A Fan-Favorite X-Men Character Just Got an MCU Variant

T.V.A. #1, by Katharyn Blair and Pere Perez, takes readers into the organization made famous by Loki Season One and Two, and introduces readers to an MCU variant of a beloved X-Man: Gambit. The book stars Spider-Gwen, Captain Carter, Mobius, B-15, and O.B., working with Jimmy Hudson, Wolverine’s son from the original Ultimate Universe, and an all-new character named Ingrid. It picks up right where Loki Season Two lets off, presenting a status quo that is perfect for MCU fans who want to give the comics a try.

Gambit’s inclusion in the book is quite surprising, especially in a book so beholden to the MCU. Channing Tatum’s Gambit first appeared in Deadpool & Wolverine, which was also something of a shock for fans. For years, Tatum had tried to get a Gambit movie made while Fox held the X-Men’s film rights to no avail. Getting Tatum as a comics-accurate Gambit in the MCU was amazing, and T.V.A. #1 gives readers another variant, one who could actually be the same Gambit that appeared in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Gambit is Recruited After Being Found by the T.V.A.

Captain Carter brought grave news to the T.V.A. – that Earths all over the multiverse are being afflicted with panic attacks on a massive scale as their fears are made real. O.B. speculated that it could be some kind of incursion event, and B-15 decided to send the field team in. She then introduces the team to her “ace in the hole” – Gambit. Several T.V.A. agents found him drunk and disorderly in his own timeline and brought him in. This Gambit does look different from the one seen in Deadpool & Wolverine – he has a beard and a different costume – but the fact that he was found drunk does make it seem like this could be the same Cajun mutant.

Related: Deadpool & Wolverine: Hidden Scene Reveals if Gambit Survived Final Battle

Gambit’s drinking looks to be a symptom of losing “her”, which plays into the mission. Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine had lost his entire universe, so this still jibes with that version of the character. When offered the chance at redemption by Spider-Gwen, he scoffed but when B-15 offered him the freedom of the T.V.A. – in the form of kitchen access – he decided to tag along with the team. Gambit accompanied the team to Earth-93, and like the rest of the group was haunted by hallucinations, his being a skeletal Rogue. The Rogue zombie attacked him, accusing him of allowing her to die, adding another wrinkle to his seemingly tragic origin.

Gambit’s Guilt Is His Driving Factor in T.V.A. #1

Just from this issue, it’s hard to tell if this Gambit is the exact same one as Channing Tatum’s Gambit from Deadpool & Wolverine. There are some cosmetic differences, but the heavy drinking and guilt over lost love point in the other direction. T.V.A. #1 has no problem using other MCU characters, so there’s a good chance that the book will do the same for Gambit. What makes this Gambit really interesting, and something of a throwback to the classic Gambit of the 1990s, is the way his guilt seems to be driven by some kind of terrible secret.

Gambit was a man of mystery for many years after his debut in the comics. His secrets allowed him to take the spot Wolverine had in his early days of the team, acting as the mysterious loner driven by the pains of the past. The Rogue zombie blaming him for her death is huge; while it could be something as simple as Gambit having left her in a dying universe, Gambit has been known to betray his fellows on Earth-616. Sometimes, he was forced into it, as happened several times with Gambit allying with Mister Sinister. However, he’s also chosen to betray the X-Men, as he did when he became Apocalypse’s Horseman of Death. Did Gambit accidentally cause the death of Rogue or was it something more direct? With a possible Gambit movie on the horizon, T.V.A. #1 could be giving MCU fans a taste of what’s to come.

T.V.A. #1 is on sale now.