Deadpool may be Marvel’s most irreverent superhero and always looking out for his own interests, but Cyclops‘ son Cable is the one ally he respects above all else – even Captain America.
Pop culture is full of “buddy cop” franchises, where two people with very contrasting personalities and approaches team up, usually to fight crime or save the day. In Marvel, there are few duos that hew more closely to the formula than Cable and Deadpool. Cable aka Nathan Summers is a no-nonsense psychic soldier from a dystopian future sent back in time on a mission to stop Apocalypse. Deadpool aka Wade Wilson is an irreverent and stabby mercenary loudmouth whose sanity levels vary between writers, and who has fought against heroes as often as he fought alongside them. Together, they’ve gotten into a number of wacky misadventures (after originally hating each other), from sci-fi romps to black ops missions, most notably in the Cable and Deadpool ongoing series by Fabian Nicieza and a number of artists.
One 2018 issue explains why Deadpool cares about Cable so much, and teams up with him as often as circumstances allow, despite being completely different people. The one-shot X-Men: The Exterminated by Zac Thompson & Lonnie Nadler and Neil Edwards shows readers the aftermath of an event that has left Cable dead at the hands of his younger self (fitting for a time traveler). As Jean Grey and Hope Summers, Cable’s sort-of mom and sort-of daughter, go through Nathan’s many safehouses to gather his belongings, they come across Deadpool. Originally, the pair think he’s stealing from Nathan, but Wade shocks them with his explanation – he’s there to honor his fallen friend, the only one who “always treated me like a human.“
Cable Was The Only One Who Understood Deadpool
The explanation might be unexpected to Jean and Hope, who are accustomed to seeing Wade as a humorous pest, but it speaks to the depth of both characters. Despite all the trauma they’ve both endured, whether it be in a dystopian future or at the hands of Weapon X, they both strive to be better than the circumstances of their origin, and recognize that in each other. Cable is one of the few heroes who has consistently been there for Deadpool, and the mercenary antihero has returned the favor. The comic even lampshades this by saying that they have a pact to tie up the other’s loose ends should one of them die, and that Cable has done that for Deadpool six times already. The previous times that one of them has gone missing or was presumed dead, the other is always shown as shaken and tries to offer assistance. Cable and Deadpool was full of examples of them coming to each other’s aid, including Deadpool raising Nathan for a bit when he was de-aged into a baby.
While everyone else might see a quippy annoyance, Cable was the first to recognize Deadpool as an unexpected kindred spirit: loyal to his friends, willing to fight for a higher cause (even if he needs coaxing sometimes), and determined to overcome the demons of his tragic past. Some others have come to see Deadpool for who he really is, not who he presents himself as, including notably Captain America and Rogue. But the son of Cyclops was the first person to see Wade as a person, not a villain or clown, and that’s why Deadpool will always respect Cable above all others.
