This is "Just a Reminder," when I look back at comic book history whenever I think there's something worthwhile to look back at on in connection with things going on today.

Today, it is a discussion about the bizarre attempt to term Gambit's first comic book appearance a "cameo."

The other day, I did a Might Be Spoiling Me Too Much feature on the first appearance of Gambit, which was not in Uncanny X-Men #266...

but rather came out a few weeks earlier in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 (in a story by Chris Claremont, Arthur Adams, Dan Green and a bunch of other inkers)....

It almost certainly was a case where, since the Annual did not have a date on it and the annual was specifically set AFTER Gambit's first appearance in Uncanny X-Men #266, people just came to treat Uncanny X-Men #266 as Gambit's first appearance.

And really, it's not some big deal. However, a reader wrote in to me to explain to me that the collecting community is well aware that Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 came first, but that it is deemed a "cameo" appearance and not Gambit's "full" first appearance.

I don't have a problem with the idea of distinguishing cameo first appearances from "full" first appearances.

For instance, Wolverine appears in the final panel of Incredible Hulk #180...

but we all treat Incredible Hulk #181 as Wolverine's first appearance...

Because, of course, it was just a single panel appearance in Incredible Hulk #180. So fine, I have no issue with calling that a "cameo" appearance.

Heck, there are madmen who try to claim that the AD for Incredible Hulk #181 should count as Wolverine's first appearance...

So yeah, I'm fine with saying, "Nope, those don't count."

However, Gambit's appearance in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 is plainly NOT a cameo appearance.

See when he first shows up in the issue. He is named, he has dialogue, it's an entire scene...

Gambit then appears in EIGHT other pages in the comic!

It is true that he only has a little more dialogue in the rest of the issue...

And his other appearances are background bits...

But come on, he's in a full scene, he gets named, he has dialogue, he's in TEN PAGES in the comic book. To call that a "cameo" is absurd.

What I think happened is that Gambit's first appearance in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 was initially overlooked. During 1991, when the comic book speculation boom, well, you know, boomed, Uncanny X-Men #266 was featured prominently. It became a very collectible comic book back in that 1991-1993 era (it is today, as well, but 1991-93 was when there was a proliferation of comic book price guides and collectible stuff like that). Thus, when people eventually figured out that Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 was Gambit's ACTUAL first appearance, there had to be some sort of explanation given so that Uncanny X-Men #266 would retain its position as the first appearance of Gambit.

And so the "Cameo" fiction was invented.

Again, this is not some big deal, but since a reader wrote to me about it, I figured I'd address it. Gambit's appearance in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 is no cameo.