Alias

X-23
Nick Name
|
Civilian ID
Laura Kinney
Occupation

Adventurer

Assassin

Homeless Juvenile

Prostitute

Waitress
Legal Status
Undeclared citizen of the United States with no criminal record.
Nation or Planet of Origin
United States
Group Affiliation

Weapon X Program

X-Force

X-Men
Base of Operations
New York, New York
Height
5' 6"
Weight
110 lbs.
Eye Color
Brown
Hair Color
Black
Skin Tone
Caucasian
Known Powers
Genetically altered clone of Wolverine resulting in a female genetic twin with enhanced senses, an advanced healing ability capable of mending physical wounds and granting immunity to all known diseases; and razor-sharp retractable claws housed in the forearms and feet that can be extended at will through the knuckles and toes.

Excellent hand-to-hand combatant with training in the martial arts.

Note #1: Due to a secret program by an unknown organization, X-23's skeleton is fortified by a super-strong alloy known as Adamantium, rendering her bones virtually indestructible.

Note #2: X-23 is mentally conditioned to attack any individual who is marked with a scent trigger.
Accessories
Adamantium: Virtually indestructible man-made alloy which is grafted to X-23's skeleton.
Common Enemies
|
Regularly Appearing

NYX

Uncanny X-Men

X-23
First Appearance
NYX #3 (Feb. 2004)

Note: X-23 first appeared in the animated television series X-Men: Evolution.
Creator
Joe Quesada & Joshua Middleton
Origin
After the Weapon X Program's failure with Wolverine it would be a generation before they attempted genetic manipulation with mutants again.  Using the genetic material salvaged from Wolverine during the program's first attempt they ventured to create a clone of the mutant - but his DNA proved too complex.

A unique solution was devised - remove the Y chromosome and create a female twin using two X chromosomes.  The experiment was successful and the geneticist who discovered the solution carried the pregnancy of the resultant girl to term - dubbed X-23.

The girl was trained as a weapon and her trainers were discouraged from treating her as human.  Her genetic potential was accelerated to ensure her mutation would develop before puberty allowing for the grafting of Adamantium to her claws and skeleton.

Assigned missions of assassination her skills were sold to the highest bidder, with the promise of creating subsequent assassins to be bid at auction.

The director of the X-Weapon Program eventually used his young assassin to attack those that stood in the way of his personal aspirations.  When discovered by the mother of X-23, she resolved to destroy the program and rescue her daughter.  Once X-23 had accomplished her mission they were to go into hiding, but the chemical trigger programmed into the young assassin compelled her to kill her mother, leaving her alone and homeless until she joined the X-Men.