Gambit (Remy 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. One of his trademark tricks is to hurl a deck of cards at an opponent, charging each one 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 has also often wielded a telescoping adamantium staff.

He was born in New Orleans and after growing up as an orphan on the streets, he was adopted by Jean-Luc LeBeau, head of the Thieves Guild. Remy was then 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 assembled the team for Mister Sinister that later killed most of the Morlocks, outcast mutants living in New York's sewers. This revelation and Gambit's guilty memories caused Rogue to reject him, leaving him in Antarctica. (Chris Claremont had originally intended for Gambit to secretly be a villain, and he would eventually betray the X-Men. However, he left before this could happen and the plot was changed.)

He 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. However, 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.

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 .

Due to a brief mention of his name in the movie X2: X-Men United (when Mystique looks through a registry of mutants and several comic book names are mentioned, including that of Remy Lebeau), as well as recent information released that several mutants are to be introduced in the third movie, it is hoped that Gambit will appear in the third X-Men movie. David Hayter, uncredited screenwriter of the first two movies, is on record claiming that Gambit was rejected for inclusion because his powers are too similar to Cyclops's, and his personality too similar to Wolverine's. However, with the inclusion of Matthew Vaughn as director of the third movie, it appears that Gambit has been re-optioned, along with Angel and Beast.

External links

• UncannyXmen.net, Spotlight feature on Gambit
• Cajun Charm, a Gambit fansite