Wolverine’s daughter, X-23 aka Laura Kinney, is a relatively recent addition to Marvel’s ever-changing and always-evolving X-Men lineup, and now after a Resurrection Protocol mix-up, two versions of Laura are running around the shores of Krakoa, with the older version of the character getting a permanent new codename.
Originally going by the name X-23 during a time when she believed herself to be the clone of Wolverine, not his true daughter, X-23 was eventually given the proper name of Laura by her dying birth mother and then the name of Wolverine after graduating to a full-time X-member — a role she continues to thrive in to this day. But now, needing to differentiate between a younger, more recently resurrected Laura after a temporal excursion gone wrong, “Old Woman Laura” has adopted a somewhat familiar codename that will be sticking with her for some time to come: Talon.
Wolverine's New 'Talon' Codename Isn't Going Anywhere
A new name given to Laura in X-Men #19 by Gerry Duggan and Stefano Caselli, this issue sees the continuation of a story that's brought the parasitic alien monsters known as the Brood to the attention of Marvel’s Merry Band of Mutants, a threat they have no choice but to take seriously. Needing to track down Cyclops’ father, Corsair, after he and his crew are ambushed by the brutes, the current roster of the X-Men — consisting of Old Woman Laura, her long-time Vault lover Synch, Forge, Cyclops, and more — must work together before the Brood and their insidious ways corrupt them as well, leading to a confirmation of Laura’s Talon name that implies the title won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
Splitting up to cover more ground and destroy more Brood along the way, Synch tells Cyclops, “Talon and I are sticking with you,” officially becoming one of the first people to openly call Laura by her new non-X-23 codename and help her solidify it as her own. Add to this the fact that young Laura isn't going anywhere at the moment and that on the “roll call” page of this issue, Laura is named Talon, and this new title seems like a fairly permanent change — and an awesome one at that — especially considering where the name Talon first appeared in comics.
Acting as the name Laura was assigned when she first joined the X-Men since they wouldn't call her by her experiment label, X-23, Talon was used as Laura's official codename for a brief time before she eventually adopted the Wolverine moniker, now coming full circle to a name that hasn’t been used in quite some time. So while Laura Kinney has had more than a few names over the years, Talon is one that not only fits her as an older version of herself but as a worthy next step in her now iconic journey as Wolverine.
X-Men #19 is now available from Marvel Comics.