Who Is Cable? Everything You Should Know After 'X-Men '97' Season 2, Episode 1
Marvel comics in the ‘90s were an important time for those who subscribed to the “rule of cool:” big muscles, big guns, and an all-around devil-may-care attitude. Characters like Venom and Ghost Rider thrived during this time. But the one who stood out as a true product of the era was the X-Men hero, Cable.
Since then, the character has remained a mainstay in the X-Men mythos as the time-traveling telepath who was raised in war. Lately, he’s gotten even more love thanks to X-Men ‘97 (2024), and it’s more than enough of a reason to learn more about him and where you can continue to enjoy the antihero and his time-sliding journeys.
Who Is Cable And Where Have You Seen Him Before?
Nathan Dayspring Summers is the child of Scott Summers and Madelyn Pryor, who was infected with a techno-organic virus by Apocalypse at a young age. Unable to be cured in the present, someone from Clan Askani took him to the future to be cured, but he couldn’t return. Eventually, Jean and Scott met their son in that future and tried to get him to better control his abilities and gain control of his virus.
Nathan would continue to fight in the future, only returning to the past when he heard that Apocalypse, the man he was fated to fight in the first place, may still be alive. Since then, he has helped create X-Force and worked with his parents on many missions, as well as with others like Deadpool.
In terms of media, Cable was most popular in the ‘90s for his appearance in the Marvel vs. Capcom franchise. He also appeared in many other shows and movies, which I will break down later on, but as far as comics, if you want to read more, the X-Men series is the best place to start.
Why Is Cable So Powerful In X-Men '97?
Though he doesn’t show it, Cable is one of the strongest psychics in the Marvel Universe. Forced to use 100% of his powers to hold back his virus, he made up for it with incredible tactical and weapons knowledge.
When Cable used his abilities, he was an Alpha-Level telepath and Omega-Level telekinetic, even using them to control his virus. He can also use his powers to create shields and blasts when needed. But it wasn’t until X-Men ‘97 that we were able to see the full range of his powers in action.
While trying to stop Bastion, Cable was manipulated by him to use all of his power. Then, he used an incredible blast of psionic energy that nearly defeated the X-Men. He also used his power to overpower his inhibitor collar at a young age. It was enough to show, even at an early age, just how much of a threat he could be and also how much power it takes to hold back his virus so it doesn’t kill him.
If Cable Is Your Favorite X-Men Character, Watch These Shows & Movies
Cable is a character who has a lot of love from his decades of appearances in comics, but when it comes to his translations in other media, they are far more sparse. Even still, there’s enough for you to watch and enjoy that can scratch an itch that X-Men ’97 will undoubtedly leave behind.
In terms of movies, there’s Deadpool 2 (2018), which marks Cable’s film debut, played by Josh Brolin. In the film, he’s a time-traveling cop looking to kill a child who will grow up to kill his wife and daughter. He uses guns and has a techno-organic virus, but this Cable doesn’t showcase his abilities much. In fact, while he’s a good time, he could be viewed as slightly one-note considering how his origin was changed so much.
That said, X-Men: The Animated Series (1992) remains the best way to get your Cable content over anything else. Aside from a brief cameo in Wolverine and the X-Men (2009), it’s the original ’90s series that delivers Cable in all his animated glory. Even though he’s not a main character in the series, his appearances are always a treat and important because, at the time, he was a recent character being integrated into the show. In the end, while there’s not a lot of Cable to go around, it’s nice to know that when he does appear, he more than delivers.
