Nate Summers aka Cable aka the Askani’son:

Don’t know about you, but it seems like the House of Ideas has reached its creative limit with the Cable character.  He first appeared as a gun totting grumpy old cyborg soldier from the future.  Then subsequent writers made him the time lost son of Scott Summers & Madelyn Pryor and chosen one of the Askani religion.  He would flip between being a non-sense soldier and Jedi-like Askani chosen one.  Another major attribute of Cable was the techno-organic virus (a nasty infection that turns flesh into living machinery).  He has been cured and reinfected over the years as well.

Nate Grey aka X-Man:

The idea was slightly remixed with the Age of Apocalypse event where fanboys were introduced to Nate Grey (an alternate reality teenage version of Cable).  Nate didn’t have the T-O virus but his telepathic + telekinetic which he inherited from his mom (Jean Grey) would eventually kill him.  He was literally dead by 21 and he would take half of the planet with him.  This threat was ended when Warren Ellis wrote him for the Counter X imprint.  Mr. Ellis transformed him into a mutant shaman with fantastic powers.  Nate ultimately sacrificed himself to save mankind from extinction.  Years later in true comic fashion, he returned during the Dark Reign event and was eventually depowered before fading in obscurity.

Inferno Nate & my idea:

Thankfully, Dennis Hopeless and Javier Garron added a fresh coat of paint to the Cable idea with “Inferno Nate” who appeared in the Secret Wars tie-in.  This Cable is about 8 years, appears to suffer from the T-O infection, has the love for guns, and raised by his dear old mum, the Goblin Queen (Madelyn Pryor).  Yes, I know he’s basically just a chibi Cable.  The Goblin Queen element (in my humble opinion) opens the door for Nate being a mage or possible curing the T-O virus through mystical means.

If Inferno Nate survives Secret Wars, I hope that he takes a page from Odin’s book and sacrifices an eye to gain some Goblin powers.  As the result of this sacrifice, his formerly cybernetic scars would take a more monstrous/goblin appearance.  In addition to this disfigurement, the T-O virus would be restricted to his left eye, granting it enhanced sensory abilities.  As a nod to his father, he would fire telekinetic/mystical blasts from that eye.  I also see Inferno Nate becoming a pupil of Doctor Strange like Magik.

Art Acknowledgements:

First Cable by Chris Samnee, Second Cable by Ed McGuiness, First X-Man by Jorge Molina, Second X-Man by Simon Bianchi, and Inferno Page by Javier Garron.