When Disney canceled the Channing Tatum-led Gambit movie, the actor was vocal about his disappointment. His fans were right beside him, mourning the axed project. If the gossip is true, audiences will finally get to see Tatum as the X-Men’s favorite Cajun in a Deadpool 3 cameo. No doubt that will have buyers heading straight to the auction sites for all things Gambit beginning with these issues.
X-MEN ANNUAL #14
Let’s kick things off with Gambit’s first appearance in X-Men Annual #14. The grading companies note this is a cameo first, but that is disputable. Gambit is seen in full across multiple panels, a fact that should qualify this as the character’s first full appearance, hands down. There’s nothing that says CGC and CBCS can’t change their classifications, but for now, it’s still listed as a cameo.
The silver lining is that it keeps the values much lower, even for graded 9.8s. In fact, the direct edition has been averaging just shy of $300. If you opt for a newsstand copy, that price moves to $650 for that elusive 9.8. However, drop the grade to a 9.6, and the fair market value is under $200.
UNCANNY X-MEN #266
Here is a case of the second appearance getting much better press than the debut. There’s no arguing that X-Men Annual #14 is the wily Cajun’s premiere, so why do collectors pay much higher prices for UXM #266? It’s all in the cover art. With stellar work from Andy Kubert, Gambit is front and center, which puts it ahead of Annual #14.
Two years ago, the direct edition graded at a 9.8 averaged nearly $1,000. Lucky for buyers, prices have dropped to the $750 range. Is your life not complete without a newsstand? The 9.8 has already sold for nearly $4k this year, though the latest sale was for a more reasonable $2,400 on July 2.
If you want to spend even more money, be on the lookout for the Mark Jewelers variant. These copies had an advertisement bound in the centerfold, and they are highly collectible. In April, a graded 9.8 brought over $10k.
GAMBIT #1
In the early 1990s, the X-Men were at the top-tier of Marvel’s titles. With the team’s popularity, it was only natural for the publisher to greenlight a few solo comics. So it was that Gambit joined Deadpool in getting his first self-titled limited series at this time. These types of firsts are serious business, especially when those debuts get too pricey.
Here, you have a fairly cheap investment that’s not at all hard to find. The direct edition at a 9.8 has been selling for around $120 as of late while the newsstand tends to bring closer to $150. If you don’t want to roll the dice on eBay, head over to your local comic shops where you’re sure to find multiple copies.
If you want something a little more special, get yourself a gold foil edition. These are harder to find and bring hefty price tags. The last time a graded 9.8 sold online, it brought $1,075 on April 19.
CHANNING LEBEAU, ANYONE?
With Marvel reportedly having Tatum included in Deadpool 3 as a cameo, there’s nothing that says he won’t finally star in that elusive Gambit solo flick or perhaps a Disney Plus series. Stranger things have happened, and Marvel/Disney is in love with its campy comedy and A-list actors.
Having Tatum do a bad Cajun accent and his usual antics would fit the current MCU mold.
