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
X-23 wearing black clothes with her metal claws extended in X-Men: EvolutionImage via Warner Bros. TV
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.
Collider Exclusive · Marvel Personality Quiz Which MCU Hero Are You? Spider-Man · Daredevil · Iron Man · Punisher · Thor · Cap
Six heroes. One destiny. Answer 10 questions to discover which Marvel Cinematic Universe hero shares your personality, values, and fighting spirit. Will you swing, fly, or thunder your way to glory?
🕷️Spider-Man
😈Daredevil
🤖Iron Man
💀Punisher
⚡Thor
🛡️Cap
01
What drives you to do what’s right? Choose the answer that feels most like you.
02
It’s 2 AM. Where are you? Your answer says more about you than you’d think.
03
How do you handle a villain who keeps escaping justice? Every hero has a method. What’s yours?
04
How do you feel about keeping a secret identity? The mask — or the lack of one — says everything.
05
You’ve lost someone important because of your heroism. How do you carry that? Every hero pays a price. The question is how they pay it.
06
What’s your role when working with a team? Who you are under pressure is who you actually are.
07
Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge? The answer defines what kind of hero you really are.
08
When you’re not saving the world, what does life look like? The person behind the mask is always the more interesting story.
09
What keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.
10
The battle is lost. You’re outnumbered, outgunned, and exhausted. What do you do? This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.
Your Hero Has Been Identified Your MCU Hero Is…
Based on your answers, the Marvel hero who matches your spirit, values, and instincts has been revealed.
Queens, New York
🕷️ Spider-Man
You carry the weight of the world on shoulders that are younger than they should have to be — funny, loyal, and endlessly self-sacrificing.
You do the right thing not because it’s easy, but because no one else will.
You understand that responsibility isn’t a burden you choose — it’s one that finds you.
Whether it’s a neighbourhood mugging or a multiverse crisis, you show up.
Peter Parker’s lesson — that great power demands great responsibility — isn’t a slogan to you. It’s the code you live by, even when it costs you everything.
Hell’s Kitchen, New York
😈 Daredevil
You fight in the shadows between law and chaos, guided by a fierce moral compass that refuses to let the guilty walk free.
You use every tool available — your mind, your body, your faith — to protect those the system overlooks.
You’ve looked into the darkness and chosen not to become it, though the line has never been easy.
Matt Murdock’s duality — champion in the courtroom, devil in the alley — mirrors your own.
Relentless, conflicted, and unwilling to stop. That is exactly you.
Stark Industries, Malibu
🤖 Iron Man
Brilliant, driven, and occasionally insufferable — but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem.
You lead with your mind and back it up with resources, innovation, and a stubbornness that borders on heroic.
You started out looking out for yourself, but somewhere along the way the world became your responsibility.
Tony Stark’s arc — from ego to sacrifice — is your arc too.
You build, you plan, and when the moment comes, you’re willing to give everything. Because in the end, you’re Iron Man.
New York City
💀 The Punisher
You’ve been through fire that would break most people — and it did change you, completely. What’s left is unyielding, relentless, and operating by a code forged in grief.
You don’t ask for forgiveness, and you don’t expect gratitude.
You see a corrupt, broken world and you’ve decided to do something about it, consequences be damned.
Frank Castle’s war is born from love twisted by loss — and so is yours.
Uncompromising and unflinching — the world may not agree with your methods, but your conviction is absolute.
Asgard · Protector of the Nine Realms
⚡ Thor
Powerful, proud, and on a lifelong journey to become worthy of the legend you carry.
You lead with strength but have learned — sometimes painfully — that true greatness comes from humility and growth.
You’re larger than life, yet more vulnerable than you let on.
Thor’s story is one of transformation: from arrogant prince to worthy king, from isolated warrior to beloved protector.
You bring the storm when it’s needed — and the warmth when it matters just as much.
Brooklyn, New York · The Avengers
🛡️ Captain America
You believe in something bigger than yourself — and you fight for it even when the world has moved on and nobody else will.
You don’t bully the small guy, and you never stop when it gets hard.
Steve Rogers didn’t become a hero when he got the serum — he was always one. So were you.
Your strength isn’t in your fists; it’s in your refusal to compromise what’s right, no matter the cost.
In a world full of people taking the easy road, you’re the one who picks up the shield and stands up — every single time.
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.
