Also known as the Ragin' Cajun, Remy LeBeau AKA Gambit has been a staple of the X-Men since his debut in Uncanny X-Men #266. Gambit quickly won over the hearts of fans for his rogueish attitude with a heart of gold akin to the likes of Han Solo from Star Wars.
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On the surface, he is a stand-out X-Men member thanks to his unique card-throwing ability and his charm but there is a lot more to learn about this Marvel character. From his dark past to his powers that are much more complex than they seem.
Orphaned By His Own Family
A sad fate for many mutants is that their gifts make them outcasts from friends and even family. Remy LeBeau was born with blood-red eyes that gave him the appearance of being demonic. As a result, Remy wasput up for adoption as a baby, leaving him no memories of his birth family.
Remy was stolen as an infant by a member of a group of rogues known as the Thieves Guild. He would be raised as one of them, becoming one of the best thieves in the world. This was thanks to his natural skills, powers, and a little bit of charm that didn't hurt.
He Quit Smoking
There was a time whenRemy was rarely seen without a cigarette at least once per comic but now, he's never seen smoking. It's a less-than-appealing habit but there actually isn't an in-canon reason for this. It was simply a result of when Joe Quesada was editor-in-chief at Marvel.
Joe Quesada started a new policy that essentially vetoed the act of smoking by any Marvel superheroes. So Gambit went from one of Marvel comics' heaviest smokers to quitting completely within months. Even James "Logan" Howlett AKA Wolverine, famous for his cigars, is hardly ever seen smoking.
The ManIs A Natural Cook
Being aCreole born and raised in Louisiana, it's practically in Remy's blood that he can make a good meal. Though it is mainly shown in animated shows, Gambit has been seen in the kitchen in the comics. It's not just a chore to him either, Gambit openly expresses his love for the culinary arts.
On a team like the X-Men which features Wolverine, Beast, and even Deadpool on occasion; Gambit likely becomes one of the valued members due to his cooking alone.
Remy Is A Big Nerd
Falling in the same vein as Blue Beetle from DC or even Spider-Man in Marvel, Remy is actually a proud nerd at heart. This was showcased when X-Men crossed over into the Star Trek universe which made Gambit turn into a little kid.
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Apparently, Star Trek exists as a television show in the Marvel universe and Remy is a big fan of it. So seeing the likes of 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.
One Of The Few Fighters That Can Beat Wolverine
They aren't enemies, but there is a friendly rivalry between Remy and Logan, leading to them often sparring with each other. Shockingly, Wolverine has lost several fights against Gambit much to the Canadian's chagrin. This friendship would even crossover with Logan's daughter: X-23, making for one of the best X-Men friendships.
Gambit may not have the adamantium skeleton and natural affinity for battle but he does have wit. Gambit uses Wolverine's flaws against him such as his anger, rashness, and being stuck with short-range fighting. That's not to say Wolverine hasn't had his fair share of victories as well.
Storm Turned Him Into A Hero
Being a 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 attempting to steal from a mansion that Storm was battling the Shadow King in.
Gambit showed his good heart when he saved Storm's life and the two quickly became good friends. This would, of course, lead to Storm bringing Remy before Charles Xavier to become the newest member of the X-Men.
Struggles With His Morality
There is no doubt that Gambit is a good person but like any human, he can make wrong choices and struggle with his morality. He began as a thief and that has always stuck with him, even to the point of betraying the X-Men multiple times.
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From becoming Apocalypse's Horseman of Death to temporarily joiningthe villains during the Messiah CompleX storyline. In the end, Remy usually makes up for it and has even been put on trial for his wrong-doings but he always bounces back to the X-Men in the end.
Gambit And Rogue's Relationship Is Complicated
The fans think the relationship between Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson is dysfunctional but that is actually tame compared to Remy LeBeau and Anne Marie AKA Rogue. The two mutants have been through every up and down in their time together: the risk of touching each other due to Rogue's power being the least problematic.
Gambit is often terrified of his dark past, both have broken up with the other to have a relationship with someone else, and even living together as a married couple has them struggling. In the end, however, the two always manage to get past an obstacle and continue loving each other: just like a real couple.
Gambit Has A Second Power
The kinetic touch is just one ability of Gambit's and his most iconic but he actually has a psychic ability. Most assume that his charming personality is often what wins people and it is but not in an expected way. Gambit can use natural charisma to give off a hypnotic force to influence people, similar to a Jedi mind trick.
This mild 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 in probing Remy's mind, referring to it as like holding onto snakes.
Remy Is More Powerful Than Expected
Gambit's powers are most famously seen as him filling either his staff or playing card with kinetic energy. Those are just his preferred choices but he can actually use this kinetic energy on anything (except organics) to make them powered or into explosives for him to use. He even used this to help destroy a zombified Galactus in Marvel Zombies.
Even his playing cards are deceptive; Gambit is able to control how powerful each card is, usually sticking to strong but non-lethal amounts of energy. If he wanted to, Gambit could easily imbue enough energy into a card that can kill a person with one hit.
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