The King of Thieves - Gambit Appreciation 2023

[Sparta]

Captain Marvel

This was a really good scene. Gambit's been great in this story arc.

[thjan]

While we are at Remy and his frequent self-deprecation.

The "X-men as animals" thread had me go through X-men Unlimited #22 (1st series) again (fun self contained adventure with everyone getting a moment to shine). Which has this moment where Gambit goes: "Chere, you don’t owe me a thing." after saving a certain pink haired character from getting shot.

Even though he has long been absolved of his involvement in the MM, i feel this moment still carries some weight, especialy when the X-men Origins: Gambit one-shot is taken into account. Since he might still feel regret over leaving her behind, even though he was suffering from a terrible slash wound.

But that's what it falls into the "Gambit believes himself worse than he is" series of moments.

Considering the comics will likely never resolve this whole part of his story (or in a satisfying way), i'm somewhat low-key hoping it could be a point in a Gambit movie or animated series.

Yeah, I am still to this day very disappointed that that plot point with Gambit and Marrow was never resolved and she apparently never found out about his involvement in the Massacre. I really wanted to see how that knowledge was going to affect their relationship and how she would react. And then nothing. Such a lost opportunity.

[Mutant101]

Ok since this thread is quiet and some characters thread like Storm already in 90pages wow.
I got a questions to make this alive.
If Gambit would have a new solo series, what do you want for the story to tell?

For me, I wanna know his connection with other original Marauders team? He is connected with Sabertooth/Greycrow, how about the other? It is also a potential arch-enemies to Gambit character , since they already clones a lot of times someone does not remember thier history with Gambit..

Since Gambit does not have a real arch enemies, the original Marauders has a lot of potential, also they do not need to introduce , it just need to reveal their backstory.

[BobbysWorld]

I’d particularly like to see the connection between Remy and Harpoon explored, given the similarities between their powers. Given Sinister’s involvement with them, the similarities could be due to tweaks Sinister made to one or the other’s abilities, or maybe they could be distantly related. Course also could just be a total coincidence but just saying, seems like that could be an interesting connection to explore.

[Mutant101]

I just read Harpoon bio, and you were right they have connections, I like his name Kodiak.

[NicoPony]

In that Deadpool Issue that was black, white and red, Gambit had been sent by Xavier to woo that woman to Krakoa. Similar to Gambit recruiting the Marauders, he does have a gift of getting people to see his way. Asmus touched on it a bit too, at the end of the series where Gambit negotiates a peaceful resolution. I could see him on a new version of the Marauders, doing recruiting work (and probably falling into temptation of stealing a bunch of **** along the way).

[Grunty]

From what i recall in Mike Carey's origins one-shot Arclight was basicly a mercenary. Perhaps he got her a name from a list of potential "muscle" for a gig.

Riptide meanwhile was shown reading some books in a rather fancy room. So perhaps he was a collector who had use of Remy's tallents in the past to acquire certain rare objects.

However he picked up Scrambler in a bar after beating him up and found a seemingly drugged out Vertigo in an alley. So those are a bit more difficult to explain.

[thjan]

In that Deadpool Issue that was black, white and red, Gambit had been sent by Xavier to woo that woman to Krakoa. Similar to Gambit recruiting the Marauders, he does have a gift of getting people to see his way. Asmus touched on it a bit too, at the end of the series where Gambit negotiates a peaceful resolution. I could see him on a new version of the Marauders, doing recruiting work (and probably falling into temptation of stealing a bunch of **** along the way).

I wouldn't mind Gambit getting a solo series where he does special missions for Xavier. I have always liked the times that Xavier and Gambit have connected(especially in Carey's Legacy run), and I would love it if Gambit became his secret agent to get certain delicate things done. They have always had a very interesting relationship I think.

The idea I like best though would be BobbysWorld's X-Force idea, but converted to a Gambit solo, where Gambit gathers a team that go on intergalactic, other dimensional, and alternate reality and timeline jaunts to pull heists and do special missions for the Krakoa government. That would be so awesome! Sort of a 616 Gambit and the X-Ternals(loved them going into space for the M'kran crystal) I would love for the team to be something like this-

Lila Cheney(transportation)
Quiet Bill(transportation)
Marissa and her mom(with Marissa healed now and them two serving as extra muscle)
Rocket Racoon(who is only too happy to go on cool heists)
Bounty(also only too happy to go on cool and lucrative missions)
Razorback(with his experience in space and his power to drive or pilot any vehicle. I have always wanted him to interact with the X-world like in the 90s prose novels)
Courier(shapechangers are always useful for this kind of work)
Spat and Grovel(Spat is not a kid anymore and I know I am in the extreme minority, but I would like to see these two again)

Maybe not all of them on every mission, but I think it would be a cool and fun team. Plus him using his Thieves Guild resources(like his fellow thieves family members and Nil the technomancer) and some Rogue guest appearances.

[Romy134]

Wow that would be such an interesting book idea. Gambit off doing missions for Xavier. Each issue of two can be a specific mission.
Maybe introduce a new sidekick for him.

Like some of you have said I also really liked Careys run with Gambit and Xavier.
I would also personally like to explore who Gambit’s parents are.

[Sandmans_Raven]

Spat and Grovel(Spat is not a kid anymore and I know I am in the extreme minority, but I would like to see these two again)

I love Spat and Grovel. I think their publication origins are hilarious and I love their dynamic with Gambit and would like to see them return.

[NicoPony]

I wouldn't mind Gambit getting a solo series where he does special missions for Xavier. I have always liked the times that Xavier and Gambit have connected(especially in Carey's Legacy run), and I would love it if Gambit became his secret agent to get certain delicate things done. They have always had a very interesting relationship I think.

Lila Cheney(transportation)
Quiet Bill(transportation)
Marissa and her mom(with Marissa healed now and them two serving as extra muscle)
Rocket Racoon(who is only too happy to go on cool heists)
Bounty(also only too happy to go on cool and lucrative missions)
Razorback(with his experience in space and his power to drive or pilot any vehicle. I have always wanted him to interact with the X-world like in the 90s prose novels)
Courier(shapechangers are always useful for this kind of work)
Spat and Grovel(Spat is not a kid anymore and I know I am in the extreme minority, but I would like to see these two again)

I was just re-reading that portion of Legacy. I like that Gambit was the least judgmental of Xavier, called him on his BS, but was still a loyal follower. I’m concerned this Fall of X storyline will be another story where a character descends into cartoonish irredeemable evil, like Beast, Nature Girl, and Moiratron 3000.

I miss Courier. I’d like to see Nil again, because he’s just a bastard.

It’s my opinion that a certain artist was allowed too much creative freedom and a giant ride-able lizard and his infantilized fur bikini-clad rider should never have come to exist. I’m glad Spat is not a sexualized child anymore, that FabNic stepped in and corrected it along with many wrongs.

[AppleJ]

I'm not mad at any of these ideas! I would read them all!

Getting another writer who really wants to champion Gambit as a character and give him purpose is what is most sorely needed I think to make this happen.

Were the numbers on the Claremont Solo good? If so, that might mean editorial is more likely to seek out a writer for another Gambit series rather than wait for someone to pitch.

Much as I appreciate Remy living his best life on a tropical island with his cats and wife and best pals around and taking gates to wherever he wants in the world for a poker game or a drink, cooking, shopping, baseball etc ... I just keep thinking he needs something to focus his energy on.

[thjan]

I love Spat and Grovel. I think their publication origins are hilarious and I love their dynamic with Gambit and would like to see them return.

Wow, I'm not alone! And yeah, I think their origins are funny too! And that they made action figures of them anyway, LOL. I too enjoyed their dynamic with Gambit a lot.

I was just re-reading that portion of Legacy. I like that Gambit was the least judgmental of Xavier, called him on his BS, but was still a loyal follower. I’m concerned this Fall of X storyline will be another story where a character descends into cartoonish irredeemable evil, like Beast, Nature Girl, and Moiratron 3000.

Yep, I have grown so, so tired of all the dumping on Xavier and all the retcons they keep piling on him to make him look bad. The 2000s have been really rough on father figures and authority figures in the comics(Xavier and Odin especially), with a lot of writers seemingly projecting their own issues onto the characters and seeming to think the only way for the younger characters to grow into their own is to tear older character down(and that has never been the case). It's gotten to the point that there are lots of people in the fanbase that sincerely believe that Magneto is a better man than Xavier, which I completely disagree with. Yes, Xavier was never perfect. He could be too arrogant and judgmental at times and too stern and controlling, but he was also compassionate and caring at other times, and I loved the special relationships he had with a lot of his students before writers set out to tarnish as much of his legacy as they could. His heart was always in the right place and he was truly trying to make a positive difference in the world. And he did do great things. The X-Men have been a force for great good in the world, there is no telling how many mutants his mutant underground saved, and he has helped so many young mutants that would have been lost without his presence in their lives.

And oh no! I have not been keeping up with the Fall of X rumors. Is it supposed to be about Xavier's "fall"? I don't know if I can handle yet another attempt to "knock him down a few pegs" from the writers. Why doesn't Emma Frost ever have to be humbled. She could actually use it.

It’s my opinion that a certain artist was allowed too much creative freedom and a giant ride-able lizard and his infantilized fur bikini-clad rider should never have come to exist. I’m glad Spat is not a sexualized child anymore, that FabNic stepped in and corrected it along with many wrongs.

Fair enough. I can certainly understand and very much respect that opinion. And yeah, I certainly wouldn't want her back if Spat was still a child. That really did need to be corrected.

Getting another writer who really wants to champion Gambit as a character and give him purpose is what is most sorely needed I think to make this happen.

Yes, this is absolutely what Gambit needs the most!

Were the numbers on the Claremont Solo good? If so, that might mean editorial is more likely to seek out a writer for another Gambit series rather than wait for someone to pitch.

I don't know how it did. It is so hard to look up that kind of stuff anymore, and what you do look up seems to be unreliable. I do think minis-series set in the past don't do that great unfortunately and certainly don't do as a well as mini-series set in the present.

Much as I appreciate Remy living his best life on a tropical island with his cats and wife and best pals around and taking gates to wherever he wants in the world for a poker game or a drink, cooking, shopping, baseball etc ... I just keep thinking he needs something to focus his energy on.

Agreed. Also, I would enjoy and appreciate him living his best life a lot more if we could actually see more of it. The quiet, downtime issues in the 90s were always my favorites and I wish we could get more of those today.

[NicoPony]

Yep, I have grown so, so tired of all the dumping on Xavier and all the retcons they keep piling on him to make him look bad. The 2000s have been really rough on father figures and authority figures in the comics(Xavier and Odin especially), with a lot of writers seemingly projecting their own issues onto the characters and seeming to think the only way for the younger characters to grow into their own is to tear older character down(and that has never been the case). It's gotten to the point that there are lots of people in the fanbase that sincerely believe that Magneto is a better man than Xavier, which I completely disagree with. Yes, Xavier was never perfect. He could be too arrogant and judgmental at times and too stern and controlling, but he was also compassionate and caring at other times, and I loved the special relationships he had with a lot of his students before writers set out to tarnish as much of his legacy as they could. His heart was always in the right place and he was truly trying to make a positive difference in the world. And he did do great things. The X-Men have been a force for great good in the world, there is no telling how many mutants his mutant underground saved, and he has helped so many young mutants that would have been lost without his presence in their lives.

And oh no! I have not been keeping up with the Fall of X rumors. Is it supposed to be about Xavier's "fall"? I don't know if I can handle yet another attempt to "knock him down a few pegs" from the writers. Why doesn't Emma Frost ever have to be humbled. She could actually use it.

I feel the same. Magneto’s dying words to Storm were basically ‘look out for Xavier, he’s going to kill us all.’ Maybe they will write something that isn’t a ‘pride goest before the fall’ parable with Xavier as the fall-guy. maybe they will surprise me. I don’t know why I’m willing to forgive X and not Magneto, maybe because I reject writers’ pet characters and adopt the rejects. But seriously, if Xavier decides they need another Omega to fill Magneto’s empty purple boots and resurrects Joseph, X will go on my ****-list for life and I will wash my hands of him, lol.

[Gripstir]

I just want a Gambit POV story. That’s it. I want a story where Gambit’s actions and choices drives the plot and interactions. I want him to be cool, fun and if possible have characters where the chemistry with Remy is very noticeable (it’s why I stopped caring about the plot hole with Lila and Remy not knowing each other in X-men. Her playful personality meshed well with Gambit. And is definitely the kind of girl Gambit would have a friendship with.)

With all the comics he’s been in he kinda just goes with the flow with whatever anyone is telling him to do. (knights of X, his solo, Captain Marvel, Xtreme) So all I want is a story where Gambit’s moral crisis is our focus. Just give me Gambit centric and you can do any story you want and I’ll love it.

Wow, I'm not alone! And yeah, I think their origins are funny too! And that they made action figures of them anyway, LOL. I too enjoyed their dynamic with Gambit a lot.



Yep, I have grown so, so tired of all the dumping on Xavier and all the retcons they keep piling on him to make him look bad.

Yeah according to what I read about Spat and Grovel is they designed them to be totally non sellable on purpose according to them. Then they got the toys anyway.

And totally agree about Xavier. Retconninrg all his actions in almost devious light has become so weird and I have to believe Kevin Feige is telling them to do it on purpose to set up MCU storyline.