Character Close Up

Cable

Meet Nathan Summers, time-traveling soldier and original leader of the mutant commando team, X-Force! The son of Cyclops and a clone of Jean Grey, Cable was raised by dissidents of Apocalypse in a far-flung future. He has limitless telepathic power and is always armed to the teeth—but his great weakness is the techno-organic virus inside of him that he must constantly contain.

GET TO KNOW: CABLE

Dawn of Rebellion

in Cable (2020) #1

Cable was a grizzled old veteran of the wars to save the future—and he will be again. But for now, he’s a young mutant living in paradise leading a life of adventure. Nathan Summers, son of two of the most powerful mutants on Krakoa, has a destiny leading the youth of mutantkind in rebellion—so why not start now?

Age of Apocalypse

in Adventures of Cyclops & Phoenix (1994) #1

Cable’s earliest history is in this mini-series. Shortly after his engineered birth by Mister Sinister, an infant Cable is infected with a techno-organic virus in order to cut short his legacy as Apocalypse’s killer. Here, Mother Askani (actually Cable’s half-sister Rachel Summers) transports Jean and Cyclops to the Age of Apocalypse, so that the two may groom Nathan as a protector of his timeline.

Living in the Present

in New Mutants (1983) #87

In his first full appearance, the metallic armed maverick takes on the terroristic Mutant Liberation Front, led by his ‘spare heir’ clone, Stryfe! By launching himself to the present, an adult Cable is now in the same timeline as his infant self. Madness!

Discord & Stryfe

in X-Force (1991) #1

The kid gloves come off when the de-facto leader of the New Mutants trains Xavier’s youngest class to be a task force against Stryfe’s Mutant Liberation Front. Brace yourself for blazing guns, cyborgs, and artillery pouches galore – this is the 90s!

X-Cutioner’s Song

in Uncanny X-Men (1963) #294

Check out Cable’s starring event, available as a two-part Discover! Before his galactic battle against the ever-powerful Stryfe, Cable fulfills his role as the ‘Man of Tomorrow’…by attempting to assassinate Professor X! Apocalypse and Sinister enter the fray, exploiting the X-Men’s weakness in their fragmented state.

Future Destiny

in Cable (1993) #1

The Askani'son opens fire in his own series! Cable returns to his future present just in time, as his team of the Clan Chosen are on the losing side of a battle with the Canaanites, Apocalypse-sympathizers. Introducing Cable’s wife Jenskot and their son Tyler Dayspring!

Deadly Duo

in Cable & Deadpool (2004) #1

The Odd Couple in action! Cable and Deadpool are front and center in this long running series. Deadpool’s been hired to steal a bioweapon for a cult – and Cable’s not having it!

Cable Multiplied

in Cable & Deadpool (2004) #16

Preacher Cable, Techno-Virus Ravaged Cable, Baby Cable…? Deadpool is tripping through alternate timelines in search of his favorite M.I.A. buddy. Meet the Cables of the multiverse you never knew existed! Cannonball and Siryn of X-Force guest-star.

Messiah Complex

in X-Men (2004) #205

Cable becomes guardian to the first mutant baby born since M-Day. Following a prophecy that this infant is the ‘Mutant Messiah’, Cable names the child “Hope” and adopts her as his daughter. But there are conflicting accounts of Hope’s actual destiny, with an opposing faction led by Bishop claiming she’s the ‘Mutant Anti-Christ’. Read Messiah Complex in full, available as a Discover!

Messiah War

in X-Force/Cable: Messiah War (2009) #1

Cyclops sends X-Force into the future to retrieve Cable and the mutant baby known as Hope. A small hiccup? The kill crew has exactly 32.5 hours to accomplish this mission before their time-travel capsules explode and kill them. Another hiccup? Stryfe is in charge of this future, and he’s got Bishop on his side.

Second Coming

in X-Men: Second Coming (2010) #1

This is it. After raising Hope in his own future, Cable returns with the Mutant Messiah so that she can lead mutantkind into a new age. But a Technarch-enhanced Bastion and the Purifiers launch an eradication effort against Hope – and all of the X-teams are dragged under. Will the lives lost be worth it? Read the Second Coming Discover!

Avengers Vs. X-Men Prelude

in Avengers: X-Sanction (2011) #1

Closing in on death, an end-of-his-rope Cable is reborn with a singular mission – to eliminate the Avengers. But are Earth’s Mightiest truly to blame for the future fate of Hope Summers? Stay tuned for a major confrontation with Spider-Man AND Wolverine…plus the reveal of the next Phoenix!

Public Enemies

in Cable and X-Force (2012) #1

Cable. Domino. Colossus. Dr. Nemesis. Forge. In combined life experience, this crew has seen it all. But after a rocky start (being discovered at the site of a mass murder by the Uncanny Avengers), the new kill crew is forced to go on the lam and face the growing backlash of anti-mutant sentiment. But first – Cable gets a cool bionic upgrade!

Offensive Acts

in X-Force (2014) #1

In this stylish series, Cable, Marrow, Fantomex and Psylocke are recruited to get their hands dirty with off-the-record missions too ‘black ops’ for the X-Men. First on the agenda? Getting to the bottom of the ‘Alexandria Incident’, a terrorist act committed by a highly combustible mutant.

Uncanny Timing

in Uncanny Avengers (2015) #3

He’s back...from the future! Cable returns from the year 2087 to ensure that the Unity Squad doesn’t botch their current mission. The Inhuman Shredded Man has covered Boston in his sentient toxic plants – just what Cable claims has taken over the entire future planet!