Cable & Deadpool #3

Issue Date: 
July 2004
Story Title: 
If Looks Could Kill - part 3: Face to Face
Staff: 

Fabian Nicieza (writer), Patrick Zercher (penciller), Rob Ross and Alan Tam (inks) Shane Law and Kevin Yan (Colour) VC’s Cory Petit and Rus Wooton (letterers), Nicole Wiley & Andy Schmidt (assistant-editors), Tom Brevoort (editor), Joe Quesada (editor-in-chief), Dan Buckley (publisher), Rob Liefeld (cover-art)

Cable created by Rob Liefeld and Louise Simonson

Deadpool created by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza

Brief Description: 

Cable calls Irene to tell her that he’s fine and then has a discussion with Xavier, mentioning how the techno-organic virus is returning and that his own body can’t handle the full force of his powers. Meanwhile, Deadpool joins the One World Church to restore his lost skin. The process is long and painful though. Cable enters the One World Church, hidden by his telepathic powers. He tries to find out whether he should be with or against them and is surprised when the Church’s Prime Minister introduces their newest member: Brother Wade Wilson, who can see him. For days, Cable and the former Deadpool talk and Cable becomes convinced that the Church truly does believe in their cause. The Prime Minister shows Cable the way they want to transmit the Façade Virus to the world and he infects Cable with the virus. Cable then tries to take control of the machine that is supposed to infect humanity with the virus, saying that he wants to be the one to administer it to the public, but then his mutant powers disappear. The Prime Minister explains that he used the Façade Virus to block Cable’s powers and Deadpool attacks Cable.

Full Summary: 

Safehouse 14, Cable’s cabin in Switzerland:

Cable is telepathically talking to Irene Merryweather, telling her that he is fine and that he telekinetically stopped the bullet Deadpool shot at him. He did need a few stitches, though. Irene wonders then why he hid in his cabin for three days and Cable admits that he needed time to heal. Irene then wonders why Cable is communicating telepathically if he should rest. Cable answers that he just wanted to strain himself a bit and asks Irene if he did what he asked her to do. Irene tells him that she put pressure on Sunic, the manufacturer of the Façade Virus, but wonders what’s the point, since Sunic lost the Façade Virus. Cable tells her that he’s thinking ahead and ends the conversation.

A voice from the kitchen asks if the milk is still good. Cable replies only if it is meant to look like goat cheese. The voice wonders how often Cable is at this cabin. Cable tells him to check the expiration date on the milk and takes his cell-phone. He phones Eugene Hammer and asks him to find him info on the One World Church. Hammer replies that he hates Cable. Cable replies that he still always cashes the checks.

The voice from the kitchen tells Cable that the loyalty he inspires is interesting. Cable replies that Hammer can hold a grudge. The voice from the kitchen puts sugar in his coffee or tea and asks Cable if he wasn’t responsible for Hammer’s quadriplegia. Cable admits that the grudge is justified. Cable tells the voice, who belongs to Charles Xavier, that he doesn’t need a therapist. Xavier agrees: Cable needs a career counsellor.

Xavier expresses concern for the state of Cable’s body at a critical time like this. Cable is surprised that Xavier knows. Xavier says that he respected Cable’s barriers but he did worries about the strain on Cable’s body after seeing him communicate across the Atlantic and telekinetically speeding up his healing. Cable replies that he doesn’t know he never had the chance to use his powers to their maximum capacity before; the techno-organic virus always prevented that. Now that the virus is gone, his powers have increased exponentially, but the virus has returned. Controlling the virus has become easy, though, and somehow it allowed him to expand his powers even further, but his own body can’t handle that kind of power.

Cable tells Charles that he didn’t want advice on his health, he wants advise on what to do with his powers as long as he has control. Xavier doesn’t understand and Cable tells him that his most recent mission made him wonder if he’s not wasting his powers. He demonstrates it by telekinetically taking his own cabin apart, separating it into its components. He asks Xavier if he never wonders if what he is doing is enough. Xavier replies that it is never enough but it is a start and asks Cable if he really wants to take everything apart and build it up from the ground. Xavier warns him that having the power to dismantle society, doesn’t mean he has the right to do so or the wisdom to put things back properly. And that there will always be people powerful enough and willing to stop him. Cable whispers “or die trying.”

In the One World Church in France, Deadpool talks to cameras about the One World Church and tries to convince people to join them. He introduces Anton Kruch, the Church’s Prime Minister and asks Kruch why he kept his name. Kruch, rather embarrassed, replies that the sublimation of individuality is an ongoing process. Deadpool then explains to the cameras how the Façade Virus, that he personally stole, is going to turn the world into one happy shiny family. To produce the blue colour on his members the church used to use bleaches and dyes but, now, with a simple injection, using a combination of the Façade Virus and his own healing factor to stabilise the virus, a person is changed. Deadpool is injected and removes his mask to reveal a face with normal (though blue) skin.

Sadly, this is all a hallucination by Deadpool, who is still looking like his normal, mutated skin self. The Prime Minister asks Deadpool how he’s doing, while one of the brothers tells Kruch how his ranting had become rather personal. Kruch explains to him how Deadpool’s healing factor is keeping him alive, but the strain is making him delirious. He says that Deadpool’s sacrifice will be appreciated. Deadpool reacts to the word “sacrifice” but Kruch tells him that he said “artifice.” Deadpool notes that that doesn’t make any sense. One of the brothers tells Kruch that the new stabilised version of the virus is ready. Kruch tells them to use it on their guinea pig. Deadpool reacts again to the word "guinea pig." Kruch leaves the room, telling the brothers to keep him updated. Outside, he walks past Cable but doesn’t see him due to Cable’s telepathic commands.

Cable enters the room and talks to Deadpool, apologising that he can’t save him yet. Deadpool is still delirious and thinks he’s talking to God. Cable tells Deadpool not to waste energy speaking, just to think. Deadpool tells Cable that he’s sorry for everything and wonders if he has a chance at heaven. Cable replies that he likes to think we all have a chance. The brothers note that Deadpool is stabilising and the process is working.

Over the next few days, Cable observes the One World Church unseen, while the monks are talking about the “Deliverance.” Inside the Church, Kruch is holding a sermon. Cable is on the front row, listening with scepticism to Kruch’s speech about unifying the world. Kruch then introduces the newest member of the Church, the one they all have to thank for the Deliverance: Wade Wilson. Wade enters, looking exactly like all the other monks. Wilson then tells them how all he had was hate and anger, but now he found peace. He then points at Cable and tells him to give it a try.

Cable’s illusions disappear and he wonders how he knew. Kruch explains that their security is state of the art and that there have been attempts at infiltration before. Cable asks why they let him wander around then and Kruch tells him that they couldn’t have stopped him and they wanted to prove their sincerity to him. Cable asks “What now?” and Kruch asks the same question back. Cable admits that he wants to see more.

Days later, Cable and Brother Wade are walking on a bridge, just outside the Church. Cable asks if there have been any after effects and if Wade is still feeling the urge to kill and hurt things. Wade denies both. Cable looks at him with doubt, but Deadpool meets his gaze. Cable asks Deadpool if he really buys all this and Deadpool tells him just to look at him, while picking up a pebble. Cable admits that the Church truly believes in their cause and Kruch especially believes it. Wade replies that they only want what’s best. Cable responds that so did Hitler. Cable walks away, while Deadpool considers that statement. He then concludes that it’s all a matter of faith and that he finally has some inner peace, while throwing the pebble across the pond, killing a dragonfly with it.

A monk invites Cable to witness the first test of the Deliverance. Inside, Kruch shows him a machine that will transmit the new Façade Virus through the optic nerve: the safest, most efficient way, according to them. He then demonstrates the process by infecting Cable with a flash of light. Immediately, Cable sees his hand turning blue. Cable tells him that the good news is that the process works, but the bad news is that he likes this ‘cure.’ Kruch wonders why that is bad news.

Cable telekinetically rips the whole machine out of the ground and replies that he thinks he should be the one to administer it. Kruch admits that it’s unexpected, but then mentions a back-up plan. At that point, Cable’s T.O. virus starts replicating again and the machine drops. Kruch explains that the Façade Virus now is blocking his mutant powers. Brother Wade then takes two swords from his robe and asks Nathan if he still remembers him saying that he didn’t want to kill or hurt anymore. “I was lying.” Springing into action, Wade jumps towards Cable, whose T.O.-virus is really going out of control.

Characters Involved: 

Deadpool/Wade Wilson

Cable/Nathan Christopher Summers

Irene Merryweather (reporter at the Daily Bugle and friend of Cable)

Professor X/Charles Francis Xavier

Eugene Hammer (former ally of Cable, technological genius)

Anton Kruch / Prime Minister of the One World Church

One World Church members

Story Notes: 

Safehouse 14 in Switzerland was introduced in the Cable: Blood & Metal limited series and was taken over by Donald Pierce in the pages of Wolverine. Apparently, Cable has taken control of it again.

Eugene Hammer was shot in the back by Cable in the Cable: Blood & Metal limited series. Hammer was trying to give Cable’s enemy, Stryfe, a disc with information in exchange for his friend Garrison Kane’s life. Cable thought the info was more important than Kane’s life and shot Hammer to stop him.

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