Cable #12 - Spoiler/Review Thread - 'Cable...you're relieved of your duty.'

[Havok83]

I just want him to be relevant again bc he really hasnt been in the X-franchise since arguably Second Coming

[Jackraow21]

Agreed. And I don’t get why he always has to be tied to some time travel shenanigans just because that’s part of his backstory. It’d be like pigeon-holing Wolverine and saying he can only do stories tied to Weapon X and government conspiracies. Sure, those stories are cool, but you can put the character into street level stories, cosmic stories, etc. Or saying Spider-man can only face street level villains and threats. It’s limiting, and kind of small-minded IMO.

Some of the best Cable stories saw him interacting with the Avengers, fighting the Hulk, exploring Wakanda and/or being a revolutionary figure in the present day. Mix it up, make him a relevant player again across the X-books and the broader MU.

[cable guy]

I know, right? Can’t wait to see what’s next for him. Cable: Reloaded sounds like it’s going to be bananas and chock full of 90s absurdity, in the best possible way. At least from reading the comments from Al Ewing and Bob Quinn that I’ve seen. After that, though, we don’t have any info yet.

Personally I’d like to see him in space supporting Storm as Regent of Sol, maybe part of her inner circle. I can see that being a better role for him than running Security on The Peak (or The Keep) in SWORD. That would see him running around Planet Arakko (Mars), chasing down potential threats to her and to Krakoa in the cities and slums that have sprung up on the planet (particularly around the spaceport), and doing all kinds of dirty work. But also using his own space station, Graymalkin, to have adventures off planet. Facing new enemies and threats, both amongst the Arakki mutants as well as other alien species; and not to mention Orchis, Nimrod, etc., who could always show up there at some point (and likely will). Could be an awesome new era for Cable fighting to preserve Krakoan interests across Sol… and even beyond. I’m salivating at all the story potential.

I could see a lot of those things happening and that would be great.

Lots of potential!

[cable guy]

I just want him to be relevant again bc he really hasnt been in the X-franchise since arguably Second Coming

Yep I agree too.

Though I thought he came back in a big way in X-Sanction, it didn't last long... As far as his being relevant in the X-Verse.

[gambitxremy]

yeah that was definitely a baby Cable clone at the end

Now there’s another summers clone

[Anthony Shaw]

Yeah, those red herrings turning out to be false was — on the one hand fun because it toyed with your expectations — but on the other I could see how it could be frustrating. Especially because of the personality shift in WiFi from Brisson’s X-Force series to the Dawn of X era. He was like a totally different person! But, then again, the same could be said for a lot of characters.

Regardless, I liked how it ended and especially the twist with Esme. I love that adult Cable is living happily with her in some not-too-distant future, or at least I assume that’s where they are; and he just jumps back to the present day to keep fighting for that future. It’s a bit convoluted I suppose, and if you hate time travel you probably don’t appreciate it. But at this point time travel and the multiverse are so ingrained in both the comics and films it’s just become a staple part of these fictional universes. So you can try to ignore it, but it’s pretty prevalent. And with Kang now playing a big role in the MCU, I expect him and time-hopping to play a bigger role in the books too… hmm… Cable vs Kang, anyone?

Back in the 1990s, Cable did battle with Rama Tut, so they have history.

Agreed. And I don’t get why he always has to be tied to some time travel shenanigans just because that’s part of his backstory. It’d be like pigeon-holing Wolverine and saying he can only do stories tied to Weapon X and government conspiracies. Sure, those stories are cool, but you can put the character into street level stories, cosmic stories, etc. Or saying Spider-man can only face street level villains and threats. It’s limiting, and kind of small-minded IMO.

Some of the best Cable stories saw him interacting with the Avengers, fighting the Hulk, exploring Wakanda and/or being a revolutionary figure in the present day. Mix it up, make him a relevant player again across the X-books and the broader MU.

I also remember during the 1990s, Cable had a cordial relationship with T'Challa. I believe that was during the Joe Casey era. It would be great to see that explored again.

[Jackraow21]

True. Forgot about Cable’s run in with Rama Tut. But I definitely remember his adventure in Wakanda, and becoming friends with T’Challa. That was indeed during the Casey/Ladronn era. Good stuff. That’s one of the runs you can always point to when anyone talks crap about Cable being a one-dimensional “guns ‘n pouches” character. Typically they haven’t read it, or much of anything with Cable in it beyond the early X-Force issues written by Liefeld. In which case you just pat them on the head and forgive them their ignorance and move on.

Because Cable rocks and is one of the most interesting X-men when done right. And I feel Ewing will do him right, like Casey or Mike Carey before him.

[Anthony Shaw]

True. Forgot about Cable’s run in with Rama Tut. But I definitely remember his adventure in Wakanda, and becoming friends with T’Challa. That was indeed during the Casey/Ladronn era. Good stuff. That’s one of the runs you can always point to when anyone talks crap about Cable being a one-dimensional “guns ‘n pouches” character. Typically they haven’t read it, or much of anything with Cable in it beyond the early X-Force issues written by Liefeld. In which case you just pat them on the head and forgive them their ignorance and move on.

Because Cable rocks and is one of the most interesting X-men when done right. And I feel Ewing will do him right, like Casey or Mike Carey before him.

Yeah, I really enjoyed Cable's first solo run. Cable had a slew of great writers back then. I loved 90s X-Men.

[Drakeon]

Good to have Cable back

However this issue was terrible. Stryfe was a complete joke and never felt like a threat. His characterization was way off. I feel he has never worked well in anything since his original death. Also the retconned backstory of him and Cable battling accross time and having extra bodies is just wierd. He only time jumped once to follow Cable (Blood and Metal). They didnt constantly meet each other in different time periods. That was what he did with Apocalypse as the Traveler (also a wierd retcon).

Also still dont like that Wifi just left Aliya and has basically forgotten her existence to mess around with a Cuckoo. Not that his characterization has ever matched the teen cable we know from the Askanison mini series or Cable #25.

And does Cable have the techno virus anymore or just a replica arm? Cause its never presented as the virus arm anymore. But Wifi should have the virus for sure but treats it like a prosthetic.

Heres hoping things get better from here.

[Jackraow21]

Yeah, agreed re: how goofy Stryfe’s characterization was and also the fact that Aliya is just waiting on him to return to the future while he’s here fornicating with the Cuckoos… not to mention the fact that he ends up with Esme in the near future apparently long after Aliya dies in the far future. But I never really loved Stryfe as a villain honestly, despite being a huge Cable fan. I find his archenemy to be… uninspired. And I keep hoping someone (Ewing perhaps?) will give him a better one. Now that Apocalypse is off the board and hopefully Stryfe is too for awhile, they should focus on giving him some new villains. Maybe create one from the Arakki mutants living on Mars, perhaps? Or an alien that he crosses paths with who becomes a major nemesis?

As for his arm, he still has the T-O virus, but his arm seems to be mostly bionic these days (especially when Duggan has written him, like during his UA run). Unless it gets sliced off or his virus is flaring up, the T-O virus seems to be dormant in it. Does seem odd that he can simply swap it out like that, though. I agree. But I can just roll with it. Maybe over time the virus eats away at the bionic upgrades he’s put in his arm, so he has to continually replace them? Something like that. Where’s my no-prize?

[cable guy]

I used to love Stryfe as a Cable foe to be honest. The whole concept of him... Not so much anymore.

And yes as said. he was just a goofy joke of his self. Right to the end.

Although I guess I have to still have some love for him. Because of him Cable had to be brought back!

[markdienekes]

OG Cable is fighting Stryfe who has plans to burn Krakoa. Kid Cable and Cyclops attack Stryfe and are joined by Hope, Rachel, Jean, Domino, Esme and Deadpool. Esme attempts to use her TP on Stryfe and he shows his war with Cable. Kid Cable jumps in to stop him but is thrown. Esme admits that Scott suspected he was Stryfe so she was one of the telepaths tasked to monitor him.


The rest of the Summers family contiue to fight as they secure a demon altar. As Stryfe grabs Kid Cable in a TK hold, Jean blasts him with her TK. She and Esme then assault him with TP and shut down hsi powers. The two Cables then kill him


Kid Cable shares a final moment with Esme before leaving to go to the Moon. He has a tearful goodbye with his family. His final scene is with older Cable who tells him he changed the future for the better. He leaves him with the Light of Galador. OG Cable bodyslides to SWORD

Kid Cable is in the future and joins a war against tryfe. Later we see Paulie and that Morlock with their baby. They also have an addition and its a kid with a glowing eye

Good issue and I liked how Duggan wrapped up the series. It made no sense though that Cable wasnt mindwiped as him going back with the knowledge of everything is a big continuity error. He doesnt learn that Scott and Jean were his parents until he was an adult, not a teen. He had no relationship with any of the X-men until he time traveled as an adult and it doesnt make sense that he would fake all that. We know he didnt so Im surprised Duggan didnt clean this up

Let's just pretend it was an Askani thing, his mind wiped of the knowledge, hehe.

[cable guy]

Let's just pretend it was an Askani thing, his mind wiped of the knowledge, hehe.

Haha I want my mind wiped of the whole kid cable thing!

[pkingdom]

Wait, weren't the babies mutants? Wasn't that the entire reason Kid Cable was looking for them?

[Jackraow21]

Yes. And he saved them all and returned them to their parents, but along with a clone too, as Stryfe only had six mutant babies so he created six clones because his invasion spell required twelve.