X-Men (2nd series) #33

Issue Date: 
June 1994
Story Title: 
The Hearts of Thieves
Staff: 

Fabian Nicieza (writer), Andy Kubert (penciler), Matt Ryan (inkers), Digital Chameleon (colorist), Bill Oakley (letterer), Bob Harras (editor), Tom DeFalco (editor in chief)

Brief Description: 

Rogue requests that Creed tells her about Gambit's time in Paris. He does as she says, using his image inducer she portrays holograms of Gambit and a woman he once knew named Genevieve. Creed was employed to steal back an item named the Cheating Star from Genevieve. While threatening her for the return of the jewel, Gambit arrived on the scene and saved the damsel in distress. After weeks of passionate days, Gambit breaks Genevieve’s heart by stealing the Cheating Star for herself and revealing that it was the jewel he was only after, not her. Going to his apartment to meet his brother, Henri, he is shocked to find his brother missing. Following a note left by Henri's kidnapper, he goes to Notre Dame, where he finds Sabretooth waiting. Creed has captured Genevieve and Henri and holds their lives in ransom for the jewel. Gambit returns the jewel to Creed but Creed drops Genevieve and Henri, leaving only one of them for Gambit to save. Making his choice, he chooses Henri and leaves Genevieve to die. Back at the mansion, Hank McCoy ponders their next move and hopes that he can find a cure for the Legacy Virus. Elsewhere, on the grounds of Xavier's estate, Gambit meets up with Rogue after finding that Creed and Rogue had talked. Rogue acts hurt and wonders if Gambit really knows what love means. He tells her that he needs her to help him find out if he truly does. Rogue leaves, saddened by the things she has learned today, and Gambit does not follow. Back in the mansion, Hank McCoy tells Creed to prepare for a debriefing tomorrow, because he is going to tell them all he knows about Mr. Sinister.

Full Summary: 

Sabretooth and Rogue converse about their recent meeting and his revelation to her about knowing Gambit from a past encounter. She tells him that she wants him to tell her about Paris and he agrees to do so.

Creed’s memories of Paris:

Gambit hurdles through the night sky, when he suddenly hears the screams of a young woman. Gambit is the age of seventeen and looking to prove himself to the Guild. Arriving on the scene, Gambit sees a large, monstrous-looking attacker trying to scare a young French woman. Gambit swings in and quickly knocks the attacker down to the ground. The attacker is Sabretooth.

Speaking in French, Gambit tells Creed that he cannot allow a woman in distress to come to harm. Creed, showing his teeth, tells Remy that he doesn’t speak French, but they shouldn’t need a translator to know that he is a young Romeo and this damsel must be his Juliet. He tells Gambit that he won’t end up with any points with the damsel if he’s dead and buried. Gambit states, in English, that his French stinks but, if he truly wants to know, he has never laid eyes upon this woman before. Gambit goes on to say that it is just the fact he can’t stand for a lovely lady to be accosted by such a foul individual.

Creed tells Gambit to get his Pogo stick out of his face. He tells Remy that he was hired to retrieve a stolen jewel from this lady. Remy informs Creed that he has respect for a poor person that robs from the rich, especially someone that is rich enough to hire a thug like him. Holding the King of Clubs in his hand, he charges it with his kinetic energy. Remy tells Creed that he may have the fangs, but he’s got the bite. With a flick of his wrist, he hurls the projectile into a wall behind the villain. Creed tells him that he recognizes him as a member of the Thieves Guild and he must be a long way from New Orleans. Remy tells him that he has never met a person like him in New Orleans or anywhere else for that matter. With that said, Creed sulks off into the nearby alleyway and tells Remy that he has won round one.

Back in the Present:

Rogue stands outside of Creed’s cell and watches his memories on a device that Hank and Charles built for him that acts like a VCR, which plays his memories in hologram form. Rogue asks him to continue, but Creed stops and teases her about how Gambit is only there to try and steal the pendant that she had stolen from her former lover and his employer. Rogue asks Creed why he just didn’t gut Gambit where he stood, because isn’t that his style? He tells her that seeing Gambit’s hand glow was his one surprise trick and, since he no longer held any surprises, the next meeting would be more pleasant. Creed removes the memory-image inducer from his forehead and explains the use of this device for his so-called “therapy.” Creed asks Rogue if she wants to try out the memory-image inducer, she says no. She demands that Creed continue along with their conversation. With a look of determination in her eye, she demands once more for him to continue on. With a tease, Creed tells her yes ma’am.

Creed's memories:

Creed goes on to say that he followed Remy to Paris restaurant. After arriving, he meets up with his relative, Henri LeBeau. Gambit tells Henri that he saved the damsel in distress. Henri reminds Gambit that this is not a game. He tells him that his adoption does not automatically put him into the Thieves Guild. Henri reaches into a bag and pulls out of a picture of a man named Martin Herzog. He also pulls out a picture of the woman that Gambit saved earlier; who was apparently sleeping with Martin; her name is Genevieve Darceneaux.

Henri tells Gambit the she still a very valuable pendant from Herzog the name of the pendant is the Cheating Star. Henri tells Gambit, as he smokes on a cigarette, that, in order for him to enter the Thieves Guild, he must steal the pendant for them. Gambit tells Henri that the pendant was dangling from her fingertips but he has not yet been invited into her boudoir. Henri calls Gambit a foolish child and asks if he is going to have her fall in love with him. Gambit tells Henri that it is four months away from his 18th birthday, where he is to marry a woman he does not know. She asks Henri to allow him some fun while he can. Outside the restaurant, Sabretooth stands a top the nearby rooftop and watches Henri leave the restaurant.

On the streets of Paris, Gambit and Genevieve run arm-in-arm through the city square. Genevieve holds a bottle of wine and Gambit races with a bag of cheese and a loaf of bread in his hand. Genevieve cries that she cannot keep up with him and calls him a scoundrel. She asks Gambit why he stole the baguette and wine when she could have easily paid for it. He tells her that he thought she would understand; because why should you pay for something when you can as easily steal it. She tells him that his smile might work wonders for American girls but it does nothing from French girl who needs a corkscrew. With a smirk on his face, he kinetically charges the corkscrew and she watches as the corkscrew pops. Suddenly, the bottle shatters and wine goes all over the two of them.

Laughing and soaked by wine she tells him that her blouse is ruined and so is the wine. Gambit leans over to kiss her and says that they can always get a new bottle of wine and the shirt they can deal with that one later. In the shadows of the trees above the two seemingly love stricken friends, a predator watches and waits. Sabretooth now knows that Gambit's powers are not fully under his control and, with that thought, he takes comfort.

Back in the Present:

In the mansion of Xavier's, Jubilee, one of the youngest members, prepares herself for a day of TV watching and snacking. Suddenly, a voice is heard from above and Jubilee, scared to death, flings her books and snacks into the air. She looks up to notice the Beast, hanging from the ceiling, and asks him what he is doing there. He says he's pondering the Blue team’s next move. She asks him to speak English and he explains that, in order for them to find a cure for the Legacy Virus, they're going to have to infiltrate Sinister’s lair. Hank goes on to say that it might be dubious of them to enlist the help of the resident tooth monger, Sabretooth. Speaking of him, in his cell, Rogue sits on a nearby bed and holds her head away from the visions that Creed conjures up on his image inducer. Creed tells Rogue that he just set back and watched the two supposed lovers and knew that, in the end, Gambit would break her heart.

Creed’s Memories:

In the office of Martin Herzog, Herzog tells creed that he would've left his wife for Genevieve. Creed, smoking a cigarette, tells Herzog that he is a sap. Creed goes on to say that anyone trying to get involved with a frail only gets hurt. Martin Herzog, becoming disturbed, tells Creed that he did not hire him for his philosophical beliefs, but he hired him to get the job done. Creed puts his cigarette out on a picture of Martin and Genevieve and tells him that some people think cheating on a wife is vile.

Somewhere in Paris, Gambit and Genevieve look at a recent picture they took together. Gambit states that the two of them make a great a couple. Genevieve tells Gambit that last two weeks have been wonderful. Wrapping his arms around her, he listens as she reveals the she has hurt people in the past. She goes on to say that she has even stolen from them before; looking into Gambit’s eyes, she swears never to hurt him. Was a passionate embrace, he tells her that he will never hurt her as well. After a night of romantic bliss, Genevieve wakes up alone. Not completely alone, though, because Sabretooth is in her room and he tells her that Romeo has split. He goes on to say that he took the pendant with him.

Gambit went back to the apartment he was sharing with his brother, Henri. “Bonjour Henri,” he states as he walks in, but no reply is given. A note on the table leaves a clue where Henri may be.

In Paris, namely at Notre Dame, Gambit looks up to see both his brother and Genevieve tied together. Sabretooth stands high, holding two strings. One string is tied to Genevieve, the other to Henri. Gambit asks why he would threaten somebody's life for a piece of jewelry. Sabretooth tells Gambit that he is in the big leagues now and should get used to more pain. He tells Gambit to toss him the pendant but, since he will have to let his captives go, he will only have time to save one life. Gambit tells Creed that he is insane and shouldn’t go through with his plans. With that said, Gambit tosses the pendant at Creed’s feet.

Sabretooth knows in his heart that Gambit is scared. Sweating bullets Gambit waits. Creed lets go of the ropes and Gambit makes his choice: he chooses his brother. Sabretooth laughs as he carries the pendant away. Freeing Henri and running to the ground below, he hears Genevieve’s last words telling him that she loved him and she would have given him the pendant if only he’d asked. Gambit lays on the now dead Genevieve and holds her tight to his body.

Back at the Mansion:

Rogue stands on the pier on Xavier’s Estate and Gambit comes out to meet her. Leaning against one of the pier’s posts, Gambit states that he knows she went to talk to Creed about Paris. She asks him what difference does it make, because she is in love with him. When he tries to embrace her, she backs away, saying that Gambit does not know what love means. Gambit tells Rogue that with Genevieve was a long time ago and he is a different man now. Rogue begins to walk away and asks Gambit what kind of a man he is today. Gambit tells Rogue that is what he wants her to help him find out.

Back in Creed’s cell, Hank McCoy comes to call on Creed. Sabretooth tells Creed that he is using the image inducer just like he had prescribed. Hank asks Creed to be lucid in the morning, for a debriefing at ten. Creed teases Hank that he is not an Avenger and wonders what makes Hank think he'll give in. Hank tells Creed that it seems Creed is getting tired of fighting the world. With that said, Hank leaves telling Creed he’ll see him tomorrow.

As Hank leaves, a picture of a young woman holding a baby appears on Creed's image inducer. Sabretooth thinks to himself about the woman named Leni Zauber and the child she holds named Graydon Creed and anger wells up inside him.

Characters Involved: 

Beast, Gambit, Jubilee, Rogue (all X-Men)

Creed’s Memories:

Sabretooth

Gambit

Genevieve Darceneaux

Graydon Creed (as a baby)

Henri LeBeau

Leni Zauber

Martin Herzog

Residents of Paris

Wolverine

Story Notes: 
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