Hey there Comic Attackers! If you’re like me you can never get enough of the X-Men. Yet, there are so many mutants out there that they’ve become incredibly hard to keep track of, let alone stay up to date on what their current power levels are. That’s why I have taken up the task to power rank all of the active X-Men post Messiah Complex from the very least to the top beast! There are 75 mutants in all to rank and today we give the spotlight entirely to mutant #4!
So what are power rankings? Mostly used to rank sports teams on how well they are playing now, my power rankings are a list of X-Men based on what their power set is in current continuity (or most recent appearance). Other factors that determined a character’s ranking are: what their power potential is, what they’ve already proven they can do (so long as it is still relevant in current continuity), and their over all level of badassness. If you disagree with me that’s totally cool- please feel free to call me out and explain what your reasoning is. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me, and while I believe this list to be very solid in it’s numbering, I’m interested to hear what you have to say!
#4. Cable: I can imagine a lot of you out there are scratching your heads with this one. You’re probably thinking, “Didn’t Cable lose his powers? So how in the hell can he rank in at #4 of these power rankings?” That’s a great question, and here’s the answer: Cable was THE MAN assigned the job of protecting the Messiah Child, the last hope for mutant kind- the little girl fittingly named Hope. Not Wolverine, not Storm or even Cyclops- Cable. And to date he has done his job pretty damn well where lesser men would have failed by now. For these reasons, he makes the Top 5 of our rankings. Sure, he may have a techno-organic virus that is slowly killing him, lost most of his TK powers (or has he?), and for awhile couldn’t travel back in the time stream due to his equipment being busted, but apparently, right before the virus kills Cable, it makes him invincible. In current continuity he’s at that point right now and the Second Coming is on the horizon…so perfect timing right?
Powers: In Cable #10, Nathan Summers (that’s Cable’s real name F.Y.I.) states that his powers have faded to nothing since brawling with the Silver Surfer when they were at an all time high. He used to have telepathy and telekinesis (including all of the abilities that accompanied those powers), although in the recent Messiah War, he was able to shield the minds of his teammates, and most importantly Hope, from the mental view of the villainous Stryfe. This was evidence that Nathan still possessed a flicker of his telepathic powers, and he has shown to have a fraction of his telekinetic abilities as well, but is forced to use them on keeping the techno-organic virus in his body at bay. However, given how this virus seems to be spreading, one can only assume that Cable is seriously losing his grip on his mutant abilities. This virus is made up of the bionics and cybernetics that mainly reside in his left side, as his skeletal structure is slowly being replaced by marrow-filled organic metalloid bone replacements, essentially turning him into a machine (and hence the reason why he is losing his powers and becoming more invulnerable). As a result of the techno-organics he has enhanced stamina, speed, agility, strength (with his cybernetic arm), and dexterity. His cybernetic eye allows him to see into the electromagnetic spectrum and visualize psionic energy. Cable can rapidly repair any damaged components within his body and even upgrade his cybernetic parts. He is also a genius, a master technician, and one helluva master combatant. Plus he has a shit ton of big ass guns. I wouldn’t F with him, and neither should you.
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #201, 1986 (as a baby) and New Mutants #87, 1990 (as an adult).
Do you agree or disagree with Cable clocking in at the #4 spot of the Power Rankings? Click here to see all of the previously ranked mutants!
Andy Liegl
andy@comicattack.net
Cable has been overhyped lately man, I’d agree with this position in the rankings back in the mid 90s but not now. The only thing he’s been consistantly doing is passing out while trying to keep Hope safe the past year.
Cable may not be as powerful as he used to be, but dang it all, I’d take him on my side in a fight any day. I can’t disagree too much here Andy, though I’m probably a little biased.
Eli must you disagree with me on everything man?! lol I bet Skaar could take out Cable 😉
I agree about Cable being the man a few years ago but not now. He should still be top ten though…if Monet and Darwin would step aside I guess. lol
Listen, Cable was put in charge of THE MUTANT MESSIAH and he hasn’t let anyone down yet. Have you seen the shit this dude has survived in the current Cable series? And this is all pretty much DEPOWERED. The dude is a tank and not much can stop him.
He spent it dodging mutated cockroaches and passing out every five minutes. Tenacity doesn’t equal power i’m sorry but I don’t see him as being above a few of the guys you put on the list. 10 to 15 yrs ago yeah I see it but not currently. They put him up against a damaged Bishop just so we’d believe that Cable was doing a good job.
I wonder how well he would have done against someone else.
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I hate Cable. I can’t weigh in on his current powers. I try to avoid him at all costs. Sadly, I couldn’t with Messiah CompleX and can’t with the upcoming Second Coming. I was a big Cable and X-Force fan back in the 90’s. I was on that bandwagon. As comics and characters evolved with the times, so did I. Cable didn’t. He is still stuck in Rob Liefeld’s (I don’t like him, either, but he draws a sweet Deadpool!) world of big muscles and bigger guns and Captain America looks like Pamela Anderson.
Cable WAS the man, but not anymore. He hasn’t done anything exciting. He’s only been included in stuff that’s exciting. His solo book before Cable & Deadpool, when he had his own island and it was dubbed a “political thriller”, was stupid and pointless. I hope he dies in Second Coming and stays dead. The Marvel Universe would be better without him.
Maybe I’m just a bitter old man? HA!
@Speech Are we reading the same series here? Yeah, the fact that Cable keeps passing out and is still KICKING ASS and doing what needs to be done is the reason why he ranks so high here. And a damaged Bishop!? Last I checked that metallic arm was an upgrade adding a plethora of deadliness to his arsenal!
@Aron Well you said it: You avoid him at all costs. So of course you wouldn’t be aware of his recent accolades and would think this way!
And of course Cable has big guns: he’s from the future, remember?
: P
when I say “damaged” about Bishop i meant moreso of his mentality not weapons. But a discussion like this would work better on a podcast maybe because I could give you several valid reasons why he should be moved down a little bit if we’re going on POWER rankings here…but it’s too much to type lol
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