Warning: spoilers ahead for Cable #6!
In the latest chapter of Marvel Comics’ X of Swords event, Cable has been chosen to fight as one of Krakoa’s champions in the Tournament of Swords against the contenders from Arakko. Wielding the sword known as the Light of Galador, Cable is having quite a hard time in one of his biggest challenges against the Arakkii champion Bei the Blood Moon in a fight to the death. While Cable doesn’t ultimately die physically, Lady Saturnyne allows him to live due to his fighting spirit having been killed. However, this does give Cyclops the opportunity to love and care for his son, getting the rare chance to actually be a father to one of his various offspring.
In the fight to the death with Bei the Blood Moon, Cable was initially doing pretty well, looking to make his dad proud by defending mutantkind just like the legendarily heroic Scott Summers. After the first few blows and clashes of their swords, Cable gets the upper hand by knocking Bei on her back, which gives Cable the chance to finish the fight and score a point for Krakoa by ending her life. However, Cable hesitates, which is all the time Bei needs to turn the tables and get back up, pinning Cable in the mud beneath her and breaking his arm. However, just before Bei is about to kill Cable, Cypher (Bei’s new Krakoan husband) convinces her to wait. Lady Saturnyne allows Cable to live, seeing that his spirit has died in the place of his actual body.
Hurt, ashamed, and defeated, Cable telepathically calls his parents Jean and Scott in the issue from Getty Duggan and Phil Noto. Cable apologizes to his father, upset that he wasn’t strong enough, and wishing that he had been the older version of Cable, who he believes could have easily handled Bei. This gives Cyclops the chance to shine in a way he rarely does, despite having around ten kids in total across time, space, and alternate realities: Scott gets to care for his son like an actual father.
In this moment, Cyclops is less interested in the state of the Tournament, and is much more worried about his son being in pain (both physically and emotionally). However, before they can talk further, Lady Saturnyne cuts off their telepathic connection, no longer willing to tolerate any spying (Cable had started to warn his parents that Krakoa is losing and that they should prepare for war with Arakko should they lose the contest entirely). Frustrated that they can’t talk to their son, Scott determines to find a way to help Cable along with Jean, unwilling to lose him like he’s lost contact with so many of the Summers diaspora.
As X of Swords continues, it will be interesting to see just how Cyclops and Jean might intervene on behalf of their son, as neither of them were chosen to be champions in the Tournament. If anything, Cable needs some serious encouragement after his devastating loss, and who better to reignite his fighting spirit than the father he adores and admires so much? After developing a habit of meeting his time-tossed kids when they’re already grown, seeing Cyclops actually get to be someone’s dad is a really good color on Scott Summers. Here’s hoping he gets to continue that role as Cable and X of Swords progress.
