Top 10 Gambit Powers
Gambit, Remy Etienne LeBeau, was created by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee in 1990. He hails from New Orleans and is the heir apparent to the Thieves Guild. Gambit was found by the leader of the guild when he was a child and grew up under their care and tutelage. Mostly known for his unstable relationship with Rogue, Gambit is a valuable and powerful addition to the X-Men. I've taken the time to create a list of his Top 10 powers. Don't get it twisted; Gambit isn't a one-trick pony.
10. Master Thief
Gambit was raised on the street of New Orleans by the Thieves Guild; they stole him from the hospital as a baby. Raised by the Fagan Mob, Remy made the mistake of picking the pocket of Jean-Luc LaBeau. LaBeau realized the potential the boy had and adopted the young boy. Remy was believed to fulfill a prophecy to unite the Thieves and Assassin's guilds. When he is arranged to be married to Bella Donna, granddaughter of the head of the Assassins Guild, but when her brother objected he challenged Gambit to a dual. After mistakenly killing the Bella Donna's brother, Gambit left New Orleans and became an international cat burglar.
9. Acrobatics
A side effect of his mutant ability is supercharging his acrobatic, fighting, and marksman abilities. Gambit can flip, roll, and evade as well as any trained ninja. This skill doesn't only apply to his martial skills; he uses his enhanced acrobatic skills to enter buildings, spy on people, and escape from the building after he's robbed it.
8. Savate – French Kickboxing
Gambit is a tireur or a master of French kickboxing. His supercharged metabolism makes the kicks and punches faster and makes him a formidable fighter. Nick Fury says he's one of the most excellent hand to hand fighters he's ever seen. In the panels provided, we see Baltroc and Zarand the Weapons Master are no match for Gambit. Baltroc has gone ten rounds with Captain America, so we know he can throw hands!
7. Hypnotic Charm
Outside of his fiery eyes, the most noticeable thing about Gambit is how charming he is. It doesn't help that he uses the Cajun accent. Women find him irresistible, and that is one of his powers. Gambit can psionically influence people's minds and make them believe what he says is the truth. This is a handy power for a thief, and it's several years into his X-Men life that he reveals the power.
6. Static Interference
By building up kinetic energy, Gambit can create a static interference field, like fuzz on a security camera. This is also useful protection against telepaths, as it makes them unable to read his mind or sense his presence. The best use of the power comes when someone touches him. He can use the field as a barrier between himself and their abilities. For example, if a mutant has to contact you to control you, he can short-circuit that power.
5. Bojutsu
Bojutsu is a Japanese martial art that focuses on using the 'bo' or staff as a weapon. It's an acrobatic form of fighting that plays well into Gambit's list of attributes. Next to a deck of cards, the bo staff is Gambit's most recognizable weapon. His acrobatic ability and the build-up of kinetic energy give him a unique fighting style that takes his opponents by surprise. Gambit has used the staff since his debut in X-Men #266.
4. Enhanced Healing
While this power is hotly debated, Gambit has a form of healing factor. His use of kinetic energy is so precise that he can speed up the healing process. This power wasn't evident until his turn as the Horseman of Death for Apocalypse. This ability is so powerful that Gambit resurfaces in Bishop's timeline as an old man who saw the X-Men fall.
3. Marksman
When it comes to small, unconventional weapons, Gambit is a master. His trusty playing cards are always precisely placed, as well as his any object that he sees fit to energize. From his appearance as young Storm's partner, he has been able to shoot, throw, and bank shot as well as anyone alive.
2. Toxic Conversion/Ingestion
Gambit can transmute any object into a deadly gas that can kill or disable. He got this power by accepting Apocalypse's invitation to be the Horseman Death. His skin turned black, and hair turned white, he did, however, remember Rogue and spared her life. Another significant effect of the change is he can spit out and take in many plagues, illnesses, and sicknesses.
1. Create kinetic energy
More than his other traits, Gambit is known for being able to create kinetic energy. He takes the potential energy of every object and charges it, turning it into an explosive. While we see this as a separate power, his ability with energy is what creates his other skills. Gambit didn't display his potential until his teenage years. From then he has honed it to empower all the top abilities necessary to be a thief and an X-Man.
Remy LeBeau has the most interesting character arc of all the X-Men. He isn’t your standard hero. There are things in his past that scar him, more than his fellow team members can understand. His betrayals of the group rival that of Mystique. What makes him so relatable are the moments when the suave thief persona cracks and the vulnerable man shines through. Despite his battles with inner demons, Gambit has proven a valuable teammate.
