Crimson Fox

Crimson Fox
Crimson Fox from the cover of Justice League Europe #23.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Justice League Europe #6 (September 1989)
Created by	Keith Giffen Bart Sears
In-story information
Alter ego	- Vivian D'Aramis - Constance D'Aramis - Unknown
Team affiliations	(Vivian, Constance) Justice League Europe Justice League Université Notre Dame des Ombres (Unknown) Global Guardians Justice League Europe
Notable aliases	Red Fox, Le Renarde Rousse
Abilities	(Vivian, Constance) Animal speed and agility, pheromone control (Constance) Enhanced senses (Unknown) Pheromone control

Crimson Fox is a codename for two superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.

Publication history

The first two holders of the Crimson Fox moniker first appeared in Justice League Europe #6 and were created by Keith Giffen and Bart Sears. Identical twins, Vivian and Constance D'Aramis shared the role of Crimson Fox to allow each something of a normal life, although Vivian was much more enthusiastic about their superheroic life. Crimson Fox originally appeared as part of Justice League Europe. ^[1]

The unrevealed Crimson Fox first appeared in Green Lantern vol. 4 #11.

Fictional character biography

Vivian and Constance D'Aramis

The sisters ran Revson, a major Parisian perfume company (which may perhaps explain the origin of their pheromone powers). To make their heroic actions easier, they faked Constance's death, so that one of them could operate as Crimson Fox (La Renard Rouge or La Renard Rousse in French) ^{[lower-alpha 1]} while the other attended business functions. Readers of her/their comic book appearances could easily tell the difference between the two due to Vivian's more pronounced French accent. She was also always portrayed as a more carefree and outgoing woman than her sister. Both sisters (first Vivian, and later Constance) fell in love with fellow hero Metamorpho. ^[1]

The first two Crimson Foxes are deceased. Vivian D'Aramis met her fate at the hands of French supervillain Puanteur in Justice League International #104 (October 1995). Puanteur died in the same issue. When the Justice League Europe team was reformed as La Fraternité de Justice et Liberté, the team did not know that member Icemaiden had been surreptitiously replaced by the daughter of supervillain The Mist. This new Mist killed three members of the team, including slitting Constance D'Aramis' throat, in Starman (vol. 2) #38. ^{[3] [1]}

Unrevealed

One Year Later in the pages of Green Lantern (vol. 4) #11, (June 2006), it was revealed that a new woman has taken the mantle of the Crimson Fox, again operating as a French superhero in Paris. She was unwillingly pressed into service and membership by the Global Guardians, who intended to pursue Green Lantern. ^[4]

The new Crimson Fox told Hal Jordan that she is the heiress to the D'Aramis fortune, though her specific relationship to Vivian and Constance, as family or otherwise, remains unknown.

Powers and abilities

The original Crimson Fox twins had superhuman speed and agility and could emit pheromones that stimulated intense sexual attraction in men. Their gloves were equipped with deadly steel talons. After Vivian's death, Constance retreated into her animal persona and developed enhanced senses.

The new Crimson Fox has a similarly equipped costume as the previous version and seems to possess identical pheromone powers.

In other media

Television

• An unidentified Crimson Fox makes non-speaking appearances in Justice League Unlimited as a member of the Justice League.^{[ citation needed ]}
• An unidentified Crimson Fox appears in Powerless , portrayed by Atlin Mitchell in the pilot episode "Wayne or Lose" and by Deanna Russo in subsequent episodes.^{[ citation needed ]}

Merchandise

The Vivian D'Aramis incarnation of Crimson Fox received an action figure in Mattel's Justice League Unlimited toyline as part of a six-pack.^{[ citation needed ]} Mattel planned to release individual figures of Crimson Fox, but the line was cancelled.^{[ citation needed ]}

Notes

1. While the French names literally translate to "Red Fox," DC was concerned about copyright violation regarding a pre-existing comics character known as Redfox, published in the United Kingdom. ^[2]

References

1. Jimenez, Phil (2008), "Crimson Fox", in Dougall, Alastair (ed.), The DC Comics Encyclopedia, New York: Dorling Kindersley, p. 90, ISBN   978-0-7566-4119-1, OCLC   213309017
2. Cronin, Brian (November 17, 2005). "Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #25!". CBR. Ever wonder why JLE translated 'La Renard Rouge' (the Red Fox) as the Crimson Fox even though there is nothing crimson about her...? When the character first appeared there was already a British b/w indie comic book ... called Redfox . When La Renard Rouge first appeared, one of the characters identified her as The Red Fox and they guys who did Redfox were concerned about copyright issues since they'd already had one character blatantly hijacked by Marvel when a thinly disguised Demon Queen [from Redfox] appeared in Alpha Flight under the name of Dreamqueen. Anyhow, on this occasion they had some inside help ... Neil Gaiman..., and he went and had a quiet chat with the editor of JLE. Result: La Renard Rouge is forever after mistranslated and nobody says why.
3. Starman,vol. 2,no. 38(January 1998).DC Comics.
4. Greenberger, Robert (2008), "Global Guardians", in Dougall, Alastair (ed.), The DC Comics Encyclopedia, New York: Dorling Kindersley, p. 138, ISBN   978-0-7566-4119-1, OCLC   213309017