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Prologue
Venom Rises

James McCloud had just arrived on Venom with Peppy Hare and Pigma Dengar at his side. The terrain was just as he always imagined: open, barren wastelands; green, acidic oceans; and a dark green sky filled with gloomy clouds that matched. It was long believed that no living thing could ever survive on its surface.

But James knew that life could be hosted here; after all Dr. Andross had been surviving here since his exile five years ago.

"So this is Venom," James said as he observed the planet. "I gotta say, I would have thought that Andross would have prettied up a bit more than this in five years."

Peppy chimed in, "Yeah, he was always goin' on about how he was gonna change this planet; make it inhabitable."

"Yeah, but I think he abandoned that idea when he saw how gross it was here. He'd fit right in!"

Peppy got a laugh out of it, but both of them knew they needed to get to work. The Star Fox Team had their orders, straight from General Pepper himself: investigate the planet Venom and see what Andross may be up to.

Andross was a scientific genius; the kind of genius that is respected, but feared at the same time. He used to live on Corneria, but was exiled to the barren planet Venom after one of his experiments resulted a bad reaction and destroyed nearly an entire Cornerian city.

The team repeatedly circled the skies in their Arwings looking for any sort of way they could enter the base. "This place is a virtual stronghold; I can't find any way inside." Peppy relented. But James replied with a phrase that Peppy knew all too well.

"Never give up, Peppy. Trust your instincts. We'll find a way in," James replied.
"Right, James, I know we will." Peppy had a hint of concern in his voice, "I just wish we found it faster. I just don't like the looks of this planet; it's too quiet here."

It was then that James noticed something odd. Normally, Pigma was a lot more talkative than he was on this mission. The team wasn't getting paid a whole lot, and James knew good and well how greedy Pigma was. Perhaps that was why he was so quiet. But he also thought that Pigma was a loyal addition to the team, something that James would come to regret within the next few hours.

The team soon flew over an open canyon and found exactly what they were looking for; an exhaust tunnel that led straight into a cliff side below the base. It was almost too perfect. The trio landed their Arwings at its opening.

The Arwing was the signature fighter for Team Star Fox. It was capable of space travel, much like most other ships in the Lylat System. It had a sleek design; the front end formed into a point. The cockpit was shielded by a glass visor and on either sides were the laser cannons, and extending from there were the wings, which could be adjusted depending on the situation. The entire fighter was white in color; the only exception was the blue bulgy portions that occupied the areas just outside to cockpit on either side. These were the G-Diffusers, the devices that allowed the ship to accommodate for gravity both inside and outside the atmosphere of a planet.

The engines of the Arwings cooled down. The glass visors of each ship hinged open and a fox jumped out first, landing on two feet. This was James McCloud, leader of the Star Fox mercenary team. His fur was blowing in the wind; golden brown with a white stripe accent that ran from between his eyes all the way down to the back of his neck. He had a similar patch of fur covering his snout. He sported a green flight suit, a beige flight jacket, and fingerless gloves to match. His metallic silver boots kicked up dust as he landed. He adjusted his red scarf when he stood up and put on a pair of sunglasses to hide his dark blue eyes.

A rabbit jumped out second; Peppy Hare. He was covered with grey fur with similar white accents to James. He was wearing a similar outfit, but had in a red flight suit instead. His brown eyes were a bit more cautious than James' were. He waited for James to issue an order

The third pilot did not jump out, though. Pigma Dengar was a hog, and just as greedy as one. He wore a white jumpsuit over his rough, pink skin, but no flight jacket. His black eyes darted around constantly, as if expecting something to happen soon.

James shouted up to his teammate, "C'mon Pigma, we need to move. Get down here!"

Pigma snorted and replied, "I think I'll stay here; make sure no one comes this way after ya."

James was surprised; Pigma rarely had a good idea, so this was definitely a moment to remember. "Alright, you do that, Pigma. Give me a ring if anything suspicious comes around."

James sped for the opening and entered it. Peppy wasn't too far behind. The duo ventured deep into the tunnel, eventually finding a metal grate in the ground. James kicked it in and jumped down. The corridor on the other side was empty.

James pulled out his blaster and looked up at Peppy, "Alright, I'll go it alone from here and see if there is anyone lingering around. Wait for my signal."

"Alright, James. Be careful." Peppy replied. He knew that James was capable, but he still couldn't shake the bad feeling this planet gave him.

James disappeared into the facility, and Peppy waited for his signal to enter. But after a moment or two, something caught Peppy's eye. It seemed that someone was stumbling towards him from the surface. Peppy held his wrist communicator up to his mouth and whispered into it, "Pigma, wake up, there's somebody coming, why didn't you warn us?"

There was no reply.

Peppy whispered again, "Pigma? Come in."

"Calm down, Peppy. I'm right here, pal." Pigma had left his Arwing cockpit, and was now standing in front of Peppy in the tunnel, his blaster drawn and pointed at Peppy. "Don't worry, it'll all be over soon."

James had finished his scouting and found that nearly the entire base was devoid of life. "What is this, everyone's day off?" James holstered his blaster and held up his wrist communicator to talk to Peppy. "It's all clear, Peppy. Come on in."

Peppy didn't respond, and that's when James knew that something was wrong. He pulled his blaster again and began making his way back to Peppy's position outside the base. He was nearly to the surface when his comm chirped on and he heard a conversation, on the other side between Peppy and Pigma.

"What did you do, Pigma?"

"I made a lot of money, that's what."

"How? Who are you working for?"

"My new boss, and all I had to do was distract you! My boss'll be finding James in no time. And then I get paid!"

The comm channel closed after that. James and Peppy never truly trusted Pigma, and now they realized why. James knew that he was in trouble, but he also knew that Peppy needed his help. He raced for the opening in the ceiling to Peppy and Pigma's location, but as he was about to make the jump, a blaster shot struck his leg. He fell to his knees, unable to stand back up.

"I can't let you do that, James!"

As James knew the voice; it belonged to Wolf O'Donnell, one of the members of the rival StarWolf Team. His grey fur was offset only by his white snout and mohawk as well as the patch over his left eye. He was holding a blaster with a sharp bayonet at the end, pointing it at James.

"Wolf! What are you doing here?" James shouted at him.

"Looking for you, of course. The boss will want you alive"

"Boss? Who?"

"Why don't you come with me and we'll find out."

James looked up and saw Peppy and Pigma struggling with each other. Peppy managed to kick Pigma off of him and into the base below. James shouted to his friend.

"Peppy, it's a trap! Get out of here! Tell the Gen—"

Wolf hit James over the head with the blunt end of blaster. It knocked him out cold.

"JAMES!" Peppy shouted and watched in horror as his best friend was carried back into the depths of the facility.

"Get that rabbit!" Wolf barked to his team. Peppy stood up and ran straight for his Arwing. He climbed in, powered it up and took off for the skies.

James woke up hours later to the sound of maniacal laughter. He knew that he had never heard it before, but it still sounded oddly familiar. When he opened his eyes, he saw the silhouette of an ape in the distance.

The silhouette spoke in a deep, dark voice "I've been waiting for you, James McCloud. I knew you would come here on the General's orders."

James finally recognized the voice. The silhouette walked into the light to reveal a tall, brown skinned ape. His busy white hair framed his wrinkled face. He wore a cloak that concealed the rest of his body.

"Andross!" James barked. He tried to move, but his body had been tied down to the table that he was laying on.

"You have caused me much pain over the years, James."

"What? How? I have no history with you."

"You have more of a history than you think, my friend."

"What do you plan to do with me, anyway?"

Andross turned his back to James and grinned, "You will be dead soon enough."

James looked astonished. He had never even met or spoke with Andross before this day, and he had absolutely no idea why he would want to kill him.

"Why, you have no vendetta against me."

"Ah, but I do. You remember that morning. Nineteen years ago, it was a winter morning when you met her."

James froze; he knew exactly what day Andross was referring to. He responded in a soft voice, "…Vixy?"

Vixy Reinard McCloud was James' wife. James met her at the Cornerian Military Academy. She was a fox, in every sense of the word; her orange fur was infatuating to anyone who gazed upon her. The white patches around her snout only complemented her gorgeous green eyes that had stolen James' heart from the moment he looked upon her.

Andross continued, "Ah, so you do remember. But, you see, that was the very day I began to DESPISE you, McCloud."

James sarcastically replied, "Why, did you love her?"

Andross fell silent.

James, realizing the truth in Andross' silence, continued, "You did love her…didn't you?"

Andross exploded, "I adored her! She was an angel. But she never even knew that I existed once she met you. I knew that if I was to free her from your tainted hands, I would need you out of the picture." He paused for a moment before finishing, "But how was I supposed to know that she would be the one to turn the key."

James was consumed by a terrible memory; after all, how could he forget the morning she was killed. It was a cold spring morning on Corneria. Vixy was heading into work when her car wouldn't start, so she decided to borrow James'. But the night before, unbeknownst to both of them, Andross had rigged James' car with a bomb, and when Vixy turned the key, the car detonated.

And at that moment, James came to a stunning realization.

"It was you! YOU KILLED VIXY! YOU SON OF A BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU!" James struggled with all of his might to move, but it was useless; he was tied down too tight. After struggling for a moment, he gave up and merely gritted his teeth in is newly formed hatred.

Andross turned his head and shouted back, "Did you not hear me, you daft fool? She was not meant to die that morning, James. It was supposed to be you!"

Andross faced James. "But now I can set things right and have my revenge. Soon, all of Lylat will be in my hands." His maniacal laughter consumed the room. "But first, I need to make sure that you and your Star Fox Team cannot stop me!"

Andross began his maniacal laughter once again. James could do nothing but watch as Andross approached him and everything in his sight faded to black.