Comic readers do not like comic book deaths. They happen too often and have been occurring more frequently lately. A comic book death should be a big deal. A noble sacrifice should be made that catches readers off guard. When the character inevitably returns, it usually cheapens and lessens the impact of the death and the story that told it.
Cable has lived a hard life in his comic book career. He was infected with the techno-organic virus as an infant and had to be whisked away to the future in order to save his life. He grew up in a war-torn era and soon became a hardened soldier. Eventually he realized his destiny was to protect Hope Summers, the mutant messiah. It was believed that she was the answer to the future. Without her, death and destruction would ensue. When evil forces sought to kill her, Cable did everything in his power to protect her, including the sacrifice of his own life.
With the first issue of AVENGERS: X-SANCTION, Cable is back and is targeting the Avengers. The first reaction of many is a question over how he came back from the dead. The manner in which Cable makes his return to the Marvel Universe makes perfect sense but may not end the way some might think it will. There will be some spoilers below so be sure to read the first issue and you can check out our review here.
== TEASER ==It shouldn't be a surprise to see a dead comic book character brought back. Each character is a potential source of revenue for the publishers. Cable has had and starred in many different series. The focus shouldn't be on the fact he died and came back but more so on the stories involving both.
How did Cable come back from the dead? Simple, he was never really dead in the first place. This is something I mentioned back in July. During Second Coming, we just saw an explosion and were left with Cable's metallic arm. There wasn't an actual body. We didn't see what happened on the other side of the time portal. That's where X-SANCTION picks up.
Cable is still alive but naysayers can't start complaining just yet. There wasn't a magical cure. Cable had to give in to the techno-organic virus. That's still a factor here. In other words, Cable isn't out of the woods just yet. He has a limited time to complete his mission before he dies for good (again, for as much as you can actually stay dead in a comic book).
In the far off future, Cable discovers a horrific fate awaits the world. Something went wrong and the Avengers are to blame. He doesn't have long to live. He could try to find a way to help himself but, as always, the mission comes first. Cable has to journey back to the present in order to save everything (why he returns some time after his death instead of moments after hasn't been revealed just yet).
What's worth noting is in the preview images for AVENGERS Vs. X-MEN, Cable wasn't included despite X-SANCTION already having been announced. Cable's death in X-FORCE #28 was intended to be a big sacrifice. It still was...sort of. Because of that, he's still dying. Cable is just too stubborn to simply die just yet. He has one more thing he needs to do. It's a race against the clock and the way Cable returns doesn't lessen his death from before. It's just putting it off for a tiny bit longer.
Will Cable survive X-Sanction? Is his time going to run out at the end of the miniseries? You would think that Cable could travel somewhere in time to find a cure for the techno-organic virus. It makes sense that he would rush off immediately to save Hope. What fate is in store for him after X-Sanction remains to be seen. But we all know, comic book deaths don't last forever.