Cable
Real name: Nathan Christopher Charles Summers
Other aliases: Nathan Dayspring Askani'son
Identity: Secret
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, "Slym," father), Madelyne
Pryor-Summers (mother), Jean Grey (Phoenix, "Redd," 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) Clan Askani, Clan Chosen,
Six Pack (formerly Wild Pack II)
Base of operations: The Xavier Institute, Salem Center, Westchester
County, New York State
First appearance: (as Nathan Christopher Summers) X-MEN (first series)
#201, (as Cable) NEW MUTANTS #87
History: The man known as Cable was born to Scott Summers, the X-Man
known as Cyclops, and his then-wife Madelyne Pryor. Soon after Nathan
was born, Scott's first love, Jean Grey, returned after being believed
dead. Scott left Madelyne and baby Nathan, whom Madelyne had left in the
care of relatives so that she could journey with the X-Men. After
Madelyne and the X-Men were believed to be killed in Dallas by the
Adversary (they were actually relocated to Australia and made invisible
to sensory equipment by Roma), Scott retrieved his son and returned with
him to his new team, X-Factor. Madelyne was captured by the being known
as Mister Sinister who revealed her true history to her. Madelyne was a
clone of Jean Grey that Sinister created to seduce Scott Summers and
produce a child that Sinister would control. Pryor became aware of her
latent telekinetic and telepathic abilities, and became the Goblin
Queen. The Goblin Queen, in an effort to keep a portal between Earth and
the demon-infested dimension of Limbo open, kidnapped baby Nathan to use
as a sacrifice. Nathan was rescued by a combined effort of the X-Men and
X-Factor, and Pryor was believed to be killed by Jean Grey (a
representation of Madelyne has since returned to life, but as of now
Cable and Cyclops are unaware of this fact).
Soon after his rescue, Nathan was infected with a techno-organic virus
by Apocalypse. As the virus spread through Nathan's body, threatening to
turn Nathan into a body of liquid metal and organic steel, a member of
the Clan Askani appeared from 2000 years in the future to Cyclops,
saying Nathan would become a savior in their time, and that the Clan
would cure him of the virus. Choosing to save his son's life, believing
that he would never see him again, Cyclops agreed, and Nathan was taken
2000 years into an alternate future.
In this future, Nathan was raised to be the Askani'son who was promised
to rid the future world of the rule of Apocalypse and the New
Canaanites. Mother Askani created a clone of Nathan since she believed
that Nathan would not survive due to the techno-organic virus which was
consuming him. The clone was stolen by the Canaanites who were unaware
that a clone had been made, and grew to become the madman known as
Stryfe. Nathan was raised by two people who called themselves Slym and
Redd, who were actually the newly married Cyclops and Phoenix whose
souls had traveled into the future and inhabited new bodies. During this
time, Nathan discovered how to use his telekinetic abilities to hold
back the techno-organic virus, but the virus had already spread to the
left side of his body, giving it a cybernetic appearance. After the
teenage Nathan used his powers to defeat Apocalypse, Cyclops and
Phoenix's souls returned to their own time.
During his time in the future, Nathan met and married Aliya, a member of
Clan Askani, whose clan name was Jenskot in honor of Cyclops and
Phoenix. Together they had a son, Tyler. Soon after, Aliya was killed
and Tyler was taken by Stryfe and brainwashed into doing his bidding. In
an incident to save hostages, Cable was forced to shoot his own son, who
managed to survive.
As part of his mission as the Askani'son, Cable returned to the 20th
century to foil the plans of Apocalypse and Stryfe, who had also
returned to that time and formed the Mutant Liberation Front (see Mutant
Liberation Front). Nathan, now calling himself Cable, formed a mercenary
group called the Wild Pack, later known as the Six Pack, which included
the future X-Force member known as Domino.
After the Six Pack was decimated in an assault on one of Stryfe's hidden
bases, Cable, greatly injured, returned to the future. In the future
Cable discovered records that stated Sam Guthrie, the New Mutant known
as Cannonball, existed into at least the 23rd century. Cable believed
Sam Guthrie would be the next in a group of immortal mutants known as
Externals. Cable returned to the present to take command of the New
Mutants and guide Guthrie's ascension into the Externals.
Cable reorganized the New Mutants into a strike force called X-Force and
led them into battle against such foes as Stryfe, who had also traveled
to the 20th century.
Stryfe attempted to assassinate Professor Charles Xavier and, believing
himself the real son of Cyclops, kidnapped Cyclops and Phoenix in
retaliation for their supposedly abandonment of him as an infant, taking
them to his base on the moon. During the rescue of Cyclops and Phoenix,
Cable and Stryfe fell into a temporal rift, and both were believed to be
destroyed.
Cable survived the rift, but Stryfe's body was destroyed and his
consciousness entered Cable's body, where it currently remains. For a
time Stryfe's consciousness dominated Cable's, but Cable has since
regained control. Cable returned to the present and to X-Force, giving
them an explanation of who he is. It was revealed soon after that Cable
is indeed the son that Scott had sent into the future, and Stryfe was
the clone. Cable and Cyclops have since reconciled.
After this time, Cable experienced a marked increase in his telekinetic
abilities, and the reemergence of his latent telepathic abilities. As a
result, Cable began to lose more of his body to the techno-organic
virus. As a result of the entity known as Onslaught hampering all
psionic ability, Cable was beginning to succumb to the techno-organic
virus, but was healed by his own willpower and the assistance of the
young Franklin Richards.
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 350 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: White, originally brown
Other distinguishing features: Cable has a techno-organic right eye,
left arm, and shoulder due to infection as an infant with a
techno-organic virus
Strength level: Superhuman Class 10
Known superhuman powers: Cable is a mutant whose physical attributes
have been enhanced to superhuman levels. His principal mutant powers are
his vast telepathic and telekinetic abilities. He can employ the latter
to levitate objects and to create protective force shields. He must
continually employ his telekinetic powers to prevent the techno-organic
virus from affecting the rest of his body. His techno-organic left arm
and shoulder possess even greater strength than his entirely organic
ones. Cable's techno-organic right eye can see into the infrared portion
of the spectrum.
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.