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.
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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 master 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.
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. There, he fell in love with Rogue and pursued her constantly, despite the fact that he could never touch her due to her power of uncontrolled mental and physical absorption through skin contact.
It was always hinted that Remy had a guilty 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 supposedly assembled the team of the Marauders for Mister 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.
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 in the X-Men animated series of the 1990s.
In the more recent X-Men: Evolution animated TV series, Gambit appeared in later episodes as a henchman of Magneto, and he was voiced by Alessandro Juliani. His appearance is short and outside of combat, shows a scene where Rogue runs up to Gambit and he stares deeply into her eyes romantically, holds her hands, hands her a charged card and walks away. Rogue stares at the card, wakes from her daze and throws it away in fear. In the comic book series, Gambit stalks the (19 year old) Rogue, untill she agrees to "find out about him." Shortly after a Gambit touches her cheek and to Rogues surprise nothing happens. Gambit's releasing energy ability and Rogues absorbing ability are canceled out and in time the two become lovers.
External links
Categories: X-Men members