A lot of the basic Gambit stuff is already there. The coat, the accent, the cards, the confidence, and the fact that stealing things is a skill he's quite comfortable using.

A lot of the basic Gambit stuff is already there. The coat, the accent, the cards, the confidence, and the fact that stealing things is a skill he's quite comfortable using. His mutant power lets him charge objects with energy so they'll explode. Playing cards are convenient because he can carry a whole deck and throw them. The cards themselves aren't magic weapons. He's making ordinary objects dangerous. Then he has the staff and the way he moves. He doesn't have to stand there trading punches with somebody bigger than him. He can get around them, change the distance and turn whatever he's carrying into another problem. The thief background matters in those early Storm stories. He's used to finding a way into a place, getting out again, and adapting when something goes wrong. Storm already knows a thing or two about surviving by stealing, so there's something for them to connect over before the team gets involved.