CABLE #2 – June 1993

Mired in Destiny

Credits: Fabian Nicieza (writer), Art Thibert (penciler), Al Milgrom and Bob Wiacek (inkers), Chris Eliopoulos (letters), Marie Javins (colors)

Summary

Cable and the Clan Chosen infiltrate the Canaanites’ time machine in Niagara Falls. Their bio-organic construct, Boak, sacrifices himself to stop the Canaanites’ soldiers. Hope scans for the proper timeline to send Kane back into, and discovers that the time machine has already been used. Cable decides to go back to our time with Kane to find out whom the Canaanites sent into the past. After time travelling, Cable and Kane unexpectedly end up inside the part of Cable’s ship that was sent into the ocean. Hope apparently knew this would happen but sent them anyway. Meanwhile, in our time, Sinsear tries to find Cable’s old foe, Tolliver.

Continuity Notes

General Haight says that “the other will be eliminated for having defied his programming” and that Sinsear’s mission in the past is to ensure “the cross-timeline High Lord ascension of…En Sabah Nur”. “En Sabah Nur” is Apocalypse, but I have no idea who “the other” is and why Apocalypse’s men would want him dead.

I Love the ‘90s

Well, all of the references to the current time are listed as “1993”, but that’s understandable.

Review

Continuing with my collection of comics that I don’t remember buying, here’s Cable #2. I found the first issue kind of a chore to get through, but this issue is an easier read. Unlike the first issue, the villains are more clearly introduced and the heroes have a specific goal in mind. However, the major questions regarding Cable -- why isn’t he dead and how did he end up in the future again -- still aren’t even brought up, which is annoying. Nicieza continues to exhibit Cable’s “end justifies the means” philosophy, but unlike the early issues of X-Force, there’s more moral ambiguity about his attitude. Unfortunately, the Clan Chosen don’t really have personalities, so it’s hard to care about what Cable’s asking them to sacrifice. Nicieza establishes that Cable has a strained relationship with his sister-in-law, Hope, but none of their confrontations are that interesting. It’s better than the last issue, but still pretty forgettable.