X-Men Monday #351 – Steve Orlando Talks ‘Gambit: Gone’

Welcome, X-Fans, to another uncanny edition of X-Men Monday at AIPT!

You know, 351 installments into this column, I can’t say I remember every X-Fan question I’ve ever read, but I certainly recall the number of passionate (and frustrated) notes I received about Gambit during the Krakoan era. (I guess there just wasn’t enough Gambit… I forget the details.) For this reason, I truly hope all those Gambit fans who were unhappy back then are overjoyed these days, as we’re clearly in a Remy-ssance! You’ve got the Ragin’ Cajun in a lead role in Uncanny X-Men, he’s starring in Gambit: Wanted—written by his co-creator Chris Claremont—and, this December, he returns to the big screen in Avengers: Doomsday.

On top of all that, starting on September 23, 2026, you get not one, but two versions of Remy LeBeau in Gambit: Gone, a five-issue limited series written by Steve Orlando and illustrated by Edoardo Aoudino and Gerardo Sandoval. Gambit: Gone, of course, continues writer Jeph Loeb and artist Simone Di Meo‘s X-Men of Apocalypse event series, which brought several Age of Apocalypse doppelgangers into the 616.

So what’s next for both Gambits? Lucky for you, Steve was willing to return to X-Men Monday to share some tidbits. Let’s see what he has to say.

<strong>AIPT: Welcome back to X-Men Monday, Steve! The Gambit: Goneannouncement was certainly a surprise—as was the fact that you’d continue the story Jeph Loeb and Simone Di Meo were telling in X-Men of Apocalypse. How did this opportunity come about? Were you at all involved with the crafting of X-Men of Apocalypse, or is this a case of you getting to pick up the ball where they left it and run wild?

Steve Orlando: In this case, we’re definitely playing the ball as it lies—while I did get a look ahead at where X-Men of Apocalypse would leave things, that production was its own. And it was clear that story was going big, blockbuster, and bold—jumping multiple time periods, etc.

So for Gambit: Gone, while we’re dealing with two different Gambits from two different worlds, we wanted to focus in on more personal—albeit still explosive—journeys. I think, after my work on books like 2099, Extreme Carnage, and the Fall of X cycle, it was no secret I’m used to picking up a baton and working within a greater, linewide story. And I think, across multiple companies, my reputation as an action guy was well-known. I was, after all, raised on the action movies of the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. So when the need is for creative action and finding the character beats between the beats, I think my name tends to come up—and above all, I love a challenge, and I love not doing what I’ve done before. I’ve worked on Gambit a bit in X-Men Unlimited and X-Men Infinity Comic, but had never really had a chance to hone in—until now!

AIPT: I’d like to address something upfront that X-Fans AnyaEmerson, Nathan, Oscar, Suellen, and Caroline all had concerns about regarding the conclusion ofX-Men of Apocalypse Omega. Caroline sums it up well and says, “Hi Steve! Myself and a lot of other fans of both Gambit and Rogue were really concerned with the ending of X-Men of Apocalypse. I felt it was very out of character for 616 Gambit to offer to trade places with AoA Gambit, especially since it appeared to be without Rogue’s knowledge or consent. I just don’t see Gambit ever proposing for a complete stranger to take over his life, and without Rogue’s knowledge of the situation, it makes me very uncomfortable that he would essentially offer his wife up as a prize for AoA Gambit. I really want to be able to support this series when it comes out, but the premise is very concerning to me. Will you be addressing any of these issues?”

Steve: I can safely say that while we have to respect what’s come before, what you’re mentioning is not and will not, in fact, be the premise of the series. While Gambit-295 may even think he’s coming to steal Gambit-616’s life, that’ll be shut down fast. And then, for him, the question becomes—what next? But I wouldn’t worry about this being a story about Gambit-295 successfully assuming his counterpart’s life in disguise—he might want that, but wanting isn’t getting.

Gambit: Gone follows Gambit-616, the Gambit we know and love from the main Marvel Universe, as he ventures to Earth-295, home to the Age of Apocalypse, to repay a debt he never thought he’d get a chance to repay. The true motivation for Gambit-616 hopping realities is tied to the worst moment of his life—a moment that never occurred on Earth-295 due to Apocalypse’s rule. Gambit ventures to the Age of Apocalypse to polish his soul and make amends at any cost… in a world where the Mutant Massacre never happened. And Gambit-295? He’s come to the main Marvel Universe to shoot his shot with Rogue, yes. And he vows to undertake one of the Thieves Guild’s great impossible heists—to prove himself and to find a way home—even if it costs him his soul.

AIPT: Thanks for clarifying, Steve. Now, X-Fan Evelyn wants to know what themes you’re hoping to explore in Gambit: Goneto distinguish it from the other current Gambit-focused books, such as Uncanny X-Men and Gambit: Wanted.

Steve: That’s an easy one! We’ll have a very different flavor than those books—Uncanny X-Men has been leaning very excitingly into horror and the supernatural. Gambit: Wanted is giving us a summer movie blockbuster—high action and deadly stakes as Gambit duels Bullseye. Gambit: Gone has the action of Wanted, it has the big new ideas of Uncanny, but this is, at the end of the day, a caper book—it’s a heist! And it’s one that can only be told in the Marvel Universe.

AIPT: X-Fan Vit is very excited for this limited series and is curious to learn how different both Gambits are for you, from a writing point of view. Also, which is more fun to write?

Steve: In a way, I think a comparison for this series is Mortal Kombat 11—what do I mean? There, we got a chance to see the modern, more-developed cast go face to face with the people they were in the first game, before any of their progress as characters. Now, Gambit-295 isn’t a day one character in that way. But for all the progress Gambit-616 has made as a person, for the more balanced person he’s become, Gambit-295 has missed out. He’s spent a life at war—and he’s been changed. I would say the events of their lives have left the two Gambits more different than either of them think—and in very important ways. On the surface, they’re similar. But Gambit-616 has learned, over the years, to care, to look beyond himself. The Gambit who survived the Age of Apocalypse has rarely had that luxury.

They each have their moments, for sure—it’s hard to say who’s more fun. Gambit-295 is more cutthroat, and Gambit-616 is more compassionate—both are men you don’t want to cross. But the most fun moments are when one Gambit surprises the other—when they question whether they even know themselves. The difference between them, in this run, has deadly stakes for all involved.

AIPT: X-Fan Duck with a hat wonders if this limited series will also deal with AoA Sabretooth and Wild Child staying behind at the end of X-Men of Apocalypse, or is it focused solely on AoA Gambit?

Steve: For this series, we’ll definitely be focused on the two Gambits. However! I know you’ll be seeing the thread of Creed and Wild Child in another book soon enough. As a big fan of those two and their dynamic, I’m excited to see them causing trouble!

AIPT: Speaking of other characters, we already know that Marrow and the Morlock Tommy will apparently appear (if the cover to Gambit: Gone#3 is to be believed). Can readers expect additional cameos—from both universes?

Steve: They can! The Morlocks play a strong role in Gambit-616’s quest—after the fall of Apocalypse, they’re desperate to start building a new, sustainable life. We’ll see more of the Morlocks, we’ll also see some new debuts to the X-Men roster on Earth-295. I’ve always loved a surprise mutant! And on Earth-616, we’ll also be getting some new character debuts—like the aforementioned Heist Architect—and, of course, appearances by the rest of the Haven House squad.

As to who is going to be guarding that treasure city? He’s someone I’ve written before, with a friend, and was really excited to return to. And of course, some of our obligatory cameos come on four legs.

AIPT: I’d have to imagine getting to play in the Age of Apocalypsesandbox is quite a treat for you (and you did recently write AoA Weapon X in The End: 2099). As a fan, which Age of Apocalypse twist on a classic X-character did you always love the most?

Steve: As far as characters who already exist, I’ve always loved the visual power and simplicity of Cyclops-295—and I think, like anyone who came up reading the original as it came out on shelves, I love Morph-295. But I think the most interesting are some of the biggest—people like Magneto and Rogue, who have so clearly been profoundly changed by the war on Apocalypse and the loss they’ve endured. And as a small beat, I enjoy the marriage of Storm and Quicksilver.

But we also got to introduce some new twists as well, which was a blast in and of itself!

AIPT: What would Age of ApocalypseSteve Orlando be like?

Steve: Oh, dear reader, the Age of Apocalypse Steve Orlando would likely already be fertilizer. But if he wasn’t, he’d probably be in hiding in some sea shack, smoking a cigar and rolling the dice on whether the fish he’s pulling out of the irradiated ocean are going to give him superpowers.

AIPT: Finally, Two Gambits call for two artists with their own unique styles. How has it been collaborating with Edoardo Aoudino and Gerardo Sandoval, and what can readers expect from Gambit: Gone’s visuals?

Steve: Right off the bat, it was great to hear that Gerardo would be joining us—we worked together on Extreme Carnage, and it’s hard to think of someone better suited for the type of muscular, bold storytelling you need for the Age of Apocalypse. Nobody does it better than Gerardo!

And then, while I’d never worked with Edoardo before—I knew his work. And I knew the second I saw a bio-energy sentinel looming over Haven House on page one that Edoardo was the perfect fit for our main Earth-616 story—he brings the power, he brings the elegance, and he brings the artful strangeness like no other!

AIPT: And we’re about to get a good look at Edoardo’s artwork in a bit. But first, Steve, thanks for stopping by X-Men Monday!

Remember, X-Fans, Gambit: Gone #1 goes on sale September 23, 2026. Here’s the eXclusive lettered preview, courtesy of our friends at Marvel illustrated and inked by Edoardo Aoudino and Gerardo Sandoval, colored by Federico Blee, and lettered by VC’s Ariana Maher