X-23 Appreciation 2021

[Triniking1234]

One of the mobile games?

[Havok83]

What's that from?

Marvel Future Fight

[Grunty]

Looking at the recent Wolverine issue, with the return of Solem and looking at how people are still hyped for him (personaly i don't see the major appeal), i can't help but notice a discrepancy between Wolverine and X-23, especialy in the context of them trying to sell the readers Laura as "also Wolverine".

The supporting characters and more importantly, the villains.

18 years since her introduction in X-men Evolution, 17 since she first appeared in the X-men comics, multiple solo series (ongoing and mini), a whole movie in which she was basicly the second main character and yet it feels like Laura has no real successfull villian, nemesis or any lasting rogue gallery on her own.

I'm aware that there is Kimura, but i would argue her actual value as villian has been pretty low. She mostly seems to have been a walking trauma button for Laura and never developed in role, scope or activities beyond being her childhood tormentor and hired to fight her. The only appearance i can recall which didn't involve Laura was in a Punisher story where Frank managed to bypass her indestructable skin by throwing her around.
On her own she seriously lacks in villianous "charisma" and her powers are basicly just a wannabe Frenzy (giving her the same role in combat as Cyber an enemy that Wolverine can't simply cut appart with his claws).

It's one reason i can't help but disagree on the notion that she is Laura's Nemesis, because it feels to me like it harms Laura's credibility as a solo character, in a "that's the best she has???" way. Laura deserves better.

Infact it feels like the only character comming out of her solo works, who actualy managed to find any real success with other writers to be used again, is her younger opposite personality clone Gabby. Who i find fine as a character (albeit not that interesting), but that doesn't change the fact that a new "sidekick" of sorts has been more success in gaining lasting usage than any opponent Laura has faced over multiple roles in team books and solo series.

I know this might not be the best thing to post in her appreciation thread, since i guess it can sound like complaining about Laura or trying to make her look like something less, but i just felt like this is an issue with the character, especialy as Wolverine, that needs to be adressed.

I think for the near future and what ever solo stories or books she gets next, she needs proper personal villains who can be re-used, new characters or underused old ones elevated to a new role (Sabertooth was a minor Daredevil villian before he fought Wolverine during the Mutant Massacre after all), anything that gives her something to stand on beyond Kimura (who is dead and never caught on) and Gabby.

Oh and obviously, i mean characters who aren't just copies of Wolverine's rogue gallery.

[Malachi]

I think for the near future and what ever solo stories or books she gets next, she needs proper personal villains who can be re-used, new characters or underused old ones elevated to a new role (Sabertooth was a minor Daredevil villian before he fought Wolverine during the Mutant Massacre after all), anything that gives her something to stand on beyond Kimura (who is dead and never caught on) and Gabby.

Oh and obviously, i mean characters who aren't just copies of Wolverine's rogue gallery.

Regarding Daredevil; old writer Ann Nocenti said that when creating a villain for a character you focus on a aspect of the hero and build from there. A dark mirror. In opposition. And so on. With Daredevil there where several aspects to focus on like his sense of justice or guilt.

So with Laura look for what differences her from Logan and build from there. Perhaps a villain who relishes giving in to any dark desire. Not in a sabretooth way but more in a Batman villain way. And of course something more thought out then what I just wrote in 5 seconds =)

[Ambaryerno]

Looking at the recent Wolverine issue, with the return of Solem and looking at how people are still hyped for him (personaly i don't see the major appeal), i can't help but notice a discrepancy between Wolverine and X-23, especialy in the context of them trying to sell the readers Laura as "also Wolverine".

The supporting characters and more importantly, the villains.

18 years since her introduction in X-men Evolution, 17 since she first appeared in the X-men comics, multiple solo series (ongoing and mini), a whole movie in which she was basicly the second main character and yet it feels like Laura has no real successfull villian, nemesis or any lasting rogue gallery on her own.

I'm aware that there is Kimura, but i would argue her actual value as villian has been pretty low. She mostly seems to have been a walking trauma button for Laura and never developed in role, scope or activities beyond being her childhood tormentor and hired to fight her. The only appearance i can recall which didn't involve Laura was in a Punisher story where Frank managed to bypass her indestructable skin by throwing her around.
On her own she seriously lacks in villianous "charisma" and her powers are basicly just a wannabe Frenzy (giving her the same role in combat as Cyber an enemy that Wolverine can't simply cut appart with his claws).

It's one reason i can't help but disagree on the notion that she is Laura's Nemesis, because it feels to me like it harms Laura's credibility as a solo character, in a "that's the best she has???" way. Laura deserves better.

Infact it feels like the only character comming out of her solo works, who actualy managed to find any real success with other writers to be used again, is her younger opposite personality clone Gabby. Who i find fine as a character (albeit not that interesting), but that doesn't change the fact that a new "sidekick" of sorts has been more success in gaining lasting usage than any opponent Laura has faced over multiple roles in team books and solo series.

I know this might not be the best thing to post in her appreciation thread, since i guess it can sound like complaining about Laura or trying to make her look like something less, but i just felt like this is an issue with the character, especialy as Wolverine, that needs to be adressed.

I think for the near future and what ever solo stories or books she gets next, she needs proper personal villains who can be re-used, new characters or underused old ones elevated to a new role (Sabertooth was a minor Daredevil villian before he fought Wolverine during the Mutant Massacre after all), anything that gives her something to stand on beyond Kimura (who is dead and never caught on) and Gabby.

Oh and obviously, i mean characters who aren't just copies of Wolverine's rogue gallery.

The biggest problem with Kimura was one of missed opportunities to explore their similar backstories. It's alluded to when Emma confronts her in NXM, but nothing ever really addressed it:

Here you have two women. Both were subject to quite severe physical and emotional abuse from a very young age. Both had one parental figure (Sarah, and Kimura's grandmother) who tried to help them heal from the trauma, and maybe even could have if they hadn't died so early. The difference is that while Kimura internalized her pain and used it as an excuse to lash out and torment others, Laura ultimately managed to overcome her trauma.

There's SO MUCH that could have been done with that. IE, maybe they could establish the reason Kimura is so obsessed with tormenting Laura is precisely because she sees how Laura was able to heal while she could not. She's envious, and that feeds into her rage and self-loathing, so she tortures Laura in an attempt to break her.

Think of it sort of like how one reason Creed hates Logan is because while Creed embraces his animal nature, Logan fights against it. As a result, Creed sees it as Logan thinking he's better than him, and one reason he torments him is that he wants to bring Logan down to his level.

I would LOVE to see a story where Laura and Kimura are forced by circumstances to work together, and are made to explore these similarities.

[Dthirds3]

Xmen 3 variant
20210804_113852.jpg

[Dthirds3]

In more laura news
https://twitter.com/RobotJQ/status/1...417307143?s=19

We got laura appearing in somting else eventually

[Ambaryerno]

In more laura news
https://twitter.com/RobotJQ/status/1...417307143?s=19

We got laura appearing in somting else eventually

Sounds like Hellion may be in this too.

Must...not...get...too...excited...

[davetvs]

The Laura and Synch almost moment in X-Men 2 was so cute! I hope she asks him what happened in the Vault.

[Ambaryerno]

Tweetz.jpg

Now I feel like I'm just being teased.

[mesjarch]

Xmen 3 variant
20210804_113852.jpg

This cover is so good. Need to check if my comic store has it available.

[WebLurker]

Sounds like Hellion may be in this too.

Must...not...get...too...excited...

Never really liked them together. Course, I never really liked any of her boyfriends period and Marvel apparently disagrees with me on whom she "should've" gone out with, so there is that. Still, i don't think X-23 and Hellion ever worked, even before their infamous fallout in Liu's series. To each their own, though.

[Rakurai]

This cover is so good. Need to check if my comic store has it available.

I think it will be exclusively to buy in his online shop, it says so on his instagram, presale starts on 07.08.

[Rakurai]

Never really liked them together. Course, I never really liked any of her boyfriends period and Marvel apparently disagrees with me on whom she "should've" gone out with, so there is that. Still, i don't think X-23 and Hellion ever worked, even before their infamous fallout in Liu's series. To each their own, though.

Same here, never really got their relationship, also didn't enjoy her being with Angel (and whatever happened in All-New X-Men v2). Although it would be nice to see them interact after such a long time.
Who do you think she should have gone out with?

[Malachi]

One big thing that bothers me with this plot with Laura and Synch is that Synch remembers his time in the vault. That is the basis of why he still carries a torch for her. Why he wants to share his memories and so on. Without him and his memories there would be no mentioning of what happened in there between them. Simply because no one would know. It would be as it never existed. Witch one could argue it never did as the vault functioned as a semi-parallel dimension coupled with the resurection protocol set up in Krakoa.

So I went back and checked X-men 19(next time I move that issue goes in the trash). I couldn't find any expclit mentioning about how his emotional connections to his memories where muted or erased. Something that was mentioned in the discussions back when the issue was published.

Having all those memories, of lets be honest not a pleaseant half millenium, without some extreme emotionell lobotomy directed towards them and possible more areas would not be healthy. Insanely dangerous long term and also like setting off a ticking bomb when it comes to short term.

It is impossible to handle for a human or mutant mind. So much pain, so much fear, so much suffering and death. It's like living in a war zone. Severe PSTD are not even his breakfast. We are talking future super villian in the MU here.

So some strings must be cut. But for some reason Marvel wants him to keep those becasue this plot with Luara hinges on them. He just can't cut out the bad feelings and memories and keep the good ones. It's suspension of belief and there is just plot stupidity. Even remembering 500 years of friendship, love and companionship would drive him insane. A one way ticket with an express train.

As it is now I'm already waiting for the moment Laura will have to claw him for hiw own sake. Thereby erasing all his memories and feelings. Possibly leaving her with whatever feelings she will have developed by this future comic issue.