Summer's Wolverine Claws From Rick And Morty Season 6 Episode 1 Actually Belong To Another Marvel Antihero

References to the Marvel Universe are laden throughout "Rick and Morty." So far, we have seen Rick (Justin Roiland) and Morty (also Roiland) don Iron Man-like suits to help a purge planet get back on track, as well as the Council of Ricks, which is a nod to the Council of Reeds from the "Fantastic Four" comics. Considering that the character of Richard Reeds is also often labeled as the smartest person in his universe, this makes for a particularly fun reference (though it is doubtful if the Scarlet Witch could get the drop on Rick C-137, but that's neither here nor there).

Beyond the above Easter eggs, "Rick and Morty" has also appropriated Dr. Strange's sentient cloak, and ferociously lampooned the Avengers with their very own iteration, the Vindicators. Their symbols look the same, they consist of a diverse group of people, they have "phases," and they battle universe-wide threats. On top of all that, the Smith family once spent time at a musical based on "The Hulk," complete with giant toy Hulk hands. Though to be fair, that was a fake memory implanted by parasites. 

Still, it looks like "Rick and Morty" isn't finished with Marvel references yet, and the new season premiere opens up with an "Avengers: Endgame" reference. Later in the episode, Summer (Spencer Grammer) gains some familiar looking claws, but despite what everyone's immediately thinking, Wolverine isn't the hero being referenced here ... well, at least, not the usual Wolverine.

First, though, let's assess the specifics of the episode in question. The season premiere of "Rick and Morty" sees Rick attempt to reset the portal network, since it was destroyed by Evil Morty's machinations involving the Central Finite Curve. This means that travel by portal is knocked out of commission, which causes Rick to leap into action. Unfortunately, his solution misfires, and instead of resetting the portal network, he resets portal travelers, which results in Rick, Morty, and even Jerry Smith (Chris Parnell) being sent to their respective home dimensions. Summer is then given a command to help bring the trio back, and she retreats to a hidden bunker beneath the garage.

Space Beth then admonishes Summer for helping Rick, but Summer notes that she gets paid while accessing a vending machine of powers, where she retrieves a pair of translucent gloves that are absorbed into her arms. She comments that this is one way she gets paid — that is, with Wolverine claws — but for astute fans of the popular mutant, the claw configuration points to a Wolverine-related antihero as opposed to Logan himself.

Wolverine's most defining characteristic are his three claws that spring from his knuckles, but Summer only possesses two on each hand, despite the fact that she proclaims that she has Wolverine claws. This may highlight Summer's passing knowledge of popular superheroes, and a typical layperson may have made the same observation, but in truth, the double knuckle blades are far more similar to Wolverine's teenage clone — and, for all intents and purposes, his daughter — Laura Kinney, aka X-23.

According to Marvel, X-23 is created by using Wolverine's DNA for the express purpose of forging an unstoppable killing machine, which parallels Wolverine's involvement in the Weapon X program. She is kept in isolation, and essentially brainwashed into being an unfeeling and subservient assassin at a location known as The Faculty. However, a kind scientist helps teach her what it is to be human, and gives her the name of Laura Kinney instead of calling her X-23. 

This plot line was loosely adapted in the beloved 2017 film "Logan," of course. The key thing here, though, that visually sets X-23 apart from Wolverine is that she has two claws on each hand, and one claw that sprouts from each foot. Though Summer doesn't show off any foot claws, the pair of claws she does have are definitely closer to X-23's look as opposed to her father's.