CABLE #70 - August 1999

Final Covenant: The Ballad of Karmic Retribution

Credits: Joe Casey (writer), Ladronn (penciler), Walden Wong & Juan Vlasco (inkers), Gloria Vasquez (colors), Richard Starkings & Comicraft (letters)

Summary: An elderly man squatting in Stacey’s apartment building believes he’s created a time machine. Against her wishes, her little brother Kenny befriends him. While visiting her apartment, Cable breaks off his budding romance with Stacey. When he has second thoughts and turns back, he discovers Caesar has taken her hostage. Cable’s fight with his estranged follower leads to the basement, where Kenny is visiting the old man. A battered Caesar tries to escape in the time machine, only to have it blow up in his face. Cable uses his telekinetic shield to protect Kenny and the old man. After the building is evacuated, he embraces Stacey and kisses her.

Continuity Notes: Caesar is the jaded Askani member from Cable #58 who resents Cable for disbanding this century’s Askani order and suggesting they get real lives. He claims that he’s killed Cable’s “believers” (presumably the group of average citizens introduced by James Robinson who believe in Cable’s cause and occasionally offer help) all around the world and is now ready to finish the job.

Review: It’s Joe Casey’s final issue, which means he’s got to resolve the dangling Caesar subplot, determine the status of Cable and Stacey’s relationship, and have Cable learn some kind of a lesson about hope, faith, and the future. He’s also decided to introduce a new character, a deranged man who’s convinced he’s a time traveler, and spend a few pages on his elaborate backstory. That’s a lot for twenty-two pages, but luckily Ladronn is great at drawing tiny panels and working a lot of information into each page.

Despite some people’s claim that Casey’s work on Cable was a revelation, his approach to the character wasn’t radically different than Jeph Loeb’s(and Loeb’s run largely followed in the direction Fabian Nicieza had set for Cable during his later X-Force days.) We all know by now that Cable is more of a pacifist, he isn’t relying on guns, and he’s opening up to the people of this era, rather than using them as soldiers in his war to save the future. Casey’s major contribution was moving him physically away from the X-Men and giving him a few civilians to interact with (and let’s remember that the impetus for this direction came from James Robinson’s brief run). I agree with the decision to ground Cable, but I don’t see why it was viewed as such a groundbreaking move. I will give Casey credit for moving Cable away from the messianic role that was grafted on to him, since that always seemed like an awkward fit. I have a feeling that Robinson was going to go heavily in that direction, while Casey had Cable disband this era’s Askani order and tell them to move on rather early in his run. Killing Cable’s “believers” off-panel might be seen as a cheap move, but they were cheap creations in the first place. I still refuse to believe that the Cable of the Simonson-Liefeld-Nicieza era had a secret sect of powerful humans who believed in his alleged “cause” and was helping him out. That guy was bullying teenagers into joining up for a human-mutant war; it’s hard to believe that he was secretly a spiritual advisor to the rich and powerful in his spare time.

Regardless, Casey returns to his core themes for a final time, drawing a parallel between Cable and the deranged homeless man who’s built an unstable “time machine” in the basement. When the old man realizes that his future is all gone, Cable naturally sees himself in the man and begins to ponder what he’s sacrificing. He’s learned now that the future will never be known, and that he has to stop using his war as an excuse for removing himself from the people he’s allegedly fighting for. He’s learned this lesson probably five or six times by now, but it’s executed quite well this time, making this an appropriate ending to the Casey/Ladronn era. NEXT ISSUE: Rob Liefeld returns, which doesn’t make anyone mad at all.

CABLE #69 - July 1999

Millennium Storm Warning

Credits: Joe Casey (writer), Jose Ladronn (penciler), Juan Vlasco & Walden Wong (inks), Gloria Vasquez (colors), Comicraft’s Saida Temofonte (letters)

Summary: Cable is snatched from death by the Chronologists, a group that monitors various timelines. They take him to their mysterious dimension, where Sanctity is being held captive in “the Maximum Secret.” Cable is forced to duel with one of their scientists, Jacob Sutton, to save Sanctity. She is released and promptly disappears. The Chronologists return Cable to his home, where he finds Stacey, Irene, and Blaquesmith waiting for him. Meanwhile, a mystery man leaves a bloody trail to New York.

Continuity Notes: While in the Maximum Secret, Cable suddenly realizes that Rachel Summers implanted the names of the Twelve into his mind weeks earlier.

Creative Differences: The Bullpen Bulletins description of this issue reads: “After the cataclysmic events of ‘Sign of the End Times,’ CABLE is presumed dead. With APOCALYPSE’s hideous scheme just begun, BLAQUESMITH reaches out to the one man left alive who has the most experience with the world’s first mutant: ARCHANGEL!”

Review: Uh, yeah. Cable needed more vague time travel continuity attached to him, right? This issue is (I'm assuming, it's impossible to find info about these characters online) the debut of the Chronologists, a group that exists in-between dimensions and monitors the non-linear lines of reality. How exactly they’re different from the Time Variance Authority, I’m not sure, but Casey’s premise is that Cable’s occasional trips through time are an annoyance to the group. Yet, he also establishes that they’re exaggerating Sanctity’s threat to reality, so they’re not a reliable source of information. Why exactly they’re keeping Sanctity captive, and why they’re engaging Cable in a duel is never revealed. Casey was presumably going somewhere with this, but he’s only a handful of issues away from quitting in protest after Ladronn is booted to make way for Rob Liefeld. So, we’re left with more mystery characters with mystery motives that never amount to anything. At least Ladronn is able to showcase his European sci-fi influences with the designs, though.

CABLE #68 - June 1999

Sign of the End Times Part 3: Faraway, So Close

Credits: Joe Casey (writer), Jose Ladronn (penciler), Juan Vlasco (inker), Gloria Vasquez (colors), Comicraft’s Saida T. (letters)

Summary: Cable and the Avengers continue to battle the Harbinger. Blaquesmith arrives in New York and uses his thought-projector device to inform Cable of Ozymandias’ prophesy. Cable refuses to allow New York to die, even if it will avert Apocalypse’s rule. Iron Man gives Cable his boots, which Cable uses to fly Harbinger into the atmosphere. Harbinger explodes, while a mystery figure rescues Cable. Stacey watches the skies, convinced that Cable is dead.

Review: It’s another issue of a giant Avengers fight by Ladronn, so this isn’t all bad. Casey can’t seem to craft a story that matches the intensity of the art, though, leaving the “death of New York” concept to sputter out badly. I guess the idea was to emphasize Cable’s evolution as a character through his decision to rescue New York, even if its destruction would guarantee Apocalypse’s defeat. To put it politely, this idea isn’t explored very well. Cable doesn’t even learn of the prophesy until the final pages of the story, the specifics of how exactly the destruction of New York will eventually stop Apocalypse are never given, and at no point does Cable even weigh the options, which makes it a pretty lame ethical dilemma. Some of the character work with Stacey isn’t bad, but the grand tone Casey’s trying to strike with the story just comes across as melodrama. This was a three-issue story about a cyborg fighting some superheroes while he destroys a few buildings. It’s okay to dress it up a bit, but trying so hard to hit the “epic” note just emphasizes how silly the idea was in the first place.

CABLE #67 - May 1999

Sign of the End Times Part 2: Gods’ Footsteps

Credits: Joe Casey (writer), Jose Ladronn (penciler), Juan Vlasco (inker), Gloria Vasquez (colors), Comicraft’s Saida T. (letters)

Summary: The Avengers confront the Harbinger, giving Cable time to recover. Using his Psimitar staff, Cable temporarily immobilizes Harbinger. Soon, Thor arrives and uses his hammer to send him to another dimension. Cable and the Avengers regroup, but Harbinger soon escapes his exile. Apocalypse greets him in New York and activates his detonation code. Meanwhile, Ozymandias informs Blaquesmith that Cable is destined to be the gatherer of the Twelve.

Continuity Notes: A flashback reveals that Cable told Stacey about his life as a time traveler and the importance of his mission just a few hours before the Harbinger arrived.

Review: This is Joe Casey’s first time writing the Avengers, which might be significant for fans of his retro-miniseries. Obviously, there isn’t a lot of room in the story to flesh out the characters, but he seems to have a grasp of their personalities and he makes their appearance feel appropriately momentous. If I were to draw another comparison between Casey and Frank Miller, it’s certainly possible that their appearance here was inspired by the Avengers’ cameo in Daredevil’s “Born Again” arc.

Like the previous issue, this is largely an action piece, with Casey throwing in a few character bits, such as Cable reflecting on the things he never told his father before he leaves for his possibly final confrontation with Harbinger. I don’t care for Casey’s characterization of the Harbinger, since it seems dismissive of James Robinson’s original vision of the character. Robinson seemed to be going for a “discovering humanity” arc, while Casey is simply using him as a doomsday machine. At any rate, the action works pretty well, and Ladronn’s given a lot of cool things to draw. We’re treated to Ladronn’s renditions of the Avengers, Harbinger’s sojourn into an alternate dimension, and the bizarre nineteenth century “regal” redesign of Apocalypse, which is a welcome break from the blue armor.

CABLE #66 - April 1999

Sign of the End Times Part 1: Death from Above

Credits: Joe Casey (writer), Ladronn (penciler), Juan Vlasco (inker), Gloria Vasquez (colors), Comicraft’s Saida Temofonte (letters)

Summary: The Harbinger flies over New York, prompting a military response. He diverts the missiles shot at him and destroys the Statue of Liberty. As the city panics, Cable confronts the Harbinger. Their battle destroys the World Trade Center and nearly kills Cable. Suddenly, the Avengers arrive. Meanwhile, Ozymandias explains to Blaquesmith that New York must be destroyed in order to stop Apocalypse. He then hints at another prophesy -- the Twelve.

Continuity Notes: Cable kisses Stacey for the first time before leaving to fight the Harbinger.

I Love the '90s: Apparently, the Marvel Universe is pretty resilient when it comes to rebuilding the World Trade Center. I wonder how long the towers stood in-between the Juggernaut and Harbinger’s attacks?

Review: Remember the late ‘90s, when “widescreen” action and wholesale destruction was considered the cure for the post-boom malaise? I actually never got into those comics, but I certainly remember the hype, and it looks like Joe Casey has fallen for it this issue. And, even if the plot is noticeably thin, you have to acknowledge that Ladronn is doing an incredible job with the visuals. I’m sure the story could’ve been tightened up to remove some of the repetitive Harbinger vs. Army fight pages, but Ladronn makes them look so cool, it’s hard to dismiss them as padding. I am a little disappointed that the Harbinger has returned as a fairly generic villain, although Casey does give him a slight justification for his assault since he was attacked first. The turn from “learning about humanity” to outright destroying large sections of New York is hard to swallow, though. And, as I’ve said before, the casual destruction of giant buildings during a superhero fight scene makes these comics now seem ridiculous in a way the creators never intended.

CABLE #65 - March 1999

Acid Bath

Credits: Joe Casey (writer), Ladronn (penciler), Juan Vlasco (inker), Gloria Vasquez (colors), Comicraft (letters)

Summary: Cable investigates the fires in Hell’s Kitchen and discovers the Acidroid is responsible. Following an inconclusive fight, Cable replaces his damaged uniform and returns for a rematch. After Cable uses his telekinesis to defeat the Acidroid, Rachel Summers suddenly appears and plants information in Cable’s head. Cable brushes off the experience and locates Acidroid’s creator, the Tinkerer, and rescues him from the Maggia agents who are displeased with his work. Elsewhere, Ozymandias shows Blaquesmith signs of Apocalypse’s return, while the Harbinger floats above New York City.

Continuity Notes: A blackout has hit the city, and a footnote points towards X-Men #86 for details. This was a “Magneto War” chapter, but I don’t recall any other titles referencing a massive power outage.

Review: There’s a lot going on in this issue, as Casey attempts to blend a traditional superhero action story, supporting cast subplot scenes, and the X-books’ typical ominous visions of the future into one comic. It’s a combination you seldom see, since the X-teams are rarely out in the streets stopping schemes by Tinkerer or the Maggia. I like the flavor the retro-action adds to the title, although Casey can’t seem to be bothered with explaining how Cable finds Acidroid in the first place, or how exactly he knows who created him and where he is.

The Acidroid material is obviously a disposable action plot, although it seems to be used as an excuse to introduce a new costume for Cable. The most dramatic change is the full face mask, which lasts all of six pages before Cable removes it. Maybe everything from the neck down was meant to stick, but apparently the mask was just a one-issue gimmick. It’s too bad, because I kind of like it. (A little over a year later, Cable will wear a partial mask when he joins the X-Men during the brief Claremont/Kubert run.)

Along with the action, there are a few pages of Cable interacting with Stacey and Irene that reiterate the “Cable’s getting closer to normal people” direction, and a lot of dark prophesies involving Apocalypse. I wonder if Casey was told beforehand that the next Apocalypse storyline would be run in Cable, or if he took the initiative on his own, hoping the story wouldn’t be snatched out of his hands. Regardless, Cable barely plays a role in the X-books’ millennial Apocalypse crossover, so time hasn’t been kind to these scenes. Ozymandias’ revelation that the mysterious Twelve hold the key to defeating Apocalypse is particularly jarring, given that we’re a few months away from learning that the Twelve are just supposed to power a giant machine for ol’ Pocy…

CABLE #64 - February 1999

‘Twas the Night before Dying

Credits: Joe Casey (writer), José Ladronn (penciler), Juan Vlasco (inker), Gloria Vasquez (colors), Comicraft (letters)

Summary: Cable gives Irene an interview, revealing his past and telling the story of his recent Christmas shopping trip with Stacey. They encountered a sidewalk Santa that had been mugged, which led Cable to question if dark times are approaching. After hearing Cable’s origin, Irene rejects the Daily Bugle’s job offer, declaring that it isn’t her destiny. Meanwhile, Apocalypse “tests” Mexico City with an earthquake, while Ozymandias contacts Blaquesmith with an urgent message. Finally, a mystery figure destroys a building in Hell’s Kitchen.

Review: Cable’s origin was already considered something of a joke by this point, so this is Joe Casey’s attempt to streamline all of the “shocking revelations” of the past and give Cable a clear direction. (He even avoids too many obvious meta-jokes, using the word “continuity” just once, and describing the story as “convoluted” only twice). Casey comes to the reasonable conclusion that Cable’s entire life has been dominated by Apocalypse in some way or another, so his true goal is to kill the monster before he can ever come to power. Cable’s previous motives -- mentoring Cannonball, the “ascendant High-Lord,” and targeting Stryfe for revenge following his wife’s death and son’s brainwashing -- don’t directly contradict this, so it’s easy for a continuity purist to buy the premise. I am a little surprised that Stryfe isn’t even mentioned in the issue, though, considering that all of Cable’s early appearances seemed to center around the shiny villain. I understand the need to simplify, but I don’t think a reference to Cable’s evil clone, warped by Apocalypse as a youth, would’ve been too hard to work in.

Although most of the issue is a recap, quite a few story threads are continued. Apocalypse returns, signaling an “epic” confrontation with Cable that never really panned out (the end-of-the-millennium Apocalypse story Casey planned for Cable was later co-opted by “The Twelve” crossover). Ozymandias and Blaquesmith get a subplot page, no doubt tied in with the developing Apocalypse story. A Kirby-style silhouette destroys a building in Hell’s Kitchen, which I’m assuming will lead into next issue’s action story. The character subplots focus on Cable’s burgeoning friendship with Stacey and her brother Kenny. Stacey wants Cable to use his telepathy to cure Kenny of Down syndrome, but he doesn’t have the heart to tell her that a) his powers can’t cure a genetic condition, and b) he’s lost his telepathy anyway. It would be easy for this scene to make Stacey look like a fool, but Casey goes out of his way to emphasize that she knows she’s asking for the impossible and is really speaking out of desperation. Irene’s scenes don’t work as well; basically, she’s giving up her dream job at the Daily Bugle in order to follow Cable around, which doesn’t exactly seem like the best career move. The story presents this as a grand gesture, signifying the important work Cable’s going to be doing in the next year, but that’s a hard sell to make. Regardless, there’s a lot going for this issue, even if it is mostly a clip show.

CABLE #62 - December 1998

Strange Agencies

Credits: Joe Casey (writer), Ladronn (penciler), Vlasco/Milgrom/Palmiotti/Koblish (inks), Gloria Vasquez (colors), Richard Starkings & Comicraft (letters)

Summary: The Nemesis Robots are activated, but unexpectedly turn against SHIELD. Adopting the personalities of Sgt. Fury’s Howling Commandos, the robots mistakenly attack SHIELD agents, believing them to be Nazis. Nick Fury arrives, and with Cable’s help, the robots are defeated. When Cable attempts to repair the Helicarrier’s damaged turbine chamber, he’s attacked by Jack Truman, who wants to prove he’s the better warrior. A collapsing turbine falls on Truman, leaving his damaged body in the hands of SHIELD’s Extechop division. Due to Irene’s exposé, published in the Daily Bugle, the rogue SHIELD agents are uncovered. Nick Fury promises the public he’s taking back the reigns of SHIELD.

Continuity Notes: Cable has regained full access to his telekinetic power, quietly putting an end to the latest techno-organic virus subplot. Since X-Man was also allowed to keep his TK powers following “Psi-War,” it would seem the editors realized quickly that not every character could lose all of their psi-powers, especially the ones headlining their own books.

Review: This ending felt like it came out of left field the first time I finished this arc, and having read it again, my feelings haven’t changed. An extended storyline dedicated to Cable being hunted by rogue SHIELD agents, experimented on, and confronting a soldier determined to prove his mettle against a mutant ends with…zany robots spouting Silver Age dialogue and destroying the Helicarrier? Maybe Casey’s trying to make the point that modern-day SHIELD is behaving like the Nazis Nick Fury originally fought, but that feels too heavy for the tone of this story. Even accepting that Casey had a legitimate reason for going in this direction, the story never explains why the robots have assumed the identities of the original Howling Commandos. Yeah, some of the dialogue is funny, but where is this coming from? Adding to the confusion is the robot that assumes Cyclops’ persona when it encounters Cable. Maybe SHIELD downloaded some personality profiles of old soldiers into the robots’ databases, but where is Cyclops coming from? Cable doesn’t have telepathy at this point, so he can’t be projecting anything into the robot’s programming, and there’s no inherent telepathy in the T-O virus, so the robot couldn’t be reading Cable’s mind either.

After the robot wackiness calms down, Casey returns to Jack Truman’s story. Truman still comes across as a thin persona -- he’s obsessed with proving that he’s the best, but wants a fair fight. Conveniently, Cable’s regained his telekinetic powers and isn’t near-death anymore, so Truman’s now ready to prove how great he truly is. This requires him to stupidly pick a fight in an exploding engine room, which ends with a tepid action scene and another plot convenience that puts the character in place for the upcoming Deathlok series. I’m sure Casey did much more with Truman in Deathlok, but he’s still little more than a cipher at this stage. And that epic battle he wanted so badly from Cable lasts all of three pages by the arc’s end. None of the payoffs in this finale are satisfying, and even the art suffers under rushed, inconsistent inking.

CABLE#61 - Late November 1998

Captive Audience

Credits: Joe Casey (writer), Ladronn (penciler), Juan Vlasco (inker), Gloria Vasquez (colors), Richard Starkings & Comicraft (letters)

Summary: Clay Quartermain meets with Horatio Belgrade, the SHIELD scientist who’s been given Cable’s body. Belgrade surgically removes a portion of Cable’s techno-organic virus and introduces it into the Nemesis Robots, hoping to develop a superior artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, Blaquesmith helps Irene reach G. W. Bridge, who’s discovered the plot within SHIELD to steal Cable’s techno-organics. Jack Truman also learns of the conspiracy, and in response, defiantly frees Cable from his bonds. With the telepathic coaching of Blaquesmith, Cable regains access to his telekinesis and awakes ready to fight.

Miscellaneous Note: The Statement of Ownership lists average sales for the year at 94,050 with the most recent issue selling 77,374 copies.

Review: Hey, Cable’s gotten a haircut. Despite the horrific human experimentation he’s endured, Cable should at least be thankful to SHIELD for shaving that horrible ‘90s boy band hairstyle. With the exception of one Greg Capullo pin-up, I believe this is the first time someone’s taken the obvious step and given Cable a military buzz cut. In non-hair related news, this issue continues the “Nemesis Contract” storyline, as the cavalry begins to arrive for Cable, and the exact nature of the Nemesis Project is revealed. It turns out that the elaborate conspiracy responsible for kidnapping Cable and hiding him from Nick Fury merely amounts to a plot to animate a few robots. They’re drawn spectacularly well by Ladronn, along with the rest of the Kirby-tech, but it’s a fairly pedestrian plan. Within the context of the Marvel Universe, these rogue SHIELD agents might as well have been developing a new coffee maker with the T-O virus. Casey is able to build up some anticipation for Cable’s inevitable comeback, and he’s still giving Ladronn some cool things to draw, but I’m more than ready for this arc to end.

CABLE #60 - November 1998

Atlas Burned

Credits: Joe Casey (writer), Ladronn (penciler), Juan Vlasco (inker), Richard Starkings & Comicraft (letters), Gloria Vasquez (colors)

Summary: Agent 18, a.k.a. Jack Truman, receives unwelcome backup from SHIELD’s air cavalry. Led by the reckless Larry Young, the air cavalry chases Cable throughout Hell’s Kitchen, destroying buildings and endangering civilians. After Cable rescues a homeless man from a burning building, he’s confronted again by Agent 18. Weakened by the battle and his uncontrolled techno-organic virus, Cable collapses. Meanwhile in Washington, G. W. Bridge suspects a conspiracy within SHIELD. Administrator Seth Waters arrogantly dismisses his concerns.

Review: After Jack Truman’s slow build-up in the last issue, he takes a backseat to an even less likable SHIELD agent (and apparently, another future Deathlok), Larry Young. Young’s a stereotypical government bully who doesn’t care about harming innocents in order to get what he wants, and apparently lives in a fantasy world where there are no repercussions to his insane actions. It’s an extremely shallow characterization, and since the story still hasn’t established why exactly the SHIELD rank and file should care so much about exploiting Cable’s techno-organics, it’s hard not to view him as a cartoon character. Truman redeems himself a bit when he grows suspicious of what exactly his superiors are planning for Cable, and G. W. Bridge has begun to investigate the conspiracy, so there is at least an acknowledgment that the entire organization isn’t corrupt. The story would probably work better if SHIELD had a more legitimate reason to pursue Cable, since Ladronn is doing a great job on the Kirby-tech and incessant explosions, while the conspiracy material drags.

Casey seems to be borrowing from two of Frank Miller’s works, “Born Again” and “Year One” during the extended chase sequence. “Born Again” had a rogue government agent carelessly destroy parts of Hell’s Kitchen, while “Year One” had Batman cornered by corrupt police officers in an abandoned, burning building (Batman saved a cat after the homeless person died in “Year One”). Perhaps he didn’t intend these scenes as Miller tributes, but they’re so familiar it’s hard not to notice the similarities. Not surprisingly, Casey can’t match Miller’s original work, but Ladronn’s art distracts from the unoriginality, which is the role he’s been playing for the larger story arc at this point.

CABLE #59 - October 1998

Pressure Points
Credits: Joe Casey (writer), Ladronn (penciler), Juan Vlasco (inker), Gloria Vasquez (colors), Richard Starkings & Comicraft (letters)

Summary: In the Sudan, SHIELD agent Jack Truman is assigned Cable’s case. He follows Cable’s trail to the Swiss Alps, where he meets an old rival, G. W. Bridge. Bridge offers Truman no help, but Truman is content knowing that Bridge is about to receive an unwelcome transfer to the Washington bureau. Later, Truman lands in Hell’s Kitchen. He unleashes the monster Zzzax to draw out Cable. After a weakened Cable defeats Zzzax, Truman confronts him.

Continuity Notes: Cable meets Kenny Kramer, the younger brother of local waitress, Stacey. Stacey reveals Kenny has Down syndrome, and that she’s taken care of him since their parents died.

Review: This begins “The Nemesis Contract,” a four-part storyline that pits Cable against SHIELD. Joe Casey’s pet character, and future Deathlok, Jack Truman makes his debut and receives most of the issue’s attention. I don’t like to throw around terms like “Mary Sue” -- actually, I hate that phrase -- but it’s hard to ignore just how hard Casey is selling this character. He kills an elephant with a handgun on his debut page, he just knows that G. W. Bridge is an idiot (perhaps a dig at Rob Liefeld, or just the early ‘90s in general), he casually mentions killing a rogue LMD of Dum Dum Dugan in the past, no one at SHIELD is cool enough to retrieve his files, and he nonchalantly gets hold of an Incredible Hulk monster just to attract Cable’s attention. Truman’s heavy narration on each page also gets a little tiresome, and it’s not helped at all by a lettering font that Comicraft seems determined to make even uglier with each issue. Yes, he’s a manly man with a healthy ego. Is there any other point to this story? Cable has a few pages to recap his T-O virus angst, and we learn more about Stacey, but that’s really it. I will give Casey credit for pulling Zzzax out of nowhere as a generic monster for Cable to fight, though. Their fight scene is enjoyable, and it’s the first time in a while that Ladronn’s actually around to draw the Kirby-style villain Casey’s thrown in for him.

CABLE #58 - September 1998

Busted!

Credits: Joe Casey (writer), Ed McGuinness & Ladronn (pencilers), Nathan Massenbill &Juan Vlasco (inkers), Gloria Vasquez (colors), Richard Starkings & Comicraft (letters)

Summary: Blaquesmith examines Cable, informing him that with most of his powers gone, his techno-organic virus will continue to spread internally. He sends Cable and Irene to Greece, where they encounter the Askani order formerly led by Ch’vayre. When they realize who he is, most of the order bows to Cable. Only one member, Caesar, is skeptical. They give Cable his Psimitar staff as a gift, and he orders them to end their seclusion and join the real world. They follow his command, but Caesar vows revenge. Meanwhile, SHIELD agents Jasper Sitwell and Clay Quartermain meet with scientists and industrialists to discuss Cable.

Continuity Notes: The Askani order relocated to Greece after Ch’vayre disappeared. Following his orders, they burned their former monastery and moved to a group of islands known as the Dodecanese, which translates to “the Twelve.” This begins Casey’s series of hints surrounding the long-forgotten X-Factor subplot.

Both Jasper Sitwell and Clay Quartermain are long-established SHIELD agents, going back to the Silver Age. They’re meeting behind G. W. Bridge’s back to discuss the military and commercial applications of Cable’s techno-organic flesh. The words “Nemesis Program” and “Agent 18” are thrown around, but no information is given.

Review: Casey’s run has been fairly light reading so far, but this one is dense. Following the aftermath of the “Psi-War” mini-event, Cable’s left without his psychic powers again, which leaves Casey in an odd position. If you strictly follow continuity, that means that Cable’s body should be freaking out and becoming consumed with the techno-organic virus. However, Jeph Loeb already covered this territory in the “Onslaught” aftermath issues, so revisiting that idea seems pointless. Instead, he cheats a bit by allowing Cable to have a small amount of telekinesis, and by revealing that the virus is now attacking internally and not appearing as physical manifestations. This also becomes an excuse to revisit the Askani order subplot from James Robinson’s run, and to reintroduce the Psimitar staff from the Askani’son miniseries. This is making lemons into lemonade, which is a position X-spinoff writers often find themselves.

On top of all this, Casey’s setting up the pieces for the next four-issue arc. Having a few SHIELD agents meet with a couple of scientists really doesn’t have to take up too much space, but Casey dedicates half of the issue to the idea. Making the story more cramped is the lengthy recap of almost every public battle and SHIELD run-in Cable and X-Force has ever had. It’s nice to know Casey’s done his research, but the flashbacks have to be crammed into tiny panels in order to fit, and the new “artsy” lettering font Comicraft is using isn’t easy on the eyes, so the overall design of the pages is rough. (I’m assuming Comicraft changed to a more ostentatious font to match Ladronn’s style, but it’s always looked ugly to me.)

The secret military-industrial complex conspiracy stuff is well-worn territory, and it doesn’t really work with the characters Casey's selected. As future letter writers will point out, Jasper Sitwell and Clay Quartermain have never exhibited villainous traits before. I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on SHIELD continuity, but just knowing that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created Sitwell and Steranko created Quartermain back in the ‘60s leads me to believe that these guys were never intended as the dark conspiracy types. If Casey needed rogue SHIELD agents, I don’t know why he didn’t create new ones. Rogue SHIELD agents show up all the time, usually as new cannon fodder created for specific stories. Casey didn’t need to drag any established characters into this. Also, it’s strange that these specific characters care so much about exploiting Cable’s T-O virus for military gain. That’s usually the role given to generically evil army generals or corrupt politicians.

CABLE #55-#56, June-July 1998

Wiser Times

Credits: Joe Casey (writer), Ladronn (penciler), Juan Vlasco w/Keith Aiken (inks), Comicraft (letters), Gloria Vasquez (colors)

Summary: A captive Blaquesmith tries in vain to contact Cable, while an assassin is hired to kill Domino. Cable explores his new neighborhood in Hell’s Kitchen and befriends a waitress named Stacey. Irene tracks him to the diner and berates him for his actions in Switzerland. When she mentions the image of Blaquesmith she saw at his home earlier, Cable races back to his headquarters. There, he encounters Domino, who resents their growing distance. She leaves and is ambushed by the assassin.

Continuity Note: This is the first appearance of another potential love interest for Cable, Stacey Kramer. All that’s revealed about her this issue is her first name and her aspiration to become a nurse, but she’ll become a more important character in future issues.

Miscellaneous Note: The title of this issue might be a reference to a Black Crowes song.

Review: I’m under the impression Casey had no real interest in using characters like Blaquesmith and Domino, but they are a part of Cable’s supporting cast and it would seem odd if he went out of his way to ignore them. Well, ignoring Domino for long would’ve been unfair, but Blaquesmith didn’t even seem able to maintain the interest of his own creator. He’s been missing since issue #32, a story that hinted he might be dead, and Cable hasn’t exactly been too broken up about it. Even though this occurred around the time Cable had to take a crossover break, Jeph Loeb still had more than enough open issues to address his disappearance before leaving the book. Instead, the readers were treated to more issues of Cable dealing with his techno-organic virus, followed by a lengthy arc in the Mircoverse that ended with the power of love defeating a Fantastic Four villain.

Casey is getting around to dealing with Blaquesmith’s dangling subplot, while also getting Domino out of the way so that Cable’s free to pursue either Irene or Stacey. The rest of the issue is mostly dedicated to Cable exploring his new neighborhood, a version of Hell’s Kitchen that apparently didn’t undergo an economic recovery in the ‘90s (it’s my understanding that Hell’s Kitchen is one of the nicer Manhattan neighborhoods these days). Casey lays this on a bit thick (at one point Cable declares that he likes the diner because it reminds him of “hope,” which Stacey reminds him is free), but I get what he’s aiming at.

Bloodrite

Credits: Joe Casey (writer), Ryan Benjamin (penciler), Matt Banning w/Hanna, Aiken, & Holdredge (inks), Comicraft’s Saida Temofonte (letters), Gloria Vasquez (colors)

Summary: Blockade targets Domino, who can’t withstand his attack. Meanwhile, Cable receives a vision of Blaquesmith, but abandons him when he telepathically senses Domino’s pain. He finds her abandoned body and takes her to the hospital. Leaving Irene to watch over her, Cable finds Blockade in a bar. He extracts vengeance by forcing Blockade to view his subconscious, which leaves him comatose. Later, SHIELD agents arrive, suspicious Cable was involved.

Continuity Notes: The assassin from the previous issue is named Blockade here. The recap page identifies his real name as Dexter Parrish, and lists his power as “a bizarre affliction that has transformed his skin into a thick, craggy hide.” Whoever hired him to kill Domino isn’t revealed.

Review: It’s quite obvious that Casey is trying to write this book to suit Ladronn’s sensibilities, which is how we ended up with a Silver Age throwback villain like Blockade in the first place. He’s a non-mutant contract killer, formerly associated with the Sinister Syndicate (via retcon), who hangs out in bars with other non-mutant villains, like Stilt-Man. He has no ties to the Summers family, time travel, Mr. Sinister, anti-mutant groups, Stryfe, or anything else associated with ‘90s X-comics. Ladronn designed him as, of course, a lost Kirby villain in the previous issue, and did quite a job. However, Ladronn isn’t available for this issue, so former Jim Lee clone Ryan Benjamin is brought in as artist. Oh, the irony. Benjamin isn’t as bad as some of the Image-style artists that showed up in the titles, but it’s obvious this story wasn’t intended for him. As for the story, this is a fairly simple revenge plot, although Casey seems aware of how thin an idea it is. He adds some meat to the idea by focusing on the concept of revenge, as Irene ponders the hypocrisy of Cable, who’s allegedly in touch with a deep philosophy from the future, but still gives in to base human instincts when someone he personally knows is hurt. Trying to reconcile the original “eye for an eye” Cable with the wimpier New Age Cable of the late ‘90s isn’t a bad direction to explore, and it makes good use of Irene’s character.

CABLE #53-#54, April-May 1998

The Hellfire Hunt Part 6 - Beautiful Friend

Credits: Joe Casey (writer), Ladronn (penciler), Juan Vlasco (inker), Comicraft’s Albert Deschesne (letters), Gloria Vasquez (colors)

Summary: Ch’vayre leads Shaw and Pierce to Apocalypse’s hibernation chamber. They’re shocked to discover it’s empty. Cable appears, provoking Pierce into a fight. Shaw angrily places Ch’vayre into one of Apocalypse’s cocoons, as the fortress begins to collapse. Cable tries to free Ch’vayre while Shaw and Pierce escape. Shaw flees in a helicopter, refusing to take Pierce along. Cable is unable to free Ch’vayre and is shot into the sky on a pod as the fortress collapses. In Egypt, Apocalypse watches the skies and prepares for the future.

Continuity Notes: Ch’vayre’s imprisonment inside the cocoon sets up his role as Apocalypse’s follower in the original Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix miniseries. During the final scene, Apocalypse frees Ozymandias and Caliban from his service, although I’m not sure what the significance of this is supposed to be.

Miscellaneous Note: I'm assuming the title of this issue is a reference to this song.

Review: After a few detours, the “Hellfire Hunt” storyline comes to an end. Not a total end, as Cable’s fate is left as a cliffhanger, but the Hellfire Club/Apocalypse story does finish up. I’m not sure if anyone really expected Apocalypse to play a major role in this story, as Marvel had decided at this point that he should be saved for giant crossovers, so the real drama comes from the Hellfire Club’s involvement. That’s a bit of a dud, as Shaw and Pierce just bicker for a few pages before Shaw predictably abandons Pierce again. However, Ladronn does get to draw some intense action scenes, and I love his rendition of the Hellfire soldiers (and those weird sky-skimmers they’re flying around on).

I’ve reread the ending to this issue a few times, and I’m still not sure what’s going on. Is this Ch’vayre’s pod that’s shooting out into the sky? That would make sense, assuming that Apocalypse wants to preserve whoever’s inside it. However, it blows up just a few pages later. I know this is setting up a “did Cable survive?” cliffhanger (I’m going to go with “yes”), but the setup doesn’t make sense, especially since Ch’vayre is supposed to survive into the future. I’m not sure if Ladronn, Casey, or an editorial hand is responsible for the confusion, but I think the ending of a six-issue arc should be a little clearer.

Jungle Action

Credits: Joe Casey (writer), Ladronn (penciler), Juan Vlasco (inker), Comicraft (letters), Gloria Vasquez (colors)

Summary: Cable lands in Wakanda, where he’s nursed to health by the Black Panther’s cousin, Dr. Joshua Itobu. Itobu has secretly lead Klaw into Wakanda, believing that Klaw’s presence will convince the Black Panther to militarize their Vibranium supplies. Klaw turns against Itobu and invades Wakanda's Techno Jungle, hoping to find a replacement for his hand-blaster. Cable and Black Panther team up to defeat Klaw, who is discorporated by a vacuum chamber. Meanwhile, Irene visits Cable’s Hell’s Kitchen hideout, but runs away after seeing Blaquesmith.

Continuity Notes: The Black Panther recognizes Cable from a previous encounter, but says the memories evaporate whenever he concentrates on them. Cable doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

Review: James Robinson’s run had a very brief subplot scene set in Wakanda, which clears the way for Joe Casey’s first indulgence in ‘70s nostalgia. Ladronn should be allowed to draw as many Kirby characters as possible, and it doesn’t hurt to have Cable interact with characters from outside of the X-Universe, either. There isn’t much of a plot to dwell on here (Dr. Itobu’s plan really makes no sense), but as an excuse for Ladronn to draw these characters and surroundings, it works well enough. Not only does Ladronn deliver the coolest Klaw I’ve ever seen, but his interpretation of the Techno Jungle rivals Kirby’s original rendition from the Black Panther’s first appearance. Casey does try to develop Cable’s character through a few pages of inner monologues, but this isn’t much more than a Silver Age action story, and it’s pretty enjoyable on that level.

CABLE #51-#52, February-March 1997

Hellfire Hunt Part 4 - Faith and Deception

Credits: Joe Casey (writer), James Robinson (plot assist), Ladronn(penciler), Juan Vlasco & Bud LaRosa (inks), Comicraft’s Saida Temofonte (letters), Gloria Vasquez (colors)

Summary: Cable traces the Hellfire Club’s activities to Switzerland, and reluctantly takes Irene along. They’re attacked by Hellfire Club soldiers, and rescued by a mysterious older man named Wilhelm. Wilhelm knows of Cable’s powers and claims to be a Believer, but Cable doesn’t recognize him. Eventually, Cable scans his mind and learns his true identity -- Wilhelm is the Nazi supervillain Master Man.

Review: Welcome to the comics industry, Joe Casey. As Casey revealed in a Wizard interview later this year, he was an acquaintance of James Robinson who was interested in writing comics. When Robinson had to leave this title (to write a Freddy vs. Jason screenplay), Robinson gave Casey a chance to work on this issue. Casey thought it was a writing exercise until he was informed he just wrote Cable #51. Although Marvel apparently never officially confirmed it to him, Casey became the regular writer of the series.

I believe Casey has said before that he doesn’t have much of a connection to the X-Men (which was pretty obvious to anyone who had to suffer through his Uncanny X-Men run), so I wonder if bringing in a villain from the mainstream Marvel Universe was his idea. In terms of the “Hellfire Hunt” storyline, I have no idea what Master Man is doing here. Revealing that he might be a Believer (one of Cable’s “followers” we’ve never heard of until Robinson’s run) connects him to the title character, but I can’t help but to feel that this is a distraction from a story that’s already dragged on for months. The rest of the issue consists of exposition, exposition, and more exposition. Irene flashes back to the events of the past few issues, Ch’vayre recalls his first contact with Sebastian Shaw, and Shaw and Pierce needle each other while conveniently reminding anyone nearby of their plan to steal Apocalypse’s power. Ch’vayre’s flashback does introduce a brief new scene, which has Shaw informing him that he doesn’t need help from a refugee from the future, because Trevor Fitzroy has already joined the Hellfire Club. That’s a nice touch, but it’s obvious that most of this issue is just stalling for time.

Hellfire Hunt Part 5 - Beyond Belief

Credits: Joe Casey (writer), German Garcia (penciler), Jon Holdredge (inks), Comicraft (letters), Gloria Vasquez (colors)

Summary: Wilhelm confesses to Cable that he was Master Man, and swears that after befriending one of the Believers, he now wants redemption. Cable reluctantly accepts Wilhelm’s offer of aid, and puts Irene in a deep sleep to protect her from more violence. They travel through the Alps in a blizzard and are soon attacked by Hellfire soldiers. Before Cable can stop him, one of the soldiers kills Wilhelm. Cable mourns his death and carries on to his destination. He discovers Apocalypse’s fortress, and witnesses the Hellfire Club’s battle with its automated defenses.

Continuity Notes: The "secret" of Ch’vayre is just a flashback to his arrival in this time. This Master Man is the one who appeared in the early issues of the ‘90s Namor series. After failing to commit suicide, he retreated to the Swiss Alps. The super-soldier serum in his veins has begun to wear off, which explains his aging.

Review: So…why did Master Man show up? Casey actually uses the character rather well in this issue, as Cable has to deal with the “Could you forgive a Nazi?” question while continuing his mission. Master Man’s quest for redemption does add some humanity to the issue, but it still feels as if he’s mainly there to buy some time. Maybe if this weren’t a titled, multi-part storyline and just an old-school rambling Marvel narrative I wouldn’t mind him so much. If you call a story “The Hellfire Hunt” and make a big deal about the group finding Apocalypse, perhaps you shouldn’t have so many issues dedicated to the Hellfire Club doing virtually nothing. I could complain that novice writer Casey is overwriting every single page of this comic with melodramatic narrative captions, but that might not be fair. So long as Mark Powers edited this series (and Wolverine), every writer’s run had those turgid captions.

CABLE #50 - January 1998

Hellfire Hunt Part 3 - And He Shall Be Called…Man

Credits: James Robinson (writer), Ladronn (penciler), Juan Vlasco w/Scott Hanna (inkers), Comicraft (letters), Gloria Vasquez (colors)

Summary: In 1859, Apocalypse places a man, his “harbinger,” into an embryogenic tank. In 1915, Union Jack stops the Hellfire Club’s Harry Manners from releasing the Harbinger in London. Today, Cable visits Cyclops and Phoenix before leaving on his mission to stop the Hellfire Club. From Madelyne Pryor, Cable learns of Shaw’s plan to free the Harbinger in London. Cable arrives as Ch’vayre, Pierce, and Shaw are releasing the Harbinger from his cocoon. The Harbinger easily defeats Cable and the Hellfire Club before making his escape. Cable telepathically tracks the Harbinger, and learns that he has no violent motives, but instead wishes to study humanity. Soon, Cable and Irene Merryweather investigate the debris of the Hellfire Club’s operation. They discover the Club has tracked the frequency transmitted to Apocalypse when the Harbinger was released.

Continuity Notes: Ch’vayre is an Askani refugee living in this era. He’s helping the Hellfire Club release the Harbinger because Sanctity believes this will force Cable into following his destiny. Madelyne Pryor tells Cable about Shaw’s plan because she fears he’s unleashing a genocidal monster.

“Huh?” Moment: As Cable runs towards the Harbinger, there’s a panel devoted to an inexplicable shot of his foot. The editor’s footnote reads, “We’re not really sure why Ladronn put this panel here, but it was too fun & wacky to take out.”

Review: It’s a big anniversary issue, and Robinson crams enough material in to make the story appropriate for its double-sized format. Aside from Cable’s visit with Cyclops and Phoenix (which takes place right before they move to Alaska), Robinson also diverges from the main plot with two flashback scenes. We don’t really need to see a lot of space dedicated to Apocalypse placing an anonymous man into the “embryogenic tank,” or Union Jack’s battle with an earlier incarnation of the Hellfire Club, but both scenes take advantage of Ladronn’s art. Along with the care he takes in drawing Apocalypse’s convoluted technology, it’s a blast to see Ladronn’s interpretation of the Marvel Universe. The 1915 Union Jack fighting Hellfire goons in an issue of Cable? Why not? Robinson could’ve wasted these pages on a pointless brawl between Cable and the Harbinger, but I’m glad the story doesn’t lead up to an extended fight scene. If Apocalypse really did keep someone in a forced evolution for over a hundred years, what would he be like? Who’s to say he’d automatically come out violent?

Oddly enough, even though this is the double-sized 50^th issue, it’s not the end of the storyline. The Hellfire Club is still looking to steal Apocalypse’s power, which is fair enough since Robinson’s already established that as their goal, but the overall structure feels wonky. Who makes the middle chapter of their storyline the double-sized anniversary issue?

CABLE #48-#49, November-December 1997

Hellfire Hunt Part One - Dirty Secrets

Credits: James Robinson (writer), Ladronn (penciler), Juan Vlasco (inker), Comicraft (letters), Gloria Vasquez (colors)

Summary: Tabloid journalist Irene Merryweather is ordered to dig up dirt on Sebastian Shaw, a millionaire who always manages to stay out of the news. Only one of her contacts isn’t afraid to speak to her. While visiting the contact, Irene discovers his body. She races to the Inquiring Eye offices and discovers her coworkers are also dead. She’s chased by Hellfire Club soldiers until she’s rescued by Cable.

Continuity Notes: The story acts as if Shaw’s membership in the Hellfire Club is a big secret, which doesn’t seem right. Shaw’s membership in the criminal Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club is the secret, but not his role in the respected society association.

Review: James Robinson has been on this title for months, but this is his first opportunity to begin telling his own stories. Cable was a rather aimless character by this point, so it looks like Robinson is going the “introduce a normal p.o.v. character” route. This allows the book to turn the focus away from Cable for a while, and bring in another cast member that can see him through the eyes of potential new readers. Irene’s alright as far as those characters go, although I think Robinson overplays her desire to be a Daily Bugle reporter. I get that she’s unhappy as a tabloid journalist and wants to move to a legitimate newspaper, but having her deify a fictional newspaper on every other page is tiresome. I imagine the Daily Bugle’s reputation in the Marvel Universe is more along the lines of “that newspaper with a few good reporters, a decent sports page, and a bizarre obsession with Spider-Man” anyway.

Ladronn becomes the regular artist with this issue, marking the start of a lengthy stint. He sticks around until 1999, when Marvel decides to replace him with Rob Liefeld. Marvel’s decision to replace a Kirby/Moebius artiste with…well, Liefeld, was one of things that drove internet fans crazy in the final days of the Bob Harras era. The critically acclaimed creative team of James Robinson and Ladronn was assembled by editor Mark Powers, around the same time he oversaw the addition of Steve Seagle and Joe Kelly to the main X-books. He also tried to get Warren Ellis to stay onboard Wolverine, despite Ellis publicly announcing he was only doing four issues. Powers was supposed to be the good X-editor. Less than a year later, he was known as a notorious re-writer and general cause of “creative differences” on the X-books. I don’t pretend to know what was really happening behind-the-scenes, but his sudden drop in popularity was interesting.

Hellfire Hunt Part Two - Weary Knights & Shabby Paladins

Credits: James Robinson (writer), Ladronn (penciler), Juan Vlasco & Scott Hanna (inkers), Comicraft (letters), Marie Javins (colors)

Summary: Cable explains to Irene that Shaw’s associate, Donald Pierce, has ordered a hit on both of them. At Cable’s command, a diversion is created in Algeria that lures Pierce away from his Boston home. Cable and Irene infiltrate Pierce’s home, where they’re confronted by Hellfire soldiers and hired gun Paladin. After they’re defeated by Cable, Hellfire agent Taft swallows poison. Cable connects with his dying mind and learns of the “Tomorrow Agenda.” The Hellfire Club wants to kill Apocalypse and harness his power. Pierce’s paranoia that Irene would learn of the plan, and his personal hatred of Cable, lead him to order their deaths.

Continuity Notes: Cable explains to Irene that he first met Pierce years ago in Algeria. With the aid of Iron Man and Nick Fury (maybe it’s Fury, it’s hard to tell), he stopped Pierce from overtaking the country. A narrative caption later claims that Cable was responsible for Pierce’s initial transformation into a cyborg.

Cable reveals to Irene that he has a group of followers called “the Believers” who have pledged to help him save the future. Two of them generate the hologram of Cable in Algeria that distracts Pierce.

Miscellaneous Note: The Statement of Ownership has average yearly sales at 133,041 and the most recent issue selling 117,368 copies.

Review: Robinson continues to develop the Hellfire storyline, while also establishing a new status quo. Cable tells Irene that he wants her to be his chronicler, so that people can learn from his life. In a way, this works as an excuse to keep Irene involved in the storylines. On the other hand, it reinforces the ridiculous “Cable-messiah” nonsense I could never stand. (Yes, Cable, your battles with lower-tier X-villains and that disease that turns you into a cyborg must be chronicled for future generations.) Robinson also continues the character’s proud history of retcons, as we learn he previously teamed up with a few Marvel heroes to fight Pierce sometime in the past. I dislike the way Cable was retroactively inserted into so many characters’ backstories, but this doesn’t really bother me. If he ran into Moira MacTaggert, I guess it makes as much sense for him to encounter Iron Man. Donald Pierce was introduced as a cyborg and I don’t think anyone ever explained how he got that way, so revealing it was Cable isn’t a total cheat.

Seeing Ladronn’s interpretation of the Marvel Universe is fun, and he does a great job with Boston’s architecture. You don’t get the sense he’s just tracing photographs; it seems like he genuinely loves drawing every brick of these buildings. As much as I enjoy Ladronn’s take on Paladin, though, I have no idea why he’s in this story. Charitably, you could say he didn’t know the Hellfire Club is secretly criminal, but I get the sense he’s just a random character Robinson pulled out of the Marvel Handbook.

CABLE #-1 - July 1997

The Devil’s Herald!

Credits: James Robinson (writer), Ladronn (penciler), Juan Vlasco (inker), Glynis Oliver (colors), Richard Starkings & Comicraft (letters)

Summary: In the past, Moira MacTaggert travels with Rahne Sinclair to Stornoway. Cable has just arrived in this timeline and cannot speak English. Moira defends him, as Rev. Craig declares him the Devil’s herald. Cable uses his telepathic powers to calm the crowd. At Muir Island, Moira examines Cable, whose powers inadvertently destroy her equipment. He saves her from falling debris; then uses his powers to learn English from her mind. Cable explains that he’s on a mission and asks if she can contact Charles Xavier. Meanwhile in Switzerland, Apocalypse senses Cable’s arrival and awakes.

Continuity Notes: Since Cable learns English in this issue, it has to take place before his mercenary days with the Six Pack. This is also another instance of Cable using telepathic/telekinetic powers before he should have them in-continuity (he developed them after founding X-Force). I don’t know if Cable and Xavier actually did meet during this era, but I do know that Jeph Loeb wanted to establish that Cable helped Xavier build the Danger Room, as vaguely hinted during his X-Force run.

James Robinson gives Cable a bizarre speech pattern during a flashback to his time in the future. I assume this is supposed to be an English translation of Askani, leading Cable to say things like, “Forward fight then…and quarter to none!” and “Worry gone, friend-fighters.” He’s never spoken like this in any of his previous flashbacks, though.

The presence of Wolfsbane, Rahne Sinclair, causes a lot of problems. Rahne is described as Moira’s ward, which isn’t accurate. Moira recognized Rahne in her first appearance in the New Mutants GN as a child she delivered years earlier. Chris Claremont later established that Moira spent time with Rahne as a girl during an added page in Classic X-Men #2, but the scene made it clear that Rev. Craig was her guardian. There’s also the question of Rahne’s age. If the story takes place before Fantastic Four#1, which was the intent of Flashback Month, it should be ten years ago. Rahne was established as fourteen in her early appearances, meaning she should be around four in this issue and not the junior high student she appears to be. To prove I can be even more pedantic, I’ll point out that a narrative caption describes Rahne as a future member of X-Force, which wasn’t true in 1997 (although I guess it’s become true in recent years). Finally, Stan Lee claims during his final page that Cable erased Rahne’s memory (but not Moira’s) of the events, since Cable apparently knew they would meet later on.

Review: What’s that you say? A Cable Flashback issue is a continuity mess? James Robinson was still very new to this title, so I’m sure having to keep Cable continuity straight and figure out where it relates to the start of the Marvel Universe wasn’t easy. This actually does answer the question of how Moira knew Cable (as established in one of his early appearances), leaving Rahne’s appearance as the major continuity offender. Robinson does seem comfortable with Cable’s makeover as a new age warrior from the future, giving the story an “epic” feel. I personally think this direction never fit Cable, but Robinson can handle it well enough. Making Cable inadvertently responsible for Apocalypse’s reawaking isn’t a bad idea; one that Fabian Nicieza took a step further a few years ago in Cable and Deadpool.

The issue’s true significance is the debut of Ladronn as artist. His Kirby-influenced art is obviously a perfect fit for Flashback Month, and he’s aided by Glynis Oliver’s colors, which even go back to the “tiny dots” look of the Silver Age. Ladronn’s depiction of Cable’s future, Muir Island’s technology, and the surroundings of Scotland are amazing. Each page is filled with intricate details that clearly required a real effort on Ladronn’s part. This might’ve seemed like an odd title to assign Ladronn, but he made it work.