History Characters / X23

[[WMG:[[center:[-''ComicBook/XMen'' '''[[Characters/XMen Main Character Index]]'''\\
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The following characters have appeared in X-23's various one-shots or self-titled series, or are otherwise associated with her.

[[foldercontrol]]

!!X-23

[[folder:Laura Kinney]]
!!Laura Kinney
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/3044613_x232.png]]

--> ''"The Facility created me to be a weapon. Killing was all I knew. I didn't know how to say 'no.'"''
\\\
A trained assassin, X-23, or Laura Kinney, was created by the Weapon X offshoot known as the Facility, or HYDRA, depending on universe, using a damaged sample of Wolverine's DNA. The damage was greatest on the Y chromosome apparently so Dr. Deborah Risman in the series and the similar Dr. Sarah Kinney in the comics eventually had the brilliant idea to create [[OppositeSexClone a female copy instead]]. At last the 23rd attempt to clone Weapon X was successful, thus X-23. However, Sarah Kinney states X-23 is technically a genetic twin rather than a true clone, making her Logan's sister. [[note]]Which is what a true clone actually is in RealLife, but not in comic books- as far as the comic is concerned the main difference is that she doesn't have Logan's 'GeneticMemory'.[[/note]] He later introduces her to her classmates at Xavier's this way, although they share more of a father-daughter relationship.

She grew up being trained to be an Assassin, so that the Facility could sell her talents to the highest bidder. She grew up being emotionally and physically abused, in order to remove such weaknesses as emotion and self worth. However, Dr. Sarah Kinney, the one scientist who treated her like a child, tried to free her, but X-23 had been conditioned with a special 'Trigger Scent' that would forcefully throw her into a BerserkerRage, and X-23 uncontrollably killed the good scientist. In her dying words, Dr. Kinney named her Laura, as she had yet to be given a name.

After tracking down Logan, she was invited to join the X-Men, after a few years on the run, and formed close relationships with some of the X-Men. However, it was retconned so that she only pretended to bond to them, and just saw them as interchangeable people, with only Logan being the one she would treat like a friend, and father. That changed after ''ComicBook/HouseOfM'', where she was placed with some other students and eventually grew close to fellow students Cessily 'Mercury' Kincaid, who had also been through a lot, Julian 'Hellion' Keller, who wound up as her crush, and Sooraya 'Dust' Qadir, who she gains a mutual respect for. Logan later legally adopts her as a daughter to provide her with some manner of family. Their relationship is at times strained, but Logan nonetheless cares deeply for her well-being and path to recovery.

Following Logan's death, Laura has [[LegacyCharacter taken on the Wolverine name herself]] in ''ComicBook/AllNewWolverine''.

-> See [[Characters/X23LauraKinney Laura Kinney]]
[[/folder]]

!!Family

[[folder:Daken]]
!!Daken Akihiro/Daken
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_daken.PNG]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' Japanese
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutant
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 3''

''For general tropes about Daken, see his [[Comicbook/{{Daken}} page]]''
\\\
The son of Wolverine, which makes him Laura's nephew or brother, depending on the genetics. Their relationship is initially hostile, but over the course of their encounter they gain a measure of respect for one another, and Laura walks away from their adventure as one of a very few people whom Daken genuinely respects and has affection for.
----
* BigBrotherInstinct: Eventually, to both Laura and Gabby.
* CainAndAbel: The Cain to Laura's Abel. Despite that, they actually get along quite well.
* EvilCounterpart: He's this to Laura in a way. Both are genetic children of Logan, both tend to only use two of their claws and save the third for special attacks, both have messed up pasts. They have a mutual respect for each other, partly because they are so alike.
* HeelFaceTurn: Of a sort. Daken doesn't exactly go full Face, but [[spoiler: after Colcord double-crosses him, he and Laura are no longer at cross-purposes and work together to shut him down]].
* IncestYay: Some of Daken's private thoughts when he watches Laura in action read this way. Then again, it ''is'' [[DepravedBisexual Daken]].
* ManBehindTheMan: Seizes control of Madripoor during "Collision", and sets himself up as this, leaving Tyger Tiger as the public face.
* ManipulativeBastard: It's Daken, natch.
* NotSoDifferent: Technically brother and sister, both raised by some very, ''very'' bad people, but while Daken embraces what Romulus made him, Laura desperately wants to be something more than just a weapon and killer. Nonetheless, their similarities give them a fair bit of mutual respect towards one another.
* WorthyOpponent: He and Laura come to view one another as this, and Laura becomes one of a ''very'' few people he genuinely respects.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gabby Kinney]]
!!Gabrielle "Gabby" Kinney/Honey Badger
!!!'''Nationality:''' American
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutant clone
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 4''

''For general tropes about Honey Badger, see the page [[Characters/XMen2010sMembers here]]''
\\\
Laura's 13 year-old ([[YoungerThanTheyLook sorta]]) cloned sister, created by Alchemax Genetics in a failed attempt to replicate her, and thus Wolverine himself.
----
* BadassInDistress: [[spoiler:Gabby is kidnapped by the Cuckoos in issue 2.]]
* CloningBlues: When Gabby learns it's the Cuckoos' declared birthday in issue 1, she begins to muse on her own nature as a clone, and insists she wants a birthday of her own even though Laura deems it unimportant.
* EvilMakeover: [[spoiler:After Esme [[GrandTheftMe hijacks her body]] she ditches her own costume for a black version of the Cuckoos' ponchos. Her skin also becomes noticeably grayer, her eyes change from green to blue, and she gains black circles around her eyes.]]
* FightingWithChucks: She carries a set of nunchucks on her UtilityBelt.
* KubrickStare: Pares this with an ''incredibly'' disturbing SlasherSmile in issue 4 (see below).
* PowerFist: Gabby gains a pair of brass knuckles with her new costume. The right one reads "HONY", and the left one (predictably) reads "BDGR".
* SlasherSmile: She sports a positively ''chilling'' one in issue 4 [[spoiler:after Esme seizes control of her body]].
* UtilityBelt: Gabby carries nunchucks and brass knuckles on a belt. And of ''course'' it has pouches.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Wolverine]]
!!James Logan Howlett/Wolverine
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_wolverine.PNG]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' Canadian
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutant
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X'', ''X-23 Vol. 2 (One-Shot)'', ''X-23 Vol. 3''

''For general tropes about Wolverine, see his [[Comicbook/{{Wolverine}} page]]''
\\\
Laura's "father" and genetic template, it was the Facility's attempts to replicate the Weapon X experiments that led to her creation. The exact nature of their genetic relationship varies DependingOnTheWriter, but their actual relationship on-page has strong elements of father/daughter. At times their interactions have been strained or rocky, and Logan freely acknowledges that he's a poor father, but he nonetheless cares immensely for Laura's well-being, and objected to her inclusion on X-Force because he was determined to see her have a chance at a normal life.
----
* HappilyAdopted: During a flashback in ''The Killing Dream'', Logan announces his intention to adopt Laura.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Logan treats Hellion like dirt over his actions killing Karima, and along with Gambit wants to keep him away from Laura. Even though Wolverine has done ''far'' worse things than Julian and been forgiven for them.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Logan has at times been excessively harsh on her, and he openly acknowledges he's been a very poor father to her when Gambit challenges him on it in Paris. That said, it's clear in her solo just how much Logan truly cares for her, and how determined he's been to help her live a normal life.
* ParentalSubstitute: Regardless of the genetics involved (Laura could be either Logan's sister or daughter, largely depending on exactly how much of her genetic material is his), he and Laura share a father/daughter relationship. By the time of ''All-New Wolverine'' Laura herself has begun calling him "dad."
* {{Retcon}}: Laura and Logan actually shared very little time together on-panel while he was still alive. Later writers, particularly after ''Death of Wolverine'', have used flashbacks and dialogue to suggest that they were much closer than would be evident from their ''actual'' interactions before his death.
* TheUglyGuysHotDaughter: He's the ugly guy to Laura's hot daughter. It particularly stands out because she's his OppositeSexClone (though depending on the genetics she ''may'' have gotten her looks from Sarah Kinney).
* YouGotSpunk: A non-villainous version: When Kiden Nixon [[MistakenForProstitute mistakenly believes Laura has returned to hooking]] and Logan is her latest pimp, she actually ''threatens the Wolverine''. Logan just smiles and says he likes her.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Deborah Kinney]]
!!Deborah "Debbie" Kinney
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_deborahkinney.jpg]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' American
!!!'''Species:''' Human
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X''

Deborah is Sarah Kinney's sister, with whom she has a strained, and virtually nonexistent relationship due to her failure to support Sarah when she was being abused by their father. Debbie plays a minor role in ''Innocence Lost'', but is much more significant in the follow-up story, ''Target: X''.
----
* DysfunctionalFamily: Shared this relationship with her sister, Sarah, due to not supporting her when Sarah was being abused by their father. As a result, they rarely spoke in the years afterwards. The relationship is only mended when [[spoiler: she calls Sarah for help after her daughter is kidnapped by a serial killer preying on children, and whom Sarah uses Laura to locate and rescue. Unfortunately, Sarah is killed before they can completely reconcile.]]
** ''Target: X'' reveals that her relationship with her daughter has been strained, as Megan has grown up to be a rather angry young girl as an ongoing effect of her kidnapping. Laura's arrival helps them repair their relationship.
* GroundedForever: Debbie's reaction to Megan and Laura being suspended after Laura's first day at school. Learning about Laura's past leads Megan to ''hug'' her for it.
* ParentalSubstitute: Becomes this for Laura when she turns up on her doorstep.
* ParentWithNewParamour: It's unclear what happened to Megan's father, but the man Debbie is cohabitating with isn't him. [[spoiler: He's also a Facility plant.]]
* PutOnABus: Literally. Laura leaves her and Megan at a bus station, and sends them into hiding to protect them from Kimura and the Facility. [[spoiler: They finally meet again at the end of All-New Wolverine #18]].
* SecretKeeper: She knew about Laura after she and Sarah reconciled.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: Sarah and Debbie look a lot alike (Debbie wears her hear short, though). Therefore she also looks a lot like Laura.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Megan Kinney]]
!!Megan Kinney
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_megan.jpg]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' American
!!!'''Species:''' Human
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X''

Megan is Laura's cousin. As a child she was kidnapped by a serial killer, but Sarah defied the Facility's rules by sneaking Laura out to rescue her. After escaping the Facility Laura turned up at Deborah Kinney's home, where she and Megan quickly became close, and were each others' only friends. Laura was forced to separate from Megan to protect her from Kimura, and as a parting gift, Megan gave Laura her locket, in which she put a picture of herself and Laura's mother.
----
* TheCassandra: No one believed her about the kidnapping after she was rescued. Debbie was sympathetic, but most people believed Megan simply made it up for attention.
* DistressedDamsel: [[spoiler: Megan is kidnapped by a SerialKiller who preys on children, and Deborah contacts Sarah for help. Sarah breaks rules to sneak X-23 out of her cell, and sends her to locate and rescue the girl.]]
* DysfunctionalFamily: Megan has a strained relationship with her mother in ''Target: X''. It's implied that this is because of the trauma Megan experienced when she was kidnapped as a child.
* FamilyEyeResemblance: Megan has the same green eyes as her mother, aunt, and cousin.
* FlashbackNightmare: She first appears in ''Target X'' in the midst of one, and it's indicated she suffers them often.
* {{Goth}}: Megan has a very Gothic style of dress. Laura raided her closet for extra clothes in ''Target: X'', and [[FridgeBrilliance this may be why Laura continues to dress in this fashion even after they part]].
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Megan is blonde, as opposed to her black-haired mother, aunt, and cousin. Although she's somewhat troubled as a result of the trauma of her kidnapping as a child, she's nonetheless a good person.
* HarmfulToMinors: A substantial part of why Megan has grown into a troubled and rebellious young girl between ''Innocence Lost'' and ''Target: X'' was because of the pedophile who kidnapped her as a child. Megan later gets a front row seat when Laura tears her mother's boyfriend (actually a Facility agent) to shreds, and slaughters a hit-team sent to recover her. And then Kimura showed up and tortured ''her'' to punish Laura for escaping.
* MadArtist: Downplayed: Megan continues to suffer untreated PTSD caused by her kidnapping, because [[CassandraTruth no one believed her and thought she was making it up]]. It manifests by covering her walls with drawings of her attacker ''and'' her rescuer, and the constant {{Flashback Nightmare}}s she endures.
* MadnessMantra: Nonverbal example: Megan has ''covered'' her room in pictures she drew of her kidnapper, as well as Laura, her rescuer.
* MoralityPet: For Sarah, Megan's letters and pictures as a child start to rebuild Sarah's thoughts on family, which in turn helps her realize what exactly it is she is doing to Laura.
* ParentWithNewParamour: Her mom's boyfriend in ''Target: X'' is ''not'' her father, and Megan is openly disrespectful to him when she's first introduced.
* PutOnABus: Literally. Laura leaves her and Debbie at a bus station, and sends them into hiding to protect them from Kimura and the Facility. [[spoiler: They reappear at the end of All-New Wolverine #18 after Laura finally kills Kimura]].
* StrongFamilyResemblance: Averted by Megan, whose blonde hair stands out against Sarah and Debbie's black.
* UsedToBeASweetKid: Megan is just an ordinary girl when we meet her, who wants to send a present to her reclusive Aunt Sarah. It's implied in ''Target: X'' that her experiences with [[spoiler: the SerialKiller who kidnapped her]] in ''Innocence Lost'' turned her into something of a rebellious problem child as a teenager.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sarah Kinney]]
!!Doctor Sarah Kinney
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sarah_kinney_face.jpg]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' American
!!!'''Species:''' Human
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X''

A leading expert in mutant genetics, who is hired by the Facility to clone Wolverine from genetic samples salvaged from the original Weapon X project. Dr. Kinney was fully aware the Facility was building a weapon, though drawn to the project mainly by the challenge. When the process to create an exact clone failed, it was Sarah who proposed creating a female since the X-chromosomes were more intact. When the project head overruled her she proceeded anyway, and as punishment was forced by the surgical head Zander Rice to serve as surrogate. Sarah became the infant X-23's mother and caretaker, and her growing disillusionment led her to freeing her, but at the cost of her life.
----
* AbusiveParents: A copy of a police report shown during Sarah's introductory scene reveals she was abused by her father as a child, though no action was taken because neither her mother or sister corroborated the accusations, and Sarah herself was uncooperative during the investigation. This destroyed her relationship with her family, and she refused to have any contact with them for years.
** Sarah herself becomes this to X-23. Though she doesn't physically abuse her as Rice does, she nonetheless deprives her of a emotional support when the girl reaches out to her. This was done under orders and to her credit, Sarah ''did'' attempt to disobey whenever possible, but still resulted in much of the girl's emotional damage. She's also appalled at herself when [[HeelRealization she realizes just what she has been doing]].
---> '''Sarah:''' I never wanted a family. My father stripped me of that desire. He took my childhood, my innocence, my life. And then I took yours. I became what I hated and feared most and you became my victim.
* ADayInTheLimeLight: ''Innocence Lost'' is more her story than Laura's.
* ApocalypticLog: Sarah's letter to X-23 is used as the narration for the story.
* BabyFactory: Rice forces Sarah to become one after she violates her orders and creates a female clone.
* CassandraTruth:
** As a child, Sarah's mother and sister didn't believe the accusations that her father was abusing her.
** Sarah tries to warn Sutter that Rice is letting his personal feelings about Wolverine interfere with the project, but Sutter has none of it.
* DeathByOriginStory: Sarah is already dead by the time of Laura's first appearances in the books. She first appears alive in ''Comicbook/InnocenceLost'', and a flashback scene in ''Target: X''.
* DysfunctionalFamily: Has this with her sister, due to the latter failing to support her over the abuse she suffered from their father. Sarah cuts off contact with her entirety, [[spoiler:and only begins to reconcile after a serial killer targeting children abducts her niece, Megan, whom Sarah sends X-23 to rescue. Unfortunately, Sarah dies before the relationship can be permanently mended.]]
* HeelRealization: Sarah is increasingly disillusioned by her role in the project, and undergoes a full HeelRealization when X-23 reveals [[spoiler:Rice sent her to kill Martin Sutter and his family. X-23's decision to disobey orders and spare Henry Sutter ultimately leads Sarah to carrying out her HeelFaceTurn]].
* HeelFaceTurn: Of the three project leads, Sarah was from the beginning the most sympathetic. However initially even ''she'' was only focused on doing the job at hand, knowing full well they were working on creating a LivingWeapon. However Sarah becomes increasingly disillusioned with the unnecessary abuse Rice is allowed to inflict on X-23, before finally getting fed up after [[spoiler:X-23 reveals that Rice sent her to kill Sutter and his family.]]
* HotScientist: Sarah's quite the looker.
* MamaBear: Drives Sarah's HeelFaceTurn and decision to turn X-23 loose on the facility.
* PosthumousCharacter: Sarah dies in ''Innocence Lost'', but continues to have an impact on Laura in her subsequent series. "The Killing Dream" arc of the Liu series shows how heavily her death continues to weigh on Laura's conscience, and it's one of the memories Doctor Strange views through the Eye of Agamotto, that helps convince him to help the Sisters in ''All-New Wolverine''.
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Sarah doesn't survive to build a life with X-23 after her HeelFaceTurn. Rice contaminates her with the Trigger Scent, leading X-23 to kill her ''just'' as they were about to escape.]]
* S{{he Knows Too Much}}: [[spoiler:Sarah knows everything about the project, particularly after Rice reveals the additional clones and his intent to sell them to the highest bidder. This pretty much guarantees Rice won't let her live long after he fires her.]]
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:Once Rice takes over and determines Sarah is no longer necessary to the project and is becoming too inconvenient, he fires her and tells her to visit X-23 one last time before she leaves. Turns out Rice had her with the Trigger Scent intending for X-23 to kill her when she did. X does kill her, but not until ''after'' Sarah unleashes her on the Facility and X kills Rice.]]
[[/folder]]

!!X-Men

[[folder:Beast]]
!!Henry [=McCoy=] / Beast
!!!'''Nationality:''' American
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutant
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 4''

''For general tropes about Beast, see his [[ComicBook/BeastMarvelComics page]].''
\\\
One of the original five X-Men, and their go-to genius. Hank [=McCoy=] assists Laura with her missions to bring down illicit genetic experimentation.
----
* MissionControl: Beast serves as this for Laura. He gave her the mission to investigate the disappearance of Dr. Marks at the Cuckoos' hands, and to investigate genetic trafficking through a local high school.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Jubilee]]
!!Jubilation Lee/Jubilee
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_jubilee.PNG]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' American
!!!'''Species:''' Human vampire
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 2 (One-Shot)'', ''X-23 Vol. 3''

''For general tropes about Jubilee, see her [[Comicbook/JubileeMarvelComics page]].''
\\\
A former mutant, Jubilee was depowered as a result of M-Day, and later was turned into a vampire. Her struggles to control her violent and monstrous impulses allow her to empathize with Laura, and they establish a quick and close friendship because of how well they understand one another.
----
* CoolBigSis: Jubilee to Laura. Although canonically she wasn't much older than Laura before she was turned, she's nonetheless an experienced X-Man, and much like Gambit offers Laura support and help, particularly by trying to break her out of her shell and teaching her to enjoy life.
* CuteLittleFangs: Often revealed when she smiles, ''especially'' in the issues drawn by Takeda.
* DarkActionGirl: Not by choice. Though still bubbly, her vampirism has given her a darker edge, and she's just as capable a killer as Laura. It's her own efforts to control these darker impulses that grants her such a close perspective on Laura's own troubles.
* DarkIsNotEvil: As noted above, she's ''supposed'' to be a violent and blood-thirsty killer due to her affliction and has certainly evolved into a formidable killer, but Jubilee is still the bubbly and adorable mall rat.
* FireForgedFriends: Gambit introduced Jubilee to X-23 thinking she could help Laura overcome her issues. Laura immediately attacked Jubilee thinking she was an enemy, and was jealous of how Wolverine treated her. However they eventually bonded over their shared issues with controlling their bloodlust.
* GenkiGirl: Although she ''can'' be serious when the situation calls for it, Jubilee's bubbly and carefree demeanor stands in stark contrast to Laura's stoicism.
* ManicPixieDreamGirl: Jubilee's foremost concern during the solo series is getting Laura to lighten up and actually ''enjoy'' life. Whether that means dragging her out shopping at an expensive Paris boutique, hitting up the nightclubs in New York City, or base jumping sans-parachute off the Eifle Tower.
* MustMakeHerLaugh: Pretty much assigns herself the mission of getting Laura to lighten up and learn to enjoy life.
* NotSoDifferent: Jubilee and Laura realize they have much in common, with X-23 having to struggle with finding herself and the trigger scent and Jubilee struggling to control her newfound bloodlust. They get along [[HeterosexualLifePartners really well though]].
* VitriolicBestBuds: Jubilee and Laura didn't get off on the right foot: when she first arrived in Paris, Laura actually almost took Jubilee's head off, reacting almost instinctively as if Jubilee was a threat, and was jealous of Logan's affectionate behaviour towards Jubilee in contrast to his standoffish attitude towards her. It took a little time for Laura to warm up to her.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Hellion]]
!!Julian Keller/Hellion
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_hellion.PNG]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' American
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutant
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 3''

One of the [[Comicbook/NewMutants New X-Men]], and Laura's sort-of-boyfriend, they share a mutual attraction but Laura's struggles with her emotions has prevented her from truly exploring the relationship. Hellion was crippled during Bastion's assault on San Francisco.
----
* ForcefulKiss: Plants one on Laura at the end of ''Misadventures in Babysitting'', but she rejects him.
* HandicappedBadAss: Hellion may have lost his hands, but his telekinesis is as strong as ever.
* HeroicBSOD: Is in the middle of a ''bad'' one when he shows up in ''Misadventures in Babysitting'' after killing Karima to defend Utopia. It undoes much of his prior CharacterDevelopment and reverts him to his previous {{Jerkass}} persona.
* InTheBack: When Hellverine assaults Laura she attacks him in self-defense. Julian walks in in time to see her stab Logan's body, but not realizing what's actually going on he restrains her with his power to check on Logan. While trying to talk Laura down when she makes an attempt to explain, Hellverine gets back up and stabs him in the back.
* JerkassHasAPoint: When Laura breaks off their relationship at the end of the babysitting arc of the Liu series, he gets angry and says some very hurtful things about her having no feelings in response. Many readers, including X-23's ''fans'', agree that while he may have taken it too far he was also ''right'' considering how cold and distant Laura was to him throughout the arc.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: His attempts to help Laura when Val and Franklin Richards are kidnapped invariably just end up making things worse.
* [[PsychoExGirlfriend Psycho Ex-Boyfriend]]: He spends his brief appearance in ''Girl's Night Out'' spying on Laura from a distance while she's hanging out with Jubilee and Gambit. Jubilee pretty much treats him like this.
* TheseHandsHaveKilled: The first time Laura sees Julian during ''Misadventures in Babysitting'' it's strongly implied that this is part of why he's acting out the way he is. He outright makes an attempt to reach out to Laura for support hoping she would understand, but she rebuffs him.
* TookALevelInJerkass: When Julian first appears in ''The Killing Dream'', he's still acting on the CharacterDevelopment he received under Kyle and Yost during their stint on ''New X-Men'', and he and Dust are her only friends who staunchly defend her participation in X-Force. However when he returns during ''Misadventures in Babysitting'' he's become much more angry and bitter over the way he's been treated since being forced to kill Karima, and when Laura breaks things off with him he loses his temper and says some ''very'' hurtful things.
* WillTheyOrWontThey: At the beginning of her solo series, Laura is still struggling to understand what she feels for Julian, though he's much more certain about how he feels about her. [[spoiler: Laura eventually decides to break things off with him]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gambit]]
!!Remy [=LeBeau=]/Gambit
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_gambit.PNG]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' American
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutant
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 3''

''For general tropes about Gambit, see his [[Comicbook/{{Gambit}} page]]''
\\\
The master thief and X-Man, Gambit accompanies Laura when she leaves on her journey of self-discovery following the events of ''[[ComicBook/XMenSecondComing Second Coming]]'' to help and support her through this difficult stage of her life. That Remy knows what it is to be looked at and judged for past actions gives him a unique perspective on Laura's situation.
----
* AffectionateNickname: It's Gambit. His name for Laura is ''Petite''.
* BigBrotherMentor: As with Wolverine, Gambit uses his experience to help guide Laura, and their relationship evolves into this. It's ultimately his idea that the rest of the X-Men allow her to leave and find her own way, and although Laura already came to the decision herself, Gambit is the one that convinces Cyclops to let her go.
* CoolOldGuy: Laura comes to respect him immensely, and looks up to him as a mentor.
* FortuneTeller: Remy learned to tell people's fortunes with playing cards from another thief he knew in "N'awlins." He uses his card deck to tell Laura's after she killed a man who murdered another girl.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Gambit treats Hellion like dirt over his actions killing Karima, and along with Wolverine wants to keep him away from Laura. Even though Gambit has done ''far'' worse things than Julian and been forgiven for them.
* ImpossibleThief: Jokingly invoked. Gambit lampshades his reputation in a conversation with Storm, when she says she hopes he can make Laura smile:
-->'''Gambit:''' I'm the best thief in the world, Chere. If I can't make her smile...I'll steal one for her.
* IntergenerationalFriendship: One of many of her elders Laura establishes a close friendship with.
* MoralityPet: While he's letting Laura find her own way, Gambit nonetheless acts as this to help keep her centered and focused.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Stepford Cuckoos]]
!!The Stepford Cuckoos
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cuckoos.PNG]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Mindee, Phoebe, and Celeste]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' American
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutant clones
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 4''

''For general tropes about the Cuckoos, see their [[ComicBook/StepfordCuckoos page]]''
\\\
Three identical telepaths, the Cuckoos (Mindee/Irma, Phoebe, and Celeste) were one of many products of the Weapon Plus program. Originally known as the Five-in-One, two of the sisters (Sophie and Esme) were killed, leaving them as the Three-in-One. They have since joined the X-Men, and much like Laura have struggled to put their past as a collective HumanWeapon behind them.
----
* BackForTheDead: [[spoiler:Sophie is resurrected in issue 1, only to be immediately killed off by Esme to ensure her own survival in issue 2. However issue 4 reveals her psychic ghost is still hanging around, and is currently hitching a ride with Laura.]]
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:Esme and Sophie have been resurrected in new clone bodies.]]
* BodyBackupDrive: [[spoiler:Esme and Sophie return in issue 1 using cloned bodies.]]
* CainAndAbel: [[spoiler:Sophie was from the start the most heroic of the Cuckoos, but is especially this for Esme. Esme was the most overtly villainous, particularly towards Sophie, who died because of her machinations. Esme kills her ''again'' in issue 1, since in their current fragile states only one is likely to survive and she insists that she deserves it most. Esme outright murders Sophie to ensure her own survival.]]
* CameBackWrong: Esme wasn't exactly right to begin with, having always been the most overtly villainous Cuckoo. However her multiple stints as a corpse has pretty much sent her off the deep end.
* TheCassandra: [[spoiler:In issue 2 Mindee/Irma appears to recognize something isn't right about the plan, but Celeste and Phoebe shout her down in their determination to maintain the now-Four-in-One.]]
* CloneDegeneration: [[spoiler:Esme and Sophie's new bodies are breaking down because their immune systems are unable to tolerate their psychic hive mind with their sisters.]]
* DeaderThanDead: [[spoiler:According to Sophie, Esme is this after the Cuckoos band together to defeat her. Whether or not it ''sticks'' this time given the state of comic book death is another matter...]]
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler:Celeste on the end of Gabby's claw, after Sophie reveals herself and exposes Esme's treachery, and Esme-in-Gabby's body loses patience with her sisters. Fortunately it wasn't fatal.]]
* ItsAllAboutMe: [[spoiler:Esme makes it clear in her MotiveRant in issue 4 that the plot isn't so much about reuniting the Five-In-One as it is empowering ''herself''.]]
* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler:The Three-In-One crosses the line in issue 2 by kidnapping Gabby as part of their plan. Only Mindee expresses any real reluctance.]]
* HeelFaceTurn: Mindee in issue 5 once Sophie reveals what Esme has actually been doing, followed by Celeste and Phoebe when they realize they've been played.
* HeelRealization: A preemptive one by Mindee in issue 1. She warns her sisters if they proceed with their plan they'll be the bad guys.
* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: [[spoiler:If murdering her ''own sister'' didn't do it, then willfully stealing the body of an innocent 13 year-old girl was certainly this moment for Esme]].
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Sophie and Esme. Again. With the former telling Laura she took measures to make sure Esme was DeaderThanDead.]]
* ManipulativeBitch: [[spoiler:Esme spent the first arc pulling the strings of the other Cuckoos, and is the driving force of their plot. Only Mindee is hesitant to go through with it.]]
* NotSoDifferent: Laura notes in issue 1 that she and the Cuckoos have similar pasts and backgrounds; all of them were clones made to be weapons, but turned out much different than their creators intended.
* OurGhostsAreDifferent: It's not entirely clear ''what'' [[spoiler:Sophie and Esme actually are; whether they're the actual psychic ghosts of the original Sophie and Esme, or a consciousness constructed from the memories of Mindee, Phoebe, and Celeste. Sophie and Esme at least both seem to have their own memories, and Sophie's consciousness survived the death of her cloned body in issue 1, to hitch a ride with Laura.]]
* TokenGoodTeammate:
** Mindee is the only one who expresses any reluctance or concerns about what they're doing.
** [[spoiler:Sophie, who was always the most unambiguously good sister, plants her consciousness into Laura in order to stop Esme's plan.]]
* WalkingSpoiler: As can be seen from all the white space, it's ''very'' difficult to discuss the Cuckoos without spoiling a substantial part of the first arc.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:Esme killed Sophie because the latter's body was breaking down much faster than hers, and only one of them could be transferred into Gabby's body. She also begins to take this view of Mindee because of her wavering resolve and HeelRealization.]]
[[/folder]]

!!Other Superheroes

[[folder:Daredevil]]
!!Matt Murdock / Daredevil
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_murdock.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Good Cop]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' American
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutate
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X''

''For general tropes about Daredevil, see his [[Comicbook/{{Daredevil}} page]]''
\\\
When Comicbook/CaptainAmerica finally catches up with X-23 and brings her in, he calls upon Daredevil to assist him with the interrogation. However as the facts of Laura's tortured life come to light, he begins to doubt her guilt.
----
* GoodCopBadCop: He's the Good Cop. Subverted in that it's ''not an act''. Matt is genuinely sympathetic to Laura's plight, and recognizes that the situation is much more complicated than Steve realizes.
* LivingLieDetector: This is basically what Cap wants to use him for. All he wants is for Matt to confirm that Laura isn't lying about her identity so he can bring her in to S.H.I.E.L.D.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: While Cap is driven almost to the point of obsession to bring Laura to justice, Matt takes the time to ''actually'' listen to what she's saying, and quickly realizes she's as much a victim as the people she killed. He immediately appoints himself her lawyer in an effort to protect her from what's sure to be a KangarooCourt.
* ReasonYouSuckSpeech: Delivers one to Cap pointing out how he and S.H.I.E.L.D. will be NotSoDifferent than the Facility of Steve continues his pursuit of Laura.
* WhatTheHellHero: Matt gets outright ''furious'' with Steve over the way he persecutes Laura, and his refusal to acknowledge S.H.I.E.L.D. will just use her, as well. ''Especially'' when he calls him out for endangering her only hope at healing from the damage done to her by taking her away from Logan.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Captain America]]
!!Steve Rogers / Captain America
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_cap.PNG]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Bad Cop]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' American
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutate
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X''

''For general tropes about Rogers, see his [[Comicbook/CaptainAmerica page]]''
\\\
Legendary super soldier and long-time Avenger Captain America was one of the first responders on the scene of Laura's test mission. She escaped him by masquerading as the sole surviving victim, and his guilt over allowing her to escape drove him to ''personally'' lead the pursuit for her for the better part of a decade.
----
* HeelRealization: Murdock's lecture finally sinks in and Steve realizes he was right all along right as he's about to turn Laura in to S.H.I.E.L.D. Instead he takes a chance and lets her go.
* HeroAntagonist: Of ''Target: X''. There's no doubts that Steve is one of ''the'' true heroes of the Marvel Universe, but his determination to hunt down X-23 and bring her to justice casts him firmly as this.
* GoodCopBadCop: He's the bad cop when he and Murdock are interrogating Laura. Subverted in that it's ''not an act''. Cap is hostile and belligerent towards Laura, and can only see her as a remorseless, merciless killer responsible for the deaths of hundreds. He even loses his temper with ''Matt'' when he tries to defend her and appoints himself her lawyer.
* InspectorJavert: Cap was so guilt-ridden over allowing her escape following the Johnson assassination, he spent the better part of ''ten years'' personally trying to hunt her down. He was so blinded by his determination he couldn't even recognize at first that she was as much a victim as the people she killed.
* KangarooCourt: As far as Steve is concerned Laura is guilty. He refuses to listen to Matt's insistence that the situation isn't actually so cut and dried.
* MyGreatestFailure: He demonstrates shades of this after Laura slipped his grasp in the aftermath of her test mission, and subsequently blamed himself for all the killings she was subsequently able to carry out.
* NotSoDifferent: Daredevil gives him a ''hell'' of a lecture about how he and S.H.I.E.L.D. aren't that far off from the Facility. S.H.I.E.L.D. very likely would have pressed Laura into service as ''their'' unstoppable assassin and secret agent, rather than see that justice was done for her killings, and Rogers's obsession with hunting her down made him no better, as it led to him directly threatening her only hope to escape what the Facility made her. See WhatTheHellHero.
* WhatTheHellHero: Murdock utterly tears him down over his determination to bring Laura to justice, pointing out Steve's blind faith in turning her over to S.H.I.E.L.D., that Laura was as much a victim as the people she killed, and that Steve was robbing her of her only hope for redemption and recovery.
[[/folder]]

!!The Facility

An American civilian offshoot of the Weapon Plus program which experimented on Wolverine, ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}, ComicBook/{{Sabretooth}}, and numerous others. The Facility managed to obtain genetic samples salvaged by Weapon Plus scientist Dale Rice during Logan's rampage, which were used to create X-23 during their attempts at replicating Weapon X years later. They have made several efforts since to recapture her.

[[folder:Desmond Alexander]]
!!Desmond Alexander
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_alexander.jpg]]
!!!'''Species:''' Human
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X''

Deborah Kinney's live-in boyfriend, Desmond was later revealed to be a mole planted by the Facility. It's unclear whether he was planted with her after Sarah was hired as a means of keeping tabs on her family, or if he was placed with her after X-23's escape in hopes she would turn up there. Regardless of which, he was ultimately killed by Laura when he accidentally spilled trigger scent on himself.
----
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Kimura ordered him to dose Megan and Debbie with the trigger scent to force Laura to kill them. However he literally ran into Megan while carrying the doctored tea and spilled it all over the both of them. Laura subsequently tore him apart.
* IdiotBall: Of all the ways he could have tried dosing Debbie with trigger scent, putting it in her ''tea'' probably invited the most ways for it to go wrong. [[HoistByHisOwnPetard And it did, with lethal results (for him).]]
* TheMole: Placed by the Facility, presumably to either keep tabs on Sarah Kinney's family, or to watch for X-23 to resurface after her escape.
* ParentWithNewParamour: He's the paramour. However he's actually a Facility plant.
* RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: He tries to spike Debbie's tea with the trigger scent in order to force Laura to kill her. He gets it on ''himself'' instead, and [[HoistByHisOwnPetard she ends up gutting him instead]]. No tears were shed.
* TwoFirstNames: Desmond and Alexander.
* YoureNotMyFather: It's relatively subtle, but Megan has this attitude towards him.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kimura]]
!!Kimura
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x_23_target_x_vol_1_5_textless.jpg]]
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutate
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X''

Kimura is a normal human who was modified by the Facility expressly to serve in the capacity of Laura's handler in the event she ever got out of control. A sadistic psychopath, Kimura inflicted severe physical and emotional abuse on her while she was at the Facility, and is obsessed with tracking her down and recovering her. Her body has been granted increased physical density, which makes her virtually indestructible.
----
* AbusiveParents: Kimura's FreudianExcuse is that her mother neglected her, her father abused her, and she was subjected to a ''lot'' of bullying as a child. Her grandmother attempted to undo the damage, but by then it was too late and Kimura later takes it all out on Laura.
* AchillesHeel: Her body is indestructible, but she's just as vulnerable to gas or smoke inhalation, [[spoiler:and drowning]] as would be any normal human.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: {{Subverted}}. Kimura ''thinks'' she's this to Laura, however while she does demonstrate skill as a fighter, she relies much more on her indestructibility than ''actual'' ability. And while Laura may not be able to defeat her in a straight fight, she's demonstrated ''far'' more resourcefulness when dealing with her.
* ArchEnemy: Kimura becomes this for Laura in ''Target: X''. Her indestructibility makes her impossible for Laura to kill with her claws. Additionally, their backgrounds are NotSoDifferent granting even more parallels between the two.
* AmbiguouslyBrown: Her ethnicity is never established in the books, but she's consistently depicted as somewhat darker-complexioned with vaguely ethnic features than those around her. "Kimura" is also a Japanese surname, but whether this is ''actually'' her name or one she merely adopted after being modified by the Facility is never stated.
* AxeCrazy: She's a violent and sadistic psychopath who actually ''enjoys'' the fact her job allows her to beat the shit out of a ''child''. When she manages to catch up to Laura at Megan and Debbie's house, she's positively ''gleeful'' when she begins ''slowly pushing her finger into Megan's chest'' to punish Laura for running away.
* BoobsOfSteel: Very tough. Massive chest.
* TheBrute: Although she leads the squad sent to retrieve Laura, in ''Target X'', she's still working for the Facility as one of their main enforcers. Her methods...aren't exactly subtle, she's a sadistic bully who loves to torment Laura just because she ''can'', and she relies mostly on her indestructibility to get the jobs done and is not nearly as clever as she likes to think; Laura can't beat her in a direct confrontation, and routinely defeats her by outsmarting her (such as distracting her by triggering an ''entire belt of grenades'' she's wearing in ''New X-Men'').
* TheBully: Torments others in order to feel better about herself.
* CleavageWindow: Her most common outfit has one.
* CripplingOverspecialization: Kimura relies almost entirely on her invulnerability. As a result, while Laura can't kill her with her claws, she's still the better fighter. [[spoiler:This becomes a critical factor in her death: Had Kimura not relied so heavily on her indestructible body, she might have been able to fight off Laura's attempt to drown her in the sea off Madripoor.]]
* DarkActionGirl: Kimura is able to hold her own against Laura in a hand-to-hand fight, even though it owes more to her indestructibility than skill. She's also an AxeCrazy psychopath.
* DragonTheirFeet: Kimura wasn't present when Sarah kicked off Laura's escape from the Facility. ''Target X'' reveals she arrived in the aftermath, briefly cornering Laura before Laura triggered an avalanche to escape. She later tracks her to the Kinney household.
* TheDreaded: Laura is generally unflappable in the face of danger, and responds to threats in a cool and detached manner. Kimura ''terrifies'' her.
* DumbMuscle: At least in comparison to Laura. Kimura rarely demonstrates any strategy more elaborate than "beat it or torture it into submission."
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Her grandmother, who tried to save her from her father.
* {{Expy}}: A case can be made that she's a slightly more sympathetic [[DistaffCounterpart female]] Sabretooth.
* FeelNoPain: When Kimura is using her invulnerability her nerves register impact but no pain.
* FoeRomanceSubtext: Kimura is positively ''obsessed'' with Laura, and takes great pleasure in torturing her whenever she has the opportunity (she approached taking a ''chainsaw'' to Laura's arm with rather disturbing enthusiasm). Much of her other behavior tends towards being stalkerish in nature, and is very comparable to that of an obsessive and jilted lover. This has not gone unnoticed by the fanbase and a certain segment has made Kimura's interest outright romantic or sexual (see ShipToShipCombat under YMMV).
* FreudianExcuse: She's a victim of abuse who went on to abuse others.
* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: Kimura was born to an abusive alcoholic father and a negligent mother. Her school life was similar, as she was abused and tormented by her peers. Through unspecified means at some point in time, Kimura's grandmother became her caregiver. At once, her grandmother tried to heal the emotional damage inflicted upon Kimura through nurturing, love, and understanding. However, by that point the emotional scars were permanent and her grandmother's attempts to reach her were futile. After her grandmother's fatal heart attack, Kimura took off, eventually coming into contact with the Facility. She then underwent some unspecified procedure that granted her physical invulnerability, density control, and reconstruction. She then exacted revenge against those in her past who had wronged her. During her time at the Facility, Kimura eventually assumed the same abusive role as the people who victimized her in the past, particularly to Laura. When Emma Frost learns of this by reading her mind, she admits that her past was horrible and no child deserves the life she was born into. However, Emma is not sympathetic with her, and is in fact deeply disgusted with her, pointing out she is a bully plain and simple. She became the very person she hated and feared growing up. She made Laura into her victim and gave her the same horrible life she lived through and didn't care because even though she knew all too well the pain Laura suffered, and she enjoyed inflicting it. Emma doesn't hesitate to mind-wipe her, making her forget about her grandmother — the only influential positive person in her life — creating "a deep void that will cause [her] pain for a lifetime."
-->'''Emma Frost''': You are a bully plain and simple. A product from your past... Being kicked around your whole life an alcoholic father and uncaring mother at home, only to find the same waiting for you from your peers in the schoolyard, day in and day out. You were born into a life you did not deserve... A life no child deserves. Someone needs to fill the role of the victim and you played that part for so many until your grandmother came to your rescue. She called you her "sweet child." She did everything she could to undo the damage everyone else had done. But sadly she came too late, all that hope and good you held onto was beaten out long ago. After your grandmother's heart attack, you found your way to the Facility to the men that could give what you wanted badly... Revenge. A hollow prize, but one you begged for. And once you'd gotten the best of those who wronged you, you became the very person you hated and feared growing up. And X-23 played the role of your victim. Like you, Laura didn't deserve that horrible life, no child does remember? But you didn't care. Even though you knew all too well the pain she suffered, you enjoyed inflicting it. You still enjoy it. That's why you're a bully.
* FightsLikeANormal: Lacking any other powers, Kimura has to fight like a regular human being, albeit one who is entirely invulnerable. However her increased density does have some secondary effects. For example, she can push a finger through someone's ''skull''.
* TheHeavy: Rice may be the Big Bad but Kimura is much more active than him.
* ImplacableMan: She's had an ''entire belt'' full of grenades — ''that she was wearing at the time!'' — blow up in her face and got right back up again.
* KillItWithWater: Her NighInvulnerability allows her to tank pretty much everything thrown at her, although it doesn't make her [[spoiler: immune to drowning, something that Laura capitalizes on to kill the sick bitch for good.]]
* KarmicDeath: After sadistically abusing Laura for pretty much her entire life and dedicating her entire existence to making her suffer, to say that it was satisfying to see the very person who she victimized over the years [[spoiler: condemn her to a watery grave is an {{Understatement}}.]]
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Laura drowns her after figuring out her LogicalWeakness in issue 18 of ''All New Wolverine''.]]
* LackOfEmpathy: For everyone who isn't her grandmother.
* LogicalWeakness: For all her strength and invulnerability she still needs to breathe.
* MadeOfIron: Kimura has been modified by the Facility with increased body density, effectively making her indestructible.
* NighInvulnerability: Her ability to shift her density enables her to harden her skin until not even adamantium can penetrate it. This is why she was assigned to handle X-23.
* PsychoExGirlfriend: Kimura's obsession with Laura often leaves her coming across like a psycho jilted lover.
* PutOnABus: Kimura disappears after Laura and Agent Morales destroy a Facility installation where the former has been imprisoned.
** TheBusCameBack: In All-New Wolverine.
* PsychopathicWomanchild: Most of her sadistic psychopathy can be easily chalked up as MisplacedRetribution for her shitty childhood and bullying, if she’s not doing it to hide her own insecurities about herself.
* {{Sadist}}: Of both the petty and borderline serial killer variety.
%%* SadistTeacher
* SlasherSmile: She often sports [[http://static3.comicvine.com/uploads/original/1/11556/255344-63648-kimura.JPG one]] [[http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/original/0/77/130061-138415-kimura.jpg worthy]] of Comicbook/TheJoker himself. In one case she wears it while ''carving Laura up with a chainsaw''.
* SmugSnake: She's dangerous, but when she runs into someone who can actually hurt her (specifically, a wrathful Emma Frost), things do not end well for her.
* StoneWall: Doesn't hit any harder than a {{muggle}} but is virtually impossible to injure.
* SuperStrength: Possesses this to a limited extent as a result of her increased body density. She's been shown putting her ''fist'' through the skull of a Predator X. For the record, these are creatures with hides that even ''Laura's and Wolverine's claws'' couldn't cut.
* TortureTechnician: She ''loves'' to torture Laura, and pretty much anyone Laura cares about even if they ''don't'' get in the way of recovering her. Her methods are fairly crude, however, as she usually relies on her bare hands, and threatens to use her heightened body density to ''push her hand into Megan's chest'' to rip out her heart.
* TheSociopath: [[AxCrazy Gleefully psychotic]], an extraordinary LackOfEmpathy for everyone except her grandmother and completely unrepentant of her monstrous actions right up to the moment she [[spoiler: finally expires at Laura’s hands.]]
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The last we see of her was in ''X-Force'', when she threatened to hunt down and kill Laura's cousin and aunt, right before the Facility installation Laura had been held in gets blown up. Considering Kimura is pretty much indestructible it's almost certain she's still alive, but over five years after that issue was released she has yet to reappear.[[spoiler: She returns in issue 6 of All-New Wolverine.]]
* YouAreNumberSix: Kimura as a rule refers to Laura as X-23, and not by her "real" name.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Matin Sutter]]
!!Dr. Martin Sutter
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sutter.jpg]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' American
!!!'''Species:''' Human
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X''

Director of the Facility when Laura was created, he hired Sarah Kinney upon learning of her proposal to clone Wolverine. While he didn't have a direct hand in the abuse heaped upon her, Sutter nonetheless gave Rice tremendous leeway in handling the project, and created the environment which allowed him to torment her. Sutter was close friends with Weapon X scientist Dale Rice, and when Rice was killed by Wolverine during his escape from the installation where he was experimented on, Sutter practically raised his young son Zander. [[spoiler: His blind faith and trust in Zander Rice cost him his life, as Rice would later manipulate him into turning over control of the project before sending X-23 to kill him.]]
----
* AssholeVictim: Although Martin Sutter didn't take a direct hand in X-23 brutal upbringing that Rice did, he fostered the environment which enabled him to do so. Sutter summarily rejected every suggestion or warning Sarah Kinney made, and his entire motivation for the project was sheer greed. He never ''once'' had misgivings about what he and Rice were doing, and it's hard to feel a shred of sympathy for him when Rice manipulates him into turning over full control to him, and then sends X-23 to kill him.
* BaldOfAwesome: Sutter's commanding presence is certainly helped by his clean-shaven head.
** BaldOfEvil: Overlapping with this, especially once his ''actual'' [[MoneyDearBoy motives]] for the project are revealed.
* BeardOfEvil: Sports a goatee, which becomes more sinister as his crueler intentions are exposed.
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Sarah is interested in the project for the challenge, and because she believes they are working for the greater good of national defense. It's unclear whether or not Sutter began this way as well, but by the end, it's clearly revealed that the only thing he ''really'' sees are dollar signs.
* HappilyMarried: Sutter has a good relationship with his wife Rachel, and son Henry. [[spoiler:Or at least, so he ''thinks''.]]
* ObstructiveBureaucrat: Sutter ignores Sarah's warnings that Rice has become too personally invested in the project when she realizes the amount of abuse Rice is inflicting on X-23, instead accusing her of being too attached. Earlier, when Sarah tries to tell Sutter that tissue damage to the samples makes her theory of doubling the X chromosome a more viable alternative, he rejects the proposal and orders her to proceed according to the original plan. When she disobeys and creates the female clone anyway, he only acquiesces when she flat-out tells him he can either have the viable female clone right now, or wait for years until they could maybe create a viable male clone, essentially forcing his hand.
* ParentalSubstitute: Sutter is this for Rice, after Wolverine kills Dale Rice escaping Weapon X
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Sutter starts off as this, showing great interest in Sarah's proposal to clone Weapon X. However he becomes increasingly obstructive as the series continues. Not helped at all by the fact that he's blindly supportive of Rice and completely ignores Sarah's warnings about him.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:When Sutter begins showing signs of exhaustion over managing the project, Rice manipulates him into turning over control of the project, and then sends X-23 to kill him.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Robert Chandler]]
!!Robert Chandler
!!!'''Nationality:''' American
!!!'''Species:''' Human cyborg
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 4''

Formerly head of Alchemax Genetics, and responsible for the creation of The Sisters, Chandler was later revealed to have been part of the Facility ''itself'', where he developed the Trigger Scent used to control X-23.
----
* EvilCripple: He's back to his old tricks in issue 8, attempting to perfect the X-23 project and his efforts to replicate it with The Sisters by creating the X-Assassin. He's also sporting animatronic prosthetic knees after Laura {{Kneecap|ping}}ed him in ''All-New Wolverine'' #6.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Zander Rice]]
!!Dr. Zander Rice
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1631764c7120607298e9ad44416ed2b2.jpg]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' American
!!!'''Species:''' Human
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X''

Surgical head of the X-23 project, Rice's father, Dale, was attached to the original Weapon X experiment that bonded adamantium to Wolverine's skeleton. Dale was killed attempting to escape the installation with genetic material during Logan's rampage, leaving Zander to be practically raised by his father's close friend, Martin Sutter. Rice grew up harboring a deep resentment for Wolverine, and this brought him into conflict with Sarah Kinney after her proposal to clone the mutant who killed his father. He became one of Laura's chief tormentors at the Facility after her birth, and subjected her to much of the abuse and torture she experienced.
----
* AbusiveParents: Although not X-23's father, as the senior scientist working on the project he effectively serves as such, and inflicts most of the physical abuse X-23 receives in the book.
* AssholeVictim: When X-23 kills Zander Rice, she puts away the claws and beats him for ''ten minutes'' in a truly brutal NoHoldsBarredBeatdown. Rice tortured and both physically and emotionally abused Laura ''all her life'' to that point,[[note]]Forcibly activating her HealingFactor at ''age seven'' with fatal dosages of radiation, removing her claws one at a time for coating in adamantium ''without anasthesia'', torturing her into responding to an olfactory trigger that sends her into a berserker rage whenever she smells it and using it to force her to murder the only two people at the Facility who cared about her, intentionally leaving her behind to be killed on a mission out of spite, and placing her in the "care" of the sadistic Kimura, among other things. And he only did this because Wolverine killed his father and Laura was created using his genetic material.[[/note]] so it makes the scene ''far'' more satisfying to read than watching someone get pounded into an unrecognizable pulp would normally be.
* AxCrazy: Although he has an almost unflappable demeanour, his [[DissonantSerenity reaction]] to even his most atrocious acts and the [[SlasherSmile amount of fun]] he's having in torturing X-23 subtly shows that he's.....not well.
* BigBad: While Sutter is certainly a CorruptCorporateExecutive and ObstructiveBureaucrat, it's ultimately Rice who's the real villain of the story.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: A {{Deconstruction}} as this is a rare instance of this being a negative trait, as his obsession with his father's death has turned him into an [[AxCrazy insane]] misanthrope who believes that the tragedy justifies all of his actions, regardless of how heinous. [[AvertedTrope Averted]] with his adoptive father Martin Sutter and son Henry Sutter. Despite Martin Sutter raising him after his father's death, and Henry Sutter being his son through an affair with Rachel Sutter, he doesn't hesitate to have X-23 to kill them for his own purposes (gaining total control of the project, and covering up his affari). And of course there's the fact that Zander was sleeping with his adoptive father's wife to begin with.
* EvilIsPetty: ''Good God'', if he’s not torturing X-23 in place of her genetic father, then he’s doing all sorts of spiteful shit to her and others just to be a childish dickhead.
* FreudianExcuse: Rice blames Wolverine for his father's death (not without reason, considering Wolverine gutted him). So because X-23 was created with Wolverine's DNA, he holds her responsible as well.
* {{Jerkass}}: Even before he takes a flying leap off the slippery slope, Rice was a dick who showed no regard for the mutants he was experimenting on, and was openly antagonistic towards and disparaging of Sarah. [[spoiler:He was also screwing around with Sutter's wife, Rachel, and fathered her son Henry. Remember, Sutter practically ''raised'' Rice after his father was killed by Wolverine.]] When his true nature and depths of his depravity are revealed, then this trope is him at his most nice.
* KarmicDeath: After X-23 ambushes him, she vents all her rage at his abuse, torture and dehumanisation by putting away the claws and spending the next ten minutes beating him until he’s nothing but a bloody mess just barely clinging to life, before leaving him to perish in the destruction of the Facility.
* KickTheSonOfABitch: [[spoiler:His ordering Martin Sutter death at X-23's hands is certainly meant to be a sign of just how off the slippery slope Rice has leaped, but damned if you don't feel Martin deserved it.]]
* ManipulativeBastard: Rice plays Sutter like a fiddle. It's never made clear whether Sutter ignores Sarah's warnings about Rice's behavior because of this, him not believing her, or because he just plain doesn't care. But there's no doubt that Rice knew exactly what buttons to push to get Sutter to turn over control of the project to him.
* MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate: Rice is a doctor, specifically a surgeon. He operates on and performs experiments on mutants in association with the Facility's attempts to recreate Weapon X, and many of the procedures he performs on X-23 fall ''way'' beyond the MoralEventHorizon (he shoves her in a radiation chamber and doses her with fatal levels of radiation at the age of ''seven'' just to forcibly activate her HealingFactor).
* OffingTheOffspring: Tries to pull this twice: First by deliberately leaving X-23 behind on a mission so she will be killed (Rice himself isn't her father, but played a substantial role in her creation). The second, is when he [[spoiler:attempts to cover up evidence of his affair with Rachel Sutter by sending X-23 to kill her and his son with her.]]
* ThePowerOfHate: All of his malicious, cruel, or sometimes downright psychotic actions has at least partly this at it's roots, for his hatred towards Wolverine for killing his father is the catalyst, and ultimately, the reason why he is so fucked in the head.
* PsychopathicManchild: Despite hiding it under a professional exterior, it’s clear from both his demeanour and his actions that under it all he’s only in it to hurt Laura for the murder of his father, all in a juvenile attempt to make Wolverine suffer. It doesn’t help that when behind closed doors or when feeling stressed he carries himself with the demeanour of an extremely unhinged, moody teenager.
* RevengeByProxy: Rice uses his father's death at Logan's hands to justify his horrific abuse of X-23.
* {{Sadist}}: It's obvious throughout his torture and surgical experiments on X-23 that he is enjoying every [[SlasherSmile single drop of pain that he is inflicting on the poor girl.]]
* SelfMadeOrphan: [[spoiler:Sort of. Wolverine killed his father escaping the Weapon X installation, after which Sutter became his father-figure. Rice sends X-23 to kill him so he can have total control of the project.]]
* TheSociopath: It's clear that he thoroughly enjoys tormenting the young X-23 beyond anything even unhealthy. He also has X-23 kill [[spoiler:Sutter and Sarah]] once [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness they have outlived their usefulness]], and [[spoiler:Sutter's wife and Henry, his own son by her, to cover up their affair. Henry only survives because Laura chose to spare him]].
* TragicKeepsake: His father's dog tags.
* UngratefulBastard: He is this to Martin Sutter. The man rased him after his father's death, gave him free rein on the project, and consistently backed him in almost every argument with Sarah. Rice repays him by sleeping with his wife behind his back and uses X-23 to murder him to take control of the project.
* UsedToBeASweetKid: Rice is introduced in the story as a wide-eyed toddler being told by Martin Sutter his father wouldn't be coming home. It goes downhill from there.
* WouldHurtAChild: He had zero qualms with hurting X-23 when she was younger, and [[spoiler:even tries to use her to kill his own son at one point.]]
* YouKilledMyFather: Well, ''Logan'' did, but he punishes X-23 for it [[RevengeByProxy by proxy]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tanaka]]
!!'''Tanaka'''
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tanaka.jpg]]

X-23's sensei, who trains her in hand-to-hand combat, and is one of the only people to treat her as a human being.
----
* BadassBeard: He sports a nice one.
** BadassMustache: To go with his BadassBeard.
* BaldOfAwesome: Although we never see him fight in earnest, this works with his BadassBeard and BadassMustache to create a nice badass package.
* KatanasAreJustBetter: Spars with X-23 using a katana.
* OldMaster: A gentle example of this.
* ParentalSubstitute: He displays a degree of grandfatherly affection for X-23, and treats her like an actual ''person'' rather than a weapon, despite his orders from Rice.
--> '''Sarah''' We were never to treat you as a child, only as a weapon, but not everyone followed those orders. I'm grateful for that.
* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler:Gets chosen as the test subject for the Trigger Scent, and X-23 subsequently tears him apart.]]
[[/folder]]

!!Other Antagonists

[[folder:Miss Sinister]]
!!Claudine Renko/Miss Sinister
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1590880_ms_step_inside_an_i_ll_tell_ya_all_about_it.png]]
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutate clone
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 3''

Claudine Renko is the end result of one of Mr. Sinister's ''many'' CrazyPrepared attempts to escape death. He infected her with a virus that, in the event of his death, would allow him to return to life using her body. Upon his death at Mystique's hands during ''Messiah Complex'' the virus activated, [[CloneByConversion increasingly turning Claudine into]] his OppositeSexClone. Claudine, of course, wants no part of it and sees Laura and her HealingFactor as a means of preventing Sinister's return.
----
* AlasPoorVillain: Despite what she tries to do to Laura, it's still pretty easy to sympathize with Claudine: She's a victim of Sinister's experiments, and never volunteered to be the vessel by which he attempted to cheat death. On top of that, now he's FightingFromTheInside to steal her body as a CloneByConversion, which will effectively kill Claudine in the process as he overwrites her mind and fully transforms her body into his own. The poor woman just wants to ''survive'' with her mind her own.
* AntiVillain: Claudine's actions are entirely motivated by self-preservation; she's afraid of what it will mean for her if Sinister returns, and she wasn't exactly a volunteer for his experiment to begin with.
* BodyBackupDrive: Sinister's virus has turned her into this. And much like a computer virus, Sinister is an invasive, malignant presence in Claudine's mind trying to take control of her, making the trope name even ''more'' appropriate.
* CloneByConversion: Sinister infected Claudine with a virus that's slowly converting her into a clone of his body. She had been able to fight this process, however by the time she encounters Laura she has recently suffered serious injuries at the hands of Daken, which has weakened her defenses and enabled Sinister to gain more control, at times even allowing him to manifest entirely.
* CorruptHick: Claudine has an army of corrupt police working for her.
* FightingFromTheInside: Claudine is in a constant battle against Mr. Sinister's attempts to hijack her body and return from death, with her describing him as a malignant presence in her mind.
* GlamourFailure: She attempts to seduce Gambit by masquerading as Laura. Regardless of whether she had him fooled at first, the scheme comes crashing down the second she slips and uses a contraction. Laura, however, uses SpockSpeak...
* GrandTheftMe: She plans to transfer her consciousness into Laura's body to keep Sinister from doing the same thing to ''her''. Sinister screws her over by taking over Laura's younger and healthier body ''himself'', until Laura gets fed up with the entire mess and kicks him out.
* OfCorsetsSexy: Spends most of her time walking around in a corset. And not much else.
* OppositeSexClone: A bizarre case: Claudine was once a normal woman Sinister used as one of his experiments. However when he was killed by Mystique, the virus he infected Claudine with has slowly been taking over her body and converting it into an exact clone of Sinister. Her efforts to save herself from this fate lead her to attempting a GrandTheftMe on Laura.
* SaveTheVillain: Subversion: X and Gambit leave her for dead. However ''Sinister'', whom she spent the arc trying to screw over, "saves" her instead. He promises to take care of her, but considering this is Sinister we're talking about, she may just have been better off being left to die.
* {{ShapeShifting}}: Claudine has some shapeshifting ability, and uses it at one point in an attempt to seduce Gambit while disgused as Laura.
* ShowingOffTheNewBody: Preemptively. Claudine is ''very'' appreciative how beautiful Laura is while in the midst of ''stealing her body''.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Her last appearance or mention in any comic was X-23 #6 (February 2011), leaving her ultimate fate after being "rescued" by Sinister unresolved until she finally resurfaced in ''Comicbook/XMenBlue'' #5 over six years later.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gamesmaster]]
!!Gamesmaster
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_gamesmaster.jpg]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' American
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutant
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 2 (One-Shot)'', ''X-23 Vol. 3''

An omnipathic mutant, Gamesmaster has been watching Laura for a long time, and he finds her mind soothing because it is one of the few places where he finds peace. Although not overtly malicious or threatening, he nonetheless is obsessed with making her "his."
----
* AbhorrentAdmirer: Gamesmaster is obsessed with Laura, and while he's not necessarily malevolent, he doesn't exactly take no for an answer, either.
* AMindIsATerribleThingToRead: Gamesmaster is able to read minds. ''All'' minds. ''Everywhere''. And he ''can't turn it off''. Part of what draws him to Laura is how quiet hers is.
* FoeRomanceSubtext: Gamesmaster is a bit stalkerish, declaring Laura his "wicked lovely girl." At least part of his attraction is simply how quiet her mind is, and he's an omnipath who can't shut off his powers.
* MindScrew: Subjects Laura to a mild one as he tries to convince her to submit to him.
* NotSoDifferent: He views Laura and himself as this, believing Laura understands what it is to lose pieces of oneself. Gamesmaster also says that there's been no difference between the Facility, [[Comicbook/{{NYX}} Zebra Daddy]], the X-Men, or himself; all of them seek to use and control Laura for their own ends.
* StalkerWithACrush: He wants Laura to be his, as much because he finds peace in her mind from the deluge of voices as for any other reason, calling her by numerous endearments such as his "wicked lovely girl." He refuses to leave her alone, and promises he will always be with her. He's also an omnipath, which means he can make good on it by invading her mind ''any time he wants'' from ''anywhere''.
* VillainousValor: He tries to protect Laura from Hellverine when the latter attempts to seduce her into joining him and commanding his armies. Hellverine cages and muzzles him pretty effortlessly as a gift to Laura for his trouble.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Hellverine]]
!!Hellverine
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_hellverine.PNG]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' Hell
!!!'''Species:''' Demon
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 3''

A demon who has taken control of Wolverine's body as part of a plot by the Red Right Hand to take revenge on Logan by killing those close to him. During his time masquerading as Logan on Utopia he approaches Laura with a disturbing proposal.
----
* AbhorrentAdmirer: Hellverine wants Laura to lead his armies. However his interest in her seems ''far'' more personal than that, especially when he approaches her in the form of (a naked) Cyclops, stroking her face and commenting on her looks.
* ChessWithDeath: Laura makes a bargain with him: If she can prove his assertions that she's nothing but a killing machine wrong, he'll leave her alone and restore Hellion's life. If she fails, she's his. [[spoiler: Laura defeats him with the aid of the [[Comicbook/CaptainUniverse Uni-Power]].]]
* DemonicPossession: He's a demon currently using Logan's body in the real world while he's trapped in hell. He also possesses Laura directly, hitch-hiking in her body for a time.
* EvilCannotComprehendGood: He honestly doesn't understand Laura's resistance to give in to her training and violent nature.
* FireAndBrimstoneHell: His domain resembles one.
* FoeRomanceSubtext: Hellverine comes after Laura because he wants her to lead his armies. However it's very heavily implied he just plain ''wants'' her. ''Particularly'' his behavior when he takes on the form of a naked Cyclops.
* GlamourFailure: Although he's able to fool everyone else (particularly Hellion, who almost pays the price for it), somehow he's not able to trick Laura, and she's aware there's something wrong with him from the beginning, even if she's not sure what.
* {{Hypocrite}}: He dismisses Gamesmaster, whom he caught in Laura's mind, as a pedophile. It doesn't seem to occur to Hellverine that he's essentially doing ''the exact same thing'' to her.
* MeatPuppet: Logan's body is the puppet, Hellverine is the puppeteer.
* NoSell: Laura stabs him through the heart with her claws when he molests her in the hospital, but it doesn't even tickle him. At least until Hellion walks in by chance...
* PuppeteerParasite: He's a demon inhabiting Logan's body.
* SlouchOfVillainy: Just look at his image.
* TheSoulless: Hellverine attempts to sway to his side by telling her that as a clone she doesn't have a soul. Although she throws off his influence, this continues to haunt her throughout her solo series.
* StalkerWithACrush: Much like Gamesmaster he doesn't believe in No Means No, and continues to hound her until she's ultimately able to throw off his presence and influence.
* WeCanRuleTogether: He wants Laura to lead his armies, but he also seems to want her as much as a consort than just a general.
* WreathedInFlames: After destroying a halfway house for depowered mutants he manifests to Laura [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings balrog-style]] in the wreckage as part of his attempts to sway her to his side.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Hooded Woman]]
!!Hooded Woman
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_hoodedwoman.PNG]]
[[caption-width-right:170:"As you were, I was. As I am, you will be."]]
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 3''

[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin A woman whose features are obscured by a hood]], with some connection to Laura's past. She appears twice during the Liu series, the first time working with Colcord in Madripoor, and procuring samples taken from Laura in the "Collision" crossover with Daken. She next turns up as the primary antagonist of "Touching Darkness," where she has unleashed a new form of trigger scent on the population of Paris that not affects ''anyone'' exposed to it, even without prior conditioning.
----
* BlackCloak: Worn with her hood, further helping to hide her identity.
* ConnectedAllAlong: The Hooded Woman has some sort of connection to Laura, and even cryptically hints at it with a quote from ''Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga'', by Creator/HunterSThompson.
--> ''“As you were, I was. As I am, you will be.”''
* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: Her face is always obscured by a hood, leaving only her mouth and chin visible.
* InTheHood: Perhaps her most prominent feature is the hood masking her features, to the point that [[FanNickname fans have outright taken to calling her some variation on "Hooded Lady."]]
* NonActionBigBad: She never directly engages Laura, preferring to watch from a distance, instead.
* NoNameGiven: Her name and identity are never revealed.
* PlayingWithSyringes: She was working with Colcord developing weapons in Madripoor, and Laura recognizes her voice and scent, though she never saw her while imprisoned. When she turns up in Paris, Laura, Wolverine, Gambit, and Jubilee discover that she has developed a version of the trigger scent that works on ''anyone'', not just Laura (who was specially conditioned for it), and is experimenting with it by unleashing it on the unsuspecting people of Paris.
* StealthHiBye: Pulls this on Laura after cryptically hinting that she's connected to Laura's past and future, then vanishing before she can get an explanation.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Though she promised to see Laura again, in which they would discuss her (Laura's) future, she has yet to reappear.
* YouAllShareMyStory: As noted under ConnectedAllAlong, she leaves Laura with a quote Hunter S. Thompson hinting that their lives are somehow intertwined.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mr. Sinister]]
!!Nathaniel Essex / Mr. Sinister
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_sinister.PNG]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' British
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutate
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 3''

Trapped in the body of Claudine Renko after his death at Mystique's hands, Sinister is biding his time while the virus that's slowly turning ''her'' into ''him'' works.
----
* CrazyPrepared: It's Sinister, natch. The ''entire plot'' of "Songs of the Orphan Child" is centered around his contingency to escape his death during ''Messiah Complex''.
* FightingFromTheInside: Sinister is attempting to exert more and more influence over Claudine. Her injuries at Daken's hands have weakened her, and when Laura attacks Claudine to protect Gambit Essex is able to briefly gain control entirely and take on his true form.
* GrandTheftMe: His plans for Claudine, though she attempts to fight him. When Claudine tries to cheat him by transferring her consciousness into Laura, Sinister screws her over and transfers ''himself''. And then Laura kicks him out. [[spoiler: He has to settle for the last of the Alice clones.]]
--> '''Laura:''' Get out of my head!
* NeckSnap: Laura manages to get all of her claws into him, but Essex just shrugs it off and breaks her neck one-handed.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Whirldemons]]
!!The Whirldemons
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_whirldemons.jpg]]
!!!'''Species:''' Demons
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 3''

The Whirldemons are spectral monsters imprisoned long ago by Prince Wayfinder in order to protect the Macroverse and [[ComicBook/{{Micronauts}} Microverse]], by using the Enigma Force to imprison them behind a barrier between the two universes called the Spacewall. They are savage, cruel, and violent, and seek a means to escape from their prison and resume their reign of terror on earth. Laura encountered them while seeking out the son of one of her victims from her time as an assassin in order to confront her past, and battled their King with the assistance of [[Comicbook/FantasticFour the Future Foundation]], Comicbook/SpiderMan, and [[Comicbook/CaptainUniverse the Uni-Power]].
----
* DemonicPossession: The King of the Whirldemons possesses Valeria Richards as part of his attempts to tear down the Spacewall so the rest of the demons can escape. Laura later sacrifices herself, and allows him to possess ''her'' instead to save Val. It's also part of a gambit to trick him into returning to his prison dimension, where she can use the Enigma Force to repair the breach in the Spacewall and imprison him once again.
* EldritchAbomination: An entire ''army'' of them, imprisoned beyond the Spacewall separating the Microverse from the Macroverse (the main Marvel universe).
* LargeAndInCharge: The Whirldemon King is by far the largest of the demons.
* SealedEvilInACan: And they want out.
* SmugSnake: The King has a very high opinion of himself, and dismisses Laura as a serious threat. [[IdiotBall It leads him to missing a very obvious clue she's more than she appears to be...]]
* TooDumbToLive: The Whirldemon King recognizes the mark on the palm of Laura's hand — left after her encounter with Hellverine — and its association with Prince Wayfinder. Yet somehow he doesn't put two and two together just what he's ''really'' dealing with until ''after'' Laura blasts him with the Enigma Force.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The X-Assassin]]
!!The X-Assassin
!!!'''Species:''' Human cyborg clone
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 4''

A cybernetic assassin who has been murdering scientists in the genetic engineering field, Laura and Gabby have been called in to help the police investigate.
----
* AntiRegeneration: The Assassin was engineered so her biological processes will shut down after severe injury, as part of her planned obsolescence.
* BladeBelowTheShoulder: The Assassin has two heavy, bowie knife-style blades in each forearm.
* CloningBlues: [[spoiler:Although Laura accepted the Sisters without question, she's much more hostile towards the Assassin, using "[[ItIsDehumanizing it]]" rather than "her" or "she," and expressing doubts whether the Assassin has a will or mind of its own. What the Assassin thinks about being a clone (or cyborg) has yet to be explored.]]
* {{Cyborg}}: The X-Assassin is a cyborg [[spoiler:and clone of X-23]] implanted with a variety of weapons, including blades and a magnetic blaster.
* {{EMP}}: One of the Assassin's arms houses a magnetic blaster.
* FamilyEyeResemblance: [[spoiler:Her green eyes are appropriate, since the Assassin was created using Laura's genetic material.]]
* HealingFactor: Notable by its absence. Chandler deliberately shredded the already-damaged the X-gene when creating the Assassins to ensure their healing abilities would ''not'' function.
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: The X-Assassin that Laura and Gabby capture eventually helps them take out Chandler and the other X-Assassins thanks to Gabby's influence]].
* HumanWeapon: The Assassin was designed by Chandler to be [[spoiler:the ultimate expression of the X-23 project]], by creating a cybernetic killer with no shred of humanity.
* ItIsDehumanizing: Laura insists on calling the Assassin "it" rather than [[spoiler:"she,"]] which becomes a point of contention between her and Gabby, with Gabby [[spoiler:identify with the Assassin as another Sister]].
* TakingYouWithMe: She sacrifices herself to [[spoiler:take out Chandler, destroying the controls of his helicopter and ensuring him a fiery death at the cost of her own life]].
* WoundThatWillNotHeal: The X-Assassin has been designed so that not only is their HealingFactor disabled, but a severe wound will ''shut down'' their biological processes.
[[/folder]]

!!Others

[[folder:Alice]]
!!Alice
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_alice.PNG]]
!!!'''Species:''' Human clone
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 3''

A series of clones created by Mr. Sinister, the last two of whom are now under the control of Claudine Renko while the others were killed by Malcolm Colcord. She lures Laura to the ghost town where Claudine has her base of operations as part of her attempt to steal Laura's body.
----
* BodyBackupDrive: When one Alice dies, another wakes up in her place with her memories. [[spoiler: Sinister does this himself with her last clone.]]
* CloningBlues: Played with. Alice is aware she's a clone. Waking up after a previous self died is confusing, but she's otherwise ok with it. Colcord and Claudine, however, see her as disposable.
* DisposableSexWorker: When Laura first encounters Alice, she believes the girl is a prostitute, who tries to approach her at a diner and lure her outside. When Laura {{Sherlock Scan}}s her, she loses her nerve and runs away. She drives off with her pimp, but when Laura follows she discovers the man has already murdered her. Laura kills him in retaliation and she and Gambit bury her body. Subverted, however, in that Alice #1 wasn't a prostitute at all, and the man wasn't her pimp but her handler.
* GrandTheftMe: [[spoiler: Sinister steals the last of the Alice clones when Claudine is badly wounded by Laura in her escape, and Laura denies him her own body.]]
* HeelFaceTurn: Alice #2 turns on Claudine and helps Laura escape. She's nearly killed by Claudine in the process, but Gambit and Laura manage to get her to a hospital in time.
* MistakenForProstitute: Laura misinterprets Alice #1 was an abused prostitute, and that the man who murdered her was her pimp. When she encounters Alice #2 she reveals the truth is even ''worse'': Claudine gave several of Alice's clones to Malcolm Colcord for his experiments grafting a HealingFactor into another subject. The injuries Alice #1 displayed were actually the results of testing to see if it worked (it didn't), not abuse at the hands of her pimp as Laura assumed. Alice #1 was then deemed expendable and sent on a mission to lure Laura into a trap, and executed when she failed (though she would have been killed regardless).
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: The fate of Alice's previous clones. When Colcord's attempts to grant a healing factor to another body failes, the clones were deemed "defective" and killed. The first clone Laura encounters is one of these, who was given a little more time to live by sending her on a mission to attempt to lure her into a trap, and would have been killed regardless of whether she succeeded. Strangely enough, the Alice clone which survived the story didn't seem the least bit troubled by any of this and takes it in stride.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Captain Universe]]
!!The Enigma Force/The Uni-Power/Captain Universe
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_captainuniverse.PNG]]
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 3''

''For more information on the Uni-Power, see the page [[Comicbook/CaptainUniverse here]].''
\\\
A cosmic entity who periodically takes a corporeal host, using the Uni-Power to create the powerful superhero known as Captain Universe in times of great danger. Laura has hosted the Uni-Power twice: The first during the ''Captain Universe'' limited series, when she aided in the entity's attempts to repair itself after it was severely depleted. The second occurred during the "Chaos Theory" arc of her self-titled ongoing, when the Whirldemons its power was designed to imprisoned threatened to break free into the main Marvel Universe. Her special connection to the Uni-Power was first hinted at during "The Killing Dream," when a mark associated with the entity appeared on the palm of her hand after defeating Hellverine.
----
* CosmicKeystone: The Enigma Force is the power keeping the Whirldemons from escaping their prison. When that seal is threatened, it returns to earth seeking the help of Laura, [[Comicbook/FantasticFour Sue Richards]], and Comicbook/SpiderMan to prevent this from happening.
* TheChosenOne: It tells Laura that she is the future heir to its power, and that it and she share a special bond.
* EleventhHourSuperpower: The Uni-Power is speeding to earth as fast as it can, but Laura, Spidey, and Sue are left to deal with the Whirldemons on their own until it can get there. [[CurbstompBattle It doesn't go well, but they manage to hold out]].
* HandBlast: Ordinarily not part of Laura's power set, but when hosting the Engima Force she's able to unleash blasts of energy from her hands. [[spoiler: It helps her defeat Hellverine during "The Killing Dream," when she nails him point-blank with a beam of light from her hand. It doesn't destroy him, but enables her to shatter his hold over her. She also uses it against the Whirldemon King.]]
* PowerGlows: Hosts of the Enigma Force are altered in several ways. During her one-shot as part of the ''Captain Universe'' miniseries, Laura's adamantium claws glow, and her crop top and hair turn completely black and shows sparkles like stars in space. During "Chaos Theory" ''her entire body'' glows.
* PowerUpFullColorChange: Combined with SupernaturalGoldEyes as noted below, Laura's appearance changes when hosting the Uni-Power. In her ''Captain Universe'' one-shot her top and hair turn black with sparkles like starlight in them, her pants turn white, and her eyes and claws glow blue-white. Her appearance changes even ''more'' radically in her self-titled series. Just look at the image!
* SupernaturalGoldEyes: A side-effect of possession by the Uni-Power during the Liu series (see the image).
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Although the Enigma Force suggested that Laura has been designated the heir to its full power, and that she and it share a unique connection, it has yet to reappear again (in connection to her, at least).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fade]]
!![=DiLorenzo=] / Fade
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_fade.jpg]]
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutant
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X''

A small-time gangster and mutant capable of turning himself invisible, who ran afoul of Comicbook/TheKingpin and tried to muscle in on his territory. Furious, particularly when his own men failed to deal with him themselves, Kingpin instead hired the Facility to take care of the matter. X-23 subsequently assassinated him with the aid of a trigger scent-laced letter.
----
* BullyingADragon: ''Actually'' believed that he could muscle in on ''Kingpin's'' business. Suffice to say, it ends badly for him.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Fade had a wife and child. After Laura took care of him, the Facility sent her after them to finish the job.
* {{Invisibility}}: Fade's mutant power allows him to turn invisible, making him undetectable not only to the naked eye, but to technology, as well. Unfortunately for him, it ''doesn't'' extend to his scent. Or the scent of anything ''on'' him...
* MobWar: Was attempting to muscle in on Fisk's business, until it put him on the wrong side of X-23.
* {{Mutant}}: A mutant with the ability to become invisible both to sight, and all known form of technological tracking.
* TheMole: He had one in Kingpin's organization, who Fisk deliberately fed false information to in order to take him out.
* ProfessionalKiller: Fade was a top mob assassin who decided to branch out into extorting a share of Kingpin's empire out of him. It ended up getting him a visit from X-23.
* ShroudedInMyth: For a long time, Fade was believed to be just a myth, with no one even believing he was real.
* SmugSnake: He genuinely believed he could play on Kingpin's level, as his mutation made him virtually impossible for most of his rivals to take down. Unfortunately, he lacked Fisk's sheer resources, and it cost him in the end.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tyger Tiger]]
!!Jessán Hoan / Tyger Tiger
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_tyger.jpg]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' Singnaporian
!!!'''Species:''' Human
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 3''

An old friend of Logan's and Gambit's, Jessán effectively runs Madripoor through her control of its criminal element. When Laura and Gambit arrive on the island investigating Colcord's connection to Claudine Renko's activities, she helps provide them with information and create the setup that allows her to infiltrate his operations.
----
* AntiHero: Tyger is certainly a criminal mastermind, controlling the various gangs and all criminal activity on the island, however she's nonetheless a good person who refuses to deal in drugs and slavery, and is firmly an ally of Wolverine.
* TheDon: Is effectively this in Madripoor. She ultimately controls all crime on the island, and through that control virtually runs the country.
* JustLikeRobinHood: Her use of her control of Madripoor's criminal element turns her into this. Her activities help the country's poor and strengthen the economy, whereas the other crime lords would tear the island apart as they jockey for control. This is one reason why Daken keeps her in charge when he takes over behind the scenes.
* ManBehindTheMan: When Daken stages his takeover of Madripoor during "Collision" he leaves Tyger in place as the public face, while he pulls the strings behind the scenes.
* TheStarscream: She does ''not'' like being forced to work for Daken. Although he has her in a position where she can't resist his control directly, it doesn't stop her from trying to undermine him.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kiden's Gang]]
!!Kiden's Gang
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1222370_marvel_team_nyx_x23.jpg]]
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 2 (One-Shot)''

''For general tropes about Kiden Nixon and her group, see the character page for'' Comicbook/{{NYX}}
\\\
A group of homeless mutant teenagers who have created a new family among themselves, Laura was once a member of the group when they rescued her from her abusive pimp, Zebra Daddy. They are led by TimeMaster Kiden Nixon, and consist of {{Body Surf}}er Bobby Soul AKA Felon, his powerfully telepathic but severely autistic baby brother L'il Bro, and {{Animal Themed|Superbeing}} {{ShapeShifting}} Tatiana.
----
* {{Crossover}}: They have a near-miss variety in the solo series, when Laura and Gambit visit Cecilia Reyes during ''Chaos Theory'', not long after they had stayed there during ''NYX: No Way Home''.
* FamilyOfChoice: Although circumstances outside their control led them together, they've ''stayed'' together for this reason. The fact that Laura left them to join the X-Men (though the others don't know this was the reason she disappeared) puts her at odds with Felon and Tatiana.
* {{Jerkass}}: Felon isn't too happy to see Laura again when she reunites with the group during the one-shot, and is pretty cold to her. While not as extreme, Tatiana takes his side, mostly because she left them without warning, and they spent a great deal of time looking for her and wondering what happened to her.
* MamaBear: Kiden to Laura. She actually threatens Wolverine when she thinks he's a pimp come to take her away. Logan takes an instant liking to her.
* MistakenForProstitute: When Logan comes looking for Laura, Kiden jumps to the conclusion that Laura is hooking again and Logan is actually her pimp.
* OldFriend: Although only a year has passed since she left them, the gang is this for Laura. Kiden was afraid that Laura had forgotten them. She didn't.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Cameron Palmer's absence is barely remarked upon during the one-shot.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kingpin]]
!!Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_fisk.jpg]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' American
!!!'''Species:''' Human
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X''

''For general tropes about Wilson Fisk, see his [[Comicbook/TheKingpin page]]''
\\\
The Kingpin of Crime, Fisk hired the Facility to deal with a problematic gangster attempting to muscle in on his territory. He became impressed enough with X-23's effectiveness that she became one of his favorite assassins.
----
* DeadGuyOnDisplay: Demands that Rice have Fade's invisible head turned over so he can hang in on his wall.
* DeadMansChest: Fisk turns over four suitcases to Fade as part of their deal. Three contain $55 million as a down payment for his "niece's" return. When Fade asks about the fourth, Fisk coolly replies it contains part of TheMole. Fade is visibly {{Squick}}ed out when he opens it.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Subverted. With Fade muscling in on his territory and his own men unable to deal with him, Fisk [[FeedTheMole feeds information]] to the gangster about his beloved niece, "Samantha." This encourages Fade to up the ante in their MobWar by kidnapping her, making it personal. Unfortunately for Fade, "Samantha" is actually X-23, and was planted to get her close enough to take him out.
* FeedTheMole: Deliberately feeds the mole Fade placed in his organization with false information indicating that X-23 is actually his niece, "Samantha." It's all part of an elaborate setup to get X-23 close enough to him that she'll be affected by a trigger scent-laced letter from her "mother."
* MobWar: Involved in one with Fade, who is attempting to muscle in on his business and extort gratuity out of him.
* PayEvilUntoEvil: When a rival gangster tries to muscle in on his turf, Kingpin hires the Facility and X-23 to take him out.
* WouldHurtAChild: After X-23 murdered Fade, Kingpin had her sent to take out his wife and child, as well.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rachel and Henry Sutter]]
!!'''Rachel and Henry Sutter'''

[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/4047746_rachel_sutter_x_231.jpg https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1237465_henry_sutter_02.jpg]]

Rachel and Henry are the wife and son, respectively, of Martin Sutter. [[spoiler:Rachel carried out an affair with Rice, who it turns out is the ''actual'' father of Henry.]]

* DomesticAbuse: [[spoiler:When Rachel tells Rice that their affair has led to pregnancy and she wants to confess to Sutter, Rice throws her against a wall and physically threatens her. When she later decides to tell the truth, he sends X-23 to kill her.]]
* ImprobableInfantSurvival: [[spoiler:When X-23 is sent to kill Martin Sutter and his family, she disobeys her orders and spares Henry's life. This act later convinces Sarah that X-23 hasn't completely lost her humanity.]]
* ShoutOut: Henry carries around an ComicBook/SpiderMan action figure at one point.
* SexySecretary: Rachel isn't just Sutter's wife, but also performs secretarial duties for his project.
* WhosYourDaddy: [[spoiler:It's made clear right from the beginning that Martin Sutter's wife, Rachel, knows that she is pregnant with Rice's son, but Rice violently forces her to agree not to reveal this to Sutter. Sutter subsequently raises the boy, Henry, as his own, ignorant of the truth. It doesn't end well when Rachel decides to confess. Before she can do so Rice unleashes X-23 on the family to silence her, eliminate the boy, and secure his control over the project. Martin and Rachel are killed, but X-23 can't bring herself to murder Henry and spares him]]
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:Rice pulls this on Rachel, as well. When Rachel insists it's time to tell Sutter the truth about their affair, Rice sends X-23 to silence her and kill their son to destroy the evidence. Conveniently, Rice manipulates the situation to ''also'' arrange Sutter to officially turn over control of the project to him, allowing him to eliminate all three at once. Foiled when X-23 spares Henry, though Martin and Rachel are both killed.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Deborah Kinney]]
!!Deborah "Debbie" Kinney
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_deborahkinney.jpg]]

!!!'''Species:''' Human
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X''

Deborah is Sarah Kinney's sister, with whom she has a strained, and virtually nonexistent relationship due to her failure to support Sarah when she was being abused by their father. Debbie plays a minor role in ''Innocence Lost'', but is much more significant in the follow-up story, ''Target: X''.

* DysfunctionalFamily: Shared this relationship with her sister, Sarah, due to not supporting her when Sarah was being abused by their father. As a result, they rarely spoke in the years afterwards. The relationship is only mended when [[spoiler: she calls Sarah for help after her daughter is kidnapped by a serial killer preying on children, and whom Sarah uses Laura to locate and rescue. Unfortunately, Sarah is killed before they can completely reconcile.]]
** ''Target: X'' reveals that her relationship with her daughter has been strained, as Megan has grown up to be a rather angry young girl as an ongoing effect of her kidnapping. Laura's arrival helps them repair their relationship.
* GroundedForever: Debbie's reaction to Megan and Laura being suspended after Laura's first day at school. Learning about Laura's past leads Megan to ''hug'' her for it.
* ParentalSubstitute: Becomes this for Laura when she turns up on her doorstep.
* ParentWithNewParamour: It's unclear what happened to Megan's father, but the man Debbie is cohabitating with isn't him. [[spoiler: He's also a Facility plant.]]
* PutOnABus: Literally. Laura leaves her and Megan at a bus station, and sends them into hiding to protect them from Kimura and the Facility. [[spoiler: They finally meet again at the end of All-New Wolverine #18]].
* SecretKeeper: She knew about Laura after she and Sarah reconciled.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: Sarah and Debbie look a lot alike (Debbie wears her hear short, though). Therefore she also looks a lot like Laura.

[[folder:Gabby Kinney]]
!!Gabrielle "Gabby" Kinney/Honey Badger
!!!'''Nationality:''' American
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutant clone
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 4''

''For general tropes about Honey Badger, see the page [[Characters/XMen2010sMembers here]]''

Laura's 13 year-old ([[YoungerThanTheyLook sorta]]) cloned sister, created by Alchemax Genetics in a failed attempt to replicate her, and thus Wolverine himself.

* BadassInDistress: [[spoiler:Gabby is kidnapped by the Cuckoos in issue 2.]]
* CloningBlues: When Gabby learns it's the Cuckoos' declared birthday in issue 1, she begins to muse on her own nature as a clone, and insists she wants a birthday of her own even though Laura deems it unimportant.
* EvilMakeover: [[spoiler:After Esme [[GrandTheftMe hijacks her body]] she ditches her own costume for a black version of the Cuckoos' ponchos. Her skin also becomes noticeably grayer, her eyes change from green to blue, and she gains black circles around her eyes.]]
* FightingWithChucks: She carries a set of nunchucks on her UtilityBelt.
* KubrickStare: Pares this with an ''incredibly'' disturbing SlasherSmile in issue 4 (see below).
* PowerFist: Gabby gains a pair of brass knuckles with her new costume. The right one reads "HONY", and the left one (predictably) reads "BDGR".
* SlasherSmile: She sports a positively ''chilling'' one in issue 4 [[spoiler:after Esme seizes control of her body]].
* UtilityBelt: Gabby carries nunchucks and brass knuckles on a belt. And of ''course'' it has pouches.

[[folder:Wolverine]]
!!James Logan Howlett/Wolverine
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_wolverine.PNG]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' Canadian
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutant
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X'', ''X-23 Vol. 2 (One-Shot)'', ''X-23 Vol. 3''

''For general tropes about Wolverine, see his [[Comicbook/{{Wolverine}} page]]''
\\\
Laura's "father" and genetic template, it was the Facility's attempts to replicate the Weapon X experiments that led to her creation. The exact nature of their genetic relationship varies DependingOnTheWriter, but their actual relationship on-page has strong elements of father/daughter. At times their interactions have been strained or rocky, and Logan freely acknowledges that he's a poor father, but he nonetheless cares immensely for Laura's well-being, and objected to her inclusion on X-Force because he was determined to see her have a chance at a normal life.

* HappilyAdopted: During a flashback in ''The Killing Dream'', Logan announces his intention to adopt Laura.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Logan treats Hellion like dirt over his actions killing Karima, and along with Gambit wants to keep him away from Laura. Even though Wolverine has done ''far'' worse things than Julian and been forgiven for them.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Logan has at times been excessively harsh on her, and he openly acknowledges he's been a very poor father to her when Gambit challenges him on it in Paris. That said, it's clear in her solo just how much Logan truly cares for her, and how determined he's been to help her live a normal life.
* ParentalSubstitute: Regardless of the genetics involved (Laura could be either Logan's sister or daughter, largely depending on exactly how much of her genetic material is his), he and Laura share a father/daughter relationship. By the time of ''All-New Wolverine'' Laura herself has begun calling him "dad."
* {{Retcon}}: Laura and Logan actually shared very little time together on-panel while he was still alive. Later writers, particularly after ''Death of Wolverine'', have used flashbacks and dialogue to suggest that they were much closer than would be evident from their ''actual'' interactions before his death.
* TheUglyGuysHotDaughter: He's the ugly guy to Laura's hot daughter. It particularly stands out because she's his OppositeSexClone (though depending on the genetics she ''may'' have gotten her looks from Sarah Kinney).
* YouGotSpunk: A non-villainous version: When Kiden Nixon [[MistakenForProstitute mistakenly believes Laura has returned to hooking]] and Logan is her latest pimp, she actually ''threatens the Wolverine''. Logan just smiles and says he likes her.

[[folder:Deborah Kinney]]
!!Deborah Kinney

Deborah is Sarah's sister, with whom she has a strained, and virtually nonexistent relationship due to her failure to support her when Sarah was being abused by their father.
----
* DysfunctionalFamily: Shares this relationship with her sister, Sarah, due to not supporting her when Sarah was being abused by their father. As a result, they rarely spoke in the years afterwards. The relationship is only mended when [[spoiler:she calls Sarah for help after her daughter is kidnapped by a serial killer preying on children, and whom Sarah uses X-23 to locate and rescue. Unfortunately, Sarah is killed before they can completely reconcile.]]
* StrongFamilyResemblance: Sarah and Debbie look a lot alike.
[[/folder]]

!Laura Kinney
[[folder:Description]]

[[folder: A-D]]
* AbsurdlySharpBlade: Same as Logan.
* AbusiveParents: Depending on your definition of "parents." Zander Rice was one of the lead scientists involved with her creation and training, and the abuse he subjected Laura to was outright ''horrific''. Sarah Kinney, her biological mother, (surrogate womb and some genetic material) was ordered by the Facility to deny her an emotional connection, so was forced to shun her when Laura reached out to her. To her credit Sarah defied those orders whenever she was able, but this still led to much of her emotional damage. Then there's her handler, [[AxCrazy Kimura]], who abused Laura as badly, if not ''worse'', than Rice. It really says something when as poor of a father as [[{{Wolverine}} Logan]] can be (which he even outright ''admits''), he's ''still'' one of the ''better'' parental figures Laura's had.
* TheAce: Laura is miles ahead of her peers when she first comes to the school, having been trained as a LivingWeapon and spent years as an assassin-for-hire. Notably, when Nimrod gauges the kids for threat assessment, he ascribes Laura the highest threat level out of the entire team.
* AffirmativeActionLegacy: When Laura takes up the Wolverine codename after the conclusion of ''Secret Wars'', a woman taking up the mantle of a man.
* AgeLift: Her original depiction in ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution'' was as a little girl. However, when she became a CanonImmigrant to the comics, she was reimagined as a teenager, which also carried other to other versions like ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' and ''VideoGame/MarvelHeroes'' -- which caught fans by surprise when ''Film/{{Logan}}'' presented a TruerToTheText version.
* AloofDarkHairedGirl: She's pretty, with long, dark hair, and comes off as aloof and distant.
* AlternateUniverse: Like most Marvel Universe characters, she has several:
** She was originally introduced in ''X-Men: Evolution'', an alternate universe from Marvel's main universe, 616.
** ''League of Losers'': A villain from the future uses historical data to kill all the well known heroes in the world. Only a handful of heroes who weren't in the historical records (making them "losers") survive. X-23 was one of those heroes.
** ''X-Men: The End'': A near future version of the character. Strangely, she not only appears to have an adamantium skeleton, but her muscle tissue appear robotic or techno-organic.
** ''Artume-ruled reality'': In a temporary alternate reality created by Amazon Queen Artume where women rule the world, X-23 is known as Wolverine, and is one of the main members of the Avengers.
** ''ComicBook/AgeOfApocalypse'': The daughter of Logan and Mariko Yashida who goes by the name Kirika is found in Mr. Sinister's lab in a container labeled "X-23".
** ''All-New Wolverine #9'' reveals there was a version of X-23 raised by the Wolverine who eventually became Comicbook/OldManLogan.
** Another from ''All-New Wolverine #30'' is a version in which the heroes won an all-out war against the villains, and ushered in a utopia. In this universe, Laura is Queen of Madripoor, [[spoiler:and is dying of CloneDegeneration]].
** ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'' introduces a really young and Mexican version of Laura in ''Film/{{Logan}}'', played by actress Dafne Keen.
* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: Cassandra Cain[=/=]ComicBook/{{Batgirl 2000}}. Everything from their backgrounds (raised to be an assassin), [[NoSocialSkills lack of social skills]], and relationships with their respective [[ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} father figures]][=/=][[Franchise/{{Batman}} mentors]] are quite similar.
* AmbiguouslyBrown: Although in the comics X-23 is unambiguously (and canonically) Caucasian with some occasional DependingOnTheArtist, in ''Evolution'' she has a much darker complection, with features that have been interpreted as anything from Latina to First Nations. WordOfGod states that her features were based on those of the girl who modeled for the reference shoot as a thank you.
* AnimalThemedSuperbeing: After taking up the Wolverine name for herself. However while she ''does'' have as vicious a temper, she's much more in control of it than Logan was. Her cooler head doesn't make her any less fierce or determined a fighter, though.
* ArchEnemy: Kimura, her former handler and the one who dealt her abuse from an early age. Kimura has Density Control, giving her immunity to X-23's adamantium claws since she can make her skin denser than the metal itself.
* ArmedLegs: While Logan has three claws in each hand, Laura has only two. The third claw is instead located in each of her feet, making her kicks potentially lethal. Her fighting style thus incorporates CombatParkour in order to bring the foot claws into play. She's also known to ''not'' use them and rely more on the claws in her hands. This allows her to bring them out to get the drop on an opponent who assumes she shares Wolverine's claw arrangement (as Comicbook/TaskMaster and Black Mamba discovered to their regret).
* ArtificialHuman: Laura is an engineered clone created by duplicating Logan's X chromosome due to damage to the Y making a direct clone impossible. This makes her the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenogenesis parthenogenetic]] offspring of Logan's mother.
* TheAtoner: Downplayed, but much of what Laura does is out of a desire to do be a better person after all of the horrible things the Facility made her do. She once notably asked Ghost Rider to ''use his Penance Stare'' on her because she believed she deserved punishment.
* AudibleSharpness: Her claws make the same ''snikt'' sound as Wolverine's.
* AwesomenessByAnalysis: Combined with SherlockScan below: Whenever Laura walks into a room, her brain ''immediately'' calculates the best means of killing everyone inside it.
* BadassAdorable: Especially as a little girl. As a teenager she's a highly-skilled fighter, and one of the most lethal assassins in all of Marvel. Notably, Nimrod identifies her as a severe threat, and yet she can [[http://vmf251-buccaneers.net/Stuff/X23PuppyDog.png really work]] the PuppyDogEyes.
* BadassBookworm: Not the same degree as some, but Laura is incredibly gifted intellectually and received an extensive (albeit narrow) education during her training. Her intellect (at least for a seven year-old) is described by Rice in ''ComicBook/InnocenceLost'' as being "off the charts." Her official power rating at Marvel places her firmly in "Genius" category.
* BareYourMidriff: Frequently, both in place of ''and'' in addition to OfCorsetsSexy. According to [[WordOfGod Mike Choi]] this dates entirely to his Top Cow variant for ''Target X #1'', which he drew intending it to be a one-off design before her backstory and look had been completely finalized. It immediately became popular, and quickly solidified itself as part of her aesthetic.
* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: Despite being a clone of the famously ''un''attractive Logan it's clear from dialog and her character design that Laura is intended to be a ''very'' attractive young woman. And then over the course of her history, she's taken a good deal of punishment, but the only permanent mark on her body is the [[spoiler:emblem associated with ComicBook/CaptainUniverse]] on the palm of her right hand. {{Justified| Trope}}, since she has a HealingFactor.
* BeneathTheMask: Early on Laura is outwardly TheStoic bordering on an outright EmotionlessGirl, and many characters (even people who are ostensibly her ''friends'') treated her like she was nothing but a cold, unfeeling killing machine. Underneath her cold facade, however, she was a confused and suicidally depressed jumble of loneliness, heartbreak, and rage. This has changed as CharacterDevelopment taught her how to better process her emotions.
* BigSisterInstinct: Demonstrates this with her cousin Megan, even though Megan is established as older. She's also this much more literally to her ''actual'' younger sister, Gabby, in ''All-New Wolverine''.
* BizarreSexualDimorphism: Her claw arrangement was intended to be this according to WordOfGod, with her foot claws specifically designed to be a trait of females with the same mutation as Logan. As described by Craig Kyle, the concept was that of a lioness; front claws for hunting prey, rear claws for self-defense.
* BlessedWithSuck:
** Her extensive training has given her SherlockScan and AwesomenessByAnalysis that allows her to immediately size up a threat upon entering a room, planning multiple plans of attack, and choosing the best course of action. This is certainly useful when walking into a BadGuyBar or other hostile situation. Less so when she's around her friends, because ''she can't turn it off''.
** She also has pretty much every BlessedWithSuck trait as Wolverine: Her heightened senses mean she's enduring a constant barrage of sensory overload in a crowded room, and because of her HealingFactor, every time she extends her claws it tears up her skin again. Laura's not bothered as severely by the adamantium since it only covers her claws, but she does note in her solo series it still makes swimming a bit harder than it would be otherwise. Also, even though her claws are laced with adamantium, the bones of her hands and feet are ''not'' reinforced, meaning the vibration of striking something with her claws with sufficient force could conceivably ''shatter the bones in her hands, wrists, ankles and feet''. Ouch.
** Even though she heals much faster than Wolverine, she can be hurt in ways far worse than he can since this is because she lacks the adamantium on her bones.
** The Scent is its own bit of this, as well: She's already a highly-trained and deadly fighter, and the Trigger Scent turns her into a virtually unstoppable ball of whirling, adamantium-bladed death that ''will not stop'' until everything in reach is dead. Unfortunately, that means ''everything'': The trigger sends Laura into an UnstoppableRage in which she is incapable of distinguishing friend from foe. And yes, this ''has'' led to her hurting people she cared about.[[spoiler: However the trigger scent has been rendered useless.]]
* BodyHorror: Her claws were ''forcibly removed'' from her body without any attempt at anesthesia so they could be coated in adamantium. Because only her claws have been bonded she's also been horribly mangled in the past. Including getting ''hit by a train''.
* BreakoutCharacter: Started as a CanonForeigner for a [[WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution mostly forgotten animated series]], quickly ported to the comics due to positive reception, and her popularity has only grown from there. She was arguably the main character of New X-Men, has had a number of miniseries and now an ongoing series, was included in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' despite having only existed for less than a decade then, and is now almost always included in Team images. She's easily the most popular post-2000 ''X-Men'' character.
* BrokenAce: Although miles ahead of her peers in terms of her maturity, skills, and experience, Laura is a very broken, damaged and withdrawn girl prone to bouts of severe (if not suicidal) depression. Her preparedness to sacrifice herself for others without hesitation stems from a poor sense of self-worth, and she habitually cuts herself when severely stressed or upset because she doesn't know how to deal with her feelings (such as her jealousy when she sees Surge kiss Hellion).
* BrokenBird: Laura has endured ''horrible'' amounts of abuse and suffering in her life, and a major recurring theme is her efforts to recover from the emotional damage done to her.
* BrutalHonesty: She's InnocentlyInsensitive and has difficulties with lying, even to spare others' feelings.
* CainAndAbel:
** The Abel to {{ComicBook/Daken}}'s Cain.
** Also to Raze, the time-traveling shape-shifter son of Logan and [[spoiler:Mystique]].
* CannotTellALie: Laura is very well-known for her BrutalHonesty and being InnocentlyInsensitive. Because she was created as a LivingWeapon covert operative and assassin, she certainly has the capability to lie in order to maintain her cover on missions, but outside of this context she consistently shows an inability to do so.
* CanonImmigrant: Originally created for ''X-Men: Evolution'', but found her way into the comics universe in ''NYX''.
* TheCape: Although willing and able to kill if she has to, Laura has increasingly leaned in this direction, resorting to lethal force only as a last resort. She also possesses a strong willingness to sacrifice herself for others, and a growing sense of idealism leaving her desperately hoping for something ''better'' to aspire to.
* ChildrenForcedToKill: The first time Laura ever killed anyone was at the age of 9, when Rice used the Trigger Scent to force her to kill her sensei. Her first assassination mission was when she was 11. By the time she escaped the Facility at age 13 she had killed ''hundreds'' of people, and she continued killing even after joining the X-Men.
* TheComicallySerious: She rarely smiles, has never been shown truly laughing, and her sense of humor is very subdued, generally black, and trends towards the DeadpanSnarker (emphasis on "deadpan"). Much humor is derived at her expense as she reacts to the insanity that surrounds the X-Men with complete, [[TheStoic stoic]] seriousness. She even views a potential ''racquetball'' game with the same intensity as she would wading into combat.
* TheChosenOne: She shares a connection to the [[Comicbook/CaptainUniverse Enigma Force]], and [[spoiler:has even been designated the chosen heir to its power]].
* TheChosenMany: After Logan's resurrection, Laura now shares the mantle of Wolverine with him.
* CivvieSpandex:
** Although Laura has had a few more traditional costumes (a variation of Wolverine's Shi'ar "wild" suit, her New X-Men, X-Force, and All-New X-Men uniforms, and now the Wolverine costume), she's spent almost as much time in civvies as she has in an actual costume: She was introduced in a {{Stripperific}} coat, corset/tank top, miniskirt, and fishnets ensemble (justified as she was a prostitute at the time), she actually spent more time in ''New X-Men'' wearing PaintedOnPants and a sports bra than in her actual uniform, wore a similar outfit for the duration of ''Avengers Academy'', and only wore her then-current X-Force uniform twice during the Liu series.
** It becomes almost literal in the costume Mike Choi designed for Volume 4, as he based it heavily on athletic wear after surveying women in their late-teens and early-20s about what they would ''actually'' wear as a superhero.
* ClassicalAntiHero: When she first appears, Laura is plagued with doubts about herself. She's prone to bouts of suicidal depression, practices SelfHarm, questions whether she's "real" or worthy of life because she's a clone, accepts her role as a killer and that it devalues her compared to people like Wolfsbane, has a strained relationship with her father figure as a result, wonders whether she even has a soul, (and even asks Comicbook/GhostRider to use his Penance Stare on her) and believes she deserves punishment for the things she did under the Facility's control. Over time, she comes to accept that she had no control over what the Facility made her do, (especially when the Trigger was involved) accepts that being a clone doesn't mean she's not a "real" person and comes to value her own life, and adopts a ThouShaltNotKill attitude, using lethal force only as a last resort.
* ClonesArePeopleToo: It tends to vary depending on her self-esteem. When she first appeared she thought very little of herself, and for a time she viewed herself as expendable in part because she was a clone. However after CharacterDevelopment greatly improved her sense of self worth, she's now come to believe that clones are just as "real" as normal people. However it's quite common for people seeking to put her down to call her "clone" as an insult, and much of the torture inflicted on her by the Facility was because Rice did ''not'' differentiate her from Wolverine.
* CloningBlues: Zig-Zagged. Because Laura actually had to be implanted in a womb, carried to term, and raised from birth, she's a bit more realistic than the typical comic book clone and generally averts the "Am I Real?" angst most are subject to. Hellverine ''was'' able to get under her skin by telling her that as a clone she doesn't have a soul, and Blackheart once managed to distract her by telling her he can confirm whether or not she does. She even asked Comicbook/GhostRider to use his Penance Stare on her ''just'' to find out for sure.
* ColdBloodedTorture: Laura's ''entire life'' at the Facility. TrainingFromHell, her claws surgically removed one by one without anesthesia, punished severely even when she completes missions ''successfully'', constant physical and emotional abuse. ''Target X'' reveals that even her conditioning to the ''trigger scent'' involved outright torture when Laura is shown being electrocuted and nearly drowned.
* CombatParkour: Unlike her genetic father, {{Wolverine}}, X-23's fighting style is much more acrobatic and in many of her fight scenes she can be seen using flips and handstands to bring her foot claws into play, and because her body is much less durable since only her claws are bonded with adamantium.
* ComfortFood: Played with subtly. Laura has shown a fondness for spicy foods in her own series after being raised in the Facility with no choice but the nutritionist's bland fare for her. Played with in that she eats things she didn't get to have; eating more familiar things would probably bring back ''bad'' memories.
* ComicBookMoviesDontUseCodenames: As noted on the trope page, a non-film example that's played with. It's initially {{inverted| trope}} since Laura wasn't given a ''real'' name until she was thirteen years old, when [[TearJerker Sarah names her as she's dying]]. Until then she was either referred to by her Facility codename, X-23, or various insults (particularly Rice calling her "animal") to dehumanize her. Most of her friends, loved ones and teammates just call her Laura, and occasionally they'll use "X" as a sort of nickname. She's addressed much less frequently as "X-23" in-universe (usually by people such as Kimura who intentionally use it to dehumanize her), though it ''is'' the name she's usually marketed under. She doesn't begin using a codename with regularity until she takes up the Wolverine mantle.
** In her movie debut itself, the only appearances of "X-23" are in her dossiers (and more specifically, Laura is X-23-23, the 23rd subject of the project to create mutant clones). The bad guys refuse to use any name with her, but her nurse calls her Laura, leading Xavier and Logan to do so as well.
* CoolBigSis: Was one to her cousin Megan, (even though the timeline in ''Innocence Lost'' suggests Megan is actually somewhat older) and now Gabby. Jubilee is one to her.
* TheCowl: Started out as this, especially during her tenure in the [[ComicBook/NewMutants New X-Men]]. Part of her CharacterDevelopment is her transformation from this into TheCape.
* CreepyChild: Laura's icy stoicism makes her off-putting to almost everyone she meets.
* CulturedBadass: An alternate cover for ''All-New Wolverine'' #20 shows Laura and Gabby napping on a couch while reading ''Theatre/{{MacBeth}}'', while her mother read to her from ''Literature/{{The Art of War|SunTzu}}'' when she was a child, and she's a polyglot who speaks at ''least'' English, French, Japanese, and Russian. Laura is also known to [[SmartPeoplePlayChess play chess]], and during the Liu series suggests she's ''quite'' good.
* CuteBruiser: Laura's ability to heal makes her very tough to kill, and she may be an even ''more'' dangerous fighter than Logan. She's also a very attractive young girl with a fondness for [[OfCorsetsSexy corsets]] and {{Stripperific}} outfits.
* DarkActionGirl: Basically what the Facility turned her into. She usually dresses in dark colors, is often emotionally standoffish, and is willing to kill and torture to achieve her goals, even ''after'' joining the X-Men and attempting to turn her life around. However it's been increasingly downplayed over time, and while she's still able to kill if she has to, thanks to CharacterDevelopment it's more and more her last resort. By the beginning of ''All-New Wolverine'' she's verging on outright becoming TheCape.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Hoo boy. Tortured, abused, trained from childhood to be a living weapon, treated as if she weren't even human by those who created her, forced to kill the only two people who showed her kindness and compassion during her training (one of whom was ''her mother''), and gave up her only other family to protect them from Kimura after she finally escaped. And this isn't even getting into her time as a StreetWalker. And unlike Logan for most of his history, ''she remembers every moment''.
* DarkerAndEdgier: As badly as X-23 suffered in ''Evolution'', her better-known comics version endured even ''worse''. To the point that when she made her bow in the comics, it was as a virtually mute and catatonic child prostitute.
* DarkIsNotEvil: Gradually evolves into this. [[note]]Her personified soul--[[spoiler:which ''may'' be the [[ComicBook/CaptainUniverse Enigma Force]]]] -- takes the form of a humanoid sliver of night, and stars are a common motif for her.[[/note]] In particular, she reassures Jubilee that being a vampire does not automatically make her a predatory monster.
* DeadpanSnarker: Laura's BrutalHonesty often manifests as this. As her social skills have improved she's developed a distinctly dry sense of humor.
* DeathSeeker: Downplayed in recent years, but much more evident in her past, when she was willing to sacrifice herself for others without hesitation, and took many actions that were potentially suicidal.
* DecoyProtagonist: Although ''ComicBook/InnocenceLost'' reveals X-23's origins, the story itself actually focuses on her mother, Sarah.
* DefusingTheTykebomb[=/=]IAmNotAGun: She is struggling to find an identity other than "living weapon," and strongly dislikes being used in that manner. This makes the trigger scent particularly upsetting for her, because it allows someone to make her kill against her will.
* DeliberateInjuryGambit: Being a very strategic fighter, Laura is not above taking advantage of her HealingFactor if she can turn it to her advantage.
* DependingOnTheArtist:
** She's sometimes drawn with dark skin like her original design in Evolution.
** Although she's canonically only modestly to a bit above averagely endowed, Paco Medina and Humberto Ramos gave her a positively ''[[MostCommonSuperpower massive]]'' [[MostCommonSuperpower rack]] during ''New X-Men''. [[https://roguewatson.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/new-x-men-35.jpg See exhibit DD]].
** Her height also tends to vary between short to average, not helped by the fact she's often drawn shorter than Logan, whose height has ''also'' varied significantly from artist to artist. Her official height is listed as 5'1".
** Though Laura is canonically Caucasian in the main universe, some artists draw her in a way that she almost appears Asian or even Latina.
** Occasionally, covers will draw her slightly beefy and resemble a slightly older version of her Evolution design, only for the story to use her more common skinny goth look.
** Although her eyes are canonically green, they've also been colored brown or blue in different books.
* DependingOnTheWriter:
** In the X-Books, Laura is established as having a HealingFactor superior to Wolverine's (see below). However, once she gets to ComicBook/AvengersAcademy, Hank Pym warns Hazmat that "her healing factor isn't as strong as Wolverine's". The writer later admitted to the mistake on his part in the letters pages.
** Her speech patterns are generally accepted to be more formal and laconic than her peers, and tends not to use slang. However the degree tends to vary between writers from outright SpockSpeak (Liu) to more naturalistic but still proper (Kyle and Yost), with some signs that her dialogue has become much more relaxed to coincide with her CharacterDevelopment (Taylor). However some writers dispense with this altogether and write her as they would any teen character (Bendis).
** Although canonically a GeniusBruiser who carefully analyzes a situation before acting with the most effective strategy (and she can do it ''quickly'', at that), it's not uncommon for some writers to forget the "Genius" part and just throw her right at a threat in a brute-force frontal assault.
* TheDeterminator: Laura is incredibly stubborn, a trait Logan wryly notes she gets from him, and she ''will'' keep coming no matter how badly she's hurt.
* DissonantSerenity: Unlike her [[TheBerserker father]], Laura rarely loses her head in combat, and instead approaches killing with chillingly cold and collected detachment. If she's [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness ever]] ''[[OOCIsSeriousBusiness visibly]]'' [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness angry when she's coming for you]], you should be running. '''''[[OhCrap Fast]]'''''.
* DistaffCounterpart: To Wolverine and Daken. The writers explicitly designed her with the question in mind: "If Wolverine were the male of the species, what would the female be like?" They decided that she would be leaner so she could chase prey like a lioness and would have two claws on her hands and one on each foot so that she could climb trees and puncture the gut of any predators who managed to tackle her.
* DominoMask:
** Her X-Force costume incorporates one with red lenses.
** The design is also present on Mike Choi's concept artwork for the 2018 series. She also wears them in the series proper, where this trope is combined with GogglesDoSomethingUnusual, acting as infrared or night vision goggles.
* DoppelgangerGetsSameSentiment: X23 was abused by her creator because she was an OppositeSexClone of Wolverine. He hated Wolverine because of his father's death related to the Weapon X project, and so X-23, grown from his DNA, made a good scapegoat for his frustrations with the other mutant.
* TheDreaded: Let's put it this way: she was dangerous enough from the start of her career that even ''Captain America'' was wary of her, and while she may still be barely functional as a human being on all but her very best days, most people who aren't significantly above her weight class know to give her a wide berth unless she's unquestionably an ally.
* DueToTheDead: After Logan's death she does this twice: First by dyeing her forelocks gold and blue, his most iconic colors, as a tribute. Later, this is one of the reasons why [[LegacyCharacter she took up the Wolverine name herself]].

[[folder: E-H]]
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Subject to this in her early appearances in ''Uncanny X-Men'', before her personality was formally established in ''Innocence Lost'', ''Target: X'', and ''New X-Men''. For example in ''Uncanny'' she immediately introduces herself as "X-23" when she encounters Wolverine, even though she later would rarely use that name herself. ''Uncanny'' also suggests that she and Logan had never met before, or that Logan had no idea who she was, even though ''Target X'' would establish that Sarah Kinney sent him a copy of her letter before attempting to free her.[[note]]This was later retconned to Logan pretending for her benefit.[[/note]] And while she's always been portrayed as anti-social, under Claremont it manifested as a much more snarling and FeralChild personality than TheStoic she's best known as. She's also frequently drawn aping Psylocke's mannerisms in the background in ''Uncanny'', something that would be out of character under her later characterization. Additionally, one early issue implied her entire skeleton was bonded with adamantium, when it was later established that only her claws are.
* EmotionlessGirl:
** Through multiple traumatic events in her backstory, Laura learned to never trust or emotionally connect with anyone. This made her an outcast among her fellow teenagers, and even most of the teachers perceived her as a heartless killer who is unable to think as a human or desire anything. But her character development (and eventual journey to find herself) ultimately subverts this trope; she gradually becomes accustomed to emotion, and bonds with other abuse victims who understand why she prefers solitude. By the time of later books she's interacting with others on a relatively normal, if still [[TheComicallySerious more reserved]], manner.
** It's further implied that one of the reasons she repressed her emotions is because she didn't know how to handle them or the memories of her past; when she did [[BeneathTheMask completely abandon her stoic exterior]], her displays of emotion tended to be quite extreme and often explosive (such as destroying a bathroom in a confused rage when she saw Surge kiss Hellion). Ironically, the emotionally detached state that others scorned her for was in place for their own safety.
* EmptyShell: The Facility deprived her of emotional connections and subjected her to horrific physical and emotional abuse to strip her of her humanity, and it's been noted several times that she had so little sense of self during her captivity and days as a prostitute that she truly didn't realize the things done to her were even wrong.
* EscapedFromTheLab: She was created and raised in a lab before escaping at age thirteen, but not before being subjected to extreme torture during her time there.
* EvilCounterpart: Daken, in a way. Both are genetic children of Logan, both tend to only use two of their claws and save the third for special attacks, both have messed up pasts. They have a mutual respect for each other, partly because they are so alike.
* ExtremeDoormat: Despite being a highly-trained assassin and deadly fighter with adamantium WolverineClaws and a HealingFactor, it didn't stop Laura from being walked all over at different times in her early life.
* FamilyEyeResemblance: Played with:
** Laura's eyes were made green to establish her StrongFamilyResemblance to her creator/mother, Sarah Kinney, even though Laura doesn't actually possess any of Sarah's genetic material. [[spoiler:''The Hunt For Wolverine: Adamantium Agenda #4'' reveals this is because Laura does indeed carry ''Sarah's'' DNA, making her genetically her daughter.]]
** In ''{{Generations|MarvelComics}}'' #3 Logan remarks that Laura has his mother's eyes. However as noted above, Laura's eyes are green, while Elizabeth Howlett's are blue, making it something ''in'' Laura's eyes that reminds him of his mother, rather than their appearance.[[note]]Never mind that at the time the story is set, Logan wouldn't have had memory of his mother in the first place.[[/note]]
* FanserviceWithASmile: Her first encounter with the X-Men in ''Comicbook/UncannyXMen'' came while working as a waitress at "Wannabees," a mutant-themed night club where the attractive female staff dresses as mutant superheroes.
* FastballSpecial: Although not as frequently as the TropeMaker himself, Laura has gotten her shot at it as well.
* {{Flanderization}}: Once her backstory was revealed, Laura was established as a highly-skilled fighter, and a [[GeniusBruiser very intelligent]] and [[BadassBookworm highly educated]] young girl with extensive assassin and black ops training, while ''[[ComicBook/NewMutants New X-Men]]'' expanded upon this further by revealing her to be a gifted strategist as well. Most writers now completely ignore everything after "highly-skilled fighter," and give her all the subtlety in combat of LeeroyJenkins.
* FeralChild: Her depiction under the pen of Chris Claremont in her appearances in ''Uncanny X-Men''. Also how she's presented in the first half of ''Logan''.
* GeniusBruiser: Laura is depicted as very intelligent, able to formulate multiple plans for killing everyone around her and choose the most efficient and best means of doing so within ''seconds''. She's also an incredibly skilled fighter both with weaponry and her own claws. Marvel's official power ratings actually classify her as a Genius-level intellect, and her fighting prowess is ranked at the highest possible level.
* GlassCannon: Like Logan, Laura has adamantium-reinforced claws in her forearms that can cut through most things with absurd ease. In addition, she possesses similar claws in her feet that augment her graceful fighting style, letting her dish out tons of damage before her opponents can even react. However, unlike Logan -- whose entire skeleton is laced with adamantium, giving him unbreakable bones -- only Laura's claws are augmented, meaning she can still be incapacitated by broken bones and her organs are more vulnerable.
* GoodThingYouCanHeal: Laura has a healing factor that is more potent than Logan's due to the small amount of adamantium in her body. This is important since, unlike Logan, her lack of a full adamantium skeleton leaves her bones and organs much more vulnerable.
* {{Goth}}: Laura's manner of dress often has a gothic influence, ''particularly'' during the time she spent as a prostitute during ''NYX''.
* GrewBeyondTheirProgramming: A biological example: Laura was created to be nothing more than a LivingWeapon. The Facility didn't even recognize her as a human being, with feelings and desires of her own. Now, she's a compassionate woman who is trying her best ''not'' to kill, has built friendships, desires something noble to aspire to, and has even fallen in love.
* HappilyAdopted: Laura was taken in by Wolverine, who served as a moral compass and father figure while she recovered from the effects of being raised as an assassin. He later legally adopted her.
* HarmfulToMinors: Practically from birth, Laura was subjected to violent imagery and outright physical and emotional abuse, including being ordered to ''kill a puppy'' when her creators decided she had too much empathy, who then threatened to ''torture it to death and make her watch'' when she failed to complete the assignment. And this is ''before'' they started sending her on assassination missions, she killed her own mother during her escape under the effects of the Trigger Scent, and became a child prostitute under an abusive and violent pimp on the streets of New York City.
* HatesBeingTouched: Rarely initiated physical contact when first introduced, even with people she liked. Justified in that most physical contact she received as a child was abusive, and such feelings are very much TruthInTelevision among abuse victims. It eventually becomes downplayed due to CharacterDevelopment, though she is still often uncomfortable with physical contact.
* HealingFactor: The same as Wolverine's, of course, but much more efficient since she only has adamantium in her claws, and thus it's taxed ''far'' less than Logan's skeleton taxes his. Her mother speculated that Laura's ability to heal would be similarly slowed if her entire skeleton was bonded as well. The only thing that defeats it is a full-face blast from Nimrod's lasers. There are indications it can naturally fluctuate due to her emotional state. For example, the [[SelfHarm cuts she inflicts on herself]] when stressed or upset tend to leave visible injuries far longer than damage she sustains in combat. As with Logan, several of her secondary powers are a byproduct of her healing abilities, including: SuperSenses, mild SuperStrength,[[note]]both because of increased muscle density, and she can exert more force on her connective tissue and skeleton before they fail[[/note]] and SuperReflexes, IdealIllnessImmunity, [[VictoryByEndurance Perpetual Stamina]], ImmuneToDrugs, [[note]] They can still slower her down but are never fatal and the effects wear off quickly with no lasting damage [[/note]], [[THeAgeless reduced aging]], among others.
* HellbentForLeather: This is her typical look in civilian dress; leather pants, skirts, corsets, boots, etc.
* HeroicBSOD: Laura is constantly slipping in and out of these as a result of all the trauma going on in her life, and the fact she can rarely catch a break before something ''else'' bad happens to her.
* HeroicSacrifice: Has a tendency to attempt these at the drop of a hat. It's heavily implied her preparedness to do this stems from her poor sense of self-worth and difficulties accepting herself as a real person whose life has value. However even after moving on from these issues she's still quick to put her life on the line for the sake of others.
* HeroWorship:
** A series of {{Funny Background Event}}s in her early appearances in ''Uncanny X-Men'' suggested she had some of this for Psylocke, as she could often be seen in the back of panels mimicking Betsy's mannerisms.
** Also of Logan. Funny thing about it is that it didn't start until after he died, such as dyeing her forelocks gold and blue in his memory.
* HollywoodScience: The process in which X-23 was cloned is currently impossible. However, in a universe where humans can fly, shoot lasers out of their eyes and talk to gods on their cell phones, it's hardly significant.
* HugeGirlTinyGuy: DependingOnTheArtist. Her height vs. Logan's height varies a lot. Mostly due to how Logan's height changed since Creator/HughJackman played him in the movie (Logan started at 5'2", spent a lot of time at 5'5", and now is sometimes drawn actually ''tall''.) During New X-Men, Laura was half a head shorter than Logan. She is also usually depicted as shorter than her primary love interests, Hellion and Warren. She's officially listed at 5'1", so canonically would be this towards most anyone.

[[folder: I-L]]
* IAmNotPretty: Laura is quite clearly a very beautiful young woman, whose looks are frequently commented upon. Laura, however, doesn't see it for herself, which stems from her abusive upbringing aimed to strip her of her humanity, resulting in very poor self-esteem and sense that her life has little value.
* IconicOutfit: The [[{{Stripperiffic}} corset, fishnets and miniskirt]] outfit Laura wore in ''Target: X'' may be one of her most common looks in fan art, even though she only wore that in one book (though it is similar to the outfits she wore in her debut appearance in ''NYX''). If not this, she's drawn in her black PaintedOnPants, sports bra, and locket from ''New X-Men''. Her X-Force uniform is perhaps her most popular actual costume.
* ImmortalAssassin: It's unclear how long someone with her type of HealingFactor can live if left to their own devices, but based on Wolverine and Sabretooth Laura could have a lifespan of centuries if not longer (Romulus is possibly thousands if not ''tens of thousands'' of years old). While she ''can'' be killed, Laura's ability to bounce back rapidly from even fatal injuries makes that incredibly difficult.
* ImplacableMan: If Laura was sent to kill you, she ''would. Not. Stop.'' until you were dead, and if you were marked with the trigger scent, ''nothing'' would save you. She ''will'' keep coming unless you can inflict enough damage to knock her out, and once she ''does'' get back up she'll just come after you again. Unfortunately, this comes back to bite the Facility themselves ''hard'' when Sarah gets fed up with their abuse and turns Laura loose against them. Once Sarah orders her to take them down, nothing could stop her from slaughtering everyone ([[TheDogBitesBack not that she needed to be ordered to do it]]). Laura still retains this tenacity even after joining the X-Men.
* InnocenceLost: Laura's origin story is even ''called'' this, and shows in brutal detail the cruelty inflicted on her by the Facility to strip away her humanity and turn her into an emotionless killing machine. They ultimately failed, but still managed to inflict quite severe damage that she still struggles to recover from.
* InnocentlyInsensitive: Because of her lack of social skills Laura at times has these moments due to a combination of BrutalHonesty, CannotTellALie, and genuinely not understanding what is or is not appropriate to say.
* IntergenerationalFriendship: With Gambit. And Psylocke. And Kitty Pryde. And [[CoolBigSis Jubilee]]. Frankly, Laura shows a general tendency to have an easier time relating to and establishing friendships with people older than her, while struggling with people her own age.
* JuniorCounterpart: To her father, Wolverine, with all the same powers. However it's mildly subverted in that Laura is much more tactical and in control of her anger than Logan ever was.
* KillerRabbit: Laura is physically quite unimposing, generally being depicted as a slight, pretty teenage girl. She's also one of ''the'' most deadly assassins ''in the entire Marvel Universe'', having a body count into the hundreds, if not ''thousands''. By the time she was ''thirteen''. On numerous missions Laura has been shown actively taking advantage of this trope by playing up her harmless appearance (whether by disguising herself as a handicapped girl, or a Girl Scout selling cookies, etc.). Even those who ''have'' heard of her are stunned when they actually see her for the first time.
* KillTheOnesYouLove: Laura, as a living weapon, wasn't meant to bond with other people at the Facility. Those who did anyway were killed by her own hands in artificially induced rages.
* LeeroyJenkins: Normally Laura averts this, as she is a disciplined fighter who very carefully analyzes the situation before she acts. However once she loses control of her emotions she's prone to acting impulsively and rashly, and can rush into trouble without thinking clearly.
* LeftForDead: On one mission, Rice decides to participate and attempts to abandon X-23 to be killed, murdering his own team in the process as an excuse to withdraw prematurely. X-23 reaches the rendezvous point in time nonetheless, and he deliberately leaves her behind, smugly dropping his father's dogtags to make sure she knew why he was doing it. She still survives and manages to return to the installation on her own.
* LegacyCharacter: Laura has taken on the mantle of Wolverine in the aftermath of his death and ''Secret Wars''.
* LineageComesFromTheFather: Invoked by the Facility, who created her with Logan's DNA in order to continue the Weapon X experiments. [[TheUglyGuysHotDaughter She got her looks from her mother, however.]]
* LittleMissBadass: In ''X-Men: Evolution'', Laura defeated ''all'' of the X-Men, despite being half the age of most, if not all, of them. Although this version did have her skeleton laced in adamantium and the element of surprise (and even the ones who knew they were being attacked had no idea ''who'' they were up against and had no way to fight back), it's not likely Wolverine himself could do this.
* LossOfIdentity: Her entire childhood was essentially engineered for the purpose of dehumanizing her.

[[folder: M-P]]
* MadeOfIron: Even without her healing factor taken into consideration, Laura can take an ''incredible'' beating for someone as tiny as she is. Part of this is that her healing factor naturally makes her bones denser, meaning they're harder to break in the first place.
* MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter: Laura's creator, Dr. Sarah Kinney, was described as the foremost expert on mutant genetics and was hired by the Facility after her proposal to clone Wolverine. Sarah's interest was purely ForScience, and directly likened the idea of cloning a ''mutant'' to [[AGodAmI godhood]]. All this knowing full well that the child would be raised to be a LivingWeapon heading in. Laura herself is frequently described as Sarah's spitting-image, ([[spoiler:she ''does'' carry Sarah's DNA, after all]]) and it's made quite clear Laura is intended to be a quite beautiful young woman.
* {{Matricide}}: She was forced to kill her mother with the trigger scent [[YankTheDogsChain just as they were about to escape together]].
* MeaningfulName: Although frequently cited as the 23rd attempt to clone Wolverine ''period'', WordOfGod confirms the name "X-23" specifically refers to her being the 23rd attempt at a ''female'' clone, after an unknown number of males. Her facility code name therefore derives "X" from the X chromosome, and "23" for the 23rd attempt.
* ModifiedClone: Laura is essentially this: Because the Y chromosome from Logan's DNA sample was damaged, Sarah Kinney modified the genetic structure to create a female instead.
* MookHorrorShow: You know the monster that ''[[ImplacableMan might]]'' go down with enough firepower, but will gut the poor slob closing in for a coup de grace and/or track down those who leave it for dead? This is her, just add assassin skills to the mix.
* MoralityPet:
** Acts as one for Wolverine. Gambit as well in her self titled series, and he also sometimes acts as one to her. Hellion can be considered hers during their time with the New X-Men. She's become one for Daken, too, as Laura is one of the only people he has demonstrated genuine affection and respect for. She also acts as one for Sarah.
* MsFanservice:
** Her most common civvies include [[OfCorsetsSexy corsets]], {{Dangerously Short Skirt}}s, ZettaiRyouiki, StockingFiller, BareYourMidriff, and PaintedOnPants. Even her uniforms have traditionally been more revealing, such as her X-Force outfit.
** Although downplayed more recently, with her civilian style becoming a bit more casual and modest, her wearing the classic Gold and Blue spandex as Wolverine is [[Rule63 its own brand of fanservice for some]]. That the costume is skin-tight still leads to more conventional MaleGaze moments (including quite infamously in a clear shot of her backside in the ''ComicBook/MonstersUnleashed'' tie-in to ''[[ComicBook/AllNewXMen2016 All-New X-Men]]'', and on the cover to the final issue of ''Comicbook/InhumansVsXMen'').
** The dress she wore in Rogue and Gambit's wedding demonstrate that, despite her height (or lack of it), ShesGotLegs.
** Her post-''[=ResurrXtion=]'' black and gray suit qualifies as well, combining a BikerBabe aesthetic with bared shoulders without the jacket.
* MundaneUtility: One of the things she's used her claws for, is trimming Gambit's hair.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: The trigger scent sends Laura into a blind, murderous rage in which she will kill ''anyone'' marked with it, FriendOrFoe, and no matter how much she cares about them. She's been consistently shown to be ''very'' sensitive about its effects on her.
* MyGreatestFailure:
** Laura is deeply haunted by and remorseful over all of the deaths she caused, and once even asked Ghost Rider to use his Penance Stare on her because she believed she deserved punishment for all of her killings.
** Killing her mother in a trigger scent-fueled rage is the single biggest one, to the point that when Logan finally manages to bring her to the Xavier school, Emma Frost tries to force her to leave by taunting her with a psychic ghost of her mother's dead body blaming Laura for her death. It's enough to drive the [[NotSoStoic normally stoic Laura to tears]].
* NaturalWeapon: As with Logan, Laura's claws are bone beneath the adamantium.
* NeverGivenAName: X-23 wasn't named at all, [[TearJerker until Sarah Kinney names her Laura]] in the very last pages of ''ComicBook/InnocenceLost'' #6. She was ''thirteen years old'' before she was given a name other than her [[YouAreNumberSix Facility codename/designation]].
* NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup: Initially averted, and ultimately invoked. Laura ''is'' the prototype, and once she is successfully created essentially is also the plans since the Facility can [[spoiler:(and does, as is discovered near the end) of ''Innocence Lost'']] use her genetic material to create additional clones (which would also serve as a backup). [[spoiler:The entirety of the last act is Sarah setting X loose with specific orders to destroy her unborn "sisters," and all equipment and research associated with the project to prevent the Facility from recreating her.]] A big reason the Facility has made several attempts to recover her is so they can use her as a template for more assassins.
* NoSocialSkills: Because Laura was deprived of normal human social interaction, her social skills are generally rather lacking. She's [[BrutalHonesty blunt]], and [[InnocentlyInsensitive struggles with social niceties]].
* NotAllowedToGrowUp: WordOfGod from Craig Kyle is that this was the plan: Because Laura's healing factor was activated at such an early age, she would remain a child much longer than normal. While still technically in effect thanks to ComicBookTime, it was still averted when Joe Quesada aged her up to a teenager in ''NYX''. Averted further in ''All-New Wolverine'', in which she is firmly established as an adult at 20 years old.
* NotSoDifferent:
** With Vampire Jubilee. Jubilee and Laura realize they have much in common, with X-23 having to struggle with finding herself and the trigger scent and Jubilee struggling to control her newfound blood lust. They get along [[HeterosexualLifePartners really well though]].
** She has this with Daken as well: Technically brother and sister, both raised by some very, ''very'' bad people, but while Daken embraces what Romulus made him, Laura desperately wants to be something more than just a weapon and killer. Nonetheless, their similarities give them a fair bit of mutual respect towards one another.
** Also with Kimura, of all people. Both suffered severe physical and emotional abuse in their past that's largely shaped and defined who they are now. Both also only had one or two people in their lives when they were young who showed them love and kindness, and attempted to repair the damage that was done. The difference is that Kimura became an AxCrazy psychopath who uses the abuse and bullying she was subjected to as an excuse to do it to others herself, while Laura is making an ongoing effort to heal.
** And again with [[Comicbook/{{Wolverines}} Siphon]]. She talks down both Daken ''and'' Comicbook/{{Blade}} from killing him because she can empathize with what it is to be tortured and turned into a weapon, and to constantly be fighting against her conditioning to kill. As a result she genuinely desires to try and help him.
* NotSoStoic: Laura as a rule [[EmotionlessGirl keeps her emotions tightly controlled]], and it's a significant character trait she has difficulties expressing, or even ''understanding'', what she's feeling. She endures the years of physical and emotional abuse inflicted on her by Zander Rice and [[AxeCrazy Kimura]] in complete silence, even when her creator/mother, Sarah, tries to get her to talk about it. At least until she's forced to kill Sarah by the Trigger Scent during their escape from the Facility, at which point for a couple pages Laura [[TearJerker becomes a lonely, broken girl desperately crying over her mother's body to come back to her]]. She also breaks down in tears once again when she's forced to cut off ties with her cousin and aunt to protect them form Kimura. The only other times she generally lets her guard down is when someone she cares about is in danger. In which case it's a very, ''very'' bad idea [[UnstoppableRage to be on the receiving end]].
* OfCorsetsSexy: If she's not in a midriff-baring tank top, chances are she's wearing one of these.
* OneManArmy: Laura is a highly-trained assassin and skilled fighter. When her mother turned her loose on the Facility, she was slaughtering their soldiers by the ''dozens''.
* OpposeWhatYouSuffered: This is almost a Hat:
** Being an OppositeSexClone, Laura [[BerserkButton is extremely sensitive to genetic experimentation and exploitation]]. It lead to her siding with the Sisters against Alchemax in ''Comicbook/AllNewWolverine'', and the central plot of the Tamaki series involved her hunting down and ''shutting'' down further attempts to experiment on her genetics. She has outright stated that she refuses to let anyone else suffer as she did, and intends to make good on that promise.
** Additionally, Laura spent some time as a StreetWalker under a particularly sadistic and cruel pimp. As a result, she's evolved into something of a WifeBasherBasher who goes out of her way to bust up any human and sex traffickers she comes across. On several occasions she has outright killed people she caught brutalizing prostitutes (and in one case killed a man who murdered a girl she ''[[MistakenForProstitute thought]]'' was a prostitute).
* OppositeSexClone: Of Wolverine.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness:
** Laura is typically calm, collected, and withdrawn, and prone to DissonantSerenity even while gutting {{Mooks}}. Even though she inherited Logan's temper, she's much more in control of it, typically keeps her head in a fight, and kills with a cold, efficient detachment. If she's ever ''visibly'' angry, you've likely just done something ''incredibly'' stupid, and you should be running. [[OhCrap Fast]].
** On the less frightening end of the spectrum, when she breaks down emotionally she ''breaks down'', and it's a sign of just how bad things are when Laura loses control of her emotional state. This has been downplayed as CharacterDevelopment led to her expressing her feelings more freely, but her becoming unusually emotional is still a sure sign of a HeroicBSOD in progress.
** Laura generally HatesBeingTouched, and even as her behavior has normalized still largely avoids physical contact even with people she's close to. For Laura to ''initiate'' contact (such as hugging a distraught teen Cyclops after the latter learned his father was still alive[[note]]the time-displaced O5 were drawn from a time period before Cyclops reunited with Corsair[[/note]]) demonstrates just how seriously she views the current moment.
* PayEvilUntoEvil: Practically Laura's ''entire life'' has revolved around this. While she did kill innocents under the Facility, they also hired her out to kill some pretty bad people, as well. And of course when Sarah turns her loose on the Facility itself it becomes this. It's also generally her role on a team; much like Logan, she's the one willing to kill if she has to. UpToEleven when she's on X-Force, an entire ''team'' built on this principle.
* PhotographicMemory: O5 Cyclops remarks that she has one in the second volume of ''All-New X-Men'', and she certainly demonstrates excellent memory and recall.
* PintsizedPowerhouse: Not exactly the strongest physically, but is quite deadly for someone whose actually ''shorter'' than ''Logan''. ''VideoGame/MarvelAvengersAlliance'' even classes her as a Bruiser. To put that into perspective, this is the same category as ''Colossus, Juggernaut, Hercules and Thor''.
* ThePowerOfLove: Despite everything the Facility did to break her and forge her into an emotionless killing machine, it was Sarah Kinney's love for her as a daughter, defying orders to not treat her as a child whenever she could by reading to her and offering an emotional connection that preserved her humanity and helped her break free of the Facility's control.
* PracticallyDifferentGenerations: Laura is as much as fifty years younger than her brother, Comicbook/{{Daken}}, who was born in the late/mid-1940s. She's also this to her younger sister Gabby (who takes it further by being YoungerThanSheLooks, since Gabby was rapid-aged while Laura grew up normally).
* PrecisionFStrike: Laura is generally much more reserved and controlled than Logan, so while she doesn't swear ''often'', when she does she makes it count.
* ProfessionalKiller: This is what X-23 was raised to be. Not wanting to let that define her life, she's since changed her approach to be more in line with X-family ideals, but her complete ruthlessness makes her at times a more efficient killer than even Wolverine.
* PromotionToParent: Laura has found herself in the position of having to raise a thirteen year-old clone of herself created by a division of Alchemax. Energetic and precocious Gabby is quite a handful and the pair frequently butt heads, but TheyReallyDoLoveEachOther.
* PsychicBlockDefense: Laura has displayed a degree of resistance to powerful telepathy. It took Emma Frost a great deal of effort to bypass Laura's mental defenses in order to learn her true nature (though afterwards Emma was able to taunt her with a mental ghost of Laura's slain mother). Logan has also displayed a similar resistance in the past, but it's unclear if this is a result of their HealingFactor, training, or a result of tampering by Weapon X/The Facility.
* PuppyDogEyes: Laura can work them very well, particularly helped by her being TheWoobie. [[http://vmf251-buccaneers.net/Stuff/X23PuppyDog.png See Exhibit A]].

[[folder: Q-T]]
* TheQuietOne: She speaks a bit of Japanese in training with her sensei, but doesn't speak in English until the final issues of the series. Even then, she doesn't speak much.
* TurnedAgainstTheirMasters: She didn't need much encouragement to tear down the Facility once Sarah turned her loose. She even ''puts up her claws'' to beat Rice to death with the bare hands for 10 minutes.
* RaceLift: Ironically it's her most familiar iteration that's the RaceLift:
** In her original appearance in ''X-Men: Evolution'', X-23 is AmbiguouslyBrown, with features that have been interpreted as anything from Latina to First Nations. WordOfGod states she was modeled on the girl — who was ethnic — who posed for the reference shoot as a thank you.
** The books made her canonically Caucasian (which, considering she's a clone of Logan, makes sense that she would share his ethnicity). This extends to most other versions of Laura in both the comics and other media, who are also depicted as Caucasian.
** In the ComicBook/AgeOfApocalypse universe, X-23 is half-Japanese due to having Mariko Yashida as her mother. She also has the given name of Kirika, rather than Laura, and has the same claw arrangement as Logan. Many fans therefore view her as X-23 InNameOnly.
** In ''Film/{{Logan}}'', Laura is still Caucasian, but Latino (even being portrayed by Anglo-Spaniard actress Dafne Keen), as she was born out of a Mexican mother.
* RapeAsBackstory: Subtly done: Laura was no older than ''fifteen'' in ''NYX'', during which time she was a prostitute under a sadistic and violent pimp. As she was legally unable to provide consent to most, if not all, of her Johns,[[note]]age of consent in New York City where she was living at the time is 17, while a teenager younger than 16 and older than 13 can legally have sex with someone no more than four years older than them[[/note]] ''and'' the fact that she was essentially forced into sexual slavery by her circumstances and Zebra Daddy's violent control over her (who it's implied ''also'' raped her), Laura was a victim of statutory (and possible ''actual'') rape.
* RavenHairIvorySkin: She's most commonly drawn with fair skin and black hair, and it's frequently noted that Laura is a very attractive young woman.
* RealityEnsues: X-23 is pretty much what you'd ''actually'' get out of a raised-from-birth LivingWeapon TykeBomb who endure years of TrainingFromHell. She was virtually destroyed emotionally by the years of abuse and torture she received at the Facility, leaving her a PTSD-ridden wreck prone to falling into {{Heroic BSOD}}s at the drop of a hat. Because she was deprived of the affection, emotional support, and socialization a child requires for normal development she's often lost in social interactions, easily confused by her emotions, and frequently experiences bouts of severe and possibly [[DrivenToSuicide suicidal]] depression. At least one [[http://marvel.com/news/comics/9505/psych_ward_x-23 analysis of her character]] suggests she suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder, and a significant portion of her development in the books has been spent on repairing the damage that was done to her.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: It means she's affected by trigger scent and you might want to do more than just "take warning." Varies DependingOnTheArtist to either being bloodshot, or outright ''glowing''.
* RedOniBlueOni: The Blue to Logan's Red; Laura is TheStoic, laconic, and generally keeps her emotions tightly controlled. Logan, by contrast, is far more passionate and quick to anger. She's also generally accepted as much more intellectual and given to careful strategy even when angered, whereas Logan is typically depicted as TheBerserker.
* RetCon:
** Laura's decision to spare Henry Sutter in ''Innocence Lost'' is treated as significant in that book because she never failed to complete a mission, and her refusing to kill him is a sign to Sarah that her humanity hadn't been entirely stolen from her. Later books introduce more people that Laura failed to kill as ordered. Some were other children she chose to spare (Liu series), and at least one individual she [[EyeScream maimed]], but managed to escape (''All-New Wolverine'').
** Her first appearance in a main X-Men title came in ''Uncanny X-Men'' under Claremont, and she first met Wolverine when he, Rachel, and the rest of the X-Men tracked her to Wannabee's, a mutant-themed nightclub. It's established in ''Uncanny'' that Logan had never even ''heard'' of Laura before. However this was retconned by creators Chris Yost and Craig Kyle in ''Target X'' and ''New X-Men'': ''Target X'' established that Sarah informed Logan of her existence by sending him a copy of the letter she left for Laura. ''New X-Men'' changed their meeting in ''Uncanny'' to be staged for the benefit of the rest of the X-Men, with Logan pretending he didn't know her.
** ''Hunt for Wolverine: Adamantium Agenda #4'' revealed that rather than all of her genetic material coming from Logan, as was previously established, she actually received enough from Sarah Kinney to be considered her ''biological'' daughter.
* ScarilyCompetentTracker: Her sense of smell is even ''better'' than Logan's, and she's demonstrably been able to locate individuals in a crowded city ''hours'' after they were last there. In one case it even allowed her to completely reconstruct a crime scene — including the movements of ''dozens'' of individuals — ''by scent alone''. Combine that with her extensive espionage and intelligence training. So when she threatens some mooks by telling them once she has their scent there is nowhere they can hide from her, ''she's not bluffing''.
* SelfHarm: She habitually cuts herself on the wrists and forearms with her claws, and is first shown to engage in this behavior [[spoiler:as a reaction to being forced to kill her sensei as a test of the trigger scent]]. Laura can fall under ''all'' of the reasons for cutting noted on the trope page and one issue of her solo series suggests she may even be inflicting fatal injuries on herself: an employee at a hotel where she was staying with Gambit reported to his manager that it appeared as if someone attempted to commit suicide in a bathroom she just left. Her HealingFactor prevents her from dying from her wounds, however, and completely heals the resulting scars. As with many tropes relating to her DarkAndTroubledPast this has faded as her CharacterizationMarchesOn.
* SelfMadeOrphan: Laura tragically killed her own mother accidentally, when she smelled the trigger scent, which makes her mindlessly attack anyone in her range.
* SexGoddess: During her time as a hooker she was said to be "the best at what she does", and commanded a much higher price than the other girls her pimp controlled. She was also his personal favorite.
* SheFu: Laura's fighting style is highly acrobatic, using flips, handstands and cartwheels to bring her foot claws into play and to avoid being struck. Justified because her body is much less durable than Logan's since only her claws are laced with adamantium. Even though she does heal faster, she's much more prone to being knocked out of a fight by broken bones or dislocated (or severed) limbs.
* ShellShockedVeteran: Laura has been dealing with symptoms of PTSD almost all her life after the things that the Facility did to her, her time as a prostitute, and the many other hardships, tragedies, and battles she's been forced to endure, and her slow recovery has been a substantial part of her character development. Even then, she's continued to fight severe, possibly even suicidal, depression.
* SherlockScan: Whenever Laura walks into a room, her brain ''immediately'' begins to analyze the situation and everyone in it, performing threat analysis, formulating multiple attack plans, and calculating the best method with which to kill ''everyone in the room''. Her thoughts in ''ComicBook/AvengersArena'' reveal that she can't turn it off, so she even does this to her friends.
* SmartPeoplePlayChess: Laura is depicted as quite intelligent and certainly [[BadassBookworm highly-educated]]. One issue of her solo series reveals she plays chess when Storm offers to teach her and Laura counters that she's never lost a match. She ''does'' quit their game after only a few moves, but only because [[spoiler:Hellverine]] arrives, causing her to flee.
* TheSoulless: This is a running source of angst for Laura for much of her history, particularly throughout the Liu ongoing:
** In ''The Killing Dream'', Hellverine tells her that as a clone, (and because of all the death she's caused) she has no soul, and drags her into a BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind to to give her a chance to prove him wrong. [[spoiler:Laura encounters her inner self (later implied to actually be a part of the [[ComicBook/CaptainUniverse Enigma Force]] that remained with her after her previous contact with the entity), who reveals that she wasn't ''born'' an emotionless killing machine, but that it took the conscious effort of the project to break her. This revelation gives Laura the power to defeat the demon.]] However, she remains in doubt over how much of his taunting was the truth afterwards. When Miss Sinister later attempts to steal her body, Laura questions her about having a soul, but Sinister is unable to answer and admits it's something she's given little thought.
** She also once asked Comicbook/GhostRider to use his Penance Stare on her, both because she ''believed'' she deserved to be punished for the pain she had caused, and, since it only works on someone who has a soul, because it would prove one way or another whether she did. However when he offered to carry out her wishes at the end of the encounter she ultimately decided it didn't matter.
** During Circle of Four, a different demon, Blackheart, calls her a silly girl for pondering whether or not she has a soul by reminding her that she's in Hell, and people can't go to Hell without a soul.
** Any remaining question about the matter is firmly laid to rest in ''All-New Wolverine #29'', when Muramasa uses a piece of her soul to craft the Muramasa Armor.
* SpockSpeak: Most fans consider Laura to have a very rigid, measured way of talking. However this voice was primarily used when written under Liu, [[DependingOnTheWriter while other writers, including Kyle and Yost, tended to be more casual]]. Her voice under Bendis went much more towards the opposite extreme, veering near to the standard "Bendis Voice."
* StarCrossedLovers: With [[Characters/AllNewXMen the time-displaced Angel]]. No matter how strong or not her relationship with him is, it ''will'' ultimately end because at some point he must return to his own time. [[spoiler:Their final breakup doesn't even occur on panel, [[ComicBook/Extermination2018 and when he]] ''[[ComicBook/Extermination2018 does]]'' [[ComicBook/Extermination2018 return home they don't even say goodbye]].]]
* StatusQuoIsGod: Whatever development she goes through, inevitably she's going to find herself back in her depressive state.
** Averted after ''Secret Wars'', as she finally begins getting her life in order and moving past her trauma, complete with [[LegacyCharacter taking on her father's mantle]].
** However she'll soon be giving up the Wolverine name again as part of Comicbook/MarvelAFreshStart. Whether her CharacterDevelopment will also be reset has yet to be seen.
* StoppedCaring: Much of her training went towards invoking this trope — teaching her not to act like an emotional or independent being.
* StraightMan: Laura is pretty much this to ''everyone'', as her sense of humor is very subtle, often black, and runs towards DeadpanSnarker (emphasis on the "deadpan"). It's ''especially'' pronounced whenever she comes into contact with wackier characters like Deadpool and Squirrel Girl.
* StreetWalker: She spent an unknown amount of time as one sometime between losing Megan and Debbie, and joining the X-Men. It was detailed in her first appearance in ''NYX'' but has been discussed or referenced several times since then.
* StrongerThanTheyLook: Laura is a short, slight, pretty teenage girl, and outwardly she doesn't seem particularly threatening. However one secondary effect of her HealingFactor is that her muscle and bone tissue is much denser than that of a normal human. As a result, her muscles exert more force than that of a typical girl her size. Additionally, her bones are stronger and harder to break, which reduces another limit since her muscles are capable of greater exertion without risk of breaking her own bones.[[note]]Human muscles are actually strong enough to ''break your own bones'' in extreme feats of strength, which is one reason why biological safeguards normally prevent you from utilizing the full extent of your strength.[[/note]] In fact Laura was fully capable of lifting carrying ''Old Man Logan'' on her back, and climbing out of Fin Fang Foom's digestive tract, adamantium skeleton and all.[[note]]Granted, much of Logan's lower torso was [[{{Squick}} partially digested]], but his skeleton alone weighs around 100lbs or more.[[/note]]
* StrongFamilyResemblance:
** Pretty much any time Sarah Kinney appears Laura is drawn as her spitting image. She also looks a lot like her aunt Deborah, who also shares a StrongFamilyResemblance with Sarah. [[spoiler:It's eventually established in ''Adamantium Agenda #4'' that Laura shares Sarah's DNA, thus explaining their similar appearances.]]
** Oddly enough [[http://68.media.tumblr.com/4dd823089187f8dcb615c2177fe8e133/tumblr_inline_o5zkznQDlM1u1tbol_1280.jpg she doesn't look much like Logan, her genetic source.]] Taylor plays with it during a flashback scene in ''All-New Wolverine #1'' by having Laura and Logan demonstrate many of the same facial expressions. Logan also mentions [[FamilyEyeResemblance she has his mother's eyes]].
* SuperHearing: Laura's hearing is enhanced by her mutation. She was once able to hear a conversation Maria Hill was holding with Captain America...''through Cap's own ear bud from across the room''.
* SuperheroPackingHeat: Although not a power ''per se'', as a former assassin Laura is highly trained and skilled in the use of firearms, and has no compunctions against using them if necessary.
* SuperReflexes: Laura's reaction times are heightened as a secondary effect of her healing factor. She's been shown dodging ''and'' ParryingBullets.
* SuperSenses: Better than even Wolverine's. Since their enhanced senses are a byproduct of their HealingFactor, this may be because Laura's is more powerful.
** Her sense of smell is so refined she's been able to reconstruct crime scenes ''hours'' after the events, even able to determine by scent alone that one victim of a killing had high cholesterol.
** Laura's vision is so keen that she was able to see ''[[{{Nanomachines}} a single nanite]]'' in a test tube with her naked eyes.
* SuperStrength: Another byproduct of her healing factor is that Laura's muscles, connective tissue, and bones are denser than those of a normal human. As a result she's [[MusclesAreMeaningless stronger than one would expect such a short, slight girl to be]]. She can also stay in states of fight or flight with her adrenaline pumping for longer and her healing speed also mitigates the duration and severity of any pain she feels.
* SympatheticSentientWeapon: Young X-23 killed a ''lot'' of people, many of them innocents. She was also horrifically tortured, abused, and forced to do so against her will.
* TechnicalPacifist: Has steadily been evolving into this over the course of her life. While even from early on she hated killing, when she first joined the X-Men she was utterly ruthless and unflinching with her use of lethal force. Usually to the horror of her friends and teammates. However over time she's become increasingly reluctant to cut loose, until by the time she takes on the Wolverine name she makes every effort to avoid killing.
* TeensAreShort: Laura has always been depicted as quite small, and many characters express disbelief that she is one of the world's most dangerous assassins when they meet her. Even by the time she's 18-19 in ''All-New Wolverine'' she's only ''5'1"''.
* ThouShaltNotKill: When first introduced she was ready to kill at need, and could be even more ruthless and efficient than even Logan. However she has gradually moved in this direction. By the time she took up the Wolverine name she has sworn off killing.
* TortureTechnician: One of the skills she's been highly trained on, in her solo series Malcolm Colcord's fingernails finds this out the hard way.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Very subtly done. While Laura doesn't have one particular favorite food, she favors ''anything'' that's spicy. See ComfortFood above.
* TrainingFromHell: Her back story in ''Innocence Lost'' and ''Target: X''.
* TranquilFury: In most cases, Laura is [[EmotionlessGirl chillingly cold, calm and efficient]] while gutting you, and that's terrifying enough. [[NotSoStoic If she ever actually loses her cool]], she's either under the effects of the trigger scent or you've just done something to really, ''really'' piss her off. In both cases you should run. Fast.
* TraumaCongaLine: From the moment she was born Laura has bounced from one hardship to the next: Torture, abuse, being forced to attack and kill those she cares about, losing her only surviving family to protect them. Laura has suffered an endless series of [[YankTheDogsChain chain-yanking]] throughout her life as things begin to look up, only to come crashing down hard again. However it finally begins to abate post-''Comicbook/{{Secret Wars|2015}}'', as she begins to finally put her life in order.
* TroubledButCute: Dialogue in the books makes it clear that Laura is a very attractive young woman. Troubled? Just ''look'' at all the tropes focusing on how screwed up she still is because of her abusive upbringing.
* TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior: Laura's first assassination was at age 9. She was immediately put to work by the Facility afterwards, and by 16 she's an accomplished enough killer to worry ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica''. {{Justified| Trope}} since she was bred and raised from birth ''specifically'' to be a LivingWeapon, but her utter ruthlessness and cold detachment makes her an even better killer than Wolverine. It's mildly subverted in that she doesn't ''want'' to be a weapon, but it nonetheless comes completely naturally to her.
* TykeBomb: ''Literally'' conceived as such.

[[folder: U-Z]]
* TheUglyGuysHotDaughter: Jubilee has described her as "hot" and Teen Warren, who she's currently dating, has stated that she's prettier than Comicbook/JeanGrey. The fact she's the famously ''un''attractive Logan's OppositeSexClone makes the trope even ''more'' noticeable.
* UnaffectedBySpice: She can tolerate levels of spice that even have Gambit, who as a Cajun is no stranger to hot stuff, doing a double-take. In fact she habitually shows a preference for spicy foods.
* UnstoppableRage: The trigger scent causes this. Normally she's very composed otherwise, but if pushed too far she ''will'' snap. At which point whoever is responsible better run. ''[[OhCrap Fast]]''.
* UptownGirl: Gender inverted: Laura was born in a lab, and spent time on the streets as a homeless prostitute. Her primary love interests have been Hellion and the time-displaced Angel, both of whom are from privileged and wealthy upbringings.
* UsedToBeASweetKid: Laura wasn't born an emotionless killing machine. The Facility ''consciously destroyed her innocence''. Much of Laura's life after escaping the is spent trying to repair the damage that was done to her.
* VagueAge: Downplayed. In ''X-Force'' it is shown that she can estimate someone's age within about three years by their scent.
* VillainousCrush: Laura has picked up a couple of these:
** Kimura is her ArchNemesis, whose obsession with X veers into full-on StalkerWithACrush, to the point that her obsession over Laura reads like a jilted PsychoExGirlfriend.
** During the time she spent as a {{Streetwalker}} in ''NYX'' she was her pimp, Zebra Daddy's, favorite girl (and it's ''heavily'' suggested he sampled the goods himself). To the point that her running away with Kiden Nixon's group, after a John committed suicide during one of their sessions, drove the rest of the plot with Daddy's escalating efforts to get her back.
** Gamesmaster — an omnipath who can read all minds, ''everywhere'', and ''can't turn it off'' — developed an obsession with her because he finds her mind a refreshingly quiet and peaceful place to hang out. Whether or not Laura actually welcomes his presence in her head never enters into his considerations, and he frequently addresses her with endearments, calling her his "wicked, lovely girl."
** Hellverine wants her to lead his armies, and it's heavily implied that he just plain ''wants'' her. He captures the above-mentioned Gamesmaster when he finds him poking around Laura's mind, and presents him muzzled and in chains as a gift (Gamesmaster ''also'' tried to drive away Hellverine to protect Laura, which got him caught in the first place). He makes several advances towards her, including appearing to her as a ''naked Cyclops''.
** Played for laughs in ''All New Wolverine'', [[ItMakesSenseInContext when she gets doused in a pheromone designed to make Fin Fang Foom randy for whatever is marked with it]]. The moment he gets a whiff of her, the background is replaced by a giant HeartSymbol.
* VitriolicBestBuds: With Hellion. Laura and Jubilee started out like this before becoming HeterosexualLifePartners.
* WakingUpElsewhere: Slight variant: The rage induced by the trigger scent causes Laura to black out, during which time she has no knowledge or conscious control over what she's doing.
-->'''Laura''': The ones who made me, they made a chemical...a scent...when I smell it, everything goes black and when I wake up, everyone's dead.
* WaifFu: Laura's fighting style tends to be very acrobatic, justified because she's rather small and lightly-built, and unlike Wolverine, lacks adamantium coating her entire skeleton, so is much more prone to being disabled by broken or severed limbs.
* WeakButSkilled: She relies primarily on WaifFu in combat since she's unable to sustain damage, and is ''very'' highly trained in hand-to-hand combat, firearms, interrogation techniques, infiltration, languages, and other skills she might have needed as an assassin.
* WifeBasherBasher: Laura pulls a variation of this with prostitutes as a result of her experiences under Zebra Daddy's control. On several occasions afterwards she's been shown reacting ''very'' violently to seeing other girls abused as she was.
* WolverineClaws: Inherited from her father, though hers are in a slightly different arrangement with two in each hand (between the index and middle finger, and pinky and ring finger) and one in each foot (between the big and long toes). Like Logan's they're coated in adamantium. Zander Rice cut them out of her one by one while she was ''conscious'' to perform the procedure.
* WolverinePublicity: Played straight and at the same time played with in ''All-New Wolverine'' where various superheroes and villains, specifically Taskmaster, ComicBook/DoctorStrange, ComicBook/TheWasp, and [[spoiler:ComicBook/SquirrelGirl]] make appearances. Yes, other characters are now appearing in a Wolverine book to help establish the book.
* WouldHurtAChild: On several occasions Laura was ordered to kill children by her handlers, and in fact her very first mission sees her slaughtering a presidential candidate, his wife, and kids (and possibly other children present in the room, as well). However see RetCon above and under the series tropes below.
* TheWorfEffect: Not as frequently as Logan, but occasionally Laura will be used to deliver a big OhCrap to her teammates.
* YankTheDogsChain:
** Pretty much her ''entire life''. Her mother finally decides to take a stand and rescue her from the Facility? Turns out she's contaminated by the trigger scent and Laura kills her in an UnstoppableRage just as it seems they're about to escape. Welcomed into her aunt's home, where she strikes up a close friendship with her cousin, Megan, and begins to feel that she's part of a family? Turns out her aunt's boyfriend was an agent planted by the Facility who calls in Kimura, forcing Laura to send her last remaining family into hiding to keep them safe. Logan talks her down from a MurderSuicide and offers her a home at the Xavier school where she can get help coping with all the hell she's been through? S.H.I.E.L.D. attacks her and Captain America puts her under arrest. And now that it ''finally'' seems as if she's beginning to put her life together and heal, [[ComicBook/AvengersArena she gets shanghaied by Arcade to fight other troubled teenage heroes to the death for his amusement]]. The poor girl finally begins to catch a break by the time she takes up the Wolverine mantle, with her life improving considerably after the events on Murder World.
** On a meta level for her fans, the revelation that she would appear in ''ComicBook/AmazingXMen'' under her creators, Yost and Kyle, was falsely reported and no actual plans are in place for them to be writing her again in the immediate future.
** And also on a meta level, many fans believed that her taking on the Wolverine name was a sign of her star rising, and that she would be gaining a starring presence among the X-Men as a result. And then [[SpotlightStealingSquad Old Man Logan stole her thunder]], with most writers using ''him'' whenever they needed a Wolverine for events. It got even ''worse'' for her fans under Comicbook/{{ResurrXion}}, when Laura was removed from her only team book, while Logan got ''[[WolverinePublicity three]]'' teams.
* YouAreNumberSix:
** Laura's Facility designation, X-23. She's almost never called this by her friends and teammates, who at most just use "X" as a nickname, but otherwise call her Laura even in the field when they use their own codenames. By contrast, Kimura ''always'' refers to her as X-23, which is done deliberately to dehumanize and belittle her.
** X-23 was the only name she was ever given in her two appearances in ''Evolution''.
* YourWorstMemory: While Laura has endured loads of pain and trauma in her young life, and it has taken ''years'' for her to come to terms with the terrible things she has done, and had done to her, it's implied her single worst memory is of being forced to kill her mother under the effects of the trigger scent. Emma Frost specifically uses this memory to torment her in an effort to drive her away from the school. It reduces her to ''tears''.
* YoYoPlotPoint: '''Every''' single character arc of her's revolves around learning to be more than a weapon. [[http://waitingforthet.tumblr.com/day/2013/08/28 This comic]] sums it up pretty well.
** Subverted at the end of her solo series, she accepts that part of her is a weapon, but she won't let that beat her.
** See also TraumaCongaLine. It seems like just as she starts to become more or less stable, some fresh new trauma hits her and sends her back to square one.
** Finally starts to get averted after ''Avengers Arena'', as she pieces herself back together and things begin turning around. Particularly by finally dealing with Kimura and the trigger scent, and getting her family (Megan and Debbie) back.
[[/folder]]

!Family

[[folder:Daken]]
!!Daken Akihiro/Daken
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_daken.PNG]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' Japanese
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutant
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 3''

''For general tropes about Daken, see his [[Comicbook/{{Daken}} page]]''
\\\
The son of Wolverine, which makes him Laura's nephew or brother, depending on the genetics. Their relationship is initially hostile, but over the course of their encounter they gain a measure of respect for one another, and Laura walks away from their adventure as one of a very few people whom Daken genuinely respects and has affection for.

* BigBrotherInstinct: Eventually, to both Laura and Gabby.
* CainAndAbel: The Cain to Laura's Abel. Despite that, they actually get along quite well.
* EvilCounterpart: He's this to Laura in a way. Both are genetic children of Logan, both tend to only use two of their claws and save the third for special attacks, both have messed up pasts. They have a mutual respect for each other, partly because they are so alike.
* HeelFaceTurn: Of a sort. Daken doesn't exactly go full Face, but [[spoiler: after Colcord double-crosses him, he and Laura are no longer at cross-purposes and work together to shut him down]].
* IncestYay: Some of Daken's private thoughts when he watches Laura in action read this way. Then again, it ''is'' [[DepravedBisexual Daken]].
* ManBehindTheMan: Seizes control of Madripoor during "Collision", and sets himself up as this, leaving Tyger Tiger as the public face.
* ManipulativeBastard: It's Daken, natch.
* NotSoDifferent: Technically brother and sister, both raised by some very, ''very'' bad people, but while Daken embraces what Romulus made him, Laura desperately wants to be something more than just a weapon and killer. Nonetheless, their similarities give them a fair bit of mutual respect towards one another.
* WorthyOpponent: He and Laura come to view one another as this, and Laura becomes one of a ''very'' few people he genuinely respects.

[[folder:Deborah Kinney]]
!!Deborah "Debbie" Kinney
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_deborahkinney.jpg]]

Deborah is Sarah Kinney's sister, with whom she has a strained, and virtually nonexistent relationship due to her failure to support Sarah when she was being abused by their father. Debbie plays a minor role in ''Innocence Lost'', but is much more significant in the follow-up story, ''Target: X''.

* DysfunctionalFamily: Shared this relationship with her sister, Sarah, due to not supporting her when Sarah was being abused by their father. As a result, they rarely spoke in the years afterwards. The relationship is only mended when [[spoiler: she calls Sarah for help after her daughter is kidnapped by a serial killer preying on children, and whom Sarah uses Laura to locate and rescue. Unfortunately, Sarah is killed before they can completely reconcile.]]
** ''Target: X'' reveals that her relationship with her daughter has been strained, as Megan has grown up to be a rather angry young girl as an ongoing effect of her kidnapping. Laura's arrival helps them repair their relationship.
* GroundedForever: Debbie's reaction to Megan and Laura being suspended after Laura's first day at school. Learning about Laura's past leads Megan to ''hug'' her for it.
* ParentalSubstitute: Becomes this for Laura when she turns up on her doorstep.
* ParentWithNewParamour: It's unclear what happened to Megan's father, but the man Debbie is cohabitating with isn't him. [[spoiler: He's also a Facility plant.]]
* PutOnABus: Literally. Laura leaves her and Megan at a bus station, and sends them into hiding to protect them from Kimura and the Facility. [[spoiler: They finally meet again at the end of All-New Wolverine #18]].
* SecretKeeper: She knew about Laura after she and Sarah reconciled.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: Sarah and Debbie look a lot alike (Debbie wears her hear short, though). Therefore she also looks a lot like Laura.

[[folder:Gabby Kinney]]
!!Gabrielle "Gabby" Kinney/Honey Badger

!!!'''Species:''' Human mutant clone

''For general tropes about Honey Badger, see the page [[Characters/XMen2010sMembers here]]''

Laura's 13 year-old ([[YoungerThanTheyLook sorta]]) cloned sister, created by Alchemax Genetics in a failed attempt to replicate her, and thus Wolverine himself.

* BadassInDistress: [[spoiler:Gabby is kidnapped by the Cuckoos in issue 2.]]
* CloningBlues: When Gabby learns it's the Cuckoos' declared birthday in issue 1, she begins to muse on her own nature as a clone, and insists she wants a birthday of her own even though Laura deems it unimportant.
* EvilMakeover: [[spoiler:After Esme [[GrandTheftMe hijacks her body]] she ditches her own costume for a black version of the Cuckoos' ponchos. Her skin also becomes noticeably grayer, her eyes change from green to blue, and she gains black circles around her eyes.]]
* FightingWithChucks: She carries a set of nunchucks on her UtilityBelt.
* KubrickStare: Pares this with an ''incredibly'' disturbing SlasherSmile in issue 4 (see below).
* PowerFist: Gabby gains a pair of brass knuckles with her new costume. The right one reads "HONY", and the left one (predictably) reads "BDGR".
* SlasherSmile: She sports a positively ''chilling'' one in issue 4 [[spoiler:after Esme seizes control of her body]].
* UtilityBelt: Gabby carries nunchucks and brass knuckles on a belt. And of ''course'' it has pouches.

[[folder:Wolverine]]
!!James Logan Howlett/Wolverine
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_wolverine.PNG]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' Canadian
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutant
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X'', ''X-23 Vol. 2 (One-Shot)'', ''X-23 Vol. 3''

''For general tropes about Wolverine, see his [[Comicbook/{{Wolverine}} page]]''

Laura's "father" and genetic template, it was the Facility's attempts to replicate the Weapon X experiments that led to her creation. The exact nature of their genetic relationship varies DependingOnTheWriter, but their actual relationship on-page has strong elements of father/daughter. At times their interactions have been strained or rocky, and Logan freely acknowledges that he's a poor father, but he nonetheless cares immensely for Laura's well-being, and objected to her inclusion on X-Force because he was determined to see her have a chance at a normal life.

* HappilyAdopted: During a flashback in ''The Killing Dream'', Logan announces his intention to adopt Laura.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Logan treats Hellion like dirt over his actions killing Karima, and along with Gambit wants to keep him away from Laura. Even though Wolverine has done ''far'' worse things than Julian and been forgiven for them.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Logan has at times been excessively harsh on her, and he openly acknowledges he's been a very poor father to her when Gambit challenges him on it in Paris. That said, it's clear in her solo just how much Logan truly cares for her, and how determined he's been to help her live a normal life.
* ParentalSubstitute: Regardless of the genetics involved (Laura could be either Logan's sister or daughter, largely depending on exactly how much of her genetic material is his), he and Laura share a father/daughter relationship. By the time of ''All-New Wolverine'' Laura herself has begun calling him "dad."
* {{Retcon}}: Laura and Logan actually shared very little time together on-panel while he was still alive. Later writers, particularly after ''Death of Wolverine'', have used flashbacks and dialogue to suggest that they were much closer than would be evident from their ''actual'' interactions before his death.
* TheUglyGuysHotDaughter: He's the ugly guy to Laura's hot daughter. It particularly stands out because she's his OppositeSexClone (though depending on the genetics she ''may'' have gotten her looks from Sarah Kinney).
* YouGotSpunk: A non-villainous version: When Kiden Nixon [[MistakenForProstitute mistakenly believes Laura has returned to hooking]] and Logan is her latest pimp, she actually ''threatens the Wolverine''. Logan just smiles and says he likes her.

[[folder:Deborah Kinney]]
!!Deborah Kinney

Deborah is Sarah's sister, with whom she has a strained, and virtually nonexistent relationship due to her failure to support her when Sarah was being abused by their father.

* DysfunctionalFamily: Shares this relationship with her sister, Sarah, due to not supporting her when Sarah was being abused by their father. As a result, they rarely spoke in the years afterwards. The relationship is only mended when [[spoiler:she calls Sarah for help after her daughter is kidnapped by a serial killer preying on children, and whom Sarah uses X-23 to locate and rescue. Unfortunately, Sarah is killed before they can completely reconcile.]]
* StrongFamilyResemblance: Sarah and Debbie look a lot alike.

[[folder:Megan Kinney]]
!!Megan Kinney
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_megan.jpg]]

!!!'''Species:''' Human
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X''

Megan is Laura's cousin. As a child she was kidnapped by a serial killer, but Sarah defied the Facility's rules by sneaking Laura out to rescue her. After escaping the Facility Laura turned up at Deborah Kinney's home, where she and Megan quickly became close, and were each others' only friends. Laura was forced to separate from Megan to protect her from Kimura, and as a parting gift, Megan gave Laura her locket, in which she put a picture of herself and Laura's mother.

* TheCassandra: No one believed her about the kidnapping after she was rescued. Debbie was sympathetic, but most people believed Megan simply made it up for attention.
* DistressedDamsel: [[spoiler: Megan is kidnapped by a SerialKiller who preys on children, and Deborah contacts Sarah for help. Sarah breaks rules to sneak X-23 out of her cell, and sends her to locate and rescue the girl.]]
* DysfunctionalFamily: Megan has a strained relationship with her mother in ''Target: X''. It's implied that this is because of the trauma Megan experienced when she was kidnapped as a child.
* FamilyEyeResemblance: Megan has the same green eyes as her mother, aunt, and cousin.
* FlashbackNightmare: She first appears in ''Target X'' in the midst of one, and it's indicated she suffers them often.
* {{Goth}}: Megan has a very Gothic style of dress. Laura raided her closet for extra clothes in ''Target: X'', and [[FridgeBrilliance this may be why Laura continues to dress in this fashion even after they part]].
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Megan is blonde, as opposed to her black-haired mother, aunt, and cousin. Although she's somewhat troubled as a result of the trauma of her kidnapping as a child, she's nonetheless a good person.
* HarmfulToMinors: A substantial part of why Megan has grown into a troubled and rebellious young girl between ''Innocence Lost'' and ''Target: X'' was because of the pedophile who kidnapped her as a child. Megan later gets a front row seat when Laura tears her mother's boyfriend (actually a Facility agent) to shreds, and slaughters a hit-team sent to recover her. And then Kimura showed up and tortured ''her'' to punish Laura for escaping.
* MadArtist: Downplayed: Megan continues to suffer untreated PTSD caused by her kidnapping, because [[CassandraTruth no one believed her and thought she was making it up]]. It manifests by covering her walls with drawings of her attacker ''and'' her rescuer, and the constant {{Flashback Nightmare}}s she endures.
* MadnessMantra: Nonverbal example: Megan has ''covered'' her room in pictures she drew of her kidnapper, as well as Laura, her rescuer.
* MoralityPet: For Sarah, Megan's letters and pictures as a child start to rebuild Sarah's thoughts on family, which in turn helps her realize what exactly it is she is doing to Laura.
* ParentWithNewParamour: Her mom's boyfriend in ''Target: X'' is ''not'' her father, and Megan is openly disrespectful to him when she's first introduced.
* PutOnABus: Literally. Laura leaves her and Debbie at a bus station, and sends them into hiding to protect them from Kimura and the Facility. [[spoiler: They reappear at the end of All-New Wolverine #18 after Laura finally kills Kimura]].
* StrongFamilyResemblance: Averted by Megan, whose blonde hair stands out against Sarah and Debbie's black.
* UsedToBeASweetKid: Megan is just an ordinary girl when we meet her, who wants to send a present to her reclusive Aunt Sarah. It's implied in ''Target: X'' that her experiences with [[spoiler: the SerialKiller who kidnapped her]] in ''Innocence Lost'' turned her into something of a rebellious problem child as a teenager.

[[folder:Sarah Kinney]]
!!Doctor Sarah Kinney
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sarah_kinney_face.jpg]]

!!!'''Species:''' Human
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X''

A leading expert in mutant genetics, who is hired by the Facility to clone Wolverine from genetic samples salvaged from the original Weapon X project. Dr. Kinney was fully aware the Facility was building a weapon, though drawn to the project mainly by the challenge. When the process to create an exact clone failed, it was Sarah who proposed creating a female since the X-chromosomes were more intact. When the project head overruled her she proceeded anyway, and as punishment was forced by the surgical head Zander Rice to serve as surrogate. Sarah became the infant X-23's mother and caretaker, and her growing disillusionment led her to freeing her, but at the cost of her life.

* AbusiveParents: A copy of a police report shown during Sarah's introductory scene reveals she was abused by her father as a child, though no action was taken because neither her mother or sister corroborated the accusations, and Sarah herself was uncooperative during the investigation. This destroyed her relationship with her family, and she refused to have any contact with them for years.
** Sarah herself becomes this to X-23. Though she doesn't physically abuse her as Rice does, she nonetheless deprives her of a emotional support when the girl reaches out to her. This was done under orders and to her credit, Sarah ''did'' attempt to disobey whenever possible, but still resulted in much of the girl's emotional damage. She's also appalled at herself when [[HeelRealization she realizes just what she has been doing]].
---> '''Sarah:''' I never wanted a family. My father stripped me of that desire. He took my childhood, my innocence, my life. And then I took yours. I became what I hated and feared most and you became my victim.
* ADayInTheLimeLight: ''Innocence Lost'' is more her story than Laura's.
* ApocalypticLog: Sarah's letter to X-23 is used as the narration for the story.
* BabyFactory: Rice forces Sarah to become one after she violates her orders and creates a female clone.
* CassandraTruth:
** As a child, Sarah's mother and sister didn't believe the accusations that her father was abusing her.
** Sarah tries to warn Sutter that Rice is letting his personal feelings about Wolverine interfere with the project, but Sutter has none of it.
* DeathByOriginStory: Sarah is already dead by the time of Laura's first appearances in the books. She first appears alive in ''Comicbook/InnocenceLost'', and a flashback scene in ''Target: X''.
* DysfunctionalFamily: Has this with her sister, due to the latter failing to support her over the abuse she suffered from their father. Sarah cuts off contact with her entirety, [[spoiler:and only begins to reconcile after a serial killer targeting children abducts her niece, Megan, whom Sarah sends X-23 to rescue. Unfortunately, Sarah dies before the relationship can be permanently mended.]]
* HeelRealization: Sarah is increasingly disillusioned by her role in the project, and undergoes a full HeelRealization when X-23 reveals [[spoiler:Rice sent her to kill Martin Sutter and his family. X-23's decision to disobey orders and spare Henry Sutter ultimately leads Sarah to carrying out her HeelFaceTurn]].
* HeelFaceTurn: Of the three project leads, Sarah was from the beginning the most sympathetic. However initially even ''she'' was only focused on doing the job at hand, knowing full well they were working on creating a LivingWeapon. However Sarah becomes increasingly disillusioned with the unnecessary abuse Rice is allowed to inflict on X-23, before finally getting fed up after [[spoiler:X-23 reveals that Rice sent her to kill Sutter and his family.]]
* HotScientist: Sarah's quite the looker.
* MamaBear: Drives Sarah's HeelFaceTurn and decision to turn X-23 loose on the facility.
* PosthumousCharacter: Sarah dies in ''Innocence Lost'', but continues to have an impact on Laura in her subsequent series. "The Killing Dream" arc of the Liu series shows how heavily her death continues to weigh on Laura's conscience, and it's one of the memories Doctor Strange views through the Eye of Agamotto, that helps convince him to help the Sisters in ''All-New Wolverine''.
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Sarah doesn't survive to build a life with X-23 after her HeelFaceTurn. Rice contaminates her with the Trigger Scent, leading X-23 to kill her ''just'' as they were about to escape.]]
* S{{he Knows Too Much}}: [[spoiler:Sarah knows everything about the project, particularly after Rice reveals the additional clones and his intent to sell them to the highest bidder. This pretty much guarantees Rice won't let her live long after he fires her.]]
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:Once Rice takes over and determines Sarah is no longer necessary to the project and is becoming too inconvenient, he fires her and tells her to visit X-23 one last time before she leaves. Turns out Rice had her with the Trigger Scent intending for X-23 to kill her when she did. X does kill her, but not until ''after'' Sarah unleashes her on the Facility and X kills Rice.]]

!!X-Men

[[folder:Beast]]
!!Henry [=McCoy=] / Beast

!!!'''Species:''' Human mutant
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 4''

''For general tropes about Beast, see his [[ComicBook/BeastMarvelComics page]].''

One of the original five X-Men, and their go-to genius. Hank [=McCoy=] assists Laura with her missions to bring down illicit genetic experimentation.

* MissionControl: Beast serves as this for Laura. He gave her the mission to investigate the disappearance of Dr. Marks at the Cuckoos' hands, and to investigate genetic trafficking through a local high school.

[[folder:Jubilee]]
!!Jubilation Lee/Jubilee
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_jubilee.PNG]]

!!!'''Species:''' Human vampire
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 2 (One-Shot)'', ''X-23 Vol. 3''

''For general tropes about Jubilee, see her [[Comicbook/JubileeMarvelComics page]].''

A former mutant, Jubilee was depowered as a result of M-Day, and later was turned into a vampire. Her struggles to control her violent and monstrous impulses allow her to empathize with Laura, and they establish a quick and close friendship because of how well they understand one another.

* CoolBigSis: Jubilee to Laura. Although canonically she wasn't much older than Laura before she was turned, she's nonetheless an experienced X-Man, and much like Gambit offers Laura support and help, particularly by trying to break her out of her shell and teaching her to enjoy life.
* CuteLittleFangs: Often revealed when she smiles, ''especially'' in the issues drawn by Takeda.
* DarkActionGirl: Not by choice. Though still bubbly, her vampirism has given her a darker edge, and she's just as capable a killer as Laura. It's her own efforts to control these darker impulses that grants her such a close perspective on Laura's own troubles.
* DarkIsNotEvil: As noted above, she's ''supposed'' to be a violent and blood-thirsty killer due to her affliction and has certainly evolved into a formidable killer, but Jubilee is still the bubbly and adorable mall rat.
* FireForgedFriends: Gambit introduced Jubilee to X-23 thinking she could help Laura overcome her issues. Laura immediately attacked Jubilee thinking she was an enemy, and was jealous of how Wolverine treated her. However they eventually bonded over their shared issues with controlling their bloodlust.
* GenkiGirl: Although she ''can'' be serious when the situation calls for it, Jubilee's bubbly and carefree demeanor stands in stark contrast to Laura's stoicism.
* ManicPixieDreamGirl: Jubilee's foremost concern during the solo series is getting Laura to lighten up and actually ''enjoy'' life. Whether that means dragging her out shopping at an expensive Paris boutique, hitting up the nightclubs in New York City, or base jumping sans-parachute off the Eifle Tower.
* MustMakeHerLaugh: Pretty much assigns herself the mission of getting Laura to lighten up and learn to enjoy life.
* NotSoDifferent: Jubilee and Laura realize they have much in common, with X-23 having to struggle with finding herself and the trigger scent and Jubilee struggling to control her newfound bloodlust. They get along [[HeterosexualLifePartners really well though]].
* VitriolicBestBuds: Jubilee and Laura didn't get off on the right foot: when she first arrived in Paris, Laura actually almost took Jubilee's head off, reacting almost instinctively as if Jubilee was a threat, and was jealous of Logan's affectionate behaviour towards Jubilee in contrast to his standoffish attitude towards her. It took a little time for Laura to warm up to her.

[[folder:Hellion]]
!!Julian Keller/Hellion
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_hellion.PNG]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' American
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutant
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 3''

One of the [[Comicbook/NewMutants New X-Men]], and Laura's sort-of-boyfriend, they share a mutual attraction but Laura's struggles with her emotions has prevented her from truly exploring the relationship. Hellion was crippled during Bastion's assault on San Francisco.

* ForcefulKiss: Plants one on Laura at the end of ''Misadventures in Babysitting'', but she rejects him.
* HandicappedBadAss: Hellion may have lost his hands, but his telekinesis is as strong as ever.
* HeroicBSOD: Is in the middle of a ''bad'' one when he shows up in ''Misadventures in Babysitting'' after killing Karima to defend Utopia. It undoes much of his prior CharacterDevelopment and reverts him to his previous {{Jerkass}} persona.
* InTheBack: When Hellverine assaults Laura she attacks him in self-defense. Julian walks in in time to see her stab Logan's body, but not realizing what's actually going on he restrains her with his power to check on Logan. While trying to talk Laura down when she makes an attempt to explain, Hellverine gets back up and stabs him in the back.
* JerkassHasAPoint: When Laura breaks off their relationship at the end of the babysitting arc of the Liu series, he gets angry and says some very hurtful things about her having no feelings in response. Many readers, including X-23's ''fans'', agree that while he may have taken it too far he was also ''right'' considering how cold and distant Laura was to him throughout the arc.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: His attempts to help Laura when Val and Franklin Richards are kidnapped invariably just end up making things worse.
* [[PsychoExGirlfriend Psycho Ex-Boyfriend]]: He spends his brief appearance in ''Girl's Night Out'' spying on Laura from a distance while she's hanging out with Jubilee and Gambit. Jubilee pretty much treats him like this.
* TheseHandsHaveKilled: The first time Laura sees Julian during ''Misadventures in Babysitting'' it's strongly implied that this is part of why he's acting out the way he is. He outright makes an attempt to reach out to Laura for support hoping she would understand, but she rebuffs him.
* TookALevelInJerkass: When Julian first appears in ''The Killing Dream'', he's still acting on the CharacterDevelopment he received under Kyle and Yost during their stint on ''New X-Men'', and he and Dust are her only friends who staunchly defend her participation in X-Force. However when he returns during ''Misadventures in Babysitting'' he's become much more angry and bitter over the way he's been treated since being forced to kill Karima, and when Laura breaks things off with him he loses his temper and says some ''very'' hurtful things.
* WillTheyOrWontThey: At the beginning of her solo series, Laura is still struggling to understand what she feels for Julian, though he's much more certain about how he feels about her. [[spoiler: Laura eventually decides to break things off with him]].

[[folder:Gambit]]
!!Remy [=LeBeau=]/Gambit
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_gambit.PNG]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' American
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutant
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 3''

''For general tropes about Gambit, see his [[Comicbook/{{Gambit}} page]]''
\\\
The master thief and X-Man, Gambit accompanies Laura when she leaves on her journey of self-discovery following the events of ''[[ComicBook/XMenSecondComing Second Coming]]'' to help and support her through this difficult stage of her life. That Remy knows what it is to be looked at and judged for past actions gives him a unique perspective on Laura's situation.

* AffectionateNickname: It's Gambit. His name for Laura is ''Petite''.
* BigBrotherMentor: As with Wolverine, Gambit uses his experience to help guide Laura, and their relationship evolves into this. It's ultimately his idea that the rest of the X-Men allow her to leave and find her own way, and although Laura already came to the decision herself, Gambit is the one that convinces Cyclops to let her go.
* CoolOldGuy: Laura comes to respect him immensely, and looks up to him as a mentor.
* FortuneTeller: Remy learned to tell people's fortunes with playing cards from another thief he knew in "N'awlins." He uses his card deck to tell Laura's after she killed a man who murdered another girl.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Gambit treats Hellion like dirt over his actions killing Karima, and along with Wolverine wants to keep him away from Laura. Even though Gambit has done ''far'' worse things than Julian and been forgiven for them.
* ImpossibleThief: Jokingly invoked. Gambit lampshades his reputation in a conversation with Storm, when she says she hopes he can make Laura smile:
-->'''Gambit:''' I'm the best thief in the world, Chere. If I can't make her smile...I'll steal one for her.
* IntergenerationalFriendship: One of many of her elders Laura establishes a close friendship with.
* MoralityPet: While he's letting Laura find her own way, Gambit nonetheless acts as this to help keep her centered and focused.

[[folder:The Stepford Cuckoos]]
!!The Stepford Cuckoos
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cuckoos.PNG]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Mindee, Phoebe, and Celeste]]

!!!'''Species:''' Human mutant clones
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 4''

''For general tropes about the Cuckoos, see their [[ComicBook/StepfordCuckoos page]]''
\\\
Three identical telepaths, the Cuckoos (Mindee/Irma, Phoebe, and Celeste) were one of many products of the Weapon Plus program. Originally known as the Five-in-One, two of the sisters (Sophie and Esme) were killed, leaving them as the Three-in-One. They have since joined the X-Men, and much like Laura have struggled to put their past as a collective HumanWeapon behind them.

* BackForTheDead: [[spoiler:Sophie is resurrected in issue 1, only to be immediately killed off by Esme to ensure her own survival in issue 2. However issue 4 reveals her psychic ghost is still hanging around, and is currently hitching a ride with Laura.]]
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:Esme and Sophie have been resurrected in new clone bodies.]]
* BodyBackupDrive: [[spoiler:Esme and Sophie return in issue 1 using cloned bodies.]]
* CainAndAbel: [[spoiler:Sophie was from the start the most heroic of the Cuckoos, but is especially this for Esme. Esme was the most overtly villainous, particularly towards Sophie, who died because of her machinations. Esme kills her ''again'' in issue 1, since in their current fragile states only one is likely to survive and she insists that she deserves it most. Esme outright murders Sophie to ensure her own survival.]]
* CameBackWrong: Esme wasn't exactly right to begin with, having always been the most overtly villainous Cuckoo. However her multiple stints as a corpse has pretty much sent her off the deep end.
* TheCassandra: [[spoiler:In issue 2 Mindee/Irma appears to recognize something isn't right about the plan, but Celeste and Phoebe shout her down in their determination to maintain the now-Four-in-One.]]
* CloneDegeneration: [[spoiler:Esme and Sophie's new bodies are breaking down because their immune systems are unable to tolerate their psychic hive mind with their sisters.]]
* DeaderThanDead: [[spoiler:According to Sophie, Esme is this after the Cuckoos band together to defeat her. Whether or not it ''sticks'' this time given the state of comic book death is another matter...]]
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler:Celeste on the end of Gabby's claw, after Sophie reveals herself and exposes Esme's treachery, and Esme-in-Gabby's body loses patience with her sisters. Fortunately it wasn't fatal.]]
* ItsAllAboutMe: [[spoiler:Esme makes it clear in her MotiveRant in issue 4 that the plot isn't so much about reuniting the Five-In-One as it is empowering ''herself''.]]
* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler:The Three-In-One crosses the line in issue 2 by kidnapping Gabby as part of their plan. Only Mindee expresses any real reluctance.]]
* HeelFaceTurn: Mindee in issue 5 once Sophie reveals what Esme has actually been doing, followed by Celeste and Phoebe when they realize they've been played.
* HeelRealization: A preemptive one by Mindee in issue 1. She warns her sisters if they proceed with their plan they'll be the bad guys.
* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: [[spoiler:If murdering her ''own sister'' didn't do it, then willfully stealing the body of an innocent 13 year-old girl was certainly this moment for Esme]].
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Sophie and Esme. Again. With the former telling Laura she took measures to make sure Esme was DeaderThanDead.]]
* ManipulativeBitch: [[spoiler:Esme spent the first arc pulling the strings of the other Cuckoos, and is the driving force of their plot. Only Mindee is hesitant to go through with it.]]
* NotSoDifferent: Laura notes in issue 1 that she and the Cuckoos have similar pasts and backgrounds; all of them were clones made to be weapons, but turned out much different than their creators intended.
* OurGhostsAreDifferent: It's not entirely clear ''what'' [[spoiler:Sophie and Esme actually are; whether they're the actual psychic ghosts of the original Sophie and Esme, or a consciousness constructed from the memories of Mindee, Phoebe, and Celeste. Sophie and Esme at least both seem to have their own memories, and Sophie's consciousness survived the death of her cloned body in issue 1, to hitch a ride with Laura.]]
* TokenGoodTeammate:
** Mindee is the only one who expresses any reluctance or concerns about what they're doing.
** [[spoiler:Sophie, who was always the most unambiguously good sister, plants her consciousness into Laura in order to stop Esme's plan.]]
* WalkingSpoiler: As can be seen from all the white space, it's ''very'' difficult to discuss the Cuckoos without spoiling a substantial part of the first arc.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:Esme killed Sophie because the latter's body was breaking down much faster than hers, and only one of them could be transferred into Gabby's body. She also begins to take this view of Mindee because of her wavering resolve and HeelRealization.]]

!!Other Superheroes

[[folder:Daredevil]]
!!Matt Murdock / Daredevil
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_murdock.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Good Cop]]

!!!'''Species:''' Human mutate
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X''

''For general tropes about Daredevil, see his [[Comicbook/{{Daredevil}} page]]''
\\\
When Comicbook/CaptainAmerica finally catches up with X-23 and brings her in, he calls upon Daredevil to assist him with the interrogation. However as the facts of Laura's tortured life come to light, he begins to doubt her guilt.

* GoodCopBadCop: He's the Good Cop. Subverted in that it's ''not an act''. Matt is genuinely sympathetic to Laura's plight, and recognizes that the situation is much more complicated than Steve realizes.
* LivingLieDetector: This is basically what Cap wants to use him for. All he wants is for Matt to confirm that Laura isn't lying about her identity so he can bring her in to S.H.I.E.L.D.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: While Cap is driven almost to the point of obsession to bring Laura to justice, Matt takes the time to ''actually'' listen to what she's saying, and quickly realizes she's as much a victim as the people she killed. He immediately appoints himself her lawyer in an effort to protect her from what's sure to be a KangarooCourt.
* ReasonYouSuckSpeech: Delivers one to Cap pointing out how he and S.H.I.E.L.D. will be NotSoDifferent than the Facility of Steve continues his pursuit of Laura.
* WhatTheHellHero: Matt gets outright ''furious'' with Steve over the way he persecutes Laura, and his refusal to acknowledge S.H.I.E.L.D. will just use her, as well. ''Especially'' when he calls him out for endangering her only hope at healing from the damage done to her by taking her away from Logan.

[[folder:Captain America]]
!!Steve Rogers / Captain America
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_cap.PNG]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Bad Cop]]

!!!'''Species:''' Human mutate

''For general tropes about Rogers, see his [[Comicbook/CaptainAmerica page]]''
\\\
Legendary super soldier and long-time Avenger Captain America was one of the first responders on the scene of Laura's test mission. She escaped him by masquerading as the sole surviving victim, and his guilt over allowing her to escape drove him to ''personally'' lead the pursuit for her for the better part of a decade.

* HeelRealization: Murdock's lecture finally sinks in and Steve realizes he was right all along right as he's about to turn Laura in to S.H.I.E.L.D. Instead he takes a chance and lets her go.
* HeroAntagonist: Of ''Target: X''. There's no doubts that Steve is one of ''the'' true heroes of the Marvel Universe, but his determination to hunt down X-23 and bring her to justice casts him firmly as this.
* GoodCopBadCop: He's the bad cop when he and Murdock are interrogating Laura. Subverted in that it's ''not an act''. Cap is hostile and belligerent towards Laura, and can only see her as a remorseless, merciless killer responsible for the deaths of hundreds. He even loses his temper with ''Matt'' when he tries to defend her and appoints himself her lawyer.
* InspectorJavert: Cap was so guilt-ridden over allowing her escape following the Johnson assassination, he spent the better part of ''ten years'' personally trying to hunt her down. He was so blinded by his determination he couldn't even recognize at first that she was as much a victim as the people she killed.
* KangarooCourt: As far as Steve is concerned Laura is guilty. He refuses to listen to Matt's insistence that the situation isn't actually so cut and dried.
* MyGreatestFailure: He demonstrates shades of this after Laura slipped his grasp in the aftermath of her test mission, and subsequently blamed himself for all the killings she was subsequently able to carry out.
* NotSoDifferent: Daredevil gives him a ''hell'' of a lecture about how he and S.H.I.E.L.D. aren't that far off from the Facility. S.H.I.E.L.D. very likely would have pressed Laura into service as ''their'' unstoppable assassin and secret agent, rather than see that justice was done for her killings, and Rogers's obsession with hunting her down made him no better, as it led to him directly threatening her only hope to escape what the Facility made her. See WhatTheHellHero.
* WhatTheHellHero: Murdock utterly tears him down over his determination to bring Laura to justice, pointing out Steve's blind faith in turning her over to S.H.I.E.L.D., that Laura was as much a victim as the people she killed, and that Steve was robbing her of her only hope for redemption and recovery.

!!The Facility

An American civilian offshoot of the Weapon Plus program which experimented on Wolverine, ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}, ComicBook/{{Sabretooth}}, and numerous others. The Facility managed to obtain genetic samples salvaged by Weapon Plus scientist Dale Rice during Logan's rampage, which were used to create X-23 during their attempts at replicating Weapon X years later. They have made several efforts since to recapture her.

[[folder:Desmond Alexander]]
!!Desmond Alexander
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_alexander.jpg]]
!!!'''Species:''' Human
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X''

Deborah Kinney's live-in boyfriend, Desmond was later revealed to be a mole planted by the Facility. It's unclear whether he was planted with her after Sarah was hired as a means of keeping tabs on her family, or if he was placed with her after X-23's escape in hopes she would turn up there. Regardless of which, he was ultimately killed by Laura when he accidentally spilled trigger scent on himself.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Kimura ordered him to dose Megan and Debbie with the trigger scent to force Laura to kill them. However he literally ran into Megan while carrying the doctored tea and spilled it all over the both of them. Laura subsequently tore him apart.
* IdiotBall: Of all the ways he could have tried dosing Debbie with trigger scent, putting it in her ''tea'' probably invited the most ways for it to go wrong. [[HoistByHisOwnPetard And it did, with lethal results (for him).]]
* TheMole: Placed by the Facility, presumably to either keep tabs on Sarah Kinney's family, or to watch for X-23 to resurface after her escape.
* ParentWithNewParamour: He's the paramour. However he's actually a Facility plant.
* RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: He tries to spike Debbie's tea with the trigger scent in order to force Laura to kill her. He gets it on ''himself'' instead, and [[HoistByHisOwnPetard she ends up gutting him instead]]. No tears were shed.
* TwoFirstNames: Desmond and Alexander.
* YoureNotMyFather: It's relatively subtle, but Megan has this attitude towards him.

[[folder:Kimura]]
!!Kimura
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x_23_target_x_vol_1_5_textless.jpg]]
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutate
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X''

Kimura is a normal human who was modified by the Facility expressly to serve in the capacity of Laura's handler in the event she ever got out of control. A sadistic psychopath, Kimura inflicted severe physical and emotional abuse on her while she was at the Facility, and is obsessed with tracking her down and recovering her. Her body has been granted increased physical density, which makes her virtually indestructible.

* AbusiveParents: Kimura's FreudianExcuse is that her mother neglected her, her father abused her, and she was subjected to a ''lot'' of bullying as a child. Her grandmother attempted to undo the damage, but by then it was too late and Kimura later takes it all out on Laura.
* AchillesHeel: Her body is indestructible, but she's just as vulnerable to gas or smoke inhalation, [[spoiler:and drowning]] as would be any normal human.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: {{Subverted}}. Kimura ''thinks'' she's this to Laura, however while she does demonstrate skill as a fighter, she relies much more on her indestructibility than ''actual'' ability. And while Laura may not be able to defeat her in a straight fight, she's demonstrated ''far'' more resourcefulness when dealing with her.
* ArchEnemy: Kimura becomes this for Laura in ''Target: X''. Her indestructibility makes her impossible for Laura to kill with her claws. Additionally, their backgrounds are NotSoDifferent granting even more parallels between the two.
* AmbiguouslyBrown: Her ethnicity is never established in the books, but she's consistently depicted as somewhat darker-complexioned with vaguely ethnic features than those around her. "Kimura" is also a Japanese surname, but whether this is ''actually'' her name or one she merely adopted after being modified by the Facility is never stated.
* AxeCrazy: She's a violent and sadistic psychopath who actually ''enjoys'' the fact her job allows her to beat the shit out of a ''child''. When she manages to catch up to Laura at Megan and Debbie's house, she's positively ''gleeful'' when she begins ''slowly pushing her finger into Megan's chest'' to punish Laura for running away.
* BoobsOfSteel: Very tough. Massive chest.
* TheBrute: Although she leads the squad sent to retrieve Laura, in ''Target X'', she's still working for the Facility as one of their main enforcers. Her methods...aren't exactly subtle, she's a sadistic bully who loves to torment Laura just because she ''can'', and she relies mostly on her indestructibility to get the jobs done and is not nearly as clever as she likes to think; Laura can't beat her in a direct confrontation, and routinely defeats her by outsmarting her (such as distracting her by triggering an ''entire belt of grenades'' she's wearing in ''New X-Men'').
* TheBully: Torments others in order to feel better about herself.
* CleavageWindow: Her most common outfit has one.
* CripplingOverspecialization: Kimura relies almost entirely on her invulnerability. As a result, while Laura can't kill her with her claws, she's still the better fighter. [[spoiler:This becomes a critical factor in her death: Had Kimura not relied so heavily on her indestructible body, she might have been able to fight off Laura's attempt to drown her in the sea off Madripoor.]]
* DarkActionGirl: Kimura is able to hold her own against Laura in a hand-to-hand fight, even though it owes more to her indestructibility than skill. She's also an AxeCrazy psychopath.
* DragonTheirFeet: Kimura wasn't present when Sarah kicked off Laura's escape from the Facility. ''Target X'' reveals she arrived in the aftermath, briefly cornering Laura before Laura triggered an avalanche to escape. She later tracks her to the Kinney household.
* TheDreaded: Laura is generally unflappable in the face of danger, and responds to threats in a cool and detached manner. Kimura ''terrifies'' her.
* DumbMuscle: At least in comparison to Laura. Kimura rarely demonstrates any strategy more elaborate than "beat it or torture it into submission."
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Her grandmother, who tried to save her from her father.
* {{Expy}}: A case can be made that she's a slightly more sympathetic [[DistaffCounterpart female]] Sabretooth.
* FeelNoPain: When Kimura is using her invulnerability her nerves register impact but no pain.
* FoeRomanceSubtext: Kimura is positively ''obsessed'' with Laura, and takes great pleasure in torturing her whenever she has the opportunity (she approached taking a ''chainsaw'' to Laura's arm with rather disturbing enthusiasm). Much of her other behavior tends towards being stalkerish in nature, and is very comparable to that of an obsessive and jilted lover. This has not gone unnoticed by the fanbase and a certain segment has made Kimura's interest outright romantic or sexual (see ShipToShipCombat under YMMV).
* FreudianExcuse: She's a victim of abuse who went on to abuse others.
* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: Kimura was born to an abusive alcoholic father and a negligent mother. Her school life was similar, as she was abused and tormented by her peers. Through unspecified means at some point in time, Kimura's grandmother became her caregiver. At once, her grandmother tried to heal the emotional damage inflicted upon Kimura through nurturing, love, and understanding. However, by that point the emotional scars were permanent and her grandmother's attempts to reach her were futile. After her grandmother's fatal heart attack, Kimura took off, eventually coming into contact with the Facility. She then underwent some unspecified procedure that granted her physical invulnerability, density control, and reconstruction. She then exacted revenge against those in her past who had wronged her. During her time at the Facility, Kimura eventually assumed the same abusive role as the people who victimized her in the past, particularly to Laura. When Emma Frost learns of this by reading her mind, she admits that her past was horrible and no child deserves the life she was born into. However, Emma is not sympathetic with her, and is in fact deeply disgusted with her, pointing out she is a bully plain and simple. She became the very person she hated and feared growing up. She made Laura into her victim and gave her the same horrible life she lived through and didn't care because even though she knew all too well the pain Laura suffered, and she enjoyed inflicting it. Emma doesn't hesitate to mind-wipe her, making her forget about her grandmother — the only influential positive person in her life — creating "a deep void that will cause [her] pain for a lifetime."
-->'''Emma Frost''': You are a bully plain and simple. A product from your past... Being kicked around your whole life an alcoholic father and uncaring mother at home, only to find the same waiting for you from your peers in the schoolyard, day in and day out. You were born into a life you did not deserve... A life no child deserves. Someone needs to fill the role of the victim and you played that part for so many until your grandmother came to your rescue. She called you her "sweet child." She did everything she could to undo the damage everyone else had done. But sadly she came too late, all that hope and good you held onto was beaten out long ago. After your grandmother's heart attack, you found your way to the Facility to the men that could give what you wanted badly... Revenge. A hollow prize, but one you begged for. And once you'd gotten the best of those who wronged you, you became the very person you hated and feared growing up. And X-23 played the role of your victim. Like you, Laura didn't deserve that horrible life, no child does remember? But you didn't care. Even though you knew all too well the pain she suffered, you enjoyed inflicting it. You still enjoy it. That's why you're a bully.
* FightsLikeANormal: Lacking any other powers, Kimura has to fight like a regular human being, albeit one who is entirely invulnerable. However her increased density does have some secondary effects. For example, she can push a finger through someone's ''skull''.
* TheHeavy: Rice may be the Big Bad but Kimura is much more active than him.
* ImplacableMan: She's had an ''entire belt'' full of grenades — ''that she was wearing at the time!'' — blow up in her face and got right back up again.
* KillItWithWater: Her NighInvulnerability allows her to tank pretty much everything thrown at her, although it doesn't make her [[spoiler: immune to drowning, something that Laura capitalizes on to kill the sick bitch for good.]]
* KarmicDeath: After sadistically abusing Laura for pretty much her entire life and dedicating her entire existence to making her suffer, to say that it was satisfying to see the very person who she victimized over the years [[spoiler: condemn her to a watery grave is an {{Understatement}}.]]
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Laura drowns her after figuring out her LogicalWeakness in issue 18 of ''All New Wolverine''.]]
* LackOfEmpathy: For everyone who isn't her grandmother.
* LogicalWeakness: For all her strength and invulnerability she still needs to breathe.
* MadeOfIron: Kimura has been modified by the Facility with increased body density, effectively making her indestructible.
* NighInvulnerability: Her ability to shift her density enables her to harden her skin until not even adamantium can penetrate it. This is why she was assigned to handle X-23.
* PsychoExGirlfriend: Kimura's obsession with Laura often leaves her coming across like a psycho jilted lover.
* PutOnABus: Kimura disappears after Laura and Agent Morales destroy a Facility installation where the former has been imprisoned.
** TheBusCameBack: In All-New Wolverine.
* PsychopathicWomanchild: Most of her sadistic psychopathy can be easily chalked up as MisplacedRetribution for her shitty childhood and bullying, if she’s not doing it to hide her own insecurities about herself.
* {{Sadist}}: Of both the petty and borderline serial killer variety.
%%* SadistTeacher
* SlasherSmile: She often sports [[http://static3.comicvine.com/uploads/original/1/11556/255344-63648-kimura.JPG one]] [[http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/original/0/77/130061-138415-kimura.jpg worthy]] of Comicbook/TheJoker himself. In one case she wears it while ''carving Laura up with a chainsaw''.
* SmugSnake: She's dangerous, but when she runs into someone who can actually hurt her (specifically, a wrathful Emma Frost), things do not end well for her.
* StoneWall: Doesn't hit any harder than a {{muggle}} but is virtually impossible to injure.
* SuperStrength: Possesses this to a limited extent as a result of her increased body density. She's been shown putting her ''fist'' through the skull of a Predator X. For the record, these are creatures with hides that even ''Laura's and Wolverine's claws'' couldn't cut.
* TortureTechnician: She ''loves'' to torture Laura, and pretty much anyone Laura cares about even if they ''don't'' get in the way of recovering her. Her methods are fairly crude, however, as she usually relies on her bare hands, and threatens to use her heightened body density to ''push her hand into Megan's chest'' to rip out her heart.
* TheSociopath: [[AxCrazy Gleefully psychotic]], an extraordinary LackOfEmpathy for everyone except her grandmother and completely unrepentant of her monstrous actions right up to the moment she [[spoiler: finally expires at Laura’s hands.]]
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The last we see of her was in ''X-Force'', when she threatened to hunt down and kill Laura's cousin and aunt, right before the Facility installation Laura had been held in gets blown up. Considering Kimura is pretty much indestructible it's almost certain she's still alive, but over five years after that issue was released she has yet to reappear.[[spoiler: She returns in issue 6 of All-New Wolverine.]]
* YouAreNumberSix: Kimura as a rule refers to Laura as X-23, and not by her "real" name.

[[folder:Matin Sutter]]
!!Dr. Martin Sutter
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sutter.jpg]]

!!!'''Species:''' Human
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X''

Director of the Facility when Laura was created, he hired Sarah Kinney upon learning of her proposal to clone Wolverine. While he didn't have a direct hand in the abuse heaped upon her, Sutter nonetheless gave Rice tremendous leeway in handling the project, and created the environment which allowed him to torment her. Sutter was close friends with Weapon X scientist Dale Rice, and when Rice was killed by Wolverine during his escape from the installation where he was experimented on, Sutter practically raised his young son Zander. [[spoiler: His blind faith and trust in Zander Rice cost him his life, as Rice would later manipulate him into turning over control of the project before sending X-23 to kill him.]]

* AssholeVictim: Although Martin Sutter didn't take a direct hand in X-23 brutal upbringing that Rice did, he fostered the environment which enabled him to do so. Sutter summarily rejected every suggestion or warning Sarah Kinney made, and his entire motivation for the project was sheer greed. He never ''once'' had misgivings about what he and Rice were doing, and it's hard to feel a shred of sympathy for him when Rice manipulates him into turning over full control to him, and then sends X-23 to kill him.
* BaldOfAwesome: Sutter's commanding presence is certainly helped by his clean-shaven head.
** BaldOfEvil: Overlapping with this, especially once his ''actual'' [[MoneyDearBoy motives]] for the project are revealed.
* BeardOfEvil: Sports a goatee, which becomes more sinister as his crueler intentions are exposed.
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Sarah is interested in the project for the challenge, and because she believes they are working for the greater good of national defense. It's unclear whether or not Sutter began this way as well, but by the end, it's clearly revealed that the only thing he ''really'' sees are dollar signs.
* HappilyMarried: Sutter has a good relationship with his wife Rachel, and son Henry. [[spoiler:Or at least, so he ''thinks''.]]
* ObstructiveBureaucrat: Sutter ignores Sarah's warnings that Rice has become too personally invested in the project when she realizes the amount of abuse Rice is inflicting on X-23, instead accusing her of being too attached. Earlier, when Sarah tries to tell Sutter that tissue damage to the samples makes her theory of doubling the X chromosome a more viable alternative, he rejects the proposal and orders her to proceed according to the original plan. When she disobeys and creates the female clone anyway, he only acquiesces when she flat-out tells him he can either have the viable female clone right now, or wait for years until they could maybe create a viable male clone, essentially forcing his hand.
* ParentalSubstitute: Sutter is this for Rice, after Wolverine kills Dale Rice escaping Weapon X
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Sutter starts off as this, showing great interest in Sarah's proposal to clone Weapon X. However he becomes increasingly obstructive as the series continues. Not helped at all by the fact that he's blindly supportive of Rice and completely ignores Sarah's warnings about him.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:When Sutter begins showing signs of exhaustion over managing the project, Rice manipulates him into turning over control of the project, and then sends X-23 to kill him.]]

[[folder:Robert Chandler]]
!!Robert Chandler
!!!'''Nationality:''' American
!!!'''Species:''' Human cyborg
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 4''

Formerly head of Alchemax Genetics, and responsible for the creation of The Sisters, Chandler was later revealed to have been part of the Facility ''itself'', where he developed the Trigger Scent used to control X-23.

* EvilCripple: He's back to his old tricks in issue 8, attempting to perfect the X-23 project and his efforts to replicate it with The Sisters by creating the X-Assassin. He's also sporting animatronic prosthetic knees after Laura {{Kneecap|ping}}ed him in ''All-New Wolverine'' #6.

[[folder:Zander Rice]]
!!Dr. Zander Rice
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1631764c7120607298e9ad44416ed2b2.jpg]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' American
!!!'''Species:''' Human
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X''

Surgical head of the X-23 project, Rice's father, Dale, was attached to the original Weapon X experiment that bonded adamantium to Wolverine's skeleton. Dale was killed attempting to escape the installation with genetic material during Logan's rampage, leaving Zander to be practically raised by his father's close friend, Martin Sutter. Rice grew up harboring a deep resentment for Wolverine, and this brought him into conflict with Sarah Kinney after her proposal to clone the mutant who killed his father. He became one of Laura's chief tormentors at the Facility after her birth, and subjected her to much of the abuse and torture she experienced.

* AbusiveParents: Although not X-23's father, as the senior scientist working on the project he effectively serves as such, and inflicts most of the physical abuse X-23 receives in the book.
* AssholeVictim: When X-23 kills Zander Rice, she puts away the claws and beats him for ''ten minutes'' in a truly brutal NoHoldsBarredBeatdown. Rice tortured and both physically and emotionally abused Laura ''all her life'' to that point,[[note]]Forcibly activating her HealingFactor at ''age seven'' with fatal dosages of radiation, removing her claws one at a time for coating in adamantium ''without anasthesia'', torturing her into responding to an olfactory trigger that sends her into a berserker rage whenever she smells it and using it to force her to murder the only two people at the Facility who cared about her, intentionally leaving her behind to be killed on a mission out of spite, and placing her in the "care" of the sadistic Kimura, among other things. And he only did this because Wolverine killed his father and Laura was created using his genetic material.[[/note]] so it makes the scene ''far'' more satisfying to read than watching someone get pounded into an unrecognizable pulp would normally be.
* AxCrazy: Although he has an almost unflappable demeanour, his [[DissonantSerenity reaction]] to even his most atrocious acts and the [[SlasherSmile amount of fun]] he's having in torturing X-23 subtly shows that he's.....not well.
* BigBad: While Sutter is certainly a CorruptCorporateExecutive and ObstructiveBureaucrat, it's ultimately Rice who's the real villain of the story.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: A {{Deconstruction}} as this is a rare instance of this being a negative trait, as his obsession with his father's death has turned him into an [[AxCrazy insane]] misanthrope who believes that the tragedy justifies all of his actions, regardless of how heinous. [[AvertedTrope Averted]] with his adoptive father Martin Sutter and son Henry Sutter. Despite Martin Sutter raising him after his father's death, and Henry Sutter being his son through an affair with Rachel Sutter, he doesn't hesitate to have X-23 to kill them for his own purposes (gaining total control of the project, and covering up his affari). And of course there's the fact that Zander was sleeping with his adoptive father's wife to begin with.
* EvilIsPetty: ''Good God'', if he’s not torturing X-23 in place of her genetic father, then he’s doing all sorts of spiteful shit to her and others just to be a childish dickhead.
* FreudianExcuse: Rice blames Wolverine for his father's death (not without reason, considering Wolverine gutted him). So because X-23 was created with Wolverine's DNA, he holds her responsible as well.
* {{Jerkass}}: Even before he takes a flying leap off the slippery slope, Rice was a dick who showed no regard for the mutants he was experimenting on, and was openly antagonistic towards and disparaging of Sarah. [[spoiler:He was also screwing around with Sutter's wife, Rachel, and fathered her son Henry. Remember, Sutter practically ''raised'' Rice after his father was killed by Wolverine.]] When his true nature and depths of his depravity are revealed, then this trope is him at his most nice.
* KarmicDeath: After X-23 ambushes him, she vents all her rage at his abuse, torture and dehumanisation by putting away the claws and spending the next ten minutes beating him until he’s nothing but a bloody mess just barely clinging to life, before leaving him to perish in the destruction of the Facility.
* KickTheSonOfABitch: [[spoiler:His ordering Martin Sutter death at X-23's hands is certainly meant to be a sign of just how off the slippery slope Rice has leaped, but damned if you don't feel Martin deserved it.]]
* ManipulativeBastard: Rice plays Sutter like a fiddle. It's never made clear whether Sutter ignores Sarah's warnings about Rice's behavior because of this, him not believing her, or because he just plain doesn't care. But there's no doubt that Rice knew exactly what buttons to push to get Sutter to turn over control of the project to him.
* MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate: Rice is a doctor, specifically a surgeon. He operates on and performs experiments on mutants in association with the Facility's attempts to recreate Weapon X, and many of the procedures he performs on X-23 fall ''way'' beyond the MoralEventHorizon (he shoves her in a radiation chamber and doses her with fatal levels of radiation at the age of ''seven'' just to forcibly activate her HealingFactor).
* OffingTheOffspring: Tries to pull this twice: First by deliberately leaving X-23 behind on a mission so she will be killed (Rice himself isn't her father, but played a substantial role in her creation). The second, is when he [[spoiler:attempts to cover up evidence of his affair with Rachel Sutter by sending X-23 to kill her and his son with her.]]
* ThePowerOfHate: All of his malicious, cruel, or sometimes downright psychotic actions has at least partly this at it's roots, for his hatred towards Wolverine for killing his father is the catalyst, and ultimately, the reason why he is so fucked in the head.
* PsychopathicManchild: Despite hiding it under a professional exterior, it’s clear from both his demeanour and his actions that under it all he’s only in it to hurt Laura for the murder of his father, all in a juvenile attempt to make Wolverine suffer. It doesn’t help that when behind closed doors or when feeling stressed he carries himself with the demeanour of an extremely unhinged, moody teenager.
* RevengeByProxy: Rice uses his father's death at Logan's hands to justify his horrific abuse of X-23.
* {{Sadist}}: It's obvious throughout his torture and surgical experiments on X-23 that he is enjoying every [[SlasherSmile single drop of pain that he is inflicting on the poor girl.]]
* SelfMadeOrphan: [[spoiler:Sort of. Wolverine killed his father escaping the Weapon X installation, after which Sutter became his father-figure. Rice sends X-23 to kill him so he can have total control of the project.]]
* TheSociopath: It's clear that he thoroughly enjoys tormenting the young X-23 beyond anything even unhealthy. He also has X-23 kill [[spoiler:Sutter and Sarah]] once [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness they have outlived their usefulness]], and [[spoiler:Sutter's wife and Henry, his own son by her, to cover up their affair. Henry only survives because Laura chose to spare him]].
* TragicKeepsake: His father's dog tags.
* UngratefulBastard: He is this to Martin Sutter. The man rased him after his father's death, gave him free rein on the project, and consistently backed him in almost every argument with Sarah. Rice repays him by sleeping with his wife behind his back and uses X-23 to murder him to take control of the project.
* UsedToBeASweetKid: Rice is introduced in the story as a wide-eyed toddler being told by Martin Sutter his father wouldn't be coming home. It goes downhill from there.
* WouldHurtAChild: He had zero qualms with hurting X-23 when she was younger, and [[spoiler:even tries to use her to kill his own son at one point.]]
* YouKilledMyFather: Well, ''Logan'' did, but he punishes X-23 for it [[RevengeByProxy by proxy]].

[[folder:Tanaka]]
!!'''Tanaka'''
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tanaka.jpg]]

X-23's sensei, who trains her in hand-to-hand combat, and is one of the only people to treat her as a human being.

* BadassBeard: He sports a nice one.
** BadassMustache: To go with his BadassBeard.
* BaldOfAwesome: Although we never see him fight in earnest, this works with his BadassBeard and BadassMustache to create a nice badass package.
* KatanasAreJustBetter: Spars with X-23 using a katana.
* OldMaster: A gentle example of this.
* ParentalSubstitute: He displays a degree of grandfatherly affection for X-23, and treats her like an actual ''person'' rather than a weapon, despite his orders from Rice.
--> '''Sarah''' We were never to treat you as a child, only as a weapon, but not everyone followed those orders. I'm grateful for that.
* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler:Gets chosen as the test subject for the Trigger Scent, and X-23 subsequently tears him apart.]]

!!Other Antagonists

[[folder:Miss Sinister]]
!!Claudine Renko/Miss Sinister
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1590880_ms_step_inside_an_i_ll_tell_ya_all_about_it.png]]
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutate clone

Claudine Renko is the end result of one of Mr. Sinister's ''many'' CrazyPrepared attempts to escape death. He infected her with a virus that, in the event of his death, would allow him to return to life using her body. Upon his death at Mystique's hands during ''Messiah Complex'' the virus activated, [[CloneByConversion increasingly turning Claudine into]] his OppositeSexClone. Claudine, of course, wants no part of it and sees Laura and her HealingFactor as a means of preventing Sinister's return.

* AlasPoorVillain: Despite what she tries to do to Laura, it's still pretty easy to sympathize with Claudine: She's a victim of Sinister's experiments, and never volunteered to be the vessel by which he attempted to cheat death. On top of that, now he's FightingFromTheInside to steal her body as a CloneByConversion, which will effectively kill Claudine in the process as he overwrites her mind and fully transforms her body into his own. The poor woman just wants to ''survive'' with her mind her own.
* AntiVillain: Claudine's actions are entirely motivated by self-preservation; she's afraid of what it will mean for her if Sinister returns, and she wasn't exactly a volunteer for his experiment to begin with.
* BodyBackupDrive: Sinister's virus has turned her into this. And much like a computer virus, Sinister is an invasive, malignant presence in Claudine's mind trying to take control of her, making the trope name even ''more'' appropriate.
* CloneByConversion: Sinister infected Claudine with a virus that's slowly converting her into a clone of his body. She had been able to fight this process, however by the time she encounters Laura she has recently suffered serious injuries at the hands of Daken, which has weakened her defenses and enabled Sinister to gain more control, at times even allowing him to manifest entirely.
* CorruptHick: Claudine has an army of corrupt police working for her.
* FightingFromTheInside: Claudine is in a constant battle against Mr. Sinister's attempts to hijack her body and return from death, with her describing him as a malignant presence in her mind.
* GlamourFailure: She attempts to seduce Gambit by masquerading as Laura. Regardless of whether she had him fooled at first, the scheme comes crashing down the second she slips and uses a contraction. Laura, however, uses SpockSpeak...
* GrandTheftMe: She plans to transfer her consciousness into Laura's body to keep Sinister from doing the same thing to ''her''. Sinister screws her over by taking over Laura's younger and healthier body ''himself'', until Laura gets fed up with the entire mess and kicks him out.
* OfCorsetsSexy: Spends most of her time walking around in a corset. And not much else.
* OppositeSexClone: A bizarre case: Claudine was once a normal woman Sinister used as one of his experiments. However when he was killed by Mystique, the virus he infected Claudine with has slowly been taking over her body and converting it into an exact clone of Sinister. Her efforts to save herself from this fate lead her to attempting a GrandTheftMe on Laura.
* SaveTheVillain: Subversion: X and Gambit leave her for dead. However ''Sinister'', whom she spent the arc trying to screw over, "saves" her instead. He promises to take care of her, but considering this is Sinister we're talking about, she may just have been better off being left to die.
* {{ShapeShifting}}: Claudine has some shapeshifting ability, and uses it at one point in an attempt to seduce Gambit while disgused as Laura.
* ShowingOffTheNewBody: Preemptively. Claudine is ''very'' appreciative how beautiful Laura is while in the midst of ''stealing her body''.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Her last appearance or mention in any comic was X-23 #6 (February 2011), leaving her ultimate fate after being "rescued" by Sinister unresolved until she finally resurfaced in ''Comicbook/XMenBlue'' #5 over six years later.

[[folder:Gamesmaster]]
!!Gamesmaster
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_gamesmaster.jpg]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' American
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutant
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 2 (One-Shot)'', ''X-23 Vol. 3''

An omnipathic mutant, Gamesmaster has been watching Laura for a long time, and he finds her mind soothing because it is one of the few places where he finds peace. Although not overtly malicious or threatening, he nonetheless is obsessed with making her "his."

* AbhorrentAdmirer: Gamesmaster is obsessed with Laura, and while he's not necessarily malevolent, he doesn't exactly take no for an answer, either.
* AMindIsATerribleThingToRead: Gamesmaster is able to read minds. ''All'' minds. ''Everywhere''. And he ''can't turn it off''. Part of what draws him to Laura is how quiet hers is.
* FoeRomanceSubtext: Gamesmaster is a bit stalkerish, declaring Laura his "wicked lovely girl." At least part of his attraction is simply how quiet her mind is, and he's an omnipath who can't shut off his powers.
* MindScrew: Subjects Laura to a mild one as he tries to convince her to submit to him.
* NotSoDifferent: He views Laura and himself as this, believing Laura understands what it is to lose pieces of oneself. Gamesmaster also says that there's been no difference between the Facility, [[Comicbook/{{NYX}} Zebra Daddy]], the X-Men, or himself; all of them seek to use and control Laura for their own ends.
* StalkerWithACrush: He wants Laura to be his, as much because he finds peace in her mind from the deluge of voices as for any other reason, calling her by numerous endearments such as his "wicked lovely girl." He refuses to leave her alone, and promises he will always be with her. He's also an omnipath, which means he can make good on it by invading her mind ''any time he wants'' from ''anywhere''.
* VillainousValor: He tries to protect Laura from Hellverine when the latter attempts to seduce her into joining him and commanding his armies. Hellverine cages and muzzles him pretty effortlessly as a gift to Laura for his trouble.

[[folder:Hellverine]]
!!Hellverine
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_hellverine.PNG]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' Hell
!!!'''Species:''' Demon

A demon who has taken control of Wolverine's body as part of a plot by the Red Right Hand to take revenge on Logan by killing those close to him. During his time masquerading as Logan on Utopia he approaches Laura with a disturbing proposal.

* AbhorrentAdmirer: Hellverine wants Laura to lead his armies. However his interest in her seems ''far'' more personal than that, especially when he approaches her in the form of (a naked) Cyclops, stroking her face and commenting on her looks.
* ChessWithDeath: Laura makes a bargain with him: If she can prove his assertions that she's nothing but a killing machine wrong, he'll leave her alone and restore Hellion's life. If she fails, she's his. [[spoiler: Laura defeats him with the aid of the [[Comicbook/CaptainUniverse Uni-Power]].]]
* DemonicPossession: He's a demon currently using Logan's body in the real world while he's trapped in hell. He also possesses Laura directly, hitch-hiking in her body for a time.
* EvilCannotComprehendGood: He honestly doesn't understand Laura's resistance to give in to her training and violent nature.
* FireAndBrimstoneHell: His domain resembles one.
* FoeRomanceSubtext: Hellverine comes after Laura because he wants her to lead his armies. However it's very heavily implied he just plain ''wants'' her. ''Particularly'' his behavior when he takes on the form of a naked Cyclops.
* GlamourFailure: Although he's able to fool everyone else (particularly Hellion, who almost pays the price for it), somehow he's not able to trick Laura, and she's aware there's something wrong with him from the beginning, even if she's not sure what.
* {{Hypocrite}}: He dismisses Gamesmaster, whom he caught in Laura's mind, as a pedophile. It doesn't seem to occur to Hellverine that he's essentially doing ''the exact same thing'' to her.
* MeatPuppet: Logan's body is the puppet, Hellverine is the puppeteer.
* NoSell: Laura stabs him through the heart with her claws when he molests her in the hospital, but it doesn't even tickle him. At least until Hellion walks in by chance...
* PuppeteerParasite: He's a demon inhabiting Logan's body.
* SlouchOfVillainy: Just look at his image.
* TheSoulless: Hellverine attempts to sway to his side by telling her that as a clone she doesn't have a soul. Although she throws off his influence, this continues to haunt her throughout her solo series.
* StalkerWithACrush: Much like Gamesmaster he doesn't believe in No Means No, and continues to hound her until she's ultimately able to throw off his presence and influence.
* WeCanRuleTogether: He wants Laura to lead his armies, but he also seems to want her as much as a consort than just a general.
* WreathedInFlames: After destroying a halfway house for depowered mutants he manifests to Laura [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings balrog-style]] in the wreckage as part of his attempts to sway her to his side.

[[folder:Hooded Woman]]
!!Hooded Woman
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_hoodedwoman.PNG]]
[[caption-width-right:170:"As you were, I was. As I am, you will be."]]

[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin A woman whose features are obscured by a hood]], with some connection to Laura's past. She appears twice during the Liu series, the first time working with Colcord in Madripoor, and procuring samples taken from Laura in the "Collision" crossover with Daken. She next turns up as the primary antagonist of "Touching Darkness," where she has unleashed a new form of trigger scent on the population of Paris that not affects ''anyone'' exposed to it, even without prior conditioning.

* BlackCloak: Worn with her hood, further helping to hide her identity.
* ConnectedAllAlong: The Hooded Woman has some sort of connection to Laura, and even cryptically hints at it with a quote from ''Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga'', by Creator/HunterSThompson.
--> ''“As you were, I was. As I am, you will be.”''
* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: Her face is always obscured by a hood, leaving only her mouth and chin visible.
* InTheHood: Perhaps her most prominent feature is the hood masking her features, to the point that [[FanNickname fans have outright taken to calling her some variation on "Hooded Lady."]]
* NonActionBigBad: She never directly engages Laura, preferring to watch from a distance, instead.
* NoNameGiven: Her name and identity are never revealed.
* PlayingWithSyringes: She was working with Colcord developing weapons in Madripoor, and Laura recognizes her voice and scent, though she never saw her while imprisoned. When she turns up in Paris, Laura, Wolverine, Gambit, and Jubilee discover that she has developed a version of the trigger scent that works on ''anyone'', not just Laura (who was specially conditioned for it), and is experimenting with it by unleashing it on the unsuspecting people of Paris.
* StealthHiBye: Pulls this on Laura after cryptically hinting that she's connected to Laura's past and future, then vanishing before she can get an explanation.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Though she promised to see Laura again, in which they would discuss her (Laura's) future, she has yet to reappear.
* YouAllShareMyStory: As noted under ConnectedAllAlong, she leaves Laura with a quote Hunter S. Thompson hinting that their lives are somehow intertwined.

[[folder:Mr. Sinister]]
!!Nathaniel Essex / Mr. Sinister
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_sinister.PNG]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' British
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutate
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 3''

Trapped in the body of Claudine Renko after his death at Mystique's hands, Sinister is biding his time while the virus that's slowly turning ''her'' into ''him'' works.

* CrazyPrepared: It's Sinister, natch. The ''entire plot'' of "Songs of the Orphan Child" is centered around his contingency to escape his death during ''Messiah Complex''.
* FightingFromTheInside: Sinister is attempting to exert more and more influence over Claudine. Her injuries at Daken's hands have weakened her, and when Laura attacks Claudine to protect Gambit Essex is able to briefly gain control entirely and take on his true form.
* GrandTheftMe: His plans for Claudine, though she attempts to fight him. When Claudine tries to cheat him by transferring her consciousness into Laura, Sinister screws her over and transfers ''himself''. And then Laura kicks him out. [[spoiler: He has to settle for the last of the Alice clones.]]
--> '''Laura:''' Get out of my head!
* NeckSnap: Laura manages to get all of her claws into him, but Essex just shrugs it off and breaks her neck one-handed.

[[folder:The Whirldemons]]
!!The Whirldemons
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_whirldemons.jpg]]
!!!'''Species:''' Demons

The Whirldemons are spectral monsters imprisoned long ago by Prince Wayfinder in order to protect the Macroverse and [[ComicBook/{{Micronauts}} Microverse]], by using the Enigma Force to imprison them behind a barrier between the two universes called the Spacewall. They are savage, cruel, and violent, and seek a means to escape from their prison and resume their reign of terror on earth. Laura encountered them while seeking out the son of one of her victims from her time as an assassin in order to confront her past, and battled their King with the assistance of [[Comicbook/FantasticFour the Future Foundation]], Comicbook/SpiderMan, and [[Comicbook/CaptainUniverse the Uni-Power]].

* DemonicPossession: The King of the Whirldemons possesses Valeria Richards as part of his attempts to tear down the Spacewall so the rest of the demons can escape. Laura later sacrifices herself, and allows him to possess ''her'' instead to save Val. It's also part of a gambit to trick him into returning to his prison dimension, where she can use the Enigma Force to repair the breach in the Spacewall and imprison him once again.
* EldritchAbomination: An entire ''army'' of them, imprisoned beyond the Spacewall separating the Microverse from the Macroverse (the main Marvel universe).
* LargeAndInCharge: The Whirldemon King is by far the largest of the demons.
* SealedEvilInACan: And they want out.
* SmugSnake: The King has a very high opinion of himself, and dismisses Laura as a serious threat. [[IdiotBall It leads him to missing a very obvious clue she's more than she appears to be...]]
* TooDumbToLive: The Whirldemon King recognizes the mark on the palm of Laura's hand — left after her encounter with Hellverine — and its association with Prince Wayfinder. Yet somehow he doesn't put two and two together just what he's ''really'' dealing with until ''after'' Laura blasts him with the Enigma Force.

[[folder:The X-Assassin]]
!!The X-Assassin
!!!'''Species:''' Human cyborg clone
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 4''

A cybernetic assassin who has been murdering scientists in the genetic engineering field, Laura and Gabby have been called in to help the police investigate.

* AntiRegeneration: The Assassin was engineered so her biological processes will shut down after severe injury, as part of her planned obsolescence.
* BladeBelowTheShoulder: The Assassin has two heavy, bowie knife-style blades in each forearm.
* CloningBlues: [[spoiler:Although Laura accepted the Sisters without question, she's much more hostile towards the Assassin, using "[[ItIsDehumanizing it]]" rather than "her" or "she," and expressing doubts whether the Assassin has a will or mind of its own. What the Assassin thinks about being a clone (or cyborg) has yet to be explored.]]
* {{Cyborg}}: The X-Assassin is a cyborg [[spoiler:and clone of X-23]] implanted with a variety of weapons, including blades and a magnetic blaster.
* {{EMP}}: One of the Assassin's arms houses a magnetic blaster.
* FamilyEyeResemblance: [[spoiler:Her green eyes are appropriate, since the Assassin was created using Laura's genetic material.]]
* HealingFactor: Notable by its absence. Chandler deliberately shredded the already-damaged the X-gene when creating the Assassins to ensure their healing abilities would ''not'' function.
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: The X-Assassin that Laura and Gabby capture eventually helps them take out Chandler and the other X-Assassins thanks to Gabby's influence]].
* HumanWeapon: The Assassin was designed by Chandler to be [[spoiler:the ultimate expression of the X-23 project]], by creating a cybernetic killer with no shred of humanity.
* ItIsDehumanizing: Laura insists on calling the Assassin "it" rather than [[spoiler:"she,"]] which becomes a point of contention between her and Gabby, with Gabby [[spoiler:identify with the Assassin as another Sister]].
* TakingYouWithMe: She sacrifices herself to [[spoiler:take out Chandler, destroying the controls of his helicopter and ensuring him a fiery death at the cost of her own life]].
* WoundThatWillNotHeal: The X-Assassin has been designed so that not only is their HealingFactor disabled, but a severe wound will ''shut down'' their biological processes.

!!Others

[[folder:Alice]]
!!Alice
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_alice.PNG]]
!!!'''Species:''' Human clone
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 3''

A series of clones created by Mr. Sinister, the last two of whom are now under the control of Claudine Renko while the others were killed by Malcolm Colcord. She lures Laura to the ghost town where Claudine has her base of operations as part of her attempt to steal Laura's body.

* BodyBackupDrive: When one Alice dies, another wakes up in her place with her memories. [[spoiler: Sinister does this himself with her last clone.]]
* CloningBlues: Played with. Alice is aware she's a clone. Waking up after a previous self died is confusing, but she's otherwise ok with it. Colcord and Claudine, however, see her as disposable.
* DisposableSexWorker: When Laura first encounters Alice, she believes the girl is a prostitute, who tries to approach her at a diner and lure her outside. When Laura {{Sherlock Scan}}s her, she loses her nerve and runs away. She drives off with her pimp, but when Laura follows she discovers the man has already murdered her. Laura kills him in retaliation and she and Gambit bury her body. Subverted, however, in that Alice #1 wasn't a prostitute at all, and the man wasn't her pimp but her handler.
* GrandTheftMe: [[spoiler: Sinister steals the last of the Alice clones when Claudine is badly wounded by Laura in her escape, and Laura denies him her own body.]]
* HeelFaceTurn: Alice #2 turns on Claudine and helps Laura escape. She's nearly killed by Claudine in the process, but Gambit and Laura manage to get her to a hospital in time.
* MistakenForProstitute: Laura misinterprets Alice #1 was an abused prostitute, and that the man who murdered her was her pimp. When she encounters Alice #2 she reveals the truth is even ''worse'': Claudine gave several of Alice's clones to Malcolm Colcord for his experiments grafting a HealingFactor into another subject. The injuries Alice #1 displayed were actually the results of testing to see if it worked (it didn't), not abuse at the hands of her pimp as Laura assumed. Alice #1 was then deemed expendable and sent on a mission to lure Laura into a trap, and executed when she failed (though she would have been killed regardless).
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: The fate of Alice's previous clones. When Colcord's attempts to grant a healing factor to another body failes, the clones were deemed "defective" and killed. The first clone Laura encounters is one of these, who was given a little more time to live by sending her on a mission to attempt to lure her into a trap, and would have been killed regardless of whether she succeeded. Strangely enough, the Alice clone which survived the story didn't seem the least bit troubled by any of this and takes it in stride.

[[folder:Captain Universe]]
!!The Enigma Force/The Uni-Power/Captain Universe
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_captainuniverse.PNG]]
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 3''

''For more information on the Uni-Power, see the page [[Comicbook/CaptainUniverse here]].''
\\\
A cosmic entity who periodically takes a corporeal host, using the Uni-Power to create the powerful superhero known as Captain Universe in times of great danger. Laura has hosted the Uni-Power twice: The first during the ''Captain Universe'' limited series, when she aided in the entity's attempts to repair itself after it was severely depleted. The second occurred during the "Chaos Theory" arc of her self-titled ongoing, when the Whirldemons its power was designed to imprisoned threatened to break free into the main Marvel Universe. Her special connection to the Uni-Power was first hinted at during "The Killing Dream," when a mark associated with the entity appeared on the palm of her hand after defeating Hellverine.
----
* CosmicKeystone: The Enigma Force is the power keeping the Whirldemons from escaping their prison. When that seal is threatened, it returns to earth seeking the help of Laura, [[Comicbook/FantasticFour Sue Richards]], and Comicbook/SpiderMan to prevent this from happening.
* TheChosenOne: It tells Laura that she is the future heir to its power, and that it and she share a special bond.
* EleventhHourSuperpower: The Uni-Power is speeding to earth as fast as it can, but Laura, Spidey, and Sue are left to deal with the Whirldemons on their own until it can get there. [[CurbstompBattle It doesn't go well, but they manage to hold out]].
* HandBlast: Ordinarily not part of Laura's power set, but when hosting the Engima Force she's able to unleash blasts of energy from her hands. [[spoiler: It helps her defeat Hellverine during "The Killing Dream," when she nails him point-blank with a beam of light from her hand. It doesn't destroy him, but enables her to shatter his hold over her. She also uses it against the Whirldemon King.]]
* PowerGlows: Hosts of the Enigma Force are altered in several ways. During her one-shot as part of the ''Captain Universe'' miniseries, Laura's adamantium claws glow, and her crop top and hair turn completely black and shows sparkles like stars in space. During "Chaos Theory" ''her entire body'' glows.
* PowerUpFullColorChange: Combined with SupernaturalGoldEyes as noted below, Laura's appearance changes when hosting the Uni-Power. In her ''Captain Universe'' one-shot her top and hair turn black with sparkles like starlight in them, her pants turn white, and her eyes and claws glow blue-white. Her appearance changes even ''more'' radically in her self-titled series. Just look at the image!
* SupernaturalGoldEyes: A side-effect of possession by the Uni-Power during the Liu series (see the image).
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Although the Enigma Force suggested that Laura has been designated the heir to its full power, and that she and it share a unique connection, it has yet to reappear again (in connection to her, at least).

[[folder:Fade]]
!![=DiLorenzo=] / Fade
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_fade.jpg]]
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutant
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X''

A small-time gangster and mutant capable of turning himself invisible, who ran afoul of Comicbook/TheKingpin and tried to muscle in on his territory. Furious, particularly when his own men failed to deal with him themselves, Kingpin instead hired the Facility to take care of the matter. X-23 subsequently assassinated him with the aid of a trigger scent-laced letter.
----
* BullyingADragon: ''Actually'' believed that he could muscle in on ''Kingpin's'' business. Suffice to say, it ends badly for him.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Fade had a wife and child. After Laura took care of him, the Facility sent her after them to finish the job.
* {{Invisibility}}: Fade's mutant power allows him to turn invisible, making him undetectable not only to the naked eye, but to technology, as well. Unfortunately for him, it ''doesn't'' extend to his scent. Or the scent of anything ''on'' him...
* MobWar: Was attempting to muscle in on Fisk's business, until it put him on the wrong side of X-23.
* {{Mutant}}: A mutant with the ability to become invisible both to sight, and all known form of technological tracking.
* TheMole: He had one in Kingpin's organization, who Fisk deliberately fed false information to in order to take him out.
* ProfessionalKiller: Fade was a top mob assassin who decided to branch out into extorting a share of Kingpin's empire out of him. It ended up getting him a visit from X-23.
* ShroudedInMyth: For a long time, Fade was believed to be just a myth, with no one even believing he was real.
* SmugSnake: He genuinely believed he could play on Kingpin's level, as his mutation made him virtually impossible for most of his rivals to take down. Unfortunately, he lacked Fisk's sheer resources, and it cost him in the end.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tyger Tiger]]
!!Jessán Hoan / Tyger Tiger
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_tyger.jpg]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' Singnaporian
!!!'''Species:''' Human
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 3''

An old friend of Logan's and Gambit's, Jessán effectively runs Madripoor through her control of its criminal element. When Laura and Gambit arrive on the island investigating Colcord's connection to Claudine Renko's activities, she helps provide them with information and create the setup that allows her to infiltrate his operations.
----
* AntiHero: Tyger is certainly a criminal mastermind, controlling the various gangs and all criminal activity on the island, however she's nonetheless a good person who refuses to deal in drugs and slavery, and is firmly an ally of Wolverine.
* TheDon: Is effectively this in Madripoor. She ultimately controls all crime on the island, and through that control virtually runs the country.
* JustLikeRobinHood: Her use of her control of Madripoor's criminal element turns her into this. Her activities help the country's poor and strengthen the economy, whereas the other crime lords would tear the island apart as they jockey for control. This is one reason why Daken keeps her in charge when he takes over behind the scenes.
* ManBehindTheMan: When Daken stages his takeover of Madripoor during "Collision" he leaves Tyger in place as the public face, while he pulls the strings behind the scenes.
* TheStarscream: She does ''not'' like being forced to work for Daken. Although he has her in a position where she can't resist his control directly, it doesn't stop her from trying to undermine him.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kiden's Gang]]
!!Kiden's Gang
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1222370_marvel_team_nyx_x23.jpg]]
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 2 (One-Shot)''

''For general tropes about Kiden Nixon and her group, see the character page for'' Comicbook/{{NYX}}
\\\
A group of homeless mutant teenagers who have created a new family among themselves, Laura was once a member of the group when they rescued her from her abusive pimp, Zebra Daddy. They are led by TimeMaster Kiden Nixon, and consist of {{Body Surf}}er Bobby Soul AKA Felon, his powerfully telepathic but severely autistic baby brother L'il Bro, and {{Animal Themed|Superbeing}} {{ShapeShifting}} Tatiana.
----
* {{Crossover}}: They have a near-miss variety in the solo series, when Laura and Gambit visit Cecilia Reyes during ''Chaos Theory'', not long after they had stayed there during ''NYX: No Way Home''.
* FamilyOfChoice: Although circumstances outside their control led them together, they've ''stayed'' together for this reason. The fact that Laura left them to join the X-Men (though the others don't know this was the reason she disappeared) puts her at odds with Felon and Tatiana.
* {{Jerkass}}: Felon isn't too happy to see Laura again when she reunites with the group during the one-shot, and is pretty cold to her. While not as extreme, Tatiana takes his side, mostly because she left them without warning, and they spent a great deal of time looking for her and wondering what happened to her.
* MamaBear: Kiden to Laura. She actually threatens Wolverine when she thinks he's a pimp come to take her away. Logan takes an instant liking to her.
* MistakenForProstitute: When Logan comes looking for Laura, Kiden jumps to the conclusion that Laura is hooking again and Logan is actually her pimp.
* OldFriend: Although only a year has passed since she left them, the gang is this for Laura. Kiden was afraid that Laura had forgotten them. She didn't.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Cameron Palmer's absence is barely remarked upon during the one-shot.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kingpin]]
!!Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_fisk.jpg]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' American
!!!'''Species:''' Human
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X''

''For general tropes about Wilson Fisk, see his [[Comicbook/TheKingpin page]]''
\\\
The Kingpin of Crime, Fisk hired the Facility to deal with a problematic gangster attempting to muscle in on his territory. He became impressed enough with X-23's effectiveness that she became one of his favorite assassins.
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* DeadGuyOnDisplay: Demands that Rice have Fade's invisible head turned over so he can hang in on his wall.
* DeadMansChest: Fisk turns over four suitcases to Fade as part of their deal. Three contain $55 million as a down payment for his "niece's" return. When Fade asks about the fourth, Fisk coolly replies it contains part of TheMole. Fade is visibly {{Squick}}ed out when he opens it.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Subverted. With Fade muscling in on his territory and his own men unable to deal with him, Fisk [[FeedTheMole feeds information]] to the gangster about his beloved niece, "Samantha." This encourages Fade to up the ante in their MobWar by kidnapping her, making it personal. Unfortunately for Fade, "Samantha" is actually X-23, and was planted to get her close enough to take him out.
* FeedTheMole: Deliberately feeds the mole Fade placed in his organization with false information indicating that X-23 is actually his niece, "Samantha." It's all part of an elaborate setup to get X-23 close enough to him that she'll be affected by a trigger scent-laced letter from her "mother."
* MobWar: Involved in one with Fade, who is attempting to muscle in on his business and extort gratuity out of him.
* PayEvilUntoEvil: When a rival gangster tries to muscle in on his turf, Kingpin hires the Facility and X-23 to take him out.
* WouldHurtAChild: After X-23 murdered Fade, Kingpin had her sent to take out his wife and child, as well.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rachel and Henry Sutter]]
!!'''Rachel and Henry Sutter'''

[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/4047746_rachel_sutter_x_231.jpg https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1237465_henry_sutter_02.jpg]]

Rachel and Henry are the wife and son, respectively, of Martin Sutter. [[spoiler:Rachel carried out an affair with Rice, who it turns out is the ''actual'' father of Henry.]]

* DomesticAbuse: [[spoiler:When Rachel tells Rice that their affair has led to pregnancy and she wants to confess to Sutter, Rice throws her against a wall and physically threatens her. When she later decides to tell the truth, he sends X-23 to kill her.]]
* ImprobableInfantSurvival: [[spoiler:When X-23 is sent to kill Martin Sutter and his family, she disobeys her orders and spares Henry's life. This act later convinces Sarah that X-23 hasn't completely lost her humanity.]]
* ShoutOut: Henry carries around an ComicBook/SpiderMan action figure at one point.
* SexySecretary: Rachel isn't just Sutter's wife, but also performs secretarial duties for his project.
* WhosYourDaddy: [[spoiler:It's made clear right from the beginning that Martin Sutter's wife, Rachel, knows that she is pregnant with Rice's son, but Rice violently forces her to agree not to reveal this to Sutter. Sutter subsequently raises the boy, Henry, as his own, ignorant of the truth. It doesn't end well when Rachel decides to confess. Before she can do so Rice unleashes X-23 on the family to silence her, eliminate the boy, and secure his control over the project. Martin and Rachel are killed, but X-23 can't bring herself to murder Henry and spares him]]
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:Rice pulls this on Rachel, as well. When Rachel insists it's time to tell Sutter the truth about their affair, Rice sends X-23 to silence her and kill their son to destroy the evidence. Conveniently, Rice manipulates the situation to ''also'' arrange Sutter to officially turn over control of the project to him, allowing him to eliminate all three at once. Foiled when X-23 spares Henry, though Martin and Rachel are both killed.]]
[[/folder]]

A clone of Wolverine, created by Sarah Kinney when attempts to replicate the Weapon X experiments with other mutants fail. Due to damage on the Y chromosome, Sarah comes up with the idea of [[OppositeSexClone doubling the X chromosome, and creating a girl instead]].

[[folder:Description]]
!!Laura Kinney

[[folder:Laura Kinney]]

* DecoyProtagonist: Although ''ComicBook/InnocenceLost'' reveals X-23's origins, the story itself actually focuses on her mother, Sarah.
* LeftForDead: On one mission, Rice decides to participate and attempts to abandon X-23 to be killed, murdering his own team in the process as an excuse to withdraw prematurely. X-23 reaches the rendezvous point in time nonetheless, and he deliberately leaves her behind, smugly dropping his father's dogtags to make sure she knew why he was doing it. She still survives and manages to return to the installation on her own.
* MoralityPet: For Sarah.
* TheQuietOne: She speaks a bit of Japanese in training with her sensei, but doesn't speak in English until the final issues of the series. Even then, she doesn't speak much.
* TurnedAgainstTheirMasters: She didn't need much encouragement to tear down the Facility once Sarah turned her loose. She even ''puts up her claws'' to beat Rice to death with the bare hands for 10 minutes.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: X-23 looks almost identical to her mother, this is emphasized most at one point when Laura wears her hair in the same style as her mother did when she was younger, which is the style Sarah wears in her character image below.
* SympatheticSentientWeapon: Young X-23 killed a ''lot'' of people, many of them innocents. She was also horrifically tortured, abused, and forced to do so against her will.

!Family

[[folder:Daken]]
!!Daken Akihiro/Daken
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_daken.PNG]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' Japanese
!!!'''Species:''' Human mutant
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23 Vol. 3''

''For general tropes about Daken, see his [[Comicbook/{{Daken}} page]]''
\\\
The son of Wolverine, which makes him Laura's nephew or brother, depending on the genetics. Their relationship is initially hostile, but over the course of their encounter they gain a measure of respect for one another, and Laura walks away from their adventure as one of a very few people whom Daken genuinely respects and has affection for.
----
* BigBrotherInstinct: Eventually, to both Laura and Gabby.
* CainAndAbel: The Cain to Laura's Abel. Despite that, they actually get along quite well.
* EvilCounterpart: He's this to Laura in a way. Both are genetic children of Logan, both tend to only use two of their claws and save the third for special attacks, both have messed up pasts. They have a mutual respect for each other, partly because they are so alike.
* HeelFaceTurn: Of a sort. Daken doesn't exactly go full Face, but [[spoiler: after Colcord double-crosses him, he and Laura are no longer at cross-purposes and work together to shut him down]].
* IncestYay: Some of Daken's private thoughts when he watches Laura in action read this way. Then again, it ''is'' [[DepravedBisexual Daken]].
* ManBehindTheMan: Seizes control of Madripoor during "Collision", and sets himself up as this, leaving Tyger Tiger as the public face.
* ManipulativeBastard: It's Daken, natch.
* NotSoDifferent: Technically brother and sister, both raised by some very, ''very'' bad people, but while Daken embraces what Romulus made him, Laura desperately wants to be something more than just a weapon and killer. Nonetheless, their similarities give them a fair bit of mutual respect towards one another.
* WorthyOpponent: He and Laura come to view one another as this, and Laura becomes one of a ''very'' few people he genuinely respects.

[[folder:Deborah Kinney]]
!!Deborah "Debbie" Kinney
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23_deborahkinney.jpg]]
!!!'''Nationality:''' American
!!!'''Species:''' Human
!!!'''Appeared in''': ''X-23: Target X''

Deborah is Sarah Kinney's sister, with whom she has a strained, and virtually nonexistent relationship due to her failure to support Sarah when she was being abused by their father. Debbie plays a minor role in ''Innocence Lost'', but is much more significant in the follow-up story, ''Target: X''.
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* DysfunctionalFamily: Shared this relationship with her sister, Sarah, due to not supporting her when Sarah was being abused by their father. As a result, they rarely spoke in the years afterwards. The relationship is only mended when [[spoiler: she calls Sarah for help after her daughter is kidnapped by a serial killer preying on children, and whom Sarah uses Laura to locate and rescue. Unfortunately, Sarah is killed before they can completely reconcile.]]
** ''Target: X'' reveals that her relationship with her daughter has been strained, as Megan has grown up to be a rather angry young girl as an ongoing effect of her kidnapping. Laura's arrival helps them repair their relationship.
* GroundedForever: Debbie's reaction to Megan and Laura being suspended after Laura's first day at school. Learning about Laura's past leads Megan to ''hug'' her for it.
* ParentalSubstitute: Becomes this for Laura when she turns up on her doorstep.
* ParentWithNewParamour: It's unclear what happened to Megan's father, but the man Debbie is cohabitating with isn't him. [[spoiler: He's also a Facility plant.]]
* PutOnABus: Literally. Laura leaves her and Megan at a bus station, and sends them into hiding to protect them from Kimura and the Facility. [[spoiler: They finally meet again at the end of All-New Wolverine #18]].
* SecretKeeper: She knew about Laura after she and Sarah reconciled.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: Sarah and Debbie look a lot alike (Debbie wears her hear short, though). Therefore she also looks a lot like Laura.