Nate Grey

Nate Grey
Cover art of New Mutants (vol. 3) #25 (July 2011).
Art by Jorge Molina.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceX-Man #1 (March 1995)
Created byJeph Loeb (writer)
Steve Skroce (artist)
(based upon the character Cable by Chris Claremont, Louise Simonson, and Rob Liefeld)
In-story information
Full nameNathaniel Grey
SpeciesHuman mutant
Team affiliationsHorsemen of Salvation
Brotherhood of Mutants
New Mutants
X-Men
Outcasts
PartnershipsMadelyne Pryor
Threnody
Notable aliases19X
Shaman of the Mutant Tribe
X-Man,
Abilities
  • Ability to exist incorporeal as living psychic energy
  • Omnipotent psychic powers which are most commonly used for:

Nathaniel "Nate" Grey (X-Man) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. Created by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Steve Skroce, the character first appeared in X-Man #1 (March 1995).

X-Man is an alternate version of the regular Marvel Universe hero Cable, hailing from the alternate timeline Earth-295, first established in the "Age of Apocalypse" storyline.[1] He is the biological son of his dimension's Scott Summers and Jean Grey, born of genetic tampering by Mr. Sinister. His first name is derived from his creator's (Mr. Sinister's) real name, Nathaniel Essex, and his last name from his genetic mother, Jean Grey.[2] Due to not being infected by a techno-organic virus, as Cable was, Nate achieved vast telepathic and telekinetic powers (reflecting those that Cable would have had without the virus), and was one of the most powerful mutants in existence during his lifetime.

X-Man was originally a mini-series replacing Cable during 1995's "Age of Apocalypse" alternate reality storyline. After that storyline ended, Marvel transported Nate Grey to Earth-616, the primary shared universe in which most Marvel Comics are set. The series ran until 2001, during which Nate struggled with adjusting to a strange and foreign world, while being the most powerful person in this selfsame world. The series ended with his seemingly sacrificial death.

Despite his name, X-Man was only briefly a member of the X-Men, both in the Age of Apocalypse reality and on Earth-616. Initially, the character was referred to only by his real name, both in "Age of Apocalypse" and on Earth-616. Shortly before the "Onslaught" storyline, Nate began to be sporadically referred to as X-Man, without explanation for the in-universe origin of the code name.

  1. ^ Brevoort, Tom; DeFalco, Tom; Manning, Matthew K.; Sanderson, Peter; Wiacek, Win (2017). Marvel Year By Year: A Visual History. DK Publishing. p. 273. ISBN 978-1465455505.
  2. ^ X-Man #-1