10 Gambit’s Base Power is Extremely Underrated

Gambit’s Energy Conversion Power is Cooler than X-Men Fans Give It Credit For

Even the most casual X-Men fan knows that Gambit has the power to convert static energy into kinetic energy in any object he touches, effectively turning those objects into mini bombs. Gambit has mostly chosen to use playing cards as his exclusive 'weapon of choice', but he can super-charge any object he chooses. Fans have seen Gambit do this countless times through a number of mediums (comics, cartoons, live-action), yet this power remains woefully underrated.

Many fans fail to see the potential of Gambit's energy conversion power, just as they neglect to marvel at its absolute awesomeness. Gambit can turn anything he touches into a bomb - that's awesome. Plus, these aren't just little explosions, as Gambit has taken the heads off of Sentinels with a single playing card. In other words, Gambit needs to get more credit for how cool just his base power is.

9 Gambit Can Add an Interesting Twist to His Base Power

Gambit’s Energy Dispersion Exhibits a Profound Level of Control Over His Mutation

Not only can Gambit effectively turn any object he touches into a bomb, but he also has complete control over when and how it explodes. It's not as though Gambit's abilities are out of control, turning everything around him into an explosive and hurting those in proximity. Once he super-charges an object (again, mostly his playing cards), he flexes another power that's way more understated, yet equally important (and awesome): energy dispersion.

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When Gambit super-charges a playing card, he has control over when it explodes, and how powerful that explosion will be. This is especially beneficial when he super-charges a card only to find that he doesn't need to throw it afterward, as he's able to let the energy fizzle out without causing a detonation, which is a profound level of control over his mutation.

8 At His Strongest, Gambit Can Control Energy From a Distance

Gambit’s Remote Energy Conversion is an Awesome Upgrade of His Base Power

It's been well-established that Gambit can turn anything he touches into a bomb by converting its static energy into kinetic energy, and it's also been established that he can choose when and how that energy is released. But, what's more impressive than that is what Gambit can do when he's at his absolute strongest. When Earth-616 Gambit is at his strongest, he can actually detonate objects just by looking at them, without needing to touch them at all.

In that comic, Gambit is battling the X-Cutioner alongside a federal agent, and when the X-Cutioner launches a fleet of drones ready to explode, Gambit detonates them from a distance with his remote energy conversion power.

7 Gambit had a Shocking Extra Super Power: Precognition

Gambit Temporarily had the Ability to See Future Events

Gambit once had a decidedly shocking ability that didn't have any major connection to his base powers at all: precognition. After Gambit temporarily lost his sight when a playing card accidentally detonated too close to his face, he found that he could see future events by looking at his playing cards upon charging them.

In X-Men Vol. 2 #163, Gambit looks at a charged card despite the fact that his eyes were useless at the time, and what he sees is the Brotherhood of Mutants attacking the X-Mansion. Sure enough, the Brotherhood does just that only a few minutes later, proving that Gambit really did have precognition. However, once Gambit got his sight back two issues later, this power was quickly forgotten, but that doesn't make it any less cool.

6 Gambit Actually Shares 1 Power with the A-List X-Men Hero Wolverine

Gambit has a Healing Factor

Gambit doesn't just have the power to super-charge objects, but he also has another power almost exactly like the A-list X-Men hero, Wolverine: a healing factor. Interestingly, Gambit's healing factor actually stems from his base power, as he can enhance his own recovery rate after suffering an injury by stimulating his own cellular activity. In other words, he can super-charge the cells within his body to heal himself faster - at an incredible rate, in fact.

In Gambit Annual 1999 #1, Gambit is training with a mutant named Marrow, who accidentally shoots a razor-sharp bone she's conjured through Gambit's chest. Gambit, with a jagged piece of bone sticking out of him, remains perfectly calm as he pulls it from his chest. Mere moments after he does so, the wound had completely healed, proving how powerful Gambit's healing factor is.

5 Gambit Can Not Only Super-Charge Objects, but Also Himself

Gambit Can Enhance His Own Physical Body, Giving Himself Super Strength & Speed

Not only can Gambit super-charge his cells to increase his healing rate, but he can also do so to give himself superhuman strength and speed. In Excalibur Vol. 4 #22, Gambit and the other of Excalibur are in Otherworld, and they're being hunted by Gia Whitechapel. When Gia has Gambit in the sight of her sniper, she fires. However, Gambit moves at super-speed to see the bullet coming, and then uses super-strength to deflect the bullet without suffering any injury whatsoever.

This moment put into perspective all of Gambit's previous feats. He's always had super-agility and enhanced strength to a certain extent, but that was always assumed to be a product of his training under the Thieves Guild. However, that's not the case, as Gambit can literally super-charge himself to gain super strength and speed.

4 Gambit’s Famous Charm is a Literal Super Power

Gambit has the Secondary Mutation of ‘Hypnotic Charm’

Another power that many fans might not know Gambit has (despite it being around since his debut) is his 'hypnotic charm'. This power is exactly as it sounds, as it allows Gambit to subtly influence the minds of those he's speaking to. As Gambit speaks, people start to find themselves naturally agreeing with what he has to say, while being unable to shake the feeling that they really like this guy.

Gambit used his hypnotic charm on Lian and the Hounds of the Shadow King upon his first full appearance in Uncanny X-Men #266, and for the most part, it totally worked on them. It wasn't until the Shadow King himself intervened that Gambit's powers were rendered useless, but the Shadow King can tangle with the likes of Charles Xavier, so that shouldn't imply Gambit's hypnotic charm is weak by any stretch.

3 Gambit’s Base Power Got a Dark Upgrade When He was the Horseman of Death

Gambit Briefly Had the Power to Wither Biological Life

After Apocalypse turns Gambit into his Horseman of Death, Gambit does everything in his power to break away from Apocalypse's control. Before long, Gambit finds a way to regain his humanity while keeping his Horseman of Death alter ego buried in his mind. However, that doesn't mean his "Death" side wouldn't come out from time-to-time.

In X-Men: Legacy Annual #1, Gambit is fighting a villainous telepath, who senses that Gambit has a 'dark side' in the recesses of his subconscious. So, the telepath reaches into Gambit's mind and brings that darkness out. Unfortunately, he doesn't understand the gravity of his mistake until Gambit uses his Horseman of Death literally drain the life from this villain with a wave of his hand.

2 Gambit Once Had the Power to Corrupt Others

Gambit Had His Corruption Power When He was the Horseman of Death

Gambit didn't just get the power to drain someone's life force when he became Apocalypse's Horseman of Death, but also the ability to corrupt anyone he touched. Gambit put this added power on full display in X-Men: Hellbound #2, when he followed the X-Men into limbo. Not only did Gambit corrupt practically all limbo with his immense power - turning the demons that lived there into his personal henchmen - but also of the X-Men themselves.

While this was another power that was incredibly short-lived, it still highlights Gambit's potential as a true powerhouse, given the right upgrade. With Apocalypse's help, Gambit became someone who could do far more than just super-charge playing cards and boast a Wolverine-level healing factor. He could literally turn people into his personal, mind-controlled slaves.

1 With the Help of an Iconic Artifact, Gambit has an All-New Power in X-Men Canon

Gambit Now Has the Power of Teleportation

One of Gambit's greatest powers actually has nothing to do with his mutation, but is something he's trained his entire life to be skilled in: thievery. Gambit was a prominent member of the Thieves Guild, meaning he can swipe anything from anyone. And, in the most recent X-Men continuity, Gambit got his 'sticky fingers' on the Eye of Agamotto, which gives him another power: teleportation. In Uncanny X-Men Vol. 6 #7, Gambit uses the Eye of Agamotto to open up a magical portal that he and his entire X-Men team are able to travel through.

As it stands in the current X-Men canon, Gambit can teleport, which is an awesome new power he can add to his arsenal. Sure, it's because of an iconic Marvel artifact (and not his mutation or a power-upgrade), but that doesn't make it any less awesome. In fact, this is one of Gambit's 10 strongest powers that prove he more than deserves to be an A-list X-Men hero.