Laura's X-23 Mutant Powers in 'Logan,' Explained

Logan may be Hugh Jackman’s final snikt-fest as Wolverine, but the film introduces new mutants we’re likely to see again. Laura (Dafne Keen) is a young girl who bears remarkably similar traits to Wolverine, both in her gruff demeanor personality and in her developing mutant powers. Given her ferociousness, she may very well become the next Wolverine in Fox’s Marvel films, which is the role she takes i the comics.

Laura was created by Craig Kyle for the animated series X-Men: Evolution, and she’s the clone-daughter of Logan, “born” from a top secret program that aimed to replicate the Weapon X project. Laura, the 23rd “sample” in the program, was born out of DNA from Wolverine and a mutant geneticist on the project, Dr. Sarah Kinney, who grew to love Laura and urged her daughter to seek out Professor Xavier after she died. As a result of her “heritage,” Laura bears remarkably similar powers to her old papa.

Like Wolverine, Laura has an adamantium skeleton which gives her retractable claws in her knuckles. Unlike Wolverine, Laura has two blades instead of three, but she also has one blade that sticks out of each of her feet. In Logan, these “foot claws” come from female animals that grow extra long nails on their feet.

Also just like Wolverine is Laura’s regenerative healing. Her skin heals quickly after her claws retract, and she walks away fine from bullets and other severe injuries. In the comics, Laura demonstrated an ability to reattach entire limbs; in X-23: Target X, Laura attached her severed hand after she cut it off to escape her archnemesis, Kimura.

And, of course, being a human weapon means she’s also able to move faster and be stronger than the average human. She’s extremely limber with unbelievable coordination, balance, agility, and endurance. Truly, she is the embodiment of like father, like daughter.

In 2015, Laura succeeded her late father as the new Wolverine, starring in the ongoing comic series All-New Wolverine from Tom Taylor and David López. Beginning eight months after the cataclysmic Secret Wars summer crossover, All-New Wolverine begins with Laura chasing an assassin on the streets of Paris. And yes, unlike her dad, she’s got the yellow costume. Maybe one day soon Dafne Keen will too in a future X-Men movie.

Logan will be released March 3.