game GearThe was Sega's first handheld game console. It was the third commercially available color handheld console, after the Atari Lynx and the TurboExpress....
platform game X-Men 2: Game Master's LegacyX-Men 2: Game Master's LegacyX-Men 2: Gamesmaster's Legacy was released in 1994 on the Sega Game Gear system. The game starts off with Cyclops and Storm as playable X-Men, although Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Bishop, Jean Grey, and Cable can be unlocked later on...
. - Cable is seen in the X-Men: Reign of ApocalypseX-Men: Reign of ApocalypseX-Men: Reign of Apocalypse is a video game for the Game Boy Advance system featuring the X-Men comic book characters. It was designed by Digital Eclipse and released by Activision in 2001. The game was generally received with mixed feelings....
video game for the Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy AdvanceThe is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
. - Cable appears in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, voiced by David Agranov. He is a non-player characterNon-player characterA non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
and serves as a boss fight for the Pro-Registration side. In the Pro-Registration campaign, the heroes fight Cable at an Anti-Registration base in New Jersey. After his defeat, Cable is arrested. He and Hercules are later broken out by Captain America. In the Anti-Registration side, he commands the player during the New Jersey base mission. In the funeral scene following the Prison 42 incident, Cable is featured amongst the missing and presumed deceased heroes indicating that he was absorbed into the Fold. In the Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PlayStation 3PlayStation 3The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
versions of the game, he is one of six downloadable characters.
Awards
Cable #34-35 were part of the "OnslaughtOnslaught (comics)
Onslaught is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Man #15 , and was co-created by writers Scott Lobdell, Mark Waid, and artist Andy Kubert....
" storyline, which was a top vote getter for the Comics Buyer's Guide
Comics Buyer's Guide
Comics Buyer's Guide , established in 1971, is the longest-running English-language periodical reporting on the American comic book industry...
Fan Award for Favorite Comic-Book Story for 1997.
Collected editions
The stories have been collected in a number of trade paperbacksTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
.
- Cable Classic:
- Volume 1 (collects New Mutants #87; Cable: Blood and Metal; Cable #1-4), 248 pages, March 2008, ISBN 0-7851-3123-X
- Volume 2 (collects Cable #5-14), 240 pages, August 2009, ISBN 0-7851-3744-0
- Cable:
- Shining Path (collects Cable #97-100), May 2002, ISBN 0-7851-0909-9
- The End (collects Cable #101-107), November 2002, ISBN 0-7851-0963-3
- X-Force and Cable: Legend Returns (collects X-Force #1-6), 144 pages, April 2005, ISBN 0-7851-1429-7
- X-Force: Shatterstar (collects X-Force: Shatterstar #1-4; New Mutants #99-100), 160 pages, August 2005, ISBN 0-7851-1633-8
- Askani'son (collects Askani'son #1-4), 96 pages, September 1997, ISBN 0-7851-0565-4
- Cable vol. 2:
- Volume 1: Messiah War (collects Cable vol. 2, #1-5), 128 pages, October 2008, ISBN 0-7851-3226-0 (hardcover); January 2009, ISBN 0-7851-2972-3 (softcover)
- Volume 2: Waiting for the End of the World (collects Cable vol. 2, #6-10; King-Sized Cable), 160 pages, June 2009, ISBN 0-7851-3391-7 (hardcover); August 2009, ISBN 0-7851-2973-1 (softcover)
- X-Force/Cable: Messiah War (collects Cable vol. 2, #11-15; Messiah War one-shot; X-Force #14-16; X-Men: The Times and Life of Lucas Bishop #1-3; X-Men: Future History - The Messiah War Sourcebook), 368 pages, August 2009, ISBN 0-7851-3157-1 (hardcover); December 2009, ISBN 0-7851-3173-6 (softcover)
- Volume 3: Stranded (collects Cable vol. 2, #16-20), 120 pages, February 2010, ISBN 0-7851-4241-X (hardcover); October 2009, ISBN 0-7851-4167-7 (softcover)
- Volume 4: Homecoming (collects Cable vol. 2, #21-25; X-Men: Hope #1), 176 pages, June 2010, ISBN 978-0785145097 (hardcover); October 2010, ISBN 978-0785141686 (softcover)
External links
- Cable at Marvel.com
- Spotlight On...Cable at UncannyXmen.net
- Comics Buyer’s Guide Fan Awards