NATHAN CABELNATHAN CABEL
Real Name: Nathan Cabel
Identity/Class: Human;
English citizen;
16th century
Occupation: Farm owner/worker;
former mercenary
Group Membership: Former member of unspecified army
Affiliations: Solomon Kane;
formerly unidentified mercenaries
Enemies: Justin Cabel (in his werewolf form);
formerly unidentified soldiers/warriors opposing his mercenary allies
Known Relatives: Justin Cabel (son, deceased), Cara Cabel (wife, deceased), Marta Cabel (presumed second wife, deceased), Marta's brother (brother-in-law; deceased)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
last seen in his property in the Black Forest outside Aubermach, Germany;
formerly England
Religion: Puritan (experienced a significant lapse after Cara's death, but reaffirmed faith after Justin and Marta's deaths)
First Appearance: (Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (November, 1985)
Powers/Abilities: Nathan Cabel was experienced and capable in unarmed combat as well as with using a rifle (musket?) and a rapier, at least.
He was experienced in living in the snow-covered rural wilderness of 16th century Germany, able to work a farm and presumably to hunt and/or trap prey.
Height: Unrevealed (approximately 5'10"; while not pictured in direct
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 180 lbs.)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Strawberry blond
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb)) - In England, the young Nathan Cabel and Solomon Kane spoke out against the oppression of their fellow Puritans, and they were harassed and hunted like criminals. It seemed that only in their dwellings could they find solace. Solomon spent many a night weathering the storm in the home of his good friend Nathan and his wife, Cara, and their son, Justin. |
((Sword
of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb) - BTS) - Nathan and Solomon left England to serve as mercenaries in Germany.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb)) - The fighting served as a release for their frustrations.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb) - BTS) - Meanwhile, Cara became gravely ill. Justin did all he could for his mother, but to no avail, as non-Puritans shunned them, refusing requests for medical assistance.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb) - BTS) - After Nathan and Solomon were separated in battle, Nathan was wounded.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb)) - As Nathan lay dying and preparing to meet his creator, Marta, a local Gypsy woman, came onto the battlefield.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb) - BTS) - Marta dragged Nathan's half-dead body back to her abode.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb)) - Treated with Marta's "strange herbs" and rituals, Nathan recovered while under her care.
((Sword
of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb)) - After thanking Marta, Nathan took the
earliest ship back to England, where he found his wife, Cara, had
become deathly ill. 
Nathan prayed to the Lord as never before, begging him to intercede and spare Cara, but she grew worse.
Nathan led his young son, Justin, to help take Cara aboard a ship bound for Germany, where they sought the aid of Marta.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb)) - Marta's treatments also failed, and Cara died.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb)) - Believing they were too late in finding Marta and frustrated after having watched his wife and the mother of his child die, Nathan held the crucifix of the last time, and he cursed and renounced God (Yahweh). Nathan welcomed his fall from grace.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb) - BTS) - Lacking the money to send Marta's body back to England and with the townspeople not wanting her in their cemetery, Nathan buried her in the woods.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb)) <1545 A.D.> - Marta stayed with Nathan and Justin, and Nathan considered that this was all that saved his sanity.
Nathan and Marta eventually fell in love and were married,
and they remained in Aubermach, Germany, as Nathan had no reason to return to England.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb) - BTS) - Nathan often spoke highly of his old friend Solomon Kane to Marta.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb) - BTS) - Nathan, Marta, and Justin had a loving relationship, and they had good memories there.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb) - BTS) - Villagers often blamed Marta for suspicious events due to her dabbling in the occult.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb) - BTS) - Nathan told Justin that Solomon had once beat the strongest man in England in a fight.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb) - BTS) <1554 or before> - Justin began trying to talk his father into starting a root cellar.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb) - BTS) <1555 A.D.> - In the Black Forest, Solomon Kane, returning to Germany after some time in Africa, happened upon Justin being attacked by a werewolf (secretly the warlock brother of Marta, who had allegedly vowed vengeance on her for using her skills to aid the sick). Solomon beheaded the werewolf with his silver-coated rapier; however, with neither Solomon nor Justin having seen the other in at least a decade, Justin fled.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 - BTS) - Turning to find the wolf he had slain to now be in the form of a decapitated man, Solomon picked up the werewolf's fallen amulet (given to him by his father) and then buried the body.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2) - At the Wild Boar Inn in Aubermach, Nathan observed as a local threatened Solomon Kane, warning him to take away the evil and witchcraft that occurred when he came to their village.
As the local assaulted Solomon, Nathan intervened, grabbing the man's arm and then punching him out.
As Nathan greeted Kane, Solomon acknowledged his old friend, noting that the years had taken their toll on him. Agreeing that the years had not been kind, Nathan caught Solomon up on the last 10 years of his history and then invited Solomon back to his cabin. En route, they passed Cara's grave, and Nathan noted that despite the passage of time, the pain never lessened, and he wished his heart could freeze like the grave marker.
They arrived at the cabin in time to see Marta giving a local villager some medicine. When the woman thanked Marta, noting that her spells and potions had done what no physician in Aubermach could, Nathan, appreciating Solomon's devoutly religious nature, Nathan told Solomon that this talk of potions and spells was merely a cover for her herbal remedies. Solomon assured his friend Nathan that he would not bear his friend's wife any ill will for what she chose to dabble in. Solomon then shared his experiences with the occult in Africa.
Nathan then introduced Marta and Solomon, and Marta noted this to be an honor, as there was no one of which Nathan spoke more highly.
After telling Marta of his encounter with the werewolf and showed her the amulet he had recovered from it, Solomon gave her the amulet, not wishing to keep it on his person.
When Justin returned home, he and Solomon recognized each other from the recent encounter and realized each other's identities.
In the ensuing hours, Solomon regaled his hosts with tales of his exotic encounters on his continents-spanning quests.
((Sword
of) Solomon Kane#2 - BTS) - That night, as the others slept, Marta
compared the amulet to one the one her father had given her, and she
realized that the wolf who had attacked Justin was her brother.
She begged/prayed for this not to be the case.
At some point, Marta shared this information with Nathan, but certainly not with Solomon and presumably not with Justin.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2) - The next night, Justin transformed into a werewolf, went into town and slew at least three people and a horse.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb) - BTS) - The following morning, the townspeople noted how a wolf had rampaged through town, ripping out the victims' throats.
As was typical of the superstitious folk, they believed that Marta had something to do with it. Venturing into town, Nathan heard these accounts and accusations.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2) - BTS) - Solomon saw animal tracks and found them leading to Justin's room, with Justin naked and covered in dirt and dried blood.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2) - When Nathan returned and told Solomon of the reports of a marauding wolf and the accusations against Marta, Solomon informed Nathan that his son was that marauding wolf. Nathan dropped to the ground and begged that his son was not involved/afflicted. Nathan subsequently hung his head in despair as Solomon informed Marta of Justin's fate.
((Sword
of) Solomon Kane#2) - Marta and Nathan stood by as Solomon confronted Justin, revealing him what had
happened. Solomon
told the family that he had things to attend to in town, and that he
would return that evening. 
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb) - BTS) - While Solomon purchased a volume of silver-coated wire, Nathan presumably followed Marta's instructions-- as she had knowledge of rituals that she believed may affect the curse -- in having Justin bound and gagged atop wooden logs while she burned incense and candles and apparently spoke incantations and performed spells over him.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2) - When the returning Solomon questioned these rituals, Nathan told Solomon of his desperation and of Marta's knowledge of rituals that help Justin.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 - BTS) - Solomon
went outside and used the silver-coated wire to form a corral to
contain the creature before loading silver-coated bullets into his pistols.
Justin broke free and escaped the house; hearing screams and the sound of shattering glass, Solomon trapped the werewolf with the silver corral, but when he entered to confront the creature, its speed caught him off guard, and it tackled him to the ground.
When Marta rushed out and told Justin not to kill again, a single swipe of the
werewolf's claws ended Marta's life.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2) - As the Werewolf again tackled Solomon, knocking the sword out of his hands while knocking him to the ground. While Solomon struggled to hold the beast at bay, Nathan approached, calling out to her friend, and Solomon urged Nathan to grab his sword and slay the beast. Nathan argued that this wasn't a beast, but his own son, but Solomon advised Nathan that he should find his faith and strike to save Justin's everlasting soul from being condemned as a pawn of Satan.
Asking Justin to forgive him, Nathan drove Solomon's rapier into Justin's back. The werewolf turned and roared at Nathan, but died as it dove into his arms, with Nathan asking his son to hold him; as Justin reverted in death, Justin futilely begged him not to die and leave him alone.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb) - BTS) - The next morning, Solomon and Nathan buried Justin and Marta next to Cara's grave.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 - BTS) - Standing over the graves, Solomon paused/struggled to say that Marta was a good woman and that she was now at peace (as was Justin).
Nathan noted that Marta was not a Christian woman and wondered if God would find it in his heart to...
Interrupting Nathan, Solomon told him that while the Lord was vengeful that he was also merciful.
Discussing the matters reaffirmed Nathan's faith, and he revealed to Solomon that the wolf who had transformed Justin was Marta's evil brother.
Acknowledging that the werewolf's amulet had previously caused Solomon discomfort, Nathan gave it back to Solomon, asking him to keep it in remembrance of what his presence had wrought that day.
Solomon took the amulet and thanked Nathan, but a few miles down the road, he cast the amulet aside into the snow.
Comments: Created by Ralph Macchio and Bret Blevins.
Werewolves were created by the power of Chthon, rather than Satan, but, as far as Solomon Kane is concerned, what's the difference?
Solomon Kane was clearly outmatched by this werewolf, and with his pistols and rapier out of reach, it seems like he would have died had Nathan not slain his own accursed-son to save him.
Nathan is also pictured multiple times in the profiles for Justin and Martin Cabel.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Nathan Cabel should be distinguished from:
Appearances:
(Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (November, 1985) - Ralph Macchio (scripter), Bret Blevins (artist), Carl Potts (editor)
First posted: 10/04/2021
Last updated: 10/10/2021
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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