In the latest issue of S.W.O.R.D., an iconic member of the X-Men sinks deeper into the pit of despair that was hinted at in X of Swords.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for S.W.O.R.D. #4 by Al Ewing, Valerio Schiti, Marte Gracia, and VC’s Ariana Maher, on sale now.
Cable just can’t seem to catch a break lately. Every time he makes progress something seems to come along that knocks him down even further. After losing miserably in his X of Swords duel, the young mutant suffered the indignity of being possessed by Knull during the symbiote king’s attack on Krakoa. Cable was saved as was the rest of the island, but in the aftermath, Cable seemed at his lowest point yet. And his shattered confidence may lead to the eventual resurrection of his older self if his current thoughts are any indication.
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Cable was possessed by Knull, and he invaded the homeland of the X-Men. Cable then became the conduit by which Knull murdered other mutants and began hunting down Manifold. Thankfully, at the last second Frenzy managed to break free from the dream state Knull had plunged the other mutants into. She literally disarmed the possessed Cable, allowing Manifold to drive Knull’s influence out of Nathan. But the emotional wounds Knull inflicted might have been even worse than the physical damage in S.W.O.R.D. #4.
In the aftermath of the attack, Nathan expressed feelings to Magneto about not feeling good enough, linking his recent misfortunes to a lack of skill on his part. This is a startling change of tune from when he was first introduced. The younger, time-displaced version of Nathan Summers, stayed in the present because he felt the older Cable wasn’t doing a good enough job. But actions speak louder than words and a series of failures on Kid Cable’s part have impressed upon him how difficult it really is to be a part of the X-Men.
Cable’s first brush with failure occurred in his duel with Bei the Blood Moon during X of Swords. At first, Cable had the upper hand against his opponent, but a moment’s hesitation cost him the match. He would have died had Saturnyne not ended the duel, saying that “some deaths were of the spirit” This was the first hint of Cable’s increasing lack of confidence in himself. Immediately after the loss, he admitted he wasn’t ready for all of this and he should have “been the other guy” for this, referring to his older, more experienced self.
And now it would seem that Nathan is in that same headspace again. Once, he was confident that he could do what his older self could not; now he is sure that he cannot succeed. Nathan feels unsure and inadequate, and his strong desire to do well only adds to the pressure. If he honestly doesn’t believe he has the skill and power necessary to help, then it is probably only a matter of time before he turns to someone who does.
If he continues to fail, Nathan might request that his next resurrection restores him to his older self. The memories of the older Cable are still stored after all and Nathan’s confidence in his abilities as they are now is quickly becoming extinct. But while he may be having difficulty believing in himself, the other X-Men do not. Even Magneto told Nathan that losing to Knull was nothing to be ashamed of. He was a god after all, and there was really no chance against him one-on-one for any mutant. However, a pep talk might not be enough to steer Nathan away from making a potentially radical decision.
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