Cable #60 Summary and Review

by, The Mighty Juggernaut, Rainer Ho Ten Soeng

Summary of Cable #60: The Nemesis Contract pt. 2 of 4. Introducing: Agent 18! Could this be the enemy who finally takes down the Askani'Son?

Technical information:
* Publisher: Marvel Comics
* Release date: November, 1998
* Writer: Joe Casey
* Penciller: Ladronn
* Inker: Juan Vlasco
* Colorist: Gloria Vasquez
* Letters: RS & Comicraft
* Editor: Mark Powers
* Editor in Chief: Bob Harras
* Total number of pages: 32 pages with ads, 22 pages without ads
* Subtitle of the book: Atlas Burned; The Nemesis Contract part 2 of 4

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Main characters in the book:
Cable: Nathan Dayspring Summers a.k.a. Cable, uses his mutant abilities of telepathy and telekinesis to fight for a better tomorrow -- and seeks his own fate as a man out of time.

Irene Merryweather: A former reporter for the muck raking Inquiring Eye, Irene dreamt of one day working for a legitimate newspaper such as The Daily Bugle. But when her investigations led to the loss of her friends and her job, Irene dedicated herself to chronicling the life and mission of the man called Cable.

Blaquesmith: The gnomish, misshapen enigma known as Blaquesmith has long been Cable's mentor and taskmaster, training him in the use of his great powers and following him through time to the twentieth century. Blessed with the innate ability to create all manner of high-tech gadgetry, Blaquesmith has often run afoul his pupil, as he is more than willing to deceive others, even his allies, in order to achieve his goals.

George Washington Bridge: Once a close ally of Cable, G.W. Bridge is now one of the highest ranking officers in the government espionage organization, S.H.I.E.L.D.. He has often found himself at odds with his old friend, and that conflict will soon cost him much....

Agent 18: His real name: Jack Truman. His existence: highly classified, known only to a handful within the government.
His job: S.H.I.E.L.D. manhunter, assigned to track down and capture -- dead or alive -- the country's most wanted fugitives.
His abilities: deadly hand-to-hand combatant, marksman and strategist.
His current mission: to secure the capture of the man called Cable!

Remarkable quotes:
1. ".... I had to know what he was all about. His fighting style. His commitment to survival .... to winning. And now that I know .... it's time to play a little one-on-one And may the best man win." (Agent 18)

2. "I've got a weird feeling. Nathan sure bugged out of here when we saw the first news report. I wonder .... is he involved in this somehow ....? (Stacey Kramer)

3. "I despise twentieth century TV." (Blaquesmith)
4. "I know he's here to save us from a hellish future. That is his destiny .... but Cable saved my life once .... he showed up when I didn't even know I needed him. The least thing I can do is to try and return the favor." (Irene Merryweather)

5. "For my new duties .... I wear civilian clothes. The suit itches. The tie is like a noose around my neck. I was once acting director of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Now I sit at a desk for ten hours a day. Once I fought alongside Cable as a friend and partner. Now I sit idly by while I fear my associates are making moves against him." (G.W. Bridge)

6. "By the Bright Lady --! The virus is spreading so rapidly! How can he stand that kind of pain?! He is .... all alone. His telepathy .... gone. I cannot even contact him! Dying .... all alone ...." (Blaquesmith)

7. "ENOUGH! YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME?! WELL, LET'S DO IT!" (Cable)

8. "He's out. Funny .... it doesn't feel like I thought it would. It doesn't feel like victory." (Agent 18)

Summary of Cable #60: The Nemesis Contract pt. 2 of 4. Introducing: Agent 18! Could this be the enemy who finally takes down the Askani'Son?

The story begins where the previous issue left off: the cracking confrontation between Cable and Agent 18! Unfortunately things aren't looking so good for the Askani'Son: after defeating Zzzax Cable is not only almost drained of his already depleted reserves of energy but he is also very tired and weakened. Cable is vulnerable but he won't give in and he tries to keep up the appearance that he has never felt better before and that he is just as ready as his opponent for this showdown. Jack Truman secretly admires Cable for that but he knows that he can't let his sentiments interfere with the job he has to do; however to make things more equal he throws away his gun before he engages Cable in a man-to-man brawl. And even though both men manage to hit their opponent hard it is in the end Cable who seems to have suffered more from the exchanged blows. Cable is obviously at the end of the line and the blows he received took away his last breath. But his fighting spirit and his instinct keep him standing and prevent him from collapsing against all odds.

The two men face each other, silently waiting for the other one to make a move, and ready to clash again when all of a sudden they are interrupted by Agent Lawrence Young, commander of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Air Cavalry, who orders Agent 18 to stand down since his unit will take things over from here! Truman is surprised and shocked because he realizes that the suits at the Bureau have somehow lost faith in him and have therefore send 'back-up' to support him and check on him. And in the split second that he turns away from Cable to look at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Air Cavalry, Cable jumps for Agent 18's gun on the floor and starts shooting at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s air units. Just as he expected the Air Cavalry returns the favor and starts unloading with everything they have got. Both Cable and Agent 18 have to seek shelter for the incoming torpedoes and they only just manage to survive the impact. Fortunately there is one good thing about all this: Cable can use the confusion and distraction to escape and Agent 18 is unable to stop him because of the intense fire which was caused by the exploding torpedoes.

Cable's worries are far from over though: the Air Cav. units have got him locked on their radar and assuming that he is (still) an alpha-level telekinetic they don't intend to hold back on him! Nathan has become the prey in an intense and dangerous S.H.I.E.L.D. -manhunt and they will obviously do whatever is necessary to bring him in! Hell's Kitchen changes into a warzone in a matter of minutes when the Air Cav starts using its big guns in its effort to nail the Askani'Son down. Television crews are all over the place to report the unexpected, dramatic and spectacular events in Hell's Kitchen and the audience at home gets a live coverage of the police ordered massive evacuation of the residents out of their neighborhood. The people realize that there must be a very dangerous crisis at hand and while they are evacuated, Stacey can not help but wonder whether or not Nathan is involved in this somehow ....

Meanwhile in Cable's safe house Irene and Blaquesmith are watching the live reports from Hell's Kitchen on TV and they are very worried that their friend and pupil might be in serious trouble. But that is not all that concerns them: according to Blaquesmith's computer analysis the Techno-Organic virus continues to spread itself rapidly throughout Cable's body and they both realize that if only for that reason Cable must be in real pain by now. Irene can't stand doing nothing while her friend suffers like that and, encouraged by Blaquesmith, she leaves the safe house to search for Cable and help him as much as possible.

And Cable could really, really use some help! He managed to escape from Agent 18 but now he is being hunted down by S.H.I.E.L.D's Air Cavalry just like a fox is being hunted by dogs. To make things even worse: the alley he ran into seems to have a dead end and he is trapped! The Air Cav. closes in on him from behind and there doesn't seem to be a way out anymore. All seems lost when the air units relentlessy open fire at Cable .... But just like they say: it was close but no cigar for S.H.I.E.L.D.! Cable found a hole in the wall of the building before him and he managed to escape before the impact of the incoming missiles would have killed him. Cable jumped just in time through that hole and he finds himself in the 'home' of a homeless man who lives in the basement of that building. And to be honest: that man is not in the least pleased that Cable dropped in just like that uninvited! There is no time to explain things however: the TO-virus causes him waves of pain and now that his powers, which he used to keep the virus in check, are mostly gone his metal arm starts to mutate into random, strange forms. On top of that it didn't take Lawrence Young much time to realize that Cable was not killed by that bombardment in the alley.

And after getting an infrared lock on his target, Agent Young decides to launch a special S.H.I.E.L.D. S-X9 'Shakedown' missile which will bring down that entire building and hopefully kill Cable! The fact that the infrared radar shows that Cable is not alone in that basement doesn't stop Agent Young: his job is to bring down Cable and if innocent people die in that process then so be it! Cable realizes the danger as soon as that missile hits the building and both he and the homeless man have to run for their lives ....

But Cable is not the only one who is having problems. The story shifts to the Washington Bureau of S.H.I.E.L.D. where G.W. Bridge is painfully aware of the fact that even after a whole week he is still not used to or fond of his new desk job. The man who was once a proud and capable acting director of S.H.I.E.L.D. is now in his own eyes sentenced to sit behind a desk for ten hours a day. But just like every coin has two sides Bridge also realizes that he can still do a lot of good work by keeping a sharp eye on the department and trying to find out what is going on in there. And right now all kinds of interesting news footage comes from Hell's Kitchen in New York .... With the help of his old director's password Bridge manages to get access to very secret files in the database of the Bureau which prove that the Bureau has been planning a very covert operation in .... Hell's Kitchen! Bridge puts two and two together and he realizes that Agent Young is doing a saturation bombing rum in New York City. He doesn't understand why Agent Young has been ordered to do that but he's determined to find out what has been going on behind his back. That's why he calls for Seth Waters, a man Bridge has never trusted one bit, and demands an explanation of him. Seth Waters is a tough cookie however and he refuses to give Bridge straight answers; instead he politely but clearly tells Bridge to stop making inquiries and such a fuss and to forget about the whole thing since the Washington Bureau doesn't control the Air Cavalry and Hell's Kitchen is not their jurisdiction ....

Meanwhile Agent 18 is very unhappy about the undisciplined behaviour of those idiots of the Air Cav. How could they be so stupid to use a shakedown missile in a populated area?! They know that armament is strictly for third world operations and they still used it just like that in New York City! No, the Air Cav. boys will have a lot to answer for this time and Jack Truman is going to make sure that he is going to get some satisfying answers real soon! Not aware of Agent 18's feelings, Lawrence Young is looking for Cable's body in the ruins of the building since he believes that Cable could have never survived the tremendous explosion of that shakedown missile. The Air Cav is searching for some visual confirmation that they were successful in bringing Cable down but much to their surprise they can't find any.... Cable must have escaped somehow but how did he do it and where did he go to? The answer to that question comes quickly. Cable and that homeless man have escaped by fleeing into the sewers. It is dirty there and it stinks but at least they are safe for now from the merciless missiles of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Air Cav. Cable doesn't understand why S.H.I.E.L.D. is coming so hard after him now but he doesn't have too much time to think about that: a new wave of pain hits him suddenly and Cable can literally feel the TO-virus inching its way through his body. The pain almost knocks him down and his metal arm starts to mutate itself again in all kinds of strange forms. The homeless man Cable managed to save from that collapsing building prevents that Cable drowns right there and then in that sewer. Realizing that that man is probably much safer if he is not around him, Cable leaves him after thanking him for his help and urging him to find a safe place and lie low for awhile.

Above the ground the action hasn't stopped either: the Air Cavalry is still searching for either a life sign of Cable or his dead body. The vibranium which was released after the shakedown missile exploded, jams their onboard electronics however and they can't find a sign of Cable anywhere. Suddenly Agent Young discovers that Agent 18 is missing and because he is afraid Truman might do something stupid or irresponsible he orders his units to search and find Agent 18 ASAP. Agent 18 is however not planning to behave himself stupid or irresponsible: he has got a hunch where Cable might have gone and he is following that hunch instead of playing along with those jarheads of the Air Cav ....

Cable has found a way to climb out of the sewers and while he is climbing the stairs to the surface the pain is so intense that the only thing he can think of is that somehow he has got to make it back to the safehouse where his mentor Blaquesmith can look after him. Cable needs help and treatment and he needs it now! But luck seems to have run out on him. Cable is nearly standing on the street when he is being attacked by Agent 18 whose hunch proved to be correct. And suddenly something snaps inside Cable: all the pain, confusion and exhaustion result in a blind anger and in his fury he jumps at Agent 18 and starts pounding on him. But that is a mistake on the part of the Askani'Son: Cable may be angry and his spirit may be unbroken but his body is still as weak and tired as before. Cable is even sloppier, slower and less powerful than before and he is no match for Agent 18. Jack Truman has no problem reversing the situation and before Cable is on the receiving end of the table. Truman quickly and efficiently takes down Cable with a few good blows. And although he realizes that Cable is hurt and exhausted he is a bit surprised that he bring down Cable on his knees so easily .... Why doesn't Cable use his mutant TP- and TK-powers against him? What's wrong with his opponents? This confrontation with Cable sure is not the big challenge Agent 18 was looking forward to! Cable has his very own problems to worry about however: he is realizing that Agent 18 is too good for him and is actually beating him! Cable is going down and there doesn't seem much he can do about it! Then suddenly he remembers that his mentor told him that he still has some of his telekinesis left. And even though he realizes that with the TO-virus running rampant through his body it might be a lethal mistake to use his TK-powers offensively, he simply has no other choice if he wants to stop Agent 18 from taking him down.

So Cable concentrates and in an ultimate effort he manages to push his opponent away with a TK-blast. But Cable has to pay the price: with his TK completely drained for the moment nothing stops the TO-virus anymore of consuming Cable's body. The pain is agonizing and so intense that it more or less 'paralyzes' Cable. All he can do is scream and suffer .... Agent 18 doesn't know what is wrong with Cable but he does know that he has got a job to do and with some powerful blows he knocks Cable out cold. Cable is down, Agent 18 has fulfilled his assignment but somehow it doesn't feel like a victory at all. And Truman vows to himself that he will find out the truth about Cable and this whole operation as soon as possible and at whatever cost ....

The Good:
Wow! I just don't know where to start actually! :-) This issue had everything which defines a good issue IMHO: it was an action packed story which proved to be an exciting, involving and thrilling read and which was accompanied by great art. But there were also other reasons why this was an excellent issue: the story had a definite sci-fi feeling over it with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Y2K Air Cav. vehicles and advanced weapon systems. S.H.I.E.L.D. and then especially its Washington Bureau seems to have an agenda of its own and its fascinating to see such a big and powerful government organization play its own dirty little games. Besides that it was refreshing to see the story being told from another angle than Irene's point of view even though that didn't bother me in the previous issues. Last but not least it was good to see that Agent 18 had what it took to be more than a match for Cable. I dislike it when the hero beats each and every opponent just like that and this 'defeat' makes Cable much more human and real IMHO. He was hurt and exhausted and Jack Truman was just too good to overcome in that weakened state. And of course it will be interesting to see what the TO-virus will do to Cable? Will he be transformed into some kind of cyborg? Or will S.H.I.E.L.D. (unwillingly) cure him from it? I guess we will just have to wait and see!

The Bad:
Ha! What can I say guys? Would it be sufficient if I said that this was an overall excellent issue with few or no bad points? :-) I can't really think of much to mention here but for the record I want to state that I wonder if it is possible that Nick Fury just like G.W. Bridge didn't know anything about Agent Young's saturation bombing run. I mean Nick Fury is like one of the big bosses in the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization and would it be possible for the Air Cav to start an operation without his permission? And if Nick Fury knew about it then why didn't he tell G.W. Bridge anything about it?

But other then that I can only say: buy this issue guys if you have some spare dollars in your pocket. You will never regret it! :-)

See you all in two weeks!
Excelsior!
Rainer Ho Ten Soeng

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