Posted in: Comics, Marvel Comics | Tagged: bob quinn, chris claremont, Comics, gambit, Knights Of X, marvel, Sid Kotian, Tini Howard, x-men

Who Will Die in Knights of X #3 and Why Will It Be Gambit?

This June, Marvel will kill off a character in Knights of X #3, by Tini Howard and Bob Quinn. The recently-revealed solicit tells us, "Their quest required ten knights to begin, but no one said anything about the end. A knight dies here – and the hateful quest goes on." In the Krakoan era, death in comics means even less than it did before, but in the case of the Knights of X, who are fighting in Otherworld, it isn't as simple as just booting up a new clone, since the mind will come back wrong. So, whichever knight kicks the bucket in Knights of X #3 is probably going to have a more prolonged absence or more profound experience. But who will it be? Circumstantial evidence and a desire to produce a very clickable headline point to everybody's favorite morally ambiguous, simp-worthy Cajun thief: Gambit.

For one thing, Gambit is pictured on the cover of the book that will contain the death, which could either be an indication that he's the one who will die. It could be misdirection too. But more importantly, Gambit will be the star of a new ongoing series by Chris Claremont and Sid Kotian, a series set in the past, after he meets young Storm, but before he joins the X-Men. It's easy to see how the Marvel brain trust could find it somehow neater to kill off the current version of Gambit while Claremont, with whom Marvel has had a weird, frenemy-type working relationship over the past decade, is writing one set in the past.

There's a lot of potential motive for that. Maybe Marvel bean counters have run the numbers and decided there is only enough fan support for exactly one comic starring Gambit at a time. Maybe whatever reluctance has prevented them from giving Claremont more than one-off stories and anthology spots in recent years makes them wary of letting him write a current, living X-person. Maybe there's a storyline reason that connects the two series and requires Gambit's temporary absence from the current Krakoan status quo. Maybe we used a complex computer algorithm to determine which cast member's speculated death would garner the most clicks if we wrote a clickbait article about it and then looked for reasons to fit our predetermined narrative.

Another reason Marvel could choose Gambit to kill off is that they may consider Gambit too sexy to be married. Just look what Marvel did to Spider-Man when they could no longer tolerate him being tied down with Mary Jane. And yes, Marvel does let some characters stay married for a long time. Reed and Sue are the obvious examples, though they've always had that mom and dad energy. If you're the type of fan imagining having a romantic relationship with a fictional character, it's either not going to be Reed or Sue, or the marriage is part of what makes it naughty. Another married couple with more simping possibility is Northstar and Kyle, but it would be bad optics to undo a marriage you announced on The View. And as for Luke and Jessica, well, once two characters share a certain bond…

So if Marvel is indeed feeling the need to undo a marriage, Rogue and Gambit would be a very attractive target. There's just something about the accents.

All of this is to say that, while there's no direct evidence or backstage gossip indicating Gambit will be the one to die in Knights of X #3, it feels like a good fit for it to be Gambit. Again, this is all in the realm of wild, even conspiratorial speculation. Maybe Marvel is actually going to kill off Bei the Blood Moon. So don't blame us if we got it totally wrong. If we got it right though, well: you read it here first.

KNIGHTS OF X #3
Written by TINI HOWARD
Art by BOB QUINN
Cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
On Sale 6/22

Mutantkind's great Otherworld quest is in jeopardy in Tini Howard and Bob Quinn's KNIGHTS OF X #3. Gambit and his team gain a momentary victory over the Furies in Crooked Market, but as the group is hit by another wave of attacks by Merlyn's army, Rachel Summers' connection with Captain Britain is severed before she can call in reinforcements. In Sevalith, the Captain and her team face off against blood thirsty vampires as they seek out a lethal potential ally. Their quest required ten knights to begin, but no one said anything about the end. A knight dies here – and the hateful quest goes on.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!