CABLE IS BACK! AND HE’S GOT JUST 24 HOURS TO WIPE THE AVENGERS FROM THE PAGES OF HISTORY! How has Cable been reborn? Where has he been since “Second Coming”? And what dark event has driven him to destroy the Avengers? The answers are just the tip of an iceberg that threatens to smash the Marvel Universe to smithereens! A crucial new series by the creators behind SUPERMAN/BATMAN and HULK, Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness THE COUNTDOWN TO 2012’s STATUS QUO-SHATTERING EPIC BEGINS HERE! Synopsis The Avengers are called in when a jail break is attempted. A prison transport jet is headed to the Raft when the Lethal Legion pops up and stages a jailbreak. They handle the situation admirably, but they fail to notice the cloaked man atop a building with a very large gun. Captain America and Falcon go after Whirlwind, but Falcon is told to stay back because of the strong winds that Whirlwind emits. This leaves Falcon open to get shot in the back. Once Captain America has Whirlwind contained, he turns to find Falcon missing and Redwing flying away. The Captain follows. Falcon lies in an alley, bloodied, with the hooded figure standing over him. The figure quickly knocks him out with a metal arm and drags him into the sewers. As the hooded man walks he recalls why he's taking such chances: for Hope. He flashes back. He recalls the techno-organic virus taking over his body. But he also recalls standing in a desolate wasteland without an arm. He is either dead or dying. In following Redwing, Captain America arrives a large ship. Climbing aboard, he finds Falcon in a tank with tubes hooked up to him. Before the Captain can attempt to release Falcon, Cable informs him that any adverse actions against the tank will result in C-4 to detonate with the potential to kill everyone. Seeing that Cable is struggling to get his words out, Captain America tries a little bit of diplomacy to find out what is eating at Cable. This doesn't work. Cable shoots at the Captain, who has to duck behind his shield. From here, it's a battle. Cable lunges and takes a swing or two. Captain America throws his shield and the ricochet takes Cable in the back of the head. Captain America again tries a little talking. Cable simply responds with a telekinetic burst the hurls the Captain backwards. Cable now has a gun and the shield. But, as Captain America notes, that burst took a lot out of Cable and he winces while dropping the gun. Cap jumps on the opportunity and shoots at Cable, who is now the one ducking behind the shield. The gun empties and Cable hurls the shield at Captain America. The Captain narrowly avoids getting hit and the shield gets stuck in the wall. As Cap tries to dislodge it, Cable tackles him and knocks him out. Flashback. Cable finds Blaquesmith in the sort of apocalyptic, nuclear winter. His arm is back. He asks Blaquesmith what happened to make the world as it is. The response: Hope wasn't around to save the world when she was needed. The present. Captain America gets strapped in to a machine. Flashback. Blaquesmith tells Cable that there isn't much that can be done. Blaquesmith is too old and it looks as if the techno-organic virus has spread like never before. Cable probably only has a day, tops, to live. Cable doesn't care. The present. Cable explains to Cap that the machine is an inhibitor chair. It's supposed to get inside one's head. Cable expresses that he knows a thing or two about a person's body turning against them. Flashback. Cable demands that Blaquesmith tell him who is responsible for Hope not being around to save the world. Blaquesmith states that Cable already knows their names. The present. A gun is lifted to Captain America's head. Cable explains that it's the Avengers who stand in Hope's way. He doesn't know how, but he plans on stopping each and every one of them. A shot is fired.
Midnight
Loeb / Vines / McGuinness / Hollowell
Comic
