Cable could be easily described as being one of the more complicated characters from the history of Marvel Comics.
With no other options available to save the young Nathan Summers, it was agreed that the child would be sent to the future, where he could grow up with a cure available.
Being a mutant with incredible telekinetic and telepathic abilities, he grew up to be incredibly strong (taking on the name Cable) and eventually time traveled to the past in order to try and right the world and prevent a horrific future.
First introduced in 1986, he was established as the child of Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor (a clone of Jean Grey), and due to machinations involving Apocalypse and Mister Sinister was infected with a deadly techno-virus.