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Avengers: X-Sanction #1-4

Avengers: X-Sanction

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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, setting up 2012's status quo-shattering epic!

COLLECTING: Avengers : X-Sanction 1-4

144 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

6 people are currently reading
182 people want to read

About the author

Jeph Loeb

1,589 books1,375 followers
Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III is an Emmy and WGA nominated American film and television writer, producer and award-winning comic book writer. Loeb was a Co-Executive Producer on the NBC hit show Heroes, and formerly a producer/writer on the TV series Smallville and Lost.

A four-time Eisner Award winner and five-time Wizard Fan Awards winner (see below), Loeb's comic book career includes work on many major characters, including Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, Hulk, Captain America, Cable, Iron Man, Daredevil, Supergirl, the Avengers, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, much of which he has produced in collaboration with artist Tim Sale, who provides the comic art seen on Heroes.

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5 stars
96 (13%)
4 stars
156 (21%)
3 stars
268 (36%)
2 stars
171 (23%)
1 star
35 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
Profile Image for Dan.
303 reviews93 followers
October 12, 2019
I don't know what happened to Jeph Loeb...he used to be a top-tier writer, but that all changed in the blink of an eye, and now he is mainly known for unintelligible dreck. This is more of the same. I thought I missed something, because I still have no clue why Cable feels that The Avengers are responsible for the death of his adopted daughter, Hope. Then I read some reviews, and no one else really knew why he thought that, either.

That said....The Ed McGuinness art makes up for all of Loeb's sins. Gorgeous, widescreen smash-and-bash slugfests are showcased perfectly in this large hardcover format. I'm a complete mark for McGuinness' art.

Story: -5. Art: 10.

I had a blast reading this. Or maybe, looking at it.
Profile Image for Alex Sarll.
7,061 reviews363 followers
Read
November 19, 2012
Jeph Loeb wrote some good comics once upon a time, but has since become a byword for utter dreck. This isn't the common issue where an author gets stuck in his ways, where interests harden into obsessions and tics grow tiresome - this was an apparent regression to being a teenage boy with no grasp of plotting, characterisation or much of anything else beyond 'kewl'.
Avengers versus X-Men was an incoherent event which gave every indication of being led by marketing rather than creative concerns.
Cable is a dreadful nineties character with ATTITUDE! and METAL BITS!! and A BIG GUN!!! who has only ever been interesting when taken a long way from his original concept.
This is A writing a prequel to B starring C. So it ought to be gloriously bad, right? But it isn't. It's poor, but only in a very middling sort of way.
Also worth noting that, like the last prequel to an X-event written by a mediocrity, Paul Jenkins' Prelude to Schism, it is utterly irrelevant to, and doesn't even properly match up with, the story in the event proper.
Profile Image for David.
2,565 reviews87 followers
May 3, 2012
This is what is wrong with so many of Marvel Comics these days. This very slight tale would have been better suited as a short back-up story. It could have easily been told in 8 pages and would have been slightly interesting, but to stretch such a thin story over 112 pages is utterly ridiculous. Abject failure all around.
Profile Image for Vinod.
94 reviews
November 2, 2018
It was not that great .. but yes ..a must read for a marvel fan
Profile Image for Quentin Wallace.
Author 34 books178 followers
March 21, 2024
3.5 Stars

There's really not a lot to this past Cable battling the Avengers, but it serves as a set up to X-Men Vs. Avengers. I really think this could have been handled in one issue rather than a limited series, but it was still a pretty cool read.
Profile Image for Jesús De la Jara.
820 reviews101 followers
April 30, 2018
Este volumen reúne los acontecimientos antes de "Avengers vs X-Men" me gustó porque es una muy buena introducción a la saga. Cuenta cómo así Cable no ha muerto después que Bastión en la saga de "Second Coming" lo haya despedazado. Pero aún así él sigue con el virus del Legado por lo que en estos cómics que parecen una bomba de tiempo tratará en tiempo récord de acabar con los Vengadores más peligrosos como Capitán América, Iron Man, Hulk, entre otros, todo por su "hija" Hope Summers. Mucha acción y una gran revelación en el último número.
Profile Image for Dan.
2,235 reviews67 followers
January 4, 2016
This was so short that it was hard to tell if I liked it or if I hated it. Takes place between Messiah/Hope Summers storyline and AVX.
Profile Image for salomé.
273 reviews3 followers
June 14, 2025
Cable revient du future après avoir été laissé pour mort lors des événements de la guerre du Messie. Il démonte les avengers un à un car ils seraient soit disant responsable de la mort de Hope dans le futur.
Ce n’était pas un récit incroyable mais je pense que c’est un must read qui introduit bien l’intrigue de Avengers vs X-men. Très hâte de lire la suite, car avec le retour de Phœnix c’est les problèmes qui vont s’enchaîner.
Profile Image for Thomas Markiewicz.
13 reviews6 followers
December 12, 2018
This could be an interesting way to introduce Cable into the MCU once the Disney/FOX merger is finalized.
Profile Image for Sam Quixote.
4,803 reviews13.4k followers
October 18, 2012
Cable goes back in time from the future to stop the Avengers from doing something that will result in the death of his adopted daughter Hope – to save Hope, and the future of mutant-kind, he must kill the Avengers. Here’s the whole “story”: Cable fights Captain America. Cable fights Iron Man. Cable fights Red Hulk.

I won’t say what happens in the end but it renders everything that went before it completely pointless. There is a revelation regarding Hope and the extent of her powers but it’s not enough to justify spending 4 issues (the length of the book – the rest is fluffed out with covers and more covers and sketches, yawn) basically having Cable fighting (and defeating!) most of the Avengers.

“X-Sanction” has an interesting premise but is let down by an uninspired script that has the costumed heroes battering at each other until the pages run out revealing a distinct lack of ideas from Loeb. It foreshadows the upcoming “Avengers Vs X-Men” storyline but doesn’t contribute enough to prevent you from understanding that overall arc so “X-Sanction” is definitely missable.
Profile Image for Adam Fisher.
3,596 reviews23 followers
May 21, 2016
At the end of the events of Second Coming, Cable dies holding open a portal from the future so X-Force can return. Or does he?
It seems that our T-O Virus infected, never give up, tough as nails, did NOT die, but was shifted forward to the future. There he discovers a land in nuclear winter, and finds that it is because the Avengers have taken out his daughter Hope, the Mutant Messiah that he spent so long protecting and raising. What do you think happens? BACK IN TIME TO THE PRESENT HE GOES... and declares war on the Avengers!
Faced paced action and typical Cable faire is all over this title. Just when he appears about to totally succumb to his infection, Hope and Cyclops show up and get him to cease his hostilities. Standing over her dying "Father", Hope manifests the Phoenix Force for the first time and cures him but burning the virus from his body. AvX on the horizon....
Excellent story. High recommend. Very fast read!
Profile Image for Judah Radd.
1,098 reviews15 followers
December 8, 2019
This is only good if you read Messiah War, Messiah CompleX, Second Coming, Generation Hope, and been reasonably up to date on UXM.

Fortunately, I’ve read all that shit, so I loved this. It was powerful, it set the stage for what’s to come, and it had a very satisfying reunion between Hope and Cable, as well as a crazy awesome, very spoilery final reveal.

If you are just looking to read something and aren’t a hardcore X reader, I’d avoid this. You’ll be lost.

The art is awesome. Ed McGuinness is great. Jeph Loeb is one of the greats, and it shows here.

Overall, this is a great installment.
Profile Image for Fugo Feedback.
5,084 reviews172 followers
September 1, 2012
Sigue resultándome muy bonito el dibujo de McGuiniss. Y me resultó sorpresivamente ameno el guion de Loeb. Pero ante la pregunta "¿Eran necesarias cien páginas que a fin de cuentas no cuentan nada?" no puedo más que contestar que no, que esta miniserie que bien podría ser un especial me suena más a despropósito.
Profile Image for Ronan The Librarian.
371 reviews1 follower
March 11, 2021
This was necessary for the Avengers VS X-Men reading order, but didn’t feel like much went in to it. Ed McGuinness’ art is good, but Loeb’s writing felt simplistic and juvenile. It wasn’t bad per se, just didn’t feel like effort in the writing was there. A quick read either way, with foreshadowing and repercussions in the future I’m sure.
Profile Image for Travis Duke.
1,137 reviews15 followers
January 22, 2019
gulp....i liked this. Yes Cable time traveling to the past to save mutant kind is definitely not new but watching Cable go full Technovirus was awesome, plus he kicks the avengers ass (mostly). Art was also good. I wasnt expecting much in this book but I liked it, but Cable is my guy.
Profile Image for Rahmi.
246 reviews27 followers
Want to read
June 29, 2016
OHHHH I NEED THIS ONE
Profile Image for Alex E.
1,721 reviews12 followers
October 3, 2023
Cable jumps into our time to take on the Avengers!

Why you ask? Well... something about Hope being threatened by them? Honestly, Jeph Loeb never explicitly says it outright as to why this is all happening. I've always enjoyed Loeb's work, but here it felt like something he rushed and didn't fully flesh out. This story feels like it should take place in the middle of the Avengers vs X-Men story, but instead, its an introduction to it? Maybe it's not defined in terms of when it happened because putting it in the middle (like it seems it should be) would be too confusing and throw off the whole event... I don't know, but it was weirdly written.

However, Ed McGuiness.... man, he is a top tier artist. He shines on this book, giving us some of the best visuals we could've asked for. I mean just seeing him draw these characters fighting, and the level of detail that he puts into each page... it's honestly worth the read just for the art itself. I gave the book another star just for the art.

I would say, this is an "intro" to AVX but it doesn't feel like it. But if you are into some great looking art, this book is a must read.
Profile Image for C.
1,754 reviews54 followers
July 20, 2018
Continuing the great x-read of 2017/18...

I am not looking forward to the AvX crossover. I like my X-books separate from the rest of the Marvel Universe as I simply just don't like a lot of the other Marvel comics. But I am trying to keep an open mind as I am just trying to enjoy all of these for what they are (and I just need some escapism right now...).

This, though, ugh. It does not fill me with confidence. First of all, it is a story that could have been told in about ten pages stretched out to about 120. Second of all, nothing about this "Cable" character seems anything like the Cable as he has been written for about the last ten years. Third, the writing just seems lazy throughout the whole thing. There is so little going on, every character seems to be the same as the others...

I don't know. I loathe writing mean-spirited reviews. I always try to find something nice to say about the books that I read but I am really having a hard time doing that here... Maybe it was a quick read?
Profile Image for Papasmurfiiiviii.
184 reviews
May 25, 2022
A huge example of wanting to cram in events and issues so that you can get to the predetermined destination. This honestly could have been a pretty damn big blockbuster event. Like it had the potential. And from a chronology perspective it does make sense that this is a predecessor to AvX. It’s just unfortunately this was shafted to make way for AvX, rendering this much worse than it could be. It also probably hurt AvX in the long run too.* Anyway, the idea was great. The execution was ok.


*Because unless I’m mistaken, Cable was no where to be seen during AvX. I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong.
Profile Image for Nathan Guetteville.
30 reviews
September 18, 2023
Cette mini-série sert de prélude à Avengers vs. X-Men, et met en scène Cable, de retour d’entre les morts pour éliminer les Avengers.

Une fois n’est pas coutume, je vais commencer par la partie graphique : on a là non pas de moches dessins, mais plutôt des dessins banals et sans trop de personnalité, un peu des dessins de BD spin-off pour enfants générique.

Cable piège (un peu facilement) un à un les plus grands héros de la Terre, après avoir appris depuis le futur que ces derniers seraient un jour responsable de la mort de Hope, sa fille et messie des mutants.

C’est sympa à lire, sans être révolutionnaire. Certains personnages interviennent un peu trop au bon moment, et agissent parfois un peu out of character, mais il y a quelque moments sympas.
19 reviews2 followers
April 17, 2020
A very thin premise stretched over 4 issues, with very weak, basic writing. Around a 100 pages of the main character's repetitive inner monologue. The same idea over and over. It's just bad, really. I've been reading the storyline up until here since House of M, and I like and was interested in all the characters. It just doesn't deliver anything good.
Profile Image for Smitty.
50 reviews5 followers
November 17, 2025
Jeph Leob really phoning it in here. The entire plot: Cable comes back from the future to fight the Avengers because he thinks they did something bad to the X-Men. This should have been one issue, not stretched out over four. Spider-Man and Wolverine add precisely nothing in #4 (and why did they tease the black costume on the cover?). And then the whole thing is a time-tripping misunderstanding?
2,247 reviews5 followers
October 21, 2018
Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuiness make a some pretty, breezy comics, and that's certainly what this series is. A prelude to the Avengers vs X-Men mega event, it's only four issues, but could have been accomplished in one.
Profile Image for superhero fan.
336 reviews7 followers
January 19, 2020
I have never really read about Cable before but I knew who he is. (I have him as a 3 and 4 star in marvels contest of champions) and just know a bit about him. He is just such a great charchter. I am very excited for the rest of this crossover!
Profile Image for Miguel M..
90 reviews
May 3, 2019
this one was a fast read and a great start for the avengers vs x-men.

also found out that... Cable's dad is Cyclops #suchafakefan
Profile Image for Rob Foster.
125 reviews2 followers
July 18, 2020
Cable's most impressive feats since he fought the Surfer. The effective prequal to XvsA and a story that even lays some of the groundwork for Cable's role HoX, PoX.
Profile Image for Andrew.
336 reviews1 follower
January 24, 2021
3.5/5
Pace was slow at times and fast at others.
Maybe too many characters to have in a short 4 volume run? I wish the script was a bit better, the whole “Time...time” thing was annoying.
Profile Image for Andrew Alvis.
863 reviews2 followers
August 11, 2021
Whilst it left me confused as to the nature of the story in the long run, the artwork is great and Cable kicking butts all over the place never gets old.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews

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