I've been waiting quite patiently for this issue to release. While it felt like several issues of everything else had managed to come out, in a way it was like this had been put aside and almost forgotten about by Marvel. Arguably it isn't the most engaging character and story, so I'm not entirely surprised that it doesn't have the best marketing nor the same impact as other releases at the moment. Though I have been enjoying the story so far, and it is my introduction to the Cable character in general. This character being a bit more unique compared to the usual ones, especially in comparison to the general X-Men lineup. Cable being a super soldier that contains a deadly virus that is slowly killing him, with a series of body modifications that are keeping him alive even through it does in fact just prolong his suffering. Through this lifestyle Cable only really knows one way of life: the military. But he's still a regular human in that he longs for a more simple lifestyle, one that contains the usual things a person would want: a peaceful life, one full of love, and one void of the usual stress of anxiety. Cable's current life being one that focuses purely on the existential threat. The realisation of death and how it comes for us all, at any moment. And for Cable the concept of death is a big deal. He can't seem to budge it no matter how happy his life appears to be in certain moments.
The previous issues have addressed this quite a bit. Cable is mentally unstable. A man that has nothing to lose, but still fears life and death. And when he finally does discover something (or I should probably say someone) that does give him purpose, his life starts to take a better turn. Though it's with the sudden death of this love of his that he realises he cannot accept a life without them. Going as far as claiming he'll reverse the very course of time itself in order to bring her back. It has been a bit of a slow story so far to get to this point, now at its fourth issue and feeling like it's only really getting to its feet. Though at the same time I can understand that this current story could really go somewhere and test Cable's character now that we've had a strong establishing of his interests but also his fears and weaknesses, especially with how they can be manipulated by those who know a little more about him. I've been quite curious as to where this might head, and I mentioned a moment before that this is the very introduction to Cable as a character, so the exploration of him and seeing how he navigates through the various challenges is something that'll expand that depth a little more for me. With Cable being a bit more niche, I can't help but feel that it pulls me in a little more, feeling that the real gem of a story might be here rather than the other bigger things I have been reading.
This issue starts off with a little bit of backstory, not the usual that takes us back in time to witness various character development and context. Instead, it's really just a summary of the previous issues: how Cable had already traversed through time to stop a killer from genociding millions. The timestream being an odd concept to live with but nothing compared to the virus he had to cope with from day to day. But also the introduction of Avery, the woman that become his love. Having discovered an entire city of people just like him that have the virus. I don't think this summary was really necessary, but I guess it doesn't hurt to have a few panels to bring you up to speed given how long between issues this is. Avery ended up dying during an operation that Cable was meant to be there for her in, not quite living up to his expectations as a soldier, feeling as if he let her down in the most vulnerable moment. With this comes his intent to return back to that moment using the timestream and save her by dishing out significantly more violence in efforts of changing the course of time. Nothing quite out of the ordinary for Cable, though this time it's a more personal situation. Though, there's one thing he doesn't consider through this act: being there and reliving that scenario doesn't promise that he can save her. During battle, there's always another way in which things can go wrong.
This is where Cable ends up going back to that moment over and over again. In desperate attempts to find a way to save her, though it always leading to her getting critically injured. With this comes Cable's decision to give up, realising that even having defeated the enemies, the virus would still win in the end. And thus we skip back a week, where Cable attempts to speak to Avery in a more peaceful setting. Going back 15 years instead to the moment in which Avery managed to obtain the virus, in attempt of changing her course entirely by ensuring she doesn't get it. Though this holds a significant amount of warnings with it, that by trying to change this event, everything could change. From Avery's sister being the target, to Avery dedicated to protecting her and giving up her life. Every potential outcome regardless of the time results in Avery dying. And the one time he manages to save her, it results in the worst outcome for Cable: it results in a timeline in which Avery despises Cable for his actions, for her sister's death and the spreading of a virus, and with this the birth of a villain.
I really liked this story, it pulls you along with the desperation of Cable to try to save the one person he's ever had a true connection with, but instead has led to him creating numerous torturous timelines for Avery. Giving her endless deaths and suffering, even down to the sacrificing of her sister in attempt to save her. Down to being the very one that spread the virus throughout the lands. Cable ending up being the source of his own problems by creating a loop that creates these villains and foes that aim to stop him. I thought this would be a story that goes on for a while, and I half-expected the case to be Cable trying to desperately save Avery while struggling in every scenario, but I definitely didn't expect the final outcome being turning her against him in the process. Though there were numerous warnings that he was playing a dangerous game with time by doing so, and he had chosen to ignore all of the rules he usually lived by. I'm interested in how this changes things though, whether there is a fix to all of this. Or if it just relies on the story already told as we continue to loop through time.