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Star Fox (Nintendo Power comic)
Star Fox is the name of a 132-page series of comic pages that ran in Nintendo Power in 11 12-page installments from February 1993 until December 1993. Illustrated by Benimaru Itoh, these comics started in issue 45 and ended in issue 55.
Plot summary
Non-canon warning: The following content contains information that is not canon.
Act 1 - Desperado
On the planet of Papetoon, Fox McCloud and the Star Fox team attack a base which its operators thought was under their control, using speederbikes of some sort. The bad guys call him "desperate". Peppy reports to Falco that they were able to retrieve some fuel packets, a case of hyper-twinkies (food), three gravity dumps and an android pig named Herbert. Fox instructs Slippy to deliver the hyper-twinkies to the local villagers. After zipping into a very large rotten tree trunk, Falco complains that they aren't making enough money and that they should "move on to a rich planet with lots of fat commercial freighters for the taking." Fox gets mad at Falco for saying this. He angrily states that they are a "sort of People's Appropriation Committee" and that is why they only raid imperial ships. Peppy reminds Falco of the "Golden Rule": "Make the guy with the gold pay." He then compares themselves to Robin Hood. Meanwhile, in another room of the dead tree trunk, Fox briefly reminisces about his father. Slippy runs in and announces that they have received a holo-telegram from "director General Pepper of Corneria's planetary defense council." Fox is surprised to learn that Pepper was promoted from sergeant to general. In General Pepper's recorded message, he states that he needs the best pilots in the star system, and that's why he has contacted the Star Fox team - "ruthless mercenaries" he calls them. He tells them about the newly-developed SFX Arwing with state-of-the-art weapons. If they accept his offer and go to Corneria, they will be well rewarded. Before terminating the recording, General Pepper states that their world is under attack by imperial lizard troopers as he records. The general calls on Fox to prove that he stands for "honor, decency and freedom of species."
At the Papetoon spaceport, Fox, Falco, and Peppy stowaway on a cargo tube being loaded into a large star freighter. Slippy is in the cyro-mud baths. As Peppy puts it, "Amphiboids have it made." After the ship exits Papetoon's atmosphere, the three climb out of the tube to find themselves in the star freighter's hold. Peppy hears a battle happening on the floor above them. He identifies the instigators as a squad of imperial lizards. Falco turns to Fox and says "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Fox replies, "I'm thinking it is our sacred duty to relieve these lizards of the burden of command." They run upstairs yelling thinks like "Here we go!" and "Let's do it!". End of Act 1.
Act 2 - Silver Wings
The Star Fox team commences fighting the imperial lizards. After defeating most of them, Falco comments that they weren't expecting such "hazardous cargo." Peppy questions why imperial troops were sent to a freighter. Suddenly, they notice a lizard holding a woman hostage. Fox asks Peppy who she is, and he replies that she is Fara Phoenix, the spaceship magnate's daughter. Fox is about to attempt one of his "famous last-second rescues" (as the lizard puts it) when Slippy bursts out of one of the cyro-mud baths. The lid falls on top of the lizard's head, knocking him out cold. Falco complains that they could have used his help earlier, so Slippy offers a feeble apology: "Sorry g-g-guys! I was t-t-taking a bath!" Meanwhile, Fox notices Fara running towards the other passengers on the ship who were anxiously waiting for her to be safe. Mr. Phoenix's assistant, a pig, tells Fox that Mr. Phoenix is very grateful, so Fox requests first class tickets back to Corneria. Later, on the ship, Falco is mad because, as he says to Fox, "You could have asked for a moon!" Fox replies "Moons aren't nearly as comfortable." He has "other things" on his mind. (Not testing those new Arwing fighters, like Falco suggests...)
When they get back to Corneria, the test out and practice with the new Arwings. General Pepper's lieutenant reports that the training is going very well and has achieved a rating of 115%. The General asks that a channel be opened to Fox for communication. Fox is starting to get cocky with his ease of maneuvering the Arwing. General Pepper warns him that imperial fighters aren't his only worry, though. Suddenly, Falco or Peppy alerts Fox to another aircraft ("bogy") directly behind him. The pilot says "I've got your wing covered!" Fox yells for his team to hold their fire. The unseen pilot says "Thank you, gentlemen. That's the second time you've saved my life." A second later, Fara reveals herself to be the pilot, flying her own Arwing. Initially, Fox is surprised to see her flying, but she stops him and informs him that she's "been flying since [she] was a kit." She then identifies herself as the Chief Test Pilot. She challenges Fox to a race. Peppy notices that they're going the wrong way, though. Falco observes that Fox isn't listening to them. General Pepper's lieutenant, meanwhile, has been watching the "battle map" (even though there wasn't really a battle at the time), and he quickly says to General Pepper, "General, two of the Arwings have entered Imperial Space!" They both stare in shock at the holographic screen. End of Act 2.
Act 3 - The Thrill is Gone
Act 3 begins with a re-introduction of the six main characters (pictured on this page) on top of a background image of Fox and Fara's Arwings. Fox's Arwing looks generally like what the Arwings looked like in Star Fox 64, and Fara's is identical except for an orange and black (or dark blue) color scheme. Two imperial lizards believe Fox and Fara have fallen into their trap. Fox is surprised by their sudden appearance in their bug-like Attack Carrier ships. Fara says "Now you'll really see some fireworks!" She fires a charged laser hit which hits directly. Fox compliments Fara (or gives her a "professional assessment"). Falco, a ways back, comments that Fox is flirting with danger to be doing what he's doing. As the downed enemy ship crashes into the ground of a city on Corneria, some more imperial troops comment that the "Cornerian fools" have fallen for the "bait". Fara heads straight on ahead, but Fox warns her too late about the powerful ion missile that can be shot at her. Fortunately, she is able to bail out (via ejection seat) as her ship goes down. Her cockpit deploys helicopter rotors to slow her decent, while her Arwing plummets to the ground. Fox swoops in with his Arwing and catches her. With little time to celebrate, Peppy warns them (while calling Fox "Junior") that the battle attack carrier that shot Fara down is still moving in. Fox "give[s] them a taste of [his] blasters" and tops it off with a Nova bomb. Falco dislikes it when Fox gets the last shot. Peppy glowingly draws comparisons from Fox to his father. Slippy is stunned at the stunt; his brain hurts just by thinking about doing it. Fara, still attached to the underside of Fox's Arwing, Says "It seems I owe you, again." Fox replies "I should have been covering your wing." On the next page a box appears. It reads:
"And so the Star Fox team won the first battle. Next they scoured the outer provinces, cleaned up the border territories and cleansed the capitals of imperial scum. But the fight had just begun!" (panel of something exploding) "They turned the Rock Crusher into pea gravel." (panel of General Pepper and his lieutenant celebrating; a second panel of Fara celebrating with them about the next panel) "They finished off the space armada like a doughnut in a fat farm!" (panel of a disc-like thing with roundish red and orange things coming off of it; panel of four Arwings approaching a building) "But the ultimate goal was the Imperial Base on Venom."
General Pepper and Fara stand inside the building looking out a large glass window. The skies are a bright red. Fara says that Fox is "bringing them home!", and the general remarks on his courage. He says he thinks Fara is disapointed about not getting to go, and he offers her a sucker. Fara reminds him that her ship was destroyed, and wonders why he is offering her sweets when all she can think about is helping the team (which hasn't left yet). She switches subjects and asks why everyone calls Fox "Junior". General Pepper is about to tell her when suddenly the window breaks open in a loud crash.
It is Andross; However, it is only a very large holograph of Andross which somehow was able to break through the glass. Andross warns General Pepper that McCloud is trying his patience. Fox has "destroyed [his] Cornerian Army, wiped out [his] space defenses, and kidnapped [his] favorite android pig, Herbert. He says Fox will never survive his Telekinetic Amplifier. His image suddenly fades out with a sinister laugh. A second later, Fox, Falco, Peppy, and Slippy run into the room full of glass shards. Slippy comments that if Andross is able to "reach this far, just think what he can do to an Arwing attacking Venom!" Falco says they can't get to Andross without first getting to Venom. Fox remembers a way that Andross might not have considered: The Black Hole.
Act 4 - The Legacy
Act 4 begins with green "narrator" text which reads: "Emperor Andross' powerful Telekinetic Amplifier on Venom has made it impossible for the Star Fox team to mount a head-on assault. They need a back door. Fox McCloud knows that there's only one way in, and it's through the Black Hole!"
General Pepper immediately rejects this idea, and Slippy says that an Arwing can't withstand the gravity of a black hole. However, Fox is resolute on his plan to get Andross no matter what. He cites that the Time-Slip Theory says that they can use gravity to make a four-dimensional warp. General Pepper, referring to Fox as Junior, reminds him what happened to his father - the Black Hole is bad news. Irritated, Fox asks Pepper not to call him Junior. He then goes on to say that his father piloted a much older type of aircraft with lesser technology. He reminds everyone that the Arwing has a gravity diffuser, and Andross will be taken by surprise. He asks "Who's with me on this?" Everyone shakes their head. At this, Fox gets more determined. "No wimpy black hole is going to stop Fox McCloud!" he says, and starts to leave. Everyone else is thoroughly worried for him. Peppy tries to stop him. "Junior! It's madness!" he says. Fox irritably explodes in anger at this. He then runs out of the room for the hangar. Falco expresses concern that Fox is "beyond reason" and that unless they stop him, he'll kill himself. Falco says that "in the academy, there was only one way to cool Fox down." He cracks his knuckles.
Fox runs into the main hangar where his Arwing is being worked on by a technician (pictured below in the characters section). He asks why Fox plans on taking it out again so soon. Fox is about to climb in when someone shouts "Stop right there!" Falco, Slippy, and Peppy appear in the room. Fox condescendingly asks Falco what he wants. Mainly, Falco wants "a commander with some common sense". Still determined, Fox says "We have to hit Andross hard and fast! You can't stop me!" Falco agrees, and then immediately lands a hard fist into Fox's face. Fox looks up, stunned. "I won't let you destroy yourself, Fox! Are you listening?" He punches Fox a second time. "This hurts me more than it hurts you, old friend!" Falco slams one final fist under Fox's jaw. Peppy and Fara run in to stop him before Falco punches Fox a fourth time. Peppy says they'll put him in solitary confinement to cool him down, "like old times". Fara, on the other hand, is confused. Falco briefly explains that it has to do with Fox's obsession with Andross. In a hurry, he tells her to ask General Pepper to explain it further. They leave.
General Pepper is mildly surprised to find that Fara hasn't heard the story of Fox before. Over the singing of some other people in the distance, Pepper begins his story. The heading in the comic book reads "The Legacy". In this story, James McCloud is called "Fox McCloud Sr." (For reader ease, he will be referred to as "James" in this summary.) He was the finest pilot on Corneria. After Fox "Jr." was born, his mother died. James hoped that his son would go on to be a pilot as well. Fox was the best in his class at the academy. He could "fly circles around a flea, endure days of gravity training, recite the Cornerian Constitution backwards and belch on command." His father was "justly proud". Later, Fox met Falco, "a rowdy kid with enough street savvy to fill an encyclopedia." Falco "cleaned up his act" (which probably meant quitting the gang he was supposedly in), entered the academy, and graduated.
General Pepper goes on to talk about Andross. In those days, he was head of the academy, and a scientist. He was "brilliant but unstable," making many odd inventions. When Andross developed the Gravity Bomb, James "volunteered to deliver it to the Asteroid Belt for testing. He went out alone, not knowing the risks that Andross had built into the bomb. "At critical velocity, the bomb detonated according to Andross' design. James, his ship, and half the asteroid belt were sucked into a newly-collapsed black hole." Andross was exiled to "the ends of the universe", but he later returned to the Lylat System and built a "power base on Venom with a fearsome army of Lizard Troops." Andross grew more powerful, and as he did, Fox got more upset, protesting his actions. The leaders of Corneria were too scared of Andross, unfortunately, and Fox and his friends were considered dangerous radicals. They fled Corneria and lived as outlaws on Papetoon. Fara asks Pepper why he didn't help Fox. He replies that he was "just a sergeant then." In his memories, Sergeant Pepper stands with three other sergeants in differently-colored jackets. They stand behind a circle that reads "Sgt. Pepper - Happy Heart".
Meanwhile, Falco, Peppy, and Slippy are standing outside the door where Fox is being kept in solitary confinement. Falco asks if they can modify the Arwing to be strong enough to withstand the Black Hole. Slippy holds his theory that they could triple the output of the G Induction Coils, but it may not be possible. "Even if it worked," he says, "You'd need the best pilot in the system to fly it!" No one has tried it before, but Falco says that one of them will be the first. Fara has been listening to their conversation from a distance. After the three of them leave, she goes over to the door where Fox is being kept and asks if he's okay. Confused, Fox wants to get out. She quiets him and whispers through the door that Falco is going to modify an Arwing to try the time slip. Fox says "He doesn't have the skill!" Fara has a plan, though. She comes back later and lets Fox out of the room. They sneak around a corner and look in on the hangar where Falco, Slippy, and Peppy are preparing an Arwing. Slippy says he's tripled the output. Falco, sitting in the cockpit, says "I've got to concentrate. This isn't going to be easy." Fox suddenly pops up and says "Easy enough, Falco!" Falco is so surprised that he falls six feet down to the floor and lands hard on his head. Peppy does not initially see Fox; he asks "Who did this?" Fox reminds them that he's the only one qualified. Fara chimes in and says that he's not the only one qualified. She and Fox start up their Arwings. Slippy wishes them good luck, Falco wakes up and yells "Stop them! Follow me!". Fara explains to Fox that she is joining him because "every leader needs a team!" They take off. End of Act 4.
Act 5 - Fixing a Hole
General Pepper's lieutenant bursts into his room; He is so surprised that he spills his coffee. The general asks him to knock next time. The bad news he brings, of course, is that Fox and Fara have gone. Suddenly, General Pepper hears the "Vashooom" sound of two more Arwings taking off. He concludes that "Falco and the others wanted a piece of the action." Confused, he realizes that there were only two ships, but three others besides Fox and Fara. In the next panel, we see that Peppy and Slippy doubled up in one Arwing. Peppy tells him to hold still and breath less to conserve oxygen, but Slippy desperately wants to fly the Arwing. Falco says that Fox and Fara are probably already to the Black Hole by now, "with your ship and my plan! I hate it when that happens!"
Meanwhile, Fox and Fara arrive at the Black Hole. They enter it and are immediately overcome by its strange effects. There are strange colors everywhere, and their speech is drawn out longer than normal. Fox notices many other floating ships that have gotten lost in the Black Hole, calling it a "lost ships graveyard". He finds himself lost, unable to find a way out. He notices a bright yellow light. Suddenly, the image of his father appears in front of him. He asks "Bbuutt... Eexxpplloossiioonn?" The image of his father calls out "Junior! Follow me!" Fox flies into a white circular light at the end of a green electrical-looking tunnel.
Back on Corneria, General Pepper's lieutenant lets him know that they've picked up readings for two Arwings over Venom. General Pepper is surprised that they survived. He says "Sergeant! Get me a fresh lolly!"
As they exit the Black Hole, Fara asks Fox how he found the way out. He says he saw his father, but Fara says she just followed Fox into the light; she didn't see anyone. Shortly, they are attacked by Venom's defense forces. They start shooting at things and blowing things up. Falco and Peppy emerge from the Black Hole next. Falco sees all of the exploding ships, laser beams, fire, glory, and "lots of loot" and proclaims "This is my kind of planet! ...I told you I'd get us through the hole!" Peppy reminds him that Slippy's tracking device was what locked onto Fox. Slippy says he knows how they can get to Andross.
In Andross' lair, one of his lizard minions reports to "His Perfectness" that the Arwings have come. Andross, of course, already knows this. He scoffs at their ability to warp through the Black Hole, saying it won't do them much good. He says to his android pig Herbert, "They do not know what horrible end awaits them, do they?" With the space battle going on outside, Andross initiates his plan to destroy "the Cornerian fools one by one." He presses a button, and a force field goes up right after Fox flies through an entryway. The others are left behind. Falco says "Hang in there, pal!" Fox goes in to face a metallic image of Andross, being remotely controlled by Andross. Andross tells Fox, through the strange head, that his valiant effort should be rewarded, and that his friends will also get what they deserve. Fox fires at some of the panels/metal tiles that come out, but his weapons don't even make a scratch. Mechanical laughter emanates from the false head.
Back inside Andross' base, Slippy and Peppy manage to break their way into Andross' control chamber. They find the robotic pig Herbert making "squeee" sounds while connected to many wires. Slippy reminds Peppy of the android pig they captured on Papetoon, and says it was full of top secret data. He says that the pig they're looking at is a "piggy data bank and the power source for this base." Being the key to Andross' operation, Peppy says it's time they "made a withdrawal." He shoots Herbert with his blaster. At the very same moment, Andross is fighting Fox and demands more energy from Herbert immediately. When he doesn't have his request met, Fox takes out one of the Andross head's eyes. The head lets red smoke or steam out of the eyes, and suddenly explodes, revealing a cube inside with Andross' face on each of its sides (these images are likely a video feed of sorts, since Andross scowls at Fox right before the cube is destroyed). Fox says "I've got to destroy the core!" and he fires another final laser on the cube. In an explosion of "Kakathoooooomp"-like qualities, Fox completes his objective. Falco and Fara celebrate. Slippy and Peppy hasten to escape the base, and all five individuals make it out safely (in four Arwings). General Pepper's lieutenant reports the team's success to the General. Pepper says he was going to discharge them all, but now says he predicts parades and medals for the group.
Act 6 - Fly Again
Elsewhere in space, an owl captain and his crew consisting of a lizard and a mouse are piloting a large imperial star freighter. (It is not the same ship seen in acts 1 and 2, which had four rear jets; this one has three.) The lizard announces that they are entering Sector Y, and the captain hopes they'll see "some of the interstellar lifeforms that live [there]." The mouse says to the captain that "these lizards have changed a lot since Andross was defeated," and that they seem to be almost "too reformed." Almost immediately, their ship is attacked by Stellar Stingrays (and Jellyfish); giant lifeforms that can live in space and resemble normal stingrays and jellyfish.
Meanwhile, Fox and Fara sit underneath a tree on a temperate planet (Corneria or Fortuna) talking with each other. From a distance, Falco reminisces about the "old days" raid the imperial fleet with only a rusted laser cannon and a moon buggy. Slippy talks about his girlfriend Croakella, who gave him his first wart. Suddenly, they hear a "splutt-splutt" sound and look up. It is the ship that was attacked by the Stellar Stingrays and space jellyfish. As it crashes, Falco remarks that it sounds like an old imperial freighter with buckled induction pods. A lizard stumbles out of the wreck, coughing, and says "Help! Beware the Stingrays...!" before collapsing.
General Pepper calls an emergency meeting with his lieutenant, Falco, Peppy, Fara, and Fox. With their carefree attitude after victory on Venom, he says they "have behaved as if life was as sweet and good" as the lollipop he is currently sucking on. He reports that the freighter that crashed was attacked by Stingrays from Sector Y. This is of special note because until now, the Star Beasts have always been peaceful. Falco suggests that the Stingrays were toying with the ship or were hungry. Fox makes a comment (possibly a joke, although he appears serious) about them playing with their food. General Pepper tells them to "check it out."
The team tries out their revamped Arwings (a new model). Fara says hers "flies like a dream", Slippy appreciates the extra leg room, and Peppy says they need to do more flight tests. Fara runs a diagnostic check. Fox tells the team to land on Titania, and he tells Slippy to check out the new systems on Fara's Arwing. Falco asks "Shouldn't we go straight to Sector Y?" Peppy says "I think we need a break. Titania has the best frozen yogurt in the system! The whole planet is a freezer!" (This is odd in a modern context because Fichina is generally considered the coldest planet in the Lylat system, and Titania is usually thought of as a desert planet. However, deserts can get very cold at night or in the winter.) While Fox, Falco, and Fara go off to get something to eat, Slippy stays back to work on the Arwings after Slippy tells Fara she can go on ahead. He gets some help from a lizard working in the hangar, and Fox comments on how helpful the lizards have become. Falco says that this is because of the Telekinetic Amplifier that must have "really hypnotized" them. The imperial guard was completely disbanded. Fox says "Now that we're here, let's have some fun!" Falco thinks it's too cold, though.
While the rest of the team eats some food in a café of some sort, Slippy continues to work on Fara's Arwing. Suddenly, he is apprehended by an unseen figure and is knocked out with a "wapp". From the café, the group notices Fara's Arwing flying around. Falco assumes that Slippy is testing out Fara's Arwing, but Peppy sees that it's actually "not a frog", but "a lizard". Fox states that the imperial guard was "just a clever ruse." They run out of the café, while the walrus bartender only has time to say "Excuse me..."
In the hangar, they see that only one Arwing was taken. They find the lizard that had come to help Slippy on the floor, and Peppy questions him on where Slippy is. The lizard replies that "someone hit me from behind!" Peppy concludes that whoever it was grabbed Slippy. With renewed vigor, the team takes off in their Arwings. As they fly out, the bartender arrives to tell them (too late) that they forgot to pay their bill.
Meanwhile, in Fara's Arwing, Slippy's kidnapper (a tough brown lizard) gloats that he has "the latest Arwing fighter and one of Fox McCloud's pirates" and that Andross "will be very pleased." Peppy worries that they won't be able to catch up to the new Arwing once its hyper boosters activate. Falco reminds him that the thief/kidnapper doesn't know the controls well enough, and that they can catch him. Fara announces that he's headed towards Sector Y, when suddenly he vanishes off of their radar. Fox concludes that he must have taken the black hole. To make things worse, they're running low on fuel...
Act 7 - Whale Song
As the team realizes they're practically out of fuel, the Stingrays (normally passive) start attacking them. Unable to move, Fox tells everyone to make sure their alignment sensors are on line. Falco says he's going to use a Nova bomb on them, but Peppy advises against this. Fox smartly notices the unusual antennae protruding from the Stingrays' tails, and tells his team to target that, and not the bodies, with their lasers. When the antennae are destroyed, the Stingrays leave, which lets Falco conclude that someone was sending the signal for them to attack. Peppy says that only one person could be so devious and cruel, and that it fits in with Slippy's being kidnapped by the emperor's guard. He says "Andross must have survived somehow!" Fara asks "But can Slippy survive?" Fox: "Can we survive?" Fox is right, Falco says. They're not going anywhere without fuel. Suddenly, the team hears a "brum-brum-brum-brum" sound, and Falco says something is coming out of the black hole.
Meanwhile, Slippy wakes up to find he has been shackled to an X-shaped retaining device. His captor says the "emperor" will see him now. Slippy is shocked to see that the "emperor" is in fact Andross. Andross explains that he is not so easily beaten and that his power is growing. He says "You may have destroyed the Telekinetic Amplifier, but I have other, shal we say tools!" When Slippy says that Fox will stop him, Andross yells "SHUT UP! Fox is a fool and he'll pay a fool's price!" Andross says he won't rest until Fox and anyone else who has humiliated him has "reaped their just rewards."
Andross explains that his "beloved foster parents" were both upstanding android pigs on Corneria. When they were killed by a Cornerian military experiment, he vowed to get even. He sought revenge by entering the academy to learn the "ways of [his] enemy." When he was exiled to the "ends of the universe" (as Slippy says), he landed on a planet inhabited by dull lizards, but also holding the ruins of a lost civilization. Andross concluded that a more ancient race on the planet had made these advances, as the lizards couldn't have done so. In a crumbling library, he found the secrets of the ancient race, wberte he learned how to build the Telekinetic Amplifier. Since it was destroyed, he decided to "destroy the destroyers." That last thing he says is that the Stingrays of Sector Y are in his control. Slippy yells "F-F-Fox!!!" and the camera zooms in on his right eye, down to the pupil.
As the camera zooms out, the eye goes from green to blue and it now belongs to Fara, who yells "It's coming from the black hole!" Falco and the others see a giant humpback whale coming out of the black hole. Falco, incredulous, asks "Is it some sort of interstellar blimp?" Peppy says that it looks like a whale that seems to be carrying fuel canisters. The whale deploys the canisters, helping the team out, and their Arwings' onboard computers say "Canister locked! Power restored!" Fox wonders what it is and why it's helping them when suddenly it speaks to them through their radios. The voice says "Greetings, Fox McCloud! Fear me not! This may appear to be a cetacean being, but it is a transdimensional manifestation of a starship! We have come through the black hole warp field from the far side of the galaxy to save the Lylat System! Fox McCloud: One of our crew wishes to speak with you! Stand by!" A second voice on the radio says "Junior..." Fox says "It can't be... FATHER?"
Act 8 - Fire in the Sky
Act eight starts out directly where 7 leaves off, but the first seven panels are on the left page opposite the title page. Fox's father explains that when his ship plunged into the black hole created by Andross, he was warped to another dimension. Since then, he's been aboard the "whale ship", helping the crew understand the Lylat system. Fox asks "Can I see you? Who are these whale dwellers? James apologizes and says that he can't cross back because he is now a part of "this dimension". He explains that Fox has another job - "to save the Lylat system!" The last thing he says to the team before the title is that they must return through the black hole, and that they'll find Andross and Slippy on Fortuna.
Meanwhile, in an oddly baren area of Fortuna, Andross is sitting on a chair in the same room as Herbert, Slippy, and a brownish reptile. One of Andross' minions, a green lizard, runs in greeting him as "Highness!" and reports that the Star Fox team is returning. Andross says "Prepare to welcome our guests! My trap worked!" He turns to Slippy, who is pinned up against the wall with shackles, and says that he's been looking forward to "our reunion". Next he gloats that his pet, the Monarch Dodora, will "take care of them." He tells the guards to lock Slippy up, because "he may be useful later."
The Star Fox team emerges from the black hole into Fortuna's atmosphere. Fox informs his father of this over the radio, but James tells him he's on his own now. "Only you can save the Lylat Sytem!" he says before the black hole closes and disappears. Fox tears up a bit as this happens, but Fara tells him to snap out of it. Fox says "I'm okay! Let's rock! And roll!"
The brown reptile creature disattaches Slippy from the wall, saying "Resistance is uselesssss! Do not make me damage you!" and relaying Andross' message that he wants Slippy intact. Slippy suggests that his captor loosen the choker on his neck. Calling him a victim of his own vanity, the captor does so, only to be attacked by Slippy's sleeping gas. The captor coughs and slumps to the floor. Slippy hears others talking in the other room. There are two green reptiles at a control station. One of them says "The Dodora grows impatient!" The second replies "Engage invaders!" Slippy throws a string of twelve small brown spherical bombs at them, which supposedly either kills them or incapacitates them. Andross notices this when the control signal gets cut off. Making a comment about their stupidity, he decides to operate "it" manually from "the speeder pod with Herbert II. He hops inside the pod and wakes up the (two-headed) Dodora for "lunch". "Fox, you've meddled in my affairs once too often!"
The Dodora stomps across the desert at high speed, with Herbert II and Andross in his pig-pod leading the way. Andross comments to himself about how un-stealthy he percieves Star Fox to be. "First it's stingrays..." Falco says, "...then it's dragons!" Peppy finishes. The Dodora swings its tail and hits Peppy's Arwing. He is fine, but his Arwing is damaged. The Dodora's heads breathe fire at the Arwings. While Andross laughs at them, Fox notices another incoming aircraft. Fara identifies it as her stolen Arwing. Falco and the others recognize Slippy as the pilot. Slippy tells Peppy he was able to escape with his "superior toad intellect." Fox stops them by reminding them of the reality that their weapons don't seem to be affecting the Dodora. Somone theorizes that it must have a receiver like the Stingrays. "Destroy that, and it stops attacking!" They say. Slippy takes out the main transmitter, but because it is still attacking, he thinks Andross must be controlling it manually. Fox announces that he'll take out hte antenna and asks the team to cover his wing. Fox swoops down in his Arwing, headed right towards Andross' pod. He shoots a laser right at the top of the pod and scrapes its top with his Arwing's underside. Andross, thinking Fox has missed, compares Fox and his Arwing to a weasel and a flea, respectively. This is when he realizes that he has lost contact, and the Dodora does not respond. With a huge vibration, the Dodora smashes down on Andross and his pod with its right foot (as seen in article picture). Fox remarks "Flat as an ape crepe!" and Falco says "Papetoon Pancakes!" (even though they're on Fortuna).
The team heads home, while the Dodora continues to rampage on Fortuna's plain and Herbert II "weeps" at the wreckage. Fox has a moment with his father that only he may see, saying "Father? You there? We did it!"
Act 9 - Here Comes the Son
Act nine begins on the surface of Venom at night (or void of atmosphere), near the ruins of Andross's base. Herbert the android pig and a lizard creatrue enter through a door on the edge of a crater and take an elevator down. They enter Andross's old labratory and Herbert inserts a large disk into the computer system. Andross appears on the screen and a prerecoreded video starts. He explains that the recording contains his final commands and a psycho print of his brain patterns. His instructions are to take a sample of his hair, which Herbert brought, and extract the DNA from the hair. This DNA is then combined with an amino acid radical. When the sequence is complete, the cloning process begins. The lizard assistant says that when this happens, the psycho-print will complete the process.
After some bubbling in the chamber, flesh and bone start to form into a mushy mass. Shortly, Andross is finished being formed. He emerges from the chamber, commenting on how he "can breathe again." Suddenly, Herbert sees that two Androsses have been created. One says "I feel so good I could ravage a planet," and they both simultaneously say "And now that there are two of me, nothing can stop us!"
Meanwhile, on Papetoon
In a desert area with dead tree trunks, one trunk has been hollowed out into a communications base of some sort. A sea lion and a wolf are running the base when the sea lion pikcs up an incoming message. The sea lion tells his boss that it's "Big news": The Star Fox team is coming back today, which is the biggest things since the Papetoon Pulsars won the Lylat Cup in Astro-Hockey. His boss tells him to go out and spread the word, so he hops in a small red hovering vehicle and shouts out "The Star Fox team is coming! Fox is coming home!" to everyone he passes. The other residents of Papetoon cheer and celebrate, saying he is the greatest hero this planet has ever had. Somone suggests building him a monument. One person says Fox saved his life twice, with another person saying he saved their life, too. As the crowd cheers, a minstrel with his own unique instrument starts to sing a ballad about the Star Fox team. As he finishes his song, the Star Fox team arrives in five Arwings blasting through the sky.
Each member of the team makes a comment about the planet, and then they park their Arwings at Fox's rebel hideout. They go inside and comment on how the living conditions have seemed to improve. Fox shows Fara his bedroom/den, which he calls his castle. Fara sees a pink dress in a glass case, and Fox tells her it was his mom's. He takes it out and tosses it to her, inviting her to try it on. Fox closes the door behind him. When Fox re-enters the room, he remarks that Fara could be his mother's twin sister. He tells her that he remembers his mother very well, even though he was young when she died. Fox shows her a photo of his mom wearing the dress, with him as a baby in her lap. While Fox comments on what his dad would think if he saw her, Peppy and Slippy look in the closet and see a deactivated Herbert (Andross' android pig). Peppy says "[Isn't he] the one that we blew up back on Venom? Strange, isn't it? He was the only friend that Andross ever had!" Slippy says that he saw Herbert crying beside Andross' crushed pod back on Fortuna, and points out the rust stain on the pig's cheek.
Outside, Falco notices that a parade in their honor is starting. Fox says he really hates it when people make a fuss about them, but Falco tells him to "get with the program." Peppy tells Fara he never realized how much she looks like Fox's mother. To himself, Slippy says that they can't just leave Herbert there in the closet. Fox stares at everyone approaching at the entrance with disbelief. Peppy asks Slippy what's worrying him, and Slippy replies, "Something is v-v-very wrong..."
Act 10 - Close to the Edge
Act 10 summary
Act 11 - Hello, Goodbye
Act 11 summary
Characters
Original cast:
Exclusive characters:
- Café owner/bartender
- The Captain and his assistant
- Croakella
- Dodora
- Fara Phoenix
- General Pepper's lieutenant
- Hangar technician
- Herbert
- Minstrel
- Mr. Phoenix
- Unnamed sergeant
- Vixy Reinard
Gallery
Fox
Falco
Peppy
Slippy
Pepper
James
Fara Phoenix as shown at the beginning of Act 3
Mr. Phoenix, from near the beginning of Act 2
Vixy, seen only in a photo.
General Pepper's lieutenant appears here at the end of Act 2.
Appears near the end of Act 4.
Herbert
General Pepper's Sergeant.
Their ship is about to be attacked.
Slippy shows Falco a photo of his girlfriend, Croakella.
The bartender
The Dodora attacks the Star Fox team.
The minstrel sings a short ballad about the Star Fox team.
