Strap in for a ride that can’t handle it’s own continuity! Rob Liefeld returns to X-Force and brings nonsensical concepts, dangling plot threads and an astonishing lack of character consistency… and that’s just in the X-Force mini-series! While X-Force co-creator Fabian Nicieza provides the script on the mini that reunites the two creators, he brings more sense to Cable and Deadpool in their ongoing shared series. And if you’re looking for more Liefeld and a prequel that does little to flesh out the mutant-murdering threat, then hop into Shatterstar‘s very first solo title! But be sure to leave logic at home…
Cable has created his own island nation haven Providence and opened it up to the world’s greatest minds to research ways to make the world a better place. But an old threat Cable faced thousands of years ago has returned to threaten mutantkind. Now Cable may have to make the ultimate sacrifice to prevent Skornn from massacring his people.
This time & reality-hopping ride features guest appearances from Wolverine and the Fantastic Four, takes us into the warped world of the HOUSE OF M and brings one of the most-popular X-Men spin-offs back for one more deadly mission!
Crossover: This unofficial crossover jumps from the ongoing ‘Cable & Deadpool’ series, into the X-Force mini-series, then back again; the four issue Shatterstar mini was released after ‘X-Force’ though it acts as a prelude to events in that series.
Must-Reads: Issues marked with a ✔are essential to the story.
Anthology Issues: When an issue contains multiple stories, the relevant story is denoted with square brackets. For example, [2/5] refers to the second story of the five stories in that issue, so you don’t need to read the other four.
Spoilers: The issue descriptions and fallout section contain spoilers, so be warned!
Previous events that directly impact this story:
- A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH (1991) – Cable first forms X-Force
- X-MEN RELOAD (2004-2005) – Cable creates Providence and is attached to Deadpool
Want to keep it simple? Here’s the chronological reading order without story descriptions, or spoilers:
- X-Force: Shatterstar #1-4
- ✔ X-Force #1
- ✔ Cable & Deadpool #13-14
- ✔ X-Force #2-6
- ✔ Cable & Deadpool #15-19
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| Must Reads | Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| X-Force: Shatterstar #1 Former X-Force member Shatterstar has taken to fighting in underground arena battles in Madripoor. A mysterious woman approaches him, asking him to kill a dangerous terrorist from another plane of existence. That night, he’s attacked by ninjas who want to prevent him from awakening a creature called Skornn. One of the men is Dominicus Pierce, the terrorist Shatterstar had been asked to kill. Pierce gives Shatterstar a blade called the Five Fingers of Annihilation – the only weapon capable of killing Skornn, a creature that becomes more powerful with every mutant it murders. Elsewhere, the woman who approached Shatterstar is revealed to be the sorceress Spiral… 1st appearance: Destroyer/Dominicus Pierce | |
| X-Force: Shatterstar #2 Shatterstar joins Pierce and his ninjas as they infiltrate Spiral’s lair. They battle her enhanced agents, discover a traitor among their own group and realise they’re now in another dimension. Spiral reveals her plans to release Skornn and wipe the Earth clean of all life. After revealing his emotional connection to Spiral, Pierce stumbles falls through Limbo for eternity. Spiral snatches the Five Fingers of Annihilation, but loses it and falls through Limbo after it. Shatterstar follows her through a portal and is faced with a much older Cable… 1st appearance: Cable/Nathan Summers of Earth-2055, Earth-2055 | |
| X-Force: Shatterstar #3 Trapped on Earth-2055, Shatterstar aids this world’s Cable and Caliban against the parasites and demons sent by Spiral to kill them. Spiral has been on this world for three years and has taken on the identity of ‘Apocalypse’. Cable’s spy, Roberto da Costa, almost succeeds in stealing the Five Fingers of Annihilation, but Spiral discovers his ruse. Cable, Shatterstar and the rest of the Resistance fly ‘Lockheed’ dragons in to rescue Roberto… New identity: Spiral/Rita Wayword as Apocalypse | |
| X-Force: Shatterstar #4 Roberto da Costa is saved while Shatterstar overpowers Spiral. Dominicus Pierce returns, very much alive, though having been trapped in Limbo for 100 years. Pierce attacks Shatterstar on Spiral’s behalf. Shatterstar defeats Pierce who falls to oblivion. Cable takes Spiral into his custody, imprisoning her on Earth-2055. He then sends Shatterstar back to Earth-616 with the Five Fingers of Annihilation. | |
| ✔ | X-Force #1 Cable once spent time in Earth’s past as the Traveler, and encountered a creature called Skornn. Now, Cable suffers from a psychic attack before he and Domino fend off Helix assassins from the Order of the Five Blades. Hours later, Cable and Domino recruit Shatterstar and collect the Five Fingers of Annihilation from the Himalayas. Several of the monks protecting the Five Fingers of Annihilation die protecting it from Helix assassins. 1st appearance: Skornn, Five Fingers of Annihilation |
| ✔ | X-Force #3 (pp.1-3) Lady Anime swears revenge on Shatterstar, believing him to be responsible for the death of her father, the lead monk protecting the Five Fingers of Annihilation… 1st appearance: Lady Anime/Xixa Zenaya |
| ✔ | Cable & Deadpool #13 Cable takes a break from preparing to face Skornn. The world’s most wanted terrorist, Haji Bin Barat, is found dead on Cable’s island haven Providence. Irene Merriweather investigates, while keeping Deadpool busy by sending him on dead-end missions. Irene and Deadpool both come to the conclusion that Deadpool himself is the killer. Elsewhere, someone observes Wolverine’s war on Hydra to sell the footage of his fighting style to Taskmaster. New identity: Commcast/Garabed Bashur as Black Box Also see ENEMY OF THE STATE |
| Must Reads | Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| ✔ | Cable & Deadpool #14 (pp.1-20) Prester John of the Providence Peacewatch Security Patrol comes close to taking the fugitive Deadpool down. Cable puts his plans to reform X-Force on hold to focus on saving Deadpool from John. Cable orders Deadpool to leave Providence or he’ll kill him. |
| ✔ | X-Force #2 Cannonball has bought a farm with his earnings from X-Corp. But time-traveller Jon Spectre from future timeline Earth-4935 asks Cannonball to help him kill Cable to prevent him from causing mutant genocide. Cable recruits Domino, Shatterstar, Boomer, Sunspot and Warpath have been recruited back into X-Force… 1st appearance: Jon Spectre |
| ✔ | X-Force #3 (pp.4-22) X-Force bodyslide to Cannonball and Jon Spectre’s location. Despite Cannonball’s rage over Cable apparently knowing how each member of X-Force would die, Cable manages to defeat him. Shatterstar takes down Spectre. Sunspot switches sides when he sees the defeated Cannonball. Cable teleports the rest of X-Force out. In Bulgaria, Skornn is freed by Helix assassins and walks the Earth once more. And he wants to feed on Cable… |
| ✔ | X-Force #4 Days later, Wolverine frees Caliban from a secret facility called the Watchtower where he’s been experimented on and mutated. X-Force arrive and Wolverine agrees to ally with them in the fight against Skornn. The Watchtower’s anti-mutant Administrator offers to side with X-Force against Skornn, but has no need for Wolverine. Cable’s bodysliding brings Deadpool into the fight. The Administrator’s victory is cut short when Stryfe and the Mutant Liberation Front arrive, blasting the mutant-hater into unconsciousness… 1st appearance: Stryfe/Domino/Neena Thurman of Earth-5014 |
| ✔ | X-Force #5 In space, Gladiator of the Shi’ar Imperial Guard hears of Skornn’s return and summons all 300 members of the Guard. On Earth, the Helix teleport Skornn to the New York chapter of the Hellfire Club. Cannonball and Jon Spectre have allied with Stryfe against Cable. Stryfe unmasks to reveal a future incarnation of Domino who Cable believed was dead. She agrees to fight alongside Cable. They all bodyslide to Manhattan where the Thing and Human Torch of the Fantastic Four are already fighting Skornn… |
| ✔ | X-Force #6 Shatterstar and Jon Spectre battle the final Helix assassin, until Boomer channels her powers through Shatterstar’s sword to end his life. X-Force, Wolverine and the others go for Skornn, but it’s Cable harnessing the power of the Five Fingers of Annihilation through his Psimitar who delivers the killing blow. Its ancient Celestial technology transports both Cable and Skornn elsewhere. The Imperial Guard arrive in Earth’s orbit, but the Skornn is already gone and Cable is now lost… |
| Must Reads | Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| ✔ | Cable & Deadpool #14 (pp.21-22) Days after his exile from Providence, Deadpool seeks out the Black Box for the means to end his own life… |
| ✔ | Cable & Deadpool #15 Black Box manipulates Deadpool’s aggression to turn him into his personal weapon. Deadpool returns to Providence in search of Cable, but Siryn and Cannonball arrive and inform Deadpool that Cable went missing four days ago. After four more days of tests, Forge is called in to see if Deadpool’s bodysliding link to Cable will help recover him. But Deadpool’s next bodyslide lands him on Earth-5701 (a world similar to the Age of Apocalypse). Now armed with the Five Fingers of Annihilation, he escapes three of the Horsemen of Apocalypse and reunites with Siryn & Cannonball when they follow Deadpool’s reality jump three minutes later (as per Forge’s settings). The fourth Horseman arrives… and it’s Cable! |
| ✔ | Cable & Deadpool 16 The trio realise this ‘War’ Cable is native to Earth-5701. Deadpool bodyslides out to Earth-58161, a reality in which ‘Brother Nathan’ had brought peace and eradicated war. Siryn and Cannonball arrive three minutes later and Deadpool immediately jumps to Earth-58162. This world’s Cable gave in to the Phalanx infection completely. Deadpool fights off the Phalanx-Cable’s attempt to infect him and bodyslides to another reality. This time, he finds an infant Cable in the clutches of Mister Sinister… |
| ✔ | Cable & Deadpool #17 Cannonball and Siryn arrive and have barbecue with Sinister and Deadpool. Sinister explains how Magneto took control of the world, marking this as a reality-warped version of Earth-616 (not that anyone seems to realise – see HOUSE OF M). Sinister takes a sample of Deadpool’s DNA to speed baby Cable’s growth and make him an adult within days. Deadpool grabs the baby and tries to bodyslide out, just as (due to events elsewhere) reality resets… New identity: Cable/Nathan Summers as Baby Cable Also see HOUSE OF M |
| ✔ | Cable & Deadpool #18 Deadpool, Siryn and Cannonball return home with baby Cable. Black Box’s programming makes Deadpool want to shoot the infant Cable. While X-Force seek out Black Box, the now-teenaged Cable absorbs a lifetime’s worth of information from Forge’s time harness and cures Deadpool’s programming himself. Deadpool decides to treat the teenage Cable by taking him to Intercourse, Pennsylvania… |
| ✔ | Cable & Deadpool #19 Deadpool is disappointed that Intercourse doesn’t live up to its name. Deadpool and young Cable share memories of their respective 17th birthdays. Cable fought the forces of Apocalypse in the future. Deadpool rebelled against his abusive father. But neither reveal the truth – Cable lost a friend and Deadpool watched as abusive father was murdered. By the time they’re done, Cable has returned to his true age and they suggest telling each other the truth on their way home… 1st appearance: Haily Wilson (flashback) |
| Must Reads | Issue & Fallout | Event/ Crossover |
| Wolverine #28-31 (2005) Wolverine’s very persona war on Hydra continues. | ENEMY OF THE STATE | |
| ✔ | X-Men: The 198 #2-4 (2006) Caliban returns, finding sanctuary among the 198 – the handful of mutants who retain their powers after M-Day – on the Xavier Estate; Caliban appears to be in a far better mental state. | DECIMATION |
| ✔ | X-Men #200 (2007) Cable & Deadpool #42 (2007) Despite Cable and Deadpool’s efforts to save it, Providence is destroyed by the Marauders. | BLINDED BY THE LIGHT |
| Uncanny X-Men #293 (2008) A new X-Force make their debut, acting as a strike team under Wolverine’s leadership; though unconnected to previous X-Force incarnations, both Caliban and Warpath are among the line-up. | MESSIAH COMPLEX | |
| ✔ | Marvel Now! Point One #1 (2012) Cable and X-Force #1-2 (2013) Cable forms a new X-Force line-up, with Domino, Colossus, Doctor Nemesis and Forge. | MARVEL NOW! WANTED |
| X-Factor #259 (2013) Shatterstar’s origin (and connection to Longshot and Mojoworld) are finally revealed. | ||
| ✔ | Deadpool #34 (2014) Following a number of contradictory tales, the truth about Deadpool and is father is finally revealed; Deadpool murdered his parents on a mission for the Butler, though he was mind-wiped and didn’;’t know who they were. | ORIGINAL SIN |
| ✔ | Major X #3-5 (2019) Major X leads a team of mutants plucked from time against the Watchtower; the Administrator finally meets his fate (or so it seems). | |
| ✔ | Deadpool: Seven Slaughters #1 (2024) Lady Anime returns, though with no mention of her grudge with Shatterstar; Lady Anime’s powers are revealed. |
| Collected Edition Title | Collects… |
| X-Force: Shatterstar | X-Force: Shatterstar #1-4 |
| X-Force/Cable: The Legend Returns | X-Force #1-6 |
| Cable & Deadpool vol.3: The Human Race | Cable & Deadpool #13-18 |
| Deadpool & Cable – Ultimate Collection vol.1 | Cable & Deadpool #1-18 |
| Collected Edition Title | Includes… |
| Cable & Deadpool vol.4: Bosom Buddies Deadpool & Cable – Ultimate Collection vol.2 | Cable & Deadpool #19 |
| Deadpool & Cable Omnibus | Cable & Deadpool #13-19 |
Reading Order © Omniverse Comics Guide 2024
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