"Arms" or "War Baby" is a comic book arc running through #1-5 of Cable (volume 3). Edit
Creative Team
Writer - Duane Swierczynski
Penciller - Ariel Olivetti
Inker - Ariel Olivetti
Colorer - Ariel Olivetti
Letterer - Joe Caramagna
Editors - Axel Alonso & Will Panzo
- Covers - Ariel Olivetti (standard second printings), Rob Liefeld (#1 variant), David Finch (#2 variant), John Romita Jr (#3 variant), Marko Djurdjevic (#4 variant), Marc Silvestri (#5 variant)
Synopsis
Cable is in the future, and guess what's strapped to his chest: the Baby Mutant. As he quests through the future, he battles a few gang members along the way, and still manages to make time to change the Baby's diaper. As they go to rest, the traitor from Messiah CompleX reveals himself, with some new added features!
As Cable battle his new arch nemesis and a bunch of gang members while having a been shot while having to defend the only hope for mutant kind... Well you get the idea. And as his time device malfunctions, how is he going to get himself out of this mess?
Issue Checklist
Cable #1Cable #2
Cable #3
Cable #4
Cable #5
Associated Issues
Edit
Overview
Cable is back with Baby on Board.
A new ongoing series spinning out of the decade’s biggest X-Men event! The future of mutantkind starts here!
“Messiah CompleX” changed the X-Men forever. But no one’s world has been rocked as hard as Cable, the time-traveling mutant from the future. He’s been charged with the one mission that could save all of mutantkind -- or, if he fails, Spin it swirling into extinction. And hot on his trail is a relentless enemy who won’t stop until blood is spilled. No matter where…or when…Cable runs. Brought to you by the dynamic team of Duane Swierczysnki (MOON KNIGHT ANNUAL) and Ariel Olivetti (PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL).
Don't miss "Cable # 1"
Spoilers
In New Jersey in the year 2043 A.D. Cable stands facing the New York City. He comes across a masked man carrying a gun asking for a toll. He tells him that nothing is free in Jersey. As he makes conversation, he notices two other armed men nearby watching them. He gathers by the amount of weaponry they have that they must be amateurs. He offers his knife as payment, The real intention was to be a distraction. He takes out the first man and tries using him as a shield but gets clipped by a sniper. He takes him out and the third man. He notes that things were too close and checks on the baby he's carrying on his chest. She looks up at him and is doing fine, except she needs a diaper change.
Cable and the baby have been traveling for five months. They've made their way from Scotland to here. He thinks how the baby cries a lot now and how she didn't so much in the beginning. He thinks back to when he liberated her from the hospital and fought against everyone to "save" her. He knows the baby will be the one to save them all someday. Until that day comes, he has vowed to watch over her.
The two of them go out to find something to eat. He covers her up as he approaches an old diner. Inside, someone is wearing a watch with an X symbol on it. The person thinks that the time is approaching and he won't hesitate this time. He pulls out a gun and aims it at the door just as Cable walks in. Cable sees the gun too late. He turns to protect the baby and gets hit. The shot sends him flying through the window. As he lies on the ground, the man that shot him is announces to everyone that his name is Lucas Bishop and he is a cop. Looks like he got himself a new metallic arm, just like Cable.
Overview
A new ongoing series spinning out of the decade’s biggest X-Men event! The future of mutantkind continues here!
There’s only one thing worse than a heavily-armed man with murder on the brain. And that’s several heavily-armed men, none of whom give a damn about Cable’s mission to save mutantkind from total extinction.
Meanwhile, Cable’s newest enemy—Lucas Bishop—crawls back from bloody oblivion and tracks down his quarry the hard way: one brutal time jump after another. When Bishop finally catches up wit Cable, he’s not going to be in the mood for small talk. It’ll be kill first, ask questions later.
Spoilers
Cable tries keeping conscious as Bishop stands over him. The baby hasn't been hit but he got shot in the arm. Bishop descends on them with his gun drawn and Cable kicks him back. Bishops new arm sprouts some tentacles that wrap themselves around Cable's neck. Bishop tells him it's over but Cable pulls out his knife and thrusts it into Bishop's side.
Before things can go further, the local men arrive holding guns at them. They question Bishop's announcement of being a cop since there hasn't been any stupid enough to go there in years. Bishop tells them that this isn't any of their concern and they'll be gone in sixty seconds. Cable decides to use them as a distraction.
A flashback is shown on how Bishop arrived. After his arm was torn off by Predator X, he woke to find an unconscious but flaming Sunfire lying nearby. Bishop presses his bleeding shoulder up against Sunfire to caughterize his wound. He grabs a gun from a knocked out Scalphunter and tries to shoot Cable as he disappears and hits Xavier instead. After he was knocked away, he made his way back to Forge's place in Texas. Forge has some cybernetics that Bishop is able to attach and uses his time machine technology to search for Nathan. He travels to different times: 2019, 2024, 2037, in search of any sign of Cable and the baby. In 2043, he finds an empty milk can and figures it's too much of a coincidence. Talking to a boatman, Bishop finds out that a month ago, a man and baby traveled across the sea. Bishop uses the tech to find out exactly when Cable arrives at the diner and goes back the day before.
The men have their weapons trained on Bishop over their dislike of officers. As Bishop pushes them back with his power, Cable tries to weakly make his escape. Hiding and weak, Cable figures he should time-jump out of there. If he does, he won't know how Bishop found them. He doesn't even know if Bishop is working alone. Cable figures he'll time-jump back a day to try to get information. To his shock, he discovers his time mechanism got broke during the fight. Bishop launches a semi towards Cable's hiding spot...
Overview
Your name is Nathan Summers. You’ve just met a nice Jersey girl. She’s blonde, soft-spoken, and she doesn’t mind the fact that you have a kid…or a bullet in your chest…or a big scary guy with a robot arm that wants to kill you. But you can’t stay here. The future of mutantkind is resting on your shoulders and the longer you stick around, playing house, the bigger the risk. Especially when an old friend comes blasting out of the past...
Spoilers
The issue begins with the lorry falling from the sky at Cable and the Baby, while Cable inner-monologues re-caping about what happened in the past two issues. The truck plunges into the road and destroys the front of the car Cable and the Baby were hiding behind.
Back to Bishop, and he's praying that this is the end. He then throws-up, apparantly because his "Stomach's a wreck from jumping". He tries pulling it together but he's hit on the head with the back of a gun by one of the gang members. The gang members talk about what Bishop did (levitating the lorry), and they realise that he is a mutant, and another member says that there hasn't been a mutant around since he was a kid. The leader realises if he is a mutant, that they'll get a lot of money for him, and they drag him off.
As the gang drag Bishop away, the waitress Bishop met last issue (Sophie Pettis) panics about the two who'd been supposedly crushed. Luckily, Cable's forcefield protected the two (Cable and the Baby), and he stumbles out from underneath the lorry carrying the child. Sophie grabs Cable's arm, trying to help him stand, and she tells him to come with her, she can take them somewhere safe.
He later lies, presumambly sleeping, on the floor of her apartment with the Mutant Baby clutched closely. Sophie tries to touch her but he opens his eyes and tells her no. Sophie tells him he passed out and she didn't mean anything by it. He tells her that nobabdy holds her but him, and she says fine. She then insists on getting him to a doctor because he's hurt so badly. Cable says there's no time for that, and tries to sit up but it causes pain. Sophie says that if she can't get him to a doctor, can she at least clean his wounds?
He asks if she's ever pulled a bullt out of a person, and she says she's held a gun before, and Cable replies saying that's close enough. He reminds her that he's the only one allowed to touch the baby, and she asks if he's going to stay awake through this? He tells her it's the only way to walk her through it.
Back with Bishop, and he's strapped and chained to a wall, and he inner-monologues. He realies that he's in one hell of a mess, and if he'd waited a few more seconds at the scene and he would've known if they were dead. He is being watched by several members of the gang. He also realises that he's followed Cable into a future that is possibly worse than his own, and that he needs to recharge, and there's only one way to do this. He begins to shout at the members, calling one "mullet-head" to begin, and talling him it must be tough patrolling the streets as a "cop" in those "cute little ponchos". The mullet-man tells him to shut up, but Bishop keeps going, asking if the bosses pick the outfits and do they come in pink? The mullet-man pounds him in the face with the gun, telling him to shout up again. Bishop asks another man if his wife loves a man in uniform? And then replying by saying that he probably loves a man in uniform. The all begin to beat him, and in his monologue, Bishop says for them to give him all they've got.
Back with Cable, and his wounds have been covered with bandages, and Sophie tells him that he should get some rest, but he insists that he has to get out of there. In his monologue, he realises that he'll have to go by foot until he fixes his time machine. But Sophie tells him that he has to rest, and he says fine, but only for a minute. He asks her about what happened, while the baby plays with a remote next to him. She tells him that the Turnpike Authority are suppsoed to keep them "safe". She tells him that when the big flood happened, the rich were prepared, and that they'd been stockpiling for years, and that they had secuity to keep others away, especially the hungry. Cable asks about the goverment, but she tells him that the rich became the govermentcalling themselves the "New State Assembly", and now the Turnpike Authority are free to do what they want. Cable asks what they want, and she tells him the usual such as taxes, complience and fear, and in exchange they let them have electricity and water and stuff, most of thetime. She tells him that there isn't much difference to what it wa like before, except now they kill, steak and rape.
As she continues to talk, we see a flashback where a man stands up the Turnpikes, and in return he gets shot in the head in front of his daughter. She tells Cable that there aren't many good men left, except for him.
Back with Bishop, and some fancy dressed men have come to seehim, the man telling him that he knows that he can do something, so why doesn't he show them? Bishop spits blood in his face, but it's whiped off by an accosiate and one of the gang members punches Bishop. Another fancy dressed man explains that they've taken time out to get there, and if he doesn't impress them they'll put bullets in his head. Bishop insults him, and the man gives instructions for the gang to beat him up, which they do. The man talks to him as a gang member strangles him, and after the man finishes, he asks if he's ready to co-operate? Bishop tells him that the man convinced him, and says that he'll show them what he can do, and at that moment a blue aura of energy begins to glow around him.
Back with Cable, and he says that normally he'd beat the crap out of these guys, but at this moment, the baby is his priority. Sophie understands, and says he should stay and rest, but he tells her that he isn't the man for the job. She says that he's a good father, a good man, and good men don't run, and he says that sometimes, running is the only option. She says he doesn't understand, the only reason she has the job as a waitress is because her brother used to be one of them, and that people are starving. The baby suddenly begins to cry. CAble says she needs milk, but Sophie says that you don't feed a baby cow's milk, but luckily she has "vitamin-fortified protein water", something she snuck home from the diner. They introduce themselves to each other (Cable calling himself Nathan not Cable) and he says that he's trying to prevent all of this, but she tells him that he's a bit to late.
Bishop breaks free of his bonds, and using the metal tentcles (see #2) he breaks one of the gang members neck's and grabs his gun and shoots at another. A man tries to hit him from behind, but using his robotic arm he slams him into a wall. He monologues about how none of this future will exist after the baby's gone. He believes he should bandage his wounds, but there's no time for that, not if Cable and the baby are still alive.
Cable and Sophie hear a craft flying overhead, and Cable asks if the Turnpike Authority have any aircrafts? She tells him no, and he hides the baby behind him, but Sophie tells him not to jump to concluions. He pulls a gun out, and as Sophie approaches the window she hears a large noise. Cable, believing it's Bishop, aims his gun for the door, knowing that Bishop is very resourceful. Cable coughs up blood, and drops his gun, and realises that hell has come knocking. Suddenly, the door is blown off it's hinges, and an older Cannonball enters, holding a gigantic gun, saying "Damn, Cable. You look like $@%&."
Overview
The second phase of the war that began in "Messiah Complex" continues! There’s nothing better than catching up with an old war buddy, especially after the years have really started to pile up. You can rummage through the bad old days, revel in the glory days, and down quite a few beers on the back porch while the sun slips down over the horizon. But not so for Cable. Because his
old war buddy has shown up with news that everyone he knows or cares about is dead. The battles are over, and they’re the
only ones left on the losing side. If that weren’t enough, Bishop, their former ally, is just one bullet away from achieving his
objective: killing the baby, and erasing the last shred of hope for mutantkind. All of the battles Cable has won mean nothing. Because suddenly, all of these years later, he’s in real danger of losing the war.
SPOILERS
Cable landed in the mutantless future of 2043 and once there was ambushed by the former X-Man Lucas Bishop, who tracked him through time. Bishop tried to kill the messiah child, in hopes of preventing his horrific future from becoming reality, but fell captive to a band of highwaymen. Injured, and with a malfunctioning time mechanism, Cable sought shelter with a waitress named Sophie. He learned that the highwaymen are agents of the Turnpike Authority, a brutal regime who use fear and violence to control the population. Sophie hopes Cable will help change that, but before either of them can decide on a course of action the house is rocked by a great explosion. The front door flies off its hinges and in walks Cable’s old protйgй – Cannonball.
What happened:
As Cable and Cannonball reunite in Sophie's apartment, Bishop goes back to the fight scene and finds no dead bodies – meaning he's back on the hunt for Cable and the child. He goes to the near diner and attacks the manager, wanting answers for the whereabouts of his targets.
Sam tells Nathan that all mutants are gone but him. They were exterminated in less than three decades; Cable's mission has failed. Meanwhile, Bishop gets his answers and heads to Sophie's place.
Sam says that he used Cerebra to locate Cable. After the last telepath died the remaining mutants managed to work the device. Eventually Sam was left alone and for years watched mutants gone. Then he waited more for Cable's return, until now.
Soon after, a near explosion confirms that Bishop is coming. Cannonball decides to stay and stop Bishop while Cable, Sophie and baby escape. Bishop is surprised to see Sam and don't want to fight him. Sam doesn't share the same sentiments, still angry about Bishop's betrayal in the X-Men years ago. He attacks Bishop and looks like he has the upper hand.
Cable asks Sophie to make a stop. He desperately tries to work his time mechanism and prevent the imminent tragedy. Cannonball gives his best shot and smashes into Bishop, creating a crater. Bishop's cybernetic arm releases a tentacle and goes through Sam's chest. As he's dying, the tentacle holding his bleeding heart, Sam asks Bishop why he's doing this. "To save you", his killer replies and stand over the dead body of the former X-Man. Cable is saddened by his failure to go back in time and eventually decides: No more running.
Not everyone is fond of bathing in boiled oil, so Bishop's attempts to be nice are actually taken the wrong way. At least it gets him the answers he needs.
Someone needs to be changed, and it ain't the baby.
In 2043 Sam Guthrie works in the New Jersey Public Works Dept.
Bishop invented this treatment: Give the heart 2 minutes outside once a day to prevent heart attacks. It was yet to be contradicted.
The war that started in “Messiah CompleX” continues here! Hang on to your Bjorn-straps, people: Here it is, the can’t-miss conclusion to “War Baby”!
Both Cable and Bishop have crossed lines they thought they’d never cross. There’s no going back now. And in the disaster-ravaged streets of a near-future Manhattan, it all comes down to which X-Man wants to accomplish his objective more. The gloves are off…the guns are loaded…and nobody’s going to walk out of this one unscathed…
including the baby!












