I first became a fan of the X-Men in the early nineties.
Along with a lot of you, it was because of the cartoon and the fantastic runs
at the time by Fabian Nicieza and Scott Lobdell. And because of the timing,
there were two characters I particularly liked. Wolverine and Gambit. And while
Wolverine was the one that became the biggest character in the Marvel Universe,
Remy LeBeau always stayed my favourite.
I honestly believe that Gambit is potentially one of the
most interesting and complex characters in the Marvel universe. For a whole
bunch of reasons. And while the last few attempts to launch Gambit as a solo
title have involved concentrating on the adventurous side of his persona, with
heists a-plenty, I think there’s a lot that hasn't been tapped into for years.
In fact, I think it’s money left on the table.
So I thought I’d outline my thoughts on the character – why I
find him interesting and why I think it could make for good stories. And also a
defence for some of the most loathed aspects of the Gambit back-story that I think
could be the basis for an enormously fun run.
The guilty hero
More than any other characters in the same universe, Remy
hates himself. That’s absolutely key to his entire personality, and it dates
back for decades by this point. And he pushes everyone else to hate him as
well.
He’s been raised as a thief. He killed his wife’s brother in
self defence. He unknowingly helped cause a massacre. He spent a long time
aware that people thought he’d betray his closest friends. And he became
Apocalypse’s horseman, Death.
Remy carries around an enormous amount of guilt. And it’s
not deeply buried either. He’s constantly aware of it. As far as he’s
concerned, he’s beyond redemption.
And yet… he still tries.
Still tries to do the right thing. Still tries to use what power he has
to be a hero. In spite of the fact he knows, deep down, he can never atone.
On top of all of that, he’s a character who gets things
wrong. He doesn’t just make mistakes, he’s always one moment of selfishness
away from ruining everything. He’s completely, constantly, self-sabotaging,
because he can’t deal with being happy. Because he doesn’t believe he deserves
it.
His superpower is like a reverse Midas touch. He is capable
of literally destroying anything he touches. Every relationship he has leads to
people hating him – and if they don’t, he’ll do something that makes them stop
trusting him.
But here’s the bit I really like. He doesn't realise any of
this. Because, along with all of the guilt, he also has an enormous ego. He’s a
show-off. And sometimes, he thinks he deserves more than he’s capable of. He
looks at others who are loved with jealousy, and he feels the need to outdo
them.
His ego veers wildly between non-existent and out of
control. Moments of a need to be the centre of attention and moments where he
can’t bear to be around anyone who knows him.
For me, this has some mental health connotations, and
they’re part of what I think makes his character so rich and interesting.
Whether he’s going through highs or lows, the person he’s damaging the most is
himself, and his relationships with others.
If I was writing him, there’s something else I’d want to
introduce as well. Gambit’s an addict, as far as I'm concerned. He’s a (former)
smoker, and we've seen him go out of his way to drink in the past as well. He’s
been enough of a flirt and a womaniser that the idea that he might be a sex
addict doesn't seem unreasonable. And he’s absolutely an adrenaline junkie –
he’s performed heists out of boredom before. And finally, of course, he’s a
gambler.
If you could get away with it, I’d take it a step further.
Have some substance addiction problems in the background. He’s got enough guilt
tearing away at him already – why not have had him hit rock bottom a couple of
times in the past? He’s managed to give it up, but by replacing it with other
addictions. And this is all part of the reason nobody trusts him.
Remy’s lived. He’s been through it all, and he’s experienced
highs and lows well beyond his years. He’s held down by his past, his weaknesses and his guilt. But even if he
doesn’t believe redemption exists at the end of his path, he’s going to do his
best to be a hero while he’s still here. And he’s good enough at what he does
that he can do it with a huge amount of flair.
This is a character I want to read. This is a character I
want to get to know. Hell, obviously, it’s a character I want to write. But
I've only embellished on what’s been on the pages in the past a little – the
vast majority of what I'm talking about here is text, not subtext. But we’re
talking about a hugely conflicted, unpredictable character. One that I think
could really be a lot more valuable to Marvel than they seem to believe at times.
The New Orleans War
Another millstone that’s perceived as being around Gambit’s
neck is his background. And it’s easy to see why. He’s a very nineties
character in a lot of ways. All trench-coat, long hair and stubble (and this informed far
more of my nineties fashion choices than I’d like to admit). But even worse
than that… the guilds.
It’s complicated, but nor has it been particularly fleshed
out. It’s not attractive to new readers, and it’s separate to just about every
other character.
But that doesn't mean it can’t be turned into a positive.
Two major criminal groups vying for control of the criminal
underworld? That’s something that can be fleshed out. Each of them have their
own traditions and histories? And there are families within that are battling
as well?
I think there’s plenty of mileage in this. Game of Thrones
that shit up. Let’s learn a little bit about who these families are, and let’s
trust the readers to keep up. Because the point here is that the more
complicated it is, and the more at each others throats everyone is, the more in
the middle of the whole thing Remy is. And that’s before you get into how the
upbringing has affected him.
Finely balanced battles can be fascinating – just look at
the power struggles in shows like Breaking Bad. Make it very clear that the slightest
advantage on either side can lead to utter destruction of the other. Take it from a cold war to full-on
hostilities. And in the middle of the whole thing, against his will, is Gambit.
Having to play everyone against everyone, without getting himself killed.
But I’d go a step further. I’d introduce other groups in New
Orleans – other clans and guilds that are struggling for power. Make sure that
Gambit has to step carefully at all times.
And if you really want to shake things up? Bring in an
outside element.
How about this? You have a truce meeting agreed between the
clans and guilds. For the first time since Gambit’s marriage, there’s the
opportunity of real peace in the area. Some of the higher-ups meet together in
an hotel.
And then the hotel blows up. We don’t know who did it yet.
But the clans and guilds blame each other, and it causes chaos. And in the
middle of all of this, there’s a hostile group trying to take over. Wilson Fisk
has seen the anarchy in New Orleans, and he sees an opportunity.
So, now, you have a situation where you have multiple
factions and groups all against each other. Outright war in New Orleans. And
right in the middle of all of it, you have Gambit – both in debt to everyone,
but also playing everyone against everyone else, and just desperately trying to
keep as many people alive as possible. When he fails, he deals with it badly.
But when he succeeds, when he plays people the right way,
manipulating and chancing his way into forcing the right things to happen… he
uses all of his darkest elements to show the hero that he can be.
What are your thoughts? Is Gambit a character that could be
a player in the Marvel Universe? Do you have favourite Gambit moments? Would
you be interested in my take on the character? Or do you think I've missed the
mark? Let me know in comments or on twitter.
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