Warning: Contains SPOILERS for NYX #6
From its tragic conception, the second WolverineLaura Kinney, lived a difficult life and suffered a tragic death – and I cannot emphasize how heartbroken the latest twist in her saga left me. After the death of the original Laura, she was replaced by a duplicate, created through the mutant Resurrection Protocols. Now, Laura's oldest friend is back after decades, with no idea that her best friend is a doppelganger.
NYX #6 – written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, with art by Michael Shelfer – follows Ms. Marvel, Wolverine and their group of young mutant activists as the gang heads to a Dazzler concert. During the show, chaos ensues, leading to a confrontation with Mojo.
Wolverine is seriously injured during the fight, and things look bleak for her when her oldest friend, Kiden Nixon, suddenly appears to save her. I am thrilled to witness the reunion of the two, but I'm also a little uneasy, because Kiden is completely unaware of Laura's cloning.
Story of Laura and Kiden; How They Saved Each Other From Their Lowest Points
NYX #6 – Written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly; Art by Michael Shelfer and Elisabetta D'Amico; Color by Raul Angulo; Cover art by Sara Pichelli and Federico Blee
Following her time as X-23, the Installation's living weapon, the original Laura was finally freed after being apprehended by Captain America. Discovering that Laura could not control when she killed, Rogers was convinced to leave the girl behind, with no friends or family to turn to. After being forced into prostitution, Laura met Kiden, who took her to the first iteration of NYX. With Kiden, Laura built a community of friends before having the confidence to follow her own path. When we think about Laura's support network, before there was Logan, there was Kiden.
Although Kiden doesn't appear often in the comics, every interaction between her and Laura is warm and familiar. When they were both at their lowest level, they were there to save each other. Decades later, Kiden was not seen during the Krakoa Saga, while Wolverine became an established hero. One of Laura's last tasks was to investigate the Vault, a time-shifting chamber that moves hundreds of times faster than the outside world. Laura, Darwin and Synch were trapped there for centuries. Believing that Laura had died, a new Laura was resurrected with no memories of her predecessor's time in the Vault.
Laura Kinney has always struggled to define her identity
It was later discovered that the original Laura, now called Talon, was alive and had endured another century in the Vault. Talon was horrified to learn that she had been “replaced,” but continued his heroism until his death at the hands of the High Evolutionary. Meanwhile, the younger clone's clone continued to live his life normally, as did all the mutants who were brought back through the Resurrection Protocols. However, those who were not on Krakoa at that time have no idea that this Laura is not the original.
Unfortunately, this isn't a new experience for X-Man. Much of Laura's character growth has been defined by her journey to discover her humanity. Before the Resurrection Protocols, Laura was already a partial “clone” of Wolverine. She struggled for years to overcome being used as a weapon. She once begged to endure the Gaze of Penance to see if she possessed a soul. After the Vault incident, both Lauras had to struggle again with their confused sense of identity.
Wolverine's confusing resurrection throws uncertainty into all his relationships
Marvel NYX Series has the opportunity to clarify
I think Talon's death is tragic not because it happened, but because it's a reminder of how little life she had to live. It's a reminder that while she endured centuries of being trapped in enemy territory, another version of her picked up where she left off. And now, every time the living Laura has these connections with people from her past, the pain of her predecessor's death hurts even more. The version of Laura that Kiden saved first and who saved Kiden back is gone. She will never see her friend again. She will never know that Kiden survived.
Now the question is, “Will Laura tell Kiden?” Upon reuniting the two friends again, NYX authors Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly forced readers to consider the complications of Krakoa's resurrectionsespecially now that the technology no longer exists; a debate without a good answer. Regardless, every moment Kiden and Laura are together will feel like a tragedy all over again. Their bond cannot be underestimated, but now readers will have to wait and see if Kiden can accept it. wolverine true destiny.
NYX #6 is now available from Marvel Comics.