Nintendo All-Stars: Fox McCloud
Profile
Fox McCloud was the son of the famous James McCloud, leader of the mercenary group StarFox. Following in his footsteps, a young Fox enrolled in the Cornerian Flight Academy where he met many ace pilots - and good friends - including engineer Slippy Toad, and the headstrong Falco Lombardi. Fox excelled in pilot skills and combat, and upon graduation he was expected to take a respectable post in the Cornerian Army.
However, tragedy struck the McCloud family. James McCloud had been killed in a battle while on a mission to the planet Venom - betrayed by one of the StarFox team members, Pigma Dengar. The only surviving crew member was the aging Peppy Hare, who returned to Corneria to tell Fox of his father's fate.
Having graduated from the academy, Fox turned down the place in the Cornerian Army, and took the reins of the StarFox Team instead. Along with Peppy, Slippy and Falco, the team set off in search of adventure and bounty in a galaxy on the brink of war.
StarFox/StarFox 64
Some years later, after StarFox had once again built a name for itself, a distress call came through from General Pepper of the Cornerian Army. The planet had been overwhelmed, and was on the brink of defeat at the hands of Andross's secret army. Taking to their Arwings, StarFox launched themselves into battle. They took out the ships leading the strike, allowing the remainder of Corneria's army to clean up behind them.
As the team's mothership, the Great Fox, travelled across the Lylat System towards Venom, they were called in to help outposts of Corneria's army defend ever-increasing threats from Andross. Giant war machines threatened to wipe out entire settlements in a single blast, bio-weapons had to be dispatched, and even the Great Fox was set upon by missiles. When StarWolf intervened in one battle it was clear they had pledged their allegiance to Andross - and were on a mission to destroy Fox and his team. While their Wolfen ships matched the Arwings in weaponry and maneuverability, they were not matched in piloting skills or in leadership. StarFox was able to defeat StarWolf, but not after an impressive and drawn out battle.
Upon reaching the unstable planet of Venom, Fox travelled alone into the tunnels in his Arwing. Fighting off Andross's taunting as he ventured deeper, he finally reached the planet core. There he was confronted with a psychedelic hallucination of Andross, brought about by the scientist's telekinetic powers. By launching Smart Bombs into the creature's mouth he was able to break the illusion, but was faced with something even more horrible: Andross's bloated brain gave chase, ramming the Arwing. By firing directly into the lobe of the brain, a chain reaction took place - and Andross exploded with such force that Fox wasn't able to find his way out. At that moment, a ghostly visage of his father appeared, and guided him out of the labyrinth with the flames licking away behind him. Fox burst out of the planet's core just before a terrific eruption tore everything apart. With Andross now dead, the Cornerian Army were able to force the Venom army into full retreat.
Returning to Corneria, each member of StarFox was handsomely rewarded with medals and a sizable bounty. General Pepper pleaded with them to leave their life of mercenary work and to join the Cornerian Army, but Fox turned them down - StarFox was happier doing things their own way.
Despite their heroic work against Andross, Fox's decision to go it alone backfired when the work stopped coming in after three years. With no job and no money, the Great Fox fell into disrepair, and the team grew bored. When a distress signal from the desert planet of Titania was picked up by the team, Falco leapt at the opportunity to be a hero and went it alone.
Fox led the rest of the StarFox team to the Cornerian outpost on Titania where they met with General Shears. He did not know the whereabouts of Falco, but he requested that the team assist him with a recent incident. Falco, meanwhile, was finding out from an old accomplice, Katt Monroe, that Shears was secretly continuing Andross's research. Shears planned to take out StarFox and Katt's team of mercenaries in one swoop, eliminating any threat to his research. Fox and Falco fought against each other, but Falco came away worse for wear, crashing his ship into the desert. StarFox was contacted by Katt's team, and after Shear's deception was unmasked, they agreed to work together. Katt reluctantly shared Shears's research, and ROB decoded it. Shears wasn't continuing Andross's research at all - he was creating a complete clone of Andross.
Fox and Slippy infiltrated the base while Katt's team created a diversionary tactic. Deep inside they came across the clone of Andross, incomplete in both body and mind. Shears appeared, bragging about his creation before attacking Fox in an insane rage. Slippy tried halting the cloning process, but when the bulbous eyes of the clone fell upon Fox, all of its memories suddenly exploded into being, and the clone grew at an alarming rate. Escaping from its capsule, the disembodied head of Andross started searching the base for Fox, crushing Shears as it went. Fox and Slippy climbed inside their Landmaster tank and fired a Smart Bomb straight into the face of Andross, killing the foul beast immediately.
As Fox and Slippy came out of the base, Falco and Katt's team greeted them. Seeing that StarFox was operating well enough without his constant attendance, Falco decided it was time for him to go it alone - though they knew their paths would cross again.
StarFox Adventures
Another four years passed, seven years after the Lylat War. Work was still scarce, so another call from General Pepper meant the team leapt straight back into action. One of the planets in the Lylat System, Dinosaur Planet, was breaking apart. Fox's mission was to make contact with the natives and investigate the reason for the planet's instability.
Coming across an unusual battle staff, Fox began to piece together the mystery of the planet. General Scales, self-appointed dictator, had removed the ancient Spellstones that kept the magical balance of the planet in check. The protective Krazoa Spirits had fled, and though one had been returned to its shrine by a mysterious girl from another planet, the others were still loose. The four spellstones were located on the fragments of planet that had broken away. Fox had to travel between the planet and the fragments in his Arwing, and reclaim the spellstones.
General Scales and his tribe of Sharpclaw mutants could be found wherever Fox went. They had enslaved most of the other species, and created mutated monstrosities of their own. Fox did battle with the most dangerous of these creatures, as they were guarding the spellstones themselves. Fox also rescued a small triceratops, Prince Tricky, who then followed Fox wherever he went. Though he was a little irritating, his skills were invaluable, and Fox was glad to have company on this strange alien planet.
On a visit to the Krazoa Shrine to release the spirits he had caught, Fox found the mysterious being who had released the first one. A beautiful blue Cerinian by the name of Krystal. She had become trapped inside a crystal when she released her Krazoa spirit. Fox was enraptured, and vowed to release her as soon as it was safe.
When all of the spellstones were replaced the world began to reform, but only when all of the Krazoa Spirits were returned would the damage be undone completely. General Scales himself was guardian of the final spirit, but Fox was aware of a strange presence in the room. General Scales suddenly dropped to the floor and released the Krazoa Spirit. He was dead, but the Spirit was Fox's to return. He quickly did so, but the results weren't what he expected.
The whole mission had been a charade. By returning all the Krazoa Spirits while Krystal was trapped, the spirit of Andross was channeled through her body and took the form of an enormous Krazoa. He launched himself into space where he would avenge his death. Fox took to his Arwing and followed. They battled above Dinosaur Planet, but Fox was overcome by Andross's spiritual powers. At the last moment, explosions rocked the surface of Andross's face. Falco had returned to lend a hand - and a Smart Bomb - in battle. Fox's shields were boosted by Falco, and the battle came to a swift end. Andross was destroyed.
Krystal was freed from her prison, and the planet reformed. StarFox was rewarded handsomely for Fox's acts. Falco rejoined the team, and Krystal offered her support by joining up as well. StarFox was expanding, and their ships were soon repaired.
StarFox Assault
The remnants of Andross's army were united behind a new leader, the scientist's nephew Andrew Oikonny. The former StarWolf member led a number of assaults throughout the Lylat system, but their victories were less impressive than those of Andross himself. Nevertheless, StarFox was called in to dispatch the leader. In a battle on the surface of Fortuna, Andrew was suddenly gunned down by a powerful beam. The invader was an insectoid creature, and as Fox took the creature down, the panicked voice of ROB kept shouting "Aparoid, Aparoid" over and over again.
It was not the first time the insectoid race had been encountered, and now they were launching a full-scale invasion against the Lylat system. The creatures infected all beings, living or machine, turning them into mindless drones. Their only aim in life was to make all life answerable to the Aparoid Queen.
Fox led several attacks against Aparoid invaders in an attempt to capture the information-filled orbs that acted as the Aparoid brain. By reverse engineering one of these items, Cornerian engineers would be able to find the Aparoid homeworld. Unfortunately, Pigma Dengar arrived on the scene, stealing it from Fox's hands to sell to the highest bidder. Even in death, however, the Aparoid force consumed Pigma, merging him with a deadly battlestation. Fox had to destroy him, and for the first time he had the support of StarWolf to thank.
A battle on the surface of Corneria went awry when General Pepper and his ship were consumed by the Aparoids. Fox could only bring himself to incapacitate his old friend, and hope that victory against the Aparoids would undo the damage.
Finally, an undamaged Aparoid specimin was found, the engineers tracked the Aparoid homeworld and planned to open a warp gate there. Fighting off attackers from all directions, the Great Fox launched itself through the warp and into enemy airspace. Fox had to land on an offworld battle station and destroy the shields that protected the planet. Even after a long and hard battle, Fox watched as the shield rebuilt itself. Only after Peppy crashed the Great Fox into the shield was it damaged long enough for StarFox to enter in their Arwings. Inside the planet he found the Aparoid Queen - a hideously malformed monster that communicated to Fox through many voices, including that of his father. Falco, Slippy and Krystal protected him as he destroyed the outer shell - only for the room to suddenly open up into a wormhole, sucking everything inside. The hideous heart of the Queen had to be destroyed, so Fox flew inside. After a long battle, the Queen started to break apart, and the wormhole collapsed. Fox turned around and escaped the planet as it destructed behind him.
By destroying the Queen of the hive-mind, all Aparoid activity ceased immediately. Peppy, ROB and General Pepper were safe, StarWolf would live to fight another day, and StarFox returned to Corneria to repair the Great Fox, and of course, to claim their very large reward.
Posted by Fryguy64 on 30 September 2004. Updated 3 August 2005. Fox McCloud art © 2004 Fryguy64.
Games
- Star Fox (Super NES)
- Star Fox 64 (Nintendo 64)
- Star Fox Adventures (Gamecube)
- Star Fox Assault (Gamecube)
