The Tragic Origin of Laura Kinney

Laura Kinney had a difficult start to life as X-23, but turned that darkness into heroism as Wolverine. Created by Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost, she was introduced on the X-Men: Evolution animated TV series, then made her comic debut in NYX #3 (February 2004).

When Dr. Martin Sutter attempts to replicate the Weapon X experiment, he recruits mutant geneticist Dr. Sarah Kinney to create a clone of Wolverine. The only Weapon X genetic sample that they have is damaged on the Y chromosome, so Kinney suggests creating a female version. Her proposal is denied by Dr. Zander Rice, another scientist on the project, resulting in multiple failed attempts. Kinney proves her theory by creating an embryo, and the jealous Rice forces her to act as the baby’s surrogate.

X-23 was born into tests and torments by her scientist captors. When she was 7 years old, Rice exposed her to radiation to activate her mutant gene. Once she grew claws, he extracted them and coated them with adamantium then reattached them to her hands and feet. Adding to the cruelty, Rice did not give her any anesthetic for the archaic procedure. Planning to train her as an assassin, Rice developed a trigger scent that would turn X-23 into a murderous animal rather than a child.

After Kinney’s niece was kidnapped by a serial killer, she took X-23 from her prison and set her loose to find them. X-23 found the abductor, killed him, and freed the girl, then Kinney was fired for taking X-23 without permission. Seeing an opportunity to seize total control of the project, Rice forced X-23 to kill Sutter and his family. She told Kinney what had happened and when the doctor confronted Rice, he showed her pods he planned to use to create X-24 through X-50.

Wanting to stop him, Kinney assigned X-23 to kill Rice and destroy the pods. Anticipating what was to come, Rice exposed Kinney to the trigger scent before X-23 killed him. She attacked Kinney, and as the woman died, she told X-23 that her name was Laura and gave her a letter and pictures that directed her to Professor X and Wolverine. Eventually the tortured little girl would become a heroine, working alongside the X-Men, X-Force, and other Marvel heroes.