Cable is back with this week’s Avengers: X-Sanction #1. Cable died saving the life of Hope, the mutant messiah and his adopted daughter. How is Cable reborn and why must he eliminate the Avengers? It’s connected to the return of the Phoenix Force and this series acts as a prelude to Avengers Versus X-Men in 2012.
With the mutant hero from the future attacking Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in such a crucial storyline here’s what you need to know about the fan favorite mutant with a complicated origin and future history.
Cable debuted in New Mutants # 87 as a cyborg warrior who took the kids of New Mutants and made them a pro-active fighting force. The title was soon reborn as X-Force.
The origin: X-Man Cyclops was married to a woman named Madelyn Pryor (she was actually a clone of Jean Grey/Marvel Girl created by Mister Sinister) and they had a baby named Nathan.
In the pages of X-Factor (the original five X-Men reunited) Nathan was infected by a techno-organic virus from the future by Apocalypse. Just when all hope was lost, a woman from the future appeared to Cyclops and said she could save his baby if she let him take the child into the future where they had the medical technology to save him. That woman was sent by Rachel Summers (the daughter of Cyclops and the real Jean Grey from the future.)
Nathan’s life was saved but he became a cyborg. His mutant powers of telekinesis help keep his body together and the virus at bay. Nathan grew up in a war-torn future ruled by Apocalypse.
Cable went back in time to prevent his future. Stryfe was Cable and X-Force’s archenemy and during the X-Cutioner’s Song storyline Stryfle revealed he was a clone of Nathan.
Hope was the first baby born after the decimation of mutants and elimination of the mutant gene from humanity. The baby was hailed as a mutant messiah by some and the harbinger of a future apocalypse by others. Cyclops let Cable take the baby into the future to protect her. Hope returned as a teenager. Cable sacrificed his life to save her.
The Phoenix Force is speeding towards Earth. The Phoenix image manifested around Hope in the past so could the entity be coming to make her its new host? Marvel has said a surprise decision by one team related to the impending return of the Phoenix is what causes the AVX war.
Could this actually be Styfle attacking the Avengers? Has Cable returned only to be sacrificed again?
It seems way too soon for Cable to return. Honestly I was a fan when he first appeared in New Mutants before learning his real identity and origin. The only other time I enjoyed the character is during Second Coming when he was about to die. Cable’s scenes with his father and adopted daughter were moving. For such a man of action the best moments I like were very quiet and still encounters with Cyclops and Hope.