Cable (comic book) explained

Cable
Ongoing:Y
Genre:Superhero
Publisher:Marvel Comics
Main Char Team:Cable
Hope Summers

Cable is the name of multiple comic book titles featuring the character Cable and published by Marvel Comics, beginning with the original Cable comic book series which debuted in 1993.

Publication history

In 1992, the character was featured in his first solo series, a two issue miniseries, titled Cable: Blood and Metal, written by Fabian Nicieza, pencilled by John Romita, Jr., and inked by Dan Green, published in October and November of that year.

Volume 1

Shortly after Blood and Metal, Cable was given his own ongoing series titled Cable. The book initially had trouble finding a stable creative team. A writer/penciller team would complete no more than three issues in a row until Jeph Loeb and Ian Churchill began work on issue #20 and finish on #35 (though with a gap between issues #20 and #21 due to the Age of Apocalypse event). Loeb and Churchill provided the first instance of stability, working together on 15 of the 20 issues from #20–39. During their run, they explored characters in Cable's past, his feeling of responsibility toward Nathan Grey, his relationship with Domino and Blaquesmith, and further adventures with Kane, the Sugar Man, and the Microverse.

Cable #34–35 were part of the "Onslaught" storyline, which was a top vote getter for the Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Award for Favorite Comic-Book Story for 1997.

The series ran for 107 issues from May 1993 until September 2002 before being relaunched as Soldier X, which lasted 12 more issues until Aug. 2003.

After his solo series ended, he was paired with the mercenary Deadpool in a new ongoing series titled Cable & Deadpool.[1]

Volume 2

In 2008, Marvel Comics released Cable vol. 2, a new ongoing series by Duane Swierczynski and artist Ariel Olivetti.[2] This new series directly follows the events of "Messiah Complex". The series features Cable, and the messianic child's time traveling adventures. The dangers of the future and pursuit by Bishop are balanced with the humor of "Cable the soldier" becoming "Cable the Nanny."[3]

According to Duane Swierczynski, although the writer "missed Cable's heyday in the early 1990s," Cable is "[his] kind of antihero—the cryptic, Man with No Name of mutantkind. If [Swierczynski had] quibbles with the Cable of yesteryear, it's that he was just a tad too powerful. [Cable] could port around the world at will, fetch beer from the fridge with the power of his mind, and then crush said beer can against his metallic love handle."[4] When asked whether Nathan Summers was a tragic character in his mind, Swierczynski replied that, "Cable's still a bad ass soldier, make no mistake. But [the mission to protect Hope Summers in ''X-Men: [[Messiah War]]] is breaking him down like he's never been broken down before" and said that "[the readers are] going to see Cable struggling with a new bodily problem, one directly borne out of his experiences in 'Messiah War.'"[5]

In 2009, Cable vol. 2 had a seven-issue crossover with X-Force, X-Force/Cable: Messiah War, which is the second story in a three-part storyline that began in X-Men: Messiah Complex.[6]

Cable was canceled in April 2010 with issue #25 (the final issue being called Deadpool and Cable #25).[7]

Volume 3

A third volume of Cable, written by James Robinson and drawn by Carlos Pacheco, was launched in April 2017 as part of the ResurrXion relaunch.[8] The series ran for five issues before it was renumbered under legacy issue numbering as part of Marvel's Legacy relaunch, starting with #150.[9] Under this legacy numbering, the title was written by Ed Brisson (#150-154) and Zac Thompson and Lonnie Nadler (#155-159), and drawn by Jon Malin (#150-154) and German Peralta (#155-159).

Volume 4

Cable
Schedule:Monthly
Publisher:Marvel Comics
Issues:7 (as of January 20, 2020)
Writers:Gerry Duggan
Artists:Phil Noto
Main covers
Phil Noto
Inkers:Phil Noto
Colorists:Phil Noto
Letterers:Joe Sabino
Editors:Editor
Jordan D. White
Assistant Editor
Annalise Bissa
Head of X
Jonathan Hickman
Main Char Team:Cable

Cable was relaunched in March 2020 as part of Dawn of X.[10] Written by Gerry Duggan and drawn by Phil Noto, the series focuses on the younger version of Cable who is at the center of Krakoa's teenage revolution.[11] The fourth volume concluded after a brief run of 12 issues.

Cast

IssuesYearCharacters
  1. 1
2020
  1. 2
  1. 3
  1. 4
  1. 5
  1. 6
X of Swords crossover
  1. 7
2021

Prints

IssuePublication dateWriterArtistColoristComic Book Roundup rating[12] Estimated sales to North American retailers (first month)Notes
  1. 1
March 11, 2020Gerry DugganPhil Noto8.1 by 16 professional critics52,143[13] rowspan="4"
  1. 2
July 29, 20208.1 by 8 professional criticsrowspan="3"
  1. 3
August 19, 20208.4 by 6 professional critics
  1. 4
September 2, 20207.5 by 5 professional critics
  1. 5
October 14, 20208.1 by 8 professional critics32,500 - 36,000[14] X of Swords tie-in
  1. 6
November 18, 20208.0 by 9 professional criticsrowspan="2"
  1. 7
January 20, 20218.5 by 7 professional criticsrowspan="1"

Volume 5

The fifth volume was launched in January 2024 as part of the Fall of X relaunch, taking place at the end of the Krakoan Era. The story finds Cable teaming up with his younger self, to survive a war against Neocracy and Orchis. Being written by longtime X-men writer Fabian Nicieza and drawn by Scot Eaton, the volume will conclude after 4 issues. [15]

Collected editions

Volume 1 (1993)

width=20%Titlewidth=50%Material collectedwidth=15%Publication Datewidth=15%ISBN
Cable Classic: Volume 1New Mutants (vol. 1) #87; Cable: Blood and Metal; Cable (vol. 1) #1–4March 2008Paperback:
Cable Classic: Volume 2Cable (vol. 1) #5–14 August 2009Paperback:
Cable Classic: Volume 3Cable (vol. 1) #15–20, Wolverine (vol. 2) #85August 2012Paperback:
Cable and X-Force Classic: Volume 1Cable (vol. 1) #21–28; X-Force (vol. 1) #44–48May 2013Paperback:
Cable and X-Force: Onslaught RisingCable (vol. 1) #29-31; X-Force (vol. 1) #49-56, X-Man #14 and X-Force/Cable Annual '95February 2018Paperback:
Cable and X-Force: Onslaught! (TPB)Cable (Vol. 1) #32-39; X-Force (Vol. 1) #57-61; Incredible Hulk (Vol. 1) #444; X-Man #18-19; X-Force/Cable Annual '96March 2019978-1302916190
X-Man: The Man Who Fell to EarthCable (1993) #29–31; Excalibur (1988) #95 and X-Man #5–14July 4, 2012Paperback:
X-Men: Prelude to OnslaughtCable (vol. 1) #32–33; X-Men (vol. 2) #50; Uncanny X-Men (vol. 1) #333; X-Man #15–17, April 2010Paperback:
X-Men: The Complete Onslaught Epic Volume 1Cable (vol. 1) #34; X-Force (vol. 1) #57; X-Men (vol. 2) #53–54; Uncanny X-Men (vol. 1) #334–335; and more.December 2007Paperback:
X-Men: The Complete Onslaught Epic Volume 2Cable (vol. 1) #35; X-Force (vol. 1) #58; X-Men (vol. 2) #55, Uncanny X-Men (vol. 1) #336; and more.June 2008Paperback:
X-Men: The Complete Onslaught Epic Volume 4Cable (vol. 1) #36; X-Men (vol. 2) #56–57; Uncanny X-Men (vol. 2) #337; Onslaught: Epilogue and more.January 2009Paperback:
X-Men: Operation Zero ToleranceCable (vol. 1) #45–47; X-Force (vol. 1) #67–70; X-Men (vol. 2) #65–70; and more. March 2000Paperback:
Cable: The Hellfire HuntCable (vol. 1) #-1, 48–58; Cable & Machine Man Annual 1998; Machine Man & Bastion Annual 1998; Wolverine/Cable #1November 2017Paperback:
Deathlok: Rage Against The MachineCable (vol. 1) #58–62; Uncanny X-Men (vol. 1) #371; X-Men (vol. 2) #91; X-Men Annual 99'; Deathlok (vol. 3) #1-11. February 2015Paperback:
Cable: the Nemesis ContractCable (vol. 1) #59-70 and Cable (vol. 1) ANNUAL '99 and X-Man #45-47January 2018Paperback:
X-Men Vs. Apocalypse, Volume 1: The TwelveCable (vol. 1) #75–76; Uncanny X-Men (vol. 1) #376–377; X-Men (vol. 2) #96–97; Wolverine (vol. 2) #146–147March 2008Paperback:
X-Men Vs. Apocalypse, Volume 2: Ages of ApocalypseCable (vol. 1) #77; Uncanny X-Men (vol. 1) #378; X-Men (vol. 2) #98; The Search for Cyclops #1–4; and more.September 2008Paperback:
X-Men: PowerlessCable (vol. 1) #78; X-Force (vol. 1) #101; Uncanny X-Men (vol. 1) #379–380; X-Men (vol. 2) #99; and more.August 2010Paperback:
Cable: RevolutionCable (vol. 1) #79-96April 2018Paperback:
X-Men: Dream's EndCable (vol. 1) #87; Uncanny X-Men (vol. 1) #388–390; Bishop: The Last X-Man #16; X-Men (vol. 2) #108–110.December 2004Paperback:
Cable: Shining PathCable (vol. 1) #97–100May 2002Paperback:
Cable: The EndCable (vol. 1) #101–107November 2002Paperback:
Cable: Soldier XCable (vol. 1) #97-107, Soldier X #1-12October 2018Hardcover:

Oversized hardcovers

TitleMaterial collectedPublication DateISBN
X-Force Omnibus – Vol. 1New Mutants #98–100, Annual #7; X-Men Annual #15; X-Factor Annual #6; X-Force #1–15; Spider-Man #16; Cable: Blood & Metal #1–2; material from New Warriors Annual #1, X-Force Annual #1February 2013
X-Men: X-Cutioner's SongX-Force #16–18; Uncanny X-Men #294–296; X-Factor #84–86; and X-Men (vol. 2) #14–16May 1994
Deadpool and X-Force OmnibusX-Force #19-31, Annual #2; Cable (vol. 1) #1–8; Deadpool: The Circle Chase #1-4; Deadpool (vol. 1) #1-4; New Warriors (vol. 1) #31; Nomad #20November 2017
Cable and X-Force OmnibusX-Force #32-43, Annual #3; Cable #9-20; New Warriors #45-46; X-Factor #106; Excalibur #82, Wolverine #85July 2019
X-Men/Avengers: OnslaughtCable #32-36; X-Force #55, 57-58; Uncanny X-Men #333-337; X-Man #15-19; X-Men #53-57; X-Men Annual '96; X-Men Unlimited #11; Onslaught: X-Men; Onslaught: Marvel Universe; Onslaught: Epilogue; Avengers #401-402; Fantastic Four #415; Incredible Hulk #444-445; Wolverine #104-105; X-Factor #125-126; Amazing Spider-Man #415; Green Goblin #12; Spider-Man #72; Iron Man #332; Punisher #11; Thor #502; X-Men: Road to Onslaught #1; material from Excalibur #100, Fantastic Four #416March 2022
X-Men: Operation Zero ToleranceX-Force #67–70, Generation X #26–31, X-Men #65–70, Uncanny X-Men #346, Wolverine #115–118, Cable #45–47, X-Man #30August 2012
X-Men vs. Apocalypse: The Twelve OmnibusUncanny X-Men #371-380 and Annual '99; X-Men (vol. 2) #91-99 and Annual '99 (#94, A-story only); X-Men Unlimited #24-26 (#24, A-story only); Astonishing X-Men (vol. 2) #1-3; Wolverine (vol. 2) #145–149; Gambit #8-9; Cable #71-78; X-Man #59-60; X-51 #8; X-Force #101; X-Men Yearbook 1999February 2020
Cable: Soldier XCable (vol. 1) #97-107, Soldier X #1-12October 2018Hardcover:

Volume 2 (2008)

width=20%Titlewidth=50%Material collectedwidth=15%Publication Datewidth=15%ISBN
Cable: The Last Hope, Volume 1Cable (vol. 2) #1–12; King-Sized Cable; X-Men: The Life and Times of Lucas Bishop #1-3; X-Men: Future History - The Messiah War SourcebookApril 2018 (softcover)
Cable: The Last Hope, Volume 2Cable (vol. 2) #13-24; Deadpool & Cable #25; X-Force/Cable: Messiah War #1; X-Force (vol.3) #14-16; X-Men: Hope #1December 2018 (softcover)
Cable, Volume 1: Messiah WarCable (vol. 2) #1–5January 2009 (hardcover); (softcover)
Cable, Volume 2: Waiting for the End of the WorldCable (vol. 2) #6–10; King-Sized CableJune 2009 (hardcover); (softcover)
X-Force/Cable: Messiah WarCable (vol. 2) #11–15; Messiah War one-shot; X-Force (vol. 3) #14–16; X-Men: The Times and Life of Lucas Bishop #1–3; X-Men: Future History – The Messiah War SourcebookAugust 2009 (hardcover); (softcover)
Cable, Volume 3: StrandedCable (vol. 2) #16–20February 2010 (hardcover); (softcover)
Cable, Volume 4: HomecomingCable (vol. 2) #21–25; X-Men: Hope #1November 2010 (hardcover); (softcover)
Avengers: X-SanctionAvengers: X-Sanction #1–4December 2012Paperback:

Volume 3 (2017)

width=20%Titlewidth=50%Material collectedwidth=15%Publication Datewidth=15%ISBN
Cable, Volume 1: ConquestCable (vol. 3) #1–5December 18, 2017Paperback:
Cable, Volume 2: The Newer MutantsCable #150–154April 24, 2018Paperback:
Cable, Volume 3: Past FearsCable #155–159September 19, 2018Paperback:

Volume 4 (2020)

TitleMaterial collectedFormatPublication dateISBN
Cable by Gerry Duggan – Vol. 1Cable (vol. 4) #1–4Trade paperbackNovember 24, 2020[16]
Cable by Gerry Duggan – Vol. 2Cable (vol. 4) #7–12Trade paperbackOctober 12, 2021
Cable by Gerry Duggan (Hardcover)Cable (vol. 4) #1-4, 7-12Oversized HardcoverApril 2022

Notes and References

  1. Cable & Deadpool #1 (May 2004)
  2. Web site: Duane Swierczynski Is Your New 'Cable' Provider . Comic Book Resources . December 4, 2007 . May 22, 2016 . March 3, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303210957/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=12087 . live .
  3. Cable vol. 2, #7–8 (Dec. 2008 – Jan. 2009)
  4. X-Men: Future History – The Messiah War Sourcebook (July 2009)
  5. Web site: Double-X Update: Swierczynski and Yost After the 'War' . . 2011-02-11 . 2011-06-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110604040241/http://www.newsarama.com/comics/090610-xforce-cable-post-messiah.html#comments . live .
  6. Web site: Kyle/Yost/Choi Talk 'Messiah War' . Comic Book Resources . December 12, 2008 . May 22, 2016 . December 17, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081217003719/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=19158 . live .
  7. Web site: Gallery: Images from Deadpool and Cable #25 . Marvel.com . April 7, 2010 . 2011-02-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121021091302/http://marvel.com/images/gallery/comic_issue/29932/images_from_deadpool_cable_2010_25# . 2012-10-21 . dead .
  8. Web site: Cable is Now the Marvel U's Top Time Cop, Says James Robinson. Comic Book Resources. March 22, 2017. April 2, 2020. Dave. Richards. January 28, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210128173211/http://www.cbr.com/interview-cable-marvel-james-robinson/. live.
  9. Web site: Marvel Details CABLE #150 LEGACY Original Numbering. Newsarama. July 12, 2017. April 2, 2020. George. Marston. July 13, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170713011424/https://www.newsarama.com/35308-cable-150-forms-a-new-new-mutants-for-marvel-legacy.html. live.
  10. Web site: Cable #1 . 2020-04-02 . 2020-03-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200323104455/https://www.marvel.com/comics/issue/78653/cable_2020_1 . live .
  11. Web site: Marvel Comics Launches New Cable Series by Gerry Duggan and Phil Noto in March 2020. Bleeding Cool. December 17, 2019. April 2, 2020. Rich. Johnston. January 26, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210126034349/https://bleedingcool.com/comics/marvel-comics-cable-gerry-duggan-phil-noto-march-2020/. live.
  12. Web site: Cable (2020) Comic Series Reviews at ComicBookRoundUp.com. Comic Book Roundup. April 2, 2020. October 22, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201022211541/https://comicbookroundup.com/comic-books/reviews/marvel-comics/cable-(2020). live.
  13. Web site: March 2020 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops. Comichron. April 30, 2020. February 23, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220223053945/https://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/2020/2020-03.html. live.
  14. Web site: Comichron: October 2020 Comic Book Sales to Comic Shops. comichron.com. December 17, 2020. December 2, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201202222826/https://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/2020/2020-10Diamond.html. live.
  15. https://comicbookclublive.com/2024/01/15/marvel-preview-cable-1/
  16. Book: Cable Vol. 1. .