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"She's like you. Very much like you."
―Charles Xavier to Logan[src]

Laura Howlett (born 2018), also known as X-23, is a class 3 mutant who possesses superhuman strength, durability, endurance, speed, agility, reflexes, flexibility, dexterity, stamina, senses, an accelerated healing factor and retractable razor-sharp claws. She is also the biological daughter of Logan.

Biography[]

Logan[]

Laura, who was given the code name X-23, part of the Transigen Project, that was used to try to replicate William Stryker's creation of The Wolverine. Really, he just gave him metal claws. The project had many outcomes on many different test subjects, but Laura's results resembled Wolverine the most, as she had 2 retractable claws in each hand. Laura was genetically related to Wolverine, since they gave her some of Logan's blood, which they extracted before he was released (seen in the movie: X-Men: Apocalypse).

When the X-23 project was deemed a failure after the success of the X-24 project, X-23 was spirited away from Transigen by her nurse, Gabriela Lopez, who had named her Laura. Gabriela wanted to get her to North Dakota to the mutant haven known as Eden, and tried to get Logan to help them. After Gabriela was killed by the Reavers, X-23 ended up in the company as Logan and Charles Xavier on the run. They continued to head north. They encountered the Reavers many times, one which ended with Charles's death. But, they kept going.

However when Laura realized that Logan planned to leave her with them Laura was hurt despite Logan claiming that everyone he cares about dies. When they were finishing their journey to the Canadian woodlands, X-23, and the Reavers followed them. With no choice, Logan takes a serum that genetically enhances his powers. Logan slashes, stabs, and claws at the Reavers until no more stand. He then fights X-24. He was winning, but his serum was wearing off, and he started to fall behind. After X-24 stabbed him, he brought him over to a tree that was sheared off, and impaled him on a sharp piece of the tree body that was sticking up. With Logan's regeneration powers gone, he was doomed to die. Just as X-24 went to finish him off, then and there, Laura used the adamantium bullet, that Logan planned to use to commit suicide, if, and when he felt/needed to do so to shoot X-24 in the head, killing him for good. Laura rushed over to her father, but could do nothing as he died.

The kids buried him, knowing that if he hadn't died, then there would be no more mutants. He sacrificed himself for them. The kids were very upset, especially Laura, who recognized Loga, not just as a mentor, or a guide, but as her father (which he was). After the children left, Laura stopped, and took one last look at his burial spot, and went back. She turned the cross to make an X, resembling that he died an X-Men. Not only that, but that he was the last X-Man.

Character traits[]

Laura has no knowledge of the outside world, or how it works. This is because she was isolated by Transigen for her whole life. As a result of this, Laura doesn't know much about how the world works and how to act around people she doesn't know.

Laura has many of the behavioral traits that her father had. She's easily angered, and resorts to violence whenever she doesn't get her way - as seen when she flips the store clerk on to the ground and nearly stabs him just because he took away her snacks; as well as the time she punched Logan in the face when he told her that he couldn't get her to North Dakota and told her that Eden didn't exist. Though it isn't her fault, since she was engineered and taught to fight and to be a soldier.

Even though she does have some anger issues, Laura exhibits kindness and selflessness. Some examples of this, is when she shielded Charles from being shot while escaping the Reavers for the first time. She also silently tried to comfort Logan after Charles's death, by putting a comforting hand on his wrist.

Laura is very mature for her age, as she was forced to grow up too quickly by Transigen, in order to be a soldier in their army of mutants. She seems to understand that Logan wanted to die, and that he is being slowly poisoned by the adamantium on his bones. In the end, even though Laura and Logan hadn't always gotten along, Laura was visibly upset at Logan's death. She had come to see him as her father, as someone who knows what it's like to be experimented on and used. She even, as Logan laid dying, called him "daddy", and refused to leave his side as he took his last breath.

Powers and Abilities[]

Powers[]

  • Mutant Physiology: X-23 is very powerful mutant who possesses superhuman strength, durability, endurance, speed, agility, reflexes, flexibility, dexterity, stamina, senses, an accelerated healing factor, immunity, retractable razor-sharp claws, etc.; all of her powers were inherited from her father, Wolverine.
    • Superhuman Strength: X-23 is far stronger than normal humans; for example, despite her age and size, she was able to easily take down and overpower several full grown adults, who were also trained soldiers.
    • Superhuman Durability: X-23 is far more durable than normal humans; for example, due to her healing factor, she was still able to move during Xavier's seizure and could survive multiple gunshots without any hinder.
    • Superhuman Endurance: X-23's endurance is far more greatly developed than normal humans; for example, she was able to take a harpoon through her chest with little trouble.
    • Superhuman Speed: X-23 is much faster than normal humans.
    • Superhuman Agility: X-23 is far more agile than normal humans; for example, she is able to perform flips and acrobatic moves on an Olympic level scale, allowing her to quickly and effectively take down her opponents.
    • Superhuman Reflexes: X-23's reflexes are much faster than normal humans.
    • Superhuman Flexibility: X-23 is far more flexible than normal humans.
    • Superhuman Dexterity: X-23's dexterity is far more greatly developed than normal humans.
    • Superhuman Stamina: X-23 possesses far more stamina than normal humans; allowing her to remain physically active for long periods of time.
    • Superhuman Senses: X-23's senses are far more greatly developed than normal normal humans.
    • Accelerated Healing Factor: X-23's metabolism allows her to heal much faster, more extensively, and efficiently than normal humans and other mutants. She was able to quickly recover from being shot with a harpoon through the chest and could continue to function without any hinderances. X-23's accelerated healing factor is also powerful enough to affect her aging.
    • Superhuman Immunity: Due to X-23's accelerated healing factor; she is completely immune to all types of diseases, illnesses, sickness, drugs, poisons, toxins, radiation, disorders, disabilities, etc.
    • Immortality: Due to X-23's accelerated healing factor; she is immortal, as she cannot be killed by natural means or supernatural means.
    • Superhuman Longevity: Due to X-23's accelerated healing factor; she does not visibly age. However, because X-23 is still a child; her aging will not completely stop; until she grows into adulthood.
    • Retractable Bone Claws: Unlike Wolverine, X-23 only possesses two retractable razor-sharp adamantium claws in each of her hands and one in each foot, that are capable of cutting through almost any substance known to humans; Charles Xavier believes this is due to her gender.

Abilities[]

  • Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: X-23 is an extremely skilled hand-to-hand combatant, X-23's combat skills combined with her superhuman physical attributes, makes her a formidable opponent alone in single combat; as she was able to subduing multiple members of the Reavers with little to no effort.
  • Skilled Driver: Despite Laura's young age, she is capable of driving a car; as she was able to drive herself and Logan the rest of the way to Eden, after the latter had passed out from exhaustion.
  • Bilingual: Laura is capable of fluently speaking English and Spanish.

Weaknesses[]

  • Limited Durability: Although X-23 has adamantium infused into her claws, it does not extend to her skeleton; making her more vulnerable for broken bones and severed limbs, although neither of these have been seen. However, X-23's accelerated healing factor, superhuman durability, endurance and stamina makes up for the lack of an adamantium skeleton.

Relationships[]

Appearances/Actresses[]

Behind the scenes[]

  • Millie Bobby Brown auditioned for X-23.
  • Dafne Keen was 11 years old at the time of filming, and so was not allowed inside the Casino, even with all the correct shooting permits. So some shots were done with Keen on a green screen, and some scenes were shot in the actual casino with Keen's body double Cheramie Martin, who is over 18, but of a similar build to Keen.
  • Laura was originally envisioned being a teenager, but James Mangold decided to make the character 11 feeling that there was a convention of casting a very attractive teenage actress and putting her in a "hot" uniform, and also wanted to shift away from the "Teen Hero mold".

Trivia[]

  • In the comics, Laura Kinney is a mutant known as X-23 who is experimented on in an attempt to replicate what happened to Logan/Wolverine using his DNA.
  • Just like in the comics, Laura only has two adamantium claws in each of her hands, instead of three like Wolverine; she also possess one claw in each foot.
  • In the comics, Laura is the female clone of Logan/Wolverine. In the Earth-17315 timeline, she is Logan's biological daughter.
  • In one of the comics, Laura has taken up the mantle of "Wolverine"; after the death of Logan.

Gallery[]

Logan[]

Promotion, Filming and Concept Art[]

See Also[]

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