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Nathan Summers
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Nathan Summers

709 appearances Β· Copper/Modern Age Β· 1989–2026 Β· 21 key issues
Who is Nathan Summers?

The infant son of Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor, Nathan Summers was infected with a lethal techno-organic virus and sent into the far future to survive. He grew up as a hardened soldier across war-torn timelines, returning to the present as the adult warrior Cable.

Few Marvel characters have carved out a legacy as sprawling and consequential as Nathan Summers, who burst onto the scene in The New Mutants #73 in 1989, courtesy of Louise Simonson and Bret Blevins. A titan of the Copper/Modern Age, he went on to headline his own long-running series and became a cornerstone of X-Force and the broader X-Men universe, sharing countless adventures alongside legends like Wolverine, Cyclops, and Ororo Munroe across 619 catalog appearances. With 21 recognized key issues to his name and a publishing history stretching from 1989 all the way to 2026, Nathan Summers is the rare character who defined an era and never stopped mattering β€” a must-know figure for any serious Marvel collector.

Identity

Real name. Nathan Christopher Charles Summers

Powers. Powerful telepathy and telekinesis; uses TK to hold back a techno-organic virus infection. Time travel. Skilled soldier, marksman, and tactician.

Teams & affiliations
X-MenX-Force
β˜… First appearance
The Uncanny X-Men #201
Jan 1986

Trivia

  • Cable's true identity as Nathan Summers stands as one of Marvel's most rewarding legacy mystery payoffs, with the thread weaving through The New Mutants and into later X-Men events rather than being handed to readers upfront.marvel.com
  • What quietly drives much of Cable's storytelling is a detail baked into Marvel's own continuity β€” a techno-organic virus he must constantly suppress using his telekinesis, a behind-the-scenes consequence that shaped countless stories built around him.marvel.com
  • Fabian Nicieza has written more of Nathan Summers's comics than any other writer in our catalog β€” 99 issues.

Top series

Covers through the years β€” 1989–2024

The New Mutants #73 β˜… 1989
The New Mutants #73
Marvel Age #116 1992
Marvel Age #116
The Uncanny X-Men #321 1995
The Uncanny X-Men #321
X-Men #-1 1997
X-Men #-1
X-51 #12 2000
X-51 #12
Soldier X #6 2003
Soldier X #6
X-Men Unlimited #11 2005
X-Men Unlimited #11
Cable #1 β˜… 2008
Cable #1
Avengers vs. X-Men: It's Coming #[nn] β˜… 2012
Avengers vs. X-Men: It's Coming #[nn]
Marvel Now! Omnibus #[nn] β˜… 2013
Marvel Now! Omnibus #[nn]
Uncanny Avengers #4 2016
Uncanny Avengers #4
Season's Beatings #1 2019
Season's Beatings #1
X-Men #24 β˜… 2023
X-Men #24
X-Men #34 2024
X-Men #34

Appearances (1–150 of 709, oldest first)

SpΓ©cial Strange (1975)
#54
The New Mutants (1983)
The New Mutants Annual (1984)
X-Men Annual (1970)
X-Factor Annual (1986)
Marvel Holiday Special (1991)
#1
Marvel Illustrated: Swimsuit Issue (1991)
#1
The New Warriors Annual (1991)
#1
Comics Scene Spectacular (1989)
#4
Wolverine (1988)
Marvel Age (1983)
The Impossible Man Summer Vacation Spectacular (1990)
#2
Marvel Comics Presents (1988)
Spider-Man (1990)
#16
Quasar (1989)
#28
X-Force Annual (1992)
#1
Marvel Annual Report (1991)
Comics Scene (1987)
X-Factor (1986)
Marvel Swimsuit Special (1992)
Wizard: The Comics Magazine (1991)
#10
Cable and the New Mutants (1992)
Ghost Rider and Cable: Servants of the Dead (1992)
#1
Captain America (1968)
Cable - Blood and Metal (1992)
X-Force and Spider-Man: Sabotage (1992)
M.A.X. Yearbook (1993)
#1
Stryfe's Strike File (1993)
#1
X-Men Collector's Edition [Pizza Hut] (1993)
#1
Darker Image (1993)
#1
Daredevil (1964)
X-Men Unlimited (1993)
#1
X-Men Adventures (1992)
The Uncanny X-Men Annual (1992)
Excalibur (1988)
#71
Cable (1994)
X-Men Ashcan Edition (1994)
X-Men Ashcan (1994)
The New Warriors (1990)
#46
X-Cutioner's Song (1994)
The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix (1994)
Mangazine (1989)
#34
Beavis & Butt-Head (1994)
#9
Marvels: Portraits (1995)
#4
X-Force and Cable '95 (1995)
#1
Christian: Special Edition (1996)
#1
Askani Son (1996)
Storm (1996)
#1
Extreme Previews '96 (1996)
#1
X-Man (1995)
Youngblood / X-Force (1996)
#1
X-Force / Youngblood (1996)
#1
Cable / X-Force '96 (1996)
Marvel Holiday Special 1996 (1996)