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Cable: Reloaded #1: Review

Aug 2021

Al Ewing, Bob Quinn

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Story Name:

Call in the big gun

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Cable: Reloaded #1 Review by Rob Johnson (August 27, 2021)

This issue is part of the Last Annihilation event.

In the Extermination mini-series a younger version of Cable came back from the future because older Cable had messed up the timeline by allowing the time-displaced young X-Men to stay in the present. Kid Cable killed Old Cable and sent the young X-Men back to their own time.
Kid Cable hung around into the Krakoa era and into his own 2020 series. But recently in #11-12 of that series he persuaded the Krakoans to resurrect Old Cable and then went back to the future. And this is Old Cable's 1st app after that.

The Mk1 weapon Cable refers to was the moon-size gun Retaliator that Breakworld sent against Earth in Astonishing X-Men (2004) #22.

In Guardians Of The Galaxy #17 when Dr Doom and Rocket Raccoon unveiled their plan to stop Dormammu, Rocket also mentioned using a very big gun and a very big bullet. I thought that was an alternative idea that he'd discarded, but it seems he was serious.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Cable: Reloaded #1 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

Cable arrives above Breakworld in stealth-cloaked Graymalkin II. His cybernetic arm is currently a 'shield' version, but his AI Belle warns him that it might not be sufficient for what he intends to do. He dives out of the ship and uses disposable jet boots to accelerate to 10 times terminal velocity, relying on the shield arm to get him down to the surface alive.

Now he remembers his mission briefing as new Security Officer for SWORD's Peak space station (taking over from his younger version Kid Cable). SWORD boss Abigail Brand explains the situation of the Last Annihilation event. Dormammu has invaded this universe (in the shape of his planet-sized head replacing Ego The Living Planet) to take over 5 worlds that will enable him to win it all. (See GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #17 for the immediate effect of that pentagram of planets.) Brand and Nathan Summers are still feeling out the power dynamics of their relationship - they both like to be in control. She introduces Cable to the architect of the plan he's going to be following - Rocket Raccoon. Rocket is surprised when Cable salutes him with respect - it turns out he's a big hero to the future.

Back in the immediate future Cable's shield arm is absorbing the energy of atmospheric friction to boost a field which keeps his body inertialess. If it holds out the landing will be a doddle. Unfortunately it fails in the last seconds but Cable still manages to walk away from the crash. However his arm is wrecked, and he discards it along with its AI Belle. But he generates a holographic replacement with a combat AI Nicky (appearing as a devil). That's not all he's got. A Krakoan seed sprouts instantly into a gateway through which come his hand-picked new team of X-Terminators Boom-Boom, Cannonball, Khora Of The Burning Heart, Lila Cheney and Wiz Kid ...

... just in time to face a skimmer-riding Breakworld security squad who will take the survivors (if any) to fight in the arenas of Powerlord Varrn. (Things have changed a bit since our last visit.) Khora throws a knife through the leader's brain. Cable tells the others not to damage the skimmers while they take the others down. Cannonball rockets into action, Boom-Boom generates and throws concussion bombs. Wiz Kid generates a shield around his hover-chair, and the 2 very big guns which *do* destroy a skimmer. But then he uses his techno-wizardry to convert its remains into a much better version.

They all then fly improved skimmers to City Seven. On the way Lila flirts with Sam Guthrie to remind him of their relationship in his New Mutants/X-Force days, much to the amusement of his fellow X-Forcer Tabitha Smith. But they know that these days he's happily married to Smasher (Izzy Kane) of the Shi'ar Superguardians, with a kid. The city is deserted and Cable now tells them that it's actually an automated factory which contains the weapon they're here to steal.

As a giant robot unfolds itself out of the city he says that this Mk2 is much smaller than the Mk1 which was the size of a moon. It fires missiles at them but Cable gets Khora to share her power with Boom-Boom who then creates a colossal energy ball which Cannonball flies to the robot's head. The team are relieved that Sam's forcefield protected him as he emerges from the shattered head. Wiz Kid then flies his chair inside the robot with Khora in tow. Her power boost enables him to only take 2 seconds to convert the robot into a 'planet-sized super-gun' (somewhat of an exaggeration there).

Lila Cheney then does what she was brought along to do. She teleports them and the gun across the Galaxy to Port Prometheus on Mars. Where Brand and Rocket have used most of Krakoa's store of mysterium to create a giant bullet to go inside the gun. (I'm unsure whether the bullet is made of mysterium or they used it as Galactic currency to pay for it.)

The Last Annihilation event will continue in the LA: WICCAN & HULKLING 1-shot.

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