How 'Cable' #1 Reignites an Infamous Flame

WARNING! FORBUSH FORGIVE US, BUT THIS Arresting ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR TODAY'S cable #1—SO READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK, True Believers!

For most of his comic book career, Cable has been a grizzled old warrior from the future. However, old Cable was “retired” by his younger counterpart in EXTERMINATION (2018). Now, young Cable is getting his own ongoing series brought to you by Gerry Duggan and Phil Noto. And if CABLE #1 is any indication of things to come, this is gonna be the title to watch.

The opening pages of the book pit Cable, AKA Nathan Summers, against Wolverine in a mutant battle arena called The Quarry. This is apparently a popular sport on Krakoa, and the issue also lists previous battles and winners. (Who could have guessed that Callisto would have the most wins?) As for Cable and Wolverine, this fight called back to their first on-panel tussle in NEW MUTANTS (1983) #93-94. However, young Cable has a much greater command of his telekinetic powers than his older incarnation. That’s the edge he needed to gain a decisive victory over Logan in the arena.

Cable also shows a romantic interest in his “double date” companions, Armor and Pixie. It’s a bit bizarre for Armor, since she previously knew the older Cable. In fact, she even asks young Cable if his older part attempted to recruit her because he knew they were friends on Krakoa. Intriguingly, Cable claims that he doesn’t know what his older self was thinking. He’s simply living in the moment.

Unfortunately, Krakoa is a much more dangerous place since it rejoined with Arakko in November's X-MEN #2. Arakko is populated by monstrous creatures, one of which threatened the life of Fauna, a young mutant living on the island. Cable put his date with Armor and Pixie on hold so that the three of them could find Arakko on the forbidden side of the island. And what they found was an ancient monster who was once impaled by an alien sword eons ago.

With Armor’s help, Cable removed the sword before having a vision of its history. Apparently, the blade is called The Light of Galador, and it once belonged to Morn of the Spaceknights. The Spaceknights played a key role in protecting the Marvel Universe from the Dire Wraiths—but their planet, Galador, was lost to the war with the Builders during INFINITY (2013). Now that The Light of Galador has been found, three hibernating Spaceknights have awakened. They believe that the blade can restore their homeworld.

Given that the next major X-Men crossover event is X OF SWORDS, it can’t be a coincidence that Cable has come into possession of such a majestic blade. But the rest of the issue is an even deeper cut into Cable’s history. Back in POWERS OF X #4, it was revealed that Apocalypse and his first Horsemen helped save Krakoa from a demonic invasion. X-MEN #2 also suggested that the invasion was about to begin again. Now, we have proof that it’s already started.

After his apparent death in EXTERMINATION, old Cable has resurfaced. And he’s on the hunt for demons who have taken hostages and fled the Earth. In the ancillary matter, old Cable’s journal reveals that these demons are trying to recreate the conditions that led to INFERNO. During that X-Men event, Cable was simply a child when his mother, Madelyne Pryor, became the Goblin Queen and tried to sacrifice him. If Madelyne had succeeded, Cable’s death would have permanently allowed the demons to overrun the Earth.

Both HOUSE OF X and POWERS OF X hinted that the fires of INFERNO were about to be reignited. Now, the first match has been struck in the Dawn of X.

Quit your quiet contemplations, compadre, and head on down to your local comic shop to read CABLE #1 right now!