Nathan Summers: Cable Appreciation 2021

[Mr. White]

1. Could be that he never actually died. Think about it. He knew Kid Cable was coming for him and allowed himself to be killed anyway, as we saw in the current Cable series in issues #3-4. We also know that he already has the ability to clone himself from Spurrier’s X-Force run where he did just that (I think thanks to Dr. Nemesis building the cloning technology for him). So perhaps he sent a clone of himself to die at Kid Cable’s hand, and the real one is still out there? In fact, that could be who we saw at the end of Cable #1 fighting crab demons in some future hellscape. The simpler option, though, is the Resurrection Protocols. Since he knew about Kid Cable, he must’ve also known about Krakoa somehow and thus knew they’d have the ability to bring him back. Specifically his daughter Hope, along with the other four. So he wasn’t afraid to go to his death, knowing they’d bring him back. And would probably bring him back in his physical prime too, since they can do that.

2. It would have to be included — at least in his raw genetic template — as it is part of his cellular structure. Every cell contains the virus, as I believe Beast pointed out in some older issues of the Cable series way back in the 90s. Even Stryfe, his clone, has (or had) the virus (you see traces of it along his back in the Cable: Blood & Metal 2-parter actually). But in Stryfe somehow it’s not nearly as advanced. I’m assuming that since he was taken by Apocalypse as an infant, who first infected baby Nathan with it, that he had some way to slow its spread or possibly even cure him (so maybe what we saw on his back in Blood & Metal were just old scars from the virus). Having said all that... if they do bring Cable back via the RP, would the virus be as advanced in him as it was before? Since they artificially age the body, he’d go from a fetus to an adult in short order, not leaving the virus much time to consume his organic cells and tissue before he’s awakened and has the ability to keep it at bay with his powers. So he might not be half cyborg even if he does still have the T-O virus.

3. It is possible, however, that with all the power at their disposal The Five could somehow cure him of it when they bring him back. After all, Hope cured him of it once before using the power of the Phoenix (at the end of the X-Sanction mini); and Nathan even cured himself of it once on his own (during the Soldier X era of Cable). So we know it’s possible to cure it with enough power. The Five have a lot of power, including the ability to warp reality itself in Proteus. The biggest problem with him not having the virus IMO is that he becomes too powerful to be interesting. I never found X-man particularly interesting for the same reason. So they’d need to establish some other reason for his power levels being reduced. Perhaps because, in the case of X-man and Stryfe (and even Cable himself when he was in “god mode” in the Cable & Deadpool series fighting the Silver Surfer), it’s been shown that their incredible power levels cause cellular degradation (killing them over time) and also madness. So while it would make sense that The Five might bring him back sans T-O virus (especially Hope who cured him before), it might also make sense that they bring him back with less raw psionic power than he had before too. Then he’d still have to rely on his skills, training and weaponry. I think I’d like that actually. Could be cool. Simplifies Cable a bit, in that he’s no longer infected with the virus and thus a cyborg, but doesn’t suddenly make him godlike in terms of his power level either. I was hoping to see that explored after X-Sanction honestly, but then Hopeless went in a weird direction with the skinny arm and cybernetic exoskeletal “sleeve” and whatnot. And reducing his powers to just some limited precognition. Which I frankly did not like. But... making Cable whole via the RP and power of The Five, while at the same time just reducing his TP and TK power levels some? Yeah, I’d be okay with that. Him being a cyborg with a metal left arm isn’t even close to the most interesting thing about the character to me, and they play around with the virus too much as it is. Have seen waaay too many stories over the years where it’s suddenly out of control and killing him. That drama is played out IMO.



Agreed. 100%. Bring back the adult version. I don’t care how. Hell, if they establish that Kid Cable’s timeline no longer exists and he doesn’t have to go back to the future anymore, I wouldn’t mind if somehow he got trapped in an alternate dimension or a gravity well out in space (in the S.W.O.R.D. book) where time went faster and he just comes back aged up a couple of decades. I just don’t like him as a kid.

Thanks for such a detailed response!
Yeah I do agree about his powerset potentially being on the verge of ridiculous if the TO virus isn't in tow which could make him uninteresting.
^^I can however get behind this arrangement.

[Jackraow21]

Yeah, I was very interested in what a “whole Cable” would be like, cured completely of the T-O virus. As you can see, he was indeed whole by the end of X-Sanction when Hope cured him with the power of the Phoenix...



And Hopeless did nerf him substantially, by taking away his TP and TK and giving him only these precognitive flashes in the Cable & X-Force series that followed the events of X-Sanction. Plus for some reason he said his left arm was atrophied and skinny, necessitating the cybernetic prosthetic that Forge whipped up for him. Which doesn’t make sense since it was clearly depicted as normal in the image above.

Regardless, if they went this route and made him whole via the Resurrection Protocols somehow, I honestly don’t think it would change much about the character provided he still has his powers and they have a viable explanation for why they’re greatly reduced (such as the one I provided above with The Five bringing him back with reduced powers for his own good). I always love it when Cable uses cool technology and weapons, so he could even use his tech (or tech whipped up by Forge or Nemesis, who I enjoy watching Nathan interact with) to augment his now reduced abilities. I took a stab at rewriting his bio, and envision something like this...

CABLE
REAL NAME: Nathan Christopher Charles Summers
KNOWN ALIASES: Nathan Dayspring Askani'son, The Chosen One
OCCUPATION: (current) Adventurer, (former) freedom fighter, United States government agent, mercenary, combat instructor for X-Force
LEGAL STATUS: Wanted as an outlaw by U.S. authorities
PLACE OF BIRTH: Unrevealed location in the 20th Century United States
MARITAL STATUS: Widower
KNOWN RELATIVES: Scott Summers (Cyclops, father), Madelyne Pryor-Summers (mother), Jean Grey (Phoenix, stepmother), Alexander Summers (Havok, uncle), Christopher Summers (Corsair, grandfather), Elaine Grey (grandmother), Sara Grey (aunt, deceased), Philip Summers (great-grandfather), Deborah Summers (great-grandmother), Gailyn and Joey (cousins), Jenskot (Aliya, wife, deceased), Tyler (Genesis, son, deceased)
GROUP AFFILIATION: (current) X-Force, (former) Avengers Unity Squad, X-men, Six Pack (formerly Wild Pack II), Clan Askani, Clan Chosen
BASE OF OPERATION: Krakoa
FIRST APPEARANCE: (as Nathan Christopher Summers) X-MEN (first series) #201, (as Cable) NEW MUTANTS #87

HEIGHT: 6 ft. 6 in.
WEIGHT: 350 lbs.
EYES: Blue
HAIR: White, originally brown
OTHER DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Left eye glows when powers are in use

KNOWN SUPERHUMAN POWERS: Cable possesses low-level psionic abilities augmented by advanced technology. Specifically his mutant powers are telepathic and telekinetic in nature. His telepathy is limited to mental communication with those in close proximity and short-range precognitive abilities. This affords him glimpses of actions that are seconds in the future, giving him an edge in combat. These capabilities can be enhanced through technology like Cerebro to expand their range. His telekinesis allows him to levitate and move nearby objects, and acts as tactile telekinesis to augment his physical strength. Using a device affixed to his left wrist gauntlet which is powered by and supplements his telekinesis, he can create protective force shields and throw them up with a thought.

OTHER ABILITIES: Cable is a highly accomplished warrior and battle strategist, highly adept in multiple forms of hand-to-hand combat and in the uses of many kinds of weaponry, both of the 20th and 40th Centuries. Including offensive weaponry such as his psimitar and sword, The Light of Galador, through which he can channel his psionic abilities.

I could dig that as his new status quo honestly. When they bring back the OG version and assuming they do it through the Resurrection Protocols.

[Havok83]

AIPT: Nice. And X-Fan Dave wanted to know if the Quiet Council has had any discussions about resurrecting the original Cable.

Gerry: No, not the Quiet Council.

[juan678]

We received quite a few X-Fan questions about Cable and Hope. So, for X-Fans Mark Abnett, Kyle Cambray and Nathan Salim, is there any chance we’ll ever see young Nathan interacting with his older self’s daughter… or is it just easier for the two to focus on their jobs and avoid any potential awkwardness?

Gerry: It’s on the drawing table now.

[Jackraow21]

AIPT: Nice. And X-Fan Dave wanted to know if the Quiet Council has had any discussions about resurrecting the original Cable.

Gerry: No, not the Quiet Council.

Hell yes. Solid tease.

[Havok83]

Hell yes. Solid tease.

the one person I can see doing it is Hope, which would make sense given how she reacted to his death in Exterminated and the Holiday Special. She doesnt need the rest of the Five to do so as she can find a way to take them out and then mimic their powers to create a Cable husk. That just leaves her needing to find a way to access Cerebro and she'd likely need help for that

[Askani's Flame]

took a stab at rewriting his bio, and envision something like this...

KNOWN RELATIVES: Scott Summers (Cyclops, father), Madelyne Pryor-Summers (mother), Jean Grey (Phoenix, stepmother), Rachel Anne Summers (Prestige, sister), Alexander Summers (Havok, uncle), Christopher Summers (Corsair, grandfather), Elaine Grey (grandmother), Sara Grey (aunt, deceased), Philip Summers (great-grandfather), Deborah Summers (great-grandmother), Gailyn and Joey (cousins), Jenskot (Aliya, wife, deceased), Tyler (Genesis, son, deceased)

You missed a relative that is important to him (bolded above).

[Jackraow21]

I copied and pasted that from somewhere. Very big omission on their part, though. Thanks for correcting.

[Havok83]

Prestige?

[juan678]

Prestige?

art by Magickmarker


And *Hope Summers adoptive daugther or Nate Grey (alternative brother)

[Alphaxman]

Has it been stated how old Kid Cable is? For someone who was three inches taller than his dad as a full grown adult, he's look rather short now. I can't remember his age when "Slim" and "Red" left him to come back to the present, but it couldn't be no more than 12 or 13. So if this version is a few years past that time, Kid Cable can't be no more than 14 or 15? I guess he'll be one of those guys who get a massive growth spurt (6"-10") in his late teens.

[Havok83]

Has it been stated how old Kid Cable is? For someone who was three inches taller than his dad as a full grown adult, he's look rather short now. I can't remember his age when "Slim" and "Red" left him to come back to the present, but it couldn't be no more than 12 or 13. So if this version is a few years past that time, Kid Cable can't be no more than 14 or 15? I guess he'll be one of those guys who get a massive growth spurt (6"-10") in his late teens.

He was 12 at the end of AoCP. He should be about 16-18 now

[Alphaxman]

He was 12 at the end of AoCP. He should be about 16-18 now

Then he's way too short. I get that it's hard to show age if he's drawn taller than Cyke, but it's possible. Noto already gives him a babyface, so he could make it work.

[loke13]

Then he's way too short. I get that it's hard to show age if he's drawn taller than Cyke, but it's possible. Noto already gives him a babyface, so he could make it work.

I mean does it really matter as long as he hasn't finished growing yet?

[Drakeon]

Went on a hunt in Fortnite and took down the Predator.

20210121_131846.jpg

Nathan took home a trophy

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