Cable is a child of the 90’s comic scene if ever there was one. The issues of that decade were full of MORE: More guns, more muscles, more pockets, more buckles, more padding, more straps. Everything was X-TREME!!! (“x” replaced “ex” because that was also considered X-TREME!!!) back then. He is, of course, the brainchild of Mr. 90’s himself, Rob Liefeld, the guy comic nerds love to hate. However, it was his work was the reason that New Mutants finally gained an audience after a long period of low sales.
In March of 1990, Liefeld introduced Cable as the new mentor of the team. A “man of action” who could act as the opposite of Xavier (the Mutants old teacher), Cable was decked out in metal and spikes and straps and leather. He carried around guns that massed more than he did, and had no qualms about hurting people who got in his way.
Later, after Liefeld had left Marvel, many more layers were added on to Cable. He was a hard ass because that was what was required to survive in the future where he grew up. He had deep seated abandonment issues and was older than his father (Cyclops of the X-Men) because of all the time hopping he did. Though he was something of a loner, he had deep feelings for certain people like Domino, his ship’s computer (named The Professor), and Cannonball. He had long standing history with Cyclops, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Deadpool, Apocalypse and a bevy of other characters.
And he also had an evil twin, but that's a long story.