Nathan Christopher Summers—the heroic, time-hopping X-Man known as Cable, has had a wide and tumultuous history, from his initial mission to stop the god-like mutant known as Apocalypse to protecting the possible mutant messiah Hope Summers. However, with the death of Hope and the end of the recent Krakoa Age of X-Men comics, what is Cable’s mission now? What will he do now?
As we see in Cable: Love and Chrome—from the creative minds of writer David Pepose, artist Mike Henderson, colorist Arif Prianto, and letterer Joe Sabino—Nathan has kept himself busy with staving off problems with the timestream, possibly to avoid processing his loss. However, when he finds a future city plagued by the very Techno-Organic Virus that his affected him since infancy, how will he contend with the virus—and how will it impact his view of the affliction?
With issue #3 coming out this week, I spoke with David Pepose recently about the conceit of Cable: Love and Chrome, where we find the time-travelling mutant in the miniseries, Cable as “Mad Max with a time machine,” and how Pepose jokes that “Cable is the most X-Men of them all.”
For a character that has such a convoluted, winding publication history, Cable: Love and Chrome is remarkably new reader-friendly, allowing for a good entry point for the uninitiated, while still giving fans something novel and fresh. That’s no surprise from Pepose, though, as making old characters fun and accessible has become his bread and butter.
CABLE: LOVE AND CHROME #1 cover
FreakSugar: Before we get into the series, what is your personal history with Cable?
David Pepose: As an X-Men fan in the ‘90s, I got to experience Cable at the height of his popularity, starting with Fabian Nicieza and Greg Capullo’s Fatal Attractions-era tenure on X-Force, as well as the seminal Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix, which fleshed out Nathan’s childhood in the future as he’s being raised by Jean and Scott (or “Redd” and “Slym” if you’re a real one).
FS: Where do we find Cable in Cable: Love and Chrome?
DP: After losing his daughter Hope Summers during the fall of Krakoa, Cable’s been stopping paradoxes and anachronisms from popping up across the timestream, barely slowing down to process his loss. But after a mission in the future goes sideways, Cable finds himself in the dystopian city of Salvation Bay, where he discovers that the Techno-Organic Virus — a terminal condition that Nathan’s only held back by telekinesis and sheer force of will — has become an ongoing concern amongst the infected and oppressed populace. That shared condition has Cable crossing paths with Commander Avery Ryder, who has a very different outlook on the Virus — and who change Cable’s life in a major way.
CABLE: LOVE AND CHROME #2 cover
FS: Nathan has a long and involved history. What is your approach to working on the character?
DP: The X-Men as a franchise has developed such a wide, sprawling, and sometimes even convoluted continuity, and I always joke that Cable is the most X-Men of them all. (Laughs) For me, it’s been about how do you streamline and focus on the continuity elements that feel the most accessible and evoke the biggest emotional response — namely, highlighting his background as a time-traveler and explaining the impact the Techno-Organic Virus has had upon his life. Beyond that, it’s been about always remembering that Cable is a character that’s defined by his larger-than-life persona — he’s Mad Max with a time machine, so I’m always trying to find ways to put him in action-packed situations worthy of his stature.
FS: What has been your favorite part of writing Love and Chrome?
DP: Seeing how far Cable will go for the people he loves. He’s a very powerful character, but this book is going to push him to his absolute limits — and seeing the places Cable will go in his desperation really go a long way towards raising the emotions and the stakes, and reminding readers how he’s a well-intentioned but sometimes very flawed hero.
FS: Is there anything you can tease about what to expect later in the book?
DP: I pitched this series as Edge of Tomorrow meets The Fault In Our Stars, so expect a lot of time-travel and a lot of tragedy. And of course, as a Cable story, expect a lot of big guns, big action, and big attitude!
Cable: Love and Chrome #3 is on sale this Wednesday, March 19, 2025, from Marvel Comics.
From the official issue description:
HAS CABLE’S TIME FINALLY RUN OUT?! In the slums of Salvation Bay, a hero fights for their life as the Techno-Organic virus has claimed its latest victim. Cable and Resistance leader Avery Ryder had found comfort in each other’s arms as they faced the virus together – but is that same bond strong enough to cheat death itself? And even if Cable and Avery manage to survive their shared affliction, will they be able to pull off a suicide mission in the heart of the corrupt Prime Conclave’s headquarters? Only one thing’s for certain – when the dust settles on this pulse-pounding issue, the fallout will shake this sci-fi love story to its very foundations!