"Cable & Deadpool" #46 on sale October 24

He may be getting his own series after the big X-Men event, "Messiah CompleX" but for now, everyone in the Marvel Universe believes the mutant known as Cable to be dead -- including Cable's friend and former partner Wade Wilson AKA Deadpool. Wade's not lonely these days, though. He has a new partner, Bob, Agent of Hydra, fighting at his side . . . well, okay, not exactly fighting but he is occasionally helpful.  

CBR News spoke with "Cable & Deadpool" writer Fabian Nicieza about Wade and Bob's journey through time and space, and the beloved series' coming to a close.

Cable's apparent death in "X-Men" #200 and 'Cable & Deadpool" #42 has really shaken up Deadpool. "Wade is committed to honoring Cable's life and friendship by trying to do the right things the right way – most of the time." Fabian Nicieza told CBR News. "So far, he's actually succeeding. Amazing, isn't it?"

Deadpool's relationship with Bob began in "Cable & Deadpool" #38 and began in a hostage-captor dynamic, but it's changed over time. "I'd say Bob's a bit less of a hostage and a bit more of a cuddly puppy," Nicieza said. "Deadpool is in the process of housebreaking him now and so far, so good. Any book with Deadpool in it should have room for a cuddly Agent of Hydra, I think."

"Cable & Deadpool" #46, page 1

That cuddly Agent of Hydra has quickly amassed a legion of fans and has even inspired his own MySpace tribute page. "I never even knew about it," Nicieza said. "I asked Nicole Boose, editoress supreme, and she didn't know anything about it, so I'd have to guess it's not official. Hope Marvel's lawyers don't kill a good thing. Nah, that wouldn't be like them to do that. They got funny bones tickling their torts all day long. I think the MySpace page just goes to prove my contention that Bob, Agent of Hydra, is the greatest comic book character created since Wolverine."

In "Cable & Deadpool" #45 a technological mishap puts Deadpool and Bob face to face with another one of the Marvel Universe's greatest partnerships. "Our Story So Far!" Nicieza began. "Deadpool and Bob had just finished rescuing Wade's pal Weasel from the clutches of Hydra. Weasel had developed a teleporting armor and called himself the Penetraitor. Well, there was a tachyon thingie fake comic book science leak in the armor and DP and Bob simply vanished. In #45, we find out where they were sent: to the past, where they encounter Captain America and a surprisingly foul-mouthed Bucky. Hilarity and hijinks ensue. The issue is done-in-one and loads of fun for readers who want to just sample a stand alone romp, but for regular readers --which apparently there aren't enough of, I guess, I was never really told-- there are on going subplot threads that will continue into the following issue."

"Cable & Deadpool" #46, pages 2 and 3

Subsequent issues will see Deadpool and Bob having more fun with established Marvel icons like the Fantastic Eight, Dr. Strange, and Brother Voodoo. Unfortunately, these heroes won't be happy to see the merc with a mouth and his web blogging sidekick. "There are mixed degrees of annoyance, ranging from mildly perturbed to flaring testicular rash," Nicieza said.

Deadpool may not be a mutant but he does feel that he's part of the X-Men, much to their chagrin. He once famously attempted to fight along side the mutant heroes while dressed in one of Jean Grey's old costumes, which is probably chief among the many reasons why many X-Men are relieved   Deadpool won't be playing a role in the coming "Messiah CompleX." "There's an X-Men crossover coming up? Didn't know about it," Nicieza said. "They kept our last crossover such a great secret from everyone else that this one ended up being a secret from me! Wow, these marketing guys can teach the CIA a few tricks."

"Cable & Deadpool" #46, pages 4 and 5

The announcement that Deadpool's former partner Cable is apparently alive -- and getting his own series following '"Messiah CompleX" -- has some unfortunate consequences for the "Cable & Deadpool" title. "It will affect 'Cable & Deadpool,' apparently, by resulting in our no longer publishing a 'Cable & Deadpool' comic book, which, as far as affects go, seems pretty severe," Nicieza remarked. "I feel 'cancelled' is far too strong a word. We will cease to publish a monthly comic called 'Cable & Deadpool', but we're not really cancelled . That almost sounds like we're being purged from existence, which I'm sure some people wish would happen, but it won't work, I have copies of every single issue that came out in my basement somewhere.

"Issue #50 will be the last issue," Nicieza continued. "My last official issue is #48, and it honestly has nothing to do with the cancellation (ooh, there's that word again!) of the comic. I have so much work outside of comics right now with very hard deadlines, that I just couldn't handle the last two issues of the title. I really regret it, since writing every issue of a 50-issue run would have been a nice, sweet, round number, but the reality of my workload for the next few months required me to kick back the last two issues of 'CDP' and three issues of my work on 'The 99' for Teshkeel."

"Cable & Deadpool" #46, pages 6 and 7

Nicieza assures fans the final two issues of "Cable & Deadpool" are in capable – if unrevealed -- hands. "I just had lunch last week with Nicole and the hipster troublemaker who will be writing the last two issues, breaking down the story he had in mind, giving him my sage, wizened advice and eating a free lunch on Marvel," Nicieza remarked. "Whoever said there is no such thing as a free lunch was really an idiot. There actually is. It's when someone else pays for the food you eat. That's the basic working definition of the word 'free.'"

Tragically, "Cable & Deadpool" is coming to a close, but fans of Nicieza's work will have plenty of stories to enjoy in the coming months. "If you love me, like me, or especially hate me, I sincerely suggest you check out 'Nightwing' #138-139 from DC Comics this November and December," Nicieza said. "It's part of a funky and fun Bat-Family crossover called 'The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul,' in which, no secret if you read the title there, resurrects Ra's al Ghul. If you need to ask who Ra's al Ghul is, then you get your comic book reading license revoked.

"Nightwing/Robin/Dick Grayson has pretty much been my favorite character since I was about 6 years old, so getting to write him in such a fun story has been a geek dream come true. And Don Kramer's art has been fantastic, so even if you hate my work, at least you'll get great art!

"Cable & Deadpool" #46, page 8

"I'm also working on an extended 'Superman Family' back-up story with Kurt Busiek for the 'Superman Annual' coming out soon, don't ask me when, `cause I don't know. Somewhere down the road, the 'Captain Action' story I'm doing for Moonstone will be coming out. That was like being 7 years old again. Mark Sporacio's art has been superslick and ultra-cool, just what the good Captain ordered.

"And in a few months, I expect there will be some more announcements about what I have coming up in 2008.  It's a bit too early to talk about it, but I've been walking around with a bubbly smile and a bouncy spring to my step for weeks now. I'm so happy; I think hair is starting to grow back on my head. Oh, wait, that's just my back hair getting long enough to do a comb-over… nevermind… see, still smiling. Not even that could get me down now!"

With "Cable & Deadpool" coming to an end, Nicieza wants to thank the fans who stuck with the series for its four-year run. "We know we were a small, but very happy, minority," Nicieza said. "The readers' support was great -- even the ones who weren't very supportive, since at least they were always entertaining, what with their spelling mistakes and misanthropic myopia about comics. We were too cool for school and the folks who've been along for the ride know what I'm talking about. Don't be sad about the book ending, be happy that we got 50 issues out of a book some people didn't want, some people didn't respect and no one expected would last this long. I'd say we got the last laugh. Cable and Deadpool wouldn't have wanted it any other way!" 

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