Also known as Ragin’ Cajun, Remy LeBeau AKA Gambit has been a staple of the X-Men since his debut in Weird X-Men #266. Gambit quickly won the hearts of fans for his rogue attitude with a heart of gold similar to that of Han Solo from star wars.
On the surface, he’s a standout member of the X-Men thanks to his unique card-throwing ability and charm, but there’s a lot more to learn about this Marvel character. From his dark past to his powers that are much more complex than it seems.
ten Orphan of his own family
A sad fate for many mutants is that their gifts make them outcasts to their friends and even family. Remy LeBeau was born with blood red eyes that gave him the appearance of being demonic. As a result, Remy was put up for adoption as a baby, leaving him with no memory of his birth family.
Remy was robbed as a baby by a member of a group of thieves known as the Thieves Guild. He would be raised as one of them, becoming one of the best thieves in the world. It was thanks to his natural skills, his powers and a bit of charm that didn’t hurt.
9 He quit smoking
There was a time when Remy was rarely seen without a cigarette at least once in a comic but now he’s never been seen smoking. It’s an unattractive habit, but there’s actually no reason for it. It was simply a result of when Joe Quesada was an editor at Marvel.
Joe Quesada launched a new policy that essentially vetoed smoking by all Marvel superheroes. So Gambit went from being one of the biggest smokers in Marvel comics to quitting completely in a matter of months. Even James “Logan” Howlett aka Wolverine, famous for his cigars, is rarely seen smoking.
8 Man is a natural cook
Being a Louisiana born and raised Creole, it’s practically in Remy’s blood that he can make a good meal. Although mostly shown in animated shows, Gambit has been seen in the kitchen in comic books. It’s not just a chore for him either, Gambit openly expresses his love for the culinary arts.
In a team like the X-Men that includes Wolverine, Beast, and even Deadpool on occasion; Gambit probably becomes one of the beloved members due to his cooking alone.
seven Remy is a big nerd
Falling in the same vein as DC’s Blue Beetle or even Marvel’s Spider-Man, Remy is actually a proud nerd at heart. This was highlighted when x-men crossed in the star trek universe that made Gambit a little kid.
Apparently Star Trek exists as a TV show in the Marvel Universe and Remy is a big fan of it. So, seeing characters like the famous Captain James T. Kirk and the USS Enterprise makes Gambit light up like a tree. That’s not all, Remy has also expressed his love for the wizarding world of Harry Potter.
6 One of the few fighters capable of beating Wolverine
They are not enemies, but there is a friendly rivalry between Remy and Logan, which often leads to them clashing. Surprisingly, Wolverine lost several fights against Gambit much to the chagrin of the Canadian. This friendship would even cross paths with Logan’s daughter: X-23, making her one of the best x-men friendships.
Gambit may not have the adamantium skeleton and natural affinity for battle, but he has spirit. Gambit uses Wolverine’s flaws against him, such as his anger, recklessness, and being stuck in close-range fights. That’s not to say Wolverine hasn’t had its fair share of wins either.
5 Storm turned him into a hero
Part of the Thieves Guild, Gambit was far from a hero at first. He was never evil but he spent his life as a criminal until his first encounter with an X-Man: Ororo Munroe AKA Storm herself. Gambit was trying to rob a mansion where Storm was fighting the Shadow King.
Gambit showed his kind heart when he saved Storm’s life and the two quickly became good friends. This would, of course, lead to Storm bringing Remy ahead of Charles Xavier to become the newest member of the X-Men.
4 Struggle with his morality
There’s no doubt that Gambit is a good person, but like any human, he can make bad choices and struggle with his morality. He started as a thief and it always marked him, even to the point of betraying the X-Men on several occasions.
From becoming Apocalypse’s horseman of death to temporarily joining the villains during the The Complex Messiah scenario. In the end, Remy usually makes up for it and was even put on trial for his misdeeds, but he always bounces back to the X-Men in the end.
3 The relationship between Gambit and Rogue is complicated
Fans think the relationship between Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson is dysfunctional, but it’s actually tame compared to Remy LeBeau and Anne Marie AKA Rogue. The two mutants have been through all the ups and downs of their time together: the risk of touching each other due to Snape’s power being the least problematic.
Gambit is often terrified of his dark past, both broke up with each other to have a relationship with someone else, and even living together as a married couple struggles for them. In the end, however, the two always manage to overcome an obstacle and continue to love each other: like a real couple.
2 Gambit has a second power
Kinetic touch is just one ability in Gambit and its most iconic, but it actually has a psychic ability. Most assume that her charming personality is often what wins people over and that is not the case. Gambit can use natural charisma to exude a hypnotic force to influence people, similar to a Jedi mind trick.
This slight telepathic ability also protects him as Remy has passive protection against other telepaths. Charles Xavier himself, one of Marvel’s most powerful psychic mutants, even struggles to fathom Remy’s mind, calling him clinging to snakes.
1 Remy is more powerful than expected
Gambit’s powers are best known when he fills his staff or playing card with kinetic energy. These are just his preferred choices, but he can actually use this kinetic energy on anything (except organics) to make them powered or explosives to use. He even used it to help destroy a zombified Galactus in Marvel Zombies.
Even his playing cards are deceptive; Gambit is able to control the power of each card, usually sticking to strong but non-lethal amounts of energy. If it wanted to, Gambit could easily infuse enough energy into a card that can kill a person with a single blow.
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