Bella Donna (comics)

Bella Donna Boudreaux is the name of a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is commonly associated with the X-Man Gambit. She first appeared in X-Men vol. 2 #8, and was created by Jim Lee and Scott Lobdell.[1]

Bella Donna
Bella Donna Boudreaux with Gambit.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceX-Men vol. 2 #8 (May, 1992)
Created byJim Lee
Scott Lobdell
In-story information
Alter egoBella Donna Boudreaux
SpeciesHuman Mutant
Team affiliationsUnited Guilds
Assassins' Guild
AbilitiesAstral projection,
Plasma blasts

Publication history

Belladonna plays a major role in the first Rogue mini-series.

Fictional character biography

Young street-thief Remy LeBeau met Bella Donna Boudreaux when they were only children, and the pair soon became friends. Unbeknownst to them both, they came from rival Guilds (those of Thieves and Assassins, respectively). As they grew up and the rivalry between the Guilds increased, their fathers arranged for a marriage between the two in the hopes that it would unite the Guilds. Immediately after the wedding, Bella Donna's brother, Julien, lashed out in jealousy and challenged Remy in a fight to the death. Remy won, killing Julien, and as punishment, he was exiled from New Orleans. Choosing to make his own choices in life from that point on, he abandoned Bella Donna.[2]

A few years later, Bella Donna sought out Gambit to help fend off the Brood, who were attacking the Guilds. Having persuaded Gambit and the X-Men to come back to New Orleans, they battled the new enemy with the aid of Dan Ketch, the second Ghost Rider.[3] Using her new psychic powers, Bella Donna followed Psylocke into the astral plane and expended her energy, before collapsing in Gambit's arms. Believing her dead, he told the Thieves Guild to take care of her, and went off for revenge against the Brood.[4]

As it happened, Bella Donna was not actually dead, but merely in a coma. Gambit risked his life to bring her Candra's Elixir of Life. In the meantime, although she was catatonic, she accidentally touched Rogue and lost her memories. She woke up without any recollection of who she was, or who Remy was, and was taken away by her father.[5]

Bella Donna's memory slowly returned, and she felt as if her soul had been violated. Enraged and manipulated by Candra, she had Rogue's comatose old boyfriend Cody kidnapped.[6] This led to Rogue trying to rescue Cody in Louisiana. Eventually, Cody loses his life in the fight between Rogue and Candra.[7]

Gambit returned again to New Orleans, ignorant to the multiple hits put up against him in the meantime. Bella Donna herself had taken one of the contracts, though she had no intention of killing him. Instead, she arranged it so that she could meet with him and sort out the conflicting emotions she had about him. After he was elected Viceroy of the Unified Guilds of New Orleans he passed power on to her, and returned to the X-Men. She now rules in his absence, still in love with him.

She briefly entered a relationship with Bandit, a former New Warriors member, eerily reminiscent of Gambit, but Gambit subsequently revealed he was manipulating her.

It has yet to be revealed whether Bella Donna has retained her mutant powers after the events of M-Day.

Bella Donna reappeared, still leading the Assassin's Guild. She dispatches a group of super-villain assassins after Domino.

Much later, she clashes with Kaine who takes on the Scarlet Spider identity.

After hearing of Remy and Anna-Marie's wedding, Bella paid her ex-fiance a quick visit at the newlywed's humble abode right when the Thieves Guild comes crashing into it. Gambit's old flame came to warn him that none in the guilds are all too happy with whom he married and now his subordinates are gunning for both his crown and his head.[8] She would opt to keep the sharks in her den off of his back as long as she could, but could make no guarantees due to their rival sects history before bidding farewell.

Ms. Bordeaux would next turn up in the service of Candra once more as she proposed to unite the Thieves & Assassins Guilds in wake of Nate Grey's devastation of the X-Men and the mutant population. But found herself on the receiving end of her reborn patron's treachery once again when the External offered a choice between her and Rogue as a sacrifice in exchange for power or exile. Gambit would choose neither however and instead opted to free his new wife while working out a new deal between his clan and their mortal enemies while putting his adopted father; Jean-Luc LeBeau in as a regent whom oversees and reports back to him while returning leadership of the assassins back to Bella Donna. Who escorts the scheming patron of her clansmen away while joking of sending the now infantile manipulator to school if she does not behave.[9]

In other media
  • Bella Donna appears in the X-Men animated series, first as an image from Gambit's past in season 1, and fully in the episode "X-Ternally Yours", where she blackmails Gambit to come to her.
  • Bella Donna was slated to appear in the film Gambit,[10] portrayed by Lizzy Caplan, but was cancelled following Disney's buyout of 20th Century Fox.[11]
gollark: Except they can't become sick if lots of people look at them.
gollark: I suspect that Tj09 will basically just retune sickness slightly then say "it's your fault, pay more attention".
gollark: Ambition1, destroyer of worlds.
gollark: You have to input *all* your eggs then take some out!
gollark: It's annoying, I agree.

References
  1. DeFalco, Tom; Sanderson, Peter; Brevoort, Tom; Teitelbaum, Michael; Wallace, Daniel; Darling, Andrew; Forbeck, Matt; Cowsill, Alan; Bray, Adam (2019). The Marvel Encyclopedia. DK Publishing. p. 47. ISBN 978-1-4654-7890-0.
  2. X-Men Origins: Gambit #1
  3. Ghost Rider Vol. 2 #26-27
  4. X-Men Vol. 2 #8-9
  5. Gambit (1993) #1-4
  6. Rogue #1
  7. Rogue #2-4
  8. Mr. & Mrs. X Vol 1 #6
  9. Mr. & Mrs. X Vol 1 #11
  10. Fleming Jr., Mike (August 6, 2015). "Rebecca Ferguson, Lea Seydoux, Abbey Lee On 'Gambit' Short List". Deadline.
  11. ""Gambit" Movie Updates". Sneak Peek. April 28, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
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