marvel superhero time travel

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The Strongest Time-Traveling Superheroes, Ranked

The realm of time-traveling superheroes presents a captivating fusion of power and potential. These heroes can travel through history with incredible ease, altering timelines to prevent catastrophes, A diverse group of characters like Flash, Doctor Strange, and Cable showcase their talents in this riveting subject matter.

The domain of time travel characters includes many opportunities for excitement and suspense. Their exceptional skills that set them apart from other superheroes stem from their ability to master one of the most enigmatic aspects of existence - time itself. These awe-inspiring individuals harness their powers to navigate past, present, and future, accomplishing exploits that defy conventional norms. Hold on tight as you embark on a rollercoaster ride through space and time with these personalities.

Flash's astonishing speed enables him to breach temporal boundaries at will; Doctor Strange employs his mystical arts prowess to manipulate reality and traverse dimensions; while Cable boasts telepathic abilities and an advanced understanding of futuristic tech. These beings utilize their strengths for good deeds while safeguarding humanity. These heroes represent just a fragment of what makes this specific genre alluring.

The stories of these characters show how far comics have come in terms of creativity and depth. It's apparent that fans will never lose their appetite for narratives pushing boundaries and expanding imaginations.

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Doctor Manhattan

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Franklin Richards

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Iris West Allen

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Ranking comic book characters by their powers, strength, physical traits, affiliations, and other features, like how just goshdarn super they are.

The Untold Truth Of Time Travel In Marvel

Ever since Doctor Doom forced the Fantastic Four to go back in time in order to retrieve Blackbeard's treasure in " Fantastic Four" #5 (1962) , time travel has been an increasingly convoluted story trope in the Marvel Universe. There have been time-traveling villains like Kang the Conqueror and Zarrko the Tomorrow Man who keep returning to the past in order to rule it, but heroes have engaged in their own shenanigans: Doctor Strange's use of time travel through magic, for example, set the precedent for him getting the Time Stone as part of the Eye of Agamotto in the MCU . Time travel stories have gotten stacked on top of other time travel stories. People have come back to the present to prevent apocalyptic futures, but that trick never works.

Stories that try to explain how time travel works in the Marvel Universe tend to only make things more complicated, especially when they're repeatedly retconned. Characters like Immortus, the Time Keepers, and the Time Variance Authority have tried to establish some rules, with generally mixed results. Of course, time travel can get pretty confusing even under the best of circumstances, but the details are even hazier in the Marvel Universe, where  there are no time paradoxes — instead, whenever someone attempts to go back or forward in time, they pop into Limbo and create a divergent reality. These alternate realities make up the multiverse and make everything extra confusing. With all that in mind, let's unravel a few of the more interesting stories regarding time travel in the Marvel Universe. 

The Time Variance Authority: bureaucracy in inaction

The Time Variance Authority was introduced in "Thor" #371 as a time agency that sent freelance operative Justice Peace to stop an immortal killer named Zaniac . The members of the Authority were later revealed to be a group of cloned bureaucrats living in the Null-Time Zone, filling out forms in triplicate and making sure no one broke any temporal rules. One middle manger, the wonderfully named Mobius T. Mobius, arrested the Fantastic Four for time infractions, but Reed Richards escaped and took the file on his reality with him as he scampered off. 

When one of his supervisors realized that the file was missing , Mobius tried to find Richards; failing, he kidnapped the rest of the Fantastic Four, including their new recruit Ant-Man. The whole mess was resolved when the FF convinced Mobius to look for another job, he went for a job interview with Kang the Conqueror, and an offer was made. The TVA then counter-offered, making Mobius a happy man and keeping the FF's reality safe.

Speaking of reality, a desperate TVA once employed the Watcher to fix the problem of Immortus manipulating the nexus beings of various realities so he could become the undisputed master of time. The Watcher suggested altering Immortus so he would be incapable of harnessing as much energy as he did, and disaster was averted. The TVA took credit for everything, of course. 

The Time Keepers are in it for themselves

Much like Schrödinger's cat, the Time Keepers existed in a constant state where they were either the time-pruning Time Keepers or else the reality-devouring Time Twisters. In either case, they weren't very nice. They were meant to be a gift of a future universe by He Who Remains,  the final director of the Time Variance Authority . Instead, the Time Twisters devoured entire realities, killing trillions in each timeline. Understandably annoyed by all this, Thor convinced He Who Remains to undo their creation , but instead he simply changed their genetic makeup, turning them into the Time Keepers instead. 

The Time Twisters managed to reemerge, manipulating Immortus into collecting nexus energy for their own purposes. When this plot was foiled by the Watcher, the Time Keepers made sure the Time Twisters wouldn't emerge again.

However, the Time Keepers' mission was to make sure that humanity didn't become a harmful force. They saw the Avengers as the key to achieving this goal, and tried to make them get rid of their servant the Space Phantom  and deal with the Scarlet Witch before she became too powerful. They used Immortus as their servant too, but he often helped the Avengers. 

Eventually, the Destiny War between Kang and Immortus revealed the Time Keepers were less interested in preserving the multiverse than they were in preserving their own survival. At the end of time, Kang  finally managed to kill them , assuring his own freedom as well as Immortus'. 

The time pest: Zarrko the Tomorrow Man

Dr. Artur Zarrko, otherwise known as the Tomorrow Man, is a scientist from the 23rd century. Like many mad scientists from peaceful eras, he was bored and wanted to collect weapons from the past for conquest, so naturally he came to the 20th century and stole a nuclear weapon — making himself one of Thor's first villains . Zarrko was never quite as ambitious or competent as Kang the Conqueror. He wasn't much of a hand-to-hand fighter either, preferring to use his robot friends, like the Servitor, to carry out his bidding. 

When Zarrko stole the weapon, Odin helped out his son by giving Mjolnir time-traveling abilities, as if Thor wasn't tough enough already. Thor went to the 23rd century and got the weapon back, giving Zarrko amnesia in the process. Loki, in turn, helped out Zarrko and brought him back to fight Thor, but Thor beat him again, even with many of his powers taken away.

When Zarrko and Kang were competing over the 20th century, Kang manipulated the Avengers, Spider-Man, and the Inhumans into defeating Zarrko for him , leaving behind an empty suit. 

In yet another story that never happened, Lord Thor of a potential future who ruled Earth with an iron fist realized his error. Zarrko helped him figure out where it all went wrong and they corrected the error. Of course, this type of story is a good example of a frequent contradiction in Marvel: did Lord Thor's reality became a divergent one, or did it disappear altogether?

The granddaddy of time travel: Dr. Doom's time platform

You have to hand it to Victor Von Doom: he unleashed a crazy time-travel scheme on the Fantastic Four in his very first appearance , inventing a platform that made them disappear into a past era to steal Blackbeard's treasure chest. In a wacky series of events, Ben Grimm actually became Blackbeard and Reed Richards cheated Doom by bringing the chest back, but not its treasure.

This was the first of many times the platform became a crucial component of a Marvel Comics story. For example, the Fantastic Four used it again and met another time-traveler, Rama-Tut, in ancient Egypt . They wouldn't be the last ones to visit that era, either: Captain America asked the Avengers to accompany him back to the past to make sure his best friend and fellow soldier Bucky Barnes really died during World War II; as you may have already guessed, all sorts of weird things happened, like the Avengers materializing when they were supposed to be phantom observers. Immortus was involved, of course. 

Years later, Cable and SHIELD's George Washington Bridge argued over the time platform after Doom disappeared and they wound up in World War II-era Latveria. Cable destroyed it, but death is always temporary in the comics, even for time platforms, and it was eventually rebuilt. Many centuries later, Kang found it. 

The many faces of Kang the Conqueror

You can't talk about time travel in the Marvel Universe without talking about Nathaniel Richards, who's had a number of time-spanning identities. The descendant (or something — probably) of Reed Richards' father, who had the same name, he was born in the 30th century. Intervention from his future self, aka Kang, influenced Nathaniel into becoming Iron Lad and forming the Young Avengers . He fell in love with Cassie Lang, daughter of Ant-Man, but eventually realized he had to go back to his era . Still a teen, he became Kid Immortus after Cassie died, trying to merge with Doctor Doom and Annihilus to destroy the Fantastic Four . 

Richards discovered Doom's time platform, using it to become Rama-Tut and conquer ancient Egypt. After the Fantastic Four defeated him, he fled and encountered Doom. This encounter influenced this potential descendant of Doom (it's complicated) to adopt a new, armored persona: the Scarlet Centurion . The Centurion altered time such that he controlled the original Avengers, but a newer lineup defeated him and sent him to the 41st century.

That's where he'd become Kang the Conqueror, mastering that world before turning his attention to other planets and timelines. Eventually, Kang got bored with conquest. He went back to Egypt for a while as an older Rama-Tut , then decided to become Immortus, master of time in Limbo. Confused? Don't worry — even Nathaniel probably has a hard time keeping track of it all.

Tony and Vic's excellent Arthurian adventures

When an unscrupulous Stark Industries employee sold electronics components to Doctor Doom, a furious Tony Stark intervened and called off the sale. That led to Doom stealing the components anyway — and Iron Man confronting him. However, in a plot twist, a disgruntled underling of Doom's sent both of them back into the past using the good ol' time platform  – and promptly wrecked it. 

Where did they go? Camelot . Doom was trying to get there in order to get mystical training from Morgana Le Fey, the powerful sorceress and enemy of King Arthur. Iron Man allied himself with Arthur. Doom headed up Le Fey's army of the dead, but when Iron Man realized that Le Fey was responsible for this invincible army, he confronted her directly, and Doom and Iron Man had to work together in order to construct a crude time machine. They left with a grudging respect for each other's genius.

Years later, Stark and Doom both received half of a mystical artifact . When Doom stole Stark's half, he realized too late that it was waiting for both of them to be together. It was a time machine, powered by magic. Where did they go? Camelot  – this time in the far-flung year of 2093. With Arthur reincarnated as a pre-teen, Doom and Iron Man were forced to team up against Stark's descendant Andros and a 100-year-old Doom. When they returned to the present, they forgot everything.

The gloriously convoluted Lost In Space-Time

The various versions of Doom's time platform really get around. The villain Dominus lured the West Coast Avengers into a trap :  Stranded in 1876 , they helped the Marvel western heroes fight a bunch of their villains. Wonder Man reasoned that if they could find a way to ancient Egypt, they could use Rama-Tut's time machine to get back to the future. They stopped in 1776 to test it and nearly ran into Doctor Strange. While they were there, they ran into an ancestor of their teammate Firebird, and Hawkeye left a note in the family Bible, hoping it would be seen in the future. 

When they finally got to Egypt, they were nearly killed by Rama-Tut but were saved by the Egyptian moon god Khonshu . In return for his help, they would fight Rama Tut. The Avengers almost ran into a different time-traveling version of Strange as well as the Fantastic Four while trying to get to Rama Tut's time machine, but they missed out on every opportunity to get back. They managed to secretly save both Strange and the FF so they could return to the present. 

In the present, Khonshu sent his subject, Moon Knight, to tell the West Coast Avengers to look at Firebird's note. While it seemed incredible, they grabbed and repaired Dominus' time machine, went back in time, and rescued their teammates. Whew!

Days of Future Past kicks off a lot of confusion

The "Days Of Future Past" storyline that began in " Uncanny X-Men" #141 inspired a movie and multiple sequels in the comics. It essentially opened the Pandora's box of convoluted mutant time travel drama. In the then-future of 2013, an adult Kitty Pryde has her mind projected back into her 13-year-old self. She tells the X-Men that in the future, the world is a hellish place ruled by the Sentinels, who are hunting mutants. She traveled back to prevent the assassination of Senator Robert Kelly and Professor X and avert that future, and it worked — although the future X-Men were also on a last-ditch mission that utterly failed as they died.

The story continued when one of the mutants from the future, a psychic red-headed girl named Rachel, came back to the past and was revealed to be the daughter of Cyclops and Jean Grey. She helped defeat a time-traveling villain named Ahab in the " Days Of Future Present " story. In an issue of Excalibur titled " Days Of Future Tense ," the deaths of the original team from 2013 are detailed: On a mission to track down their missing member Douglock, they discovered to their horror that he had been captured by the government and turned into a living computer who killed them all. 

Avengers and X-Men Forever and ever

The idea of using villains plucked from different eras is one that's resurfaced in Marvel, starting with Kang's Legion of the Unliving . He plucked Baron Heinrich Zemo, Wonder Man, Midnight, and others right before their deaths and made them serve him. So why not a team of heroes from a variety of timelines? In the "Avengers Forever" miniseries, Kang was trying to resist his seemingly-inevitable transformation into Immortus. His allies were Avengers from across time: the modern-day Goliath and Wasp, Songbird and Captain Marvel from the future, a delusional Yellowjacket, a dejected Captain America from the Watergate era, and Hawkeye from when he was more of a loose cannon. That group was just unpredictable enough to thwart Immortus' plans.

The only team that's encountered time travel more than the Avengers was the X-Men. In "X-Men Forever," a being named Prosh with time-travel capabilities collected Jean Grey, Iceman, the Toad, Mystique, and the Juggernaut and sent them to alter key events in mutant history, ranging from the assassination of Graydon Creed to Toad's own mental breakdown. All of this knowledge helped them defeat the Stranger, a being who'd been manipulating the mutants for years.

Age of Ultron: everything gets worse

The idea of the Time Variance Authority might be silly ... but they have a point. Changing the timeline too many times and creating divergent realities can tear apart a fragile chronal ecosystem. Case in point:  Age of Ultron . After messing around in outer space, Ultron disguised himself as a Spaceknight and made his way back to Earth, where a group of villains accidentally activated him . 

Ultron attacked Earth from the future, using the Vision as his conduit point. He overwhelmed the planet with Ultron Sentinels, killing most of the world's superheroes . The world's remaining heroes tracked down Nick Fury, who had Doom's time platform, in order to attack Ultron in the future. Meanwhile, Wolverine had another idea:  kill Hank Pym, the creator of Ultron , before he could make him.

Logan and Sue Storm went back to the past and Wolverine killed Pym  — but when they returned to the future, they found they'd created an alternate future where the world teetered on the edge of its own apocalypse thanks to Morgan Le Fey . Wolverine went back again, to prevent himself from killing Pym , and gave him the idea of creating a backdoor virus in Ultron. It worked, and Ultron was destroyed — but it also broke the timeline , bringing characters like Angela and Miles Morales to the main Marvel Universe.

Doctor Strange has always been a time traveler

When Doctor Strange became Sorcerer Supreme, he took a number of jaunts down time travel lane. The first came when he and Baron Mordo were chasing the 40th sorcerer, Sise-Neg, through time . At each stop, Strange saw Sise-Neg do something important, like destroying the Biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah or banishing the monstrous Shuma-Gorath to another dimension (at Strange's behest). Strange himself saved Sir Lancelot, ensuring his survival in Camelot. When Sise-Neg reached the dawn of time, he realized that his role was to make things happen exactly as they had, and Strange got to watch the universe's birth .

Later, Strange and Clea visited Sir Francis Bacon in 1618 and Benjamin Franklin in 1776. While Strange was off hunting a sorcerer named Stygyro, ol' wily Ben seduced Clea — although in the next issue, a new writer revealed that Stygyro was pretending to be Ben Franklin . 

Years later, Mordo and Strange renewed their hostilities when he brought Strange to 1943 . Teaming with Nick Fury, Strange foiled a ceremony to bring Dormammu to Earth with a love spell, sending Mordo adrift in time . 

Vance Astro: man out of time

What's the easiest but most tedious way to travel to the future? Cryogenically freezing your body, of course. This is what Major Vance Astro did, as this astronaut went on a thousand-year journey to a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri in cold storage. In a cruel trick, faster-than-light travel had already been invented centuries before his arrival, so people were waiting for him when he arrived. But it wasn't all bad: Vance was now a man out of time, but he found that latent mutant telekinetic powers had emerged during his voyage.

Good thing too, because he learned that the alien Badoon had conquered Earth. Teaming with the last survivors of Earth's colonies, he joined the Guardians of the Galaxy. Because there always seemed to be a duplicate of Doc Doom's time platform laying around, the Earth resistance brought Captain America and the Thing to the future by accident. Cap inspired a rebellion and the Guardians joined in, with Vance taking special pleasure in meeting Cap. 

Later, the Guardians traveled to the 20th century to fight the cosmic menace of Korvac. Vance didn't dare travel to Earth, for fear of meeting his younger self and causing some sort of time anomaly, but he couldn't resist trying to talk his teenage self out of becoming an astronaut and accidentally unleashed young Vance's powers. This created a divergent reality where young Vance grew up to be Justice, while older Vance returned happily to the 30th century.

The Black Knights: men out of time

If you don't have a time machine handy, magic can move your soul through time in order to take over another body. Case in point: the various incarnations of the Black Knight. The original, Sir Percy of Scandia, pretended to be a cowardly dandy to disguise his secret identity as the Black Knight, one of King Arthur's most loyal men. Sir Percy found his spirit thrust forward in time a few times. That included possessing his heroic descendant Dane Whitman's body and meeting the super-hero team Excalibur, as well as being forced into another body by his enemy Morgan Le Fey, which landed him in an insane asylum . 

Dane Whitman's career as the new Black Knight was cut short when the Enchantress turned him to stone and magically transported his soul  back in time to the Crusades , where he inhabited the body of his 12th century ancestor, Eobar Garrington, and decided to stay there. He eventually became the guardian of the mystic realm of Avalon, and brought the Avengers back to the 12th century to help fight the Fomor, an evil group of gods. Dane was seemingly killed sealing off the Fomor forever, but it was only his host body that was destroyed. His time-traveling spirit returned to the 20th century and his original body was restored. It wasn't his last time travel adventure, as he went back to the 12th century and met the powerful psionic mutant who would become Exodus.

The brief, sad life of Rita DeMara

Rita DeMara was a small time-crook who stole one of Yellowjacket's spare costumes and tangled with the Wasp . She later reluctantly joined the Masters of Evil and assisted during their siege of Avengers Mansion . Her heart was never really into hardcore villainy, however, as she betrayed the Fixer when he was going to attack the Black Knight, whom she found dreamy . She even briefly joined a makeshift version of the Avengers to fight the High Evolutionary. When she wound up joining Doctor Octopus' new incarnation of the Masters of Evil and stormed Avengers Mansion yet again, the group found the Guardians of the Galaxy there instead of the Avengers, along with a bunch of doppelgängers. The Masters and Guardians teamed up to defeat them and the Masters (including Rita) turned on Doc Ock.

Rita secretly followed the Guardians back to the 30th century and eventually gained their trust , becoming a full member and earning her Guardians star. While she became close with her teammates, she eventually started missing her own timeline and returned. However, she accidentally stopped in an alternate future where the Avengers were being hunted down and saw Hawkeye and the Black Widow murdered. Taking with her a mysterious teenage girl (an alternate version of Luna, the daughter of Quicksilver and Crystal), she returned to the present to warn the Avengers. Her reward was a mind-controlled Iron Man killing her.  

Time travel in the MCU

The rules of time travel in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are mostly the same as in the comics: if you go back in time, you are guaranteed to create a new, divergent timeline. As the Avengers discussed in "Avengers: Endgame," it doesn't work like "Back to the Future," where if you change something in the past, it can affect the future. However, you can go to past timelines, steal stuff, interact with people, and even have them follow you. 

Like in the comics, there are two ways of traveling through time: science-based and magic-based. Indeed, Doctor Strange's dominion over the Eye of Agamotto, which contains the Time Stone, allows him to see multiple futures, create time loops, or even rewind time and erase it. Basically, it allows the user to break many laws regarding science-based time travel. In "Doctor Strange," Doc undid a great deal of damage in Hong Kong by reversing time and then putting Dormammu in a time loop. His examination of future timelines led to him nudging everyone toward the one timeline where Thanos was defeated.

Hank Pym may have discovered the Quantum Zone, reached when one shrinks beyond a subatomic level, but it was Scott Lang who told the Avengers that time works very differently there. Five hours spent in the zone turned out to be five years in his world. Gifted with this knowledge, Tony Stark unlocked the key to developing a sort of quantum GPS system, making targeted time travel possible — and allowing the Avengers to undo Thanos' "snap." 

Time is fragile!

So what is the worst idea in the world? It's hard to say for sure, but letting an unrepentant Loki loose in the timestream with the powerful Tesseract, the Space Stone, might belong on the list. In "Avengers: Endgame," this is exactly what Tony Stark did by accident when a door flew open and he dropped the case containing the Tesseract. Loki, who had just been defeated in the Battle of New York, grabbed the powerful artifact and exited stage left.

As the Ancient One pointed out, time is fragile. Time traveling willy-nilly results in all sorts of potentially horrible new timelines. What's worse, the thread of time can really get tangled when there are too many new timelines introduced into the multiverse. Thanks to the Avengers significantly altering the 2012 timeline when they allowed Loki to escape, things got ugly.

Enter the Time Variance Authority, run by powerful beings called the Time Keepers. Just like in the comics, they have a painstaking, bureaucratic level of control over the multiverse. In the "Loki" series, a TVA manager named Mobius M. Mobius enlists this particular version of Loki to help fix the broken timelines. Of course, employing one of the most chaotic beings in the universe to restore law and order to the timeline is a totally bonkers idea, but sometimes the risk is worth the reward.

Marvel Database

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• X-Terminators (Earth-616)/Members
• Avengers Unity Division (Earth-616)/Members
• X-Force (Earth-616)/Members
• X-Force (Strike Team) (Earth-616)/Members
• X-Men (Earth-616)/Members
• Secret Avengers (Civil War) (Earth-616)/Members
• Underground (Mutant) (Earth-616)/Members
• Twelve (Mutants) (Earth-616)/Members
• New Mutants (Earth-616)/Members
• Six Pack (Earth-616)/Members
• Clan Chosen (Earth-4935)/Members
• Clan Askani (Earth-4935)/Members
• Clan Rebellion (Earth-4935)/Members
• Inferno Babies (Earth-616)/Members
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• Hive (Symbiotes) (Earth-616)/Members
• Avengers (Earth-2099)/Members
• X-Men (Earth-2099)/Members
• Widowed Characters
• Male Characters
• Height 6 ft. 8 in. (2.03 m)
• Weight 300-399 lbs (136.08-181.44 kg)
• Yellow Eyeballs
• Grey-haired
• Formerly Brown Hair
• Mutants activated at birth
• Techno-Organic Virus
• Mutants (Homo superior)
• Living Characters
• Formerly Deceased
• Earth-616/Characters
• Killed by Nathan Summers (Earth-616)
• Killed by Progenitors
• Killed by Uranos (Earth-616)
• Public Identity Characters
• Multiple Citizenship
• Adventurers
• Government Agents
• Mercenaries
• Chris Claremont/Creator
• Rick Leonardi/Creator
• Louise Simonson/Creator
• Rob Liefeld/Creator
• 1985 Character Debuts
• Precognition
• Psychometry
• Mind Control
• Memory Erasure
• Astral Projection
• Telekinesis
• Transmutation
• Disintegration
• Size Increase
• Regeneration
• Force Field
• Concussive Blasts
• Teleportation
• Remote Teleportation
• Time Traveling
• Superhuman Speed
• Superhuman Agility
• Energy Projection
• Technopaths
• Nathan Summers (Earth-616)/Quotes
• Power Grid/Intelligence/Learned
• Power Grid/Strength/Superhuman (800 lbs-25 ton)
• Power Grid/Speed/Normal
• Power Grid/Speed/Warp
• Power Grid/Durability/Regenerative
• Power Grid/Energy Projection/Single Type: Medium Range
• Power Grid/Fighting Skills/Master: Several Forms of Combat
• Alpha Class/Level Mutants
• Alpha Level Telekinetics
• Alpha Level Telepaths
• Medium Awareness
• Grey Family
• Interdimensional Travelers
• Mister Sinister Experiment
• Multilingual
• Non-Galadorian Spaceknights
• Omega Level Mutants
• Omega Level Telekinetics
• Omega Level Telepaths
• Post-M-Day Mutants (The 198)
• Post-Secret Wars Mutants
• Second Coming casualties
• Severe Threats
• Strategists
• Summers Family
• Time Travelers
• Time-Looped
• Weapons Expert
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Nathan Summers (Earth-616)

Nathan Summers is a powerful mutant telepath and telekinetic , who has been fighting in wars most of his life as the time-travelling soldier called Cable .

The son of the first X-Man Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor , Nathan's maternally-inherited powers manifested at a young age. The circumstances of his birth were machinated by Mr. Sinister to create a living weapon against Apocalypse , [40] [41] which resulted in his mother's descent into madness and death after learning her place in this plot as a clone of his eventual step-mother, founding X-Man Jean Grey . During this ordeal, baby Nathan was infected with the Techno-Organic Virus and sent into a post-apocalyptic future where he could be saved. Raised in this future as Nathan Dayspring , the " Askani'son " [13] destined to kill Apocalypse in the Clan Askani religion, Nathan became a hardened warrior and brilliant tactician.

During his teen years, Nathan returned to the " past " and reconnected with his parents and older sister Rachel on the budding mutant nation of Krakoa , [42] but eventually returned to his adopted future to thwart Stryfe , his own radical terrorist clone. [43] After decades of struggle, Nathan travelled further back to a period closest to his original departure and formed the Six Pack to continue the battle. [44] [45] He also joined the New Mutants as their leader and eventually reformed the team into the militaristic X-Force . [46] [47]

Now dedicated to the current time period, Cable sought to better the future of both mankind and mutantkind, for he had seen the result of not doing so firsthand. Cable took it upon himself to protect and train the messianic first mutant born after M-Day , adopting her as Hope Summers . [48] Eventually, Cable reached the point in time he resided in as a teenager and joined his loved ones on Krakoa once again, taking his younger self's place as chief security officer of S.W.O.R.D. . [49]

• 1.2 Early Childhood Years
• 1.3 Nathan Dayspring
• 1.4 A New War
• 1.5.1 Traveling into the Past
• 1.5.2 Teaming Up with X-Force
• 1.5.3 Dawn of X
• 1.6 Clan Chosen Canaanites War
• 1.7 Traveler
• 1.9 Six Pack
• 1.10 New Mutants
• 1.11 X-Force
• 1.12 X-Cutioner's Song
• 1.13 The Return
• 1.14 Fathers And Sons
• 1.15 Increase & Decrease of Powers
• 1.16 Stryfe's Return
• 1.17 Doubts
• 1.18 Cyclops' Return
• 1.19 Dark Sisterhood
• 1.20 Soldier X
• 1.21 Savior
• 1.22 Second Childhood
• 1.23 Apocalypse's revival and Rumekistan
• 1.24 Rejoining the X-Men
• 1.25 Messiah Complex
• 1.26 Second Coming
• 1.27 Avengers: X-Sanction
• 1.28 Cable & X-Force
• 1.29 Deadpool & Cable: Split Second
• 1.30 Uncanny Avengers
• 1.31 Extermination
• 1.32 Old Man Cable Returns
• 1.33 Last Annihilation
• 2 Personality
• 3.2 Abilities
• 3.3 Weaknesses
• 4.1 Equipment
• 4.2 Weapons
• 4.3 Transportation
• 8.1 References

Cable's destiny was planned before his parents even met. Geneticist Mr. Sinister found that a union between the X-Men Scott Summers (Cyclops) and Jean Grey (Marvel Girl) would produce a powerful genetically superior mutant . Sinister hoped he could control such a mutant and use it to defeat his immortal adversary Apocalypse . [40] [41]

Around this time Jean's form and consciousness was replaced by the reckless cosmic Phoenix Force while she healed from radiation poison in a cocoon at the bottom of Jamaica Bay . Sinister created a clone of Jean and named her Madelyne Pryor . Sinister's plan was to produce the child he needed from the union of Madelyne and Scott. Sinister considered his clone a failure until a spark from the Phoenix Force granted Madelyne a life force and some of Jean's memories. Sinister crafted a false background for her and arranged for her to meet Scott as a pilot for Scott's grandparents. [50] Scott was instantly drawn to Madelyne because she strongly resembled his true love, Jean. They quickly married. [51] Madelyne later became pregnant and had a son [52] who she named Nathan Christopher Charles Summers. [1]

Early Childhood Years [ ]

Baby Nathan's alternate reality teenage half-sister Rachel Summers created a psi-bond with him, while promising to protect him and always be there for him. After losing leadership of the X-Men, Scott retired from the X-Men and together he and Madelyne raised the child in Anchorage , Alaska . [34]

Over time Scott and Madelyne's marriage became strained. Madelyne resented the fact that Scott was rarely home and that he continued to miss Jean. Everything worsened when Jean was discovered alive. Scott left little Nathan and Madelyne to reunite with Jean and the other founding members of the X-Men in New York to form a new team called X-Factor . Hearing of Jean's return, Mr. Sinister sent his Marauders to capture Nathan and to kill Madelyne, before she could be exposed as a clone. Madelyne survived and came into the care of the the X-Men, while Sinister took Nathan to his secret lab hidden under the State Home for Foundlings , the orphanage in Nebraska where Nathan's father had grown up. There, Sinister experimented on Nathan. Sinister was thorough and erased all records of Nathan and Madelyne's existence. Scott later returned to Alaska to reconcile with his family, but there was no trace of them except for a baby toy he found left behind in their old home. Scott believed Madelyne had moved away with the baby. [53] [54] [55]

While staying with the X-Men, Madelyne learned the reason why Scott had abandoned her and slowly lost herself to the dark side of her personality. Madelyne agreed to help the demons S'ym and N'astirh create a link between demon infested dimension of Limbo and Earth in exchange for baby Nathan. Madelyne became aware of her powers and began calling herself the Goblin Queen. [1]

The precognitive mutant Destiny pointed Scott and Jean to Sinister's lab where they found Nathan and many other children in incubation pods. While attempting to rescue Nathan, Scott and Jean battled Nanny and Orphan-Maker , who were attempting to kidnap mutant children to safeguard them. Somehow a telepathic link between Nathan and Jean was opened. Demons escaped with Nathan and he and nine other kidnapped infants were teleported to Times Square . N'astirh, using the babies as the points of an inverted pentagram, tried to keep a portal open, but the portal was closed by the combined efforts of the X-Terminators and the New Mutants . When his father arrived to rescue him, Nathan was taken back to his mother at the orphanage. Mister Sinister had revealed Madelyne's true origins to her. Blaming Scott and Jean for the misery in her life, she intended to use Nathan and the other nine mutant babies atop the Empire State Building as a sacrifice in her effort to reopen another portal. After the defeat of N'astirh, the Goblin Queen locked herself, Nathan, and Jean inside a psionic barrier. Madelyne killed herself and locked Jean into a mental bond, hoping to take her down with her. Jean re-integrated the portions of her life-force that had gone from the Phoenix Force to Madelyne. In doing so, Jean also received Madelyne's memories, including those of raising young Nathan. [56]

Nathan was taken to X-Factor's sentient Celestial Ship , where he was cared for by Scott and Jean. Scott decided to take Nathan with him on missions. Nathan's other mutant powers began to manifest, as he could form a protective telekinetic force bubble around himself. [57]

The Riders of the Storm kidnapped Nathan and took him to Apocalypse's base on the Blue Area of the Moon . Before Nathan could be rescued by X-Factor, Apocalypse infected him with a Techno-Organic Virus that was rapidly spreading liquid metal and organic steel through his body and, if not stopped, would kill him. Ship created a protective electromagnetic field and merged with Nathan's electrical parts to keep him alive. A visitor from 2,000 years in the future , Sister Askani of the Clan Askani , appeared to Cyclops. She had sacrificed her physical body to become energy and claimed that Nathan would become a savior in her time. Sister Askani promised the Clan would cure him of the virus in the future, however she would be unable to make another time-jump, trapping Nathan in the future. Cyclops chose to save his son's life and gave him up, believing that he would never see him again. [58]

Nathan Dayspring [ ]

Upon arriving in this future Earth ruled by Apocalypse and his Canaanite Army, Nathan was given to Mother Askani , a time-displaced version of his sister, Rachel Summers. The Clan Askani worshiped Nathan as the prophesied "Dayspring" and "Askani'son". [59]

Mother Askani placed Nathan in an incubation crib to preserve his life, but the virus had progressed too far. The only thing keeping the child alive was the acts of Ship. Fearing that Nathan would not survive, Mother Askani had him cloned. Despite their original assessments, the Askani learned that the original child would live after all. Just then, the Canaanites attacked the base. Nathan was safely removed before they nearly killed Mother Askani and began the massacre of the Clan Askani. Apocalypse himself claimed the cloned child, whom he believed to be the original Nathan Summers who he had infected centuries earlier. Apocalypse raised the child and called him Stryfe , planning to use him as a vessel the next time Apocalypse needed a new host body. [60] [61]

Badly wounded, Mother Askani brought Scott and Jean into the future to protect Nathan. As their own bodies could not have survived time travel, Jean and Scott inhabited new bodies cloned from their descendants. Much time had passed since they had last seen Nathan as a child. At this point in their lives they were married and had learned Cable was Nathan's future self and had begun to mend their relationship with him. [61]

Nathan Dayspring

Apocalypse's Prelate Ch'vayre captured the true Nathan. Scott, Jean, and Mother Askani successfully rescued Nathan, but Ch'vayre severely wounded Mother Askani, leaving her in a coma. Under the aliases of Redd and Slym Dayspring, Jean and Scott raised Nathan together while Rachel was lying in a coma, held alive by machines. They never told "Nathan Dayspring" of their true origins or his, and never stayed in one place for too long. They began Nathan's training in the hope he would become Cable and eventual fulfill his destiny by overthrowing Apocalypse. The Techno-Organic Virus had already spread to the left side of Nathan's body, giving him a cybernetic appearance. Redd taught Nathan to use his telekinetic abilities to hold the effects of the virus back, and to telepathically mask its presence. [62]

At eight years old, Nathan met Stryfe during a Clan Rebellion raid on Apocalypse's citadel in Crestcoast. Surprised at their resemblance, Stryfe was defeated by Nathan. His sister Rachel telepathically spoke to Nathan from her coma and helped him destroy a virus designed by Apocalypse. After years of remission, Nathan's Techno-Organic Virus suddenly began to flare-up and he went into a coma as his condition was deemed terminal. Slym watched over Nathan day and night. Mother Askani, appearing as young Rachel Summers, telepathically formally introduced herself to Nathan. Rachel explained to him that he was potentially the most powerful mutant ever and that, if he sacrificed the maximum use of his telekinesis daily, he could contain the virus. [63]

The day came when Apocalypse was ready to make Stryfe his new host, and Redd, Slym, and Nathan were there to stop him. Apocalypse saw through their physical bodies and recognized them as his ancient adversaries Cable, Jean Grey, and Cyclops. After Nathan, Redd, and Slym attacked Apocalypse, the disillusioned Ch'vayre betrayed his master, distracting him, and Slym ordered Nathan to disrupt any telepathic links between Apocalypse and Stryfe, seemingly killing Apocalypse. At that moment, Mother Askani began to die and Redd disappeared. Slym realized that he too would be sent back to his time and would be forced to abandon his son for the second time in his life. Wanting to say so much, could only promise Nathan that he would never be alone. Ch'vayre took Stryfe into his care and warned Nathan that followers of Apocalypse would search for him. Nathan left on his own to restore the dream that Apocalypse tried to destroy. [64]

A New War [ ]

Years passed. A new dictatorship arose in Apocalypse's place, the New Canaanites . Madame Sanctity turned the remains of the Askani into the Askani Sisterhood. Nathan traveled on his own and grudgingly attended secret Askani revivals, where he met Tetherblood . Nathan and Tetherblood forged a very close relationship over the following years. [65]

After Nathan spoke-out at a meeting he was imprisoned by 'Strator Umbridge . His Techno-Organic Virus infection worsened. Blaquesmith , a member of Clan Askani, broke into his cell and extracted a glowing orb from the metallic flesh of Nathan's chest. The orb was Ship's A.I. which, forgetting its past, could control electronic devices and began to call itself "Professor". Nathan kept the Professor as an ally. After 'Strator Umbridge realized that it was Nathan who had defeated Apocalypse, she sent guards. Blaquesmith seemingly sacrificed himself so Nathan and Tetherblood could escape, telepathically telling Nathan to find the remaining members of the Clan Askani. [65]

After arriving in Ebonshire, Nathan battled the Daegon and was saved from death by Aliya , who he immediately fell for. After battling the insectoid Loci, Aliya took Nathan back to Madame Sanctity and he asked to learn the ways of the Askani. Even though Nathan was a male, Sanctity ordered Aliya to instruct him because he was the Askani'son. [66] After the New Canaanites attacked, Nathan saved Aliya and he began to lose control of his techno-organics in front of her. During the battle, Madame Sanctity was seemingly killed, but had actually joined with Stryfe. Nathan, Aliya, and Tetherblood promised to build a rebellion against the New Canaanite tyranny. [67]

Kid Cable [ ]

Traveling into the past [ ].

Ripple effects of time began having an effect on the reality, causing the deaths of Tetherblood and Aliya . Nathan was informed by Blaquesmith that his older self's inability to protect the timeline and not returning the time-displaced original X-Men to their proper time was causing this, as the result would be the eventual death of Iceman and thus the changing of the timeline. Nathan also learned from Blaquesmith that Scott Summers and Jean Grey were his parents and had raised him disguised as Slym and Redd Dayspring. With this knowledge, he traveled back in time to accomplish what his older self could not. [17]

With the help of Paul Douek , Nathan used a Phoenix Cage to resurrect his father, Cyclops, [68] and kept him hidden inside Professor , [69] as they traveled to the present where Cable killed his older self, coming into conflict with the X-Men and Ahab while he gathered the time-displaced X-Men and returned them to the past to ensure that the Prime Marvel Universe 's timeline would avoid an apocalyptic future , [70] and his own timeline would be restored. [17]

Returning to the Professor, Nathan discovered that although Scott was grateful his son resurrected him, he preferred to rejoin the X-Men rather than stay locked away. Reluctantly, Cable allowed his father to leave, but on the condition that he pick between two destinations: the home of Paul Douek and his family, who were in danger, and the X-Men's battle with X-Man . After Cyclops saved the Doueks, Cable was satisfied that his father had returned to his heroic roots, and the two parted ways. [68] To ensure his father's safety, Cable asked Wolverine to stay by his side to protect him. [71]

Teaming Up with X-Force [ ]

Nathan next traveled to Transia and worked with Deathlok to look for Rachel Grey , who was once again under the influence of Ahab. [72] During this time, he reluctantly worked alongside X-Force , who were originally tracking him down to make him pay for murdering their former leader, his older self. [73] He learned that Stryfe was behind the upheaval in Transia, [8] and after Stryfe's plot to use Rachel to destroy the Clan Chosen was thwarted, Nathan stopped Rachel from killing the young clone. Nathan resolved to uphold his duty of protecting the timeline and refused to change it to suit his own needs like Stryfe and his older self had. [74]

Dawn of X [ ]

Cable joined the mutant nation of Krakoa when it was founded, residing on the Moon in the Summer House . He attended a family barbecue where he traded guns with Raza of the Starjammers . [42] He would later investigate the emergence of a mysterious island , that was approaching Krakoa, alongside Cyclops and Prestige. Despite some hostility from the local lifeforms, in part due to Cable handing one a grenade as a gift, which it then activated, the situation was resolved. [75]

Nathan with his father and sister

When Psylocke formed a team to investigate the new threat of Apoth and the drug, Overclock , she enlisted the aid of X-23 and Cable. [76] When the team investigated an Apoth location in Brazil , [77] Cable was captured by Apoth's servant, who saw Cable as the symbolic unity between man , machine , and mutant. [78] He later released Cable, [79] who, with X-23, Husk , and Bling! , aided Psylocke in defeating Apoth. [80]

While searching for the missing mutant, Fauna , at the request of his friend Curse , Cable, alongside Armor and Pixie , fought an enraged Arakkoan monster. After discovering that the creature was injured from an object being embedded in its foot, Cable used his telekinesis to remove the object and calm the creature. Upon touching the object, he learned that it was the Light of Galador , an ancient sword once belonging to a Spaceknight named Morn . Cable immediately took to the weapon and kept it for himself. [26]

Nathan dating Esme Cuckoo

When a mutant baby went missing in Philadelphia, Cable headed to the scene of crime with Esme Cuckoo. After they made out, Cable, who was actually dating all the five Cuckoo sisters at the time, asked Esme what the other Cuckoos were doing when he was on a date with one of them and if they ever got jealous. The girl claimed her sisters were doing other stuff, when they actually were psychically spying on them from their room on Krakoa. However, Nathan and Esme date night was abruptly interrupted when the Spaceknights from Galador came to Earth, detecting the energy signature from their mythical sword - the Light of Galador - after it was recovered by Nathan in Krakoa's wilds. They crashed into the house where Cable and Esme were hanging out and took the sword away from them. [81]

Kidnapped by the Spaceknights along with Esme, Cable discovered his older self (who foresaw and accepted his own death) had actually left him an ace hidden inside his techno-organic steel sleeve to use against the knights: a nuclear bomb. After retrieving his new sword, Cable lured the knights to a remote desert where he set off the bomb, completely obliterating the Spaceknights. Nathan and Esme escaped back to Krakoa through an emergency portal without collateral damage, promising to see each other again after Cable's date night with her sister Phoebe the next day. Nathan then returned to the Summer House and told his parents about his adventure. [82]

Following discovering Stryfe 's kidnapping of mutant children, Cable convinced the council to resurrect his older self. Following this, the two Cables gathered their allies and launched an attack on Stryfe. [36] The two Cables were successful in killing Stryfe and disbanding his demon army. However, both were aware that Stryfe had other bodies strewn throughout the time-stream. The older Cable convinced his younger self to return to the future so that they could force Stryfe into a two-front war. Cable said his goodbyes to his family and returned to the future, throwing himself into battle. [43]

A some point Cable, still a young soldier, traveled to late 21st century where he joined the Avengers . During the rise of the Cabal , an evil organization that was above the law thanks to their Black Cards, the Avengers were defeated by the Masters of Evil , with Cable escaping the massacre with his time-slide. [83] A much older Cable returned after the Avengers' defeat and started helping the X-Men , who were recently kicked out of the Savage Land by the Cabal Sentinels . Cable helped the team and most mutants to survive during their new life as scavengers. During this time he became very close with Cerebra , the leader of the team. [84]

When the corpse of a Celestial, Jovion the Enactor , crashed on the Wastelands of Earth, creating a Celestial Garden , Northstar discovered the garden with his powers and the X-Men believed this to be their perfect new home after seeing that there was a mutant at the core of said oasis. After Cable and the X-Men arrived at the garden, they discovered the Mutant core of the Garden to be the remnants of Nate Grey , the team was then attacked by the Cabal Sentinels. During the fight, Cerebra was mortally wounded, which lead Cable to transport her back in time to the Golden Age of Krakoa on Earth-616 when she could be resurrected, thus leaving the other X-Men in 2099 to fend off on their own. [84] [85]

Clan Chosen Canaanites War [ ]

Stryfe began wearing his trademark armor and very rarely took off his mask. Nathan, meanwhile, became the foremost military leader of the New Canaanites' opposition, the Clan Chosen and continued the ways of the Askani. The Askani beliefs taught Nathan such tenets as "what is, is", that fate must be embraced, and "thanks for today, please for tomorrow", a belief that the past brings hope, and preached that the "Sacred Timeline" should be preserved and nurtured through careful time travel. Part of the Askani intense discipline and training was mediation performed while levitation upside down. The Askani also believed in tiny winged Wysps that carried prayers. The Askani had a ceremonial language, unique martial arts, and the Psimitar, a weapon that focuses psionic energy. Believers deified the ancient X-Men: "the Xavier " became a father figure, the Bright Lady a mother goddess, and the prophesied "Dayspring" or "Askani'son" their messiah. The Askani took, as their symbols, the Phoenix and the scarred eye, reminiscent of the scars around the Askani'son's right eye. Training in the Askani ways under surviving Askani elders, they repeatedly battled the New Canaanites and the Scions of the High Lord, led by Stryfe. [86] [87]

During the war between these opposing forces, Nathan and Stryfe clashed repeatedly, becoming bitter enemies, even though Nathan was unaware that Stryfe was the same child he had seen when he was eight. Nathan also clashed with the Neo-Canaanites, a group that also wished to claim Apocalypse's power. Around Nathan's sixteenth birthday, one of the Canaanite forces had been infecting members of the Clan Chosen with nanite explosives, turning them into unwilling suicide bombers. Nathan and a squad attacked the Siberian Facility, where the nanites were controlled, and learned that one of his clan was infected. Nathan attempted to destroy their ability to trigger the bombs, by destroying the facility, but the clan member was still active. Fearing for his life, the clan member ran to his teammates, but Nathan, attempting to save the remaining lives of the squad, was forced to detonate the nanite. [21]

When Stryfe's spy, Korless , infiltrated the Clan and Stryfe psychically attacked Nathan, Stryfe captured Tetherblood and the Professor from Nathan's camp and Stryfe tortured Tetherblood to find out its importance. The withdraw of the Professor from Nathan caused him to become very sick and Blaquesmith sent Aliya to the past to find Cable, the adult Nathan. Aliya was successful, though she and Nathan were unaware of Cable's true origin. Cable returned with the flask and activated Ship's A.I., which again merged with Nathan. Professor lived within Nathan's techno-organic flesh, acting as adviser to him and helping to control the T-O infection. Nathan fell in love with Aliya and the two married. Aliya took the clan name of 'Jenskot' as a tribute to Jean and Scott, the parents of the Askani'son. [86]

At some time, a soldier in the New Canaanite army was wounded and Nathan came across his body. Nathan decided to contact the New Canaanite's Evac team, so that he was not left for dead, and then took off, not knowing that he would create a future enemy. [88]

Traveler [ ]

After losing the war to the Neo-Canaanites and growing sick of the fighting, Nathan decided to defy his Askani training and destroy Apocalypse before he came into power. Using time-traveling technology, Nathan traveled to ancient Egypt , shortly after En Sabah Nur found the Celestial Ship, and battled En Sabah Nur and his original Dark Riders, with a sword and shield while calling himself the Traveler. While cloaking himself from Nur and killing his assassins, Traveler was warned of an ancient evil by the Council of Nirinthia. After arriving eighty feet underground in the Karanada Castle, in the city Relic of Karanada, Traveler and a sorceress D'narda encountered the Skornn , a recently hatched being that fed on humans and especially mutants. Traveler fought fiercely with Skornn, but was unable to kill him, until D'narda informed him that a dagger, Five Fingers of Annihilation , was the only thing that could kill him, but in order for making the blade take a life, another should be put in return. It is unclear, but assumed, that D'narda sacrificed herself for Traveler to kill Skornn. [32]

During one battle with Nur, Nur severed Traveler's left cybernetic arm and, during the confusion, the Traveler pulled a gun and shot him in the head. After reattaching his techno-organic arm, Traveler was accepted as the new leader of the Dark Riders, but declined. Traveler turned to Ozymandias , Nur's servant, and instructed him to remember that there will always be someone smarter and stronger around and that being fit to survive means to have the responsibility to help those who are not. Unaware to the Traveler, his techno-organic infected blood mixed with Nur's, as he wiped Nur's blood on Ozymandias. [7]

Years after his battle with Nur, though only days to Nathan, the Traveler found himself somewhere near the Ho-Lo Shan Mountains in Mongolia , China , to ambush a caravan of advanced technology. Traveler followed the caravan to Ozymandias and asked how they obtained the futuristic technology, which Ozymandias replied that it was actually ancient technology. Ozymandias explained that he had Nur's dead body brought to an alien ship, hoping that its technology could heal him, and Traveler explained that it was actually a Celestial transport for a highly advanced alien race, a sentient exploratory device, realizing that he was standing in the same Ship that would become a part of him. Traveler entered the ship to learn that his blood mixed with the Techno-Organic Virus and Nur's resurrected him and, infected with the virus, allowed Nur to understand Ship. Angry at the revelation, Traveler told Nur that if he was responsible for his immortality, he will make Nur spend eternity far away from there and sent both Ship and its passenger far into space. Outside, Traveler told Ozymandias that he had been traveling through time to find out all about Nur, hoping to find a weakness, but his travels actually were the exact thing that brought Nur into power. When Ozymandias asked if En Sabah Nur would return, Traveler replied, "No, Apocalypse will". [31]

Nathan returned to the future and, after decades of battle, the Clan Chosen signed a long-lasting peace treaty with the New Canaanites, but Nathan, upset by rumors that Apocalypse had survived, convinced the Clan's Askani Council that they needed to fight again, after the council made him prove himself against the Protectorate Council Guards in an arena. However, ensuing battles cost the Clan dearly and the following war nearly destroyed all life on Earth. Among the dead was Dayspring's ally, Adam Spectre . [89]

Later, Jenskot was captured, during a New Canaanite raid and, while she did not speak of her time as a prisoner, it was hinted that she was tortured and raped by Stryfe. Eventually, Nate was able to rescue her. Jenskot later gave birth to her son, Tyler Dayspring , and Nathan never questioned his parentage. During a later attack by Stryfe's forces, a bomb was set and Aliya was fatally wounded. Aliya died in Nathan's arms and asked him to take care of her son, unaware that Tyler had been abducted. Stryfe ordered Parridan Haight's scientist, Frisco , to brainwash Tyler to reject Nathan's beliefs and become Stryfe's pawn. After the death of Aliya, Nathan became more brash and a danger to himself and Tetherblood closely watched over him, even when he asked him not to. When the Clan Chosen attacked Stryfe, Tyler captured Clan member Dawnsilk , forging a neural link between them to gain Clan Chosen secrets. Nathan decided to sever the link, by shooting his son, in order to save Dawnsilk. This knocked Tyler out and further damaged his and Dawnsilk's mind as well. [90]

During another battle, Nathan and Tetherbood lead a squad to obtain Captain America's Shield , which Nathan used to inspire liberty and justice in his followers. [91] After the Neo-Canaanites defeated the New Canaanites, Nathan learned that Stryfe used the Tinex and, with the A.D.A.M. Unit Zero , fled, traveling back in time to the late 20th century. As part of his mission as the Askani'son, Nathan returned to the 20th century to foil the plans of Stryfe and preserve Apocalypse's rise to power. To ensure that he did not falter from his mission or disrupt the timeline and charged with the grim task of eliminating him if he became unstable, Blaquesmith was sent to an earlier time also, unknown to Nathan. [87] [92]

When Nathan first arrived in the present, he washed up, confused and traumatized, in Scotland and met Dr. Moira MacTaggert , although later it seemed she did not recall doing so. [93] She was the first friendly person he met in the future, standing up for him against a violent mob. She then took him with her to Muir Island . After learning the English language and current events from a mind-link with Dr. MacTaggert, he learned the truth about her son and promised to keep her secrets, and they became close friends afterwards. She taught him literature, art and various other topics, catching him up on the century as well as putting him in contact with Charles Xavier. Nathan, now calling himself Cable, shuttled between the past and future multiple times, at one point bringing with him his orbital space station, Graymalkin (named after the address of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters), and setting-up technologically advanced safe houses all over the world. Professor had assumed control of Graymalkin and the safehouses, performing duties similar to those it had as Ship. [44] [94]

Six Pack [ ]

In order to understand the current era's threats and obtain finances, Cable formed a mercenary group called the Wild Pack , later known as the Six Pack, and began to sell his advanced future weapons. Wild Pack was frequently contracted to Mr. Tolliver , an arms dealer. On one mission, Six Pack invaded a Hydra research facility in search of a stolen component. [95] [44] [96]

On a mission in Afghanistan , Six Pack learned that Stryfe was in charge of Mr. Tolliver's opium routes and they were contracted to take out the Soviet armored carriers that were in this route's way. After a brief battle, Stryfe and Zero teleported away. Cable scrapped the mission, much to the disliking of the team. Angry, Mr. Tolliver sent agents to kill Six Pack, but they were defeated. Once inside, Hammer accidentally triggered a fail-safe and Baron von Strucker 's image appeared all around them, threatening to kill Six Pack, but they quickly retrieved the device and body slid out. Six Pack later found-out that they were working for A.I.M. . Feeling used, Six Pack decided to go after Stryfe in Uruguay. After entering an underground bunker, Six Pack battled their way into a control room, where Hammer began to download secret information from Stryfe onto a CD. While waiting for the disk to finish downloading, Stryfe teleported behind Kane and grabbed his neck, demanding that Hammer give him the CD. Before Hammer could give Stryfe the CD, Cable shot him from behind. Stryfe grabbed the disk telekinetically and set off a self-destruct on the bunker. Cable teleported away, leaving Six Pack to fend for themselves. [97]

New Mutants [ ]

After the Six Pack was decimated, Cable returned to the future greatly injured. In the future, Cable discovered records that stated Sam Guthrie , the New Mutant known as Cannonball, existed into at least the 23rd century. Cable believed Sam would be the next in a group of immortal mutants known as High-Lords or Externals . Cable returned to the present to take command of the New Mutants and guide Guthrie's ascension into the Externals. [44]

X-Force [ ]

Cable and his X-Force

After settling into their new base in the Adirondack Mountains , Feral took a training session too far and Cable reconsidered allowing her to join X-Force. X-Force later aided Siryn in battling the Juggernaut and Black Tom Cassidy , who had detonated a bomb at the World Trade Center . After the battle, Cable was surprised to see G.W. Bridge , former member of Six Pack, with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents attempting to arrest him. After returning to the base, Cable offered Siryn membership on X-Force and she accepted. [98]

Later, X-Force was ambushed, at their base by the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants , and Cable's face was ripped-off, by Thornn , revealing his techno-organic left side to X-Force. During the battle, Cannonball was impaled, by Sauron , and seemingly died, but returned, unaware what happened. [99]

After explaining his proposed immortality, X-Force went to the Morlock tunnels , with the bodies of Sauron and Masque and threatened them, if they ever acted against X-Force again. After "Domino" was attacked, by Deadpool, Cable learned that she was working for Tolliver and formed a plan, to fake their deaths. Before the base was detonated, X-Force was attacked, by Weapon P.R.I.M.E. , and "Domino" reset the timer, detonating the base early, separating Cable from his squad. [100]

Angry at "Domino's" betrayal, Cable teleported the both of them on Graymalkin and asked Professor to retrieve X-Force, but he was unable, due to the high electromagnetic signatures surrounding them, so Cable armed himself and took the fight to Tolliver. Arriving at Tolliver's base, Cable shot Pico Halfghanagan and found the true Domino, in chains. The impostor Domino was revealed to be Copycat and Domino had been in captivity for over a year. After rescuing Domino, the pair battled Deadpool and Tolliver was seemingly killed in a helicopter explosion. As he teleported away, Cable requested Domino to track down X-Force. [101]

Cable resurfaced to stop the Mutant Liberation Front , in a Parisian museum, while killing Sumo . The MLF was sent to gather an ancient sword. After deducing that the MLF would return, Cable ambushed them and shot-off Reaper 's hands. Cable returned to his Safehouse 14 , outside of Davos Dorf, Switzerland , and was attacked, by Kane, who showed him a hologram of Stryfe taking-off his mask to reveal Cable's face. Cable assured Kane that he had never seen Stryfe without his mask and was unaware of the connection. The two worked together and planned to track Stryfe. Later, in the Yucatan jungle, just outside of Cancun, Stryfe led Cable and Kane into a trap and grabbed Kane from behind again. Stryfe took off his mask, revealing his face to Cable. Stryfe demanded Cable's Professor, as it belonged to Apocalypse, in exchange for Kane. Cable agreed to trade, after Kane was released. After Stryfe released Kane, Cable showed him a CD and then burned it. After a brief battle, Cable grabbed Kane and they teleported away. Cable took Kane to Applecrust, in the future, where they were able to enhance his cybernetic prosthetics. [97]

X-Cutioner's Song [ ]

Wishing to repay everyone who ever wronged him, Stryfe posed as Cable himself and publicly made an assassination attempt on Professor Charles Xavier , founder of the X-Men. Stryfe's bullet had infected Professor Xavier with the Techno-Organic Virus. Stryfe also asked Mr. Sinister to kidnap Scott and Jean, in exchange for the Summers' Family genetic material. Unaware of the current events, Cable returned to his Safehouse 14, and was informed, by Professor. Determined to stop Stryfe, Cable broke into the Canadian Department K , to learn about Stryfe's whereabouts, and battled Wolverine and Bishop , looking for information on Cable. After deciding to work together, Cable teleported the trio to Graymalkin, where they deduced that Stryfe was on Apocalypse's old moon base. After being told to return to the X-Mansion, the trio decided to go-on ahead and battled the Mutant Liberation Front's soldiers and the Dark Riders . The trio was joined by a small group X-Men, X-Factor , X-Force, and Apocalypse. After Cannonball berated Cable for leaving X-Force, the heroes walked into an energy barrier that only Cable and Havok could enter. Inside the barrier, Stryfe explained to Cable that the reason that they looked similar was because Cable was a clone of Stryfe, who was the son of Scott and Jean. Cable and Stryfe had a climactic battle on the moon and Cable created a machine, from pieces in his cybernetic arm, which Cyclops activated, sucking Cable and Stryfe into a time vortex. [102]

The Return [ ]

Stryfe's influence making Cable grow a goatee and shave his head

Cable survived, while Stryfe's body was annihilated. However, even though Stryfe’s body had been lost, an electromagnetic flux combined with their genetic similarities resulted in Stryfe still being active in Cable’s body. Cable's body was found in the time-stream, by agents of Tyler, and restored, but Stryfe's consciousness was projected into Cable's own mind and slowly took control, after Cable returned to Earth. However, only one of them were capable of being in control, at any given time, and only when a specific frequency alignment occurred could one dominate the other. The first signs of Stryfe's influence was that Cable grew a goatee and shaved the sides of his head. Cable returned to Kane in Applecrust and aided the Clan Chosen in battling a group of Flatliners . The Clan Chosen decided to send Kane home and destroy the Tinex, the time-travel nexus, within Niagara Falls . After battling their way to the core, Cable requested to speak to the Professor on Graymalkin and the computer announced that Graymalkin did not exist where it once was. After finding Graymalkin, Cable decided to follow Kane into the core and stop whoever used the Tinex last. Cable and Kane returned to the present at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean , where the TDC had been left after Graymalkin had been destroyed. While in the TDC, Cable and Kane began drinking beer and Kane asked Cable about his connection to Stryfe. Cable assumed that he must be Stryfe's clone, as Stryfe was more powerful. After powering-up the TDC, Cable deduced that it was on Earth and therefore they could body-slide anywhere on the planet only. After returning to Safehouse 14, G.W. Bridge agreed to help Cable find X-Force, after arguing. The group traveled to X-Force's new Camp Verde Reservation base and Cable was attacked, by the former members of Six Pack, Hammer, Grizzly , and Domino. After Six Pack agreed to leave him, Domino stayed with Cable and met X-Force, giving them an explanation of who he was. Cable revealed he was the clone of Scott's son that had been sent into the future and Stryfe was the actual son. [103] [104]

Fathers And Sons [ ]

While at the gravesite of Madelyne, Mr. Sinister revealed to Cable that he created her and that Cable was the original Nathan Summers. Mr. Sinister then fired a blast at Cable, stating that he wanted to make him stronger, and Stryfe asserted full control over Cable's mind. After attacking Cable's X-Force members Rictor and Siryn, Stryfe went to Tyler's underground base, who had captured a member of the Askani, only known as Sister Askani . Now aware that Tyler was in-fact, Mr. Tolliver, Stryfe intended to start his revenge with him. Tyler began to tell Stryfe what he had recently learned himself, that Stryfe was the clone, but Stryfe did not believe him. After Stryfe destroyed the form of Askani, Tyler used her memories to show Stryfe the truth of his origins, using his mutant power to give memory physical projection. At that moment, Cyclops, Jean, Professor X, and Zero arrived and battled Stryfe. Through the combined efforts of Jean and Professor X, Askani pleaded with Stryfe to leave and Stryfe, knowing that all hopes of curing the Legacy Virus would die with him, simply gave-up and expelled himself from Cable's mind. Tyler escaped unseen and Cable left Scott with unresolved issues, only wanting to know about his mother before he left. [59]

During the night of his bachelor party, Scott was alerted that there was an intruder in the Danger Room . It turned out to be Cable, going through a hologram of when he was given to the Askani by his father. Originally put-off by Scott's eagerness to relinquish his son forever, Cable came to respect his father after seeing a hologram of Scott's response after his decision and a brief battle with X-Cutioner over the body of comatose Emma Frost . On the eve of Scott and Jean's wedding, Cable and Cyclops reconciled. [105]

Tyler was eventually killed by Wolverine when Tyler attempted to re-bond Wolverine's body to Adamantium , but the process failed and Wolverine briefly entered a feral state. Tyler's death at the hands of Wolverine caused a rift between the two, but they later reached an understanding. [106] [107]

Increase & Decrease of Powers [ ]

After this time, Cable experienced a marked increase in his telekinetic abilities, and the reemergence of his latent telepathic abilities. He overextended himself during an encounter with Nate Grey . As a result, Cable began to lose more of his body to the techno-organic virus. As a result of the entity known as Onslaught hampering all psionic ability, Cable was beginning to succumb to the techno-organic virus, but was healed by his own willpower and the assistance of the young Franklin Richards . During the Psi-War, Cable's powers were severely weakened. Blaquesmith helped him against a dangerous cult that had warped the Askani teachers. While there, Cable found a 'Psimitar' weapon that let him channel his remaining psionic power. [108]

Stryfe's Return [ ]

After leaving Stacey Kramer , Cable sensed the return of Stryfe and journeyed with Blaquesmith to Castle Doom in Latveria , where he met with his mother, Madelyne. After Cable and Madelyne battled their way inside of a pyramid, Stryfe was inside and had captured X-Man , whose psychic powers Stryfe was absorbing. After Nate went back in, Nathan followed and, with Madelyne, battled Stryfe. After Cable barely saved Nate and the two fled the pyramid, Madelyne began to consider Stryfe's plans of world domination, but it was revealed that she was absorbing Stryfe's psychic energies to empower Nate. Angry, Stryfe began to attack Madelyne, Nate used Doctor Doom 's power siphoning device to negate Stryfe's pyramid's siphoning, and Stryfe was seemingly killed in the resulting explosion. [109]

The assassination of Senator Robert Kelly despite his best efforts and witnessing the death of his close friend Moira MacTaggert greatly troubled Cable. After a chat at Moira's grave on Muir Island with Ororo Munroe, she recognized he was repressing his anger and grief over the loss of Moira. When he returned to New York, Nightcrawler and Ororo staged an intervention in a cemetery to help him confront his grief and accept Moira's death. Confronting his feelings, Cable decided that he would think everything over, and decide whether or not he would remain with the X-Men, or focus his efforts elsewhere for awhile. Ororo told him to take his time, assured him that he would always be one of them, and that he could count on them anytime he needed. [110]

Cyclops' Return [ ]

Cable was finally able to destroy Apocalypse with the help of Jean Grey, running the villain through with his Psimitar after he was split from Cyclops, fulfilling his destiny and saving his father. However, Cable continued his mission feeling that the future was still not safe. [111]

Dark Sisterhood [ ]

Cable was briefly trapped between two possible futures based upon an assassination attempt on Randall Shire . Cable saved Shire, but also revealed that his campaign was a fallacy, thus preventing both futures. On this mission, Cable was helped by a mutant named Clarity . Clarity soon revealed the Dark Mother and a family of female psychics called the Dark Sisterhood . They alleged that they were responsible for ensuring that enough powerful psychics would be bred to ensure their dominance through the centuries including Jean Grey. The Sisters used their powers for criminal activity, hoping to usurp the world. Cable, G.W. Bridge, and the recently returned Rachel Summers defeated the Sisters and destroyed their collection of data. [112]

Soldier X [ ]

The release of the Legacy Virus cure weakened the techno-organic virus. This allowed Cable the opportunity to reach inside himself and remove the T-O virus from his system. [113] This dramatically amplified his powers, giving him significant control issues when trying to use his powers for small or delicate work. [114]

Cable and Deadpool began operating together, not by choice, after Deadpool was hired by One World Church to steal a virus which would allow the Church to turn everyone on Earth blue. At this time Cable was trying to decide what to do with his newfound power to help the world and through the actions of the Church, and others seeking the virus, he discovered their plot. After fighting one another they were infected by the virus and merged together, Cable was able to seperate them and then took control of the virus, using it to temporarily turn the entire world's population pink. Cable took credit for then reversing this event and was a hailed as a "Saviour". [115]

Cable then achieved the peak of his powers. Knowing this could not last long before he burned out as X-Man almost did at those power levels, he arranged for what he thought would be the best thing he could do in his last days. Attempting to unite the world, Cable gathered the missing pieces of his long-destroyed space station, Graymalkin, from across the globe to telekinetically create the floating island of Providence above the South Pacific Ocean . Cable also restored a variation of his time displacement core, TDC, the teleport matrix, which enabled him to teleport around the world. Although, forgetting that they had merged on a genetic level, meant that the teleportation matrix on board registered Cable and Deadpool as one and they would teleport merged together, unless they remembered to bodyslide by two. Cable accepted anyone and everyone to live in his separate floating island. Several thousand of the world's greatest minds, from scientists to philosophers, philanthropists to writers, accepted Cable's invitation. Cable attempted to bring peaceful Clan Askani solutions to his people. [116]

Although his intentions were just, the governments of the world and S.H.I.E.L.D. grew wary. S.H.I.E.L.D. first sent a new team of Six Pack, to aggressively reconnoiter Providence, but Cable showed them the city and offered them to stay. After Cable teleported to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier and demanded the governments of the world destroy their arms, the American government sent jets and fired two hundred and forty-seven missiles, which Cable stopped with a telekinetic shield and funneled out of Earth's atmosphere. Meanwhile, Cable, hired Deadpool to put together the pieces of a mini-teleporter that they could use to stop him, without quite knowing what it was. Next, the X-Men were sent, but after Cable spoke with his father, the battle stopped. Cable confessed to Cyclops, after Deadpool had declined to play his role and disable him, that he'd wanted him to kill him and that he knew he was about to burn out. Cable stated that he wanted to set an example of how the world could work together, even if it was against him. At that moment, Fury contacted Mr. Fantastic and asked the Silver Surfer to stop Cable. The battle between Cable and the Silver Surfer vaporized sections of Providence, but they put it back together at the same time. After the Surfer blasted much of Cable's left side off, Providence began to fall. As Providence prepared to crash into the ocean, Deadpool teleported Cable to Safehouse 14 and, at his prompting, used the teleporter to lobotomize him. Marvel Girl began to lower the island, but Cable regained control and lowered the island into the ocean and give a final message to the world. [117]

While he was left in a coma and with many people around the globe now referring to him as "the Savior" and applications to immigrate to Providence going through the roof, Deadpool hired the Fixer to bond benign techno-organic mesh to Cable, saving him although he remains hugely de-powered. [118]

Shortly thereafter, Cable vanished in killing a mutant-hunting beast called the Skornn at the head of a reformed X-Force. [119] Cannonball and Siryn then traveled to Providence with Forge in tow to try and find any trace of him, and whether he survived. At roughly the same time, Deadpool, having been brainwashed by a super villain information broker called the Black Box to kill the "Greatest Threat to Mankind", teleported to Providence to find and kill Cable, who he perceived as the greatest superhuman threat. Subconsciously needing to find Cable in order to fulfill his programming, Deadpool suggested they use his teleportation-link with Cable to find him and Forge constructed a harness to allow the two X-Force members to follow him. [120]

They then proceeded to travel through three alternate worlds, Earth-5701 where Cable had become War ; a horseman of Apocalypse, one where Brother Nathan had succeeded in his messiah-like mission and had become a benevolent dictator (where even mild indigestion was immediately dealt with through outside help), and one where a Phalanx Cable had become the central consciousness of a Phalanx infestation of Earth. [121]

Second Childhood [ ]

Finally, they landed in the House of M reality and found an infant Cable being raised by the marginalized Mister Sinister (HoM) on a farm. Sinister used an extract from Deadpool 's immune system to accelerate Cable's physical development; however, this also caused Cable's powers to almost immediately manifest, and the infant Cable lashed out indiscriminately with his new-found telekinesis. Before Mister Sinister (HoM) could regain control over Cable, Deadpool grabbed the baby and teleported seconds before the world reverted from the House of M reality to the normal Marvel universe. Since the pair were in transit when the reversion occurred, Cable was unaffected and thus was still a child as Deadpool returned with him to Providence .

There, when Forge ran tests and discerned that the child was, in fact, the real Cable, Deadpool's brainwashing kicked in once more and he attempted to kill Cable. Siryn and Cannonball delayed him until Deadpool shot himself in the head. As Cable rapidly aged back into mid-childhood, he read Deadpool's mind and found who had brainwashed him. As X-Force went to confront the Black Box, Cable decided that to he wanted to have his memory restored and to cure Deadpool's brain damage, even though it would once more cost him his powers. He succeeded, although X-Force found only a LMD Black Box at his base and he soon returned to his original age, whereupon his accelerated aging stopped. [122]

Apocalypse's revival and Rumekistan [ ]

Cable also revealed that he was the one responsible for Apocalypse's post House of M revival, stating that the Mutant community needed a powerful threat to Rally against. Believing that the X-Men would inevitably defeat Apocalypse yet again bringing the remaining Mutant community together, Cable judged "the risks worth the rewards". [123]

Cable was active in Rumekistan 's revolution and allied himself with Captain America in opposing the Superhuman Registration Act . [124]

Cable was betrayed and shot in the back of the head by Deadpool in the sewer system of the country of Rumekistan. Cable was left outside of the sewer because, as Deadpool stated "Even I wouldn't leave a guy in a sewer." Cable was found by some of the citizens of the country, who brought him to the main hospital, where he took the power from around himself, returned the electricity to the country (which had been taken out by Deadpool teamed up with Six Pack earlier) and captured the new Six-Pack, sending Deadpool fleeing from his country, imprisoning G.W. Bridge, Solo , Anaconda , and Hammer with the intent on freeing them later, and taking on Domino as his lover once again. [125]

During the Superhuman Civil War, in which certain heroes rebelled against the registration act Cable chose Captain America's side and operated from SHIELD safe-house number 23. He had a meeting with Captain America and offered him sanctuary, but when Captain America refused his offer, he joined his 'Secret Avengers'. He left the Secret Avengers after the death of Goliath. [126]

Rejoining the X-Men [ ]

Cable as an X-Man

Cable rejoined the X-Men as part of a new team that consisted of Rogue , Iceman (Bobby Drake) , Cannonball, Sabretooth , and Mystique . Cable seemingly died when Gambit and Sunfire detonated Providence.

Messiah Complex [ ]

Cable and Hope

Cable actually survived, and resurfaced in possession of the first mutant baby girl to be born after M-Day. The X-Men, Marauders, and Purifiers had been seeking the child. This put Cable in conflict with Bishop, the X-Men, and the new X-Force. In the end Cable convinced Cyclops to allow him to take the baby into the future. Even in the future Bishop was able to track them down, but Cable escaped with the help of a future Sam Guthrie . [127]

Cable took refuge in the future in the secluded safe haven of New Liberty, where Cable got married to a resident named Hope, who later died defending the child. Cable decided to name the child Hope , in honor of her deceased stepmother. [128]

Hope and Cable were separated in time, appearing in the same spot but in different years. When Cable touched down from the spot, he appeared two years after Hope, and was steadily losing control of his body due to the techno-organic virus within him. It altered his appearance so much that Hope didn't register Cable's face. Eventually, Bishop, using his code-name as a way to portray himself as a holy figure, gained on them, and Cable and Hope commandeered the last ship the planet had, the Ensahabnur I, with Cable posing as Stryfe. Cable forced Hope to abandon Emil, the boy who had helped her survive undetected for two years, leaving Hope distraught. Bishop, armed with a thermonuclear device in the stump of his arm, set out to make his own ship, knowing it would only be a matter of time. [129]

At some point during their journey Hope accidentally betrayed Cable and he was imprisoned. Bishop and Emil eventually caught up to Cable and Hope on the last ship to leave earth, Emil under the impression that Cable had kidnapped Hope and Bishop was her true father. Bishop was also armed with a thermonuclear device which he planned to activate as soon as he saw Hope. While Bishop and Emil raided the Ensahabnur I, Emil and Hope were reunited and Hope explained to Emil that Bishop was in fact trying to kill her. [130]

During Bishop's invasion the Brood , attracted to Hope's power, attacked both ships, distracting Bishop. Cable and Bishop both fought the Brood, Cable being swallowed by an Acanti , but escaping by using it's rib as a sword and cutting it's insides, forcing the Acanti to regurgitate him. Hope and Emil made their way to the ships two terraforming pods, which would facilitate their escape. Emil placed Hope in the pod against her will as she refused to leave Cable. As Emil was preparing the second pod Cable appeared and Emil gave the second pod to Cable, sacrificing his own life. After Cable and Hope had left Emil obtained Bishops thermo-nuclear weapon, detonating moments before he could be attacked by a Sleazoid. However Bishop escaped by allowing himself to be absorbed by an Acanti, and two years later he had tracked Hope and Cable in cryosleep within their terraforming pods. [131]

Second Coming [ ]

When the now teenaged Hope wanted to return to the past, Cable reluctantly agreed. They managed to make it back to the present, only to be attacked by Bastion 's Human Council . Hope escaped with Rogue, and Cable fought alongside the X-Men once more.

Cable later sacrificed his life to bring Wolverine and his X-Force team ( Archangel , Cypher , X-23 , and Domino ) to San Francisco in year 2010 by stepping into the time portal that Bastion was using to send his Nimrod Class Sentinels to the aforementioned year (which only allows technological entities to pass through and destroys anything remotely organic) and finally allowing his techno-organic virus to finally and fully infect him. But the strain of holding the portal to bring the team safely home allowed the techno-organic virus to take hold of him causing him to explode and thus killing him, leaving only his left techno-organic arm behind. [132]

Avengers: X-Sanction [ ]

Cable with the Techno-Organic virus

But in fact, Cable had escaped into the future, where he met Blaquesmith , who told him that the world collapsed because the Avengers killed Hope. Together they went to the Avenger's Mansion where they found anti-mutant technology, suggesting that the Avengers had clashed with the X-Men. They then returned to the present in order to hunt the Avengers down to prevent them from killing Hope, before the virus finally consumed Cable. Although he managed to defeat several Avengers, he was eventually taken down and brought to Utopia by Cyclops. There Blaquesmith convinced Hope to cure him which she did by absorbing the virus into herself and destroying it with the Phoenix flames, thus finally curing Cable of the techno-organic virus. On the astral plane Cable made Cyclops promise that he would do whatever it took to protect Hope when the Avengers would come for her, and promised him his help in the coming war. [133]

Cable & X-Force [ ]

After the war between the Avengers and the X-Men, Cable awoke from his coma and left Utopia, leaving Hope a note telling her not to follow him. He tracked down Forge, who had gone mad and was presumed dead, and used his telepathic powers to create a psychic scenario that allowed Forge to repair the damage to his psyche, curing him of his insanity. Cable had begun receiving visions of disasters, and needed Forge as part of a team to stop these events from coming to pass. Along with Forge, Cable also recruited Domino , Doctor Nemesis , and Colossus . [134] After a time Cable went and reassembled an all-new X-Force team to protect the mutant nation and give it a stake in the world after altered humans were taken for usage by Secret Intelligence agencies across the world to be blamed for assassinations and terrorist acts. The new crew members Dayspring had accumulated were Marrow , Fantomex , MeMe , and Psylocke . [135]

Deadpool & Cable: Split Second [ ]

Having had visions of the future again featuring Wade shooting a world renowned scientist in the middle of a crowded street, Cable came upon Deadpool in his subway station abode when he was with his succubus wife, Queen Shiklah . [136] Cable warned him to avoid assassinating Weathers lest he unravel time/space and the universe as a whole. When asked why he should trust the stranger's doom threats, Cable revealed himself stating he's never been wrong before, greatly surprising Wade.

With most if not all of his powers and natural capabilities crippled due to long years of bad road mileage coupled with the loss of his techno-organics, Nate was significantly slower in his fully organic years however, enabling Deadpool to easily subdue him. However, he was adamant in his premonitions received and that was enough for Wade to believe him. While on the stakeout watching over Weathers, Nathan commented that he didn't know who he was anymore; only for Wade to gloatingly state that he was now more popular than Cable used to be in his day. Nathan simply asks how marriage is going for the cloudcuckoolander to which the latter replies all the drawbacks of which ecstatically, saying he also has a daughter now and he couldn't be happier. [137] As both identified their target, Deadpool leapt into action against Cable's wishes only to find trouble with the time stream-hopping assassin Split Second who engaged in mortal combat with Deadpool as Cable noted the culprit's crude Time Pulse Weapon stating the complicity of the situation. [138]

Nathan also noticed he was wearing an equally clunky Time Harness and told Wade to damage it's capacitor to prevent his accessing to the temporal stream. Soon after more brawling Deadpool's gun went off and instead of killing Weathers like he predicted Cable was horrified to find Wade went and executed his youngest son by mistake instead. After grabbing at the assassin resulting in his getting kicked away, he and Wade were shunted back through time nearly 70 seconds just before he started attacking, after another failed attempt in which a pizza boy was killed in Wade's clumsy antics. [138]

After it was suggested that the duo override Spit Second's Temporal Harness and that Wade keep him distracted, the latter retorted what he has been doing, only to repeat the process again. This time Cable remembered how Wade ended up killing someone and went about opening a full-on barrage of laser fire and missiles the very minute Split Second entered the scene only for things to go horribly wrong in some nutty, zany way or another. [139] After setting into the new time zone after the fiftieth time, Deadpool had already worked out how and in what ways the situation would result in disaster and found new ways of neutralizing those disastrous outcomes, only for him to rupture his Harnesses buffers which stabilized the diffusion drift of Chronal Particles which caused a massive temporal feedback as a result. Cable and Deadpool were hurled across the space-time continuum; just after Cable noted the hole in his soul. [140]

Afterwards, Deadpool had a host of numerous time-tossed adventurers where he was tasked by the Temporal Adjudicator to terminate the various incarnations of the now mentally-broken Nathan Summers. Eventually, this culminated in a battle with Loop who ended up taking his place as the Time Variance Authority's chronoagent, due to the localized paradox caused by Split Second's tampering with the time stream crippling Nathan's psyche because of it, sending ripples throughout his own history threatening to unravel the universe as a result. [141]

Wade instead opted to safeguard Cable throughout points of his life in history by preventing his demise which actually opted to heal his chrono-psychic cancer to an extent. Eventually, he ended up in a battle with an older, less grizzled future Cable after dispatching Daryll. Cable had suddenly regained his techno-organic appearance boasting a Psimitar with which he and Split Second traveled back to his future with. [142] After he left the time hopping assassin without his time harness, Nathan traveled back to the future (relatively, his past) for as explained by the Adjudicator; he believed he could fix his illness by setting out to do what Loop should have done but instead chose otherwise. When it became apparent that he had his psionics as well as his T.O parts back, Wade took him into his mind where he mentioned the only way for Cable to be whole again was to stop fighting himself. Back outside, Cable lay dormant as the Time Harness he took started to realign him with various incarnations of himself from across the timestream. With some assistance from Deadpool using some jumper cables to link his time harness with Nathan's to jumpstart the process, the two were returned to their present when and where it all started and the Askani'son paid his respects before heading back to the future to right a wrong that he noticed after some trolling by Deadpool. [142]

Uncanny Avengers [ ]

Back in the future of 2087 where some kind of intervention caused by an invasion force comprising of remnants of the Kree, next to all intelligent life both human and mutant have been all but expunged from the world save but a handful of Inhumans. Noting how desperate the Avengers must have been to include Wade Wilson into their roster, both Cable and his new A.I named Belle headed out towards the past to prevent the failure of the Uncanny Avengers . [143] Making his dramatic entrance whilst dealing with some plant animal chimeras produced from a plague by the Shredded Man , the old soldier assumed command over present members of the Avengers. Not recognizing one of them, he spoke of coming from a future that they 'loused up big time' and that what's happening in Boston eventually overtakes the entire world where he's from and proposed he would be taking up field command position until the crisis was over.

Joining the Avengers Unity Division

Narrowly avoiding some infighting thanks to Deadpool's encouragement to trust his judgement, along with being told that the avengers aren't the usual crowd he was used to commandeering. Nate disclosed what these hybrid creatures were and about how they transmitted the pandemic across the globe, disclosing an enzyme inhibitor to Pietro for him to get synthesized. [144] The group were soon attacked by the culprit behind the incident; the Shredded Man, who unleashed the toxin slowly poisoning the current residence including Rogue, Voodoo and Deadpool.

But he noted how Synapse was immune due to being an Inhuman and ordered her to go after their assailant, to which she begrudgingly complied. After, Quicksilver administered the mass-produced antigen and secured Deadpool some needed munitions and a fan of his exploits to shoot with. Cable had a flash of how Emily's choices would have disastrous consequence while talking with Rogue about the T-cloud, rushing off in her general direction he intercepted her before she could throttle who he found out to be her grandfather. Warning her how much worse things will be if she killed him, Nathan wondered if what he overheard was true, after hearing her reply he presented the Shredded Man with an ultimatum: either call off his Inhuman plague or suffer under a concoction of his that removed Inhuman immunity. When the adversary refused stating he was prepared to die, Cable instead turned the defense mechanism killer on his kin instead. Left without options, Ivan drew back the Terragenesis Plague that he unleashed to save her but dissolved his own being in the process. [145]

Nate did not know what to do with the secret bequeathed to him after his Inhuman companion begged him not to speak of it. Noting her guilt, the other members asked what was eating the young heroine only for Cable to state she would come out with it when she was ready. Back at their headquarters, Nate had a talk with their squad leader Captain America asking if he was staying on or not with the time traveler leaning towards the latter, after hearing Rogers was setting up to track down Red Skull to liberate Xavier's brain. Nathan warmed up to the idea of staying longer to see it through walking off with the rest of the team after a hard fought battle. [145]

He aided the Unity Avengers in chasing after the Red Skull, [146] solving the Pleasant Hill fiasco, [147] and in fighting off an Ultron -possessed Hank Pym . [148]

During the second superhuman Civil War , Cable enlisted the help of mutant villains Sebastian Shaw and Toad to break into a military facility in the search for resources to develop an antidote against the Terrigen Mist poisoning that was affecting millions of mutants. The illegitimacy of this action combined with the involvement of other Unity Squad members like Rogue and Deadpool prompted Captain America to dissolve the team, deeming it a failure. [149]

Cable and the Unity Division later reunited when the Hand took the body of the deceased Bruce Banner and resurrected him as an out-of-control Hulk. Banner was eventually subdued and allowed to return to the afterlife while the Unity Division chose to remain together without Steve Rogers. [150]

The Red Skull eventually made his move against the Avengers Unity Squad, activating a psychic trigger he had implanted on Quicksilver's mind to take control over it and force him to capture his teammates so he could take control of their minds. Cable avoided having his mind taken over by erasing his own consciousness, rendering him comatose for the rest of the situation. [151] With help from fellow telepath Synapse, Cable eventually regained consciousness. [152]

Extermination [ ]

After Cable's younger self discovered that the presence of a group of time-displaced X-Men in the present would bring forth a catastrophic future, he set out to capture and neutralize the young mutant heroes. When the younger Cable targeted the time-displaced young Iceman , the adult Cable tried to protect him. Cable's younger self blamed him for his actions, arguing he neglected his duty. Cable claimed that the young X-Men needed to see what would become of them so they could then return to their proper time with that knowledge and become better. Cable allowed his younger self to get the upper hand, and murder him, [153] declaring that he had become too weak. Cable's body was found by a group of X-Men not long afterwards, including his family, Rachel Grey , his sister from another universe, the time-displaced young Cyclops , and both the time-displaced teenager Jean Grey and his mother, the adult Jean Grey , who all lamented Nathan's death and set out to find his murderer. [35]

Following his death, Deadpool, now the new king of the monsters of Staten Island , dug up his corpse from his grave and put him inside his translucent pool table at Cable's own request. Kid Cable then stole Cable's mechanic arm in order to "help" some Spaceknights to travel back in time and prevent their homeworld of Galador from being destroyed. [154]

Old Man Cable Returns [ ]

After the younger Cable came to terms with the fact that he needed his older self to help defeat Stryfe, he urged the Five to bring his older self back, even though Cyclops didn't want him to. Scott believed he would lose the younger version of his son and wanted him to have a chance at a better life on Krakoa than his older counterpart had. Knowing that the missing babies were about to be sacrificed, and having received Jean's blessing, the younger Cable had the Professor and the Five bring back Cable exactly how he was before his death. [36]

Together with their family, the pair succeeded in foiling Stryfe's plan and killing him. As part of Krakoa's laws against multiple versions of the same person, and in order to safeguard the timestream, the younger Cable returned to the future. [43]

Last Annihilation [ ]

Personality.

Cable is an Alpha Level mutant . [157] He has been stated to be an Omega-Level mutant , [158] [159] though he is not included in the Krakoan list of known Omega-Level mutants . A vastly powerful telepath [160] (he once claimed, before his powers burned out, that he was the world's most powerful telepath), [161] he was classified as an Alpha-Level Telepath , [162] and an Alpha-Level [163] [162] and Omega Level Telekinetic . [164]

As an infant Cable was infected with the Techno-Organic Virus and, for the majority of his life, had to consciously keep the virus in check so that it did not consume more of his organic flesh. [65]

A future Rachel Summers spoke of him in a vision that at his peak he would be a psionic of The Highest Order. [64] She claims his power exceeds hers and other telepaths combined, he could sense a stray thought a continent away, and he could telekinetically "extinguish a star with something less than a conscious effort," but he has to sacrifice his power to combat the Techno-Organic Virus. [64] In the rare instances when he was not preoccupied with staving off his T.O. infection Nathan had shown powerful abilities. [165] [116]

When Cable was de-aged in the House of M event, he had regained his powers along with new powers and abilities but as he re-aged he began losing the majority of his powers shortly after purging Deadpool of certain malignancies. [166]

Eventually, his body was temporarily healed from the virus by Hope Summers , he has demonstrated telepathy since this has happened, it is unknown to what extent or even if any others re-emerge. [133] His telepathy was made to evolve by Blaquesmith and Nathan Summers (Stryfe) (Hope Summers) , using a Deathlok to grant him Precognition . [164] That process was slowly killing him, as this new evolution caused a tumor to form in his mind that was steadily eating away at his psyche and physicality all to allow him far sight of potential disasters before they came to pass. [167] Nowadays it is only powerful enough to permit him a couple minutes to a few seconds insight due to his powers weakening again. [168]

Thanks to his endeavors to stop a tragedy and the eventual curing of a mental time cancer he contracted with Wade's help, Cable's psychic powers were once again restored. [142]

Telepathy : Much like his mother, Cable has inherited the ability to read minds and project the thoughts of others. His telepathy is powerful enough to communicate across dimensional barriers, as he was shown to reach out to Jean while in Otherworld. So far, his telepathic skills include:

• Psychometry : Cable's younger counterpart is able to glean psychometric readings off of objects with tactile contact. [26]
• Illusions : Ability to create realistic telepathic illusions and cause people to experience events which are not actually occurring.
• Telepathic Cloak: Can mask his presence from being detected by others. Can extend these defenses to others around him as well. Cable's abilities can, at times, go undetected or be counteracted by other more powerful telepaths, depending on their level of skill in using their own psi abilities.
• Mind Link: Ability to develop a mental link with any person, which remains as a connection to that individual.
• Telepathic Camouflage: Ability to mask himself and other people's presence from those around him. Can telepathically disguise himself, making his appearance to those around his quite different (changing the appearance of clothing, as well as more involved disguising).
• Mind Control : Ability to control the minds and even voluntary and involuntary bodily functions of sentient beings (such as other humans).
• Mind Trap: Ability to take another person's mind from their body and effectively trapping that mind within his own.
• Mind Possession: Ability to possess the mind of another, and use that beings body as your own.
• Mind Alteration: Ability to alter the minds of others by force of will.
• Mental Amnesia : Ability to cause loss of particular memories and amnesia in another person or even in a group of people.
• Precognition: The ability to foresee events before they have even come to pass.
• Psionic Shield: Ability to erect a psychic shield for protection of himself and of others minds. Cable has proven very difficulty to psychically assail, as he is very well skilled in shielding his own mind from mental-attacks (such as attempts to read, control or harm his own mind), and has been sufficient to protect himself from other psychics. His power was strong enough to break Onslaught 's control over Hulk. [169]
• Psionic Blasts: Can project psionic force bolts which have no physical effects but which can affect a victim's mind, so as to cause the victim pain or unconsciousness and can even kill an adversary. He has used this power to temporarily incapacitate several Avengers, as well as take down Stryfe.
• Astral Projection : Ability to astral travel and communicate with others astrally through his own will or through contact with the thoughts and memories of others. In the Astral Plane , he can use his powers to create "ectoplasmic" objects. Cable has a mastery of astral projection, and is able to remain on his own plane of existence or to traverse into any of the so-called "Astral Planes". [170]
• Mental Detection: Can sense the presence of another superhuman mutant within a large, but as yet undefined radius of himself, by perceiving the distinctive mental radiations emitted by such a being. At his peak, Nathan is strong enough to sense a stray thought a continent away. [171]

Telekinesis : Cable possesses high-level telekinesis [16] enabling him to manipulate matter with the energy of his thoughts. Capable of very fine control over objects, including himself. On larger levels, Cable can levitate great weights, but his upper limit has remained undisclosed. [36] [81] [26] At his peak, Nathan could displace hundreds of tons of matter as he did when lifting and repositioning the sunken space station Graymalkin. [172]

• Transmutation Resistance : While battling with Grey Gargoyle , Cable's virus affliction showed it can be used to repel foreign transmogrification against his person. [175]
• Living Factory : Askani'son learned he can utilize his afflicted condition to produce weapons and gadgets he needs on the fly. [176]
• T.O Infection : On several occasions Nate has used the Transmode Virus to infect and destroy or rewrite a target from the inside out, such his using it against a Nimrod series sentinel in a parallel timeline, [177] and again to revert known supercriminal Paul Duval back to humanoid form. [175]
• Intuitive Aptitude: Can disassemble complex devices explosively (separating every last component, such as screws, nuts, circuit boards, etc.) and, just as quickly, easily assemble complex devices. This also has enabled him to even attain awareness and control over objects as small as individual electrons in an atom. For instance, Cable could detect if a seal was hermetic, or not, by checking for the presence of penetrating oxygen molecules. Can even detect and discern individual oxygen molecules, and determine the atomic weight of molecules, by the amount of atoms present. [178]
• Disintegration : Several times Cable has showcased the ability to disintegrate objects by dissolving their atomic and molecular bonds. [181] When freed of the TO Virus, he's even been able to disintegrate Silver Surfer's board.
• Psionic Spikes: Ability to create destructive psionic spikes that destroy the physical objects that the spikes come into contact with.
• Size Increase : Has used his telekinesis to alter his physical stature to that of a towering giant, similarly to Apocalypse. [182]
• Regeneration and Healing : At the peak of his power as Soldier X, Nathan has showcased vast biological capabilities, such as regenerating himself and/or healing others of malignancies or bodily damage at an accelerated rate, like after getting shot in the head twice as well as healing his body after getting cut through by semi-automatic gunfire. [165] [182]
• Force Field : Ability to create protective force shields that could deflect even the most powerful of attacks (even filter bacteria from the air). The upper limits of this ability remain unknown, but it is believed that he could probably protect himself from harm at the ground zero detonation of a 1 kiloton nuclear warhead (4.18 terajoules of energy from the heat, concussion and radiation effects). Cable has also displayed such control over the fields as to shape them precisely, even to conform very closely to his body’s form. There does not appear to be any correlation between field strength and the thickness of the telekinetic fields. Cable's fields have blocked gunfire, Colossus's punches, and Nate Grey's blasts
• Concussive Blasts : Can project telekinetic energies as powerful blast beams directed from his brain that could apparently affect matter with concussive force. He's very accurate with these blasts, being able to destroy falling rubble with ease.
• Tactile Telekinesis: Cable can use his telekinesis to enhance his already impressive physical practices to superhuman levels, enough to force a reversion of the Hulk to one of his many personas with one blow. He was able to use this power to stagger Apocalypse with telekinetic punches. [183]
• Flight : By levitating himself, he can "fly" for very long distances and at varying speeds. [184] [179]
• Remote Teleportation : So proficient in its use Nathan can warp people away remotely from anywhere across the world. [186]

Time Traveling : Been hinted to have the psionic power to displace himself and others at almost any specific point in the time-stream and then re-emerging in the physical world from as much as a few minutes to years by generating chronal energies. Could apparently travel in astral form as well. Cable used the ability once with assistance and may no longer be capable of doing so. [187]

Cable's Techno-Organic Skeleton

Techno-Organic Physiology: Much of Cable’s body has been infiltrated and altered by the techno-organic virus, which has taken the form of cybernetics and bionics, meaning he is a cyborg. The primary infection resides in Cable’s left side. As a consequence of his telekinetic guidance and his ability to control his own physical substance, Cable’s entire body has been heavily fortified, down to the cellular level, rendering superhuman strength to an unknown degree, as well as a superhuman level of resistance to physical harm. While he was injured in combat with the Hulk, the injuries were not nearly as severe as they should have been, especially in light of the fact that he was suffering from the effects of his techno-organic virus getting out of control. His entire skeletal structure has been replaced by porous, marrow-filled organic metalloid bone replacements that do not interfere with the creation of erythrocytes (red blood cells). [105] [183]

His entire CNS (Central Nervous System) has been augmented by chemical changes down to the atomic level and by bio-computer enhancement, rendering his reaction time far above what is possible for a human being. [188]

While initially purged of his T.O infection which crippled his mutant abilities, he has recently been remade into a fully Techno-Organic being once again. [142] [143]

• Superhuman Endurance: Cable possesses superhuman physical endurance, just as he does superhuman levels of mental endurance. He is capable of exerting himself at peak levels (fighting full-out, sprinting, etc.) for several hours, before fatigue begins to visibly impair his performance. He is also capable of going extended periods of time without sleep, being fully capable of fully resting with not much over an hour of sleep. However, whenever both possible and feasible, Cable still chooses to sleep for hours at a time (approximately 6 – 8), in order to dream. This high endurance has had other effects on his body, making even his soft tissues extremely durable, and more than up to the task of rendering him virtually immune to conventional firearms and conventional firearm munitions.
• Superhuman Speed : In spite of his great size and impressive build, Cable is literally fast enough to evade high-powered bullets in-flight (after they have been fired), and even has the ability to visually track rounds after they have been fired (though they are not easy to see, except through his cybernetic eye). This great speed is also visible in superhuman levels of dexterity and agility, including manual and pedal dexterity.
• Superhuman Dexterity
• Cybernetic Eye: This cybernetic eye permits Cable to see deep into the EM (Electro-Magnetic) spectrum, and far deeper than any known 20th – 21st century technologies are capable of. It is also possible that through this eye, Cable is able to see the deployment of psionic energies, as well as the less exotic spectra of electromagnetic energies. [189]
• Energy Projection : His cybernetic arm can fire energy blasts, deliver electric shocks, and has a finger torch.
• Cybernetic Restoration: Through a combination of his telekinetic abilities, and his ability to rearrange the atomic structures of matter (including his own techno-organic matter), Cable is able to rapidly repair any damaged components within his body. However, if there is widespread damage, this may not be possible, as he may be unable to muster the energy to affect these repairs. When he was attacked by Magneto, and virtually every component in the left side of his body was damaged or destroyed, Cable was left unable to repair enough systems to save his own life, and required outside assistance. [190] It is through these abilities that the physical appearance of his cybernetic components has changed, over the passage of time, as well. At times, they have been articulated, smooth artificial limbs, while at others they have been observed to grow razor-sharp blades on command, as well as retract them. Cable is also able to rapidly redesign and improve his cybernetic and bionic components, thus. On-the-spot improvisations has allowed him to create a variety of microcomputers in his totally mechanized left arm that do such things as allow him to physically interface with exterior computers, up-link/download to computers he has hidden across the world and in space (such as those he had on Graymalkin), and even permit cellular communications and high-speed, broadband, wireless Internet access. [20] [191]

For a time due to having once Bodyslided with Deadpool in tow, Cable was hideously fused to the rambling merc and discovered he had inherited some of wades regenerative abilities. [192]

Regenerative Healing Factor: He possessed a superhuman healing factor derived from that of the mutate Deadpool that Allowing him to regenerate damaged or destroyed bodily tissue with far greater speed and efficiency than an ordinary human. Due to his fusion then fission from Deadpool, Cable is able to heal from injuries such as slashes, puncture wounds, bullet wounds, beheading, and severe burns within moments. His healing factor is significantly strong seeing as he can regrow missing limbs and organs and was able to recover after constantly getting stuck and diffused to Wade every time they teleported Via Body Slide. A beneficial advantage of regeneration is that the altered cancer cells in his system had the effect of suppressing his T.O. infection due to his constant state of regeneration enabling him use of his full potential abilities, unlike wade however Nathans skin wasn't horribly scarred. Worked in conjunction with his psionics Cable could mentally drive his healing factor to a partial extent.

After lobotomizing the mutant power portion of his brain, Cable stated his telepathy and telekinesis had faded to almost nothing and he used the "Infonet" and Cone of Silence to surrogate his powers. [193]

Technopathy : At one time, Cable had a technological link to the "Infonet", which acted as a surrogate for his telepathy—instead of reading minds, he was a cyberpath, able to "read" digital information and broadcasts. Cable also displayed the ability to forcefully link other minds to the Infonet (as he demonstrated against Captain America ). [193]

Cone of Silence: Prototype force-field technology customized, by Fixer and Tony Stark , into a suit, used to simulate telekinesis. [91]

Master Combatant: Cable was a highly accomplished warrior and battle strategist, highly adept in many forms of hand-to-hand combat and in the use of a variety of weaponry from both the modern era and the late 37th-early 39th century .

Gifted Intelligence: Cable has a diploma in law and is also in possession of an education provided by the Clan Askani , which is far in advance of modern era conventional education, especially in the sciences.

Mind's Interconnection: The minds of Cable and Nate Grey are interconnected, causing them great pain when they in close proximity to each other. [195]

Paraphernalia

• Belle: A sentient Artificial Intelligence that he can interact with to better access his chrono skimming abilities and interface with A.I. transmissions within the localized airwaves, through it Cable can also synthesize a type of M-Pox suppressant as well as other complex chemical elements with which to repress other virulent concoctions. [143]
• M-Pox Counter Serum:
• Dominus Objective: (gives him access to the infonet)
• Cone of Silence: (Prototype force-field)

Cable normally carries high-powered plasma rifles, explosives, a pair of knives and grenades as his weapons of choice.

• Psimitar : Since his earliest years Cable has always made use of the psychic focusing lance which combines both his normally hampered telekinetic and telepathic capabilities to create potent force blasts.
• Light of Galador : While on the Arak Maw , Cable found the Light of Galador embedded in the foot of an Arakkoan monster. It had previously belonged to Morn , the first of the Spaceknights . Despite its size, it is said to be lightweight. [26]

Captain America's Shield: In the late 37th-early 39th century, Nathan and Tetherblood lead a squad to obtain Captain America's Shield , which he then bore into many battles and used as a rallying point against Apocalypse .

Transportation

• Professor , X-Men Blackbird , teleport matrix on Providence , Cone of Silence, various aircraft constructed by Graymalkin , S.H.I.E.L.D I.P.A.C., Warlock , and various aircraft constructed by Ship.
• According to X-Men: The Exterminated #1 he was named "Nathan" after his paternal great-grandfather. However, his paternal great-grandfather's name is Philip , not Nathan. It is actually his second name "Christopher" that was given to him in honor of his relatives, but grandfather , instead of great-grandfather.
• Stryfe once claimed he raped Aliya posing as Cable and that Tyler was his son, though this is unsubstantiated. [ citation needed ]
• His left eye glows as an effect related to his mutant powers; quite possibly as a vestigial offshoot of his father's genes. The same trait is also seen in his uncle, Vulcan and his alternate-reality counterpart, Nathaniel Grey (Earth-295) .
• Nathan is technically the person with the longest Krakoan citizenship, having received it in his teen years (and counting his entire life)
• While in Cable & Deadpool , he was able to break the fourth wall as Deadpool, while pretending he didn't. [21]
• According to Sabretooth , Cable smells like Old Spice and gunpowder, which he finds pleasant. [200]
• 747 appearance(s) of Nathan Summers (Earth-616)
• 19 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Nathan Summers (Earth-616)
• 101 minor appearance(s) of Nathan Summers (Earth-616)
• 254 mention(s) of Nathan Summers (Earth-616)
• 16 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Nathan Summers (Earth-616)
• 1223 image(s) of Nathan Summers (Earth-616)
• 92 quotation(s) by or about Nathan Summers (Earth-616)
• 18 victim(s) killed by Nathan Summers (Earth-616)
• 6 item(s) used/owned by Nathan Summers (Earth-616)

Links and References

• Nathan Summers on Marvel.com
• Nathan Summers on Wikipedia.org
• Summers and Grey Family Tree
• Prester John
• uncannyxmen.net Spotlight On... Cable
• X-Pressions: The Secret Origin of Cable Rob Liefeld's original vision for the character
• ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Uncanny X-Men #239
• ↑ X-Men Legends #2
• ↑ X-Men (Vol. 2) #197
• ↑ X-Force (Vol. 5) #3
• ↑ Cable (Vol. 2) #8
• ↑ Extermination #3
• ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Cable & Deadpool #26
• ↑ 8.0 8.1 X-Force (Vol. 5) #6
• ↑ King-Size Cable Spectacular #1
• ↑ 10.0 10.1 X-Force #1
• ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 X-Men (Vol. 2) #190
• ↑ X-Men: Red (Vol. 2) #1
• ↑ 13.0 13.1 Uncanny X-Men #-1
• ↑ X-Force (Vol. 5) #8
• ↑ Cable (Vol. 2) #2
• ↑ 16.0 16.1 X-Men: Declassified #1
• ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 X-Force (Vol. 5) #5
• ↑ X-Factor #51
• ↑ Cable (Vol. 2) #11
• ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Cable - Blood and Metal #2
• ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Cable & Deadpool #19
• ↑ Cable & Deadpool #41
• ↑ Cable & Deadpool #32
• ↑ Cable & Deadpool #33
• ↑ Cable & Deadpool #24
• ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 26.5 Cable (Vol. 4) #1
• ↑ New Warriors Annual #1
• ↑ Cable & Deadpool #31
• ↑ Cable & Deadpool #11
• ↑ Soldier X #1
• ↑ 31.0 31.1 Cable & Deadpool #27
• ↑ 32.0 32.1 X-Force (Vol. 2) #1
• ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 X-Men: Messiah Complex - Mutant Files #1
• ↑ 34.0 34.1 Uncanny X-Men #201
• ↑ 35.0 35.1 Extermination #1
• ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 36.3 Cable (Vol. 4) #11
• ↑ X-Men: Red (Vol. 2) #2
• ↑ X-Men: Red (Vol. 2) #3
• ↑ 39.0 39.1 A.X.E.: Judgment Day #1
• ↑ 40.0 40.1 Uncanny X-Men #241
• ↑ 41.0 41.1 Cable #6
• ↑ 42.0 42.1 X-Men (Vol. 5) #1
• ↑ 43.0 43.1 43.2 Cable (Vol. 4) #12
• ↑ 44.0 44.1 44.2 44.3 X-Force #8
• ↑ Uncanny X-Men #294
• ↑ New Mutants #89
• ↑ New Mutants #100
• ↑ Cable (Vol. 2)
• ↑ Cable:_Reloaded #1
• ↑ Uncanny X-Men #168
• ↑ Uncanny X-Men #175
• ↑ Uncanny X-Men #200
• ↑ X-Factor #13
• ↑ Uncanny X-Men #215
• ↑ Uncanny X-Men #221
• ↑ X-Factor #35 – 38
• ↑ X-Factor #42
• ↑ X-Factor #65 – 68
• ↑ 59.0 59.1 Cable #6 – 8
• ↑ 61.0 61.1 Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix #1
• ↑ Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix #1 – 2
• ↑ Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix #2 – 3
• ↑ 64.0 64.1 64.2 Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix #4
• ↑ 65.0 65.1 65.2 Askani'son #1
• ↑ Askani'son #3
• ↑ Askani'son #4
• ↑ 68.0 68.1 68.2 Uncanny X-Men Annual (Vol. 5) #1
• ↑ 69.0 69.1 Extermination #5
• ↑ 70.0 70.1 Extermination #1 – 5
• ↑ Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 5) #11
• ↑ X-Force (Vol. 5) #4
• ↑ X-Force (Vol. 5) #1
• ↑ 74.0 74.1 X-Force (Vol. 5) #10
• ↑ X-Men (Vol. 5) #2
• ↑ 76.0 76.1 Fallen Angels (Vol. 2) #1
• ↑ Fallen Angels (Vol. 2) #2
• ↑ Fallen Angels (Vol. 2) #3
• ↑ Fallen Angels (Vol. 2) #5
• ↑ Fallen Angels (Vol. 2) #6
• ↑ 81.0 81.1 Cable (Vol. 4) #2
• ↑ Cable (Vol. 4) #3 – 4
• ↑ Spider-Man 2099: Exodus #3
• ↑ 84.0 84.1 Spider-Man 2099: Exodus #5
• ↑ Marauders (Vol. 2) #6
• ↑ 86.0 86.1 Cable #25
• ↑ 87.0 87.1 X-Force #17
• ↑ X-Force (Vol. 2) #2 – 3
• ↑ 91.0 91.1 Cable & Deadpool #25
• ↑ Cable #28 – 30
• ↑ Cable #-1
• ↑ X-Force #20
• ↑ Deadpool & Cable: Split Second #3
• ↑ Cable - Blood and Metal #1
• ↑ 97.0 97.1 Cable - Blood and Metal #1 – 2
• ↑ X-Force #1 – 5
• ↑ X-Force #6 – 9
• ↑ X-Force #11 – 13
• ↑ X-Force #14 – 15
• ↑ X-Force #18
• ↑ Cable #1 – 4
• ↑ X-Force #25
• ↑ 105.0 105.1 105.2 Uncanny X-Men #310
• ↑ Wolverine (Vol. 2) #100
• ↑ Uncanny X-Men Annual #1996
• ↑ Cable #58
• ↑ Cable #63
• ↑ Uncanny X-Men #389
• ↑ X-Men: The Search for Cyclops #1
• ↑ Cable #92 – 95
• ↑ Cable #100
• ↑ Cable #101 – 107
• ↑ Cable & Deadpool #1 – 6
• ↑ 116.0 116.1 Cable & Deadpool #7
• ↑ Cable & Deadpool #7 – 10
• ↑ Cable & Deadpool #11 – 12
• ↑ X-Force (Vol. 2) #1 – 6
• ↑ Cable & Deadpool #15
• ↑ Cable & Deadpool #16 – 17
• ↑ Cable & Deadpool #18 – 19
• ↑ Cable & Deadpool #26 – 27
• ↑ Cable & Deadpool #30
• ↑ Cable & Deadpool #33 – 34
• ↑ Civil War #4
• ↑ Cable (Vol. 2) #1 – 5
• ↑ Cable (Vol. 2) #7 – 10
• ↑ Cable (Vol. 2) #16 – 17
• ↑ Cable (Vol. 2) #18
• ↑ Cable (Vol. 2) #18 – 21
• ↑ 132.0 132.1 X-Force (Vol. 3) #28
• ↑ 133.0 133.1 Avengers: X-Sanction #4
• ↑ Cable and X-Force #1
• ↑ X-Force (Vol. 4) #1
• ↑ Deadpool & Cable: Split Second Infinite Comic #1
• ↑ Deadpool & Cable: Split Second Infinite Comic #2
• ↑ 138.0 138.1 Deadpool & Cable: Split Second #1
• ↑ Deadpool & Cable: Split Second Infinite Comic #3
• ↑ Deadpool & Cable: Split Second #2
• ↑ Deadpool & Cable: Split Second Infinite Comic #4
• ↑ 142.0 142.1 142.2 142.3 Deadpool & Cable: Split Second Infinite Comic #6
• ↑ 143.0 143.1 143.2 Uncanny Avengers (Vol. 3) #2
• ↑ Uncanny Avengers (Vol. 3) #3
• ↑ 145.0 145.1 Uncanny Avengers (Vol. 3) #4
• ↑ Uncanny Avengers (Vol. 3) #5
• ↑ Uncanny Avengers (Vol. 3) #7 – 9
• ↑ Uncanny Avengers (Vol. 3) #10 – 12
• ↑ Uncanny Avengers (Vol. 3) #13 – 14
• ↑ Uncanny Avengers (Vol. 3) #15 – 17
• ↑ Uncanny Avengers (Vol. 3) #18 – 19
• ↑ Uncanny Avengers (Vol. 3) #23
• ↑ Cable (Vol. 4) #4
• ↑ Cable (Vol. 4) #3
• ↑ Cable: Reloaded #1
• ↑ X-Men (Vol. 5) #1 – 2
• ↑ X-Men (Vol. 2) #97
• ↑ Uncanny Avengers (Vol. 3) #19
• ↑ Cable #159
• ↑ Astonishing X-Men (Vol. 2) #3
• ↑ Cable & Deadpool #22
• ↑ 162.0 162.1 Cable #61
• ↑ Cable #60
• ↑ 164.0 164.1 Cable and X-Force #14
• ↑ 165.0 165.1 Cable #102
• ↑ Cable & Deadpool #18
• ↑ Cable and X-Force #1 – 2
• ↑ X-Force (Vol. 4) #2
• ↑ Incredible Hulk #444
• ↑ Cable #36
• ↑ Cable & Deadpool #8
• ↑ Cable & Deadpool #7 – 8
• ↑ Cable #10
• ↑ Cable #11
• ↑ 175.0 175.1 Cable (Vol. 5) #2
• ↑ Cable (Vol. 5) #1 – 2
• ↑ Cable #155
• ↑ Cable & Deadpool #1 – 3
• ↑ 179.0 179.1 Cable #107
• ↑ Soldier X #6 – 7
• ↑ Soldier X #7
• ↑ 182.0 182.1 Soldier X #6
• ↑ 183.0 183.1 Cable #34
• ↑ Soldier X #3
• ↑ Soldier X #5
• ↑ Cable & Deadpool #9
• ↑ Uncanny X-Men #321
• ↑ Askani'son #1 – 2
• ↑ Cable #97
• ↑ X-Force #25 – 26
• ↑ X-Force #36
• ↑ Cable & Deadpool #1
• ↑ 193.0 193.1 Cable & Deadpool #23 – 25
• ↑ X-Force (Vol. 4) #6
• ↑ Cable #30
• ↑ Cable (Vol. 2) #17
• ↑ Cable and X-Force #10
• ↑ 198.0 198.1 X-Factor #37
• ↑ X-Factor #35
• ↑ Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 4) #2
• ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #2
• ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol 1 2
• 1 Peter Parker (Earth-616)
• 2 Mutant Power Level Classification
• 3 James Howlett (Earth-616)

• Entertainment
• Breaking Down the Complicated Time Travel in <i>Avengers: Endgame</i>

Breaking Down the Complicated Time Travel in Avengers: Endgame

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Avengers: Endgame .

At the end of Avengers: Infinity War , Thanos uses powerful gems called Infinity Stones to snap his fingers and destroy half of all life in the universe. At the beginning of its follow-up film Avengers: Endgame , the Avengers hunt down Thanos and try to take the Infinity Stones back to undo the damage. Unfortunately for them, Thanos has already destroyed the Stones. There is nothing they can do.

Fast forward five years. A rat happens to crawl over a machine that allows people to travel through the Quantum Realm and accidentally releases Ant-Man (Paul Rudd). He’s been stuck in the Quantum Realm for half a decade, even though it feels to him as if only five minutes have passed. Ant-Man rushes to Avengers headquarters to tell his fellow superheroes that they can travel back in time and collect all the Infinity Stones.

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) agrees to work on a machine that would allow the Avengers to time travel — on one condition. He has started a family in the last five years and thus does not want to alter recent history in any way. Instead of trying to rewind time once they have the Time Stone and undo everything that has happened in the last five years, they decide to use the Infinity Stones to bring back everyone who disappeared in this current timeline, five years later. That way, Tony can preserve his daughter’s life, while saving dusted characters like Spider-Man (Tom Holland).

If you’re already confused, well, we’re just getting started. Time travel in pop culture can get rather tricky. Just ask J.K. Rowling, who destroyed all the Time Turners in Harry Potter just to avoid dealing with time-loop-related plot holes. Avengers: Endgame tries to side step these problems by establishing certain time travel rules. It’s complicated, so bear with me.

The Avengers time travel through the Quantum Realm

Ant-Man theorizes that because he was able to jump forward five years in what felt like five minutes, the Avengers could travel back in very little time. They use Pym Particles (created by his mentor Hank Pym before he disappeared in the snap) to shrink to subatomic size and enter the Quantum Realm. Tony just has to mess around with some of the technology for a day and ta-da! He’s solved the problem of how to control where they land in time using tiny little watches. Anyway, back to the plot.

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They decide to split up and visit a few spots to intercept the Infinity Stones. Captain America (Chris Evans), Iron Man, Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Ant-Man travel to New York in 2012 when both the Mind Stone and the Space Stone (then known as the Tessearact ) were in Loki’s (Tom Hiddleston) possession during the Battle of New York and the Time Stone resided at the Sanctum Sanctorum in the same city.

Iron Man and Ant-Man flub stealing the Space Stone (Loki gets away with it), so then Captain America and Iron Man travel further back in time to a military lab in New Jersey in 1970 to steal it from Tony’s father’s lab. They also grab more Pym particles from Pym’s lab while they’re at it.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Rocket (Bradley Cooper) travel to Asgard in 2013 where the The Reality Stone resides inside Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). Nebula (Karen Gillan) and James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) travel to Morag in 2014, where Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) found the Power Stone. And Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) travel to Vormir in that same time period to find the Soul Stone.

What the Avengers do in the past won’t affect the future in their timeline

Let’s say they steal the Space Stone from Tony Stark’s father in 1970. Doesn’t that mean that Tony Stark’s father was never able to study the Stone, thus he never creates the Arc Reactor technology that Tony later uses to power the Iron Man suit? And Iron Man is never born? This is basically a version of the Grandfather Paradox of time travel: Travel back in time to kill your grandfather, and then you are never born — hence you are unable to kill your grandfather.

Well, not in this movie! This movie version of time travel isn’t quite what most moviegoers are used to. For example, the rules of the butterfly effect where changing one tiny aspect of the past will alter the future in unpredictable ways — think Back to the Future or this famous Simpsons episode — aren’t in place.

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Nor is there a time loop. For example, in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the characters who travel back through time know exactly what they need to do in the past because it’s already happened in the future. (For example, future Harry and Hermione know they have to hit their past selves with rocks because they already felt themselves being hit with rocks at the time.) They also know they will tear apart their world if they diverge from that strict plan.

If the Avengers change something in the past, they create a parallel timeline

Time travel in Avengers: Endgame is based on a popular time travel theory in the field of quantum physics. At one point, Iron Man even drops the name David Deutsch — that’s the guy who came up with the “Many Worlds Theory” or “Multiverse Theory.” Basically, he argues that the place we conceive of as our universe is just one of many parallel universes. And if you change something in the past, you create a new timeline, branching out from the original timeline. So nothing they do in the past affects their main timeline.

For example, in the original timeline, Loki was captured and taken to Asgard by Thor in 2012. In Endgame , the 2023 Avengers accidentally facilitate Loki’s escape with the Tesseract (the Space Stone). But when they travel back to the future, Loki hasn’t used the Stone to wreak havoc for a decade. That all happened in a separate timeline. This logic eliminates the option of simply traveling back in time and killing Thanos as a baby, as Rhodes suggests, because it would not change their future, only an alternate universe.

But they have to return the Infinity Stones to their original places

The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) insists that in order to maintain the reality of each universe that they visit, the Avengers need to return the Infinity Stones to the places they found them after they are done using them. It’s fine if they create separate timelines, but if they deprive one timeline of the gems that maintain its reality, then they essentially break that timeline. Captain America does return all the stones at the end of the movie. (He also returns Mjolnir, the hammer that Thor took from Asgard, back to Thor’s home planet for the same reason.)

Nebula can kill her past self and still survive

The movie contains an extreme example of why parallel timelines are different from the butterfly effect. Toward the end of Endgame , the new, good Nebula (Karen Gillan) from 2023 shoots and kills old, evil Nebula from 2014. And though you might expect 2023 Nebula to start bleeding out or disappear, she’s completely fine. That’s because when 2014 Nebula traveled to the future on Thanos’ orders, she created a split timeline. Thus these are two different Nebulas who exist on two different timelines. What happens to one does not directly affect the other.

Captain America was married to Peggy all along

Remember when I said earlier that there were no time loops? That’s not entirely true. There is one time loop that seems to work differently from time travel in the rest of the movie. I don’t know why. It just does.

Mid-way through the movie, Hulk promises the Ancient One that he will return the Infinity Stones to their original places in space and time. At the end of the movie, Captain America goes back in time to do this. But instead of returning after five seconds, like he agreed upon with Hulk, he stays in the past.

A few seconds later, Bucky and Sam (Anthony Mackie) see an old Captain America sitting on a nearby bench. We see in a flashback that after returning the Infinity Stones, he goes back to live out a quiet life with Peggy. We see them dancing together in their shared home.

According the logic of the movie, Captain America didn’t actually create a new timeline. If he did, he wouldn’t have been able to return to that same bench. He just lived out what had always happened to him. He was always married to Peggy (Hayley Atwell).

Back in Captain America: Winter Soldier, Peggy mentions a husband, though she never reveals his name. In a video that plays on a loop at the Captain America exhibit, Peggy says, “[Steve Rogers] saved 1,000 men, including the man who would become my husband, as it turned out. Even after he died, Steve is still changing my life.” She looks down after saying this, perhaps evasive — probably because said husband was, in fact, Steve.

Later, when Steve visits her hospital bed, we see pictures of children but none of her husband — presumably because that would give away who her husband was. Tellingly, Peggy says in that scene that “none of us can go back.” She then forgets that Steve is there — because at that point, she’s suffering from Alzheimer’s — and exclaims, “You came back!” He replies, “I couldn’t leave my best girl. Not when she owes me a dance.” Likely this is a parallel to the off-screen reunion that happens when Steve travels back in time to find Peggy.

As long as Steve maintained his false identity and didn’t interfere with anything in the past that would bring the Avengers to their fight with Thanos (like saving Bucky from being brainwashed by HYDRA) the timeline stays stable. The other version of Steve still wakes up in 2012 after being frozen during World War II and still joins the Avengers. Older Steve watches on from afar. It’s unclear whether the two Steves would have encountered one another at Peggy’s funeral: They were both alive when it happened during Captain America: Civil War , but perhaps they were both there and the younger version simply didn’t recognize the older version or his fake moniker.

Everything happened the way it did because it had to, according to Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange suggests in Infinity War that the Avengers could only beat Thanos in one possible future out of millions. In Avengers: Endgame , he tells Tony Stark, “If I tell you what happens, it won’t happen.” Given that the Avengers defeat Thanos at the end of the battle (and Doctor Strange not-so-subtly flashes one finger at Iron Man during the fight), we know that we are seeing that one single future in which the Avengers defeat Thanos.

Knowing that, old Steve would resist meddling in the Avengers’ affairs so that they would eventually win their fight against the big purple baddie.

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10 Best time-travelling superheroes of all time

Get confused in time with these best time-travelling superheroes ever

Time travel is having something of a moment in current superhero media, and that's not just because Avengers: Endgame  used time travel as a key plot device. But none of that would be possible without the help of the best time-travelling superheroes of all time.

So what better time than now to look at the best time-travelling superheroes ever?

10. Waverider

The almost-forgotten hero from the alternate timeline of DC Comics ' 1991 event Armageddon 2001, Matthew Ryder escaped a dystopian dictator and certain death by traveling into the past with the ability to "read" potential futures of people just by touching them.

Unfortunately, while he prevented his future from happening, he did so by accidentally causing the creation of his dictator nemesis a decade early, setting in motion events that led to the Zero Hour crossover years later.

In recent years, Waverider has returned in spirit as the namesake of Rip Hunter's time ship in DC's Legends of Tomorrow - a unique live-action transition, to say the least.

9. Iron Lad

The Young Avengers' first leader sought to balance the scales for things that he'd do later in life - time travel can get weird, when it comes to cause and effect, remember - by adopting the guise of Iron Lad before he grew up to become the villainous Kang the Conqueror.

As Iron Lad, he managed to lead the team's short-lived first incarnation before fate - or the time-traveling equivalent - asserted itself, taking him to his destiny as one of the Avengers' most famous, and most deadly, foes. His career may not have been the longest, but his aim was true…

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8. Deathlok

The original Deathlok was Luther Manning, a man from the post-apocalyptic future world of 1990 - well, he was created in 1974 — who traveled back to the present to find himself teaming up with the Thing and Nick Fury (after earlier clashes, of course) to try and undo the world from which he came.

Since most of us will recall that 1990 was not the year society collapsed into dystopian ruin, we'll have to assume he succeeded.

Good job Deathlok!

7. Guardians of the Galaxy

No, not the current team, but the original 1969 lineup which decided to try and save the world of the 31st century by travelling back to our time and recruiting some more heroes to the cause.

Along the way, they had numerous chances to accidentally screw up things, but always managed to avoid it - even when that meant avoiding spilling the beans to Vance Astrovik, the future New Warrior known as Justice, that one of their members was… Well, an alternate version of himself. All that and they defeated the Badoon invasion that was the reason behind their formation.

Members of this version of the team even appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, with writer/director James Gunn pointing to the potential of future film stories featuring the characters.

One of the two most time-travel-y X-Men, Lucas Bishop didn't really intend to be a time traveler; instead, it was more a matter of doing his job as one of the XSE (Xavier's Security Enforcers) and following a bad guy through a time portal.

Like Rachel Summers, he watched as the future he'd arrived from became more and more likely, but unlike Rachel, he decided to do something about it… Namely, try and kill Hope, even if that meant traveling through time again and hunting down Cable to make sure it happened (actions that got him on our time-traveling villains list, as well). He failed, of course, and realigned himself with the X-Men once again.

5. Green Lantern

What's that? You don't tend to think of Green Lantern as a time-traveler? Clearly, you've never heard of Pol Manning, Earth's Greatest Hero in the year 5700 — better known, perhaps, as Hal Jordan. The surreal existence of Manning is one of the stranger pieces of Green Lantern lore: When in need of a hero to save the world, the governments of the Earth of 5700 would simply kidnap Jordan from his own time, wipe his memory and give him the temporary (fictional) identity of Manning before returning him to his rightful time, place and mindset.

Sure, Jordan may not have been in control of - or even fully aware of - his time traveling double life, but that doesn't mean that he didn't serve as a Time Cop as well as a Space Cop when the situation demanded it.

4. The Flash

With the creation of the wonderfully-named Cosmic Treadmill, The Flash mythos gained a whole new dimension as the speedy superhero was suddenly given the ability to travel through time, meaning that his adventures could take place any when as well as any where.

Of course, it was only a matter of time before this ability would end up being exploited in the wrong way, leading to a butterfly effect mix up that created Flashpoint and the New 52, but for that brief period before everything went wrong, the Flash could be relied upon to clean up messes all through time.

Time travel has even played a significant role as a plot element in CW's The Flash too.

3. Superboy

For a teen who'd grow up to become the world's greatest superhero, it's almost disappointing to discover that it took three time-traveling teens from the 30th (later, 31st) century to introduce Clark Kent to the mysteries of the timestream.

Once the Legion of Super-Heroes entered his life, Superboy became a regular passenger on the cross-time express, either by Time Bubble or under his own steam but somehow always managing to stay away from any knowledge of his future self's actions, which may end up being his most impressive feat, considering just what Superman ended up accomplishing during his long career.

Now, the current Superboy, Jon Kent, looks to be the latest inheritor of the mantle to adventure alongside the Legion of Super-Heroes.

To try and get into the reasoning behind Cable and his various time-travel escapades would be both exhausting and confusing, so let's just leave it at this: At no point during his entire decades-long career as the X-Men family's favorite techno-organic enforcer has he managed to entirely undo the time stream by needlessly slaughtering another superhero, even with the amount of heavy artillery he carries around at all times.

Cable was played by Josh Brolin in Deadpool 2, a movie that hinged on his time-traveling nature (and provided the fuel for an all-time-classic mid-credits stinger scene).

1. Booster Gold

Perhaps comic books' top time-traveling superhero, Booster Gold may have started off his superheroic career with one simple time jump, but since then, he's teamed with Rip Hunter - who may or may not have been Booster's son - to protect the timestream from unwanted changes, only to fall victim to the rewriting of all DCU history via the New 52, where he's traveled into the past to meet Jonah Hex, and later went back to the future as part of Justice League 3001.

Booster recently returned to the DC Universe as part of Heroes In Crisis - another story in which time travel played a role. He'll next appear in the era-spanning Legion of Super-Heroes: Millennium this September.

It might be dangerous, but is time travel one of the most useful super powers ?

I've been Newsarama's resident Marvel Comics expert and general comic book historian since 2011. I've also been the on-site reporter at most major comic conventions such as Comic-Con International: San Diego, New York Comic Con, and C2E2. Outside of comic journalism, I am the artist of many weird pictures, and the guitarist of many heavy riffs. (They/Them)

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Top 10 Superheroes That Can Time Travel (Marvel and DC)

Wouldn’t it be nice to be one of the many superheroes that can time travel? I mean, wouldn’t it be amazing to move forward and backward through time at your leisure? You know, to set up or change history how you see fit. Although in our world this isn’t possible, in the world of comic books, it’s very possible. There are a select few superheroes that can time travel as they see fit.

They can prevent catastrophes from happening, stop massacres before they are even a thought, and change the course of history without so much as blinking an eye. But who are they? In the world of comics, who are the “time travel” superheroes?

10. Bill and Ted

Depending on your definition of a superhero, Bill and Ted might just fit this list. The movie sees the duo meet future versions of themselves. If this sounds confusing, let me explain. Bill and Ted are the founders of the metal band Wyld Stallyns and as the founders are responsible for creating a utopian future built around the band. Sadly, Ted’s father doesn’t see merit in their pursuit of music and threatens to send him to military school should he flunk history.

Fearful over losing their utopian future, the character Rufus is sent back through time to aid the two in school. Unwilling to believe Rufus is from the future, Bill and Ted from the future also travel back to the past as proof. Look, I know it’s a stretch to think of Bill and Ted as superheroes, but you know what? Without them and their music, the future wouldn’t be what it is. Therefore, traveling back to ensure its survival makes Bill and Ted a lock for this superheroes that can time travel list.

9. Doctor Strange

The Dr. Strange reference is a little different than the other references you’ll see on this list. And how? Simple. Most other characters will reference the comics. Dr. Strange will reference the movies. Inside the MCU, Dr. Strange possesses the Time Stone. The Time Stone, of course, allows the user to manipulate time.

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In the first Dr. Strange movie, Strange uses the Stone to undo the mess that Kaecilius had created. Basically, he used it to rewind time and bring the world back to how it was before Kaecilius called upon Dormammu. The scene I refer to is both impressive looking and impressive thinking. 

8. Deathlok

Like almost every other time-traveling character on this list, Deathlok is from a post-apocalyptic future that nobody would ever send a postcard from. Unlike most other characters on this list, Deathlok was created in the mid-1970s. This means that he is one of the original time – traveling heroes who come back to change their own future.

The first version of Deathlok was an American soldier who was fatally injured and then reanimated as a participant in the Deathlok project. What makes Deathlok so interesting as compared to so many others is that his battle is not only with those responsible for his future. In addition to fighting those responsible for his future, as a cyborg, he also struggles to maintain a portion of his own humanity. 

7. Waverider

Created by Dan Jurgens and Archie Goodwin, Waverider is a DC time traveler who first appeared in 1991. As a time traveler, Waverider is capable of traveling time at will and predicting with accuracy a person ‘ s future by simply touching them.

Waverider hails from a future not worth ta l king about. When he received his power to travel time, he left his world and landed in the present day. Once in the present day, he successfully prevented his terrible future from happening. Sadly, as a by-product of doing this, he inadvertently set off a series of events that led to the Zero Hour event a few years later.

Next to Cable, in the massive history of X-Men superheroes that can time travel, none are as known as Bishop. In fact, he’s so well-known that he was included in the 2014s Days of Future Past movie.

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Bishop comes from a terrible future where mutants are hunted for being, well, mutants. As a mutant from the future, Bishop wants nothing more than to prevent his future from happening. To do this, he travels back to the present day. Once in the present day, he takes to the side of Charles Xavier as a bodyguard. On the side of Xavier, he becomes a literal reminder of what the future holds should the X-Men fail.

5. Green Lantern

If you didn’t know that the Green Lanterns actually possess the ability to travel through time, you’re probably not alone. Although all Green Lanterns can do it, most choose not to because of the sheer amount of willpower it takes to do so. Alas, they can and that’s precisely why they’re on this superheroes that can time travel list.

Take Hal Jordan for example. In a story that saw him take the name Pol Manning, Hal is brought through time to the future to help bring down a government. Even though he didn’t immediately remember traveling through time, Hal Jordan did do it and therefore his inclusion on this list took very little thought.

4. Iron Lad

Iron Lad is a newer character in the comic book world. First appearing in Young Avengers #1 back in 2005, Iron Lad looked to be an integral part o this version of the Avengers. Unfortunately, as it was later revealed, Iron Lad turned out to be a young version of Kang The Conqueror. 

As Iron Lad, Kang looked to set his own future up perfectly. This meant that he sought to create perfect alignment for everything that he was to do later in life. It became complicated for Kang after Iron Lad realized that he didn’t want to become the villainous version of himself that the future holds. 

3. The Flash 

As one of the fastest and most powerful characters in all of comics , it comes as no surprise that The Flash makes this list. 

The Flash is able to travel through time with the help of his aptly named Cosmic Treadmill . This means that he is able to help or hinder any moment in time as quickly as he can get to Mach Speed. And he has. 

The Cosmic Treadmill has helped him in altering the timeline in both Flashpoint and Crisis on Infinite Earths. These events, as you well know, changed the course of DC’s history forever. 

2. Booster Gold

If you don’t know who Booster Gold is, allow me a moment to explain. Booster Gold is literally a hero from the future who travels back in time (with the knowledge of what’s about to happen) to prevent crimes that are about to happen. And he does this so he can reap the glory and accolades that come with it. If it sounds underhanded, shady, and slightly amusing, it’s because it kind of is.

Booster Gold possesses no inherent powers . Instead, he uses retired superhero equipment from days gone by to fight his battles. Of them, the most notable i s Rip Hunter’s Time Sphere, a Legion Flight Ring, Brainiac 5’s Force Field Belt, and a Power Suit. Shady tactics aside, Booster Gold is one of the most famous superheroes that can time travel. 

1. Cable 

Speaking of famous superheroes that can time travel….Of the many mutants who fall under the X-Men umbrella, Cable is one of the most popular and important. Cable is the offspring of Scott Summers and Madelyne Pryor. When he was born, he was immediately sent to the future by his parents.

And why? They feared that if he stayed Apocalypse would hunt him down and kill him. And why? Apocalypse feared that Cable was the mutant responsible for bringing him down. 

Because Cable is from the future, he knows exactly how and why things have happened. As such, it’s his mission to return to present-day in an effort to stop all that causes his dystopian future. 

Images © DC / Marvel / Boom!

I am a family man first and foremost. Everything that I do is for my family. They keep me focused and moving forward. I grew up loving comics, this hasn't changed and on occasion, I wonder if my wife thinks I'll never grow up. I hope you enjoy your stay at comicbasics.com.

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You need to watch the most unique time-travel epic ASAP

This Marvel movie doesn’t need any more recognition, but its handling of time travel is frankly remarkable.

The most startling thing about Avengers: Endgame isn’t its victorious finale but its touching portrait of defeat.

Still one of the highest-grossing movies of all time three years later — at $2.798 billion, it is second behind James Cameron’s Avatar — Avengers: Endgame is surprisingly thoughtful and intimate at times, no matter how inconceivably massive the action is. Trying to bill the movie as a moving drama to Oscar voters was frankly hilarious, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have merit as one.

This has been a weird preamble to discuss the movie’s most out-there science fiction element: Time travel. Endgame is not just a crazy superhero crossover but a time-travel odyssey. Marvel’s ensemble of heroes — some entirely in CG — disperse throughout Marvel’s canonical history to pluck out some extra Infinity Stones to fix what they’ve broken. But one could argue that the movie’s willingness to travel back in its own time as a metaphor for self-examination makes Endgame one of the most truthful and authentically human movies in the entire Marvel canon.

For Inverse’s special issue on time travel, Avengers: Endgame is perhaps the best sci-fi movie in the time travel canon you can revisit right now on Disney+.

THE RULES OF TIME TRAVEL is an Inverse special issue exploring the evolution of science fiction's most imaginative sub-genre. From Marty McFly to Avengers: Endgame .

Avengers: Endgame is a big, unwieldy movie, even without the time travel. But somehow, the time travel element is maybe the best and most thought-out part.

Directors Joe and Anthony Russo and screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely begin Endgame with a simple question: Where did we go wrong?

Picking up from the previous Avengers film, the heroes make a desperate final play to move on Thanos (Josh Brolin). But when they find him, he’s not the imposing warlord they know him to be. He’s living like the Dexter finale, alone on a farm, making stew from ingredients he grows. Thanos has also destroyed the Infinity Stones. He achieved his mission and ensured no one else could use the stones. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) beheads Thanos in a hasty moment, an act that will haunt him for at least the next five years.

The Avengers spend the next half-decade wallowing and dealing with the fallout in their individual ways. It isn’t until a rat serendipitously brings back Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) that the Avengers discover the quantum realm, and an impossible solution — traveling in time — to undo the destruction Thanos left behind.

The brilliance of Endgame isn’t merely using time travel as a means for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to high-five itself and revisit memorable corners. Nor is it how it allowed the Avengers to probe themselves, both in their wins as a superhero team and losses as individual people. Instead, it’s how Endgame interpreted time travel that makes it distinct.

Endgame was a victory lap through memory lane for the MCU, but its trip was thoughtful and careful, not braggadocious.

In subverting expectations established by literally every other sci-fi movie ever made — observe Rhodey (Don Cheadle) count them all — Endgame asks the audience to accept it on its own terms, not the preconceived notions of how this genre is supposed to work.

“If you travel to the past,” a breathless Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) explains, having synergized his big brain into the Hulk’s big green bod, “that past becomes your future. And your former present becomes the past. Which can’t now be changed by your new future.”

It’s a clumsy explanation, but apparently, the science checks out.

Sean Carroll, Research Professor of Physics at the California Institute of Technology, author of the nonfiction science books Something Deeply Hidden and From Eternity to Here , and host of the science podcast Mindscape , was one of several consultants for Avengers: Endgame . I spoke to him recently for a story about the multiverse , but along the way, Endgame came up, and Carroll jokingly took full responsibility for the movie’s understanding of time travel.

“So you’re saying Back to the Future is just bullshit?”

“I don’t claim too much credit,” Caroll told Inverse , acknowledging Marvel Studios had other experts to weigh in on the scripts, “but what we talked about is how time travel works.”

He continues: “If you go to the past and mess around with it, what are the effects? The law I tried to push was its simplest and most coherent. If you can go to the past and do things, you're not actually changing the past. Whatever you did back there in the past happened already, even though you don't know because it's in the past.”

Carroll said he “very strongly argued against the Back to the Future kind of time travel,” which famously popularized an idea of time travel via disappearing in a photograph. “That just makes no logical sense whatsoever,” Carroll says.

So, even in a world where there are talking raccoons and gamma radiation results in swole green biceps, Carroll insisted on grounding something in some scientific logic. “If you watch Endgame and they’re talking about time travel, and Paul Rudd says, ‘So you’re saying Back to the Future is just bullshit?’ That was my fault.”

Avengers: Endgame is a juggernaut movie, but it’s arguably underrated in the realm of time travel movies.

Avengers: Endgame is one of the biggest movies of all time, with a climax so inconceivably huge that I still can’t believe it was ever done all these years later. That the movie still works as a movie about coping with failure is all the more astonishing. I cannot say enough good things about the first hour of Endgame , which is endlessly rewatchable and maybe the first time the MCU’s dull gray and brown color palettes are actually appropriate.

But Endgame doesn’t get nearly enough praise as a time travel movie, one that’s willing to play by its own rules as informed by some actual science. That might not make it as influential as Back to the Future. But in charting its own way, Marvel decides its own future, rather than relying on what was done in the past.

Avengers: Endgame is now streaming on Disney+.

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First Marvel Heroes To Travel Through Time

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10 funniest the far side comics, jean grey's history with death, resurrection and the phoenix force, explained.

Time travel can be messy. It can also be the core of a very entertaining story. In Marvel Comics , time travel has very definite rules. When traveling back in time, one goes to an alternate past that diverges the instant the time traveler arrives. When traveling into the future, the traveler goes to one of many possible futures.

RELATED: First DC Heroes To Travel Through Time

Editor Mark Gruenwald put the rules into writing. He established that paradoxes couldn't exist because of the nature of Marvel's laws of time travel. The first heroes to travel through time may not have realized this until much later. Even in the present, less intelligent characters don't completely understand how time travel works.

10 Blonde Phantom Was Kidnapped To The 30th Century

Blonde phantom #21 (1949) by al gabriele & harry sahle.

In Blonde Phantom #21 , Louise Grant, the Blonde Phantom, was at a "future fair" exhibit by an eccentric millionaire, Mr. Kall. Mr. Kall was from the future and used the fair to kidnap many people from the past and take them to the 30th century. There, the future people put the kidnapped people from 1949 in a zoo for an exhibit on primitive humans.

The Blonde Phantom escaped and confronted the leader of the 30th-century world. She overpowered him with hypnosis and her stronger will. She forced him to free the kidnapped people from 1949 and send them home. She also took him back as her prisoner.

9 Captain America Chased A Robot Through Time

Captain america #73 (1949) by ken bald.

It's a commonly-known retcon that the Captain America in stories published after WWII is not the original. That means that this particular Captain America is a separate hero from Steve Rogers. He does hold the notoriety of being the first Captain America to travel through time, drawn by Golden Age artist Ken Bald.

RELATED: 10 Jokes From The Golden Age Of Marvel Comics That Wouldn't Be Printed Today

Cap and his friend Alan Tremont chase an evil doctor named Wolf Turber who's abducted Alan's sister. They end up chasing Turber through time. Turber is looking to conquer another time and rule it with Alan's sister as his queen. Captain America overpowers Turber in the far-distant future, revealing him as a 31st-century robot.

8 Mister Fantastic, Human Torch, And The Thing Created The Legend Of Blackbeard

Fantastic four #5 (1962) by stan lee, jack kirby, joe sinnott & stan goldberg.

The first time-travel story of the Silver Age introduces the most used method of time travel in Marvel Comics. Doctor Doom's time machine is the invention that marks him as one of the leading intellects in the Marvel Universe.

Doom Captured the Invisible Girl and used her safety to force the rest of the Fantastic Four to go back and retrieve Blackbeard's treasure chest. During the trip, the Thing's disguise created the legend of Blackbeard before Doctor Doom retrieved the trio. Reed Richards outsmarted Doom , replacing the jewels inside the chest with chains.

7 Thor Chased Zaarko, The Tomorrow Man Using The Power Of Mjolnir

Journey into mystery #86 (1962) by stan lee, larry lieber, jack kirby & dick ayers.

Zaarko traveled from the year 2262 to steal an experimental cobalt bomb. He flees from Thor , who manages to only chip off a small piece of metal from Zaarko's time machine. Thor summons an audience with his father Odin for the power to chase Zaarko through time. Odin instructs him to use the power of his hammer, Mjolnir to trace the piece of metal back to its source.

RELATED: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Thor’s Hammer In The Comics

Thor arrives in 2262, where Zaarko rules like a tyrant with the only weapon on Earth. Thor uses a decoy to occupy Zaarko, so the Thunder God can get an advantage in the battle. Zaarko flees, threatening to drop the cobalt bomb. Thor crashes the ship, reclaiming the bomb.

6 Iron Man Went Back To Meet Cleopatra

Tales of suspense #44 (1963) by stan lee, robert bernstein & don heck.

Stan Lee, Robert Bernstein, and Don Heck tempted Tony Stark with history's greatest beauty in Tales of Suspense #44. As Tony Stark went back in time as the Mad Pharaoh's prisoner with his mystical chariot charm. He escaped soon after arriving and donned his Iron Man armor and drove off Roman soldiers. He then protected Cleopatra's barge from a Roman Galley.

Cleopatra tasked Iron Man with defeating the returned Mad Pharaoh. In doing so, the villain fell on a sword. Iron Man turned down Cleopatra's offer to stay in the past with her. Using the Mad Pharaoh's charm, he returned in 1963.

5 Invisible Woman Journeyed With the Fantastic Four To Face Pharaoh Rama-Tut

Fantastic four #19 (1963) by stan lee, jack kirby, dick ayers & stan goldberg.

Chasing a cure for Alicia Master's blindness, the Fantastic Four returned to Doom's castle to use his time machine. They journeyed back to Ancient Egypt and found it ruled by the time-traveling Pharaoh Rama-Tut. He came from the year 3000 in a time machine built from an ancestor's plans.

Rama-Tut enslaved the heroes, taking a romantic interest in Invisible Woman. When the team broke free, Rama-Tut fled back to his time machine. Unfortunately, Doom's time machine couldn't transport the radioactive cure for blindness.

4 Doctor Strange Journeyed To Save Cleopatra From A Wizard

Strange tales #124 (1964) by stan lee, steve ditko & george bell.

Doctor Strange found a hooded woman roaming the streets, mesmerized and unresponsive. Investigating, he determined that she was from some point in the past. With the aid of his mentor , the Ancient One, Doctor Strange traveled in his astral form back to Ancient Egypt.

There Strange discovered an evil sorcerer intent on overthrowing Cleopatra. Doctor Strange defeated this sorcerer, but almost became stranded in time. Rescued by the Eye of Agamotto, Strange returned Cleopatra to her own time. Making no reference to Iron Man's encounter with Cleopatra, Lee and Ditko brought this tale to readers.

3 Immortus Took Captain America And Rick Jones To 18th-Century London

Avengers #10 (1964) by stan lee, don heck, dick ayers & stan goldberg.

Immortus struck a deal with Baron Zemo to capture an Avenger. Immortus lured their young ally, Rick Jones, into a trap, imprisoning him in the Tower of London in 1760. Captain America and the Avengers arrived to force Immortus to free Rick. Immortus abducted Captain America to the 18th-century Tower of London.

RELATED: Every Partner Captain America Worked With In The Comics (In Chronological Order)

Captain America overpowered Immortus's medieval soldiers and freed Rick Jones. He returned to the Avengers to help defeat Zemo, Enchantress, and the Executioner. The Enchantress cast a spell, reversing time by a few days, so they could avoid this humiliation.

2 Kang Took Hawkeye, Quicksilver, And Scarlet Witch To The Future

Avengers #23 (1965) by stan lee, don heck, john romita & stan goldberg.

The Avengers were without Captain America who'd left the team feeling that he had failed as their leader. It was at this moment, depicted, that Kang abducted the remaining members. He took Hawkeye, Quicksilver , and the Scarlet Witch to the future where he was conquering the kingdom of Princess Ravonna. Kang hoped his defeat of the Avengers would persuade Ravonna to marry him.

Captain America taunted Kang to join his teammates. Together, they battled Kang despite overpowering odds. Their defiance gave Ravonna the resolve to resist Kang. In the end, Kang's own commanders betrayed him. Kang allied himself with the Avengers to save Ravonna's life.

1 Hulk Was Transported To A Post-Apocalyptic Future

Tales to astonish #75 (1966) by stan lee, jack kirby & mickey demeo.

In the Silver Age , the U.S. Military hounded the Hulk . After getting a weapon from the Watcher, he ran afoul of the army building Banner's latest weapon, a massive "T-Gun." No one realized that it was a means of time travel.

With his intellect heightened by the Watcher's weapon, Hulk headed to the White House, guided by Rick Jones's thoughts. The T-Gun sent the more intelligent Hulk into the future. There he found a ruined Earth where futuristic soldiers attacked him, some led by Thor's foe, the Executioner. An extended story arc with Hulk battling against both armies began.

NEXT: First DC Villains To Travel Through Time

• marvel heroes

There's Some Real Science Behind The MCU's Time Travel Shenanigans

As a narrative device, time travel can potentially introduce interesting ethical conundrums to a story, especially when it plays around with established mechanics to suit its world-building. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has always been chock-full of intriguing stories about worlds overrun with superpowered entities, but as soon as time travel was added to the mix, the trajectory of the MCU changed forever. The Time Stone was first mentioned in "Guardians of the Galaxy" and was expanded upon in "Doctor Strange," where time reversal was an integral aspect of the central battle between Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Dormammu (voiced by Jonathan Adams). Subsequently, the franchise's most ambitious foray into the concept took place in "Avengers: Endgame," which follows a time-heist plotline using the Quantum Realm as a foundation for the events that unfurled.

The MCU's time travel shenanigans definitely have some loopholes when inspected through the lens of quantum physics, which is perfectly fine — after all, scientific accuracy is secondary to amping up stakes that contribute to future storylines, at least when it comes to a franchise with innumerable stories to offer. However, there was a reason why "Endgame" made it a point to clarify that the film's time travel did not follow the rules of "Back to the Future" — a landmark film in the genre — but instead leaned more towards timeline branching, allowing original timelines to exist without alteration.

For one thing, following "Back to the Future" time travel rules would make it impossible for us to keep track of a million micro-events, creating temporal anomalies within the storyline that would have been a nightmare to resolve. Secondly, there is some amount of scientific basis behind the MCU's time travel logic, according to MCU screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. Here's what they had to say. 

Leaning on quantum theory

Markus and McFeely have tirelessly worked on various MCU projects over the years, from all three "Captain America" movies to "Infinity War" and "Endgame." Speaking to Gothamist about the use of time travel in "Endgame," the duo explained that this mechanic in the film was necessary to introduce surprise stakes for audiences and followed rules that were in keeping with quantum theories about time travel after they consulted quantum physicists during the filming process. McFeely said:

"We actually brought in two quantum physicists, to ask their opinion about time travel and how if it could be real — how would it work? And both of them said, well, given what we know about particles at the quantum level where new research indicates that the same particle can be in two different places at the same time on the quantum level, that maybe the Quantum Realm established in Ant-Man might allow for some time travel."

Quantum theory about time travel also leans towards the multi-timeline theory, where the act of traveling forward or backward in time would create a branched reality instead of reversing the canon established in the original timeline. This directly feeds into the multiverse in some sense, especially with how "Loki" treats branched timelines to establish the rules of the Time Variance Authority (TVA). While multiverse jumping is an integral part of the MCU multiverse , branched realities allow fresh stories to gain momentum, as evidenced by Wanda Maximoff's arc in "Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness." The duo also clarified that this approach gave rise to "a system that allowed for things to stay the same in [one's] present reality," which helped make these major temporal events more digestible for audiences.

Establishing new rules

Most established time travel tropes in fiction edge towards the Grandfather Paradox , which posits time-space causality as a serious consequence of time travel, leading to rules about never crossing paths with one's past or future self. This assumption can obviously be subverted to introduce intriguing dilemmas: One has to look no further than Netflix's "Dark," which uses time travel to create an intricate puzzle box about personal legacies and the cost of difficult choices. While the MCU has not dived into quite that level of intricacy (yet), the franchise timeline-branching stance potentially allows future stories to play around with established rules and even break them while still being true to the theoretical aspect of the concept.

This means no one can actually erase the past or alter it in the original timeline, but instead, they create an alternate timeline where the intended alteration occurs. Markus explained this stance in detail:

"We did test screen the movie ['Endgame'] and found that there were people not grasping our version of time travel, and it was causing questions at the end because they were basically relying on 'Back To The Future' for their time travel knowledge. So we had to put in some clarification scenes of exactly what we were talking about to differentiate it, so that people wouldn't wonder why Nebula didn't disappear when she shot herself and things like that."

Whether the MCU's time travel rules will undergo changes in the near future is something only time can tell, but for now, the franchise seems to be sticking to at least some amount of scientific basis when it comes to this trope. As for what the future(s) hold, who knows? 

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Time Travel Superheroes: 15 Heroes Who Can Travel Through Time

How cool would it be to go back in time and meet your younger self? 

Yes, we know. It’s probably a bad idea. These Superheroes, however, don’t think so. Each of them has traveled through time and has saved the world many times using this ability.

Let’s take a look at these time travelers and their adventures!

#15 Rip Hunter

Publisher:  DC Comics Time Travel Meter:  10+

Rip Hunter is a DC superhero that has come to the aid of many heroes if ever there were any time travel-related issues. He first appeared in the ‘Challengers of the unknown’ and later even got his series during the 1960s. 

Hunter is an ordinary man who uses an invention of his called the Time Sphere, and he travels through time seeking new adventures. Rip Hunter has been instrumental in many Crisis events in the comic books. We also see him playing essential roles in the events of the Arrow-verse. 

In the comics, he is the one who develops the tech that our heroes use to go back in time and fight the Anti-Monitor. This is during the events of the Crisis on Infinite Earths. The changes that occur because of this event completely alter the DC fictional universe, making way for new and old stories to be told differently.

#14 Spider-Man 2099

Publisher:  Marvel Comics Time Travel Meter:  5+

Miguel O’Hara, or Spider-Man of 2099, comes from one of the dark timelines of the Marvel Universe. He is a brilliant young geneticist who works with the Alchemax School for Gifted Youngsters, which is implied to be the old X-men Headquarters. Here, the young scientists conducted experiments and studies about the original Spider-Man. During one of these experiments, an accident gives O’Hara spider powers. 

Miguel’s powers are superior to the original Spider-Man’s, and the two have shared pages on many occasions.

Spider-Man 2099 is a regular time traveler as well. Upon realizing that Tyler Stone was his actual father and that an issue in the past might get his father erased, Miguel decides to go back in time to stop the temporal shift from happening. He does so through a time machine that his biological father destroys, which traps him in the past. He travels into the future along with the Spider-man army to fight the Inheritors.

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#13 Franklin Richards

Publisher:  Marvel Comics Time Travel Meter:   4+

Franklin Richards is the son of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman. Believed to be a mutant, he has vast reality-warping powers and is said to be one of the most powerful beings in the universe. 

The Child of Mr. and Mrs. Fantastic has been riddled by many journeys in time, and most were not at his discretion. There are instances of him being kidnapped into the future and sometimes even being wiped out of existence. 

Time travel is usually mind-bending by itself, but imagine someone who could do it with the snap of his finger. Franklin is said to easily create galaxies in his hand and travel dimensions. In the comics, a young Franklin is trained by a mysterious figure in his play area. The figure is eventually revealed to be an adult, Franklin Richards. Like we said, Mind-bending. 

#12 Wolverine

Publisher:  Marvel Comics Time Travel Meter:  4+

The Wolverine needs no introduction. Weapon X is one of the critical members of the X-men and has been instrumental in saving the day several times. His healing factor makes him a nightmare to go up against, and he can even stand toe-to-toe with the Hulk.

One more should be added among his many persona and titles – Time Traveler. Wolverine has journeyed through time on many occasions, and we also see that in the movie version. It involves Kitty Pryde sending Wolverine’s consciousness back in time to save mutants from annihilation.

In the new series – X Deaths, two Wolverines are sent back in time from two different future timelines. In both timelines, Wolverine is the last mutant alive and must go back in time to change the future.

Time Travel is messy, guys. Please don’t try this at home.

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#11 Kitty Pryde

Publisher:  Marvel Comics Time Travel Meter:   1+

Kitty Pryde is a core member of the X-Men. Her powers allow her to phase through objects, which means she can move through anything. She has used her powers on many occasions and has helped her team save the day. She even uses her abilities to phase out of sync with the earth’s rotation. She can travel at infinite speeds, or at least faster than light. 

In fictional theory, she could use this ability to phase in and out of time. However, Kitty Pryde travels time without achieving this feat as well. Unlike the movie adaptation of the ‘Days of future past’ storyline, Kitty’s consciousness goes back in time to save mutant kind from extinction. Rachel Summers, the daughter of Cyclops and Marvel Girl, can send her back in time. 

She eventually manages to save mutant kind and change their dark future.

#10 Super Boy

Publisher:  DC Comics Time Travel Meter:  5+

Superboy has had many incarnations over the years, with some iterations just being the younger version of the original Superman. As Superboy, Kal El meets the Legion of Superheroes, formed after taking inspiration from the former’s stories. 

The Legion travels back to the 31st century to recruit Superboy to their team and fights threats in the future. The Legion already has time travel tech in the future, and it is using this that Superboy can travel to the future. 

Another character incarnation is Con El, who has the DNA of both Lex Luthor and Superman. This Superboy has died many times but has been revived multiple times as a clone. He is even resurrected in the 31st century by Brainiac. This same Con El travels back in time to live with Jonathan and Martha Kent. 

There are so many origins and stories for this character that it can get confusing at a point.

#9 Dr. Manhattan

Publisher:  DC Comics Time Travel Meter:   Infinite

Dr. Manhattan turned into an energy being after he was exposed to a lab accident. The abilities he acquired manifested over time and slowly grew in power. Eventually, he turned into a being that could be everywhere at once and had the powers of a god. He could change reality to his wishes and create universes out of nothing.

With his omniscience came a significant shift in perspective. He no longer saw time in the same way as others. It was one large picture rather than a string of events, and he could place himself anywhere in that picture with just a thought. This has enabled the Doctor to travel to any moment he wished. 

Since he is a timeless being, he doesn’t precisely need to travel anywhere. He can change realities and change futures instantly. He even destroys the DC universe and restarts it.

What is time to a God?

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#8 Dr. Strange

Publisher:  Marvel Comics Time Travel Meter:  3+

Stephen Strange is no Stranger to time travel. The Sorcerer Supreme is a master of the Mystic Arts and is a core member of the Avengers. He takes the lead on any threat of supernatural origin and is a more powerful practitioner of all things magic. 

We see Dr. Strange using these magical objects to manipulate time on many occasions. The most famous would be the Eye of Agomotto or the Time Stone to see different futures. However, that is not the case in the comics. Dr. Strange discovers that the Book of Cagliostro can be used to travel time and that this method does not align with the scientific techniques in the other versions of time travel fiction. 

Even without tools, Dr. Strange has been shown to simply travel time with her mystic arts.

#7 Superman

Publisher:  DC Comics Time Travel Meter: 4+

There is seemingly very little that Superman can’t do. He is faster than light, can create a rift in reality just by punching it, and bench press the earth for five days straight. That is some next-level power. With the speeds he can achieve, it has been asked whether the Man of Steel can also travel time.

Superman has traveled time on many occasions. The how’s of this are rather sketchy and used to depend on the writer. The Superboy iteration could simply go back and forth in time with relative ease and could even carry people with him.

Even in one of the earlier Superman movies featuring George Reeves, we see the character go back in time but simply slow and reverse the earth’s rotation. He also uses his speed in the comic ‘Return to Krypton’ to go and visit Krypton before its destruction and meet his parent.

There truly is nothing that this man can’t do, huh?

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#6 Green Lantern

Publisher:  DC Comics Time Travel Meter:   5+

The Lantern’s ring is only limited by its wielder’s imagination. From energy constructs to energy projection, the possibilities seem endless. Within its vast capabilities lies the power to manipulate and travel through time.

Hal Jordan has used the Ring to travel to the 70th century, and another GL Arisia Rrab uses the Ring’s power to send time through her and age quickly. We have to admit that the latter is rather strange.

Hal used his power in the comics to open a portal to the past so that he could send a few pterodactyls through it. 

News Flash – comics books can be bizarre. 

#5 Iron Lad

Publisher:  Marvel Comics Time Travel Meter:   5+

Nathaniel Richards is a 30th-century genius and the younger version of Kang the Conqueror. Kang appeared to his younger self and saved him from a bully, thus giving him a glimpse of his future self and his armor similar to that of Iron Man. Upon seeing what he would turn into, Nathaniel renounced his destiny and decided to use his intellect to never become the evil version of himself. 

The armor given to Nathaniel has neuro-kinetic capabilities and allows him to travel time, the same as Kang.

The most amazing time travel Adventure is when Iron Lad travels back in time to warn the Avengers of the oncoming dangers. Unable to get in touch with them, he helps the Young Avengers and even kills his older version in battle.

Publisher:  Marvel Comics Time Travel Meter:   10+

Bishop is the great-grandson of the mutant Gateway, who could manipulate and travel through time. Although he does not possess the powers to do so himself. Bishop is a soldier from the future who can passively absorb energy and dispel it however he wants. He is often depicted holding an energy gun that would allow him to shoot his absorbed energy out as blasts.

Bishop uses time travel devices from the future similar to that of Cable to journey to different periods. He is usually seen traveling back in time from a dystopian future to help the X-men rewrite history.

Bishop was sent back in time to stop Legion from killing Magneto, but his failure to do so is what brought about the Age of Apokolips.

The fastest man on the planet has been known to play around a little too much with time. With the ability to run at a million times the speed of light, The Flash can alter the vibrations in his body to travel through time. He can do the same to travel through dimensions as well. 

Not all versions of the Flash can achieve this feat, but Barry Allen and Wally West seem to do so easily. The most famous time-related adventure by a Flash is the Flashpoint paradox.

Due to his selfish needs, the Flash goes back in time and saves his mother, creating a massive rift and modifying the future to a world on the brink of war and destruction. Once in this new reality, Barry Allen realizes his mistake and works toward correcting his actions. He uses his time traveling abilities to go back in time and correct his errors.

This storyline is the most critical example of why the time stream is not to be tampered with.

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#2 Booster Gold

Publisher:  DC Comics Time Travel Meter:  20+

Booster Gold is from the 25th century Gotham, and unlike other future genii who come back in time, he just does so for fame. An underachiever in the future, Booster works as a janitor at the Museum of Superheroes. This is where he discovers much about the legendary heroes and their stories. He manages to steal a flight ring and Brainiac 5’s energy belt. He also takes Rip hunter’s time sphere, and it is with this that he travels back in time. 

All his tools are still high-tech in the 20th century, and he uses them to make people believe that he is a superhero and simply works to become famous. Though initially shown to be a greedy showboat, Booster slowly learns the way of a true hero. He uses his abilities to travel through time and help change histories that lead to dystopian futures.

Booster uses his tech to go back in time and save Blue Beetle from getting murdered just moments before his death.

Publisher:  Marvel Comics Time Travel Meter:  20+

Cable is the most famous time-traveling character in the Marvel Universe. He is the son of Scott Summers and a clone of Jean Grey from the future. He has traveled back in time numerous times to help the X-men with a threat or to prevent a dystopian future from occurring. 

There are many versions of the character and various explanations for how he can travel time. The most common two are – he possesses inherent time travel abilities due to the techno-organic virus in his body, and the other is that he has a time travel device that looks like a watch which helps his travel time.

The best example of this feat is during the events of Ultimate X-men, where he comes back in time to warn and train Professor Xavier for their upcoming battle with Apokolips.

Honorable Mentions

• Guardians of the Galaxy
• Reed Richards

This brings us to the end of our time traveler’s list. If anything, we have learned that messing with time is bad news. However, do you think we could create a timeline where superheroes were real if we mess it up enough?

Interesting. Very interesting.

What Is the Ability to Control Time Called?

Chronokinesis is the ability to alter or control time with your mind. With it, you can travel through time or even stop it.

Which Superhero Can Travel Through Time?

The Flash can travel through time. He can vibrate his body at such speeds that he can phase through time. He can use some power to travel dimensions as well.

Which Marvel Hero Can Time Travel?

Kitty Pryde can time travel. She is the mutant that goes back in tune during the events of Days of Future Past in the comics.

Can Any Marvel Character Time Travel?

Yes, Iron Lad can time travel. He is the younger version of Kang the Conqueror and travels back in time to warn the Avengers of his future self.

What DC Characters Can Time Travel?

Booster Gold can time travel. He does so by making using Rip Hunter’s Time sphere that he stole from the 25th century.

Can Green Lanterns Time Travel?

Yes, Green Lanterns can time travel. Anything is possible as long as there is enough willpower. Hal Jordan once made a jet construct that could travel fast enough to enter the speed force, which means that he can probably travel through time.

• X (Twitter)

Jeremiah de Rozario is a professional songwriter and a comic nut. He has been an avid songwriter for over three years and has vast experience writing comics and pop culture. The people close to Jeremiah say he lives in a bit of fantasy land, as his career choices point us all in the same direction. Comics have taken Jeremiah on adventures since he was a child and continue to be where he draws most of his inspiration and life lessons. We know, weird! From stories of heartbreak, love, evil, and perseverance, comic books have it all. These fantasy stories have taken new and exciting turns on both paper and the big screen, and the little boy with his Incredible Hulk comic could not be happier. Jeremiah started his journey as a writer with Averagebeing and has written numerous detailed articles that deep dive into comic theories, TV shows, and the current happenings of this exciting world. If he isn't writing new songs, he is reading as many comic books as he can find. If you need a breakdown of your favorite comic hero or supervillain, Jeremiah is here to spill the tea.

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Everything You Need to Know About Marvel's "Floating Timeline" (According to a Senior Marvel Edtior)

• Marvel's "floating timeline" keeps characters perpetually in their prime, allowing for contemporary storytelling across all iconic heroes and villains.
• X-Men Senior Editor Tom Brevoort emphasizes the necessity of Marvel's "sliding timeline" to keep characters fixed in age relative to the real world.
• Fans may argue over characters' ages, but Marvel's policy of maintaining a flexible timeline is crucial for storytelling and character relevance.

Marvel continuity has long operated on a "floating timeline," in which only a few characters' backstories are concretely tied into history, allowing most of the company's most iconic heroes and villains to remain perpetually in their prime. As Senior Editor Tom Brevoort takes over the company's X-Men titles for the "From the Ashes" relaunch , he has offered an account of the practical and artistic considerations that behind the "floating timeline."

In a post on his Substack , Brevoort responded to a question from a fan, asking him to clarify the ages of the X-Men, by offering an extensive apologia for Marvel's "floating" or "sliding" timeline. As he noted, characters aging in real-time – or even anything approaching it – is largely an unsustainable endeavor.

While there are a few exceptions to this general rule, which Brevoort's argument makes space for, he acknowledged that Marvel's fictional characters are designed to be relative to the current era, allowing Marvel Comics stories to be perpetually contemporary .

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X-Men Senior Editor Reveals The Reason For Marvel's "Sliding Timeline"

Tom brevoort explains marvel time.

For fans of Marvel Comics, understanding the company's "sliding timeline" is essential to engaging with the many narrative threads that comprise its fictional Universe.

Asked to give ages for a number of X-Men characters, Senior Editor Tom Brevoort definitively opposed the practice, writing:

I think trying to nail this stuff down is almost always a mistake...and one that just causes arguments among the fan base. So, I think its to be avoided.

This is in line with Marvel's longstanding practice, and it speaks to a firm editorial ethos: that the storytelling purpose of the company's characters is too large in scope to allow them to age linearly. Instead, character ages remain largely fixed in relation to the current real-world era . Brevoort offered a further elaboration on this principle:

But speaking in generalities, the contemporary Marvel Universe has been around for about 15 years give-or-take. That is to say, the Fantastic Fours origin always happened about 15 years ago regardless of what year it happens to be.

Brevoort went into further detail by offering several examples:

At the beginning of the [Marvel Universe], Spider-Man, the Human Torch, Cyclops and Angel were all the same age, and that remains a constant. Iceman was slightly younger, the Beast slightly older. And everybody who came after them, such as Kitty or Storm, need to remain relatively behind them.

By using the word " constant ," Brevoort evoked the science of Marvel storytelling, so to speak. While the company's characters' ages remain the same, the real-world changes around them, offering up different conditions for those characters to operate within. In this way, Marvel's most beloved creations remain perpetually "of-the-moment," allowing contemporary writers to respond to modern issues with timeless characters like the Avengers and the X-Men. Marvel's "sliding timeline" is, in order words, considered by the company as essential to keeping it relevant.

That isn't to say all readers appreciate Marvel's approach, or recognize the value of a flexible timeline, or a malleable continuity. Certainly, despite Tom Brevoort's exhortation, fans will continue to ask, and argue, about characters' ages. That is because it is, in its own right, a perennial piece of context that readers gravitate toward in processing stories. A fifteen-year-old character responds differently to a crisis than a 65-year-old – which is why Marvel continually uses characters of a certain age range to tell specific types of stories.

Marvel's Characters Remain Fixed In Age, Relative To The Real World

With certain major exceptions.

Keeping its characters largely fixed in age is, in many ways, a necessity for Marvel, as well as DC, and any large, ongoing franchise storytelling.

According to Tom Brevoort, " there’s a tendency among readers to expect the characters to age along with them ," and it is this natural inclination that:

...leads to people thinking that Cyclops is 45 years old or something. But thats just not the way it works.

While a 45-year-old Cyclops would be effective in a certain type of story, the kind of stories Marvel wants to use the character to tell requires him to be younger. Though there is without a doubt merit to letting characters age, Marvel's general editorial policy opposes this on the grounds that it too-fundamentally changes the core purpose of its most familiar characters.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Tom Brevoort himself acknowledged that some character histories are irrevocable, meaning the policy does not cover them. As the incoming head of Marvel's X -Office, Brevoort cited perhaps the company's most prominent example of this, the Master of Magnetism :

Magneto is by far the oldest, almost double the age of anybody else, because his origin has been inexorably linked to a historic event, the concentration camps of WWII, and so he had to have been born in the 1930s.

That said, despite progressively becoming a generation older than characters who used to be his peers, Marvel isn't going to stop centering Magneto as one of it's top mutant characters. It will, however, have to use him differently as time goes on.

Ultimately, Marvel's "sliding timescale" is the result of a unique synthesis of commercial and creative concerns. It is hard for even the most ambitious, speculatively-inclined fan to imagine a comic book industry in which characters aged out of existence, and were continually replaced by new, different characters. Readers would then, of course, clamor for their old favorites back. Keeping its characters largely fixed in age is, in many ways, a necessity for Marvel, as well as DC, and any large, ongoing franchise storytelling .

Marvel's Longstanding Timeline Policy Has Proven Pivotal To Its Success

Stick with what works.

By investing years and decades in their fandom, readers have, in effect, signaled that Marvel's continued focus on the same set of characters is warranted.

With his explanation of Marvel's timeline , X-Men Editor Tom Brevoort suggested that readers who want to have definitive ages for their favorite characters are, in fact, getting at a more fundamental question about superhero storytelling:

But what youre really asking is: how can we possibly fit so many stories into such a limited space?

To this, Brevoort stated:

The answer is that its fiction, so we can do whatever the hell we like provided that the readership goes along with it.

In this way, Brevoort echoed writer Jonathan Hickman's position on canon . More generally, in effect, the Marvel Editor suggested that the publisher's "sliding timescale" has always had the tacit endorsement of its readers, even if they haven't fully articulated it, or even fully realize it.

By investing years and decades in their fandom, readers have, in effect, signaled that Marvel's continued focus on the same set of characters is warranted. While fans certainly prefer to engage with innovative takes on classic Marvel franchises , they are continually excited by whatever their favorites wind up doing on the page, or beyond in a variety of other mediums. Though they might be critical of the stories Marvel tells, it is the characters that keep most fans coming back.

As a result, the "sliding timescale" has proved its merit over the years – though stories like Old Man Logan and Avengers Twilight , among numerous other examples, have also made it clear, in contrast, that there is an appetite among fans for stories that exist outside this timeline. Stories which approach perennially fixed-age characters at different points in their lives. Marvel's timeline might make the most sense for the company, but they can still put time and effort into making the most of it creatively in refreshing, revitalizing ways.

Source: Tom Brevoort Substack

The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.

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Marvel's huge new cosmic retcon is an invitation for fan theories to dig deep.

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Marvel's Cosmos-Shaking G.O.D.S. Is Finally Complete... But Is the Ambitious Sci-Fi Epic Worth Checking Out? (Series Review)

Senior editor confirms why marvel ignored covid in its official continuity, marvel’s new color-coded doors secretly connect the franchise’s most powerful forces.

• Wyn's choice in G.O.D.S. #8 could reshape the Marvel Universe, risking the fate of major heroes and altering the course of history.
• The epic G.O.D.S. miniseries ends with mysterious unanswered questions, leaving readers in suspense about the consequences.
• Wyn's decision may lead to unforeseen Marvel mysteries, hinting at a larger plan that could impact the entire universe.

Contains spoilers for G.O.D.S. #8! Marvel’s latest cosmic journey has ended on a huge cliffhanger, one that threatens to rewrite not only the series, but the whole history of Marvel as readers know it. If the world loses one of its major heroes, what does it look like? Does it even survive? The choice at the heart of this question remains, for now, up in the air, but whatever the outcome, it’s sure to have massive consequences.

In G.O.D.S. #8 by Jonathan Hickman and Valerio Schiti, main character Wyn is offered the chance to have his history changed. While readers don’t get to see his choice, it’s strongly hinted that Wyn accepts, thus altering the Marvel Universe .

Wyn is the avatar of The-Powers-That-Be , the entity representing all magic in the Marvel Universe. After Wyn time travels back to his own wedding, his patron appears to him, offering him a choice to change his past. Wyn’s role separates him from his wife Aiko, who works for The-Powers-That-Be’s opposite, The-Natural-Order-Of-Things . If he takes The-Powers-That-Be’s offer, he can live out his potential life with Aiko, but everything readers have seen in this series won’t have happened .

Hickman and Schiti’s epic G.O.D.S. is gorgeous, endlessly creative, melancholy, and occasionally inscrutable as it ends with unanswered questions.

Wyn's Choice Could Doom the World

Wyn’s choice could have dire consequences for the Marvel Universe as readers know it. G.O.D.S. has shown Wyn saving the world several times, so if he chooses his personal happiness, then are those heroic acts reversed? Or does The-Powers-That-Be find another avatar, someone else whose life will be forever broken? Wyn’s whole reason for traveling back in time is his realization of just how much regular people pay for service to the gods. So, he’s almost certainly going to make the choice to change things and give himself the life he was denied.

However, there’s also a strong hint in the issue that Wyn might not make the choice to change things. While on his time-traveling jaunt, he runs into an ever further future version of himself, who claims that when the time came, he didn’t have the guts to change anything . Does this future version of Wyn lock the present version’s choice in place, or will this future also be erased with the changing of the past? Even the "main" Wyn is, with G.O.D.S. #8, from 100 years in the future, and if Marvel readers know anything about possible futures, it’s that they’re always being changed.

G.O.D.S. Sets Up More Marvel Mysteries

Importantly, Wyn’s decision also might be part of a larger plan. The ending of G.O.D.S. #6 implies that Wyn is done working for anyone, but in issue #8, his patron claims that he’s still been loyal over the 100 years between issues . Is his loyal service to his patron only feigned? Readers know he’s traveled back in time to his wedding to change things, but he also implies that he didn’t expect his patron to appear there. Is he lying, and if so, what’s his plan? Wyn’s a trickster, and he’s almost certainly got something up his sleeve .

What this relies on is a follow-up to the series. G.O.D.S. #8 is the final issue, but there have been multiple hints that the series isn’t done just yet. The letters page for issue #8 straight-up says that readers will see these characters again, which is likely why the series is so bold in leaving unanswered question s. As it currently stands, the Marvel Universe hangs in the balance as Wyn is forced to choose between a life with the woman he loves and the dutiful existence to which he’s always been bound until now.

G.O.D.S. #8 is on sale now from Marvel Comics!

• Marvel Comics