Cable #48-53- "The Hellfire Hunt pts. 1-6"

Writer: James Robinson (#48-51) and Joe Casey (#52-53)    Pencils: Ladronn and Garcia (#52)    Inks: Juan Vlasco, Scott Hanna, Bud Larosa and Jon Holderedge (#52)

The story itself was not too bad. The artwork was horrendous. Ladronn looks as though he wants a Kirby-like look to his characters. Let's face it, Kirby was one of the greats, but quite simply, his artwork blew chunks. Ladronn is much worse.

Score: I give it 2 X's out of 5.

On story alone, I gave it 3, but the artwork was so terrible, it brought the average down!

I decided to review all 6 issues together since they comprised a tightly knit story-arc which, since it was for the most part utterly devoid of any sub-plots, read much like a mini-series.

The premise is simple. Sebastion Shaw (Black King of the Hellfire Club) and Donald Pierce are searching for the resting place of Apocalypse so that they can harness his power to advance their own "Tomorrow Agenda". The Tomorrow Agenda being of course a plan to gain world domination.

Naturally, Cable must do whatever it takes to stop the villains. At his side is Irene Merryweather, a reporter that accidentally stumbled upon the existence of the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club.

Part 1 (#48)

The first part is written almost entirely from the point of view of Irene Merryweather, interrupted only occasionally by some dialogue. Personally, I found it irritating, but it was OK for a change of pace.

Irene (a reporter) happens upon evidence of the existence on the Inner Circle and even connects Shaw and Pierce to it. Shortly thereafter, Hellfire Soldiers kill Irene's coworkers and attempts to hunt her down. Just as they are about to kill her, Cable shows up and saves the day.

Part 2 (#49)

Cable breaks in to the Hellfire Club to discover what their secret plan is. Naturally, he dukes it out with Paladin and some HFC soldiers. Taft (a HFC-type person who evidently is privy to the "Tomorrow Agenda") pops a cyanide tablet in order to prevent Cble getting any information from him. Cable psionically connects to Taft, trying to help him fight the poison. Taft dies, and Cable "sort of" dies with him.

However, Cable did get the information he needed when he linked with Taft. It seems that someone from the future has made contact with Shaw. They plan on killing the Apocalypse...... and Shaw plans on harnessing his power! Ewww... scary!

Part 3 (#50)

Double-sized 50th Issue... woo-hoo!

The issue begins with its only connection to what is going on in the X-Titles. Cable returns to Xavier's mansion to check up on Scott Summers, who was seriously injured as a result of Operation: Zero Tolerance. He has a little heart-to-heart with Jean Grey-Summers.

We then flashback to London, 1859. We see Apocalypse sticking some guy into a chamber and talking about how the man will be his Harbinger.

In the present, Shaw, Pierce, and Ch'Vayre (the future man) are in the very same place where the chamber is.

Flashback again to 1915. Union Jack (Lord Montgomery Falsworth) has infiltrated the HFC. He fights the HFC's soldiers, and then discovers the secret chamber.

Maddie Pryor shows up and gives Cable a journal written by Falsworth. Presumably, it tells Cable where to go in London to find the chamber.

Cable shows up in the chamber and fights Pierce. The cyborg-looking Harbinger is released. He kicks EVERYONE'S butts and than takes off.

Cable later finds Harbinger (dressed in a suit) on a rooftop. They have a heart-to-heart, and then Harbinger flies off.

Part 4 (#51)

Cable and Irene follow Shaw to Switzerland. They fight some HFC soldiers again. These guys evidently trained with the same bunch Cobra Commander (of GI Joe) recruited from. They really suck.

They do get overwhelmed eventually and get save by an old man named Wilhelm. Evidently, Wilhelm is a worshipper of the Askani faith.

Meanwhile, Shaw and company find what they believe to be Apocalypse's resting place.

Thinking Wilhelm is not playing it straight, Cable reads the old man's mind... only to discover he was the Nazi war criminal/super soldier named MASTER MAN!

Part 5 (#52)

30 years ago. We see Ch'Vayre arrive at a remote monastery where he sees a vision of Sanctity (high priestess of the Askani church). She tells him that he has been sent back to ensure that Cable fights Apocalypse.

Meanwhile, Wilhelm tells Cable he is no longer the man he was when he was Master Man. Cable does not believe him. Wilhelm wants redemption.

Later, Cable and Wilhelm are traveling by snow-buggy. They are attacked by HFC soldiers. Cable is about to get shot in the back when Wilhelm leaps up and takes the blast. Cable psi-scans the attacker to find out Shaw's location. Wilhelm dies after he asks Cable to be the hero he believes him to be.

Part 6 (#53)

Shaw and company break into Apocalypse's pad..... but the Big A is not home.

Cable fights Pierce. Shaw throws Ch'Vayre into one of ApocalypseÕs cocoons. Shaw escapes, leaving Pierce out in the snow... thus terminating his offer to allow Pierce back in the HFC.

Cable links with Ch'Vayre in the cocoon. It is about to go into hibernation mode, thus trapping Ch'Vayre for a long time.

Apocalypse's pad blasts off like a rocket and explodes with Cable in it.

We see Apocalypse (for the last time until 2000!). He's standing with Ozymandias and Caliban. He sets Ozy free and tells Caliban that his time to serve will come again soon. And then he walks off.

The end.

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