I Don't Hate Cable, But Let's Be Honest - Marvel Failed So Hard at Giving Cyclops a Son
Nathan Summers aka Cable is the ultimate soldier from the future with immensely powerful telepathic and telekinetic abilities (indeed, he’s even been considered Omega Level in some X-Men stories), as well as cybernetic enhancements - and he’s also the son of Scott Summers aka Cyclops. Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor (the clone of Jean Grey) had a child together, and it’s revealed some time after Cable’s debut that he was that child. Unfortunately, that fact is basically nothing more than a fairly interesting piece of trivia, as being Cyclops’ son does nothing for Cable’s character.
Cable made his Marvel Comics debut in New Mutants #87 by Louise Simonson and Rob Liefeld, and at that point in time, it had not been revealed that he was the son of Scott and Madelyne. At first, Cable was simply a cyborg soldier from the future who came back in time to prevent his post-apocalyptic timeline from ever coming about by stopping the villains responsible in the past - including the likes of Stryfe and Apocalypse.
It wasn’t until some time later (in Cable #6) that it was revealed that Cable was actually Nathan Summers, the infant who was infected with Apocalypse’s techno-organic virus and was subsequently sent to the future, as that was the only way he could be saved from the techno-organic virus killing him. As an adult, raised in a time of war and violence, Cable gained access to his iconic ‘Time-Slide’ ability, at which point he travels to the past to forge a better future - and the rest is history.
Honestly, I’ve always thought Cable was as interesting as he is badass, but the one thing that I never really cared about is the fact that Cable is Cyclops’ son.
Cable’s Character is Not Impacted by the Fact that He’s Cyclops’ Son
Cable Would Be the Same No Matter Who He’s Related To
Do you want to know why I’ve never cared that Cable is Cyclops’ son? Because Marvel never made me care about it. Honestly, Cable is a stoic character who lacks emotional depth, so I never got that tear-jerking ‘father/son’ moment from the two of them. Plus, Cyclops’ mutant power - and even those of his brother, Havok - is one of the most iconic abilities in X-Men canon, and Cable doesn’t have even a version of his dad’s concussive blast. Instead, Cable inherited the powers of his mother, which makes their bond strong, but leaves Cyclops out completely.
Cable's one glowing eye might seem like a manifestation of his Summers DNA, but his glowing eye is actually a visual representation of Cable's telepathic/telekinetic powers.
Obviously, I know the child of a mutant isn’t always going to get the powers of their parents - or even any powers at all - but come on, Marvel should have at least given Cable some kind of concussive-blast power like his dad’s (one that isn’t tied to his telekinetic abilities). Cyclops is an A-list member of the X-Men, and Marvel didn’t use any trace of him when crafting Cable. That, plus the lack of a significant emotional connection between the two of them, makes the outcome of this argument pretty clear to me: Marvel failed at giving Cyclops a son.
The only time I felt a father/son connection between Cable and Cyclops was at the beginning of the Krakoan Era, when Cable was a teenager. But, Cable was a teenager, so he was fundamentally changed in order for that connection to be felt, which only further proves my point.
Not only that, but when you compare Cable to the likes of lesser-known children of Cyclops, like Ruby Summers - who barely has had any time to shine in Marvel Comics - then the lack of a connection with Cyclops becomes even more pronounced. Cable is the same whether or not he’s Scott’s son, as opposed to someone like Ruby, who is defined by that connection. In fact, Marvel Comics even took that connection away at one point in time, and it didn’t detract from Cable’s ‘soldier of the future’ aesthetic in the slightest.
The Original Ultimate Universe Proved Cable Didn’t Need to Be Cyclops’ Son
Ultimate Cable was Actually Wolverine in Earth-1610
In the original Ultimate Universe of Earth-1610, Cable isn’t the son of Cyclops at all. Instead, the Ultimate Universe turned Cable into a future version of Wolverine who lost his healing factor (and his arm) and became a cyborg-soldier in a future ravaged by Apocalypse. And guess what? Cable was still a badass soldier of the future with the same mission as his Earth-616 counterpart, and his lack of a connection with Cyclops didn’t matter at all.
Truth be told, the fact that Cable wasn’t originally created as Cyclops’ son can be felt in every story he’s in, as his persona as the ultimate soldier constantly overshadows his familial connections (with his father, anyway). Cable is basically the living embodiment of the ‘hardcore ‘90s’ aesthetic, and that’s pretty much all he’s ever going to be. Again, I like Cable, I think he’s a cool character and a badass hero, but when it comes to Scott’s side of his story in X-Men canon, Marvel Comics totally failed at giving Cyclops a son.
- Movie(s)
- X-Men (2000), X2, X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), X-Men: First Class (2011), The Wolverine (2013), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Deadpool (2016), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Logan (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dark Phoenix (2019), The New Mutants, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
- First Film
- X-Men (2000)
- TV Show(s)
- X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, X-Men (1992), X-Men: Evolution (2000), Wolverine and the X-Men (2008), Marvel Anime: Wolverine, Marvel Anime: X-Men, Legion (2017), The Gifted (2017), X-Men '97 (2024)
- Character(s)
- Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel, Phoenix, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee, Morph, Nightcrawler, Havok, Banshee, Colossus, Magneto, Psylocke, Juggernaut, Cable, X-23
- Video Game(s)
- X-Men: Children of the Atom (1994), Marvel Super Heroes (1995), X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997), Marvel vs. Capcom (1998), X-Men: Mutant Academy (2000), Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000), X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (2001), X-Men: Next Dimension (2002), Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011), Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011), X-Men Legends (2005), X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse (2005), X2: Wolverine's Revenge (2003), X-Men (1993), X-Men 2: Clone Wars (1995), X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994)
- Comic Release Date
- 213035,212968
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
