After decades as the X-Men‘s resident tomcat, Gambit finally finds himself in the family way, as one of the team’s newest recruits names Remy LeBeau as her father.
New X-Men Hero Calico Is Gambit’s Daughter
In this week’s Unbreakable X-Men #3 – from Gail Simone, Mario Santoro, Luciano Vecchio, Tiago Palma, Davide Tinto, R.B. Silva, Espen Grundetjern and Clayton Cowles – Gambit decides to sacrifice himself in a fight against Namor. Before the clash can begin, Gambit has to talk the X-Men’s students into leaving, including Becca Simon-Pinette’s Calico.
Calico refuses to leave Gambit to sacrifice himself, insisting, “You taught me how to be a mutant. You taught me how to be a person, Gambit,” when Namor tries to interrupt, she angrily retorts, “I’m talking to my father.” While the two aren’t biologically related, it’s clear that they both feel the same way about their bond, with Gambit holding back his emotions at finally hearing it out loud.
Calico’s powers have manifested in an entity that mimics her former horse Ember, which can change shape and gain new powers in whatever ways Becca imagines.
Calico is a recent addition to X-Men comics and is being mentored by Rogue and Gambit in Uncanny X-Men. Unbreakable X-Men takes place after a ten-year time jump, suggesting that in the intervening time, Gambit has become a father to the young mutant – a heartwarming look ahead at how their connection will develop.
Gambit’s Complicated Family History Explained
Gambit has never had much luck with family, abandoned at birth due to the physical mutation of his red eyes. Gambit was adopted into the Thieves Guild but still wasn’t treated with a great deal of love, with the exception of his adoptive brother Henri LeBeau. While the Thieves Guild is Gambit’s home, those connections have long been overshadowed by a prophecy that he will unite the Guild like never before.
One of the only non-transactional relationships in Gambit’s life has been with Rogue, with the two finally marrying in 2018. Since then, they’ve been inseparable, and in most alternate worlds where the two have kids, it’s with each other. Rogue and Gambit’s kids in other worlds include Oliver Raven LeBeau (below), Rebecca LeBeau and Irene LeBeau.
