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The latest episode of X-Men '97finally seemed to turn the spotlight on Wolverine (Cal Dodd)...or so it seemed. While "Weapon X, Lies, and DVD's" saw the clawed Canadian finally regaining his Adamantium skeleton and fighting off the alien Brood, much of the focus was on Morph (J.P. Karliak) and their friendship with Wolverine. As a result, arguments have cropped up online over whether X-Men '97 is purposefully sidelining Wolverine, which is rather ironic given that most fans wished for years that other members of the X-Men would get a focus in movies and TV. "Weapon X, Lies, and DVD's" also features a nod to a fan-favorite character that could potentially take up Wolverine's mantle.
During the battle against the Brood, Morph joins Sabretooth (Darin de Paul) and Lady Deathstrike (Erika Ishii) on a quest to see if they can find any records of Weapon X's experimentation on the alien creatures. Morph eventually finds DVD's labeled with different Weapon X test subjects, including one for Bucky Barnes as the Winter Soldier. What a lot of fans missed is that one of the DVD's is labeled "X-23," hinting that a version of Laura Kinney exists in the world of X-Men '97. Considering Laura's history, it's no surprise that X-Men '97 would eventually make a nod to her history.
X-23's Origins Lie in Another X-Men Animated Series
Laura Kinney is more than likely familiar to anyone who's seen Logan, as it depicts her as the cloned daughter of Wolverine. Her real origins, though, lie in another animated series based on the X-Men. X-Men: Evolutionfirst introduces Laura in the Season 3 episode "X-23," where she tries to kill Wolverine. However, after Logan convinces her she can make a future for herself, Laura departs, briefly reuniting with Logan in Season 4's "Target X" to battle Hydra. Producer Craig Kyle, who co-scripted Laura's debut alongside Christopher Yost, said that the duo intentionally wanted her to be the opposite of Wolverine in every way:
"Every time he went right, I made a left. Instead of a guy who is older than we know, I made a girl who is very young. Instead of a man who has no memory of his past, you have someone who is shackled to the murders she’s committed. Unlike a guy who had a life before it and lost it, I made her a girl who's never known anything but it."
While Marvel's then-editor-in-chief Joe Quesada would bring Laura into Marvel Comics canon with the NYX series in 2003, Kyle and Yost would fully establish her origin in the X-23: Innocence Lostminiseries. Innocence Lost shows that Laura was a clone of Wolverine but was born via surrogate by Dr. Sarah Kinney. She also suffered immense torture at the hands of scientist Xander Rice, who sought revenge on her for Wolverine killing his father at the original Weapon X site; Laura eventually escapes, joining with the X-Men in the process. Years later, when Wolverine temporarily dies, Laura takes up his mantle and costume. X-Men '97 is all but hinting it might go down this road.
The X-23 Hint Shows That 'X-Men '97' Will Continue To Adapt Modern X-Men Comics
X-23 becoming Wolverine would be yet another stellar example of how X-Men '97 is taking inspiration from X-Men comics of every era. An upcoming episode will feature the X-Men sporting new uniforms inspired by Grant Morrison's New X-Menrun, while also battling the android Danger, who made her debut in Joss Whedon and John Cassaday's Astonishing X-Men. Season 1 also laid the groundwork for Apocalypse (Ross Marquand) to transform Gambit (AJ LoCascio) into his Horseman of Death, mirroring the same plot as Peter Milligan and Salvador Larroca's X-Men: Blood of Apocalypse storyline. Fans might be disappointed that Wolverine hasn't been a major force in X-Men '97, but it's possible that future seasons could see him passing on his mantle to Laura.
