Eventually, all good things must come to an end. That includes Marvel Comics’ greatest heroes. Steve Rogers has been replaced more than a few times. Tony Stark has died and given the mantle to Iron Man at least twice in the past 30 years. But then there’s Wolverine, who may seem immortal and unkillable, but that has been proven wrong over and over again. After losing his healing factor, he died in 2014 during the Death of Wolverine. Sure, he returned four years later, but the previous storyline proved that Logan can be killed. If that wasn’t enough, there are the various times he was slaughtered and resurrected during the Krakoan Era.
Since it may be inevitable that Marvel Comics could move on from Logan as Wolverine, preparations should be made for a suitable replacement. Luckily, there are a lot of options. For example, Kitty Pryde has been closer to Logan than many and has a lot of his skills. Ransom of the New Mutants (formerly the Outliers) has a lot of promise, but he’s still a new character. Other characters come to mind, but there’s only one pick that makes sense.
Laura Kinney Is The Only Proper Successor For Wolverine
During Hunt for Wolverine: The Adamantium Agenda, it’s revealed that Laura isn’t a clone of Wolverine. Genetically, she’s just as much Logan as she is her mother, Sarah, who birthed her. This was a breakthrough for Laura, who, at the time, had just taken up the mantle of Wolverine after Logan died. Once Logan returned, nothing changed. She continued to use the name, and it made her father proud.
During the Krakoan era, Laura donned the classic yellow and blue costume, while Logan went back to the fan-favorite brown and yellow. This was enough to distinguish the two characters by more than their size and gender. However, it takes more than a costume and a name to make Laura Wolverine. Fortunately, it appears that Marvel Comics is aware of this and has put in the work to make Laura Kinney the replacement fans may one day need.
Laura Shows The True Nature Of Logan
When people think of Wolverine, the first thing that comes to mind is the claws and rage, which normally leads to blood and murder. If that were the case, Wolverine wouldn’t be as popular as he is. He’d be a one-trick pony. Instead, over the years, he became a mentor, big brother, and father-figure to many young mutants. He even opened a school after his fight with Cyclops, the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.
When Laura met her clone, Gabby, it opened a new opportunity for her. Laura became a big sister and mentor. It was very much like Logan with Kitty Pryde and Jubilee. After the Krakoan Era, writer Erica Schultz took Laura on adventures that helped young mutants in Laura Kinney: Wolverine. Now, in Generation X-23, writer Jody Houser is taking things a step further. Laura has become a mother figure to kids and teens who were genetically altered.
Laura being a mentor has allowed her to grow as a person and make tougher decisions. The things she decides don’t just affect her anymore, since the children she’s helping can’t heal like her. Plus, she’s making adult choices to help them become something more than superpowered heroes. They can be responsible people, and later, stable adults.
Of course, Laura has all the tracking and fighting skills of her father. In some ways, she’s better than him at both. Maybe it’s because Marvel understands that she’s the future the X-Men need once Logan is dead or focuses his attention elsewhere.
- Created By
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Roy Thomas, Len Wein, John Romita Sr.
- First Appearance
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The Incredible Hulk (2023)
- Alias
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James “Logan” Howlett
- Alliance
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X-Men, Avengers, Canadian Army, OSS/CIA, Avengers Unity Squad, Alpha Flight, New Avengers, New Fantastic Four, Savage Avengers, Weapon X, X-Force
- Race
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Human-Mutant
