Laura Kinney’s New Alias in NYX #2 Is a Tribute to Wolverine

Once known as X-23, Laura Kinney is today known as the Wolverine . She originally adopted the name to honor Logan after his death but continued to use the name after his resurrection. However, the events of NYX #2 see Laura honoring her genetic father with another alias.

Written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly , with art by Francesco Mortarino , NYX #2 finds Laura going undercover. The first issue of the youth-focused series saw the new Wolverine investigating the disappearances of young, unhoused Mutants. The trail leads Laura to a small gang leader, himself a Mutant, who goes by the name Local.

Laura’s efforts to infiltrate Local’s gang quickly run into a roadblock. While Local is looking for new muscle, he also knows someone like Wolverine has been attacking his men. This pushes Laura to improvise a new identity on the fly.

Laura’s Scratch ID is a tribute to Wolverine’s Patch

Laura introduces herself as Scratch and denies any connection to Wolverine. As unlikely as it seems, this mollifies Local, who doesn’t draw a connection between the young hero and the clawed vigilante interfering in his business. This seems to pay tribute to a classic X-Men storyline, where Logan adopted an equally improbable alias.

Wolverine’s Patch persona first appeared in Marvel Comics Presents #10 in 1988. Logan had to go undercover in the crime-ridden city of Madripoor. This led him to create the Patch persona, which was basically Logan with an eye patch and a fancy suit.

It was a terrible disguise, but it was so terrible that those who recognized Patch concluded it couldn’t be a disguise, and there had to be two short, hairy, bad-tempered men with claws. Laura’s new identity in NYX seems to take inspiration from the same audacious scheme. Yet, somehow, it works.

NYX #2 is now available at comic shops everywhere .