Gambit - Terrigenesis - Danial Carroll

PAGE ONE (seven panels)

PANEL 1. A shadowy figure is in the foreground, standing in the bushes, holding an M32 grenade launcher. In the background is a resort-like pool with various X-Men sitting around, just enjoying the sun on a rare break in action. The pool itself is empty, though Gambit is standing on the edge. He is wearing only swimming shorts.

GAMBIT:

What, no one want to join ol' Remy for a dip?

GAMBIT:

Très bien.

PANEL 2. A very wide view of the area showing Gambit diving into the water on one side, and a gas-grenade, trailing blue smoke, being launched from the bushes on the other.

SFX:

THOOMP

PANEL 3. Close-up on Gambit under the water, his eyes and mouth open wide as the gas-grenade, bubbling the blue smoke, sinks slowly down before him.

SFX:

SSSSSS

PANEL 4. Gambit has surfaced, the blue smoke swirling all around him.

GAMBIT:

What ->koff<- is dis?

PANEL 5. An aerial view of the pool area showing three more gas-grenades being fired amongst the panicking mutants.

SFX:

THOOMP

SFX:

THOOMP

SFX:

THOOMP

PANEL 6. Close-up of Gambit, still in the pool. The gas has mostly dispersed, but now water around him is beginning to glow pink.

GAMBIT:

Ô merde.

PANEL 7. In the background, amongst the blue smoke, the various X-Men are having their powers go haywire (such as Cyclop's entire body blasting an energy beam and Iceman having formed into a large, crystalline ice-block). In the foreground, Gambit is jumping from the pool as the whole thing is blasting skyward with pink kinetic energy!

SFX:

CHOOM

Gambit - Among Thieves - Matt Duarte

Gambit in “Among Thieves” by Matt Duarte

This is probably a page that would work better if you saw the whole finished product, but I tried to make it an interesting script too. Layout wise, I think you could do some very neat things with the scene, but I will leave it to your imagination how this would play out better. In my mind, this page would be drawn by Daniel Acuña.

Panel 1

Description: A woman is standing inside a music venue, turning around as there is hand on her shoulder (this is Gambit, trying to get her attention). She is wearing a striking blue cocktail dress, her hair is straight, long, and black as a raven, and in her neck hangs a shinning choker necklace with a big and bright red ruby in the center. The lights are low, and there’s a band playing in the back.

CAPTION: New Orleans, Louisiana.

GAMBIT (off panel): A dance, mon cheri?

WOMAN: Remy? I didn’t really expect you here...

Panel 2

Description: Gambit is wearing a tuxedo, smiling as he pulls the woman closer to him. There is a hint of resistance from the woman, but it’s too late, as they are in the center of the dance floor already.

GAMBIT: Really, now? How’s one expect the crawfish not be found in the bayou?

WOMAN: Alright, alright, I’ll dance with you, but PLEASE drop your Pepe Le Pew act.

GAMBIT: ...very well.

Panel 3

Description: The woman is now dancing closely to Gambit. There is a look of frustration an annoyance on her, as if she didn’t want to be there. Gambit, on the other hand seems to be thoroughly enjoying himself.

WOMAN: You never told me... why do you keep up with it anyway? I KNOW that’s not really how you talk.

GAMBIT: Ah, it’s long tale, my love! Misdirection gone awfully right, I’m afraid. The “Ragin’ Cajun” is what most of the X-Men know, so that is what they get.

Panel 4

Description: The couple continues to dance, this time more wildly, as they attract the attention of everyone else around it.

WOMAN: Most?

GAMBIT: The Frost woman knows. Logan too. Ororo likes to pretends she doesn’t.

WOMAN: Ah, of course.

GAMBIT: Besides...

Panel 5

Description: Gambit is now holding the woman in a vertiginous Tango-like dip (see reference).

GAMBIT: We both know that the ladies love it.

Panel 6

Description: Gambit and the woman are now holding their arms together, as a crowd has formed around them and is applauding their now-finished dance routine. Gambit is closely whispering to her ear.

GAMBIT (whisper): I’m in town for business, but I can always make some time for you.

GAMBIT (whisper): You know the rules, though...

Panel 7

Description: Gambit is walking away from the woman as the crowd disperses. She is in the background, holding an arm to her neck, which is now empty. In the foreground, Gambit is holding the choker necklace she was wearing throughout the dance sequence.

GAMBIT: No one steals in my town, Felicia.

GAMBIT: I’ll be back in the hotel in an hour. First I have to return this to New Orleans Museum of Art.

The End.

Gambit - Into the Oblivion - Sime McDonald

1. Gambit is cradling the body of a young girl as he kicks open the doors of a hospital emergency room. His trademark trench coat is blackened with soot and his leggings are torn. He’s slightly older than the Gambit we know. The girl in his arms is bleeding, her body limp and lifeless. It may already be too late...

CAPTION

The girl was still breathing when Gambit got her to the hospital.

GAMBIT
(yelling)

Help!

2. Gambit peers into an operating room. The girl has flatlined. Nurses are pulling a sheet over her. The mother – who we cannot clearly see, somewhat obscured by the medical staff – has collapsed onto the floor. A doctor is attempting to help her to her feet.

CAPTION

She wasn’t when her mother arrived.

DOCTOR

(whisper)

I’m so sorry...

3. Gambit pounds the wall with his fist, forming cracks. He is a broken man.

CAPTION

For years Gambit had been fighting the darkness of his soul.

The part of his being that Apocalypse had forever tainted.

She had been his strength. His rock. His inspiration.

SFX

Crunch!

4. Tight on Gambit. His eyes glow red. His mouth has become a hard line. All that emotion he was feeling in the previous panel is gone. Replaced.

CAPTION

Now, he reached out and embraced it.

5. Gambit steps out into the night, charred coat flapping in the wind.

MOTHER

(off panel)

Remy?

She’s gone, Remy...

6. The mother is Rogue. She steps out of the OR, cheeks wet with tears. She’s dressed in civvies, and like Remy, has aged.

 

ROGUE (1)

Our daughter is ...

ROGUE (2)

...gone?

Gambit - Cherchez La Femme - Rol Hirst

I'd just like to apologise to Max, and all other Gambit fans, from the bottom of my heart. I tried to write something else, but ultimately I am an abject failure...



To be drawn in the style of an old Warner Bros Merry Melodies cartoon. You'll soon work out which one.


Panel One.

Cartoon Rogue is walking down the street, singing a song. In the other direction comes cartoon Ms. Marvel. Cartoon Rogue’s hair is all brown.

Rogue: Honey - ah, sugah sugah…

Panel Two.

Rogue bumps into Ms. Marvel and there is a zap of energy as Rogue absorbs Carol’s powers and personality.

Rogue: Ahh! Shucks!

Ms. Marvel: Owwch!

Panel Three.

Ms. Marvel lies passed out on the floor while Rogue, still bursting with energy, examines her hair in a cartoon shop window. It’s an Acme shop, of course. Rogue’s hair now has the familiar white streak in it.

Rogue: Darn! Now I need Grecian 2000 on top of everything else!

Cut to…

Panel Four.

Cartoon Gambit is playing Solitaire and drinking Kool Aid through a straw in a superhero bar. Other cartoon heroes sit at different tables, but he’s drinking alone. Suddenly he’s alert… his senses are in overdrive.

Gambit: Maintenant… what eez zis?

Panel Five.

Gambit exits the bar in a cloud of cartoon dust. Playing cards explode in the air around him.

SFX: Biff! Baff! Boff!

Panel Six.

Gambit is out on the street with Rogue. He has her in an passionate clinch, from which Rogue is squirming to free herself.

Gambit: Ah, mon cheri, our love in zee stars is wreetten, non? I am zee mutant l’amour, zee Cajun Casanova, les amoreux de stupid trenchoat… and you, you are zee southern belle du jour, zee Mississippi Magnifique, la fille aux weird white streak in your ‘air!

Gambit: I want to keez you all over...

Panel Seven.

Gambit kisses Rogue’s cheek – she’s still struggling, with a big “eurgghhhh!” on her face.

Gambit: Mwah! Mwah! Mw—

Panel Eight.

Gambit’s face goes gaunt and blue as Rogue’s cheek sucks all the life out of him via his lips.

Gambit: --ahhhhhhhhhh!

Panel Nine.

Gambit drops to the floor, an emaciated corpse. Rogue stands wiping at her face, ridding herself of Gambit’s foul slobber.

Rogue: Eeeeeeeukk! Stinky skunk!

Rogue: Erm… I mean…

Panel Ten.

Close on Rogue: a wicked gleam in her eyes.

Rogue: “Le steenky skunk!”

CAP: Th-th-th-th-that’s all, folks!

Gambit – Bartender’s Special – Ryan K Lindsay

1. Gambit is pulling bartender duties at a seedy club, he is putting two drinks down on the bar, his hands are warming them up.

Gambit: Here you go, ladies. The special, on the house.
Mary(op): Thank you, kind sir.

2. Two ladies; Mary lifts the drink to her lips, Jo is behind her, looking away, downing hers.

Gambit: The same pretty lady, the same day each week, the same drink. You don’t get bored?
Mary: I don’t think with a pa-

3. Jo’s lower jaw and throat blow open in a dazzling display of blood and alcohol.

SFX: Kapfk!

4. Gambit is holding Mary’s wrist and warming her bracelet.

Gambit: Now why don’t you tell me who sent you two to kill me?

5. Mary’s face looks upset.

Mary: Ow, I don’t know what you mean.
Gambit: Of course you don’t. You didn’t even know you were going to kill me, did you? But you were.

6. Gambit is squinting and there’s blood popping. We don’t see Mary, maybe just the stump of her arm.

Gambit: Now you won’t.

Gambit - La Fin - Ben Rosenthal

1. A badly beaten Gambit is slumped on his knees, in the middle of rubble. His face bruised, swollen and bloody. His fingers and hands are visibly broken.

2. A tighter shot of Gambit’s face as a large hand grabs him by the throat. He doesn’t try to resist.

3. Apocalypse is holding Gambit in front of him, effortlessly. He is staring at Gambit with a look of curiosity, even though an evil smirk lines his face. Gambit appears limp in Apocalypse’s grasp.

APOCALYPSE
Now, allow me show you what it means to bring death

GAMBIT (in a weak voice – he’s obviously dying)
Oh, I remember. *cough*

4. We are looking at Gambit’s face, with Apocalypse’s hand visible has t chokes the remaining life from Gambit. Gambit has a smile on his almost unrecognisable face, his clothes having a light pink shade to them.

GAMBIT
Je suit mort. I am now dead...

5. Back to the framing of panel 3, however Gambit now has both hands around the wrist of Apocalypse. Gambit’s clothes is now glowing a bright pink, as he charges them with kinetic energy, as is the metal body armour of Apocalypse.

GAMBIT
...and so are you.

6. A mostly white panel, with the etched outline of both Gambit and Apocalypse being torn apart by the explosion.

Gambit - Années Passées - Max Barnard

Gambit - Années Passées - Max Barnard

A preamble: They use this title as a way of saying "years gone by", or so I'm told. And that's kinda where the focus is here. This script is a weird one though. It turned out how I wanted despite not allowing me to use all the research I had. Just shows that you can try and fit stuff in, but if it doesn't feel natural.... Well... Just don't.

So anyway, here we are with a story set in the current marvel universe, where Gambit is travelling with X-23 as she tries to forge her own path in the world.

-----------------------------------------------

Page 1 - 8 Panels

1-- X-23 and Gambit are sitting around a small fire at night, surrounded entirely by darkness. With them is Gambit's motorcycle and some various camping equipment (sleeping bags, pans and such) laid out.

SPEECH BUBBLE/GAMBIT - So I'm thinkin', maybe we don't go too far east. There ain't nothing much to see that way now.

SPEECH BUBBLE/X-23 - ......

SPEECH BUBBLE/GAMBIT - Vous bien? Laura?


2-- X-23 is jabbing absent-mindedly with a stick at the fire, with a blank expression on her face.

SPEECH BUBBLE/X-23 - Don't... Don't you have a home? A place you belong to. So... Why aren't you there?


3-- Close-up on Gambit as he looks surprised at X-23's statement.


4-- Another close-up of Gambit as he looks down and smiles to himself wistfully.

SPEECH BUBBLE/GAMBIT - Heh, that's what I was just talkin' about, girl. See, there's not many there that would welcome ol' me in New Orleans, and I got no desire to return there myself.


5-- X-23 is leaning forward as Gambit speaks, paying rapt attention as he continues to just look on.

SPEECH BUBBLE/GAMBIT - I miss some of the times, sure, and ALL the food (you know we got about a million dishes? Good stuff) but that's the thing about places you come from, cherí. They all look a lot better in the past than if you were to go back there.


6-- Gambit is now leaning back, ready to lie on the ground.

SPEECH BUBBLE/GAMBIT - New Orleans, she not the same place anymore. Been through a real wringer. And those like me, who speak all the old cajun, we on the way out.


7-- Gambit is now lying on the ground, looking up at the night sky (whether we can see that or not is largely unimportant, mind you. As long as he's lying on his back looking up it should have the right feel to it). X-23 is getting her sleeping bag and preparing to sleep herself now too.

SPEECH BUBBLE/GAMBIT - And me? I don't even sound the same as I did back then. You know more than anyone that we change over time, and usually for the better. And so the places we're at home change with us.


8-- Both characters are now lying down as the fire has dimmed, illuminating them far less than before.

SPEECH BUBBLE/GAMBIT - Now we got some ground to cover tomorrow, so you sleep well now, okay?

SPEECH BUBBLE/X-23 - Okay. And... Remy?

SPEECH BUBBLE/GAMBIT - Yeah?

SPEECH BUBBLE/X-23 - Thank you... For coming with me.

SPEECH BUBBLE/GAMBIT - Think nothing of it, cherí. Fais do-do.

Why Gambit?

Let's be honest, all of you save a few have just rolled your eyes, grunted in dismay, made a joke about gumbo or spoke in that *hilarious* mockery of an accent that has laboured this character has for most of his life in comics. And for that I tut at you and hit you on the nose with a newspaper. Because Gambit is a character with so much more to him, and that's what we're here to show.

Created by Jim Lee and Chris Claremont, Remy Etienne LeBeau is the smooth talking Cajun mutant without peer, capable of charging any inorganic matter with a distinctive purple-looking kinetic energy that more often than not makes the object explode in an extravagant manner.

Originally a thief on the streets of New Orleans, a series of tragic events resulted in him cast out from his guild and his city, leading him to wandering the world, becoming a master thief, albeit a master thief whose powers were wildly out of control, something that thrust him into the icy grip of Mister Sinister.

From there he was involved in the Mutant Massacre, joined the X-Men and various dramas followed, from his on-again-off-again relationship with Rogue, something made difficult by how uncontrollable her powers were back then, to being blinded or even TURNED INTO DEATH, ONE OF APOCALYPSE'S HORSEMEN. Which let me tell you, would be a pretty intense thing to endure.

In recent years he's continued to suffer for his willing conversion into death, which appears to have awoken a dark and evil thing inside of himself, one that in the recent Second Coming crossover almost eliminated a whole group of X-Men.

So... Yeah, tragedy kind of follows him everywhere. But over the years he has grown, matured, lost the more humiliating parts of his accent and become of the more riveting characters in the X-titles. Which certainly seems to be paying off, if you've noticed how he's one of the headlining characters in the new alternate dimension epic Age of X, out in 2011.

But still, that's just glossing over who he is. Now for the WHY part of the whole Why post. Gambit is a character that can have, and indeed has had, endless amounts of different stories surround him, simply due to how many changes he's been through over the years. And there's a certain spark and charm to the handsome git that makes people drawn to him, despite the few that speak of how much they loathe him.

If you don't get Gambit, or simply haven't read much with him in it, I implore you to check out John Layman's (of Chew fame) 2-volume series from earlier this decade, which painted a picture of a very different man than the racial stereotype of the Claremont era. It's probably one of my favourite ongoings of all time, and I'm sure that it could give you all the same love for the character that I have. And if that doesn't work read Becky Cloonan's short story starring Gambit in Nation X (issue 2), which will literally make you fall in LOVE with him (damn Cloonan and her sexy, sexy Gambit).

Gambit is a character who can give you 100 ideas off the bat, and hey, you only have to use ONE OF THEM here on the site. So dig in, have fun and learn some french!


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