Caliban is a solid ally with a Call for Aid-style response upon entry. This can be used in a few different ways - it can find a specific ally your deck is built around like Fantomex if that's the only target, it can load up your graveyard to increase the versatility of Make the Call, or it can activate Digging Deep/White Fox, which is a very strong use. Even without a combo, it's above rate for a 3-cost ally due to drawing a card when it comes in. The psionic trait also makes Caliban premium for psionic-theme decks. A very nice card!

This side scheme can be punishing in solo play, even more so on Expert, and yet even more so during the campaign. After a bad encounter phase, if your hero is exhausted, or you have a poor hand of cards, you can easily go from no threat on the main scheme (Sinister Synchonization or Sinister Beatdown) to popping it at the beginning of the next villain phase. This is due to a number of factors that all reflect poor design for true solo play and can combine to produce a near-instant loss:

• the low threat thresholds on the main schemes;
• the Life-Size Decoy that starts in play with Tough during the solo campaign (at 9 or higher on the reputation track) and prevents thwarting of side schemes;
• the two villains that come into play with Frequent Flyers, High Fashion, and Robotic Enhancements along with incite 1 on each card;
• the Expert-mode surge on Surprise!; and
• the extra encounter cards due to Venom, the Expert-level Public Outcry, and the 2nd side of Light at the End. These extra encounter cards are much more punishing during true solo games than multi-player games.

All in all, a poorly designed card and one of a number of things that can make the Sinister Motives box frustrating for true solo play. Those who like to use home rules may consider capping the amount of acceleration icons that can be gained,

If I'm playing Starlord with Guardians of the Galaxy in play and then I play Deathlok, do I draw a card after Deathlok gets his attached upgrade? Or the card only triggers if the upgrade was played from hand?

This card is so remarkably on brand for Cable. You toss out an upgrade that literally prevents you from failing, shunting enemy resources away in order to throw a "Hail-Mary" pass. But it costs you, by removing a resource that enhances Cable's events. What a perfectly designed card.

This is possibly Cable's greatest asset. A card that, once defeated, turns him into a 3-3-3 powerhouse for the rest of the game and lends both his forms the Psionic ability. Admittedly, cards that rely on Psionic are limited at the moment, but the +1 boost to all stats is more than worth the cost of entry.

Even better, Cable can pull this card during setup with his Alter-Ego ability, ensuring you get to take advantage of the victory condition as soon as possible. Even better than that, it costs nothing to put into play. This is literally as close as FFG has yet come to just giving us a boosted hero. I thoroughly enjoy the way they are dancing around their own power creep. It's fun to watch.