I'm not X-23. I'm not your experiment. I'm not your **** property! You are the last person who will ever think they can own me. No one owns me! I'm not a thing. I'm Laura Kinney! I'm the daughter of Sarah. I'm the daughter of Logan. I'm Wolverine!!! 
- —Laura Kinney[src]
History
See also: Laura Kinney (Earth-616)/Expanded History.
Origin
When a top-secret program attempted to recreate the original Weapon X experiment that involved the feral mutant Wolverine, they failed to secure a test subject who could survive the bonding process of the virtually unbreakable metal Adamantium to their skeleton. Seeking to take the project in a new direction, the project's director, Doctor Martin Sutter, recruited renowned mutant geneticist Doctor Sarah Kinney and tasked her with creating a clone.[8]
X-23
Using the only available genetic sample from Weapon X, which was damaged, they were unable to salvage the Y chromosome after twenty-two attempts. Kinney proposed they create a female clone, and though her request was initially denied, she still went ahead and produced a viable female subject, prompting Sutter to reconsider. Despite resistance from his protégé Doctor Zander Rice, whom Sutter had raised after Rice's father had been killed by a bestial Wolverine at the original Weapon X Project, Sutter allowed Kinney to proceed. As revenge for her insubordination, Rice forced Kinney to act as the surrogate mother for the clone, and she gave birth to "X-23".[9]
Training
.jpg){kind=link}
Seven years later, raised in captivity X-23 was trained to be a weapon. Kinney did her best to ensure the child retained some semblance of humanity, but her efforts appeared to be in vain. After seven years, Rice had X-23 subjected to radiation poisoning in order to accelerate the activation of her mutant gene, and forcibly extracted her claws and coated them with Adamantium. After Rice realized the child was growing soft, he blamed her sensei, one of the few people who treated her with kindness, and tested a chemical compound called "trigger scent" on him. The "trigger scent" causes Laura to kill mercilessly anything in her path, and thus she murdered her best friend. Rice already had a replacement in the wings, a woman named Kimura. Kimura was harsh and strictly punished X-23 for the death of her sensei.[10]
First Mission
Three years later, X-23 was sent on her first field mission to kill Presidential candidate Greg Johnson. She was assigned the mission as somewhat of an "advertising" ploy. Numerous other missions followed, as X-23's services were sold to the highest bidder. She was left emotionally stunted as a result. Her missions took her to locations all over the world, including Saudi Arabia, Las Vegas, Japan, Colombia, the Congo, and many others. For one mission she was assigned to pose as the Kingpin's niece and kill the ones who had captured her, bringing the head of their leader back. Rice, in an attempt to avenge his father's murder, abandoned X-23 on a particularly dangerous mission with A.I.M., but she survived against overwhelming odds and managed to return to the Facility. After her return to the facility Kimura punished her for not coming back with Rice.[11]
Escape
Sarah Kinney let her out once, not as an attempt to escape but instead to use X-23 to help her find Kinney's niece, Megan, who had been kidnapped. X-23 found and rescued her with ease.[12] Ultimately, Rice persuaded Sutter to hand control of the program over to him, then secretly ordered X-23 to kill Sutter and his family. X-23 was able to kill Sutter and his wife but was unable to kill their son. Instead, she let him live. Later, Rice revealed to Kinney a chamber with dozens of incubation pods containing female clones before he fired her. Before fleeing the Facility with X-23, Kinney gave her one last mission - destroy the pods and kill Rice. However, Rice was able to exact revenge on Kinney from beyond the grave, as he had earlier exposed her to the trigger scent, sending X-23 into a rage that caused her to kill her mother. As she lay dying, Kinney named X-23 "Laura".[13]
X-23 traveled to San Francisco and tracked down Megan and Debbie (her mother's sister). Introducing herself as Sarah's daughter, she moved in with them. Although Megan experienced vivid nightmares of her abduction, her family believed these to be utter fantasies. X-23 informed Megan that the man in her nightmares was indeed real and that she had killed him.[14]
Debbie's boyfriend turned out to be an agent for the Facility who had been instructed to manipulate X-23 into killing Megan and Debbie using the trigger scent.[14] However, the agent fumbled the assignment and was killed by X-23. Facility agents stormed the house, led by Kimura. X-23 managed to get Megan and Debbie to safety by handcuffing Kimura to a radiator and then triggering an explosion in the house, buying some time. After X-23 and Megan parted, X-23 decided to confront the man who made her creation possible -- Wolverine.[15]
X-23 tracked Wolverine to Xavier's mansion and engaged him in a battle, defeating him via tactics and maneuverability. However, she did not kill him. Instead, she told him why she had come. Wolverine revealed that he was aware of X-23's ordeal, having received a detailed letter from her mother. The talk was interrupted when Captain America came to arrest Laura.[16]
Laura teaming-up with Spider-Man
As a captive of S.H.I.E.L.D., Laura was interrogated by Captain America and Matt Murdock. Despite the mayhem in her past, Matt Murdock accepted X-23's innocence. Captain America wanted X-23 to atone for the murders she had committed. However, he ultimately freed X-23 in order to avoid S.H.I.E.L.D.'s exploitation of her as their own weapon.[17]
X-23 surfaced in New York two years later and was found living on the streets by a pimp named Zebra Daddy, who took her in and employed her as a prostitute. [18] X-23 met Kiden Nixon, a young mutant with the ability to freeze time when in danger. Together with Kiden's teacher, they rescued another young mutant, the feral Catiana, from an angry mob. Zebra Daddy tracked X-23 down, but with the aid of her new-found friends and the mutant named Felon, Zebra Daddy's thugs were defeated. X-23 killed him to save the lives of her friends.[19]
X-23 later took a job at the mutant-themed Wannabee's nightclub in the Mutant Town district of New York. It was there that she saved the life of the daughter of mob boss Don Parisi from a gang of thugs, whom she killed. The deaths inadvertently implicated Wolverine, prompting his teammates in the X-Men to investigate. X-23 instinctively attacked Wolverine on sight, but he was eventually able to calm her down. She led the X-Men to Parisi's daughter. After aiding the X-Men against Parisi's super-strong mutant enforcer Geech, X-23 fled the scene.[20] She later returned to help the X-Men save victims of a car accident, after which she was enrolled at the X-Men's Xavier Institute.[21]
X-23 quickly became very protective of Wolverine, attacking his teammate Bishop after he felled Wolverine during a training session. She also took to observing Wolverine on the mansion's security monitors.[22] During one such viewing, an anomalous energy spike prompted X-23 to investigate. Encountering Spider-Man at the source of the signal, X-23 initially mistook him for an enemy and attacked. The pair ultimately teamed up to save the young mutant Paul Patterson from an alternate reality version of the armored Avenger Iron Man (Tony Stark). The arrival of the heroic Captain America and the super-spy Black Widow helped turn the tide. [23]
X-23 secretly followed Wolverine on his investigation of strange activity in the Canadian Rockies. Ambushed by the Hauk'ka, evolved Saurians from the Savage Land, X-23 managed to escape and alert the X-Men. Traveling to the Savage Land, X-23 and the X-Men teamed with the Land's lord Ka-Zar and his circumstantial allies, the Savage Land Mutates, to prevent the Hauk'ka from destroying human civilization by controlling the weather-manipulating X-Man Storm.[24]
X-23 as Captain Universe
Sometime later, X-23 was approached by the cosmic Uni-Power in hopes of making specific use of her healing ability. Although she initially resisted its attempts to bond with her, and she remained reluctant even though it pleaded with her. She ultimately agreed to aid it and became Captain Universe for a brief period of time.[25]
Mercury and X-23
New X-Men
After M-Day, X-23 was one of the few students who hadn't lost their powers. The depowered students and staff were sent home; however their bus was bombed by anti-mutant religious zealot Reverend William Stryker and his Purifiers. Subsequently, Emma Frost had the surviving students engage in an free-for-all brawl, with those deemed to be the best performers assigned to a new team of trainee X-Men. Despite Frost's attempts to omit her, X-23 was among those students who made the grade.[26]
Shortly afterwards, following Stryker's attack on the depowered students, X-23 heard Dust talking to Icarus, who had fled the Mansion. Dust intended to meet Jay, but Laura told her it was a trap. She eventually had to knock out her roommate to keep her safe. Donning Dust's burka X-23 came to Stryker's compound and was shot. After a few minutes spent healing and playing possum, Laura returned to the Mansion to see it being attacked by Purifiers. Laura fought valiantly and helped fend off the intruders.[27]
The kids grew to be more receptive of Laura following her part in stopping Stryker's attack, in which she singlehandedly killed three Purifiers who had incapacitated Surge, Hellion, and Emma Frost. Subsequently, she started to bond with her friends, using her enhanced hearing to find out what happened to Icarus for them, learning that Stryker killed him.[28]
After Surge received a distress call from Forge, X-23 followed the team to Dallas to rescue him from the sentinel Nimrod. At the height of the desperate battle she managed to cut through to the interior of the machine with her claws, allowing the sentinel to be defeated. She was mortally wounded during the battle by Nimrod's energy blasts and was unable to heal herself. In order to save X-23, Hellion supercharged his telekinetic powers (thanks to Emma Frost's telepathic unlocking) in order to rush her back to the Mansion where she was healed by Elixir.[29]
As Hellion recovered his strength, and found that his power levels had been massively enhanced, Laura kept watch over him.[30] Emma confronted Laura, asking her to leave the school because of the trigger scent. Their confrontation was cut short by Cessily coming to Laura's defense. Cessily pursued Laura, the two went out for coffee. However, the cafe was attacked by Kimura and her minions, who had come not to capture Laura, but Cessily.[31] Laura went back to the Xavier Institute where Hellion informed he was going with her to attack against the Facility. The two found a facility hideout where Laura interrogated a man at gun point. Julian was shocked when X-23 shot him in the head upon securing the information she needed. After an encounter with Kimura, the two found Cessily in liquid form, barely able to compose herself. They were attacked by Predators and saved by the combined forces of the X-Men and the New X-Men.[32]
X-23 was among the group of students dragged into Limbo by Belasco who was searching for Illyana Rasputin. Using her enhanced vision, X-23 was able to discern the Xavier Institute through a portal high above. She continually encouraged her fellow students to retaliate alongside her, but Belasco was unaffected by X-23's adamantium claws and easily defeated her. Belasco said that X-23's soul wasn't even worth taking because "it reeks of man's science" and that she wasn't real. Belasco killed X-23, to the horror of her friends Mercury and Dust, only to resurrect and kill her over and over in a painful cycle. X-23 distracted Belasco from a weakened Darkchild, so Three-In-One could attempt to attack him mentally. Finally, Darkchild transported all the X-Men back to the Institute, which had been repaired as if nothing happened.[33]
X-23, along with Mercury, Blindfold, and Armor, was put into an enchanted sleep by Pixie's dust. The five girls were in a stereotypical highschool setting, that is until demons took over. When the spell was lifted, X-23 located and slashed open a pipe as a means of escape from the basement of P.S. 666.[34]
X-23 aided the X-Men in their fight against the Hulk. X-23 managed to knock over the Hulk and tore his eyes out. Eventually his eyes grew back, and he defeated X-23 by throwing her into a wall.[35]
X-23
X-Force
When Cyclops ordered Wolverine to assemble the new X-Force, X-23 was tossed into the mix. As they caught up to Cable, the Reavers attacked, and X-23 attacked Lady Deathstrike, seemingly killing her. At Muir Island, X-Force attacked the Marauders and Predator X. When Predator X swallowed Logan, X-23 became angry and attacked, and Wolverine finally killed it. [36]
During X-Force's raid on a Purifer base, Purifer leader Matthew Risman brought out a captive Wolfsbane at gunpoint. While Wolverine called for the team to stand down, X-23 activated a concealed detonator that set off a series of powerful explosives she had planted earlier without telling her teammates. The explosion brought most of the base down around them but Risman was able to escape with Rahne during the chaos.[37] When X-Force regrouped later, Wolverine admonished Laura for being so reckless with the lives of her teammates and for letting Rahne get kidnapped. During their battle against the Purifiers, X-23 was able to complete her mission from Cyclops by killing Risman.[38]
X-23 in her X-Force uniform.
X-Force was given a mission to capture the Vanisher and get back the Legacy Virus he managed to get his hands on. X-23 went with Archangel and Wolverine to complete the mission, but it ended in failure. When X-23 tried to kill herself due to becoming infected with the Legacy Virus, Elixir stopped her and got rid of the Legacy Virus.[39]
_from_Hulk_Vol_2_15_0001.jpg){kind=link}
Jerk!
Messiah War
X-23 later moved with the X-Men to San Francisco, where they were accepted as heroes by the mayor, having rejected the Fifty State Initiative. X-23 was roomed with Armor and Pixie. Laura left behind a towel covered with blood, which the latter brought to Emma Frost, a sign of the secret X-Force missions X-23 and Cyclops were keeping from Emma and the other X-Men.[40]
X-23 was finally reunited with Kiden Nixon. Sadly this future version of Kiden was hooked up to several machines and was used as a generator in order to create a temporal anomaly that disrupted time travel technology, essentially trapping X-Force (which was lethal for them if they didn't return within 33.5 hours), Cable and Hope in that era. While X-23 agonized over killing Kiden or not (Kiden herself asked for death) the matter was taken out her hands when Domino shot and killed her. X-23, Domino and Proudstar were dispatched back in order to save Boom-Boom, however both Domino and Proudstar fell ill due to the time travel. Feeling grateful for saving her friend and ending her suffering, X-23 disabled the time travel devices on the other two and went back in time in order to save Boom-Boom herself. She arrived just in time to stop the Leper Queen before she could kill Boom Boom out of spite for X-Force not killing her. X-23 then collapsed in exhaustion. H.A.M.M.E.R. then stormed the building, giving medical care, while they took X-23 in for questioning.[41]
She was taken back to the Facility. There Laura was reunited with Kimura, who sawed off her left arm. Agent Morales arrived and helped Laura to escape. The rest of X-Force arrived and took Laura and her severed claws home. Laura was able to regrow her arm, and, at her request, Dr. Nemesis replaced the regrown bone claws with her original adamantium claws.[42]
Finding Herself
After the return of the so-called "Mutant Messiah", Laura began having nightmares of a demonic Wolverine. Cyclops suggests she try volunteering at a nearby halfway house for depowered mutants. Laura blacked out, and found the building burning down around her. She was taken to a hospital, and believed she was responsible for the fire and the deaths of almost all the occupants. Wolverine (currently possessed by a demon) entered and attempted to convince Laura that she has no soul. She stabbed him just as Julian walked in. Following this, Laura decided to leave Utopia to go out and find herself so that she could be more than just a killer. Gambit tracked her down after taking an interest in her, believing that he could help her find herself. [43]
They first encountered Miss Sinister who convinced them to come with her to one of Mr. Sinister's hideouts where she had been taking care of several children that Mr. Sinister experimented on. Miss Sinister betrayed them, however, and revealed that Mr. Sinister has been taking over her body. In order to evade death, Miss Sinister attempted to move her consciousness into X-23's body. The process failed, however, and Gambit triggered the self-destruct sequence and escaped together with X-23.[44] Their next journey took them to Madripoor where they encountered Malcom Colcord who was trying to restart the Weapon X program, as well as Daken, Wolverine's son. Gambit, X-23, and Daken made an uneasy alliance despite Gambits better judgement, and they managed to drive Colcord out.[45]
They found out that Colcord has been developing the trigger scent that drove X-23 into a killing rage and has found a way to make it affect ordinary people. They followed the scent's trace to Paris where they encountered Wolverine and newly turned vampire Jubilee. They all teamed up to locate the scent but failed to find the person running things. X-23 also struck a new friendship with Jubilee. They next traveled to New York where they encountered the Future Foundation. A demon king has escaped from his prison, and due to her previous status as host of the Enigma Force, X-23 was instrumental in re-imprisoning him in a different dimension, saving Valeria Richards in the process and earning the trust of the Future Foundation.[46]
Laura misadventures in babysitting
X-23 was asked to babysit Valeria and her brother by Sue Storm but was pulled into the Collector's space ship together with the kids and Hellion, who had stopped by in order to win Laura back. They managed to defeat the Collector and make their way back but upon returning, Laura broke all ties with Hellion.[47]
Laura and Jubilee turned a girl's night out into stopping a sex trafficking network until they were interrupted by Black Widow and S.H.I.E.L.D. In this moment, X-23 accepted Romanov's offered invitation to join Avengers Academy, feeling that she didn't belong with either X-Men team anymore. X-23 bid farewell to Gambit and Wolverine, who were setting out for Westchester, before she drove off on a motorcycle into the sunrise.[48]
Avengers Academy
After the events of Fear Itself, Laura joined the Avengers Academy. Immediately, she showed off her combat skills to the other Academy students by sparring with Tigra. Reptil, possessed by a future version of himself, made a comment to Hazmat, making her think that Laura was hitting on Mettle.[49] She butt heads with Hazmat for quite some time until she proved herself to truly be on the Avengers' side.[50] She chooses to stay with the Avengers after freeing her former X-Man peers to fight in the Avengers vs X-Men conflict.[51]
Circle of Four
X-23 tracked down to Las Vegas the man who stole her blood, who turned out to be Blackheart. He cloned her and bonded the clones with symbiotes, creating Symbiote Warriors.[52]
Laura then made an alliance with Venom, Red Hulk (who was there chasing Venom) and Ghost Rider (who noticed the presence of Blackheart). Each four of them fought their Antithesis until they were all finally killed. Laura killed the Symbiote Warriors and then she moved to Blackheart who distracted her by telling her since he created her clones he knew if the clones had souls or not and she was herself a clone. Wanting to know if she had a soul or not she stopped, and Blackheart mockingly told her that she was in hell and she was suffering which meant she did have a soul. Then he seemingly killed her by throwing her into lava.[53] In Hell, Mephisto offered the heroes a new chance to live in exchange for defeating Blackheart. While X-23 found Blaze, the other three managed to get the Spirit of Vengeance, which had been trapped by Blackheart, and wanted to get it to Blaze, so he would become Ghost Rider again. During the battle, Red Hulk and Venom were thrown away by Blackheart, Flash gave the symbiote to Red Hulk and it bonded with him as well as the Spirit, thus becoming the new Ghost Rider.[54]
Blackheart was defeated when Ghost Rider used a mirror which created Antitheses, being defeated by his. Meanwhile, X-23 and Flash were trying to help Johnny Blaze to return Hell from the dimensional portal and destroy it. When Las Vegas returned to normal, Red Hulk returned the symbiote to Flash and the Spirit of Vengeance to Alejandra. After the Secret Avengers arrived, X-23 left the scene.[55]
Avengers Arena
X-23 along with 15 other people were kidnapped by Arcade and transported to Murderworld. Arcade forces all 15 people including X-23 to take place in a game of kill all or be killed. Arcade has stated he would only allow 1 of the 16 to live.[56]
The games began after Mettle sacrificed himself for Hazmat. As the groups separate, Laura joined the remaining Avengers Academy students, which included Reptil, Hazmat, and Juston Seyfert. The group were then accidentally attacked by the female Deathlok named Rebecca Ryker who attacked Hazmat as a defense protocol.[57]
X-23 attacking Hazmat.
After a few days, an unknown enemy was attacking the camps. Laura began to investigate the attacks. During the search, Juston disappeared after he was attacked while repairing his Sentinel. Laura soon came into contact with Cammi whom she spared after she discovered Cammi was not the culprit.[58]
Laura, later meeting up with Hazmat and Reptil, encountered the Runaways, Nico and Chase. In exchange for food, the Runaways asked for shelter. The team agreed until Reptil was suddenly hurt by a fire blast, which Laura and her team believed was Chase's doing. The group then banished Nico and Chase while the trio remained together.[59]
As Reptil recovered, he informed X-23 and Hazmat that it wasn't Chase but Deathlocket who attacked him. It wasn't long after that Hazmat stepped on a switch to activate a trigger scent, causing Laura to go feral and attempt to kill her team members. Hazmat and Reptil managed to escape and left Laura on her own. She would later encounter Juston Seyfert once she regained her senses, and see that he was alive but in bad condition.[60]
Once X-23 reunited with Hazmat and Reptil who had encountered Anachronism, Nara, Bloodstone, and Cammi, Hazmat fell into a trap that released more trigger scent. Seemingly unstoppable, X-23 attacked the others until she was momentarily defeated by Bloodstone's monster form. Bloodstone was reverted into human form at the cost of Nara's life. When X-23 recovered, she hunted and nearly killed Hazmat before a grieving Anachronism, seeking revenge for Nara, intervened.[61]
After Arcade was defeated and help arrived, X-23 was last seen being carried off on a stretcher with Wolverine by her side.[62]
All-New X-Men
Following her rescue from Murderworld, Laura somehow ended up wandering the streets of Miami in an amnesiac state, where she was rescued from a Purifier attack by Kitty Pryde and the time-displaced original X-Men.[63] They returned her to Cyclops's base, where she panicked upon awakening inside a Weapon X facility and attempted to flee, the situation being exacerbated by confusion over seeing younger versions of Cylops, Jean, Iceman, Beast, and Angel. The teenaged Scott managed to catch up with her and calm her down. Though still confused, her memories started to return. Jean began to read X-23's mind and learn about her torture, but Kitty warned Jean that this was a mind she should stay out of. Cyclops surprised X-23 with a hug, explaining that it looked like she needed one.[64]
Based on Laura's intelligence the team launched an attack against William Stryker, Jr., which failed catastrophically and the entire team was captured, though upon recognizing them as having come from the past, Stryker refrained from killing them to prevent damage to the timeline. Laura, however, he tortured by showing her the footage from Murderworld that Arcade released to the internet, including prominent imagery of her attacking the other kids in a trigger scent-induced rage. Seeing herself in this state, and the knowledge that the entire world has also seen it, finally broke her control, and when Cyclops broke free and rescued her, she threw herself into his arms for comfort.[65]
After the team returned to base following their escape from the Purifiers, the Shi'ar, having learned that Jean Grey had returned, attacked and took her captive. Laura fought in her defense along with the rest of the team, but was neutralized, and the Shi'ar escaped to put Jean on trial for actions her elder self committed while in possession of the Phoenix Force.[66]
The Guardians of the Galaxy arrived just as the Shi'ar fled,[67] and the teams joined forces to bring her back. The Guardians' ship was attacked by a Shi'ar warship covering the kidnappers' withdrawal, and though Laura intended to join in the defense, Gamora declined her assistance, though praised her courage, leaving her and the rest of the X-Men to sit and wait. The arrival of Corsair and the Starjammers turned the tide of the battle,[68] and the teenaged Scott was stunned and overwhelmed to learn his father was still alive. As he went to digest this in private, Laura followed after him and, after a brief conversation, returned the hug he gave her when they first met, noting that he needed it.[69]
Upon arrival at the Shi'ar homeworld, Quill helped to formulate the plan of attack. X-23, knowing Jean's scent, volunteered to track her. However Gladiator, having anticipated their arrival, met them upon disembarking, and a fight between the combined forces of the X-Men, Shi'ar, and Starjammers against Gladiator's forces began, in which X-23 participated.[70]
Upon returning to Earth, Cyclops chose to remain with his father and left the team, asking Laura to help keep an eye on his friends.[71] Distraught by his leaving, Laura decided to leave the team herself, with only the teenaged Warren realizing she was doing so. She rebuffed his attempt to convince her return, however, and continued on her way. Much to her surprise, she ran into Cyclops, who claimed to have returned. However, this turned out to be a ruse, and with her guard down, the shapeshifter Raze gutted her, before disguising himself as her in turn and infiltrating the X-Men's base.[72]
Laura, nevertheless, survived his attack and hurried back to find the X-Men under attack by the future Brotherhood. Jean used her telepathy to mask Laura's presence, and enabled her to catch Xavier, Jr. off guard, at which point she severely wounded him with her claws, breaking his control over the X-Men and enabling them to fight back.[73] During the conflict it was discovered that Molly Hayes, Deadpool and Beast had been mentally controlled by Xavier, and that Xorn no longer existed. While Laura fought Raze to a standstill, Xavier attempted to flee, only to be captured.[citation needed]
In the aftermath of the battle, Warren asked Laura on a date to unwind, to which she reluctantly agreed.[74] Their first date led to a deeper relationship between Angel and X-23.[75]
All-New Wolverine
After Logan's demise, the news eventually reached Laura. Angry and upset, and questioning her role in life now that the man she looked to most for guidance was gone, she left the X-Men to do some soul-searching. After a heart to heart with former Alpha Flight member Colin Hume, in honor of Logan, she dyed the forelocks of her hair blue and gold. Laura remarked to Kitty that she not longer felt angry about Wolverine's death, just sad, but that she has also found a source of pride in their relationship.[76] After her time with the Wolverines, Laura ultimately honored Logan's past by becoming the all-new Wolverine.
Sometime after taking up the mantle, an anonymous tip about an assassination planned in Paris led Laura to the city to investigate. She was shot through the head protecting the intended target, but healed, and tracked the shooter to the Eiffel Tower. Laura managed to defeat the masked assassin after a short fight, but rather than be taken alive the woman called in a predator drone to finish the job before jumping off the tower to her death. Laura and Warren pursued the drone through the skies over Paris, and she was able to bring it down before it could finish off its target. Laura then returned to the Eiffel Tower and located the corpse of the assassin. Removing her mask confirmed Laura's hypothesis: the woman was her clone. She and Warren fled the scene, with Laura determined to both stop, and save, the assassins.[77]
Upon returning to New York, she visited Alchemax Genetics to discuss the clones with its director and security chief. Laura then encountered one of the clones, Gabby, hiding in her apartment, who she realized was the one who tipped her off about the assassination. Gabby denied Chandler's accusations before fleeing. Laura tracked her to a hideout in the sewers where she was captured and interrogated by the remaining Sisters - Bellona and Zelda. Alchemax, however, followed her and attacked. Laura managed to subdue them and prevent Bellona from killing them, before they were ambushed by Taskmaster.[78] Laura subdued him, and she and the sisters fled through the streets of New York with Captain Mooney in pursuit. She disabled his vehicle, allowing the girls to escape, and issuing a warning to Mooney that they were under her protection, before leaving him bleeding in the street to meet up with the Sisters. However upon arrival she learned a new piece of the story: the girls were dying. Unable to turn to any of her usual contacts, she instead took them to the Sanctum Sanctorum, seeking the aid of Doctor Strange.[79]
After an altercation with a portal to evil in Strange's living room, he teleported them all to a hospital to investigate what was killing the girls. After examining Zelda, Strange discovered nanites inhabiting their brains that were responsible both for their inability to feel pain, and their declining health. Unable to operate on them directly, Strange teleported the girls to one of Hank Pym's labs to borrow an Ant-Man Suit.[80] They were interrupted by Wasp, who agreed to help Laura enter Zelda's blood to fight the machines. They were successful, however attacking the nanites triggered a distress call alerting Mooney to their location. He tracked them down and fatally wounded Zelda before Laura and Jan were able to escape her body and subdue him. With her dying breath Zelda begged Laura to stop holding back, and to go after Alchemax. Jan offered the help of the Avengers, but Laura refused, insisting it was her and the surviving Sisters' responsibility to punish Alchemax for their transgressions.[81]
Wolverine and the surviving Sisters allowed Mooney to escape, and lead them back to Alchemax's bunker. Laura infiltrated the base by disguising herself as Bellona and allowing herself to be "killed" as a ruse. Upon awakening in the morgue, she captured the scientists there and forced them to upload all data on Chandler's activities to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s servers, and contacted Maria Hill to call her in to clean up. While Bellona and Gabby dealt with Mooney, Laura intercepted Chandler and hobbled him before he could escape, ensuring his capture when Hill's forces arrived. She and Gabby then left the bunker together.[82]
Following the destruction of Alchemax Genetics, Laura allowed Gabby to stay with her while it was decided what was to become of her. Gabby preferred to stay with Laura, however Laura intended to find a safe place elsewhere that Gabby could live a normal life, away from the chaos and danger of a superhero. Gabby's resistance and fear of being left alone dredged up painful memories of Laura's own desire to have a family with Logan; it took a visit by Squirrel Girl, who arrived bearing an actual wolverine later named Jonathan, for Laura to realize the best place for Gabby all along was with her.[83]
Civil War
Following an incident off the coast of the United States, in which several S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives vanished while disrupting an arms deal, Maria Hill contacted Laura to request her assistance investigating the disappearances. The only clue was the wreckage of the boat the arms dealer was using, and a box pulled from the water. Hill specifically contacted Laura because the first person she called in, and who also disappeared, was an alternate universe Logan. When Agent Fitz opened the box at Hill's direction, Laura caught the scent of its contents and realized what happened, warning Hill to pull her helicarrier to a safer altitude. However the warning came too late, and the carrier came under attack by Fin Fang Foom, who was attracted by the pheromone — essentially a chemical aphrodisiac — contained within the box, and likely attacked both the missing S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and Logan as well. Laura resolved to get them back, and allowed herself to be swallowed by Foom.[84]
While Laura climbed down through Foom's digestive tract, Iron Man and Captain Marvel arrived to assist keeping Foom away from population centers. Laura managed to rescue the half-digested Logan, escaped back up out of Foom's mouth, and instructed Gabby to take him somewhere safe. Meanwhile, she covered herself in the pheromone and used it to lure an amorous Foom out to sea. Laura was distressed when she returned home that evening to discover that Gabby brought Logan there to recover, as she adamantly refused to accept that he was her Logan. However Logan awoke, and struck her speechless when he revealed that he recognized the apartment, and that it was where he raised her.[85]
Laura found herself drawn into the conflict over the precognitive Inhuman Ulysses Cain, when Ulysses had a vision that Logan would kill Gabby. Captain America was dispatched by S.H.I.E.L.D. to detain Logan to ensure the girl's safety, but Laura, Logan, and Gabby all objected to imprisoning him for something he hadn't done. However a fight broke after Logan fled with Gabby under the guise of collecting his belongings and cooperating, with Rogers breaking away to pursue. With Logan and Gabby escaping using a pair of S.H.I.E.L.D. Flight Packs, Hill elected to shoot Logan down before he could get away. This, combined with S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives firing on him with tranquilizers drove him into a feral rage. Gabby attempted to calm him, but in the confusion he confused her for the Gabby of his home reality, and Laura watched helplessly as Gabby was impaled on his claws. Mad with grief, Laura tracked Logan into the sewers where he fled, still in his maddened state, and engaged him in a brief fight. Just as she was preparing a killing blow Logan snapped out of his berserk state and pleaded with her to stop, but it was only Gabby's arrival, revealing she survived her injuries because of her hidden healing factor, that convinced her to back down. However she rejected Logan's attempt to justify his actions because of his knowledge of Gabby in his universe, and she permanently severed contact with him, demanding he leave them alone and never approach them again. She then regrouped with Rogers, advising him she was letting Logan go — she refused to blame him for his actions, accepting that he was driven to it by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s carelessness. Laura then departed, warning Rogers of the probable consequences of the conflict over Ulysses' visions, and demanding that she and Gabby be left out of it.[86]
Enemy of the State
While packing up the apartment, Laura received a package containing a vial of the trigger scent, which spurred Laura into leaving with Gabby and Jonathan the wolverine. They drove to one of Logan's cabins out in California. As Laura ventured into a nearby town, overhead planes released the trigger scent, making Laura blackout and awaken to the town destroyed with its population killed. Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. arrived on the bloody scene to apprehend her, but she escaped and planned a course to Madripoor for answers. Reluctantly, Laura brought Gabby and Jonathan along.
They voyaged to Madripoor on a pirate ship under the charge of Captain Ash, whom Laura was once sent to kill. Upon arrival, Laura turned on Captain Ash because she was transporting children as her cargo. Captain Ash suddenly shot her in the stomach, but Laura ultimately threw her overboard as several helicopters hovered overhead, out of which Kimura's newest henchmen Bellona and Roughhouse appeared. Laura surrendered in order to avoid any of the children getting hurt and was taken to Kimura, while Gabby and Jonathan were being held captive on the ship to be transported back to the States.[87]
Using the knowledge of Megan and Debbie's location against Laura, Kimura confined her in a torture chamber for a week to ensure that she came out angry. Kimura planted the trigger scent in the bloodstream of Tyger Tiger, whose leadership Kimura would fill once Tiger died, and set a frenzied Laura after her. Luckily, an escaped Gabbie intervened, and Gambit had to explode Laura in order to stop her completely.[88] Laura woke up to see Gabby, young Warren, and Remy in Tyger Tiger's safehouse.
Young Jean was also brought there to help erase the trigger scent's effects from Laura's mind. While telling Laura that she loves her, Gabby poured the trigger scent on herself to begin the reconditioning. As Laura was lashing out at Gabby, Jean mentally found Laura's consciousness hiding with her younger self who was being read Pinocchio by her mother, Sarah Kinney, when she was still with the Facility. Jean said she understood why Laura's mind retreated to a safe memory in order to block out the pain associated with the trigger scent. Laura broke the trigger scent's control over her just in time to join the fight against Kimura and her forces, who had tracked the S.H.I.E.L.D. planes that had arrived also searching for Laura. During the battle, Laura used an old Iron Man suit to ambush Kimura and eventually drown her in the ocean's shallows. A defeated Bellona surrendered to S.H.I.E.L.D., having revealed that it was she who slaughtered the Californian townspeople with her now adamantium-laced dual claws as a contingency because Laura had stabbed herself in the skull to stop herself.
A week later, Laura, Warren, Gabby, and Jonathan arrived at Megan and Debbie's house. Warren commented that he'd never seen her more scared. Laura was embraced by her family as she reassured them of their safety and that there was no need to hide anymore.[89]Attributes
 |
Powers
Mutant Physiology: As a clone of Wolverine, X-23 possesses most of his mutant powers. She has been classified as a severe threat by both the O*N*E[90] and Nimrod.[3]
- Superhumanly Acute Senses: X-23 possesses superhumanly acute senses that are comparable to those of certain animals. She is capable of seeing at much greater distances, and with perfect clarity, than an ordinary human. She retains this same level of clarity in near-total darkness. Her sense of hearing is enhanced in a similar manner, allowing her to both hear sounds that ordinary humans can't and to hear sounds that ordinary humans can, but at much greater distances. X-23 is able to use her highly developed sense of smell to track targets by scent with an impressive degree of success, even if the scent has been eroded by natural factors, such as the weather.[citation needed]
- Bone Claws: X-23's skeleton includes two retractable bone claws in each arm and one in each foot that she can extend and retract at will. These claws are housed beneath the skin and muscle. Unsheathing them causes her skin to tear and bleed, but the wounds are quickly dealt with by her healing factor. X-23 can unsheathe any number of these claws at once, although she must keep her wrists and/or feet straight at the moment the claws emerge. The claws are naturally sharp and tougher than normal human bone, allowing X-23 to cut through most types of flesh and natural materials.[citation needed]
- Regenerative Healing Factor: Like Wolverine, X-23's primary mutant power is an accelerated healing factor that enables her to regenerate damaged or destroyed tissue with far greater speed and efficiency than an ordinary human. She is capable of fully healing injuries resulting in massive tissue damage and blood loss such as multiple bullet wounds, slash wounds, and puncture wounds within a matter of minutes. Her healing factor is developed to such a degree, she is capable of reattaching severed limbs, such as a hand. She has also proven capable of regrowing an entire arm on her own (Elixir was incapacitated at the time).[91] Her healing factor may fluctuate with her psychological state as battle wounds tend to heal very quickly, but her self inflicted cuts appear to remain visible for some time.[citation needed]
- Foreign Chemical Immunity: X-23's natural healing also affords her the virtual immunity to poisons and most drugs. She can be affected by some drugs, such as tranquilizers, if she is exposed to a massive dose.[citation needed]
- Disease Immunity: Due to her highly efficient immune system, X-23 is immune to all Earthly diseases and infections.[citation needed]
- Longevity: Presumably, because X-23 is a clone of the mutant Wolverine, her healing factor will also provide her with an extended lifespan by slowing the effects of the aging process.[citation needed]
- Superhuman Stamina: X-23's muscles produce considerably less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the muscles of an ordinary human. She can exert herself at peak capacity for about 24 hours before fatigue begins to impair her.[citation needed]
- Superhuman Agility: X-23's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are enhanced to levels that are beyond the natural physical limits of even the finest human athlete.[citation needed]
- Superhuman Reflexes: X-23's reflexes are enhanced to levels that are beyond the natural physical limits of the finest human athlete. In at least one case she reacts to and slices in half with her claws a bullet fired at her face from nearly point-blank range.[92]
- Superhuman Durability: She was capable of fighting the Hulk without sustaining any severe injuries[35] and surviving energy blasts from Nimrod (even if she required healing and nearly died).[3]
Abilities
Expert Covert Ops Training: Raised in captivity, due to her extensive training as a top-secret operative, X-23 has been trained to become a living weapon. She is highly trained in the use of long range weapons and explosives, and is an expert in assassination techniques.[citation needed]
Expert Tracker: Due to her enhanced sense of smell, Laura is a dangerous tracker and has memorized many different scents.[citation needed]
Master Martial Artist: She is a master in hand to hand combatant, with intensive training in numerous armed and unarmed martial arts techniques during her time in the facility.[93]
Master Acrobat: She is an Olympic class athlete, gymnast, acrobat and aerialist capable of numerous complex maneuvers and feats.
Multilingual: Laura can speak fluent English, French,[14] and Japanese.[94] She says she is fluent in many other languages.
Gifted Intellect:She possesses the ability to quickly process multiple information streams (e.g., threat assessment) and rapidly respond to changing tactical situations.[citation needed] She has been stated to have a photographic memory.[95]Weaknesses
Powerful Energy Blasts: Injuries such as being hit with blasts of energy from Nimrod that caused her to age can't be healed, if she had been hit with it again she most likely would have died.[citation needed]
Paraphernalia
Equipment
Weapons
Notes
- X23 was originally made for the television series X-Men: Evolution, in a version with brown hair and a brown complexion. The character's creator, Craig Kyle, explained that while the original X-23 resembled the girl that he photographed as reference for the character designer, the comics version had some redesigning by NYX artist Joshua Middleton to make her look more like Wolverine.[96]
- The six-part miniseries which revealed X-23's backstory had the same writers as the X-Men: Evolution episodes that introduced her, Craig Kyle and Chris Yost.[97]
- X-23's watch-timer in her self-titled limited series was always set to 22 minutes.[98]
- While under the Trigger scent influence, she is a mindless killer that destroys anything in her path.
- The choice of her name, Laura, was influenced by Logan.[citation needed]
- In the two page spread of X-23 #3, she kills people around the world, the times shown are Craig Kyle's friends' birthdays.[citation needed]
- Talon is Laura's official X-Men code name assigned when she joined the New X-Men, not the more commonly used X-23.[29]
- Laura demonstrates a preference for spicy foods. During her first solo series she tells Gambit this is because her diet under the facility was nutritious, but very bland.[94]
- At some point, Logan adopts Laura as his daughter, telling her that she's more than just his clone[99]
- Laura has demonstrated a violent aversion to, if not outright hatred of, human and sex traffickers:
- She once summarily beheaded a pimp she caught abusing a prostitute.[100]
- Upon meeting the first Alice clone, she mistakenly identified her as an abused prostitute (she was actually attempting to lure her into capture for Miss Sinister). When the girl's failure resulted in her execution by her handler, Laura angrily murdered him in retaliation, still believing him to be a pimp.[101]
- When taunted by a former member of Zebra Daddy's gang over her past, she stabbed him in the groin with her claws and angrily told him he would never have her or any other woman, before leading Jubilee on an impromptu mission to shut down his trafficking operation that may have resulted in the deaths of several other members of the organization.[48]
- She also came to blows with Captain Ash upon uncovering her trafficking operations while en route to Madripoor, and later made a point of attacking her supplier, Yvgeny.[102]
- However she does not seem to have the same reaction to the Johns themselves; when mistaken for a prostitute while trying to relax after Logan's death, she let the man propositioning her down easy after rejecting his advances, and later saved his life when the club they were in was attacked by the Happy Clams.[103]
Trivia
- X-23 has been known to practice self-harm,[31] and has injured herself on a consistent basis using her claws from a young age. She was first seen engaging in the behavior after killing her sensei under the effects of the trigger scent.[93]
- Wolverine established when introducing her to the other X-child that she could kill all of them if she wanted to, so that they better not give her a reason to, however, that remains to be seen.[104]
- Laura has expressed friendship with her cousin Megan. She also is close with Cessily,[5] Hellion (whom she has a crush on),[5] Gambit, and a few of the other New X-Men, though her exterior makes it difficult to judge her true feelings for most of the team. [citation needed]
- During her time with the X-Men, Shadowcat, Marvel Girl and Psylocke counted her as a friend.[21][105]
- X-23 is highly protective of Wolverine and sees him as a brother/father figure.[106]
- Her healing factor acts faster than Wolverine's due to the lack of Adamantium in her body, but since she is so young, it fluctuates to the point that it becomes slower more often than faster.[citation needed]
- An alternate version of Deadpool has stated to Laura that in his past (possibly her future) there was an X-29 who was much funnier.[108] This can be an alternate version of her or another clone. Soon after there was a story arc with the Facility attempting to clone X-23.[52] Of course, this could also be Deadpool just messing with her since one never knows when he is being serious or not.
- It's stated that Laura Kinney, professional hard-case with zero patience, thinks bananas smell like nail polish remover.[109]
- At the end of Wolverines Laura had her healing factor drained by Siphon. However in All-New Wolverine it has been restored and is operating at its normal capacity. How she regained her healing abilities has not been explained.[citation needed]
- Concept art by All-New Wolverine artist David Lopez places Laura's apartment at an address of 634 Melrose Ave. in the Bronx. The apartment design is based on a real building located at 645 Melrose.[110]
Clone Or Not
Cloning Process
While technically it would not be a clone, for all intents and purposes, it would be a genetic twin.
Extracting/Obtaining the damage DNA. Reassembling/Reconstructing DNA's hereditary information (Genome) and the X chromosome using a protein base biotechnology and phylogenetic inference method. Repairing is accomplished by surveying the DNA for any unwanted modifications (damage) once found enzymes are cut into the DNA to remove the damaged DNA. Rebuilding this is accomplished by proteins called DNA polymerases, and there are several kinds of these in each cell. Since the DNA damage is in one strand at a time, the other strand has the information required to copy itself. After the DNA synthesis, there is a ligation process in which the gaps in the DNA are sealed and a new, intact double helix is formed. Replacing the nuclei of the Ovarian Egg with the restored genetic material of Wolverine. At this point, the egg of the host is considered fertilized. The embryo is then transferred into the womb of Sara for gestation. By a process of maternal inheritance the baby will develop traits of the carrier (mother) through mitochondrial DNA in the Uterus. The baby will also have identical genetics to Wolverine.[citation needed]
A Letter from Laura's Mother
See Also
- 495 appearance(s) of Laura Kinney (Earth-616)
- 10 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Laura Kinney (Earth-616)
- 40 minor appearance(s) of Laura Kinney (Earth-616)
- 35 mention(s) of Laura Kinney (Earth-616)
- 16 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Laura Kinney (Earth-616)
- 1076 image(s) of Laura Kinney (Earth-616)
- 51 quotation(s) by or about Laura Kinney (Earth-616)
- 18 victim(s) killed by Laura Kinney (Earth-616)
- 4 item(s) used/owned by Laura Kinney (Earth-616)
Links and References
References
- ↑ Captain Universe: X-23 #1
- ↑ Women of Marvel: Celebrating Seven Decades Handbook #1
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 New X-Men (Vol. 2) #31
- ↑ X-23: Target X #3
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 New X-Men (Vol. 2) #33
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 All-New Wolverine Annual #1
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Wolverine (Vol. 4) #14
- ↑ X-23 #1
- ↑ X-23 #1
- ↑ X-23 #2
- ↑ X-23: Target X #4
- ↑ X-23 #4
- ↑ X-23 #6
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 X-23: Target X #2
- ↑ X-23: Target X #5
- ↑ X-23: Target X #6
- ↑ X-23: Target X #1–6
- ↑ NYX #3
- ↑ NYX #6–7
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #450–451
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 X-Men (Vol. 2) #165
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #455
- ↑ Marvel Team-Up (Vol. 3) #4–6
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #455–459
- ↑ Captain Universe: X-23 #1
- ↑ New X-Men (Vol. 2) #23
- ↑ New X-Men (Vol. 2) #25–27
- ↑ New X-Men (Vol. 2) #28–29
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 New X-Men (Vol. 2) #31
- ↑ New X-Men (Vol. 2) #32–33
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 New X-Men (Vol. 2) #33
- ↑ New X-Men (Vol. 2) #36
- ↑ New X-Men (Vol. 2) #37–41
- ↑ X-Men: Pixie Strikes Back #1–4
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 World War Hulk: X-Men #1–3
- ↑ X-Men (Vol. 2) #207
- ↑ X-Force (Vol. 3) #1
- ↑ X-Force (Vol. 3) #6
- ↑ X-Force (Vol. 3) #7–10
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #505
- ↑ X-Force (Vol. 3) #14–18
- ↑ X-Force (Vol. 3) #19–20
- ↑ X-23 (Vol. 3) #1–3
- ↑ X-23 (Vol. 3) #4–6
- ↑ X-23 (Vol. 3) #8–9
- ↑ X-23 (Vol. 3) #10–16
- ↑ X-23 (Vol. 3) #17–19
- ↑ 48.0 48.1 X-23 (Vol. 3) #20
- ↑ Avengers Academy #23
- ↑ Avengers Academy #24
- ↑ Avengers Academy #29–31
- ↑ 52.0 52.1 Venom (Vol. 2) #13
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #13.2
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #13.3
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #14
- ↑ Avengers Arena #1
- ↑ Avengers Arena #2
- ↑ Avengers Arena #3
- ↑ Avengers Arena #4
- ↑ Avengers Arena #8
- ↑ Avengers Arena #14–17
- ↑ Avengers Arena #18
- ↑ All-New X-Men #19
- ↑ All-New X-Men #20
- ↑ All-New X-Men #21
- ↑ Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 3) #11.NOW
- ↑ All-New X-Men #22.NOW
- ↑ All-New X-Men #23
- ↑ Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 3) #12
- ↑ All-New X-Men #24
- ↑ Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 3) #13
- ↑ All-New X-Men #26
- ↑ All-New X-Men #28
- ↑ All-New X-Men #29
- ↑ All-New X-Men #30
- ↑ Death of Wolverine: The Logan Legacy #2
- ↑ All-New Wolverine #1
- ↑ All-New Wolverine #2
- ↑ All-New Wolverine #3
- ↑ All-New Wolverine #4
- ↑ All-New Wolverine #5
- ↑ All-New Wolverine #6
- ↑ All-New Wolverine #7
- ↑ All-New Wolverine #8
- ↑ All-New Wolverine #9
- ↑ All-New Wolverine #10–12
- ↑ All-New Wolverine #13–15
- ↑ All-New Wolverine #16
- ↑ All-New Wolverine #17–18
- ↑ X-Men: The 198 Files #1
- ↑ X-Necrosha #1
- ↑ All-New Wolverine #10
- ↑ 93.0 93.1 X-23 #2
- ↑ 94.0 94.1 X-23 (Vol. 3) #8
- ↑ All-New X-Men (Vol. 2) #12
- ↑ Of claws and clones: X-23′s genetic makeup explained
- ↑ Chris Yost
- ↑ X-23 #3
- ↑ X-23 (Vol. 3) #2
- ↑ X-23 (Vol. 2) #1
- ↑ X-23 (Vol. 3) #4
- ↑ All-New Wolverine #15–19
- ↑ Death of Wolverine: The Logan Legacy #2
- ↑ 104.0 104.1 New X-Men (Vol. 2) #21
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #460
- ↑ All-New Wolverine #2
- ↑ New X-Men (Vol. 2) #20
- ↑ X-Force (Vol. 3) #15
- ↑ X-Men: Pixie Strikes Back #1
- ↑ Concept Art by David Lopez
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #13
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol 1 13