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The future is wide-open for mutantkind, and Cable #12 suggests there’s at least one future for the mutant soldier that has a happy ending.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Cable #12 from Marvel Comics, on sale now
Cable has always been haunted by and destined for the wars of the far future, with his seeking to change or improve those futures often being a defining element of his character. Things have been complicated in the modern age thanks to the younger Cable’s presence on Krakoa, but it turns out there’s still some serious hope for tomorrow, and the adult Cable knows it.
In Cable #12 by Gerry Duggan, Phil Noto & VC’s Joe Sabino, the young Cable returns to his proper place in the timeline, and it’s revealed that his older self is fighting for a future where the Earth seems to be at peace and he’s been reunited with an older Esme.
The young incarnation of Cable has been a part of the Marvel Universe since his arrival during the course of the Extermination storyline. On Krakoa, he’s found a place for himself and gotten the chance to spend time with the extended Summers Family in a stable environment, where the young telepath quickly adjusted to his new non-apocalyptic way of life. He even found love with Esme, one of the Cuckoo Sisters, with their romance being one of the major throughlines of Cable. However, Nathan’s commitments extend beyond the present day. Thanks to the machinations of Stryfe — the original evil clone of Cable — the younger Nathan has been forced to try and adapt to an enemy seemingly nine steps ahead at all times.
Despite his best efforts, Cable was forced to resurrect his older self — a decision that ends with Nathan being forced back into the time-stream and away from the life he’s built. It’s a decision that’s weighed heavily on him, especially as Cyclops and Esme have resisted this eventuality out of affection for the young man. But with Stryfe preparing to kill a host of mutant infants, Nathan has no other choice. Working alongside his older self and a number of their major allies, the pair of Cables lead a successful offensive against Stryfe. Cable even gets to say goodbye to the life he’d built, bidding farewell to Esme and his family. Before he makes the final leap, Esme is able to open up about how much she cares about him and takes a necklace from him as a memento of their time together.
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Reuniting with his future self, he tries to ask the older Cable questions about his fate. But the older Nathan — knowing that many of the questions have to do with Esme — refuses to engage. Instead, he tells his younger incarnation that if he wants good outcomes, he’ll need to fight for them. However, it turns out that there’s a reason he’s keeping the ending of their romance a secret from the younger Nathan, as it appears the older Cable still has a deep connection with Esme. Cutting back to when the older Cable time-traveled back to the events of Extermination so he could die by his younger self’s hand, Nathan is joined by Esme — older, wiser, and still wearing the same necklace she took from him in their youth. She admits she has a soft spot for the “kid,” and shares a smile with Cable as he travels to the past.
This suggests the pair at least are on good terms in the relatively near future and have possibly even resumed their romance. It’s a surprisingly sweet ending to the Cable/Esme relationship, suggesting that while it may not be able to come to fruition in the modern-day that the pair might have a better chance in the coming years. Given the recognizable New York skyline outside their window, it also implies that this future is indeed a happy enough one. There are no Sentinels seen in the skies, the mutants aren’t being hunted through apocalyptic wastelands, and Esme seems to have lived into middle age and seemingly prospered, given her casual appearance and happy attitude.
It appears that the future Cable is aware of a timeline where the future can be a positive one for mutants and the world as a whole. Considering that even Moira X was concerned there’s no chance for a happy ending for the mutants, this seemingly normal but peaceful future is proof that there’s a chance for a happy ending yet for the mutants, and that’s the hope that keeps Cable and the rest of his family fighting.
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