Remy LeBeau aka Gambit has been well established as one of the greatest thieves in the Marvel Universe, but many might not consider him particularly powerful even though Marvel already admitted the X-Men member is secretly an A-list hero. Gambit made his first appearances in Marvel Comics in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 and Uncanny X-Men #266 created by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee. From the beginning the mutant was a hit with fans, winning them over with his Cajun charm and effective, though seemingly minimal, power set. While at first glance Gambit may not seem like one of the stronger members of the X-Men, he consistently proves otherwise.
In the 1999 storyline Contest of Champions II by Chris Claremont and Michael Ryan, a seemingly mysterious alien species—later revealed to be the Brood in disguise—holds a contest among Earth’s heroes to discover which one is the most powerful. Among the finalists in this contest was none other than Gambit, who defeated Wolverine in combat. The battles are cut short after the finalists are announced when the Brood’s true intentions are revealed and the heroes team up against them, so fans will never know which hero is the strongest and if Gambit would have come out on top. Nevertheless, it is still impressive that Gambit made it that far at all.
The finalists in Contest of Champions II consisted of the average Marvel top dogs including a Phoenix-possessed Jean Grey, Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Scarlet Witch, and Spider-Man and with them was Gambit. The former professional thief turned mutant hero earned his top spot right next to the big-name heroes much to fans’ surprise through his cunning in battle and explosive superhuman power. Gambit's inclusion among Marvel's strongest heroes is not treated as a surprise or fluke within the series itself, but a natural result of his power and control. While Marvel has not treated him as an A-lister since Contest of Champions II, it wouldn’t be the last time Gambit’s power was put to the test and proven to be unparalleled.
In the New Sun story arc from the Gambit series that ran from 1999 to 2001, a version of Gambit from an alternate universe is introduced as an Omega Level mutant and a world-ending threat. In Gambit #24 by Fabian Nicieza and Yanick Piquette, fans learn the story behind a formerly mysterious threat that has challenged Gambit throughout the New Sun arc, learning that it is in fact Gambit himself from Earth-9921. In that reality, Gambit tapped into his raw power and took on a form of pure energy, a transformation that nearly destroyed the world, leaving it barren and dystopian. Before upgrading to his final form, 9921 Remy was kicked out of the X-Men after killing the Phoenix, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished by even the most powerful characters on Earth-616. While this version of Gambit isn’t the original, he held within him the same power 616 Gambit has, only releasing it in a most destructive fashion.
Even without tapping into his full potential and becoming a world-ending threat, Gambit still held his own with the best Marvel had to offer in Contest of Champions II. Since then, Gambit has been an integral member of the X-Men, currently taking on the magical forces of Merlyn in Excalibur. Using the experience he gained by fighting against the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Universe and coming out on top, added with the incredible power that resides within himself, the malevolent forces of Otherworld surely don’t stand a chance. Marvel already admitted that the X-Men’s Remy LaBeau is an A-list hero, and Gambit continues to prove that revelation to be true.