The new film Logan takes place within the X-Men universe, yet in a future time period when virtually all of the X-Men have been killed off and the titular hero lives with the guilt and pain of surviving thanks to his mutant healing ability. But Wolverine ends up with an unlikely new partner in the film, an 11-year-old girl named Laura, who is a fellow mutant with similar abilities and temperament to Logan. But is Laura in the X-Men comics?
She is, but she usually goes by another name, and you might not recognize her. Laura Kinney is the real name of X-23 in the comics, a female clone of Wolverine who possesses very similar powers to the clawed hero. The character has become a mainstay and a fan favorite in X-Men comic books over the past decade, but she surprisingly actually got her start outside of comics. X-23 made her debut in a self-titled episode of the animated series X-Men: Evolution in 2003. While rare, it's not unheard of for comic book characters to debut on television. Harley Quinn, arguably DC Comics' hottest property at the moment, actually made her first appearance on Batman: The Animated Series in the '90s.
In X-23's first appearance, she was introduced as a 14-year-old girl with striking similarities to Wolverine. This is due to her possessing his same DNA, since, you know, she's his clone. She then made her first comics appearance in 2004 where her backstory was further fleshed out, and after a number of trials and tribulations throughout her adolescence, she eventually joined forces with the X-Men and formed a sort of pseudo father/daughter bond with Logan. Then, in 2015, X-23 received her most high-profile role to date in the Marvel Universe when she became the new Wolverine following the original's death.
The version of X-23 in Logan is the youngest incarnation fans will have seen, but it's assumed she'll possess the same abilities as the comic book version. In other words, she has two claws that come out of each hand, as well as an additional claw that protrudes from each foot. She possesses the same heightened senses, physical attributes, and healing ability as Logan, and like him, her claws are coated in the unbreakable metal adamantium. However, unlike Logan, the metal is not applied to the rest of her skeleton.
Despite her differences from her comic book counterpart, Logan's Laura is most certainly the same iconic character from the comics — and one who I hope will continue to play a major role in X-Men movies in the future.
