Continuing on the crossover between ‘Cable and X-Force’ and ‘Uncanny X-Force’ we’re delving further into the revenge that Stryfe (wait, isn’t he supposed to be dead?) has planned against the man he’s cloned from – Cable. (He’ll just never accept the fact that he’s the real clone! Or, is he?)

We open the story where the last issue of ‘Uncanny’ left off, Hope and Spiral have teleported before Stryfe and the two X-Force teams (I use the word team extremely loosely when referring to the Uncanny X-Force) are squaring off. Right off the bat we’re reminded that Stryfe is an Omega-Level mutant as he has all of Cable’s powers. He uses them to force Spiral to not only transport herself elsewhere, but turn her powers off as well, something he had previously done to Scott and Jean years ago.

After ditching the teleporter he turns his focus onto Cable who basically just says that he gives up. Stryfe locks him away as he wants him to truly give up in spirit and not in words. There’s a fun plan to see that happen but first let’s check in on the X-Force teams.

With Hope, Bishop, and Cable gone – cooler heads prevail! Storm and Gambit get a dialogue going and everyone is able to calm down enough to realize they’d all be better off working together to get their three friends free from Stryfe then worry about Cable and Hope trying to kill Bishop after they’ve accomplished that. Honestly, with how easily they all fall into working together it really feels more like an X-Men comic than X-Force at this point (and quite a few of everyone’s past adventures get brought up as Forge and Dr. Nemesis work to boost Psylocke’s powers in order to be able to track down Spiral).

While all of that is going on, Stryfe is enabling Cable’s daughter to do what she wants. He’s let Hope loose with her axe while Bishop is still restrained. While she at first is being rational and knowing that following her father’s arch-nemesis’ advice has to be a bad idea, the very end of the comic shows us Cable watching from another room as Hope apparently kills Bishop.

My bet? This is a bit of subterfuge on Hope’s part and she’s either avoided a killing strike or found some other way to not kill Bishop. As much as she wants to, that seems to be the kind of twist they’d throw at us to move the plot forward. Still, Cable is crushed at what he’s taught his daughter to do while his clone laughs at what he’s being forced ot witness.

Team Supersized X-Force plan works and they are not only able to rescue Spiral from a fishing boat in the middle of nowhere by Psylocke is able to unlock her powers. Next up? Stryfe’s old Mutant Liberation Front base so they can go and save their teammates.

Oddly enough there’s been a lot of previews of a dead Stryfe here and I’m wondering if by somehow we’re going to find out all of what is happening is through an AI that he’s left behind to carry out his deads and get his revenge. It seems a bit far-fetched but so does a return of Cable’s greatest enemy. As much as I’m looking forward to the next X-Force run, as I love the writer’s take on mutants, Dennis Hopeless is ending this in an amazing show of new and old tales blended perfectly!

atoms_4

CABLE AND X-FORCE #19
Writer: Dennis Hopeless
Artist: Angel Unzueta Galarza