Matthew Cable

* Comics
* 2019

**Matthew "Matt" Cable** is a fictional character and hero in comic books published by the American company DC Comics. He first appeared in *Swamp Thing* #1 (November 1972), and was created by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson. Matt and is portrayed by Henderson Wade on the 2019 TV Series.

## TV Series

Son of town Sheriff Lucilia Cable is also a member of the force, a lawman who would do anything for the town he cares about. But when his childhood crush, Abigail Arcane, returns home just as an evil threatens the town he's sworn to protect, Matt is conflicted and driven to take desperate action.

## Comics

Matthew Cable was an investigative agent for Defense Department Intelligence and a close friend of Alec and Linda Holland. When he learned that the Hollands had been killed in the swamps of Louisiana, he swore to track their killer down and avenge them. Matt believed that a creature known as the Swamp Thing was responsible for their deaths, little realizing that Alec's mind had been recreated into the Swamp Thing entity (for years it had been believed that Alec actually transformed into the Swamp Thing, but this was later proven false). Matt tracked the Swamp Thing to the Balkans where he met a young medic named Abigail Arcane. For some time, Matt and Abigail attempted to follow Swamp Thing's exploits and help him as they could. Eventually they met a mindless duplicate of Swamp Thing and ended up destroying him, thereby convincing themselves that Swamp Thing was dead and losing contact with him for years.

In the meantime, Matt was briefly assigned to a mission involving the remnants of the Doom Patrol.

At some point, Matt and Abigail fell in love, and were eventually married. However, likely due to abusive treatments at the Barclay Clinic, Cable's mind was damaged, leading to him gaining the ability to alter reality itself. His marriage with Abigail deteriorated, leading to Matthew's abuse of his power in the form of obscene sexual acts, such as using his powers to create decaying forms to arouse and please him, all the while straining his marriage. Matthew only seemed to be able to access his power while stressed or intoxicated.

After a fight with Abigail that culminates in her leaving on foot to find the Swamp Thing, Matthew had an attack of conscience and drove after her. Having been drinking heavily, he ended up crashing his car, mortally wounding himself. A fly landing by him said it would revive him, and he agreed. In reality, Anton Arcane, the sinister uncle of Abigail, who had since died and gone to Hell, found a way out by way of Cable. He possessed the fly and then Cable's body and with it gained Cable's godlike power. Eventually, Matthew managed to send Arcane back to hell, but at the cost of the effects of the car crash catching up with him, and only after Arcane had molested Abigail. Still possessing enough power to repair one body and not wanting to live, he managed to bring Abigail back to life (though her soul would still have to be rescued from Hell by the Swamp Thing, who succeeds in doing so). Apologizing to "Alec", he then fell into the coma he would remain in for the duration of his mortal life.

This life was cut short by a corrupt hospital administration harvesting several of his more expendable organs. Abigail took mercy on Matt and would have turned the machinery off, had Matt not suddenly recovered enough to rise on his own, stop Abby and destroy the machinery, ending his own life.

### Sandman

Despite Cable's death, he was revived by Morpheus/Dream of the Endless, turning into a raven. He lives with Eve in Dream's domain. His purpose – and the purpose of any of the Ravens that Morpheus has had previously – is somewhat questionable. Morpheus seemed to keep the Ravens around out of some sort of unspoken need for companionship. The Ravens were created by Morpheus, offering the position to people who died, usually while dreaming, and released them from service if they so wished.

Matthew was irreverent and somewhat crude, having a questionable life behind him. However, he served Dream loyally by providing advice and occasionally going on missions for him. His loyalty extended so far that when Morpheus was slain, he at first was going to seek release from service to Daniel, who had taken Morpheus's place as Dream. He eventually decided to stay on as Daniel's Raven.

## Trivia

* In the 1982 film, the character of Alice Cable (portrayed by Adrienne Barbeau) is basically an amalgam of Matt and Abby Arcane. She is portrayed as a government agent who becomes in love with Alec Holland aka Swamp Thing. The movie was directed by horror icon, Wes Craven.

## In other media

*Main article: Matthew Cable in other media*