Cable is a
comic book character, by
Marvel Comics Group. His
first appearance was in
New Mutants #87.
Cable is 6'8", 350 pounds, and half cybernetic. There is reason for the cybernetics, though: a techo-organic virus was introduced into his body by Apocalypse when he was a baby. He has significant telekinetic and telepathic ability as well, but most are focussed into himself, to keep the virus from spreading any more. He has white-gray hair, and is a widower. His full name is Nathan Christopher Charles Summers, and has also went by the name Nathan Dayspring Askani'son. He is the son of Scott Summers (Cyclops) and Madelyne Pryor (the Goblin Queen). He was briefly married to Aliya (Jenskot), and he had a son named Tyler (Genesis). His age can be estimated at 45 - 50 years old.
It's difficult to give a timeline to Cable's history in the Marvel Universe, because the character has went forward and backward in time several times. Stories involving the X-Men and others affiliated with them are fraught with alternate timelines, and Cable is no different: a member of Clan Askani came back in time to tell Cyclops that they could save his son. Clan Askani is from 2000 years in the future, and they told Cyclops that the baby Nathan was to be a savior in their time. Apocalypse was present in this time as well, an overlord, leader of the New Canaanites.
Clan Askani promised Cyclops that they would cure Nathan of the techno-virus, but Mother Askani did not believe Nathan would survive. A clone was created, who grew up to become Stryfe. Teenaged Nathan eventually defeated Apocalypse in the future, but he had not yet fulfilled his mission as the Askani'son - he was to defeat Stryfe and Apocalypse in the twentieth century as well.
Stryfe had formed a group of mutants called the Mutant Liberation Front (MLF). At this point, he took the name Cable, and much battling took place. Cable put together a group of New Mutants, called them X-Force, and took on MLF. This all culminated in a battle with Stryfe which took place on the moon. The fallout of the battle sent Stryfe and Cable forward in time again, to their own time.
Nothing of genuine note occurs in the Cable-related comics (and his own series) until the beginning of the Onslaught incident. Over time, Cable's predominantly latent mental abilities had started to show themselves. They became so strong that he couldn't control them at first, allowing his technovirus to spread through his body. He did gain control eventually.
Cable is a military strategist, and is proficient in many forms of hand-to-hand combat. He is a capable pilot and is able to use just about any weapon given to him. His telekinetic ability affords him some amount of great physical strength and endurance, as well as the ability to cause objects to levitate, and create invisible force fields.
Cable has been in such comics as X-Men, X-Force, New Mutants, he is presently in his own title, Cable, which at the time of this writing is at issue #100.
Sources, useful links:
- http://www.marvel.com
- http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Tower/5805/cerebrocab.html
- http://cable.fanhosts.com/v4-main.html