Warning! Spoilers for Cable #9 below!
Cable is on the hunt for one of his greatest enemies and he’ll do whatever it takes to get the answers he needs. After asking another member of the X-Men, Magik, for help, however, Nathan Summers witnesses a cruel form of torture that’s enough to make anyone cringe.
Recently, Cable was investigating the kidnappings of several mutant babies when he discovered that his nemesis, Stryfe, was behind the disappearances. Stryfe, an evil clone of Cable’s older self, is a menacing threat with Omega-Level Mutant abilities that have been known to outclass even the original’s powers. Given the massive danger the villain poses, Cable has made it a personal mission to track him down and stop him, but after a mission with Domino led to a dead end, he doesn’t know what to do. Not knowing where Stryfe is or what he’s planning, Cable decides that it’s time to turn to some of his fellow Krakoans for help.
Cable #9, written by Gerry Duggan with art by Phil Noto, follows Nathan as he approaches several different mutants for assistance in finding Stryfe. After talking to Emma Frost and even asking Wolverine to try tracking the villain, Cable learns from his half-sister, Rachel, that mutant baby blood used to be used by demons to cast spells. This pushes him to touch base with Magik, since she has plenty of experience with the mystical arts.
After agreeing to help, Magik takes Cable to Limbo, where she’s been torturing an imprisoned demon named N’Astirh for about a century. After Magik tells her underlings to take a break from tormenting the prisoner, Cable steps toward the hellish creature and asks if he knows anything about Stryfe. N’Astirh admits that he doesn’t know who Cable is talking about, but, desperate for his torture to end, he says he’ll give any info necessary to get out. Disheartened and knowing that he’s no closer to his end goal, Cable turns around to leave. Behind him, however, Magik instructs her subjects to commence with the torture. At this, several demons pull out recorders and begin to play a tune, with one singing, “And I would walk 500 miles…” as N’Astirh screams in agony.
It’s pretty hilarious to see the song “I’m Gonna Be” by the Proclaimers used as a tool for torture, but to be fair, most people would probably find it unbearable to listen to that song nonstop. Jason Segel’s Marshall Eriksen may claim that the song “comes around again” after listening to it on repeat in How I Met Your Mother, but even he would probably get sick of it after a whole century. While there may be worse forms of torture out there, Magik definitely deserves some credit for the creativity involved in devising such a sinister punishment. Who knows, maybe if things go well, Cable can bring Stryfe to Limbo for similar treatment. Cable #9 from Marvel Comics is available now in stores and online.
