Gambit Fought Captain America By Using His [SPOILER] Against Him

Fans have argued over the superiority of Marvel’s X-Men or Avengers for years. But when the two teams finally fought, the battle of Captain America and Gambit isn’t what anyone expected. And Steve Rogers sure didn’t see the mutant’s most clever attack coming.

During the iconic Avengers vs. X-Men event back in 2012, a great spin-off series entitled AvX: Versus consisted of one-shot issues were released, pitting single X-Men heroes against those from the Avengers. Some issues featured match-ups such as Spider-Man vs. Colossus, or Iron Man taking on Magneto. However, one such showdown is notable for going beyond what fans might expect. When Captain America takes on Gambit, Captain America himself gets more of a challenge than he was expecting as well.

Gambit is one of the more interesting mutants in the Marvel Universe, having the ability to take the potential energy of most inanimate objects and turn it into pure kinetic energy, effectively turning them into explosives. More often than not, Remy LeBeau uses his powers on playing cards, using them as small bombs that he can expertly throw, as well as a long staff he wields for charged attacks. Seeing as how Captain America also uses an item that he throws as a projectile, his shield, a showdown between the two heroes seems like an even match. However, that’s not to say that the fight seen in AvX: Versus #2 isn’t without its surprises, particularly on Gambit’s part.

In AvX: Versus #2, Captain America is on the lookout for for Hope Summers in the Savage Land, the next host for the Phoenix Force, hoping to prevent its destructive nature. The X-Men are trying to protect Hope, as they believe the Phoenix Force could be used to create and aid mutantkind. When Cap faces off with Gambit while in the Savage Land, the Captain doesn’t seem all that concerned, even after Gambit gets a hold of his shield. As fans might have expected, Gambit tries to charge up Cap’s shield and send it back at him with the usual explosive force. However, as the iconic shield is made from vibranium, it holds its stability. After that, things get serious after Gambit uses his powers on Cap’s uniform instead.

Gambit’s move is a good one, albeit one that probably only works once, using Captain America’s tactical knowledge of Gambit’s own powers to make him assume that he was safe, luring him into a false sense of security with the fact that Gambit can’t charge organic material. Gambit’s card up his sleeve was charging the armor on Cap’s uniform, literally trapping him within a bomb he was wearing.

While the move doesn’t take Cap out completely, it does bring Cap’s full attention to the fight at hand. With his uniform in tatters, Rogers rushes Gambit, blocking his projectiles with his shield, and delivers a massive uppercut, knocking Gambit out cold. While the battle does end in Cap’s favor, it’s fun to see Rogers initially think that the fight wouldn’t take all that long, perhaps assuming an easy victory. He certainly wasn’t expecting Gambit to give him a run for his money, and not being as much of an easy takedown as Cap believed. It’s even more entertaining to see the obvious tactic fans might have expected before reading (Gambit using Cap’s shield) fail and Gambit switching tactics in ways neither Cap or fans probably thought of. In any case, while Gambit might not win, it’s cool to see that he can least do enough damage on Captain America to warrant him needing to call in a new uniform.