“That Woman Is Gone”: Marvel Confirms Wolverine’s Daughter Is Gone Forever

Warning: Contains spoilers for X-Men (2021) #34!

As the mutant Synch eulogizes Wolverine’s daughter in X-Men #34, Marvel seemingly confirms that the original Laura Kinney is gone for good. Time-displaced during the Krakoa era, Laura spent centuries as Wolverine in the Vault and eventually took on the new codename of Talon. Though there is another clone of her that still lives in the universe, the original Laura that debuted in 2003 won’t return after her recent death.

Synch and Laura’s grand love story has been one of the most heartbreaking storylines in the X-Men’s current era, ending tragically with her death during the Fall of X. In X-Men (2021) #34 by Gerry Duggan, Joshua Cassara and Marte Gracia, Synch accepts that his great love is gone and remembers her heroic sacrifices.

Resurrection was somewhat taken for granted during the mutants’ Krakoa period until recently, and Laura was haphazardly cloned while she still lived. Because of these complications, the permanent loss of the original Laura Kinney has more emotional impact than many other X-Men deaths of late.

The Life and Death of the Original Laura – From X-23 to Talon

As X-Men confirms that the original Laura is officially gone, that version of the character’s decades-long run in Marvel Comics officially comes to a close. Since making her debut as X-23 in TV’s X-Men Evolution and transitioning to comics in NYX (2003) #3 by Joe Quesada, Joshua Middleton, and Jean-François Beaulieu, Laura Kinney’s history has firmly placed her as Wolverine’s most famous offspring. Laura took on her father’s mantle in 2015, and her time as Wolverine rivals Logan’s tenure due to her centuries spent in the Vault. However, when she came back, she felt she needed her own new superhero identity.

Laura adopted the new codename of Talon in X-Men #19 by Gerry Duggan, Stefano Caselli, and Federico Blee. In her new identity, Talon tells her resurrected self that she can continue to use the Wolverine name because she’s had it long enough. She unfortunately doesn’t get to use her new name for very long, as Talon is killed in X-Men #31 by Duggan and Phil Noto, despite her lover’s best efforts to keep her spirit alive. As Synch finally recognizes that the woman he loves is gone, the original Laura’s time in the Marvel Universe has officially ended.

Laura Kinney’s Wolverine Lives On in the X-Men’s Rebooted NYX

Although the original version of Laura is gone, her resurrected clone self will continue to live on in the Marvel Universe and lead a major X-book during the line-wide From the Ashes relaunch. This version of Laura still goes by Wolverine and has all the memories of the character from before she entered the Vault in the pre-Krakoa era. Laura’s Wolverine will lead a group of young mutants with Ms. Marvel in the rebooted version of NYX, debuting in July 2024. While the loss of Talon is devastating in X-Men comics, Laura Kinney will still be a major leading force to Marvel’s mutants.

Although Laura Kinney will continue to live on in Marvel Comics, the death of the original Laura has brought emotional stakes that are often missing from the universe. While characters are resurrected left and right, the permanent end of Talon and her great love story with Synch resonates deeply and hits harder than many of the X-Men’s recent deaths. The loss of Wolverine’s daughter Laura Kinney is a defining part of the Krakoa era and gives a heroic yet bittersweet end to one of Marvel’s top mutants.