Laura Kinney, designated X-23, is a mutant clone of Wolverine (James "Logan" Howlett) created by the Facility, a secretive organization seeking to replicate Weapon X's success. She was first introduced in the animated series X-Men: Evolution in 2003, appearing in the episodes "X-23" and "Target X," where she was conceived as a young, female assassin trained from birth. Her comic book debut occurred in NYX #3 (2004), written by Joe Quesada with art by Joshua Middleton, portraying her as a silent, street-dwelling mutant involved in prostitution. Her full origin was subsequently detailed in the miniseries X-23: Innocence Lost (2005–2006) by Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost, revealing that geneticist Sarah Kinney, using her own genetic material combined with Wolverine's DNA, carried and birthed Laura, making her both a clone and Sarah's biological daughter.
Raised in captivity, Laura endured severe conditioning, radiation poisoning to activate her healing factor, and surgical adamantium coating on her claws—two per hand and one per foot—distinguishing her from Wolverine's three per hand. Trained as a merciless killer with a trigger scent inducing berserker rage, she completed numerous assassinations before Sarah Kinney facilitated her escape by sacrificing herself. Following her liberation, Laura tracked Wolverine, confronting him as her genetic progenitor, and briefly lived on the streets under the control of a pimp before intervening in mutant affairs. Her backstory continued in X-23: Target X (2006–2007), which explored her pursuit by the Facility and her initial encounters with Wolverine and Captain America.
Over time, Laura integrated into the X-Men, joining teams such as New X-Men, X-Force under Cyclops' leadership, and later Avengers Academy. Significant developments included her struggles with identity, humanity, and trauma, culminating in her adoption of the Wolverine mantle after Logan's death in 2014, as depicted in All-New Wolverine (2015–2018) by Tom Taylor. In this era, she bonded with a younger clone, Gabby (Honey Badger), forming a familial unit. She reverted to the X-23 codename in a 2018 series by Mariko Tamaki but has since reclaimed the Wolverine identity in ongoing titles, including Laura Kinney: Wolverine (2024–present), reflecting her evolution from weapon to hero while grappling with legacy and personal agency.