The King of Thieves - Gambit Appreciation 2022

[Sandmans_Raven]

X-Force always struck me as hyper violent with all the guns and swords. I could be wrong, my opinion is largely based 90s, I’ve always avoided it bc of just how it looked. Like: this is a book for boys who like killing and guns. Now with the resurrections, it’s more like a showcase for how to kill characters over and over again in new and grosser ways. Remy never struck me as someone willing to kill. I can only think of one, The Pig, and his killing was more impactful for Gambit not being someone who goes around putting holes in people. Were there any others that Remy intentionally killed? Was Cich’s death intentional?

I thought about this, too. I'm sure Gambit would kill, if needed, but he doesn't exactly have a penchant for it like other members of the team. That in itself could make for an interesting dynamic, though.

Agreed, Gambit is not fitted to X-force, his skills is for X-factor investigation

X-Factor investigations would be a good fit, too

[thjan]

X-Force always struck me as hyper violent with all the guns and swords. I could be wrong, my opinion is largely based 90s, I’ve always avoided it bc of just how it looked. Like: this is a book for boys who like killing and guns. Now with the resurrections, it’s more like a showcase for how to kill characters over and over again in new and grosser ways. Remy never struck me as someone willing to kill. I can only think of one, The Pig, and his killing was more impactful for Gambit not being someone who goes around putting holes in people. Were there any others that Remy intentionally killed? Was Cich’s death intentional?

This is exactly why I have never wanted Gambit on X-Force. He is willing to kill as a last resort or in cases where it has become very personal and he has been driven to the edge by loss, but that is a very different thing than what X-Force is all about. It has always seemed like to me like Gambit would not like or want to be put in that type of team or situation, and he would be miserable and be deeply haunted by the things he might have to do(and we get plenty of brooding Gambit as it is, lol). He is a good and heroic person deep down and he has always aspired to be better in his time with the X-Men. He would have been just fine in the first version of X-Force, but X-Force has not been like that in a long, long time. Every time Marvel uses it now, it is as a kill squad or as the very EXTREME, get things done no matter how it destroys your soul, type of team. I will also admit that I personally as a fan would not want to have to follow Gambit to such a title anyway. Like NicoPony, I have never been drawn to the books that are all about guns, killing, and hyper violence. Just not my thing.

[K7P5V]

^^^Yeah! Couldn't agree more. Reminds me of what Remy went through during...

Brood Trouble in the Big Easy

[remydat]

The Lebeau Library is being moved from Gambit Guild to AO3, via Open Doors (its their archivist program.) Fanfic is important to some - anyway - as the archivist ... its time for some other place to take care of it.

Gambit stuff - I've always loved the five o'clock shadow on Gambit, it is sexy.

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Remydat - I hope you are well! And Purplevit - be safe.

All is well. Hope things are good with you.

[remydat]

X-Force always struck me as hyper violent with all the guns and swords. I could be wrong, my opinion is largely based 90s, I’ve always avoided it bc of just how it looked. Like: this is a book for boys who like killing and guns. Now with the resurrections, it’s more like a showcase for how to kill characters over and over again in new and grosser ways. Remy never struck me as someone willing to kill. I can only think of one, The Pig, and his killing was more impactful for Gambit not being someone who goes around putting holes in people. Were there any others that Remy intentionally killed? Was Cich’s death intentional?

Think that is why he fits. He is more of a morally grey character but still has a code and you need someone in the team that is going to pushback when things do become more violent. I also always imagined that Gambit was a much darker character and perhaps was more violent but that in the aftermath of the Mutant Massacre he decided to go down a different road. Would be interesting to flash out that history more before he ran into Lil Storm and determined there was a better way.

[NicoPony]

This is exactly why I have never wanted Gambit on X-Force. He is willing to kill as a last resort or in cases where it has become very personal and he has been driven to the edge by loss, but that is a very different thing than what X-Force is all about. It has always seemed like to me like Gambit would not like or want to be put in that type of team or situation, and he would be miserable and be deeply haunted by the things he might have to do(and we get plenty of brooding Gambit as it is, lol). He is a good and heroic person deep down and he has always aspired to be better in his time with the X-Men. He would have been just fine in the first version of X-Force, but X-Force has not been like that in a long, long time. Every time Marvel uses it now, it is as a kill squad or as the very EXTREME, get things done no matter how it destroys your soul, type of team. I will also admit that I personally as a fan would not want to have to follow Gambit to such a title anyway. Like NicoPony, I have never been drawn to the books that are all about guns, killing, and hyper violence. Just not my thing.

Agreed. He’s a thief, not an assassin. I’d imagine as a point of differentiation, you’d not want to behave like the guild members who’ve spent your whole life trying to murder you and your family.

I did like him on the X-Factor corporate team, even if it was kind of a weird fit. Maybe I just liked him antagonizing Quicksilver. I wonder when we’ll next see X-Factor again? I don’t know if he’s a sleuth-y X-FAQ character either.

As the books stand now, I’m not sure where I’d put Gambit. Hoping there’s a new unity squad and he could go there. Especially if QS joins.

[Romy134]

I really liked him on X-Factor as well. As for X-Force if Kurt can be on the team I think Gambit could work as well a thief with a conscious.

[BobbysWorld]

I mean I'd argue that X-Force with its mission statement doesn't HAVE to be a shoot-em-up fantasy, that's just the particular writer's particular choice of direction for that book. Just as feasibly the espionage unit of a nation of mutants could be about spying, infiltration, extraction, stealing anti-mutant 'vaccines/cures' or Orchis plans or high tech weaponry or magical artifacts from enemy governments....on Earth, in space, Otherworld, alternate universes, various future timelines or even time-traveling to the past and replacing things with inert forgeries, etc. My dream X-Force lineup is aimed at all of that, not murder and assassinations. Give me Gambit, Courier, Copycat, Cipher (Alisa Tager), Tommy the Morlock, Trinary, Timeslip, Silhouette, Lila Cheney, Shortpack, Changeling, Sway, Neophyte, Scanner, Amelia Voght and more!

[K7P5V]

Agreed. He’s a thief, not an assassin. I’d imagine as a point of differentiation, you’d not want to behave like the guild members who’ve spent your whole life trying to murder you and your family.

I did like him on the X-Factor corporate team, even if it was kind of a weird fit. Maybe I just liked him antagonizing Quicksilver. I wonder when we’ll next see X-Factor again? I don’t know if he’s a sleuth-y X-FAQ character either.

As the books stand now, I’m not sure where I’d put Gambit. Hoping there’s a new unity squad and he could go there. Especially if QS joins.

I know, right?! For what it's worth, it's been proven Remy's capable of doing some sleuthing...

[Sandmans_Raven]

I mean I'd argue that X-Force with its mission statement doesn't HAVE to be a shoot-em-up fantasy, that's just the particular writer's particular choice of direction for that book. Just as feasibly the espionage unit of a nation of mutants could be about spying, infiltration, extraction, stealing anti-mutant 'vaccines/cures' or Orchis plans or high tech weaponry or magical artifacts from enemy governments....on Earth, in space, Otherworld, alternate universes, various future timelines or even time-traveling to the past and replacing things with inert forgeries, etc. My dream X-Force lineup is aimed at all of that, not murder and assassinations. Give me Gambit, Courier, Copycat, Cipher (Alisa Tager), Tommy the Morlock, Trinary, Timeslip, Silhouette, Lila Cheney, Shortpack, Changeling, Sway, Neophyte, Scanner, Amelia Voght and more!

I like this take on it a lot. And I really like the team. Would be fun to see different teams with this lineup

[NicoPony]

I like this take on it a lot. And I really like the team. Would be fun to see different teams with this lineup

I’d read that book. Just no blasting guns with closeups of angry men with pianowire-tight neck tendons and all 32 gritted teeth on display.

[BobbysWorld]

I’d read that book. Just no blasting guns with closeups of angry men with pianowire-tight neck tendons and all 32 gritted teeth on display.

Well damn, there goes my pitch for team leader Pianowire, my OC with the power to telekinetically manipulate muscle tendons.

[NicoPony]

Piianowire already exists! Or: how I see the character Cable.

K7, thanks for sharing Remy the sleuth. I think I need to revisit that mini. Love it.

[Gripstir]

So did anyone read the Captain Marvel or X-treme X-men issues? I’m waiting to hear feedback. Hoping there’s some action there

[Gripstir]

Also I tinkered around with an AI art program and got some results that I thought were pretty decent for AI art. Though AI seems hellbent on giving Gambit a facial scar.