Cable (1st series) #4

Issue Date: 
August 1993
Story Title: 
A Leader Among Men
Staff: 

Fabian Nicieza (writer); Art Thibert (penciler); Rob Liefeld (art assist); Al Milgrom (inks); Reddington, Wylie (pencils pg. 16) Koblish (pencils pg. 18); Chris Eliopoulos (letterer); Javins/Thomas (colors); Bob Harras (editor); Tom DeFalco (editor in chief)

Brief Description: 

Cable and G.W. Bridge duke it out and vent long pent up frustrations, until Kane points out that they’ll need to work together in order to help Hammer. Over the Adirondack Mountains, the remains of the Six Pack are continuing their search for X-Force, but it looks like the base has been destroyed. After breaking their way in they begin to look for clues as to Cable’s whereabouts. Back at the Swiss Chalet, Bridge relates the events that resulted in Graymalkin’s destruction, and that Domino has hooked back up with the rest of the Six Pack. This angers Cable, believing that if Hammer gets his hands on his technology, he will use it against him. Meanwhile, Sinsear continues his quest to find “the other” and manages to deduce the location of the other’s father. In Camp Verde, Domino arrives with the rest of the Six Pack and finds Cable waiting. Hammer, seeing his chance at revenge, attack’s Cable but is talked down by Kane. When shown that he has found a way of using Cable’s technology to help him walk again, Hammer turns it down. With all the members of the Six Pack reunited, the team begins to learn that they can work together again, but not with Cable, and they leave Cable behind.

Full Summary: 

The anger between Bridge and Cable reaches full bore once they are face to face, and they proceed to beat each other senseless. Bridge feels betrayed over what happened years ago, with the events that resulted in the destruction of the Six Pack, and Cable is furious about Bridge’s recent SHIELD reinforced actions against him. Kane, however, still drunk from his binge at the Temporal Displacement Core, goes right for the Mocha blend coffee. Ironically, the drunkest person in the room is also the one who manages to bring about the voice of reason … and offers them coffee. Kane proposes that Bridge tell him everything he knows about the location of X-Force, and Cable will make good on the promise to help Hammer walk again. The two then seal the deal with a handshake.

The Adirondack Mountains:

The remainder of the Six Pack, which includes Hammer, Grizzly, and Domino, with Vanessa in tow, continue their quest to track down Cable and X-Force. Traveling by Hammer’s hover-converted, jet powered Winnebago, the team is guided by Vanessa to X-Forces headquarters. It is not an easy alliance, as Grizzly is stuck between the scuffling Vanessa and Domino. Upon their arrival it appears as if though the base had been buried under tons of rock. After being asked where they go from there, Vanessa states that she has no idea, that the place didn’t look much like she had left it. Domino, sitting on a short fuse, wants to kill Vanessa for taking her place while she was a prisoner of Tolliver. Vanessa promises however, that they’ll find what they’re looking for if they dig their way into the base. After much digging, and using Grizzly’s massive strength, the three manage to bust their way into the base, but find it empty. Vanessa states she can guarantee that she can find X-Force using the equipment left behind.

The Swiss Chalet:

Bridge informs Cable of the events which transpired over the last few weeks. Including how a satellite accidentally stumbled across Graymalkin and how he went with SHIELD to recover the technology. He then tells them how they waged combat with X-Force which resulted in the station’s destruction. Cable, who was now cutting his goatee, said that Graymalkin’s destruction was impossible. Bridge disagreed, stating that Cannonball jettisoned entire sections of the station in order to protect it from others, and even taking some of it for X-Force. Cable still doesn’t believe Bridge, and tells the computer to search for Graymalkin. The computer is unable to find the station, at which Cable points out that Graymalkin’s core must still be on-line if the computer even answers him. Bridge informs Cable that he was just talking with the Professor when it was just cut off in mid-sentence. Cable deduces that to find the answers, they are going to have to find X-Force. Kane is ready to go, stating that they should even pick up Domino while doing so, at which point Bridge points out that she has already hooked up with Grizzly and Hammer. Upon hearing that, Cable spits out his coffee, knowing that if Hammer manages to get his hands on Graymalkin’s technology, he would use it against him.

Somewhere in the South Pacific:

Sinsear continues his quest for the “other”, and has taken the liberty of obtaining an technological island base that he now uses for his operations. Tapping into every transmission on Earth, Sinsear sits in the center of dozens of video monitors absorbing the information that was coming across him. Until finally, he picks up on Cable’s transmitted inquiry on Graymalkin’s whereabouts. Sinsear orders for the transmissions to end, and then proceeds to remove his helmet from his deformed and scarred head. A smile comes across his face, he has not yet found the “other”, but he has indeed found his father.

Camp Verde, Arizona:

Hammer’s flying Winnebago lands just outside the base, and Grizzly, Domino, and Vanessa disembark. Vanessa questions if this was the correct location that the computers back at the Adirondack base had traced the mutagenic energy signatures. Domino confirms this, but asks why the place looks like a graveyard. Hammer points out that it’s because X-Force wants it too look like that, but surveillance has found activity underground. Before they could get into the base, the three are stopped short by a sudden flash of light.
In front of them now stand Cable, Kane, and Bridge, barring their way guns aimed at them. Vanessa, however, is overjoyed to see Cable still alive, and jumps to hug him. Cable though doesn’t recognize Vanessa, at which point Vanessa explains that it was her who was posing as Domino. Cable pushes her back, stating that he didn’t know of the deceit and as such, the feelings they had were also a lie. This crushes Vanessa, and Cable turns away.
The group makes their way back to the Winnebago when Hammer, upon spotting Cable attacks him with a blast which sends him sprawling to the ground. Hammer, then unleashes two coils which wrap around Cable, and magnetically freeze his bionics. This effectively makes Cable paralyzed, which is exactly what Hammer wants. Kane pleads for Hammer to stop, crying out that Cable had no choice for doing what he did, but he is willing to make it up, he has found something from the future which will help him walk again. Upon reviewing the information, which was the plans for an internal mechanical spinal column, Hammer turns it down. When Kane asks why, Hammer explains that he refuses to turn himself into a machine. Kane asks why not, since it helped him return to his feet. Hammer points out that he would rather stay in his chair than allow him self to become another mirror-image of Cable, and that he would lose his humanity just like he has.
After Cable leaves the Winnebago, Bridge informs him that Vanessa has disappeared, which greatly displeases Domino - they should go after her. The other members of Six Pack agree, but Cable states that he has to remain behind, and wait for X-Force to return. He asks that if they could even work together as members of the Six Pack anymore. Bridge says they could, if Cable stays clean and remain truthful with them, about everything. Cable sadly informs them that he could not. Bridge exclaims that they can’t work with each other. As the members of the Six Pack reenter the Winnebago, Cable pleads with Kane that he could stay. Kane, however, realizes that he is not Cable’s kid, that things can’t go back to the way they were, and tells him to do right with X-Force. Cable sadly watches them take off into the sky.

Characters Involved: 

Cable

G.W. Bridge, Domino, Garrison Kane, Grizzly, Hammer (all former members of the Six Pack)

Copycat /Vanessa

Sinsear

Story Notes: 

Vanessa impersonated Domino for a year, while she was a member of X-Force. Cable helped Domino escape in X-Force #15, Domino then tracked down Grizzly, Hammer and then saved Vanessa from Deadpool in subsequent issues of X-Force.

X-Force abandoned their Adirondack Mountain base when it was attacked by Weapon PRIME in X-Force #13 and 14. They settled down in Warpath’s reservation Camp Verde in issue #15.

G.W. Bridge encountered X-Force on Graymalkin, and watched it self-destruct in X-Force #21-22.

Cable shaves off his goatee this issue, a remnant from his initial possession by Stryfe.

The reason Cable cannot locate Graymalkin, and why the Professor suddenly went off-line, is because it was taken over by Magneto in X-Force #24, and the remains of the base were reconstructed into Magneto’s new station Avalon.

Vanessa pops back up in the first Deadpool limited series, along with Garrison Kane on their continuing quest for the Tolliver Will.

Issue Information: 
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