Cable #11 review (spoilers)

[Jackraow21]

This was obviously my favorite issue of the series because 1) it showed The Five bringing back the OG adult version of Cable and 2) readers were treated to the long-awaited reunion between Hope and her father. As a father myself, that hug was everything. So, that being said, on to the review/recap… SPOILERS ahead so beware…
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- The issue starts with The Five debating the request from Kid Cable to bring back the old man (who he previously “retired”) to help defeat Stryfe, with Hope of course arguing in favor and saying “what’re they going to do to us, they need us”? She also refers to Magneto and Prof X as “the helmet bros”.

- At that point Prof X walks in and says basically that this helmet bro is read in on the plan. Cut to the Summers House where Kid Cable, Cyclops and Jean also debate the plan with Jean saying she agrees with it, much to Scott’s chagrin.

- Sophie walks in and tells Kid Cable that the Cuckoos are breaking up with him, then the last Knight of Galador comes randomly limping in with a cane saying he means them no harm. Cut to Arbor Magna.

- Here we witness the OG bad-f-ing-ass adult version of Cable’s long overdue resurrection (whoo!!!), and get a kind of weak explanation for why they resurrected him with the T-O virus instead of without it (basically because Hope says he’s got it maintained and is studying it for mutations). After being reborn, he looks at Xavier and says, “Hello, Chuck. Back to Krakoa, huh?” Highly interesting, obviously the implication being that he’s been there before… perhaps referring to his younger self, Kid Cable, perhaps not. You never know with Cable. The guy’s an enigma wrapped in a mystery locked inside a puzzle box, after all.

- Here OG Cable looks at Egg/Goldballs, confirms that he didn’t remove the virus (which Egg responds to with “Heaven forbid!”), and we get that awesome hug between Cable and Hope.

- Then it’s off to the mission, with OG and Kid Cable both body sliding off planet and to Graymalkin II, Cable’s orbiting satellite base cloaked above Earth, where his Belle AI is waiting. Awesome banter between the two Cables which is a lot of fun here. And, as usual, the OG wastes no time getting geared up and ready for battle with Stryfe and is already several steps ahead of everyone. Classic Cable characterization here from Duggan. Well done.

- Belle drops something really interesting in this scene too. She explains that in the days before Krakoa was formed Stryfe was stealing mutant babies and acquiring supernatural technology in an effort to open a portal and ignite a demon invasion (which clearly this issue shows is still his plan), but then she drops this seemingly throwaway line about how after Krakoa was revealed she “can guess with a high degree of certainty the he pivoted to attempting to insert a clone at your present age (speaking to Kid Cable) into mutant society.” This feels very much like a Chekhov’s gun to me… hmmm… is Kid Cable actually a clone? If so, when was the switch made? And did the original already return to the future? There are some fan theories that have speculated this, with some credible evidence in support (as well as some that would seem to contradict). Guess we’ll find out next issue.

- From here he bodyslides to meet Magik, gives her a marker which he says she’ll be thankful to have in the future, and she teleports him to the hellish dimension where Stryfe is hiding out and working to execute his invasion from.

- Meanwhile, back on Earth, Kid Cable takes OG Cable’s “War Wagon” vehicle (a badass looking hovercraft of some kind), and we get a data page detailing its deployments through time. Pretty cool stuff.

- Kid Cable and Domino scoop up Deadpool, who once again begs to join X-Force, and from there they go to scoop up Scott and Jean who are on the moon talking to the old last Knight of Galador. Seems he has one final mission, and mentions the Light of Galador but Kid Cable tells him he gave it to the older version of himself for his fight against Stryfe, but promises to bring it back.

- They make another stop where Kid Cable asks Esme to come with him and kisses her (this scene also gives you the suspicion that perhaps Kid Cable is also sticking around despite the OG version being back), and then they scoop up Rachel and Hope for the final battle. Full on Summers family reunion plus Domino and Deadpool.

- Finally, in “another time and place” Stryfe prepares to execute the six mutant babies plus the six clones of said babies (because he needed 12 for his spell) in order to open an extra-dimensional portal and invade Earth with his horde of demons.

- OG Cable watches from above, plants a Krakoan flower gate in the corpse of one of the demons he killed last issue, and mutters to himself “alright kid, time to bring in the cavalry.” Then he busts out of the window of the tower he’s watching from and prepares to take the fight to Stryfe.

Next issue: Cable Forever

Damn right! Excellent penultimate issue, and now I cannot wait for the finale. I still have lots of questions and believe there are definitely more twists on the way in issue #12. It’s going to be a long month for this (OG) Cable fan.

[JB]

Congrats! I'm genuinely super stoked for you that OG Cable is back.

[Jackraow21]

Thanks, man. And I don’t even mind if the Kid version sticks around for those who have grown to like him. I’m starting to suspect that he might, but that perhaps he’s not actually Cable… like I said above, Belle’s throwaway line about Stryfe trying to insert a clone into mutant society who was his present age was a bit suspicious. Felt important.

[CGAR]

I genuinely thought of you when that rebirth scene popped up. I was like oh man that OG Cable lover is going to love this.

[sunofdarkchild]

Has it ever been explained what the markers do or are for? I know Logan owed Teen Cable 1 for their fight in issue 1/

[Havok83]

LOVED IT! This was the best panel

[raidensix]

When did Old Man Cable get the TO virus back? I remember hope used the Phoenix Force to build him a new body and he later replaced his "atrophied" body parts with bionics.

[Grunty]

Congrats! I'm genuinely super stoked for you that OG Cable is back.

I'm not.

Which isn't because i dislike the OG Cable returning (not a big fan, just respect the character and what can be done with him by good writers), but primarily because i feel like they tried to manipulate us into cheering for fixing a mistake they not only created themself but then dragged out too long.

To me it feels like if the sales weren't decreasing so heavily, they would have stretched out this young Cable for as long as possible, because they still thought enough people would like him. But knowing not enough people did they had the exist stragegy ready all along, but could have easily dismissed it if sales would have proven them right instead.

Since the storyline he was introduced in, young cable had all the marking of the stereotypical "younger and hipper replacement version" character, which reminded me to that brief time DC replaced Lobo with a similar version (the same kind of new version killing the "lame" old version scene even) and in both accounts it failed to catch on with enough of the buying audience while also angering the fans of the original version.

But instead of admitting the mistake and fixing it quickly, they dragged it out and now seem to expect getting praise for doing so.

Which is a problem that seems to have been around Marvel leadership for a long while. Instead of admitting to their mistakes narratively, characterization or continuity wise, they drag things out until people are just happy the problem goes away.
While there have been several successfull examples of writers and editors making the best out of a mistake, hence not requiring to admit, often enough they just made it worse and acted as if everything was fine.

So i'm not cheering, i'm not hyped for OG Cable, i just nod and expect them to do better in the future with him.

[JB]

LOVED IT! This was the best panel

Amazing moment!

[Frostfire]

One question, what does it mean when you give your marker to someone? I've seen it where Kid Cable beat Wolverine (in an earlier issue of this series) and they said he had to give Kid Cable a marker. Here we see its an actual coin. I presume its for a favor to be cashed in later but I've never really seen this in the lore outside of this Cable series.

[Frobisher]

One question, what does it mean when you give your marker to someone? I've seen it where Kid Cable beat Wolverine (in an earlier issue of this series) and they said he had to give Kid Cable a marker. Here we see its an actual coin. I presume its for a favor to be cashed in later but I've never really seen this in the lore outside of this Cable series.

It's just a token of an owed favour. They have more formalised markers in the John Wick films, but it's quite a widespread trope.

[Frostfire]

It's just a token of an owed favour. They have more formalised markers in the John Wick films, but it's quite a widespread trope.

Ah ok - it seemed to have a higher degree of formalization to it.

[jwatson]

Great issue, as i predicted before i think both cables are here to stay and it will be a reverse o5 situation.

[Uncanny X-Man]

LOVED this issue from the first page to the last. So much funny banter, great character moments, guest-stars and action, top notch work from Gerry Duggan and Phil Noto who absolutely killed it with every single page.

[Lady Midnight]

loved it! This was the best panel

***this!***

(Hope and Cable hug.)