X-23 is the 23rd attempt to clone Wolverine of the X-Men. Wolverine is hundreds of years old and has the ability to heal any wound he sustains – his bones are coated in Adamantium, a rare metal stronger than any others. Due to damage sustained by the Y-chromosome of Wolverine’s DNA, Dr. Sarah Kinney, X-23’s mother, was unable to create a male clone until the 23rd try, using a duplicate X-Chromosome. This attempt was finally successful. Dr. Sarah Kinney is forced to be the surrogate mother of X-23 because of her previous failures. After seven long years in the cloning facility, X-23 is subjected to radiation poisoning in order to awaken her mutant powers. Dr. Sarah Kinney is eventually kicked out of the facility, and her family is put into danger. She secretly tells X-23 that she is her mother and that her real name is Laura Kinney. She eventually asks X23 to assassinate Dr. Rice and Dr. Sutter, as well as to destroy the other 26 clone incubation pods they have created.
X-23 is trained to be an assassin byher creators, Dr. Martin Sutter and Dr. Zandar Rice, the men who put together the cloning facility and hired Dr. Sarah Kinney. Dr. Rice creates a trigger scent that puts X-23 into a frenzy, and he utilizes this scent when sending X-23 out to kill and assassinate. She has Adamantium claws in her feet and hands, as well as the same healing factor as Wolverine. She has super strength, speed, agility, and reflexes. She is also skilled with explosives, sniper rifles, and long range weapons. X-23 is fluent in many languages and is also a skilled martial artist.
X-23 appears in a large number of comic book series, but her first appearance was in the tv show X-Men Evolution. Her origins are discussed in the comic series X-23: Innocence Lost. Her comic book debut was in the series called NYX in which she is a prostitute in New York City being pimped out by a man called Zebra Daddy. X-23 eventually kills Zebra Daddy while fleeing New York City.
X23 is also affiliated with the new X-men, X-force, Weapon X, Avengers Academy, and other teams. At one point in her history she even faces off against The Hulk which is its on intriguing story in itself.