That is an old (2007) interview with credited Cable creator Rob Liefeld. I say "credited" because Liefeld is known for creating Cable but IMO Fabian Nicieza made Cable who he is. In the interview Liefeld reveals the following:
SGS: It's been requested that I ask you to come clean on the creation of Cable. Apparently, there's different versions. This controversy results from the fact that Louise Simonson and Bob Harras have different versions. Also, is there a definitive story about what the character called Cable was originally intended to be?
RL: In all honesty, I don't believe that if we all sat in the same room together that there would be discrepancies, especially between Bob and myself. I was given a directive to create a new leader for the New Mutants. There was no name, no description besides a "man of action" the opposite of Xavier. I created the look, the name, much of the history of the character. After I named him Cable, Bob suggested Quinn and Louise had Commander X. I stood my ground and 17 years later, he remains a prominent part of X-lore. There's nothing more to it. Anything else happened away from me. He looks like the way I designed him, which was for Marvel, very unique for its time. No one disputes that I named him. Again, it's just grist for the detractor mill, nothing more.
So there you have it. There really was no rhyme or reason to Cable's name. Of course, that can be said for most of the things Liefeld has hacked out. I believe at some point a later writer tried to say that he called himself Cable to be a living link to the past and the future, but that's more than a little hokey. Still, Commander X? I shudder to think....
@joshmightbe: Which, contrary to popular belief is actually his right eye and not his left. The scars around his right eye shows where the techno-virus entered his body then proceeded to spread across to the left side. Cable's power actually manifests itself through his left eye (same as X-Man) just like Jean's manifest throught her forehead. His left eye was constantly glowing because Cable was constantly using his power to stave off the spread of the techno-virus.
@joshmightbe: Which, contrary to popular belief is actually his right eye and not his left. The scars around his right eye shows where the techno-virus entered his body then proceeded to spread across to the left side. Cable's power actually manifests itself through his left eye (same as X-Man) just like Jean's manifest throught her forehead. His left eye was constantly glowing because Cable was constantly using his power to stave off the spread of the techno-virus.
What Avenging-X-Bolt said. He's the cable connecting between the past (ie the present day) and the future in which the Clan Askani fight to destroy Apocalypse.
Pretty tenuous attempt for the writers to justify a typical 90's codename, but they did the best with what was there.
A "Cable" is something that combines the best qualities of a "Rope" (Organic) with those of a "Chain" (Metallic). That's why he was called Cable. It alludes to his innate Techno-organic lifeform-ness. At least that's what I thought way back in the day. (And I thought it was really cool). I dunno if Liefield came up with the techno-organic aspect of the story. Far as I remember, all he did was draw a really old Rambo in 90's armour.
@joshmightbe: Which, contrary to popular belief is actually his right eye and not his left. The scars around his right eye shows where the techno-virus entered his body then proceeded to spread across to the left side. Cable's power actually manifests itself through his left eye (same as X-Man) just like Jean's manifest throught her forehead. His left eye was constantly glowing because Cable was constantly using his power to stave off the spread of the techno-virus.
The scars are Askani clan markings.
@mardienekes: At the risk of being being stubborn, I have to disagree. I advise you go back and look at X-Factor #68 as well as the Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix mini-series. In X-Factor #68, you see where on Nathan's body the techno-virus spread; this was prior to him being sent into the future. In The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix, you will see Nathan as a boy with the same scars.
Now i'm confused. I'm sticking with that he coined it himself because he thought the other boys in the battlefield would think it made him sound tough or something, only because I only see him doing something like that amidst chewing on live grenades and poking himself in the finger with a rusty sewing needle. Understandable of course, one needs to farm an image when going up against the likes of Thumbelina.
@CATPANEXE: That's entirely possible. @xerox_kitty: I know. His codename actually has nothing to do with anything, really. Just uber-cool hard-ass-ness. He's one of those characters on whom much sense has been imposed retroactively. I just thought it linked to the half flesh-half metal thing. Seemed to make more sense than "Connecting the future with the past...". Why would the future be connected to the past with a cable? @jordama: thanks, dude. Also, people in general, please stop making jokes about TV / Pay-per-view. It's all been done. (Woo-hoo-hoo...)
@jayso4201: I know this is old but I believe that cables name has a connection with the askani beliefs with time travel cable was born in the present but grew up and lived in the future but returned to the present he is a cable or connection from one time to another and his eye is a representation of the Phoenix force also his real name Nathan day spring is because he was born on the first day of spring.
The name was explained it... Cable meant the connection between the past present and future. He is the cord/plug/cable that connects him to the events.
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