Domino and Cable may be working together again, but a small moment reveals everything about Kid Cable’s place in their relationship.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Cable #8 by Gerry Duggan, Phil Noto & VC’s Joe Sabino, on sale now
After executing his older self in Ed Brisson and Pepe Larraz’s Extermination #1, Cable has worked hard to gain the trust and favor of his fellow X-Men. He has exceeded this goal, joining the Summers family and becoming an important member of S.W.O.R.D., but some of his older self’s acquaintances, such as his teammates in X-Force, haven’t warmed up to him as much.
Despite joining him to help track down Stryfe in Gerry Duggan and Phil Noto’s Cable #7, a small lie between the two reveals everything we need to know about Kid Cable and his place on among mutants compared to his older counterpart.
As Kid Cable and Domino go on the hunt for Stryfe and the rest of several kidnapped children, Kid Cable attempts to share some banter with his adult self’s former lover. While she plays along slightly, joking about the age difference reversal between the two in comparison to the older Cable, she doesn’t go for it all. While tracking a lead, Cable asks Domino if he ever calls her “Dom,” to which she replies that he does not.
However, that isn’t true as the adult Cable frequently used “Dom” as a nickname and term of endearment for Domino. With this little lie is a quick interaction, it speaks volumes about Kid Cable, his place with the mutants, and Domino’s feelings about him. In refusing to allow Kid Cable to call her “Dom,: Domino reveals that she is keeping him at a distance and also keeping her past with the adult Cable separate from the new Kid Cable.
For years, Cable and Domino had an off-and-on relationship that even preceded their time on X-Force. The nickname “Dom” is a symbol of their close relationship, both romantically and professionally, and it seems Domino would like it to die with the older Cable. By not allowing Kid Cable to call her by that name, Domino shows she does not trust Kid Cable in the same way as his counterpart, likely to do with the fact Kid Cable killed him and is also years younger. This also likely signals that while he has gained some favor on Krakoa, those who were close to the adult Cable may not feel the same way about his younger counterpart as they did the war-hardened Cable they knew for years.
Kid Cable, of course, remains oblivious to the nuances of this moment, believing himself to be the better Cable. Still, Kid Cable doesn’t seem to fully understand how his presence impacts his relationships with people on Krakoa, and his former X-Force teammates specifically.
It’s possible Kid Cable could eventually earn this trust over time, but it’s equally possible that the older Cable could return before that ever happens. Due to the time-traveling nature of the X-Men’s adventures, it could only be a matter of time before the original Cable returns and takes his rightful place amongst his fellow mutants.
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