Remy Etienne LeBeau, also known as Gambit, officially appeared for the first time in The Uncanny X-Men #266 (1990). He’s a mutant which means he was born with powers. Remy’s powers have actually been debated for many years now- almost since his debut. Some comics say he has the ability to turn different types of energy into kinetic energy while others say that his body gives off a large amount of kinetic energy that he can then manipulate. For simplicity, many people just describe his power as the ability to manipulate kinetic energy. He’s wildly known for using this ability to charge playing cards and throw them like mini explosives. Amongst this, he’s also very skilled with a bo staff, which is another popular weapon associated with him. An interesting thing about Remy is that his first appearance is debated by collectors and fans. #266 is labeled as the first appearance of Remy, even saying it on the cover. However, his technical first published appearance was in The Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 (1990), that was published nearly a whole month early by mistake.

Remy was abandoned at birth due to his unique eyes, black sclera and typically pink iris. He was kidnapped extremely young by the New Orleans Thieves Guild who gave him the name “Le Diable Blanc” which means “The White Devil”. He ends up adopted by Jean-Luc LeBeau. Remy doesn’t have a great history with the Thieves Guild, often seen as a prophesied child meant to unite the various Guilds of New Orleans. They also didn’t treat him very well regardless of continuity which caused Remy to have a very difficult time fully trusting people. Least to say, he didn't end up uniting the Guilds like everyone thought he would.

In the comics, Remy ends up encountering Storm first out of all the X-Men. Storm had been transformed into a child by the Shadow King, and she turned to Remy, who she just met, in order to survive. He’s end up protecting her and defeating the villain. When Storm reunites with Professor Xavier in her returned adult state, she's the one who sponsors Remy to become part of the X-Men. He ends up joining the X-Men which leads to lots of conflict, but he does end up coming around and forming bonds. His relationship with Rogue is one many people recognize from their childhood. I also really enjoy his rivalry friendship with Logan.

For me personally, talking about Remy’s relationship with the X-Men makes very happy, as it shows him learning to trust others and allow people in his life. I also feel like his character is an interesting contrast to many of the other X-Men. Remy doesn’t think black and white and always tries to think five steps ahead of everyone else- which is probably due to his life within the Thieves Guild. There are multiple times Remy will turn against the X-Men, just to come back to reveal it was all apart of some big plan to get information or take down operations from the inside. He isn’t one to let many people in on his antics- so many of the X-Men have to learn to trust Gambit blindly, which isn’t something many of them are used to. Personally, I think Remy pushes the X-men out of their comfort zone just as much as they do to him- allowing everyone to learn different ways to trust and allow others to share the load. Regardless of continuity, I think Gambit has always been that for the X-Men – a character to show them there are multiple ways to go about something and that not everything is exactly as it seems. His relationship and bond with X-Men is a stable to the franchise in my opinion.

I was introduced to Gambit at a very young age, my first exposure to him was the X-Men: The Animated Series from 1992. I fell in love with his accent, his appearance, his wits – literally all of him was so cool it was hard not to love him. I ended up reading the comics when I grew up to learn more about him. He has made several animated appearances as well as been a constant in the comics since his debut. Overall, regardless of continuity Remy is a character who is incredibly unique for the Marvel Universe. He isn’t necessarily always a “good guy” or a “bad guy” but operates with his own morals and opinions in mind. Underneath his tough guy act, Remy is a sweetheart who will do his best to take care of everyone around him. His relationship with Rogue and Logan especially means a lot to me and are two factors that I really enjoy about his stories. However, I do love the rare occurrences we get to see his friendship with the other X-Men shine through. This shrine is dedicated to showing off my collections and displaying my love for the one and only Gambit! Please enjoy reading about my beloved Remy! ❤︎