Gambit #1-4

Gambit #1-4

Originally released in 1993

Written by Howard Mackie

Art by Lee Weeks

Out of the "main" X-Men (who's considered part of that list likely varies from person to person; for me, it's the team that appeared in Chris Claremont and Jim Lee's X-Men #1 - Cyclops, Jean, Beast, Archangel, Iceman, Wolverine, Storm, Colossus, Rogue, Gambit, and Psylocke - plus Nightcrawler, Kitty Pryde, and Emma Frost), Gambit was probably the one that I knew the least about.  His appearances in X-Men '97 and Deadpool & Wolverine in the past year changed that a bit, but seeing that he got a solo series two or three years after his debut, that seems like as good of an opportunity as any to learn more about the Ragin' Cajun.

A training session in the Danger Room that just involves Rogue and Gambit (meaning that it's as emotionally-charged as you'd expect between the two of them) is interrupted by someone breaking into the X-Men's mansion.  It's Gambit's brother Henri (or at least someone who's close enough of a friend that he calls him a brother), though the reunion is cut short by Henri getting an arrow to the chest.

There's a rivalry between the Thieves Guild and the Assassins Guild in New Orleans (Gambit being a part of the first group), who seem to be competing for the favour of someone known as the Tithe Collector.  Every seven years, an event called the Tithing takes place, and Henri came to New York to let Gambit know about that.  The assassins flee, but Gambit tracks them to a darkened warehouse.

He discovers that not only is his brother-in-law alive, but so is his wife, when he believed both of them to be dead. Between that and Henri's death, he sets off to New Orleans to find out what's going on. Rogue tags along, as Xavier doesn't want Gambit rushing off on his own, though Gambit has a feeling that Rogue will learn things about him that might lessen her opinion of him. (She already knows that he's married by this point, though that doesn't stop them from constantly flirting)

Upon arriving, Gambit confirms that his wife is alive, only to be attacked by assassins who were lying in wait for him.  Not only that, but his father-in-law also wants to duel him to the death for being responsible for the deaths of his children. (even though his kids are currently alive, the father-in-law no longer considers them to be his children)  As part of a deal between the thieves and the assassins, the assassins get power while the thieves get the Elixir of Life - Gambit dismisses its existence, but his father-in-law insists that Gambit's wife, Bella Donna, can be saved if she's given it.

Unfortunately, the Thieves Guild is unwilling to let Gambit use it, and one of its members is conspiring with Gambit's brother-in-law, Julien, to take the power and the long life for the assassins, breaking the pact in the process.  With Rogue guarding Bella Donna, Gambit heads to Paris to meet with a woman named Candra who is the source of the Elixir of Life and the person behind the Tithing.

As it turns out, Gambit had previously been in a relationship with Candra, or at least a one night stand, though he didn't know her name or that she was the benefactor of the guilds.  I suppose that's one thing that sets Gambit apart from the other X-Men - rather than being bogged down by self-doubt when it comes to relationships, he's an open book when it comes to finding women attractive and will quickly act on it. (though he's a closed book otherwise - it seems like, if he says three things about himself or his past, then one of them will be a half-truth, one will be a lie to hide some terrible dark secret, and the third will be a lie just to mess with people)

Candra will give Gambit the Elixir, but only if he does one thing for her - kill his own father.  He immediately refuses, though it turns out that Candra had given Julien a bit of the Elixir to revive him from the dead.  Now Julien wants the whole thing, and he's willing to kill Candra to get it, which is a step too far in Gambit's eyes.

Gambit's father is badly wounded trying to defend Gambit, but Gambit defeats Julien and steals the Elixir without Candra noticing at first.  Once she does, Candra has both the Thieves and Assassins Guilds targeting Gambit, leading into the final issue.  Meanwhile, back in New Orleans, Rogue was tempted to absorb Bella Donna's memories of her relationship with Gambit; she decides not to, but Bella Donna unconsciously grabs Rogues bare hand, causing it to happen anyway.

As the two guilds join forces in an unexpected manner, Gambit discovers that the Elixir of Life can deform its user and make them addicted on it, like it did to Julien.  As a result, the decision on whether or not to give it to Bella Donna becomes much more complicated for him.

Arriving back at his hideout, Gambit tries to mix the three vials that make up the Elixir of Life, missing Rogue confessing her love in the process.  Julien tries one final desperate attack, shattering the vial that contains the combined elixir before being killed by his own father.

Tired of all of the fighting and the losses that they've suffered, the two guilds refuse to follow Candra's orders, leading to a fragile peace, though for his role in all of this, Gambit is forced to leave New Orleans.  Before he does, Gambit uses the small amount of elixir that spilled on Bella Donna's bedsheets to revive her, though Rogue's accident came with a major cost.

Gambit seems to take the whole thing in stride, though between this and Rogue's difficulties with being touched, kissed, or having other skin-on-skin contact (and her guilt over what happened to Bella Donna), it's clear that Remy is heartbroken by the end of this story.

Much like the idea of a solo Gambit movie, I wasn't sure how a solo Gambit mini-series would turn out, but between Gambit's Romeo and Juliet-esque plot with the two guilds, his nature as an international man of mystery, and his relationship with Rogue, I had a good time with this short series.  It seems like it would be tough to have a character who's created to be part of a team carry a solo book, but Gambit has a detailed supporting cast outside of the team and enough room for a backstory prior to his time on the X-Men to pull it off.