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NICHOLAS J. MICHALAK
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Batman
Gambit
(Remy LeBeau)
Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Jim Lee.

Gambit is Remy LeBeau, a Cajun mutant and member of the X-Men. He has the ability to take the potential energy of any object and convert it to kinetic energy, charging it to where it is explosive on impact or command. Reflecting his name, his signature charged object is a pack of playing cards, but he regularly carries a bo-staff, which he is very proficient with in combat.  He was brought up in the Guild of Thieves in Louisiana before joing Professor Xavier's heroic team.

I love the character because of his swagger, charm, and his shadiness. Where Wolverine is trustworthy and honorable due to his personal ethics, despite his unknown past, Gambit is the opposite. Because he was a thief and criminal, and was never entirely forthcoming about his past, he can be difficult to trust. That makes him an intriguing character because you can never get an accurate read on where his allegiances lie, or what his next move will be. However, more times than not, he proved his worth as a hero, even if he wasn't a team player at times.  He took chances, gambles, and sometimes they would pay-off.  Thus, further empathsizing his moniker of "Gambit."  I have also always loved his relationship with Rogue.  Despite the fact that if they ever touched, she would uncontrollably drain his energy, he was still enamoured with her, and would constantly try to charm the tough Southern Belle. Of course, with that amazing body and spirited personality, who could ever blame him?

While I have not read Marvel Comics in many years, I still rank Gambit high on my list of favorites. I bought the 1993 four issue Gambit mini-series, and the 1990s animated X-Men series highlighted my favorite aspects of him.   Although, I was constantly annoyed how the movie series kept jipping fans out of even a cameo of the Cajun X-Man. It wasn't until X-Men Origins: Wolverine that we got Remy on screen, but it wasn't all I had hoped for. Taylor Kitsch did a decent job with him, but they watered down the accent so much and they had so little for him to do, it felt like a few drops of water in the mouth of a thirsty man on a blazing hot summer day. Gambit is a character you can take in so many directions due to his ambiguous morality, but also, his unique sense of heroism and loyalty. Not to mention, he's quite the romantic at heart.

Gambit appears in books published by Marvel Comics
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