# Nightcrawler VS Gambit **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 17, 2015, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightcrawler-vs-gambit/737810 "2015-11-17T18:02:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dante\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@Dante\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante_G)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightcrawler-vs-gambit/737810/21 "2015-11-18T12:11:17Z")
Thank you Blake, for saying everything I was about to say in waaaay better words. I agree, some people think of Gambit as just a guy with an accent that can blow stuff up. There’s a lot more to it than that. I’ll admit I am a big Gambit fan, but I am also a Nightcrawler fan as well. They are 2 of my favorite X-Men. Speaking on that note of them being X-Men, don’t we also have to consider the fact that these two guys know each other pretty well. They would know how each know how the other one fights, having been on the same team for years. I personally think this is a fight that could potentially end in a stalemate. It could boil down to just 2 guys trying to hit each other and not quite getting it done. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightcrawler-vs-gambit/737810/22 "2015-11-18T16:04:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Blake** : > > Of course when the comics say “potential energy” they don’t mean what a physicist means. They means something akin to nuclear energy that is dependent solely on the object’s mass, not its position. That’s actually exactly what a physicist means (I know, a comic book got the physics right, don’t hold your breath waiting for it to happen again). Potential energy, if the word means anything at all, _is_ mass, and the portion of it that depends on macroscopic position is negligible. Now, most of it is very difficult for us to make use of, but then, that’s presumably where Gambit’s power comes in. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightcrawler-vs-gambit/737810/23 "2015-11-18T16:11:15Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Gambit might outthink Nightcrawler. > > “Okay, I know he’s gonna ‘port right behind me…so that’s where I’m ready for him wit’ de combat staff…” > > Not likely, but it’s his only chance. Otherwise, Nightcrawler uses superior mobility and agility, and wins, probably quickly. Actually, back in the Claremont/Byrne days, Cyclops did this to him more than once in training situations. Kurt had a tendency to teleport to right above an enemy and drop onto them. So Cyclops just aimed his optic beams straight up and blasted him as he materialized. He even said, “How many times have I told you to stop being so predictable?” ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightcrawler-vs-gambit/737810/24 "2015-11-18T16:20:09Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Nightcrawler gets a Did Not Finish. If you have teleportation and someone is trying to put the smackdown on you, why the hell would you stick around? There’s always the chance of screwing up and teleporting into a cloud of exploding playing cards. Just zap on home, Netflix and chill. Or, alternatively, zap on home, grab a couple of containers of tear gas from the pantry, zap back, drop containers, then Netflix and chill. He could also zap both him and Gambit back to his home and they could Netflix and chill together. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightcrawler-vs-gambit/737810/25 "2015-11-18T17:29:33Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > Not sure about converting the kinetic energy from teleporting or falling. > > Firstly, Gambit’s powers convert “potential energy” into static charge or kinetic energy. He has never been demonstrated to be able to convert kinetic energy into anything AFAIK. If he could then he could go toe-to-toe with hulk by converting all the punches into static charge and firing them straight back. Of course when the comics say “potential energy” they don’t mean what a physicist means. They means something akin to nuclear energy that is dependent solely on the object’s mass, not its position. > > Secondly, the larger the mass he works with, the longer it takes to charge. He can charge a card instantly, he can charge his staff in about 10 seconds. He can charge an entire dumpster, but he has to hide behind it for a few minutes. Based on that, he would need at least a minute to charge the human body. Not useful against most falls. > > But I agree with the rest of what you say.[Gambit’s ability to tap kinetic energy also grants him incredible superhuman physical attributes (strength, speed, reflexes and reactions, agility, flexibility, dexterity, coordination, balance, and endurance), as his body constantly generates bio-kinetic energy and so is perfectly constructed for constant motion. This gives him an added edge that he has used to his advantage by developing a unique acrobatic fighting style.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gambit_%28comics%29#Powers_and_abilities) > > So it’s not clear that Nightcrawler would be faster or more acrobatic than Gambit in a straight up fight, and with Gambit literally in constant motion it isn’t even clear that Kurt could teleport to him. Near him, sure, but he would need a moment to reevalute when he arrived, and that moment could be crucial. > > Gambit also “the ability to create static, because of the charged potential energy always in his body… the shield has the added effect of destabilizing touch-based abilities”. Since NCs teleport is a touch based ability, it shouldn’t would work on Gambit, or at least it shouldn’t work properly. > > I’m not seeing this fight as nearly as one sided as some seem to think. The two seem pretty equally matched in terms of acrobatics, agility, combat training etc. Gambit has the edge in terms of armour and innate ability to absorb damage as well as having much more powerful attack ability (his fully charged staff can floor the Thing temporarily). Nightcrawler has an edge because he can dictate the terms of the fight and he has excellent evasion abilities. I don’t think NC will be able to effectively grab an teleport Gambit and it’s arguable if he will be able to teleport into immediate attack position against a character that is canonically in constant motion while he is fighting. Gambit’s armour will make sword attacks far less effective. > > It’s a really interesting match. Yes, thank you Blake. Gambit is way more formidable than people give him credit for. [http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr\_lrihkmm5f01qmavteo1\_500.jpg](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lrihkmm5f01qmavteo1_500.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightcrawler-vs-gambit/737810/26 "2015-11-18T18:50:00Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > He could also zap both him and Gambit back to his home and they could Netflix and chill together. I would read this fic. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightcrawler-vs-gambit/737810/27 "2015-11-18T19:06:34Z")
I presume that in the next frame, Gambit’s staff is about three feet shorter, with a bunch of scraps of wood lying around on the floor? ---
**Author:** ![Dante\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@Dante\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante_G)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightcrawler-vs-gambit/737810/28 "2015-11-18T19:14:43Z")
Maybe … if his staff was made of wood. If I recall, it’s a special collapsible metal staff. Granted, Logan could still slice up the metal, but Remy could probably retract the staff back away before Logan swung his claws. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightcrawler-vs-gambit/737810/29 "2015-11-18T19:22:22Z")
This is one of those fights whose outcome is entirely a function of who decides to throw down first. Each character knows the other’s capabilities. Neither is invulnerable. Nightcrawler gets pissed at Gambit for fucking over his foster sister one time too many: He teleports behind the Cajun, grabs him, and breaks his neck, or stabs him through the heart, or whatever. Remy goes to the dark side and decides to take down Kurt before any realizes: he charges up a card, slips it into Kurts pocket, walks off. Nightcrawler still has the edge; if he notices the card in time to ditch it, Gambit’s toast. Gambit still dies. Wolverine will slice him to bits when he finds out what happened; Colossus will stomp him. And Storm … I don’t like to think about it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightcrawler-vs-gambit/737810.md?page=1)