X-Men Monday #309 – Erica Schultz Talks ‘Laura Kinney: Sabretooth’

Welcome, X-Fans, to another uncanny edition of X-Men Monday at AIPT!

Following last week’s interview with writer and Age of Revelation architect Jed MacKay, our event coverage continues with a spotlight on Laura Kinney: Sabretooth. On sale October 8, 2025, the tie-in series mutates Laura Kinney: Wolverine into a title where our hero now goes by (and dresses like) Sabretooth — and fights alongside Revelation! What is going on?!?

Fortunately, Laura Kinney: Sabretooth writer Erica Schultz has returned to X-Men Monday to shed some light on the upcoming series. Let’s see what she has to say.

AIPT: Welcome back to X-Men Monday, Erica! So, after 10 issues of Laura Kinney: Wolverine, you’re jumping X years into the Age of Revelation’s dark future for Laura Kinney: Sabretooth. As a writer, what creative opportunities does an event like this offer in terms of exploring Laura as a character?

Erica Schultz: Going into the future is always fun because the possibilities are endless. What happened between then and now to make a character have such a dramatic change? How has their perspective been altered by experiences in the intervening years to produce a new outlook? Creatively, it’s wide open. Editorial has the task of making sure we’re not stepping on each other’s toes, but we get to pose some interesting questions. In terms of design, how has the environment changed? What new uniforms are the characters wearing? Collaboration is what makes comics such a great medium, and seeing what your art partner comes up with is always exciting. 

AIPT: Before we dive deeper, could you share your elevator pitch for Laura Kinney: Sabretooth?

Erica: I’m always terrible at loglines, but I’ll give it a try: The world has changed X years into the future, and Laura Kinney is no longer the Wolverine. Taking the mantle of Sabretooth, her eyes have been opened by the events of the Revelation War, and her alliances have changed dramatically. 

How’s that? 

AIPT: Sounds good to me! So, obviously, readers need to buy and read the series to know why Laura ditched the “Wolverine” name and embraced “Sabretooth.” But is there anything you can tease about this decision in advance? Because X-Fans like Chandler want to know why Laura would take the name of someone who butchered her brother not too long ago in “Sabretooth War.”

Erica: Yeah, I can see how fans would be confused, but it makes sense once you read it. The name “Sabretooth” has always been associated with unrelenting violence because of Victor Creed. He’s a terrible person. But we show that just as Logan and Laura put some honor to the codename of Wolverine, Laura will put honor to the name of Sabretooth through another. 

I know I’m being cryptic, but just know that Laura’s choice of the name is for a better reason than you think.  

AIPT: X-Fan Key is curious to know if your time writing Laura has changed your perspective on her at all. Key also asks what your thought process was for exploring her own personal dark future in the Age of Revelation?

Erica: I don’t think my perspective on Laura has changed because I’ve always loved her as a character. As far back as her introduction in X-Men: Evolution, I thought she was unique and interesting. The fact that she, unlike Logan, didn’t even have a childhood made her different from the first Wolverine. She’s never been “the lady wolverine” to me. She’s grown from X-23 to Wolverine, and she’s grown as a woman over the years. We all change and grow based on our experiences. Some shape us in good ways and others in bad ways, but it’s all part of our own personal journey. I’m nearly 50 years old, and who I was five years ago isn’t who I am today. The same is true with these characters. 

I think pairing her up with Elektra and Bucky helped show Laura that she’s not alone in her journey and that others have survived similar fates. You never come out clean on the other end, but you come out wiser and hopefully make better/different decisions in the future. 

When it came to exploring Laura in the Age of Revelation storyline, we had a big ol’ Zoom call with the creatives on the series. Everyone pitched their ideas, and we all tried to make sure we could tell a compelling story while also balancing our individual narratives with the overarching throughline of the crossover. That sounded very corporate. How’s this: We all want to tell a tale of the character we’re in charge of, but we don’t want to step on anyone else’s toes and/or contradict something else going on in the series. 

AIPT: No, that all makes sense with an event of this size. Now, X-Fan Mario B knows Laura will confront her siblings, Gabby and Akihiro, in the series, but what about other characters that appeared in your Laura Kinney: Wolverine run? Specifically, Hellion, who Mario B and fellow X-Fans Eric and Matt also have on their minds.

Erica: Well, Mario B, Eric, and Matt will be glad to know that Hellion is in Laura Kinney: Sabretooth.

You’ll also meet two new characters: Zane and Alex. I won’t tell you who they are, but they will be INTEGRAL to the story. There are a few supporting characters I’ve never written, and I’m glad to get the chance to capture their voices. I did try to get a few more originals from X-23: Deadly Regenesis and Laura Kinney: Wolverine, but there’s only so much you can fit in one book.   

AIPT: Throughout Laura Kinney: Wolverine, there have been a lot of team-ups and personal moments. X-Fan Emily B wants to know what your favorite Laura relationship (familial, platonic, or romantic) has been to write.

Erica: I honestly don’t have a favorite as they all have a place. Writing Laura and Elektra together was fun because you have a woman who is more experienced than Laura trying to give her both life advice and assassin advice. Also, at the time, I was writing Daredevil, so I was spoiling myself by putting Elektra into the story. 

Bucky had a younger sister, Rebecca, and I wanted him to have that relationship again. Laura is his feral Becky, and obviously it took as they team up again in New Avengers. Maybe one day we’ll see that on the big screen.

In terms of Laura’s romantic relationships, I can’t divulge anything there. I know her other self, Talon, had a heartbreaking relationship with Synch, but this Laura is still focusing on finding herself before she looks to find someone else.

AIPT: Related to those characters Laura’s engaged with in your series, X-Fan David is curious how much influence current events in Laura Kinney: Wolverine (especially issues #6 – 10) might have on Laura Kinney: Sabretooth.

Erica: The focus on the relationship between Laura, Logan, and Gabby in #6- 7 and Laura and Gabby in #8-10 will definitely tee up Laura Kinney: Sabretooth. I won’t say you can’t read Sabretooth before the Wolverine series, but I’d suggest you do. One of the things we wanted to make sure of was that there was a seamless transition between the two series, but they could be read independently. 

AIPT: A fashion question from X-Fan Emily B. Do you get to decide on Laura’s fashion, or is that more the artists’ choice? Emily B has loved the punk/goth style on her in your series!

Erica: Laura’s punk/goth style in Laura Kinney: Wolverine was all Giada Belviso. When I see the outfits, I do a happy dance. They’re fantastic and remind me of what I wore in my early 20s. Seeing as I’m about 20 years older than Giada, it just goes to show how fashion always comes back around. 

AIPT: As we wrap up, the solicitation for Laura Kinney: Sabretooth #2 mentions “the return of a landmark X-VILLAIN!” I won’t ask you to spoil who this might be, but I will ask what it was like to write this character and, I assume, their interactions with Laura. All caps in a solicit — they must be a big deal!

Erica: Ooooh! Okay, so the X-Villain is *muffled sounds, heels dragging on the floor*

Hi, this is John Doe from Marvel HQ. Erica can’t come to the computer right now. 

AIPT: John Doe from Marvel HQ: X-Men Monday’s greatest nemesis. Finally, artist Valentina Pinti is joining you on Laura Kinney: Sabretooth. What can we expect from the series’ visuals?

Erica: Valentina and I worked together on Daredevil: Unleash Hell. If you read that series, then you know she brings action to the pages, as well as a ton of emotion. Laura didn’t make this decision lightly, and it’s weighed on her a lot, so Valentina has a lot of tough acting to draw, and she nails it every time. 

AIPT: And we’re about to reveal a few pages of Valentina’s artwork for the series — but before we do, Erica, thanks for stopping by X-Men Monday! Remember, X-Fans, Laura Kinney: Sabretooth #1 goes on sale October 8, 2025.

OK, now for those eXclusive Laura Kinney: Sabretooth #1 pages, featuring pencils and inks by Valentina Pinti and colors by Rachelle Rosenberg, courtesy of our friends at Marvel.

Next X-Men Monday – September 8, 2025

In the next edition of X-Men Monday, Uncanny X-Men artist David Marquez will make his X-Men Monday debut to discuss his upcoming Age of Revelation tie-in series, Sinister’s Six — which he’s writing!

Also, in case you missed it, Conductor of X Tom Brevoort will return to X-Men Monday to give his own thoughts on the Age of Revelation — and maybe tease what comes next. So get your burning questions in by this Wednesday (September 3, 2025)!

Until next time, X-Fans, stay eXceptional!