Remy LeBeau, better known as Gambit, is a fascinating figure within the X-Men saga. With his distinctive burning red eyes, he faced abandonment at birth and was subsequently taken in by the Thieves Guild of New Orleans. Gambit is not just any mutant; he possesses the ability to generate, control, and manipulate kinetic energy. His prowess doesn’t end there; he’s also a master of card-throwing, hand-to-hand combat, and wielding a bō staff. His signature technique involves energizing playing cards with kinetic energy, transforming them into explosive projectiles.
The allure of Gambit for many fans lies in his roguish charm combined with a benevolent spirit, reminiscent of Han Solo from Star Wars. His charismatic presence, coupled with his unique ability to weaponize cards and his impressive cooking skills, truly sets him apart. Despite a shady past and initial scepticism from the X-Men, Gambit strives for atonement, revealing his more sensitive side, particularly in relation to Rogue, his intermittent romantic interest. His portrayal in the 1992 animated series significantly bolstered his fame.
X-Ternally Yours is the only episode that centres on Gambit. In it, the Assassins Guild and the Thieves Guild are bound by tradition to present an offering every decade to a mystical entity known as The X-Ternal, in return for power. When it’s time for Gambit’s brother, Bobby, to fulfil this ritual, he mysteriously disappears. The episode draws Gambit back to his origins in the South, entangled in an age-old family dispute and Bobby’s abduction. Bella Donna, from the Assassin’s Guild, seizes this opportunity to ensnare Gambit, aiming to compel him to finalize their previously abandoned nuptials. The story provides a window into Gambit’s history, including his connections to the Thieves Guild and his failed engagement to Bella Donna, which he left behind on their wedding day.
This particular episode is remarkable for its deep dive into Gambit’s backstory, shedding light on his intricate relationships and internal battles. As a self-contained tale, it offers fans an intimate look at what shapes Gambit’s persona, marking it as a pivotal installment in the series. Through the adversity and turmoil, Gambit’s devotion to his brother and his intrinsic sense of morality prevail, securing his place in the hearts of the audience.
In the midst of a Danger Room session, Cyclops faces a routine challenge orchestrated by Gambit. Cyclops voices his boredom with the simplicity of the exercise. However, a sudden phone call to Gambit leads to an unintended spike in the difficulty level, leaving Cyclops to contend alone with robotic adversaries modelled after their most formidable enemies. Meanwhile, Gambit receives troubling news of his brother Bobby‘s disappearance and the dire importance of delivering a tithe to the X-Ternal. As the stakes rise, Rogue intervenes to halt the perilous exercise, confronting Gambit about the near-fatal scenario. Gambit, preoccupied with family loyalty, reveals the urgency of his departure to prevent his brother’s imminent danger.
Gambit’s mind races back to a previous encounter with the X-Ternal, recalling the tension of nearly missing the deadline to deliver the tithe. The X-Ternal, embodying power and authority, accepts the tithe from the Assassins, granting them vigour and safeguarding. In a twist of fate, the Thieves suffer retribution for their tardiness, and the X-Ternal selects Bella Donna from the Assassins and Bobby from the Thieves as the next bearers of the tithe.
Upon arriving in New Orleans, Gambit reunites with Pierre, the informant of Bobby’s vanishing. Pierre reveals the Assassins’ capture of Gambit’s brother and their demand for Gambit in exchange. Together, they speed off to confront the Assassins, just as the other X-Men converge on the city. At an ancient mansion, they’re greeted by Bella Donna, Bobby, and waiting Assassins. An irate Bella Donna confronts Gambit for jilting her, demanding he don his wedding ring for Bobby’s release. Yet, the ring becomes a tool of torture, inflicting agonizing pain upon Gambit.
Simultaneously, Wolverine, Jean, and Rogue fall into the Thieves Guild’s snare, bracing for battle until Bobby clarifies their allegiance to Gambit. The team devises a rescue, while Bella Donna, intent on wedlock, dresses Gambit in matrimonial attire. She confesses to duping the Thieves with a counterfeit tithe, ensuring their punishment by the X-Ternal.
As the Thieves and Assassins convene for the tithe exchange, Gambit, amidst the Assassins, alerts the Thieves to the deception. Chaos erupts, and Jean’s telepathy seeks the authentic tithe. The X-Ternal arrives, commending the Assassins but poised to chastise the Thieves for their fraudulence. Rogue’s intercession triggers the X-Ternal’s wrath upon her and the X-Men, until Jean’s telepathic revelation of the Assassins’ treachery spares them. Stripped of her powers by the X-Ternal, Bella Donna watches as Gambit departs with the X-Men, vowing never to return.
In the Savage Land, Professor X and Magneto engage Barbarus, successfully repelling the threat.
Ω While there are numerous differences between the episode and Gambit’s debut series (refer to the box out), much of the imagery in the episode is lifted directly from the first issue: the Danger Room mishaps involving Gambit and Rogue are taken to extremes, and the Mansion Gambit visits bears resemblance. The storyline of the Tithe and the familial animosity also originate from the source material, albeit involving different characters such as the Tithe Collector, who is absent from the episode.
It is presumed that Bobby LeBeau’s name was changed from ‘Henri’ in the comics to avoid confusion with the X-Men’s Henry McCoy.
The Assassin’s Guild is depicted wearing armour similar to that in X-Men #8-9, marking the first appearances of the Guilds, Bella Donna, and early glimpses into Gambit’s backstory.
Candra’s appearance is altered from the comics for reasons not disclosed, and in the episode, the X-Ternal is not identified by that name.
Wolverine makes his first return to the Mansion since the events of Red Dawn, having been in pursuit of Morph (Whatever It Takes) and entangled with Alpha Flight (Repo Man).
At one stage in the comics, Remy’s popularity with the New Orleans Guilds was such that he was crowned the King of Thieves.
The X-Men’s acquaintance with Gambit is still nascent, highlighted in the episode’s recap. Storm’s statement in Days of Future Past that she ‘knew him better than anyone’ comes from the comics, where a temporarily younger Storm introduces Gambit to the team.
In the comics, Gambit and Bella Donna’s marriage ends in estrangement. Conversely, in the animated episode, Gambit leaves her at the altar, avoiding the depiction of him as married while pursuing Rogue in the series. Additionally, Rogue’s insult to Bella Donna as a ‘mop-sweeper’ is a notable quip.
In the Savage Land, Magneto mentions the Fall People and is then assaulted by Barbarus, a Savage Land Mutate created by Magneto, as seen in Uncanny X-Men #62.
GAMBIT: GOING SOLO
Gambit’s debut solo comic series from 1993 penned by Howard Mackie, continues from an earlier crossover with X-Men and Ghost Rider in X-Men #8-9 and shares concepts with this episode. The storyline uncovers that numerous members of the Thieves Guild and Assassins Guild survived an onslaught by the X-Men’s extra-terrestrial foes, the Brood, and a mysterious masked collaborator. It also discloses that Bella Donna, Gambit’s presumed-dead wife, is still alive, as is her malevolent brother Julien, whom Gambit believed he had slain. Julien and his assassins are scheming, placing Gambit and his chosen family in jeopardy. This all resolves a plot between the Guilds and their benefactor, the External Candra and her servant the Tithe Collector.
Conversely, X-Ternally Yours centres on a ritual where, every decade, the Assassins Guild and the Thieves Guild must each present an offering to a mystical entity known as The X-Ternal to gain power. When it’s Bobby, Gambit’s brother’s turn to make the offering, he disappears. The Assassins Guild proposes to trade him for Gambit, setting the stage for Gambit to confront the woman he abandoned at the altar a decade ago.
X-Cess Minutiae 
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