Announced today in a liveblog chat on Marvel.com, Marvel revealed an upcoming four-issue limited series entitled Avengers: X-Sanction, written by Jeph Loeb and illustrated by Ed McGuinness. This was previously announced at San Diego Comic-Con as Cable: Reborn, and will set the stage for what is going to come in 2012, with ties to Schism and Generation Hope. Loeb remarked, “I always saw Cable as very much the Captain America of the X-Men. A soldier from out of time who cared deeply for the people he worked with.”
Yesterday we guessed that Marvel’s teaser might have something to do with the Avengers fighting the X-Men, but now it turns out that Cable has returned and how he survived Second Coming is somehow tied to the Avengers. There is also a note that Hope is in some kind of trouble, which leads to Cable’s return as well as additional conflict. “What Cable is up to is not something that can be done quietly. It will raise the interest of some pretty important people and leaders in the X-Men community will have to step in at some point in the storyline,” said series writer Jeph Loeb. He also adds that the book will be completely new reader friendly. “This is a man who has a daughter and a need to protect her. That’s really all you need to know. If you understand Cable’s problem, his situation, and what he has to do, the rest will fall into place.”
“This story puts Cable in a situation where he’s surrounded by and dealing with characters he doesn’t normally. It’s not just another story with Cable and the X-Men,” addsTom Brevoort. “The idea of Cable as a man out to protect his daughter by any means necessary gives the character an emotional heft and underlines everything he does. It’s richly fulfilling.”
“There’s a reason for Cable behaving the way that he does tying into his sacrifice that drives him in a very dark way, even as Hope provides light for him,” adds Loeb.
This is the second time in recent history that the X-Men have come into conflict with some version of the Avengers, with the Utopia arc written by Matt Fraction being the previous one leading to the X-Men residing on their own island dubbed Nation X.
It is also noted by assistant editor of Marvel.com Mark Strommy that Axel Alonso has been quoted as saying that Fear Itself, Children’s Crusade and Schism all end around the same time, and this could be somewhat related to the three events.
Loeb also briefly teases that characters from Cable’s past, such as Deadpool, could have a role in the story. Possibly. Maybe.
