Silver Fox (comics)
Silver Fox is a fictional character in Marvel Comics. She currently works for the terrorist organization HYDRA and is also known as a former love interest for Wolverine.
| Silver Fox | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Wolverine vol. 2 #10 (August 1989) |
| Created by |
|
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Kayla |
| Species | Human Mutant |
| Team affiliations | |
| Notable aliases | Zorra de Plata |
| Abilities | Accelerated healing |
The character has appeared in several X-Men animated series and video games, and was portrayed by Lynn Collins in the 2009 film X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Publication history
Silver Fox first appears in Wolverine vol. 2 #10 and was created by Chris Claremont and John Buscema.
Fictional character biography
Silver Fox is a member of the First Nation Blackfoot Confederacy.[1] In the early to late 1900s, she lived with Wolverine as his lover in Canada. She was allegedly murdered by Sabretooth on Wolverine's birthday,[2] but is later revealed to be alive and a member of "Team X", the most formidable covert ops team the CIA had to offer. Fox eventually betrays Team X and becomes a member of HYDRA, a subversive terrorist organization.[3]
Silver Fox reappears during the modern period when Wolverine tracks down each member of the Weapon X staff, discovering the studios where many of his memories, which he believes to be real, were staged. Allegedly she kills the professor who had been in charge of the program after Logan left. At this point it is revealed that Silver Fox is in command of a section of HYDRA.[4]
Shortly thereafter, Silver Fox captures the assassin Reiko, and forms an alliance with Reiko's boss, Hand Jonin Matsu'o Tsurayaba. Matsu'o is in the process of trying to buy Clan Yashida's underworld connections before Mariko Yashida severs them entirely. Silver Fox dupes Reiko into poisoning Mariko, giving Matsu'o what he wanted. Silver Fox's motivations in this are unclear.[5]
Later, when Mastodon, a member of the Weapon X Program, dies due to the failure of his anti-aging factor, Silver Fox reunites with Logan, Creed, Maverick, and Wraith. She is cold to Logan, and seems not to remember having spent any pleasant time with him. The group infiltrates a secret base and confronts the man who had implanted them with their false memories: Aldo Ferro, the Psi-Borg. After Carol Hines dies of fright at the hands of Ferro's transformation, Ferro takes control of their minds and this time makes Creed kill Silver Fox.[6] After Ferro's defeat, Silver Fox was to be buried in Salem Center. At the church, Logan discovered that her body has been prepared for flight. The father at the church notifies Logan that "a brick wall with an eyepatch" gave the order. Suddenly, a S.H.I.E.L.D. carrier arrives with Nick Fury, who states he never imagined the day when a top-ranking HYDRA member would get a full honors S.H.I.E.L.D. burial. Wraith appears as well, having orchestrated the entire funeral, stating "Salem Center meant nothing to her". Wraith tells Logan that they found the cabin where he really had lived with Silver Fox a lifetime ago. He gets permission to bury her there, by himself with only a shovel and uses the part of the door with "Silver Fox + Logan" in a heart that he had carved into it as a headstone.[7]
Before beheading Sabretooth, Wolverine expresses his doubt on whether or not the events of Silver Fox's return actually happened at all, but admits the pain and loss he'd felt again during that time was very much real. [8]
Powers and abilities
Silver Fox possesses an artificial healing factor and an age suppressant, allowing her to retain her looks after years of being separated from Logan.
In other media
Television
- Silver Fox appeared in the X-Men animated series. She was seen in the episode "Weapon X, Lies and Videotape".
- Silver Fox appears in the Wolverine versus Sabretooth motion comic, voiced by Heather Doerksen.[9]
Film
- Actress Lynn Collins plays the character in the 2009 film X-Men Origins: Wolverine renamed Kayla Silverfox. Instead of the accelerated healing factor that she displays in comics, she possesses a tactile manipulation ability (similar to that of Alpha Flight's Murmur II) that she can use to persuade anyone she touches, with the exception of Wolverine and Victor Creed (most probably because of their healing powers) she is in a relationship with Logan and works as a schoolteacher. Stemming from her Native American ancestry, she recites a story to Logan about a spirit named Kuekuatsheu (pronounced in the movie as koo-ay-koo-aut-soo and translates into "Wolverine") who fell in love with the moon but was fooled by Trickster into stepping foot in the mortal world from which he could never return. Thus, Kuekuatsheu was parted forever from the moon, howling at her whenever he saw her. Subsequently, Kayla is responsible for Logan's choice of "Wolverine" as an alias after her apparent death at Creed's hands. But when Logan discovers that she is not only alive but also working for William Stryker, Logan likens her to the Trickster who played Logan as the fool. Despite taking part in faking her death as a way for Stryker to copy Wolverine's powers and test the adamantium, Kayla assures Logan that her feelings were genuine and explains that Stryker has her sister Emma (sharing the same name and powers as Emma Frost) in custody along with other mutants, some of whose powers were pooled into the Weapon XI project. During the final assault and escape from the Three Mile Island Facility, Kayla is mortally wounded by a stray gunshot. Logan finds her and begins to carry her to safety before he is shot with an adamantium bullet by Stryker. Before Kayla dies, she touches Stryker's leg to order Stryker to walk until his feet bleed and then to walk some more. Unable to resist her command, Stryker walks away (and only stops some time later when military officers question him regarding General Munson's murder). When Logan comes to after being shot, Kayla's dead body is discovered but he doesn't remember her due to the amnesia brought on by the gunshot.
- Lynn's character is referenced in the 2013 film The Wolverine. Logan's voice can be heard calling Kayla's name through a nightmare. Additionally, her voice can be briefly heard near the end of the film where archived footage was used for this.[10]
Video games
Kayla Silverfox appears in the video game adaptation of X-Men Origins: Wolverine voiced by April Stewart.[9]
References
- Native Americans in Comic Books: A Critical Study
- Wolverine vol.2 #10
- Wolverine vol.2 #20
- Wolverine vol.2 #50
- Wolverine vol.2 #56
- Wolverine vol.2 #64
- Wolverine vol.2 #65
- Jeph Loeb (w), Wolverine vol. 3 #55
- "Voice Of Kayla Silverfox <nowiki>". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved May 11, 2018. Check mark indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources
External links
- Silver Fox at the Marvel Universe wiki
- Silver Fox at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
