Nathan Summers: Cable Appreciation 2020

[Jackraow21]

Well, when he decided to stick around we didn't have the Krakoa Resurrection Protocols McGuffin to magically bring him back. So when he decided to stay it absolutely would have broken the timestream had something happened to him.

Because he's not supposed to be in this era, at this time and at this age. If he were to die, just like if one of the O5 were to die when they were in this time period, it undoes all the things they've done, right?

Well, remember all the things older Cable did in the past? Taking the New Mutants under his wing and forging them into X-Force? All the battles that team has fought? More recently rescuing and raising Hope when mutants had dwindled down to an endangered species after M-Day, and bringing her back to the present in Second Coming so she could restart the mutant gene? Just like if Teen Iceman or Cyclops died here and now, before going back and being mindwiped, it would wreck the timestream; if Kid Cable dies here and now before going back to the future so he can eventually come back and do all those things, he would also wreck the timestream.

Basically, the kid version of Nathan is a frickin' idiot. Having said that, you make a good point about that probably being moot now.

[phoenixzero23]

This is the same situation as Teen Jean. He will be mindwiped and meet everybody again and live all his previous adventures as he did before.

[Havok83]

It absolutely does break the timestream. Because he's not supposed to be in this era, at this time and at this age. If he were to die, just like if one of the O5 were to die when they were in this time period, it undoes all the things they've done, right?

Well, remember all the things older Cable did in the past? Taking the New Mutants under his wing and forging them into X-Force? All the battles that team has fought? More recently rescuing and raising Hope when mutants had dwindled down to an endangered species after M-Day, and bringing her back to the present in Second Coming so she could restart the mutant gene? Just like if Teen Iceman or Cyclops died here and now, before going back and being mindwiped, it would wreck the timestream; if Kid Cable dies here and now before going back to the future so he can eventually come back and do all those things, he would also wreck the timestream.

Basically, the kid version of Nathan is a frickin' idiot.

The O5 dying in the future was a problem bc it was permanent. If Cable dies, they have a clone ready to take his place. I dont see how that breaks the time stream. You dont know that OG Cable hasnt died like 5 times at this age. The resurrection protocols make death irrelevant. Everything you mention in the second paragraph can still happen if he dies.

[Jackraow21]

This is the same situation as Teen Jean. He will be mindwiped and meet everybody again and live all his previous adventures as he did before.

Can't happen soon enough for me. Mindwipe him, send him back, resurrect the version he killed with his memories restored to their last backup. Boom. Let's do it, Marvel.

Hell, they could come up with something interesting that basically says Cable is such a paranoid nut that he had defenses that wouldn't allow Xavier to back up his consciousness. So they're having to go off of some earlier memory backup that Nathan himself had created in one of his safehouses. Could be a whole subplot where, after Kid Cable goes back, Hope goes in search of this because she's the only one who knows it exists. Perhaps with Deadpool in tow. They find it, and The Five bring back Cable with his consciousness from an earlier time and with his body restored to its prime (think Ian Churchill era 90s Cable in terms of age versus the old man he became in the future raising Hope). That could be cool, and a bit sad because he wouldn't have those memories of raising Hope, though she could mimic someone's telepathy and give them to him, at least from her perspective.

The O5 dying in the future was a problem bc it was permanent. If Cable dies, they have a clone ready to take his place. I dont see how that breaks the time stream. You dont know that OG Cable hasnt died like 5 times at this age. The resurrection protocols make death irrelevant. Everything you mention in the second paragraph can still happen if he dies.

Yeah, I glossed over that part of your response when I first responded, so I edited my response. But he didn't know about Krakoa or the Resurrection Protocols when he decided to stay. If he had, then sending the Teen O5 back wasn't nearly as much of an issue either for the same reason. Teen Jean dies in the present? No big deal. Just bring her back. Eventually we'll get them back to their timeline, but no harm no foul if they die in the present.

Nope. That wasn't his position. He was willing to kill his older self for allowing them to even stay here for as long as they did and "jeopardizing the timeline." Kid's still an idiot. I stand by that.

[Havok83]

Yeah, I glossed over that part of your response when I first responded, so I edited my response. But he didn't know about Krakoa or the Resurrection Protocols when he decided to stay. If he had, then sending the Teen O5 back wasn't nearly as much of an issue either for the same reason. Teen Jean dies in the present? No big deal. Just bring her back. Eventually we'll get them back to their timeline, but no harm no foul if they die in the present.

Nope. That wasn't his position. He was willing to kill his older self for allowing them to even stay here for as long as they did and "jeopardizing the timeline." Kid's still an idiot. I stand by that.

True, which was my issue with him staying originally but its a moot point now and not worth still holding against him bc the writers found a way to get around that. And he didnt stay initially. Soon after Extermination, he left to go back to the future to save Rachel. There was maybe 2 weeks ther. We dont know exactly when he returned and decided to stay bc there was a time gap in which point Xavier was putting Krakoa together

[taozen]

Are the Cable and X-Force series worth reading?

[Jackraow21]

Are you talking about the current ‘Cable’ and ‘X-Force’ series, as in two separate books in the modern Dawn of X era? Or the ‘Cable and X-Force’ series from awhile back written by Dennis Hopeless?

In either event, I would say...

- Current DoX Cable series, the jury is still out. The last page of issue 1 gave me hope for it.

- Current X-Force series, oh God yes. Best of the DoX lineup. By far IMO.

- Older Cable and X-Force series, a highly enjoyable read. I recommend.

Hope that helps.

[Havok83]

Are you talking about the current ‘Cable’ and ‘X-Force’ series, as in two separate books in the modern Dawn of X era? Or the ‘Cable and X-Force’ series from awhile back written by Dennis Hopeless?

In either event, I would say...

- Current DoX Cable series, the jury is still out. The last page of issue 1 gave me hope for it.

- Current X-Force series, oh God yes. Best of the DoX lineup. By far IMO.

- Older Cable and X-Force series, a highly enjoyable read. I recommend.

Hope that helps.

He used are which implies plural, so its about the DOX books

[Jackraow21]

Yeah, I figured as much, but just in case was covering all bases.

Since the current X-Force doesn’t have Kid Cable on it and really no connection to his book, it threw me a bit. Seems odd that Logan and Beast would recruit Quentin Quire over Kid Nathan. Kind of a slap in the face really, since OG Cable formed X-Force in the first place.

[Havok83]

Yeah, I figured as much, but just in case was covering all bases.

Since the current X-Force doesn’t have Kid Cable on it and really no connection to his book, it threw me a bit. Seems odd that Logan and Beast would recruit Quentin Quire over Kid Nathan. Kind of a slap in the face really, since OG Cable formed X-Force in the first place.

Cable was busy with Fallen Angels as X-Force was being formed so that could be why. X-Force is just a name as it really has nothing to do with the original team that OG Cable created. Kid Cable doesnt need to be here although Id love it to see him with Jean

[gambitxremy]

Just thought this was a great theory. I don’t agree with some of it but it’s pretty rad.

https://fanfix.wordpress.com/2013/05/07/cables-origin/

This one is my theory.

https://xcyclopswasrightx.tumblr.com...nection-theory

[Jackraow21]

My head just exploded reading both of those theories. They’re definitely interesting, but only for those of us steeped in deep, deep knowledge of the character and the Marvel Universe as a whole. My personal view is that Cable’s origin — if changed — should be streamlined, not further complicated. So anything that does the latter should be avoided. Just my preference.

I rather like what they did with him in Deadpool 2. Could they later come in and say that that version of Cable is Cyclops’ son from the future? Or a future (meaning an alternate one)? Sure. No problem. Could they, if they wanted to, say he was actually raised in the 40th Century and allude to all of the weird Askani stuff from that time? And then he apparently came back to the nearer future where he married his wife and had his daughter Hope? I guess so. It still works, if they want to throw that stuff in there in an X-Force movie or solo Cable film. But I don’t view it as necessary. At all. In my view the simpler the better.

[Askani's Flame]

So for the first theory, I think that is pretty cool. My only contention is that just because Cable wasn't part of End of Greys doesn't mean he isn't Nathan Christopher Charles Summers. Claremont intended on him being involved, but was told Cable was off-limits due to things happening in his own book at the time after the story had been flushed out. So EoG is not proof positive of him not being a Summers. But I love the idea of him being a Richards in some respect.

[gambitxremy]

The second theory is mine. I’ve been chipping away at it for a long time now. It’s so complicated but I believe it works. Also the first theory is so amazing to bad they made Nathan a summers

[Jackraow21]

Yeah. Both are interesting theories, albeit complicated. Nathan is a complex character. In some respects, that’s always been part of the problem with him. So many writers spend too much time exploring that internal complexity and not enough time just telling compelling stories with the character and establishing his place in the broader Marvel Universe as a big time player. In fact, the only writers to really do a great job in that regard were Fabian Nicieza and Jeph Loeb. At least IMO. And I also really enjoyed his time on Gerry Duggan’s Uncanny Avengers squad with Rogue, Deadpool, Captain America, Doctor Voodoo and Wasp. Those writers made Cable more of an integral player in the broader MU, with globe trotting adventures to all corners of it. Versus being a time cop and jumping around in the timestream, and other things like that which do the opposite in taking him out of the broader MU and sequestering him away from it.

Things like exploring his T-O virus being out of control for the 15th time, or him losing the T-O virus for the 4th or 5th time, being “killed” or de-aged by his younger self killing his older self... these things are just completely insular storytelling and make the character impenetrable and harder to get into for anyone but the most hardcore Cable fans.

Just my $.02.