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5[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/01_492.png]]
6[[caption-width-right:310:The best at what she does.]]
7
8->''"All I know is, while I'm wearing this, he isn't gone. And neither am I. I'm Laura Kinney. I'm X-23. ''And'' I'm Wolverine."''
9-->-- '''X-23''', on taking up the Wolverine name
10
11Laura Kinney, a.k.a. X-23, is a character owned by Creator/MarvelComics, and created by Craig Kyle and his writing partner Creator/ChristopherYost. The character first appeared in two episodes of ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution'' in 2003 as an alternative to giving [[WolverinePublicity Logan more focus]] or using other Marvel heroes, X-23 quickly became an EnsembleDarkhorse and was [[CanonImmigrant written into the comics]] the following year. She made her comics debut with ''ComicBook/{{NYX}}'' #3 (February, 2004), featuring a similar background to her ''Evolution'' counterpart except even DarkerAndEdgier.
12
13X-23 was created by the Weapon X offshoot known as the Facility,[[note]]ComicBook/{{HYDRA}} in ''Evolution''[[/note]] using a damaged sample of ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'s DNA. The damage was greatest on the Y chromosome, so after several attempts at a direct clone Dr. Deborah Risman in ''Evolution'', and the similar Dr. Sarah Kinney in the comics, eventually had the brilliant idea to create [[OppositeSexClone a female copy instead]] by duplicating the X chromosome. At last the 23rd attempt to create the female clone of Weapon X was successful, thus X-23. For years, she was thought to be a clone of Logan, but it was eventually revealed Sarah used some of her own DNA to complete the damaged sample, making X-23 Logan's biological daughter.
14
15She grew up being trained to be an assassin, so that the Facility could sell her talents to the highest bidder. X-23 endured severe emotional and physical abuse in order to remove such weaknesses as emotion and self worth. Her creator, 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, forcing X to kill her. In her dying words, Dr. Kinney named her Laura.[[note]]She was never given a name onscreen other than X-23 in ''Evolution''[[/note]]
16
17After tracking down Logan she was invited to join the X-Men, and has been a mainstay in the ''X-Men'' books ever since. X-23 became a BreakoutCharacter after her introduction, and is perhaps the most successful and popular X-Man introduced during the 2000s.
18
19She made her live-action debut in ''Film/{{Logan}}'', the third Wolverine-focused movie in the ''[[Film/XMenFilmSeries X-Men]]'' film series, portrayed by Creator/DafneKeen. For tropes specific to her movie incarnation, see [[Characters/XMenFilmSeriesTransigen this page]].
20----
21[[AC:Notable Comics Appearances]]
22* ''ComicBook/{{NYX}}'': First comics appearance.
23* ''ComicBook/UncannyXMen'': First appearance in a main X-title.
24* ''ComicBook/X23InnocenceLost (X-23 vol. 1)'': Origin story, part 1.
25* ''X-23: Target X'': Origin story, part 2.
26* ''[[ComicBook/NewXMenAcademyX New X-Men]]'': First major/lead appearance in an ongoing title.
27* ''ComicBook/XForce''
28* ''X-23 (vol. 3)'': First solo ongoing, by Marjorie Liu
29* ''ComicBook/AvengersAcademy''
30* ''ComicBook/AvengersArena''
31* ''ComicBook/AllNewXMen''
32* ''[[ComicBook/DeathOfWolverine Death of Wolverine: The Logan Legacy]]''
33* ''ComicBook/{{Wolverines}}''
34* ''ComicBook/AllNewWolverine'': [[LegacyCharacter Takes on the mantle]] of Wolverine.
35* ''ComicBook/XMenRed''
36* ''X-23 (vol. 4)''
37* ''ComicBook/{{Fallen Angels|2019}}''
38* ''ComicBook/XMen2019''
39
40[[AC:Appearances In Other Media]]
41* ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution'': First appearance.
42* ''WesternAnimation/WolverineAndTheXMen2009''
43* ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3''
44* ''VideoGame/MarvelAvengersAlliance''
45* ''VideoGame/MarvelHeroes''
46* ''VideoGame/MarvelContestOfChampions''
47* ''VideoGame/MarvelPuzzleQuest''
48* ''VideoGame/MarvelFutureFight''
49* ''Film/{{Logan}}''
50----
51[[foldercontrol]]
52
53!!The following tropes apply to X-23's solo ongoings and miniseries
54
55''For'' X-23: Innocence Lost ''see the page [[ComicBook/X23InnocenceLost here]].''\
56''For'' All-New Wolverine ''see the page [[Comicbook/AllNewWolverine here]].''
57
58[[folder: X-23: Target X]]
59[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/546525bb_c33a_42b0_bfa2_4e3806132f78.jpeg]]
60
61The second miniseries by Christopher Yost and Craig Kyle, ''Target X'' was a 6-issue series running from March to June 2005. It served as Part 2 of her origin story, continuing the story of Laura's escape that began in ''Innocence Lost''.
62
63Unlike the former series, ''Target X'' brings Laura much more into contact with the larger Marvel universe. Wolverine, Daredevil, and Captain America all play significant roles; indeed her interrogation by the latter two forms a framing story for the rest of the story. It also retcons Laura's first introduction to Logan, showing her meeting him under completely different circumstances than their encounter with Claremont's ''Uncanny X-Men'', while also skirting around her appearance in ''ComicBook/{{NYX}}''.
64
65----
66* AnArmAndALeg: Kimura handcuffs Laura with adamantium cuffs, intending to force her to watch while she tortures Megan to death. Laura ''cuts off her own hand'' to escape.
67* ArrowCatch: Kimura tries to shoot Megan with a crossbow in the climax of her attack on the Kinney household. Laura snatches the bolt out of the air just as it leaves the bow. More impressive: She did it from her ''back'' after Kimura had just broken her neck.
68* BoomHeadshot: Laura pulls this off on a helicopter pilot in flight. ''From the ground.''
69* TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive: Laura ''thought'' she could safely go to ground with her family. Too bad the Facility had an agent planted with them even ''before'' she turned up at their door for just such an eventuality. In the end, the only way she could protect them was to send them into hiding and go on the run again, [[ComicBook/{{NYX}} leading to nearly two years of misery as a homeless prostitute]].
70* CassandraTruth: Because Sarah covered up her kidnapping in ''Innocence Lost'', no one believed Megan's story about him, or of her rescuer (Laura herself). This is a substantial part of what led to her troubles with her mother and in school, as they all thought she was simply making it up. Laura assuring her it ''did'' happen helps bring her comfort, and straighten up Megan's relationship with her mother.
71* CatapultNightmare: Megan awakens from a nightmare/flashback of her kidnapper with this trope.
72* CodenameTitle: Codenamed for being Sarah's 23rd attempt to create a female clone, a.k.a having the X chromosome instead of a male / Y chromosome)
73* ContinuitySnarl:
74** A minor one between ''Innocence Lost'' and ''Target X'' with Laura's age. Based on the timeline given in the former, Laura was nine years old at the time she's sent on her field test to assassinate candidate Johnson, while in the latter Laura's age is stated to be eleven. In fact, ''Target X'' tends to make her two years older during events referenced in both books in general.
75** ''Target: X also'' causes confusion over where ''NYX'' fits into Laura's background in relation to ''Uncanny X-Men''.
76* CoversAlwaysLie: ''X-23: Target X #5'' shows Kimura triumphantly holding two of X-23's claws, having apparently just ripped them out of her hand. The closest thing to this in the actual story is X-23 cutting off her own hand (and promptly reattaching it) to escape Kimura.
77* DespairEventHorizon: Laura hits one at the end. After all the torture and dehumanization the Facility put her through, being forced to kill her mother by the Trigger Scent just as they were about to escape, having to give up all that remained of her family and the normal life she was starting to build to protect them when her Axe Crazy former handler came looking for her, and possibly spending an unspecified time on the streets as a prostitute under a sadistic and abusive pimp (it's unclear where exactly this series falls in her history), Laura finally reaches her breaking point, and seeks out Wolverine believing that all she has left is to kill him and herself. Logan manages to talk her down, but it's implied she has an ongoing battle with severe, if not suicidal, depression, and much of her character arc focuses on putting the pieces back together after all that was done to her.
78* DrivenToSuicide: The events of ''Target X'' finally push Laura to her breaking point. After escaping Kimura and severing contact with her only remaining family, she seeks out Logan with the intent of killing him and then herself to put a permanent end to the Weapon X project. She's so broken by everything that's happened to her by this point, that the only release she sees now is death. Logan manages to talk her down, but there's hints in later stories that Laura may still be prone to bouts of severe and possibly even suicidal depression.
79* DysfunctionJunction: This is the state of Megan and Debbie when Laura first arrives at their house. Megan is troubled and still suffering severed PTSD over the trauma of her kidnapping, Debbie is struggling to help her as best she can, and her boyfriend, Desmond, is generally apathetic.
80* {{Fanservice}}: X wears a school-girl style outfit — featuring a ''very'' short pleated skirt and a tight white shirt — in one of the flashbacks to her missions, that leads to ''several'' aversions of MagicSkirt during the subsequent fight scene. To say nothing of the corset, miniskirt, and thigh-highs she raids from her cousin's closet.
81* FastRoping: The first Facility troops to respond to Laura's escape are delivered in this method by helicopter in the woods outside the bunker.
82* FramingDevice: The story is told in flashback, with the events depicted being what Laura reveals under interrogation to Captain America and Daredevil.
83* HairTriggerAvalanche: After being cornered by Kimura during her escape from the Facility bunker, Laura grabs a gun from Kimura's belt. Kimura mocks her by reminding her that she's indestructible. Laura simply responds, "I know," before aiming off to the side and firing to trigger an avalanche.
84* HellishCopter: Laura shoots down a helicopter gunship pursuing her through the woods outside the Facility's bunker...by capping the pilot ''from the ground'' with a perfect [[BoomHeadshot headshot]].
85* ImmediateSequel: Partly: ''Target X'' fills in a few gaps in Laura's training and conditioning by the Facility, before picking up immediately after Sarah's death.
86* InterrogationFlashback: As noted above, Cap and Daredevil's interrogation serves as a FramingDevice while most of the story are flashbacks as Laura relates their past to them.
87* ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies: She was developing a good relationship with her aunt and cousin, so getting as far away from them as she could was the best thing she could think of doing for them. Of course, it didn't help that Kimura was chasing her and had already tried to kill them.
88* ItsRainingMen: The Facility attempts to cut off Laura's escape by FastRoping soldiers into the woods from a helicopter gunship.
89* MeaningfulRename: At one point Captain America asks Laura during her interrogation if she is X-23. She tells him no. Daredevil, who Steve brought in to act as a LivingLieDetector, ascertains she's telling the truth. It's a very subtle moment, but one which establishes Laura has decided that she truly is ''Laura Kinney'', not X-23.
90* MobWar: The Facility is hired by Comicbook/TheKingpin to put an end to one between himself and Fade, a mutant gangster attempting to muscle in on his territory. X assassinates Fade in his own office, and later takes out his wife and child, as well.
91* MookHorrorShow: Laura subjects some Facility goons to one when they attack the Kinney household; she sends Megan and Debbie into the basement and turns on the sprinkler system to mask them from thermal goggles. She then stalks through the house picking off mooks one by one. She's only stopped when Kimura herself intervenes and [[NeckSnap breaks her neck]].
92* MurderSuicide: Laura intends to kill Logan and then herself to put a permanent end to the Weapon X project, but Logan talks her down.
93* MythologyGag:
94** A student who harasses Megan in the hallway has a shirt which reads ''ComicBook/{{NYX}}''.
95** Laura and Megan attend a ComicBook/{{Dazzler}} concert during their day out after getting suspended.
96* NeckSnap: Kimura snaps Laura's neck like a twig when she attacks the Kinney household in ''Target X'', then unceremoniously dumps her body down the basement stairs to menace Megan and Debbie. Laura survives because of her HealingFactor.
97* PerpSweating: Done by Cap while questioning Laura about her identity, and ascertaining that she is, indeed, X-23.
98* PinnedToTheWall: Kimura pins Laura to a ''tree'' with a crossbow bolt during her escape from the Facility.
99* RetCon: In ''Uncanny X-Men'', Laura first meets Logan when her killing of some men who attacked a woman she was protecting draws the X-Men's attention. He, Nightcrawler, and Rachel track her to a restaurant, and it's implied Logan had never even heard of her before then. However ''Target X'' reveals that Sarah ''sent Logan a copy of her letter'' in case something happened to her, and that they first meet alone when she tries to kill him. ''[[ComicBook/NewXMenAcademyX New X-Men]]'' further refines the story by suggesting their encounter in ''Uncanny'' was a show for the others.
100* RainOfBlood: This is what tips Cap off that he let Johnson's killer escape: As he's consulting with a grunt on the killings he notices blood dribbling from between the rear doors of the ambulance where he ''just'' left the only "survivor" of the attack. He opens the door to reveal the inside of the ambulance covered in blood, and the two [=EMTs=] dead inside.
101* RoomFullOfCrazy: Megan's room is plastered with pictures she drew of her kidnapper, revealing just how deeply affected she is by the trauma. There's also a few of Laura, as well.
102* ShoutOut:
103** Laura's French teacher is [[Series/{{Mythbusters}} Jaimie Hyneman, and her science teacher is Adam Savage]].
104** And a kid seated behind her and Megan at the movie theater wears a ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' T-shirt.
105* SkippingSchool: Laura and Megan in ''Target X''. Technically they get ''suspended'', but rather than heading home like they're supposed to, they ''steal the principal's car'' and take it on a joyride across San Francisco.
106* SpeechBubbles: While everyone else has the traditional white bubbles, Fade's bubbles are in a very light green to set them apart.
107* TheStakeout: Laura does this twice:
108** The first is when she observes Debbie's family before revealing herself, which she does for nearly a month.
109** She does it later with Logan, however a freak shift in the wind she couldn't account for tipped him off, and led him to lure her away from the school where he could confront her with less risk of collateral damage.
110* StuffBlowingUp: Laura cuts a gas line and blows up Megan and Debbie's house with Kimura (and possibly herself) inside it. Kimura obviously survives because of her indestructibility, while Laura uses it to help Megan and Debbie escape, masking it with a gas explosion.
111* SuperHeroOrigin: ''Target X'' serves as the second half of Laura's origin, depicting the immediate aftermath of her escape from the Facility, and the loss of the last of her family.
112* WhatAreYou:
113** A part of Cap and Daredevil's interrogation of Laura hinges on this question.
114** Fade asks her this when she's set off by the trigger scent, and is able to track him even after he becomes invisible.
115* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: While Logan is mentioned by Captain America and Daredevil throughout their interrogation of Laura, the last we actually ''see'' of him is when S.H.I.E.L.D. attacks him while trying to convince Laura to join him at the Xavier School. That he's not there raising hell with Steve over the matter is quite jarring.
116* WoundedGazelleGambit: ''Target: X'' reveals that this was Laura's exit strategy for her first assassination detailed in ''Innocence Lost''. After slaughtering a political candidate, his [[WouldHurtAChild entire family]], and ''dozens'' of security, staff, press, functionaries, and other guests, Laura escapes by pretending to be the lone survivor ''of her own rampage''. It's so convincing she even fools ''Captain America'' and slips his grasp just before he discovers the ruse.
117[[/folder]]
118
119[[folder: Volume Two (One-Shot) and Three]]
120
121[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1157797_p00001___x_23__11.jpg]]
122
123Both written by Marjorie Liu, ''X-23'' ran for 21 issues from November, 2010, through May 2012. This series followed Laura on a [[JourneyToFindOneself journey of self-discovery]] in the aftermath of ''Second Coming'' and her stint on ''Comicbook/XForce''. Confused as to her purpose when Wolverine removes her from the team so she can finally try to heal from her dark past, Laura decides there are too many voices all telling her what to be, so leaves Utopia to find her own answers.
124
125Although not part of this series, Liu also wrote a one-shot story featuring Laura released in May, 2010 which nonetheless was closely connected thematically. It finds Laura reuniting with [[ComicBook/{{NYX}} Kiden Nixon]], and fighting the influence of the Gamesmaster, who has decided to take up residence in her head.
126
127Both stories are generally well-regarded, and did a great deal to advance and develop Laura as a character, particularly by expanding her beyond the influence of her creators, Christopher Yost and Craig Kyle. Liu's series codified many aspects of Laura's personality for readers, and this book is often now considered the standard by which other writers are compared. This has led to some fracturing of the fanbase over what Laura should read like, (particularly Liu's SpockSpeak versus more naturalistic speech patterns) as well as mixed reactions once word of Liu's CreatorBreakdown came out, leading to questions of whether she allowed her personal issues to affect the final few stories of the series.
128
129----
130* AbortedArc: Because of the series' cancellation, there were several plot threads that have since been abandoned and not been revisited in other series. In particular the Hooded Woman from the Madripoor and Paris arcs, and Laura's destiny as heir to the Enigma Force.
131* {{Animesque}}:
132** Issues of the Liu series drawn by Sana Takeda have a distinctly anime influence.
133** The covers for the first three issues of the same series are also heavily influenced by anime and manga.
134* AuthorTract: After Liu revealed she was undergoing something of a CreatorBreakdown towards the end of the series, many readers began to reexamine the final arcs, particularly "Misadventures in Babysitting" and question whether it had become this.
135* AssholeVictim: In issue #4 of volume 3, she meets a young girl who's forced to lure Laura into a trap. Laura, mistakenly believing the girl is a prostitute trying to recruit her for a pimp, doesn't fall for it. Instead she tries to help the girl, who flees instead. When Laura catches up she finds the girl has already been killed by her handler as punishment for the failure. She kills him in retaliation, and no tears were shed for him.
136* BabysittingEpisode: One arc of the Liu series focused on Laura taking care of [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Franklin and Valeria Richards]] for an evening. Given that the younger of the two inherited her father's brains and retained a three-year old's capacity for mischief....
137* BadlyBatteredBabysitter: Laura is hired to babysit the [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Richards kids]] during her first series. Even though the kids summoned a huge dragon and got kidnapped by an intergalactic pack rat, she managed to rescue and get them in their [=PJs=] before Reed and Susan got home.
138* BarBrawl: Laura and Jubilee get into one with some of Zebra Daddy's ex-thugs while at a nightclub. [[CurbStompBattle It doesn't go well for the gangsters.]]
139* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: "The Killing Dream" arc of her first solo series largely consists of one of these: Hellverine torments Laura, as he desires her to lead his armies (and may just desire her period). He agrees to give her a chance to prove him wrong about being a mindless killer, with both her own soul and Hellion's in the balance.
140* BigDamnKiss: Julian ''attempts'' one in issue 19 of the Liu series. Once things are sorted with the Richards kids, he grabs Laura and pulls her into a kiss, believing it's going to smooth over the problems they had up to that point and lead to a RelationshipUpgrade. And then she shoots him down, and they've not spoken since.[[note]]December, 2011, to be exact.[[/note]]
141* CallBack:
142** When Hellverine is poking around Laura's mind during "The Killing Dream" arc of the Liu series, he runs across Gamesmaster, who has been inhabiting her consciousness since her one-shot (also by Liu, and preceding the ongoing series). Gamesmaster tried to drive him out but was defeated, and Hellverine presents him to Laura as a gift.
143** At the end of the first arc of the Liu series, Laura is left with a small mark on the palm of her hand [[spoiler:implied to be connected to the Enigma Force]]. It comes up twice more in the series: The first time in the very next arc when Ms. Sinister questions why she has it despite her HealingFactor, and much more importantly during "Chaos Theory," when it's recognized by the Whirldemon King, and marks her as heir to the Enigma Force's power.
144** When Logan intercepts Laura before she could run away during "Touching Darkness," he assures her that it's really him and not the demon that was using him as a MeatPuppet in the first arc.
145* CollectorOfTheStrange: The Collector himself appears in "Misadventures in Babysitting." Apparently he considered Laura's adamantium claws quite the prize.
146* ContinuityNod:
147** "Songs of the Orphan Child" has two significant ones:
148*** Ms. Sinister is losing control of her body to Sinister due to an injury she received from Daken during ''his'' solo series.
149*** Also, Sinister himself. His taking control of Claudine's body is the result of a CrazyPrepared attempt to return from death after he was killed by Mystique during ''Messiah Complex''.
150** Both the one-shot and ongoing reference ''NYX'', with Kiden and her gang appearing in the former, while Laura runs afoul of former members of Zebra Daddy's gang in the latter.
151* CoversAlwaysLie: Issue 19's cover has Laura and Hellion entwined in a passionate embrace and leaning in for a BigDamnKiss. While the issue ''does'' feature them sharing a kiss, it's a ForcefulKiss instigated by Julian, and rather than returning his affection she summarily ends their frielationship.
152* {{Crossover}}:
153** "The Killing Dream" ties into the ''Wolverine in Hell'' storyline, specifically the period Hellverine is on Utopia. Curiously enough, Laura is the only member of the X-Men who notices something isn't right with Logan.
154** "Collision" plays out in both of Liu's series at the time: ''X-23'', and ''Daken: Dark Wolverine''.
155** "Chaos Theory" is a near-miss variety with ''NYX: No Way Home''. Gambit and Laura arrive at Cecilia Reyes's apartment not long after Kiden and her gang had been staying there.
156* DemonicPossession: Twice:
157** Hellverine hitches a ride on Laura's body during "The Killing Dream" as part of his gambit to seduce her to his side.
158** The Whirldemons in "Chaos Theory" possess Valeria Richards during their attempt to break free of their prison. Laura offers herself up in exchange, eventually enabling her to defeat them with the help of the Enigma Force.
159* DrivenToSuicide:
160** Laura takes a dive off skyscraper during her one-shot while trying to drive Gamesmaster out of her head. She survives thanks to her HealingFactor.
161** Although always depicted as a cutter, Laura cuts her wrists so severely during one issue of the Liu series that a waiter at the restaurant she and Gambit were patronizing at the time alerted his supervisor that it looked as if someone attempted to commit suicide in one of the bathrooms after she finished. Again, she survives due to her mutation.
162* EldritchAbomination: The [[ComicBook/CaptainUniverse Whirldemons]] during the "Chaos Theory" arc. Hellverine in "The Killing Dream" also counts, since he's a demon wearing Logan's body as a meat puppet.
163* EnemyMine: After Colcord double-crosses Daken, Daken decides to turn Laura loose, and they work together to shut down his Madripoor operation.
164* EnemyWithout: In the final issue of the Liu series, Laura is made to fight her own personified inner darkness by an Indian shaman.
165* EmotionBomb: The Hooded Woman during "Touching Darkness" is experimenting with the trigger scent, and seeks to develop a version that will work on ''anyone''. She tests in in Paris, and manages to send both Laura, and a large part of the populace into a violent rage.
166* EpiphanicPrison: Hellverine puts Laura through one during "The Killing Dream." It's unclear whether [[MindScrew the prison is Hell or her own mind]].
167* EverybodyHelpsOutDenouement: At the end of one issue of her titular series, X-23 and her telekinetic friend clean up the rubble left behind by a dragon attack. Both are relieved when they finish before the parents she's babysitting for return.
168* ExposedToTheElements: Laura strips down naked while running with the wolf pack in the final issue of the Liu series, even thought it's snowing, and there's already a good couple inches on the ground.
169* {{Fanservice}}:
170** The infamous {{panty shot}} during the "Collision" crossover, and the panels of Ms. Sinister strutting around in a corset, cowboy hat, and booty shorts. The panel during "Touching Darkness" where Laura tries to tempt Jubilee into drinking her blood also provides a fetish for many readers.
171** Laura spends much of the last issue of the Liu series nude as part of a VisionQuest.
172* FireAndBrimstoneHell: Hellverine's dimension straddles a line between this and {{Mordor}}.
173* ForcefulKiss: Laura was on the receiving end from her (sort of) boyfriend Hellion in ''X-23 #19''. She rejected him afterwards and ended their relationship.
174* FullFrontalAssault: Laura and her EnemyWithout in the final issue duke it out starkers [[ExposedToTheElements in the middle of a snowfall]] as part of her VisionQuest.
175* GayParee: "Touching Darkness" finds Laura in Paris with Gambit, Jubilee, and Logan. The foursome wind up investigating an attempt to weaponize the trigger scent to a point where it affects ''anyone'' exposed to it, not just those specially conditioned as Laura was. In between, Laura goes shopping at expensive Parisian boutiques with Jubilee (Gambit and Logan foot the bill), and she and Jubilee both base jump sans parachute off the Eiffel Tower for kicks.
176* GirlsNightOutEpisode: After breaking up with Hellion during the Liu series, Jubilee takes her out clubbing, though Laura doesn't exactly get into it. Laura runs across one of Zebra Daddy's former thugs, and learns that the remains of his gang is still trafficking women. She takes it upon herself to free the girls.
177* GroinAttack: While on a night out with Jubilee during her solo, Laura runs across one of Zebra Daddy's former minions at a club and the man recognizes her. He flippantly comments about how Daddy gave his boys discounts with the prostitutes, but he never got a chance to have Laura. Laura tells him he'll never have her, or any ''other'' woman, again, and then proceeds to ensure it's true.
178* HumanWeapon: Colcord's workshop in Madripoor is dedicated to churning these out.
179* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: Logan and Jubilee do this with Laura during "Touching Darkness," while she's under the effects of the trigger scent. It mostly relies on them absorbing the punishment she can dish out until they're able to reach her.
180* JourneyToFindOneself: The overarching plot of the ongoing consists of this as Laura goes "walkabout" in the aftermath of her stint on ComicBook/XForce, in large part triggered by questions over whether she has a soul after an encounter with [[spoiler:Hellverine]]. She leaves Utopia because she feels there are too many voices trying to tell her who she is, and wishes to find her own answers. It's relatively brief, and ends with Laura deciding to attend ComicBook/AvengersAcademy after an invitation from ComicBook/BlackWidow. During this time, Laura makes substantial progress in at least coming to terms with herself, even if much of her emotional damage remains.
181* MaleGaze: During the infamous {{panty shot}} in "Collision," the panel is centered directly on Laura's butt when she exposes the top of her thong.
182* MobWar: Daken stirs one up in Madripoor as part of his plot to gain control of the island from Tyger Tiger, pitting several lesser bosses against one another in a fight to the death.
183* {{Mordor}}: During the "Killing Dream" arc of her first solo, Hellverine draws Laura into a BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind in a realm somewhere between this and FireAndBrimstoneHell, presented in her nightmares and in "reality" as a blasted, desiccated wasteland.
184* NobleWolf: Laura encounters a wolf pack in the final issue of the Liu series. After running with them for a time they lead her to the pack leader, a great white wolf that transforms into an Indian shaman, and kicks off a battle with Laura's EnemyWithout.
185* NoDialogueEpisode: The entire last issue of the Liu series is told strictly visually, with no dialogue by Laura.
186* NotSoDifferentRemark: Cyclops gets this with the Facility in her first solo series. Emma Frost {{lampshade|Hanging}}s that including Laura in X-Force, the X-Men's black ops hit squad, is just asking her to do the same thing the Facility forced her to do.
187* OrWasItADream: The final issue of the Liu series opens with Laura sleeping naked and surrounded by wolves. When she awakens again, she's fully clothed and alone. Later in the issue she's crashing at a trailer park after giving one of the locals a lift when she's awakened by the howling of wolves outside. Laura follows them, and comes across the same pack of all-black wolves from her dream. She chases after them, eventually stripping naked, which ultimately leads to a battle with her EnemyWithout. At its conclusion she snaps out of the vision and finds herself naked in the snow, while the trailer park residents are out looking for her. Whether the incident with the wolves ''actually'' happened, or was all just in her mind, is left ambiguous.
188* OurDragonsAreDifferent: A giant purple alien dragon — much like [[ComicBook/KittyPryde Lockheed]] but ''much'' bigger — flies off with Val and Franklin Richards during "Misadventures in Babysitting," forcing Laura and Hellion to chase after it to get them back.
189* ProtagonistCenteredMorality: The book intends the reader to side with Laura over Hellion during their final fight in "Misadventures In Babysitting." While Julian certainly did lose his temper with her and say some hurtful things, however the book ignores the fact that Laura also treated Julian very badly throughout the arc; She brushed him off when he just tried to ''talk'' to her about his HeroicBSOD at the beginning of the arc, stonewalled him when he just needed her friendship while trying to cope, and generally treated him like TheLoad while trying to rescue the Richards kids from the Collector.
190* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech:
191** Daken and Laura take turns delivering this to ''each other'' during their rampage through Colcord's base. Daken tries to call her out on her empathy for others, believing that her skills as a killer make her better than everyone around her, and that her heart only forces her to hold back. Laura flatly tells him that she doesn't fight because she has something to prove, but for something ''bigger'' than herself. She then [[ShutUpHannibal turns this around on him]], [[ArmorPiercingQuestion asking]] why ''[[TheSociopath he]]'' holds back by not taking the risk of allowing himself to ''actually'' care for anyone. Daken doesn't really have an answer.
192** Julian lays one on Laura in issue 19, after she rejects him. Angry over the way she has brushed him off for the entire "Misadventures in Babysitting" story, he finally loses his temper and accuses her of really ''not'' having feelings after all. Laura responds that she does, she just doesn't feel anything for ''him''.
193* RescueRomance: Although they never get past WillTheyOrWontThey, Laura's infatuation with Hellion begins after he saves her life during the fight against Nimrod.
194* RetailTherapy: Jubilee attempts this on Laura in Paris, taking her shopping at ''very'' high-end fashion boutiques in hopes of getting her to lighten up. It largely fails, as Laura is a bit bemused by the experience, and isn't particularly fond of the bright, fashionable dresses Jubes picks out for her.
195* RetCon: As noted above, the Liu series retconned Laura's sparing of Henry Sutter. Prior to this series, Laura was established to have never failed to complete an assignment. However in "Chaos Theory" Laura goes to confront a child whose parents she murdered, and was ''supposed'' to kill him as well. Rather than Henry Sutter, however, Liu instead introduces another individual entirely, as well as establishing that there were even more cases where she refused to carry out her orders.
196* RoaringRampageOfRescue: During "Girls' Night Out" Laura encounters one of Zebra Daddy's old friends, who took over a chunk of his empire following his death in ''NYX''. After inflicting a GroinAttack when they guy gets mouthy about Laura's past, she drags Jubilee along on a rescue mission to liberate the trafficked girls. We don't actually ''see'' much of the fight, aside from Laura taking a MenacingStroll among a few crumpled bodies, but it's highly unlikely the gang gave up their merchandise quietly...
197* RuthlessModernPirates: Laura and Gambit run afoul of a band while on their way to Madripoor, with Gambit getting dumped into a SharkPool for their trouble.
198* SendInTheClones: Laura gets entangled in a plot by Ms. Sinister during her solo series. Seeing as cloning is pretty much Sinister's hat, it goes without saying that clones play quite a big part in the plot:
199** Claudine herself is fighting a CloneByConversion process, as virus ravaging her body is slowly turning her into a clone of Sinister as part of a CrazyPrepared gambit to return from death. She wants Laura's body to escape this fate.
200** All of Claudine's "children" are clones created by Sinister in one of his labs. One, Alice, figures heavily into the plot. [[spoiler:One of whom becomes the new host for Sinister himself after Laura critically wounds Claudine.]]
201* SexSlave: Laura and Jubilee break up a sex trafficking ring during "Girls' Night Out," saving many girls and women from this fate. ItsPersonal for Laura because she was a former prostitute herself, and the gang they attack was made up of members of her pimp's organization.
202* SharkPool: Gambit gets tossed into one in Madripoor. Laura dives in to get him out, even though she has trouble swimming.
203* SheatheYourSword: How Laura defeats her EnemyWithout in the final issue of the Liu series; rather than giving in to her killer instincts when she begins to lose their fight, she sheathes her claws and reconciles with her darker side.
204* ShootTheDog: "The Killing Dream" reveals she was forced to do this ''literally'' by the Facility as part of her BreakTheCutie TrainingFromHell. When they decided Laura still had too much empathy for others, she was given a puppy with orders to kill it within a set amount of time and was then left alone to carry it out. She played with it instead, and when her handlers returned to find the puppy still alive threatened ''to torture it'' as punishment for Laura failing to follow orders, before relenting and offering her "another chance."
205* ShoutOut:
206** The Hooded Woman quotes Creator/HunterSThompson during the "Touching Darkness" arc of the Liu series to cryptically hint that the two are somehow connected.
207---> "As you were, I was. As I am, you will be."
208** One story arc is called "[[Film/AdventuresInBabysitting Misadventures In Babysitting]]."
209* StuffBlowingUp:
210** Hellverine blows up a homeless shelter as part of his gambit to seduce Laura into serving him during "The Killing Dream."
211** Claudine's lab gets blown up by Laura and Gambit after critically damaging some equipment.
212** Laura and Daken blow up Colcord's lab in Madripoor to put an end to his experiments.
213* SmallTownTyrant: Claudine Renko is in control of the local police around the town where her operation is set up, and uses them to bring Laura and Gambit to her.
214* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: The "Chaos Theory" arc of the Liu ongoing opens with Laura seeking out the son of one of her victims, a boy she was ordered to kill with the others but chose to spare...and who was ''not'' Henry Sutter.
215* ThreateningShark: You can't have a SharkPool without one.
216* TrouserSpace: During "Collision," Laura tucks some documents into the waistband of her pants. Despite the fact they're {{painted on| pants}}, there's not an unsightly bulge in sight.
217* TrojanPrisoner: In order to get close to the albino gangster Fade, whose powers allow him to become invisible to the naked eye and even technological tracking devices, Laura masquerades as Kingpin's "niece," Samantha. Fisk then [[FeedTheMole feeds information]] to Fade via a mole in his organization leading the gangster to kidnap her, bringing her right where she needs to be to pick up the trigger scent-laced letter her target was slipped as part of the plan.
218* VisionQuest: The final issue of Liu's series has elements of this, with Laura finding herself running with wolves, and fighting [[EnemyWithout her own inner darkness]].
219* WhamEpisode: ''X-23 #6'' features the return of Mr. Sinister, following his death at the end of ''Messiah Complex'' three years earlier.
220* WhatTheHellHero: The rest of the New X-Men (mainly Surge) gang up on Laura over her participation in X-Force in issue 1 of the Liu series. Hellion and Dust are the only ones who defend her.
221* WillTheyOrWontThey: Laura and Julian's tense frielationship comes to a head during "Misadventures in Babysitting." [[spoiler: They don't, though Laura admits to Gambit she does still care for Julian]].
222* WoundedGazelleGambit: Hellverine pulls one in the Liu series when Laura attacks him in the hospital knowing that he's ''not'' actually Logan. By chance, Hellion comes to visit her right after she skewers him, and Hellverine immediately plays it up to convince Julian that Laura isn't in her right mind.
223* WretchedHive: Madripoor, in all its gritty glory, is the main setting of ''Collision''. Under Tyger Tiger it actually wasn't that bad, as she largely had the gangs under her control, and put an end to the drug and human trafficking that made up the worst of the city's criminal elements in the past. Unfortunately by the time Laura and Gambit arrive, Daken has muscled in as Tyger's ManBehindTheMan, and Malcolm Colcord is kidnapping innocent people off the streets for his experiments.
224[[/folder]]
225
226[[folder:Volume Four]]
227
228[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x23cover.jpg]]
229
230Written by Creator/MarikoTamaki, a second volume of ''X-23'' replaced ''ComicBook/AllNewWolverine'' as part of Marvel's ''[[ComicBook/MarvelAFreshStart Fresh Start]]'' relaunch. It launched in July, 2018, and sees Laura [[StatusQuoIsGod return to her roots]] to prevent anyone else from suffering as she had.
231----
232* AirVentPassageway: The X-Assassin uses one to gain access to its target in issue 7
233* ArcWelding: Issue #8 ties ''All-New Wolverine'' into ''Innocence Lost'' by revealing [[spoiler:Director Chandler was part of the original X-23 project, and in fact was involved in the development of the Trigger Scent. This also provides an explanation for how Alchemax gained access to Laura's genetic material to create the Sisters]].
234* BirthdayEpisode: Issue 1 is set on Laura's birthday. Downplayed in that she doesn't tell anyone, even Gabby, because she thinks birthdays are meaningless. The two later get into an argument when Gabby announces ''she'' wants a birthday after [[spoiler:the Cuckoos reveal that they have chosen the same day as a birthday for themselves.]]
235* BreatherEpisode: Issue 6 is a comedic one-shot story set between two much more serious arcs.
236* CarCushion: Laura throws one of the mooks she and Gabby are base-jumping after into a car on the street in issue 1.
237* CarFu: One of the goons Laura and Gabby fight in the opening scene of issue one picks up and smashes Gabby with a cement truck.
238* ClothingDamage: Laura's suit takes a beating over the course of the X-Assassin arc. By the end of issue 10 it's thoroughly shredded, and the only thing keeping the tattered bits from just falling off her entirely is the ratings system.
239* ContinuityNod:
240** The Muramasa Shield for the "Orphans of X" arc of ''All-New Wolverine'' hangs on the wall of Laura's and Gabby's apartment in issues 1 and 5.
241** Laura has a carton of Twenty-Five With Chicken in her fridge.
242** [[spoiler:Robert Chandler resurfaces in issue 8, and it's revealed he replaced his knees with animatronic prosthetics after Laura slashed them out in ''All-New Wolverine'' #6.]]
243** Several frames from Laura's first encounter with Gabby in ''All-New Wolverine'' #2 are used in issue 12.
244* ContinuitySnarl: Several issues of this series have directly stated that Alchemax Genetics was responsible for Laura's creation, as well. While Chandler was retconned to have been part of the project, Alchemax itself has always been an independent entity from the Facility.
245* ConsultingAConvictedKiller: While Laura was never a ''convicted'' killer, the trope is nonetheless in play in issue 7. The [=NYPD=] brings her on as a consultant in a serial murder case because of her expertise. She quickly puts her skills into play to identify the next victim, and puts herself and Gabby in a position to catch the killer.
246* DrillSergeantNasty: Laura's cover as a gym coach in issue 6 would make [[Film/{{Porkys}} Ms. Balbricker]] proud.
247* EasterEgg: Par for the course with Cabal's artwork, who sprinkles jokes and references throughout the first arc.
248* {{Fanservice}}: Laura's new costume is much more revealing than her Wolverine suit, baring her midriff, and incorporating a low scoop top that only avoids ImpossiblyLowNeckline because of the translucent mesh sleeves.
249* FastballSpecial: Gabby and [[spoiler:the X-Assassin]] perform one in issue 10.
250* FunnyBackgroundEvent: Par for the course in Cabal's artwork:
251** Issue 1 has bystanders taking selfies in front of the smashed car after the above-mentioned CarCushion.
252** Issue 2: While the Cuckoos are hurrying to flee the school before their attack on Laura and Gabby, one of the background students is a cow. In an X-Men uniform. X-Cow continues to appear in the background (or sometimes foreground) of other panels at the school throughout the arc.
253* GrandTheftMe: The crux of the Cuckoos' plan in the first arc: [[spoiler:implant Esme's consciousness in Gabby's body. Esme wants to use Cerebro to do this on a ''global'' scale.]]
254* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:The X-Assassin shows Gabby how to shut down ''all'' of its duplicates, and sacrifices itself to take out Chandler.]]
255* ModifiedClone: Two story arcs center around attempts to duplicate Laura:
256** First, [[spoiler:Robert Chandler]] returns creating the X-Assassins, genetic clones modified with the deliberate destruction of their HealingFactor, and further made into {{Cyborg}}s. These clones were designed to be disposable, allowing them to be terminated upon completion of a mission to prevent them from developing the same free will and sense of humanity that ultimately led to Laura's own escape.
257** In the final arc, Laura and Gabby discover that further cloning experiments has lead to the creation of X-23 [[spoiler: ''turkeys'']].
258* MythologyGag:
259** Issue 1:
260*** Paintings hanging on the walls of the Xavier School reference several classic ''X-Men'' comics covers, including the famous cover to ''X-Men #101'', featuring the Jean Grey rising from the ocean as Phoenix.
261*** Doubling with ShoutOut, Sophie's favorite actor was "Tyler Kirch," in reference to actor Taylor Kitsch. Kitsch was the first actor to play ComicBook/{{Gambit}} in the ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'', appearing in ''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine''.
262*** Gabby has pictures hanging on her bedroom wall which reference covers to issues of ''All-New Wolverine''.
263** Issue 2: Laura finds the box for Dr. Mark's fitness tracking gear in her office. It's labeled "Fit Fat Foom."[[note]][[DontExplainTheJoke IE, Fin Fang Foom]][[/note]]
264** Issue 5: A 6-pack of beer in Laura's fridge is labeled that it belongs to Logan, and that he'll "[[ComicBook/HuntForWolverine Be Back Soon.]]"
265* NoodleIncident: Gabby mentions in issue 3 that she feels like she's inside a washing machine ''again''.
266* OffscreenBreakup: Although not explicitly stateded, Laura's interactions with Warren in the first arc strongly suggests that by the time the series starts their relationship is over.
267* OutsideRide: Issue 3 opens with Laura car surfing in an attempt to rescue Gabby from the Cuckoos.
268* RetCon: Although ''Innocence Lost'' implies it was Rice himself who developed the Trigger Scent, issue 8 of this series establishes that [[spoiler:Robert Chandler]] was its designer.
269* SequelSeries: To ''All-New Wolverine'', as it features the same supporting cast, and builds on its developments. Issue 1 begins with Laura hunting down people who've been performing genetic experimentation on mutants as a follow-up to the events of "Orphans of X," while issue 8 [[spoiler:reveals that Robert Chandler is behind the X-Assassin]].
270* ShoutOut:
271** Issue 1: Sophie Cuckoo's favorite actor was "Tyler Kirch."[[note]]As in Taylor Kitsch. See MythologyGag above.[[/note]]
272** Issue 2: Gabby suggests she and Laura should follow the Cuckoos' example by celebrating their birthday on the same day as Creator/EvanRachelWood.
273** Issue 4: The opening of ''Series/TheBradyBunch'' is referenced at the beginning of the issue.
274** Issue 6: The title of the issue, and Gabby's code-name for the mission, is Operation [[Film/KindergartenCop Kindergarten Clone]]. Laura chastises her over the name, while Gabby continues making references to the movie by referencing {{Creator/Arnold|Schwarzenegger}}'s famous delivery of "It's not a tumor!"
275* ShownTheirWork: When designing Laura's new suit for this volume, artist Mike Choi surveyed a number of women of Laura's age (late teens and early twenties) to determine what they would ''actually'' wear as superheroes. [[CivvieSpandex The end result is heavily inspired by Lululemon-style athletic wear.]]
276* StatusQuoIsGod: Laura has given up the Wolverine name and cowl, and is back to calling herself X-23. The Cuckoos have also given up their individual looks and are all back to being identical blondes. [[spoiler:And the full Five-in-One returns when it's reveal that Esme and Sophie have been resurrected via cloned bodies.]]
277* WeHaveReserves: Chandler's view of the X-Assassin project: They're designed to be [[CannonFodder disposable]] assassins that can be destroyed once their mission is completed. He sends a veritable ''[[ZergRush army]]'' of them against Laura, and though she destroys quite a few of them even she can't contend with their sheer numbers.
278* WhamShot:
279** Issue 1: [[spoiler:Esme and Sophie Cuckoo are ''alive''.]]
280** Issue 7: [[spoiler:The X-Assassin is unmasked, revealing it to be a {{cyborg}} clone of Laura.]]
281* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Clone identity makes up a substantial part of the book's metaplot, with Laura musing on her humanity, and past as a HumanWeapon. It goes even further with the X-Assassin, [[spoiler:who is a {{Cyborg}} clone presumably with any trace of Laura's humanity removed]].
282* WolverineWannabe: A given being she's Wolverine's OppositeSexClone, who eventually served as a LegacyCharacter to her father. She has more extreme versions of Wolverine's powers, possessing two blades from the wrists and one from each of her feet, while her HealingFactor operates even faster since it's not slowed by an adamantium skeleton.
283[[/folder]]

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