Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Uncanny X-Men #4

As what remains of the X-Menpull themselves together after the fall of Krakoa, some old-school mutant heroes have had to embrace new roles of leadership that they had never considered previously. One particular ‘90s X-Men heartthrob, Gambit, has recently been thrust into leadership, protecting the next generation of mutants from nefarious magical forces. Embracing the idolization these young mutants have of him, Gambit has finally overcome his villainous past.

Uncanny X-Men #4 - by Gail Simone and David Marquez - continues to develop the growing threat that mysterious mutant-hunting hag of the woods, Sarah Gaunt, poses against the Outliers.

After ravaging Wolverine and nearly killing Rogue, Gambit, Jubilee, and Nightcrawler are about all that’s left between the lives of Sarah Gaunt’s young targets and her nightmarish demonic forces. Without thinking and left with no other choice, Remy steps up to his new responsibility not just to save his wife but to become the X-Man that Charles Xavier always knew he could be.

From Villain to the Leader of Mutantkind's Next Generation

Uncanny X-Men #4 - Written by Gail Simone; Art by David Marquez; Color by Matthew Wilson; Lettering by VC’s Clayton Cowles

While he originally started as a master thief and devoted member of the New Orleans Thieves Guild and briefly served Mister Sinister, Gambit experienced a radical change of heart when his actions directly led to the slaughtering of innocent Morlocks. Soon being accepted into the X-Men after helping save Storm from the Shadow King, Remy found a quick home among his fellow mutants and a fast lover in his future wife, Rogue. Gambit has occasionally fumbled between good and evil, even serving as Apocalypse’s Horseman of Death once, but ultimately finds his way home with a revitalized sense of purpose.

While he rarely takes himself seriously, frequently undermining his own status as a “hero,” Gambit has become to the next generation of mutants what the Original Five were to him. Gambit’s affinity to protecting others is often driven by a singular cause; to protect the children. Remy grew up on the streets and the first family that he ever knew cast him into a life of thievery, ultimately ending in betrayal. When he, alongside the Marauders, led their assault on the Morlocks, the only person Gambit could save was a young child named Marrow.

Remy LeBeau Finally Sees Himself as a Leader

Gambit First Fully Debuted in Uncanny X-Men #226 (1990)

Gambit’s soft spot for children has often highlighted his truer heroic characteristics. When he first helped Storm, she was stuck in her younger body. While combating his Death persona, Gambit quickly saw himself in X-23, eventually guiding Laura’s emotional and physical journey to recovery and growth. Even now, Remy’s affection can be seen when talking to the Uncanny X-Men’s band of young mutants, often lowering himself to look his pupils in the eye. Selflessly embracing his new role, Sarah Gaunt’s ruthless pursuit of the Outliers has finally pushed Gambit to lead by example and inspire the teens to “fight forward.”

It’s been a very long time coming for Remy LeBeau to acknowledge his own potential as both a leader and a role model. After everything he has endured, after every guilty act of villainy, and after every tender moment with his mutant family that freed him from his past, Gambit is finally acknowledging what the X-Men knew he always was - a hero. Sarah Gaunt and the Graymalkin Prison have carved a dark path for the Uncanny X-Men to follow, but with Gambit leading the way, the Outliers and Charles Xavier’s dream may live to see another day.

Uncanny X-Men #4 is available now from Marvel Comics.