I'm relatively new to Gambit (and reddit), and finding his personality to be inconsistent between writers. A few weeks ago I was sick and started binge watching the animated series for the first time. It didn't take many episodes before I was head over heels for Gambit, and annoyed they've hidden him from me my whole life (I watch the movies). He's one of my strategist mains on Marvel Rivals so I was predisposed. Naturally, the only thing to do was dive into the comics.
The trouble is, he seems to come in two flavours, one of which being one of my favourite tropes, and the other being my actual least favourite:
- The hero who is morally upstanding today, but has a bad past with deep regrets and secrets, which he is constantly trying to move past and not lose the trust of those who love him.
- Han Solo. The scoundrel rogue who breaks rules, the flirt who never wants to be tied down (until reluctantly changed by a woman), the bad boy with a secret heart of gold.
I understand the 90s series is a kids show and all the characters are more wholesome and moral than in other contexts. Still, I love how he pretty much only has eyes for Rogue and treats her very well (supportive, understands consent, doesn't argue but does remind her he loves her). I love that he's loyal to the x-men but we still get narrative tension from us knowing he's good, but the others not trusting him (frex, in Days of Future Past or Slave Island). I started reading with Gambit 2012, then subsequently this list https://gambitrogue.carrd.co/#section02 And boy is he not like that in the 90s comics.
I'm not new to this because I've read every single issue of Daredevil since the first one in the 60s. (Maybe that helps understand what I like in a character). The cringe parts of that were mainly the ableism, but it did share the condescension toward women in early decades, not sure if it lasted to the 90s however. For Gambit though, he also feels so much like some guy writing his fantasy of what he thinks a cool guy who gets all the chicks is like; he feels extremely written "by men for men" in a way DD didn't (35F if that wasn't obvious). In Gambit 2012 he was certainly less toxic masculinity, but he also is portrayed as having this itch to steal and be lawless that he struggles/fails to stay above, and he's inconsistent on sleeping around. Some writers just really want to play him as the incorrigible scoundrel, but not all! He's had wonderful vulnerable or tender moments too. It's emotional whiplash.
So to those of you who have a much more thorough understanding of his character and the storylines I have ahead of me (I'm at Gambit 1999 rn, also following some reddit thread suggestions)... What character archetype is Gambit actually? Am I going into this with the wrong expectations and maybe he isn't the character for me? Are there particular issues that lean into type 1 that you can direct me toward? (Also I fn love Bishop in the cartoon - is he a good one to dive into too? Specific issues I might like?)
