====== White Fox ======
===== Part 1: The Dossier: An At-a-Glance Summary =====
  *   **Core Identity: **Ami Han, known as White Fox, is a formidable super-spy for the South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the last of the Kumiho, a race of mythical shapeshifting nine-tailed foxes, dedicating her life to protecting her nation while hunting the sinister cult that murdered her family.**
  *   **Key Takeaways:**
  * **Mythical Heritage and Super-Spy:** White Fox is a unique blend of ancient mythology and modern espionage. Her powers, including hyper-acute senses, retractable claws, and hypnotic suggestion, are derived from her Kumiho ancestry, which she combines with elite training from the [[nis|National Intelligence Service]] to operate as one of the world's most effective covert operatives.
  * **Leader of Tiger Division:** She is the field leader of [[tiger_division]], South Korea's official state-sponsored superhero team. This role forces the often solitary and secretive Ami Han into a position of responsibility, where she must balance national security interests with the volatile dynamics of her super-powered teammates.
  * **MCU Status: Not Present:** As of now, White Fox (Ami Han) has **not** appeared or been referenced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Her introduction remains a point of fan speculation, often linked to the expansion of international heroes within the MCU.
  * **Webtoon Origins:** Uniquely, White Fox did not originate in a traditional American comic book. She was first created for the Korean webtoon //Avengers: Electric Rain// before being so popular that she was integrated into the primary Earth-616 comic book continuity.
===== Part 2: Origin and Evolution =====
==== Publication History and Creation ====
White Fox's path to the mainstream Marvel Universe is unlike almost any other character's. She was not conceived in the Marvel Comics writers' room in New York but was instead created by writer Young Hoon Ko and artist Woo Bin Choi for a South Korean digital webtoon series titled //Avengers: Electric Rain//. This series, a collaboration between Marvel Comics and Daum Kakao, launched in October 2014 and presented a localized story where a new hero, White Fox, aids the Avengers in a battle centered in Seoul.
Her design drew heavily from the //Kumiho// (or //Gumiho//), a nine-tailed fox creature from Korean folklore, giving her an immediate cultural resonance with the intended audience. The character proved to be immensely popular with the Korean readership. Recognizing her potential, Marvel editorial made the decision to incorporate her into their primary comic book continuity, Earth-616.
Her official Earth-616 debut occurred in //Contest of Champions// #1, released in October 2015, written by Al Ewing. She was introduced as a mysterious and skilled combatant, captured alongside other international heroes to participate in a cosmic battle orchestrated by the [[maestro|Maestro]] and the [[collector|Collector]]. Following this introduction, she was gradually woven into the fabric of the Marvel Universe, most notably by writer Greg Pak, who made her a central figure in his 2019 relaunch of //[[agents_of_atlas]]//. This was followed by a key co-starring role in the //[[taskmaster]] (2020)// miniseries and eventually the leadership position in the //[[tiger_division]] (2022)// limited series, solidifying her status as Marvel's premier South Korean superhero.
==== In-Universe Origin Story ====
=== Earth-616 (Prime Comic Universe) ===
Ami Han was born into a lineage she did not initially understand. She is the last known descendant of the Kumiho, a mystical race of intelligent, shapeshifting nine-tailed foxes. Her grandmother was a full-blooded Kumiho who fell in love with a human man. The family lived a quiet life in the forests near Seoul, attempting to conceal their true nature from the world. When Ami was a young girl, her home was attacked by a fanatical cult. These assailants, who seemingly knew of the family's Kumiho heritage, mercilessly slaughtered her parents and most of her relatives. Ami only survived because her grandmother sacrificed herself to help her escape.
Orphaned and traumatized, Ami was found and taken in by a distant aunt and uncle. Growing up, she was haunted by the massacre and driven by a desperate need for answers and justice. The only clue she had was a deep, instinctual understanding that the attackers were not ordinary criminals. As she matured, her Kumiho abilities began to manifest more strongly. Her senses of smell and hearing became extraordinarily acute, and she discovered she could manifest razor-sharp claws from her fingertips.
This burgeoning power, combined with her fierce intelligence and unwavering determination, drew the attention of the South Korean **National Intelligence Service (NIS)**. The agency saw in her the potential to become a unique and powerful asset. They recruited her, offering a path to channel her grief and rage into a purpose: serving her country. The NIS provided her with extensive and rigorous training, honing her natural abilities and transforming her into a master of espionage, martial arts, and infiltration. She adopted the codename **White Fox**.
As an agent of the NIS, Ami Han became a ghost, a living weapon deployed on the most dangerous and sensitive missions. While she served with distinction, she never abandoned her personal quest. She used the vast resources of the NIS to secretly hunt for any information related to the cult that destroyed her family, following cold trails and whispers across the globe. Her professional life as a spy and her personal vendetta are inextricably linked, with each success for South Korea bringing her potentially one step closer to the vengeance she has sought for her entire life. This internal conflict between duty and revenge defines the core of her character.
=== Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) ===
To date, **White Fox (Ami Han) does not exist within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)**. She has not appeared, been mentioned, or alluded to in any of the films or Disney+ television series.
However, the MCU's increasing focus on global heroes and organizations opens several plausible avenues for her potential introduction.
  *   **Expansion of Espionage:** With characters like [[sharon_carter|Sharon Carter (Power Broker)]], Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, and the upcoming //Thunderbolts// film, the MCU is delving deeper into the world of international espionage. White Fox could be introduced as a rival or temporary ally from the NIS, representing South Korea's interests in a world full of clandestine power plays.
  *   **International Hero Teams:** The introduction of characters from diverse backgrounds suggests a future where teams beyond the Avengers could form. A project focusing on a team like the Agents of Atlas or a new international coalition could be a perfect entry point for White Fox, establishing her alongside other global heroes.
  *   **Mythological Connections:** The MCU has explored various mythologies, from Norse ([[thor]]) to Egyptian ([[moon_knight]]) and Greek ([[thor_love_and_thunder|Zeus]]). An exploration of East Asian mythology could introduce the concept of the Kumiho, providing a supernatural origin for her powers that aligns with established MCU precedents.
If introduced, it is likely her origin would be streamlined for the screen. The core elements—the last of a mythical race, a family tragedy, and her recruitment by a government agency—are strong, cinematic concepts that could be adapted faithfully while fitting into the broader MCU narrative.
===== Part 3: Abilities, Equipment & Personality =====
=== Earth-616 (Prime Comic Universe) ===
Ami Han's capabilities are a potent fusion of her innate Kumiho physiology and the elite training bestowed upon her by the NIS.
==== Kumiho Physiology & Powers ====
As the last of her kind, Ami possesses a range of superhuman abilities derived from her mystical fox heritage.
  *   **Superhuman Senses:** White Fox's most prominent and frequently used power is her hyper-acute sense of smell. She can track individuals across continents by their scent, identify them by their unique chemical signature, detect lies through pheromonal changes (similar to a polygraph), and analyze complex chemical compositions in the air. Her hearing and sight are also enhanced to superhuman levels.
  *   **Retractable Claws:** She can extend and retract 5-inch, razor-sharp, bone-like claws from her fingertips. These claws are incredibly durable, capable of rending steel, stone, and most conventional materials with ease. They are her primary close-quarters offensive weapons.
  *   **Enhanced Physical Attributes:** Her Kumiho nature grants her superhuman strength, speed, agility, reflexes, and durability. While not on the level of powerhouses like [[captain_marvel|Captain Marvel]], she is significantly stronger and faster than any peak human athlete. She can leap great distances, move with silent grace, and withstand impacts that would kill an ordinary person.
  *   **Accelerated Healing Factor:** White Fox possesses a regenerative healing factor. While not as rapid as [[wolverine|Wolverine's]] or [[deadpool|Deadpool's]], it allows her to recover from injuries like gunshot wounds, lacerations, and broken bones in a matter of hours or days, depending on the severity.
  *   **Animal Communication:** She has a limited ability to communicate with and understand other animals, particularly canines and other mammals. This is more of an empathic and instinctual connection than a direct telepathic conversation.
  *   **Mesmerism/Hypnotic Charm:** By accessing a deeper level of her Kumiho power, Ami can speak in a way that entrances and subtly influences her listeners. This is not overt mind control but a powerful form of suggestion that can make people more compliant or disoriented. She rarely uses this ability, as she seems to consider it a violation.
  *   **Nine-Tailed Transformation (Potential):** It is implied that, like the Kumiho of legend, Ami possesses the potential to manifest nine physical tails, which would signify a massive increase in her power. She has resisted this transformation, fearing the loss of control and her humanity that might come with it. She once briefly manifested them under extreme duress during a fight with a demonic bear god.
==== Master Spy & Combatant ====
The NIS augmented her natural gifts with world-class training.
  *   **Master Martial Artist:** She is an expert in numerous forms of armed and unarmed combat. Her fighting style is fluid and ferocious, integrating her claws and superhuman agility with formal martial arts techniques. She has proven capable of holding her own against some of Marvel's most skilled fighters, including [[taskmaster]].
  *   **Expert Marksman & Espionage:** She is proficient with a wide array of firearms and other espionage-related weaponry. Her skills in infiltration, stealth, intelligence gathering, and counter-intelligence are second to none.
  *   **Multilingualism:** She is fluent in Korean and English, and likely several other languages pertinent to her intelligence work.
==== Personality ====
Ami Han presents a stoic, professional, and often cold exterior. She is a creature of discipline and control, a necessity for both a spy and someone suppressing a mythical beast within. She rarely displays emotion and often communicates in a blunt, direct manner, which can be off-putting to her more emotive teammates. Beneath this carefully constructed armor, however, lies a deep well of unresolved trauma and grief from her family's murder. She is fiercely loyal to those she considers her responsibility—her team, her nation—and is driven by an unyielding sense of justice, even if that justice blurs with vengeance. She has a dry, understated wit that emerges on rare occasions, often in the heat of battle.
=== Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) ===
As White Fox is not present in the MCU, she has no established abilities, equipment, or personality traits in this continuity. Any depiction would be a fresh adaptation, though it would likely retain the core concepts of her Kumiho powers and spy skills from the comics to maintain character fidelity.
===== Part 4: Key Relationships & Network =====
==== Core Allies ====
  *   **[[Crescent and Io]] (Dan Bi):** Ami shares a close, almost sisterly bond with the young taekwondo prodigy Dan Bi. As a fellow Korean hero and teammate on both the Agents of Atlas and Tiger Division, White Fox often acts as a stern but protective mentor figure for the younger girl. She sees Dan Bi's innocence and potential as something to be shielded, a stark contrast to her own jaded and violent past.
  *   **[[Luna Snow]] (Seol Hee):** Initially, White Fox viewed the K-Pop idol turned superhero with professional skepticism, seeing her as an amateur. However, after serving together on multiple missions, a mutual respect and genuine friendship developed. Luna's optimism and charisma serve as a foil to Ami's stoicism, and they have become two of the core pillars of South Korea's superhero community.
  *   **[[Jimmy Woo]]**: As the leader of the Atlas Foundation and the one who recruited her into his new Agents of Atlas, Jimmy Woo acted as Ami's handler during the //War of the Realms//. Their relationship is one of professional respect between two highly competent agents. Woo trusts White Fox's skills and judgment implicitly, often giving her command of field operations.
  *   **[[Tiger Division]]**: As the leader of this team, her relationships are complex. She respects **Taegukgi**'s power but can be frustrated by his straightforward, often blunt approach. She works professionally with the sorceress **Lady Bright** (General's Daughter), the street-smart android **Gun-R**, and the boisterous demigod **Mr. Enigma**, but often has to act as the pragmatic center holding the disparate personalities together.
==== Arch-Enemies ====
  *   **The Cult of the Nine-Tailed Fox:** This mysterious and deadly cult is White Fox's primary nemesis. They are the group responsible for the slaughter of her family and the destruction of her childhood. Their motives appear to be rooted in a dark obsession with the Kumiho, possibly seeking to steal their power or eradicate them. Every action Ami takes is, on some level, aimed at finding and dismantling this organization to avenge her kin.
  *   **[[Taskmaster]]**: White Fox's relationship with Taskmaster is a complex web of animosity, professional rivalry, and a strange, undeniable chemistry. When Taskmaster was framed for the murder of Maria Hill, his investigation led him to South Korea, where he clashed repeatedly with White Fox. Their encounters were a masterclass in combat, with each opponent testing the other's limits. Despite being enemies, a grudging respect formed between them, characterized by witty banter and a mutual acknowledgment of each other's elite skills.
==== Affiliations ====
  *   **National Intelligence Service (NIS):** The NIS is her primary employer and the organization that shaped her into the operative she is today. While she is a loyal agent, she is not above bending the rules or using their resources for her personal missions, creating a sometimes-tense dynamic with her superiors.
  *   **[[Agents of Atlas]]**: She was a founding member of Jimmy Woo's new team of Pan-Asian heroes. Her role on the team was that of the lead combatant and stealth expert. Her time with this group significantly raised her profile on the international stage and forced her to learn to work with a diverse group of superhumans from different cultures and backgrounds.
  *   **[[Tiger Division]]**: This is her most significant affiliation. As the field leader of South Korea's premiere super-team, she is the face of superhuman authority in her home country. This position carries immense pressure, forcing her to be not just a soldier and spy, but a leader and a public figure.
===== Part 5: Iconic Events & Storylines =====
==== Contest of Champions (2015) ====
This storyline served as White Fox's official introduction to the Earth-616 continuity. Abducted from Earth by an unknown force, she finds herself a pawn in a cosmic game between the Collector and the Maestro (a tyrannical future version of the Hulk). She is forced to fight against and alongside other captured heroes from across the globe, including international heroes like the UK's [[outlaw|Outlaw]] and France's [[guillotine|Guillotine]]. The series immediately established her formidable combat skills and mysterious nature. Though her role was that of an ensemble cast member, it effectively showcased her as a competent and dangerous fighter, leaving readers intrigued about her origins.
==== War of the Realms (2019) ====
During Malekith the Accursed's invasion of Earth, White Fox played a pivotal role in the Asian theater of the war. When the Fire Goblins of Muspelheim, led by the Queen of Cinders, invade Asia, Jimmy Woo recruits Ami Han alongside other Asian heroes like [[shang-chi|Shang-Chi]] and Silk to form a new team of Agents of Atlas. White Fox's strategic mind and combat prowess were essential in defending Seoul and pushing back the invaders. This event was crucial for her character development, as it marked her first time operating as part of a major superhero team in a global crisis, solidifying her place among Marvel's heroic community.
==== Taskmaster (2020) ====
This limited series by Jed MacKay provided one of the most in-depth character studies of White Fox to date. After [[taskmaster]] is implicated in the murder of Maria Hill, he discovers the real killer has mimicked his fighting style using photographic reflexes. His only lead on another person with such an ability is Nick Fury, who points him towards Ami Han and the South Korean NIS. The story sees Taskmaster travel to Seoul, leading to a thrilling cat-and-mouse game with White Fox. Their multiple confrontations highlighted her skills as a detective, tracker, and fighter, proving she is more than a match for one of Marvel's top-tier mercenaries. The series also explored her personality, revealing her dry wit and the complex morality that guides her actions.
==== Tiger Division (2022) ====
This miniseries, written by Emily Kim, finally put White Fox and her home team in the spotlight. As the leader of Tiger Division, Ami must navigate not only external threats but also internal team politics and the immense pressure of being a government-sanctioned hero. The story involves a mysterious enemy from Taegukgi's past emerging to challenge the team, forcing White Fox to rally her powerful but sometimes dysfunctional teammates. This series was instrumental in defining her leadership style and exploring her responsibilities beyond being just a spy, cementing her role as the cornerstone of South Korea's defense against superhuman threats.
===== Part 6: Variants and Alternative Versions =====
==== Avengers: Electric Rain (Webtoon) ====
This is the original version of White Fox, from which her Earth-616 counterpart was adapted. In this continuity, Ami Han is an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s South Korean division. When the high-tech city of Seoul is attacked by a new version of Ultron, she is the primary local hero who assists the visiting Avengers. While the core concept of a Kumiho-powered spy is the same, this version's backstory and affiliations are slightly different. Her integration with S.H.I.E.L.D. is more direct from the outset, and the narrative is self-contained. The art style and storytelling are tailored for the vertical-scroll webtoon format. This incarnation is crucial as it represents the character's conceptual genesis.
==== Marvel Future Fight (Video Game) ====
White Fox is a playable character in the popular mobile action RPG //Marvel Future Fight//. The game has been instrumental in introducing her, alongside fellow Korean heroes Luna Snow and Crescent & Io (who were created for the game), to a massive global audience. In the game, she is a Speed-type character who utilizes her claws and swift movements in combat. The game provides various uniforms (costumes) for her, including her classic look and her //Agents of Atlas// attire. For many fans, this highly visible and interactive version of the character was their first introduction to White Fox.
===== See Also =====
  * [[tiger_division]]
  * [[agents_of_atlas]]
  * [[crescent_and_io]]
  * [[luna_snow]]
  * [[taskmaster]]
  * [[nis|National Intelligence Service]]
===== Notes and Trivia =====
((White Fox is based on the Kumiho (or Gumiho), a creature that appears in the oral tales and legends of Korea. Legends describe it as a nine-tailed fox that can freely transform, among other things, into a beautiful woman often set out to seduce boys, and eat their liver or heart. There are numerous variations of the myth.))
((Her real name, Ami Han, can be interpreted in a few ways. "Ami" is not a common traditional Korean name, but it is phonetically similar to the French word for "friend," and is used as a name in Japan. "Han" is one of the most common Korean surnames and is also the name for Korea itself (Hanguk).))
((Her first appearance in Earth-616 was in //Contest of Champions// #1 (2015), but her true first appearance as a character was in the Korean webtoon //Avengers: Electric Rain// (2014).))
((In the //Taskmaster// (2020) series, it's revealed that Nick Fury considers White Fox's sense of smell to be one of the most powerful and reliable information-gathering tools on the planet, placing it on par with top-level psychic intelligence.))
((The National Intelligence Service (NIS), known in Korean as //Gukjeongwon//, is the chief intelligence agency of South Korea. It is a real-world organization, and its inclusion adds a layer of authenticity to White Fox's background as a super-spy.))