Gambit (comics)

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Gambit (Remy Etienne LeBeau) is a mutant comic book character in the fictional Marvel Universe. He has the ability to charge inanimate objects with kinetic energy, usually causing them to explode. He first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #266 (August 1990).

Contents

1 Character history 2 Exiles 3 Powers and abilities 4 Television and film 5 External links

Character history

He was born in New Orleans and, after growing up as an orphan on the streets, was adopted by Jean-Luc LeBeau, head of the local thieves guild. Remy was raised and became a thief himself. In an attempt to reconcile the Thieves and Assassins Guilds, Remy married Bella Donna Boudreaux, daughter of the head Assassin. Unfortunately, he was challenged by and killed her brother Julien in a duel after the wedding and he was exiled from the city and his relationship with Belle.

Not much is known of Gambit’s life over the following years since his exile from New Orleans, except that he became a master thief and made many contacts (and quite a few enemies) during that time. He also undertook several missions for Sinister, since he was indebted to him. Eventually, Gambit refused to serve him longer and Sinister decided to declare their debt settled after one last mission.

This mission included collecting a group of superpowered mercenaries (among them a deadly enemy – Sabretooth – and a good friend – Grey Crow aka Scalphunter) and lead them into the tunnel of the subterranean mutant tribe called the Morlocks. Remy was under the mistaken belief that Sinister just wanted to gather knowledge on mutants or capture them. However, he was horrified to learn the truth, as the Marauders started slaughtering all Morlocks upon arriving. Unable to stop the killers, he managed to at least save one little girl named Sarah from them and took her to safety.

After much wandering around the world, he rescued Storm from Nanny when she had been transformed into a child. After taking her on a stealing spree across America, she brought him back to the X-Men. Gambit fought alongside the X-Men, learning as much as he could about them without revealing details of his past, not even his real name. Only Wolverine had his doubts about the Cajun, which led to a Danger Room duel between them that Gambit easily won (which might have to do with his rigging the fight).

When the original five rejoined and the X-Men were divided into two squads, Gambit became part of the Blue team under Cyclops’ leadership. He became interested in one of his teammates in particular, Rogue, and started flirting with her, despite her off-putting manner and the obstacle of her uncontrollable power that prevented anyone from touching her. They started becoming more and more interested in each other, even though their first date was disrupted by a villain’s attack. Even still, the two fell in love.

It was eventually revealed that Remy had a dark secret. Rogue was so traumatized by absorbing his memories in Israel that she ran away from the X-Men for a time. Later, at a mockery of a trial, she was forced to kiss him again, revealing that he had assembled the team of Marauders for Sinister that later killed most of the Morlocks, outcast mutants living in New York's sewers, regardless of the previously written story that showed the Marauders had followed one of the Morlocks' own members, Tommie, to their home beneath the city. This apparent revelation and absorbing Gambit's own guilty memories caused Rogue to reject him and the entire team of X-Men to leave him in Antarctica.

Chris Claremont had originally intended for Gambit to secretly be a villain, and he would eventually betray the X-Men. However, the plot was changed to make the character of Onslaught the X-Men's betrayer instead when Claremont left and Gambit became an extremely popular character.

When Gambit's psyche absorption had worn off, Rogue spent months searching for Gambit, to no avail. Gambit made it back to America and eventually rejoined the team, at one point becoming the field leader of a branch of X-Men. His love for Rogue was still intact, but her inability to control her powers made her break it off out of fear of hurting him. He later joined the team searching for the Books of Truth. He was captured and used as a 'human battery' by the interdimensional warlord Khan, which drained his powers to such an extent that, despite remaining alive, he could no longer charge objects. He and Rogue, also drained of her powers while saving him, went on leave for a time to try and sort out their relationship.

When they returned, they were still both powerless. Shortly afterwards, however, Sage "jump-started" his powers, with Rogue's aid. However, this proved to be more of a curse than a blessing when one of his cards quite literally blew up in his face, blinding him. Gambit remained blind for several months, until Sage managed to restore his eyesight with her abilities once more. As Storm felt he needed time in rehab, Gambit – along with Rogue – is not on her team anymore. Apparently feeling differently, Cyclops assigned both of them to another X-Men squad led by Havok, despite the fact that neither one (or any of the other members on the squad) are happy with being there.

Recently, in the miniseries X-Men the End: Heroes and Martyrs Gambit was revealed to be the son of Sinister, leading some to speculate that Gamibt is the long sought after Third Summers Brother. Writer Chris Claremont has promised to reveal the identity of the Third Summers Brother in X-Men the End: Heroes and Martyrs #5.

Exiles

In Exiles (comics) Gambit was the team leader of Weapon X (exactly like the Exiles but more ruthless). He first showed up in Exiles #23-#25 were Weapon X had to work with Iron Man to kill all of the Inhumans. They succeeded and went to the next reality. He later appeared again with Weapon X in Exiles #38-#40 and #43-#45. In the beginning it appeared that he and Storm had loved each other. It also appeared that back in his reality he and Storm were married even though she was dead right when #38 began and she had been replaced by Hyperion. In this reality they were supposed to kill the ten remaining mutants but Hyperion wanted to be the ruler of this Earth. They gathered the ten mutants so they could not be killed but their plan failed and they had to move to the next reality. Gambit tried to trick Hyperion so he could get back to Storm. It didn't work for long though. Hyperion blew off Gambit's arm and Gambit hid away and waited in the Morlock tunnels. Finally the Exiles appeared and they figured out what the Tallus wanted. They were to kill six members of Weapon X and the Exiles. In the end Hyperion was seemingly killed by Gambit after Blink had injured him sufficiently to make him vulnerable.

Powers and abilities

Gambit can charge inanimate objects with kinetic energy giving them explosive power. One of his trademark tricks is to hurl a deck of cards at an opponent, charging each card and turning it into a deadly projectile. His other tricks have included charging a wad of chewing gum when he was otherwise entirely tied up, and charging the floor of an entire room, causing it to explode with great force.

He often wields a telescoping adamantium staff, and has superhuman agility and stamina. On several occasions he has shown an ability to charm people through mild hypnosis, and seems immune to mind-reading and psychic attacks because of the charged potential energy always in his body.

Television and film

Gambit was one of the starring X-Men characters in the X-Men animated series of the 1990s and voiced by Chris Potter.

In the more recent X-Men: Evolution animated TV series, Gambit appeared in a few episodes as a henchman of Magneto, and was voiced by Alessandro Juliani.

He is a playable character in the video games of "X-Men Legends" and "X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse" as well as the Marvel vs. Capcom series.

In X2 his name was seen on screen among a list of other mutants as Mystique hacked the system of William Stryker for information on different mutants.

External links

• UncannyXmen.net, Spotlight feature on Gambit (http://www.uncannyxmen.net/db/spotlight/showquestion.asp?faq=10&fldAuto=83)
• Cajun Charm, a Gambit fansite (http://www.cajuncharm.com/)pt:Gambit