Mortal Kombat comic books
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The Mortal Kombat comic books series included three official game tie in comics by Midway and a non-canon series by Malibu Comics, published between October 1994 and August 1995.
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[edit] Overview
There are two different continuities within the Mortal Kombat comic books- the first is the "canon" series, which is part of the game series' canon storyline produced by Midway and the second is the "non-canon" series, made by Malibu Comics.
The canon comics were released to coincide with the launches of Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II and Mortal Kombat 4. They offered insight into the background story to each of the games as well as giving story information that bridged the gap, so to speak, between one game's end and the next's beginning. A comic book that would tie in with Mortal Kombat: Deception was planned and three variant covers were designed as can be seen here. The comic was to be made by WAM Entertainment, but the company went out of business before the comic could be released. Given the comic was marked as issue #0, it is entirely possible this could have been the first multi-issue tie-in comic within the franchise.
The non-canon comics were a sort of "re-imagining" of the Mortal Kombat franchise as numerous details were altered and characters with no particularly defined background at the time (Smoke, Jade and Noob Saibot being three ideal examples) were radically different in terms of character when one compared their comic book appearances to their in-game appearances. In addition, certain characters were tweaked, mostly for the sake of the plot. For example, in Mortal Kombat II, Baraka is subservient to Shao Kahn and follows his orders without question. In the comics, however, he joins an alliance which also features Kung Lao, Kitana and Sub-Zero that wish to bring Kahn down.
Sub-Zero's treatment in the Malibu comics is particularly interesting. Throughout the entire run, he is clearly the original Sub-Zero. In the games, this is Noob Saibot. However, Sub-Zero in the comics is portrayed as heroic, in contrast to Noob's soul being tainted during Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero (and Scorpion is made to look purely evil, in contrast to his neutral alignment in the games). To confuse matters further, Noob later shows up as a completely separate character. The final issue sees the new Sub-Zero rise to avenge the death of his brother- which largely brings things closer to the game.
It seems that declining sales figure led to the Malibu-produced Mortal Kombat comics coming to an end. This would not be the only time Malibu were unsuccessful at making a long-running fighting game based comic book series- their adaptation of Street Fighter was infamously bad to the point Capcom themselves voiced disapproval of the comic and asked that it be ended after three issues[1]. By 1998, Malibu Comics had gone out of business.
Today, the Malibu comics are highly sought after items among Mortal Kombat fans and often appear on websites such as eBay. The game tie-ins, though, are truly rare and often go for more than their non-canon counterparts.
[edit] Comics within the canon of the games
[edit] Mortal Kombat Collector's Edition
Mortal Kombat, the official and canon comic book was only released by mail order when the original arcade game of Mortal Kombat I was released - the mail order deal was displayed during the attract mode of the game. This mode of advertising the "mail order only" comic book was also used in Mortal Kombat II. The comic book would later be sold normally around the country, although it was close to impossible to get a copy outside of the U.S.
The comic begins by filling in the backstory of Shang Tsung, the Great Kung Lao and Goro and tells us that Goro's victory in Mortal Kombat meant a new beginning for the tournament- bringing a dark new era. We then cut to the present day, where Liu Kang requests- and receives- permission from Master Wu to fight in the Mortal Kombat tournament. Wu warns Liu Kang that Shang Tsung is treacherous and Goro, while overconfident, is to be feared. Wu states the Shaolin monks depend on Liu Kang's victory. Two weeks later, at a harbour in Hong Kong, Liu Kang boards a boat that will take him to the island where the tournament will be fought. Johnny Cage is seen preparing to board, reassuring his agent and personal secretary that they have nothing to worry about- though they're clearly fearful for the Hollywood star's safety and disbelieving of the legitimacy of the tournament. A few miles away, Kano and some members of his gang are in a jeep, attempting to evade Sonya Blade, Agent Beran (whose name is not revealed here) and a man who is apparently Jax, as well as the rest of a US Special Forces unit. Kano begins to flee on foot but Sonya follows. Creating a distraction, Kano leaps aboard the boat taking the other fighters to the island- all in accordance with his plan to loot all the riches he can find from Shang Tsung's palace.
In the mountains of rural Japan, Shang Tsung issues a challenge to Raiden, God of Thunder, inviting him to compete in the tournament. Raiden accepts, more than willing to attempt to take Tsung down. Tsung reminds Raiden the tournament will be fought in his (Tsung's) domain and under his rule. Back on the sail barge, Kano is trying to use intimidation tactics on Cage. A fight breaks out but Liu Kang provides Cage the distraction needed to use his patented Shadow Kick to pull off a quick victory- Liu Kang takes down Kano's associates before any further fighting can ensue. Watching from above, a figure clad in blue and black surveys the scene- Sub-Zero. He is paying too much attention to the fight, however, to notice Scorpion, the ghastly spectre, grab him from behind. Scorpion vows to kill Sub-Zero just as Sub-Zero killed Scorpion exactly two years ago, though he states he is no mere murderer and, instead of killing the Lin Kuei warrior on the boat, will do so at the tournament. Sub-Zero says Scorpion is a fool to spare his life. Scorpion retorts "That has yet to be seen". At the island, after a day of practice and training, Shang Tsung and Goro welcome the participants in the tournament and introduce the latest entrant- Sonya Blade. Sonya had been trying to track Kano down to the island but had been caught and brought in by Tsung's guards. Tsung says that not only does Sonya's life depend on her performance in the tournament, but so do the lives of her companions- her unit, who have also been captured. Goro announces the start of the tournament and story ends with the caption "To be continued...at an arcade near you!"
The final few pages of the comic offer character profiles for the seven playable characters in the Mortal Kombat video game and Goro.
[edit] Mortal Kombat II Collector's Edition
Following the success of the first Mortal Kombat game, the second game was released with the simultaneous release of the Comic book (again which was originally for those who ordered the comic, and then later on became direct to newsagents). Like the first comic, the second comic book reflects the events that were raised in the game. Notably, Scorpion's role in the comic is contradictory to both his character ending in the Mortal Kombat II video game and to his role in Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks. In addition, Shaolin Monks' intro sequence and first level is in contradiction to the opening few pages of the comic, wherein Johnny Cage offers up a largely different scenario.
The comic begins with Johnny Cage recounting the events of the final moments of the previous game. He explains that Shang Tsung unleashed a horde of warriors on the Earthrealm fighters following Liu Kang's victory over Goro, and that Kano, Sonya and himself were rushed by Goro at The Pit. Suddenly, an explosion knocks out the bridge from underneath them. Everyone falls and Cage is unable to save Sonya as he grabs onto what was left of the bridge. It matters little, however, as the bridge crumbles away and Cage falls into the fiery abyss. He is saved, however, by Raiden (says Cage, "He can fly. He's a God, you know"). Raiden informs Cage that Liu Kang has killed Shang Tsung and the island, which was held together by Tsung's presence, is self-destructing. He elaborates that Liu Kang has already escaped and that following the battle with Tsung's army, Sub-Zero was killed by Scorpion who then burst into flames and burned to ash before Raiden's eyes. Cage comments on Scorpion's dramatic exit, but is less than thrilled at the dramatic exit he and Raiden have to make, especially when the ensuing explosion apparently knocks him out. The next thing he recalls is seeing "a friendly looking boat. It even has an American flag on it. It has cool lights and neat symbols painted all over. And it had guns...lots of guns. I don't like guns. Especially when they're pointed at me". He then snarls, "And that's the last time I'm telling you the story".
As it turns out, Cage has been telling the story to a disbelieving Jax and Agent Beran (a reference to Mortal Kombat series art director Steve Beran), who is more open to the story considering Cage has recounted the story five times with the exact same details each time. Jax doesn't believe Cage's story on account of a distress signal from Sonya pinpointed to where they found Cage and, more precisely, because he doesn't believe Sonya would ever fight alongside Kano, even if Cage says she had no choice. Jax releases Cage due to lack of evidence. Meanwhile, in Outworld, Shao Kahn is being addressed by King Gorbak who laments his son, Goro's, apparent death. He places the blame on Shang Tsung's shoulders. Tsung is apparently alive and well (for the moment) in Outworld- Liu Kang apparently only killed his form in Earthrealm, before the sorcerer escaped to Outworld. Gorbak calls for Tsung's death. Kahn gives the shapeshifting sorcerer one chance to impress upon him why he should not personally slay him. The always wily Tsung instantly comes up with a plan- to lure the Earthrealm warriors to Outworld by breaching the dimensional gate and challenging them to Mortal Kombat- only this time, the tournament will take place in Outworld and will be against the wishes of the Elder Gods. Kahn consults a Shadow Priest for advice. The Shadow priest tells the emperor that due to the plan being against the wishes of the Elder Gods, it is impossible to clearly foresee the outcome. He states, however, that should Kahn be victorious, his power will be unmatched and he will live for eternity- essentially, Kahn will be a God. If the plan fails, however, Kahn will face eternal damnation. Gorbak says that if Tsung is to live then he will offer the services of Kintaro. Shao Kahn welcomes Kintaro's assistance. As Shang Tsung's presence on Earthrealm no longer exists, Shao Kahn gives Tsung a new physical form- one that is much younger in appearance. Kahn then sends Mileena, Kitana, Baraka, Kintaro and Shang Tsung to destroy the Shaolin temple.
At the Special Forces base, a recording is received from Sonya and Kano that confirms Cage's story as true. Jax decides to make a trip to Hollywood to track down Cage. In China, Liu Kang has returned to his temple to find it ruined. The apparent sole survivor of the attacks, Kung Lao appears from the shadows and sides with his friend by offering his word that he will fight against Outworld. At that moment, a Lin Kuei hover jet lands. A man in a suit claiming to be Sub-Zero hands Liu Kang his calling card. Liu Kang states he saw Sub-Zero die and this man cannot possibly be the same person. Sub-Zero says he is the brother of the original Sub-Zero. He remarks with almost harsh nonchalance that his brother's unwillingness to adapt to technological change within the Lin Kuei is what made him obsolete. He shows the monks surveillance pictures the Lin Kuei took of a man claiming to be Shang Tsung (Tsung in his new form). Apparently Tsung is searching for Cage. The three decide to journey to Hollywood. Cage is on set, filming a commercial for "Cage Cologne" (as an interesting side note, the director's name is "E. Boon" and bears resemblance to the franchise co-creator of the same name whilst the cameraman looks like fellow co-creator John Tobias). At this point, Shang Tsung and the Outworld warriors sent by Kahn, flanked by numerous Masked Guards appear through a portal in the studio.
In the hallway, Jax and Agent Beran demand that a secretary let them see Cage- their wish is answered when Cage is blasted through the wall. A huge fight breaks out as Jax takes on Kintaro, knocking down the wall to the outside in the process. Sub-Zero's hover jet arrives about this time, being piloted by Smoke and a red-clad Lin Kuei member (possibly a pre-automation Sektor). Sub-Zero is now dressed in his Lin Kuei uniform and is prepared to fight (whether or not his earlier appearance was purely for show in the event Liu Kang and Kung Lao were not the men he sought is not made clear as it doesn't seem to fit in with the portrayal of his character). Kung Lao and Liu Kang join the fight on Jax's side. After Smoke makes another pass in the hover jet, Sub-Zero leaps down and makes an attempt on Shang Tsung's life- but he is rebounded off an invisible Reptile. Before Reptile can kill Sub-Zero, however, Scorpion intervenes and attacks Reptile. He says he will defend Sub-Zero as pennance for killing his brother. Sub-Zero faces moral dilemma: "If this is my brother's assassin, shouldn't I strike him down?". Before anything else can happen, however, Raiden arrives to stop the conflict. Shang Tsung now makes his challenge before returning to Outworld with his allies, leaving the Earthrealm warriors with the choice of accepting the challenge or forfeiting. Raiden informs Liu Kang that forfeit would weaken Earthrealm's standing with the Elder Gods- Liu Kang must accept the challenge. Jax is reluctant to join Shao Kahn's tournament but is spurred on when Cage reveals Agent Beran has been killed. Sub-Zero also offers to compete. Raiden tells the gathered group of Jax, Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Johnny Cage and Sub-Zero to "Prepare yourself, Mortals-- for Kombat in the Outworld!". The comic ends with the caption "To be continued on a game screen near you!"
[edit] Mortal Kombat 4 Limited Edition
Despite there being no comic book tie-in for Mortal Kombat 3 (nor one for Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 or Mortal Kombat Trilogy, the two updated versions of MK3) one was released for 1997's Mortal Kombat 4. This comic, written by Ted Adams and based on a story by John Tobias, explains the general backstory to the game as well as gives strong hints towards which of Mortal Kombat Trilogy's character endings held true.
The comic begins in Edenia with Reptile being sentenced by Queen Sindel to a life time of hard labour in the cobalt mines of Shokan for committing genocide in the name of Shao Kahn. Reptile is almost nonchalant and claims he is proud to have served the emperor, but promises Sindel will pay and claims he "will destroy (her) and (her) people". Sindel then holds a meeting with the Edenian Ambassador to New Realms, whose daughter, Tanya, introduces Sindel to a man from a realm seeking help. The man, who wears a hood to cover his pale white face and markings on his forehead, claims he is from the realm of Treche (likely a play on "treachery"), which has been taken over by the sorcerer Shil Kaad (perhaps a play on Shao Kahn's name). When Sindel is apprehensive, claiming she has heard neither of Treche nor Shil Kaad, the man gives her a "gift", an orb which almost mystically draws Sindel's gaze to it, to the point she cannot look away. The man says this is "just as (he) had planned". Meanwhile, elsewhere in Edenia, Princess Kitana is trying to settle a dispute between the two former favourite races of Shao Kahn- the Shokan and the Centaurians as a mysterious figure watches from the rafters of the meeting place. The two sides are arguing over land which was apparently promised to them both by Shao Kahn, but Kitana states Sindel does not honour Shao Kahn's promises. Just as one of the Centaurians is about to attack Kitana, the mysterious figure leaps down and subdues him- revealing himself to be Goro, Prince of Shokan. Goro states that, while he was thought to have been killed (following the events of Mortal Kombat) he was, in reality, hiding- ashamed at his loss to Liu Kang and unwilling to serve Shao Kahn. With Kahn gone, Goro says he is "back to take (his) father's place as leader of the Shokan" and the war between the Shokan and Centaurians must stop. As peace is reached and rapturous applause for Goro and Sindel fills the building, an explosion erupts from the direction of the Capital City- the orb given to Sindel has transformed into a huge portal to the Netherealm. Shinnok, ruler of the Netherealm, is the first to emerge from the portal. Behind him follow hundreds of demons, not to mention the mysterious Reiko and Scorpion, who is likely looking for another chance at life outside the Netherealm. As Quan Chi, the man from before, discusses the success of the plan and says Tanya is to be thanked, Shinnok claims his true goal is to reach the heavens and confront the Elder Gods- and now he has that chance.
Several days later, on Earthrealm, Sub-Zero has travelled to the Temple of the Elements in China. He recalls what his elder brother, the original Sub-Zero said- that the temple is home to an amulet that is designed to keep Shinnok in the Netherealm- it is protected by the elements of Wind, Earth, Water and Fire (a reference to Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero). As Sub-Zero prepares to make peace with the elemental Gods, he sees what he believes to be a sign falling from the sky and decides to follow it- but not before symbollically donning his mask once more out of respect not to the Lin Kuei, but to his brother. Fifty miles away, Liu Kang and Kai are sparring. Liu Kang quickly gets the upper hand- Kai jokes this is easy enough for the Immortal Champion of Mortal Kombat. Suddenly, what Sub-Zero saw falling from the sky collides with the ground near to the monks. They inspect the scene and discover demons about to slit the throat of a white-haired man. Sonya Blade is next seen, battling Jarek. She is unable to get the upper hand over the last remaining Black Dragon clan member and Jarek escapes. Jax then contacts Sonya and tells her she's needed to investigate an interdimensional flux in Southwestern China. A helicopter has been sent to pick Sonya up- to her chagrin, she finds her co-passenger is Johnny Cage.
At the crater, Liu Kang and Kai battle the demons well, but are outnumbered- until Raiden shows up and electrocutes the demons to death (or, perhaps more accurately, re-death). Raiden explains the man who fell from the sky is Fujin, God of Wind. Raiden elaborates that he and Fujin are the only remaining two of Earth's Gods and that the Elder Gods have been weakened by Shinnok. He and Fujin withdraw to the "Eternal Palace", to formulate a plan of attack, after telling Liu Kang and Kai they must go to Edenia. Just as Kai is lamenting the impossibility of such a task (and Liu Kang comments that "Things just seem to happen when Raiden is around"), the helicopter carrying Sonya and Cage arrives. Not long afterwards, Sub-Zero shows up to offer his help, correctly guessing that his brother may have played some part in Shinnok's return. Sonya uses Outer World Investigation Agency technology to open a portal to Edenia. On the other side, they are all greeted by Quan Chi who welcomes the humans to a "Mortal Kombat like you've never seen before". The comic ends with the caption "To be continued in Mortal Kombat 4"
[edit] Comics outside the canon of the games
The Mortal Kombat comic book depicts the video games as it is originally depicted in the game's storyline. While Malibu's "Battlewave" and "Blood and Thunder" series are official publishings of the game, they serve as "scenario 2" for Mortal Kombat, thus favouring the "what if" theories (in which the Mortal Kombat series are no stranger to).
[edit] Blood and Thunder series
Here is the list of comic books under the Blood and Thunder series:
- Light and Darkness
- A Slow Boat to China
- Test Your Might
- The Art of War
- Kombat Zones
- Tao
- Mortal Mayhem
The Blood and Thunder series depict the Mortal Kombat series in greater detail, yet it also uses the "what if" theory to a great extent. The storyline, though following the structure of the video game, also raises a storyline of its own, making it a different story rather than a comic book transfer of the game.
The older Sub-Zero is portrayed during the comic book series prominently, while the younger makes a small appearance in the last page of the Tournament Edition II issue. The older Sub-Zero has traits combined of both he and his brother; for instance, in the beginning he is true and loyal to the Lin Kuei and always speaks highly of his clan, yet later in the story he becomes more humane and instead of being a ruthless assassin, he becomes more human, thus assisting Kitana, Kung Lao, Liu Kang and their friends. Sub Zero does NOT feature an evil seed in his soul (Noob Saibot is not mentioned or featured in any Comic Book series except in a special Baraka issue, where he had a small role- he was originally until Malibu Comics stopped the MK Comic franchise due to low sales in the later years). Because of these changes it is sometimes criticized for being somewhat inaccurate and not true to the game's storyline and concepts raised.
It starts from the days leading to the Mortal Kombat tournament in which our heroes are united with a common bond- they have all been invited to participate in Mortal Kombat at Shang Tsung's mysterious island (which is held together by his very own existence). The series continue until issue 7 of Blood and Thunder when Shao Khan delivers the characters of the Mortal Kombat II game to assist Shang Tsung to conquer the Earth Realm. Characters like Jax, Kitana, Mileena and Baraka (basically it's a fuse between the characters of the original and sequel of Mortal Kombat) show up in this issue, and thus the Battlewave series come into full effect. What's interesting in the Blood and Thunder series is the character changes that each respective character undergoes- for example, Sonya absolutely hates Kano and does all she can to ensure his capture, if not his death also. However, once the Blood and Thunder series ends, Sonya becomes fully focused on aiding her friends and Rayden and even shares a rivaly with Mileena, whom tries to kill her on many occasions. Scorpion on the other hand wants to not only kill Sub Zero in revenge for killing him, but also his family and clan, in which originally was not his original intention.
[edit] Tao Te Zhan
The Blood And Thunder series focuses on one primary source of power, in which is a book known as the Tao Te Zhan. Originally, there were many, but over the years in which the powers of each book were unlokced and abused, the Elder Gods destroyed each separate book. They did, however place all its previous powers into the one book and devised a powerful spell in which was to keep the book permanently closed and placed in somewhere in the mountains - never to be found again. Therefore, there is only one undisputed and ultimate Tao Te Zhan book that remains in existence today. The Tao Te Zhan is a powerful book in which can unleash great power that anyone can imagine when opened. However, the catch with The Tao Te Zhan is that it requires a great power to break the spell (in which keeps the book closed, since it is not only a powerful book, but also to protect anyone whether good or evil from opening the book) and the answers to 7 riddles in which unlock the great power. Each solved riddle advances to the next page and they have been answered by various warriors, most specifically Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Liu Kang, Johnny Cage and Sonya. Sub Zero answered the most- that being two riddles (the rest only have answered one) and at some stage of their adventures have they tried to unlock the book's power. The books' last riddle was solved by Goro, who had disappeared during the series (in between both the Blood and Thunder and Battlewave series). Rayden and Shang Tsung however, join forces to strip Goro off his newfound power.
The Seven Riddles of the Tao Te Zhan are the seven special riddles that must be solved in order to unlock the ultimate power it possesses:
- "You may swallow me, but I may swallow you" (The answer was solved by Liu Kang, in which was "Water").
- "Ten Men's length, ten men's strength, ten men cannot tear it, but a little boy walks away with it" (the answer was solved by Scorpion, which was "Rope")
- "What overcomes you, yet you do not see it?" (The answer was solved (inadvertently) by Sonya Blade, which was "Sleep")
- "What bridge is built without stone or wood?" (the answer was solved by Sub-Zero, which was "Ice")
- The fifth riddle is never mentioned. It is however mentioned that Sub-Zero answered the fifth riddle, whatever it was.
- "What is higher than a house, yet is smaller than a mouse?" (the answer was solved by Johnny Cage, which was "A star in the sky")
- "What It belongs to you, but others use it more than you do?" (the answer was answered by Goro, which was "Your Name" although ironically, many characters referred to themselves in third person many times (Some fans reckon too many) in the comic series. As a result, Goro walked away with the Tao Te Zhan's power, only he was stripped off it by Shang Tsung and Rayden combined).
[edit] The Battlewave series
Here is the list of comic books under the Battlewaves series:
- Where The Wild Things Are
- A Fighting Chance
- No Guts, No Glory
- Days Of Thunder, Nights Of Pain
- The Killing Fields
- Death Moves
[edit] Goro: Prince of Pain Trilogy
Here is the list of comic books under the Goro: Prince of Pain Trilogy:
- Stranger in a Strange Land
- Down and Out in Outworld
- Armed and Dangerous
[edit] Specified character comics
Here is the list of specified character comics:
- Baraka: 'Babality
- Kung Lao: 'Rising Son
- Kitana & Mileena: 'Sister Act
[edit] Tournament Edition
Here are the Tournament Edition Mortal Kombat comics:
- Tournament Edition #1: With Friends Like These...
- Tournament Edition #2: 'A Cold Day in Hell
[edit] Rayden & Kano Trilogy
Here is the list of comic books under the Rayden & Kano Trilogy:
- Eye of the Storm
- The Evil that Men Do
- When Part the Heavens
[edit] U.S. Special Forces
Here are the U.S. Special Forces Mortal Kombat comics:
- Secret Treasures & Kano in 'Break Out'
- Secret Treasures II
[edit] New characters
- Siang: Formed out of twin fighting monks Sing and Sang, Siang is the combination of the two brothers, who have the special ability to fuse their two bodies into one warrior. He was considered to be the Order Of Light's greatest champion, that is until he was killed by Goro. Sang had survived the onslaught, but his brother was dead. Therefore, Sang joined with his dead brother once more to form Siang, only to never separate once more. He was controlled by Shao Kahn due to his Deathstone- a special stone/gem that had the power to control the dead. Because Siang was only half-dead, he maintained a mind of his own, yet was still under the control of Shao Kahn. Siang was to be killed by Scorpion, after when Scorpion destroyed the Deathstone. Scorpion would murder Siang after his explanation of his story and claiming that he was free from Shao Kahn's control after when Scorpion destroyed the Deathstone. Scorpion murdered Siang by impaling his spear through his heart and ripping it out, then quoting "Only the dead are free".
- Hydro: Sub-Zero's best friend and fellow Lin Kuei, Hydro has the ability to control water and even blasted strong waves of water that were so freezing cold that they could actually freeze the opponent upon contact. He is a bit younger than Sub-Zero, but is a respectable fighter in his own right. He also carries two ninja swords on his back.
Hydro was to be killed by Scorpion after the two fought in Outworld. Scorpion did so as apart of his vow to kill Sub-Zero's friends and family before killing Sub Zero himself.
- Lieutenant Lance: Lance was Sonya's special forces partner and close friend, whom had helped her in her bid to capture Kano. He sported an artificial arm (which was robotic) and had the ability to conduct electricity out of his hand, thus causing electric shocks upon contact. He could also extend his arm out a good few meters.
Lance would be killed by Kano during the tournament when Kano ripped his heart out. Sonya, grief stricken would then be partnered up with Jax.
- Gorbak: King Gorbak, ruler of the subterranean Shokan province of Outworld and father to Goro, is featured in Mortal Kombat: Battlewave, #1, Mortal Kombat: Battlewave, #6 and Mortal Kombat II: Collector's Edition. Interestingly, his appearance alters between the two Battlewave issues. In the first Battlewave instalment, Gorbak is seen alongside Shao Kahn and Kintaro as they question Shang Tsung's failure and allowance of Goro's defeat against Liu Kang. In the sixth issue, he is briefly referenced as an attendant of Sonya and Shao Kahn's wedding. For the MKII comic book, now known as the King of Kuatan, Gorbak is seen in similar circumstances to his first appearance, requesting Shang Tsung's destruction for permitting Goro's death and loss to the monk, Liu Kang. The sorcerer informs Shao Kahn of another means of invading Earthrealm through twisting the rules of the tournament, leading Gorbak to offer a new Shokan allegiance to the Outworld throne, Kintaro.
Except comics, King Gorbak also made an appearance in Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins.
- Grum: Grum is a six-armed Shokan and ruler of the Outworld province Katala, featured in Mortal Kombat: Blood & Thunder, #2. He wields six sets of nunchaku with his six hands, which hang from his belt. Despite his apparent strength and uniqueness, he is quickly bested in kombat by Sub-Zero from a simple freeze and fly-kick combination.
- Bo: Bo is introduced as Johnny Cage's personal bodyguard. Large and muscular, Bo was able to take a direct hit from Goro and be none the worse for it. He first appeared as Liu Kang was being brutally beaten by the Shokahn Prince- without the distraction provided by Bo, Liu Kang would almost certainly have been killed by Goro. Bo survived the entire run of the comics. During the course of events, Bo received a broken arm yet, in Tournament Edition II, he still managed to defeat Reptile literally single-handedly. Deciding he didn't know enough about Outworld to continue with the "contest" Shao Kahn had presented to the Earthrealm and Outworld forces, Bo instead spent the rest of the contest sat on the unconscious Reptile, his massive frame pinning him to the ground ensuring the lizard-like warrior would not be able to interfere with the progress of the other Earthrealm fighters.
- Zaggot: Lord Zaggot is a god of chaos, featured in the Mortal Kombat: Goro, Prince of Pain trilogy. He receives his sinister strengths through the disruption of events in the universe, though personally refers to this origin of power as, "It's all around... if you know where to look." Zaggot is almost always accompanied by a talking crow, Rook. He found it necessary to create the Kombatant once proposing the position to Goro, receiving refusal. Later, Zaggot reveals his true form to Goro for purposes of intimidation, only to be eaten by him when the lack of insuing chaos causes the god to shrink in size. Zaggot is later viewed playing a game of chess against his brother, Abacus.
- Rook: Mister Rook is a talking crow, featured in the Mortal Kombat: Goro, Prince of Pain trilogy. He accompanies Zaggot and ceaselessly congratulates his lordship. When Goro returns to Outworld and states his location, Rook replies, "Where did you think we were going? Disneyworld?"
- Kombatant: The Kombatant is an all-powerful creation of sorcery, featured in the Mortal Kombat: Goro, Prince of Pain trilogy. It has a body similar to Goro's, but its head looks more like that of a Terminator. Formed by Zaggot, it is imbued with the combined strengths and certain physical attributes of Johnny Cage, Sonya, Kano, Liu Kang, Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Raiden, Shang Tsung and Goro, resulting in a seemingly impossible being to conquer. Upon Goro's defeat, the Kombatant is ambushed by Baraka, Kitana, Mileena and Reptile, all of which are easily bested in kombat. However, Baraka prevails temporarily and manages to sever its upper-left arm which apparently reforms in the following instalment, suggesting that the Kombatant either incorporates the ability to regenerate or that Zaggot can heal its wounds at will. The Kombatant meets its demise when Goro easily disintegrates it with a magically-crafted gun, bestowed upon him by Abacus.
- Bishop: Miss Bishop is a librarian, featured in the Mortal Kombat: Goro, Prince of Pain trilogy (specifically the second issue). She accompanies Abacus in the Library of Order and endlessly aides him in maintaining the occurrences of the universe.
- Abacus: Lord Abacus is a god of order, featured in the Mortal Kombat: Goro, Prince of Pain trilogy. Residing in the Library of Order, he witnesses the chaotic scheming of Zaggot unfold, yet refuses to respond physically for fear of producing further chaos, thus feeding his rival. This course of action alters, however, when Abacus encounters Goro and presents to him a weapon forged of order. Abacus is finally seen versing his brother, Zaggot, in a game of chess.
[edit] Interesting concepts raised in the comic books
Throughout the comic book series, interesting concepts have been raised that while may not be apart of the actual and official storyline itself, is in fact apart of the "what if" hyperextension of the game. These theories prove to be popular with the fans as they show another perspective from the game's original perspectives. They are the following:
- It is revealed that Mileena was specifically created by Shang Tsung for Kahn through sorcery (Mileena constantly refers to herself in the comics as "Shao Kahn's true daughter"). This is later proved to be canonically true, as seen in the MK4 endings of Kitana and Mileena.
- There is in fact one Sub-Zero, and not two (thus killing off any speculation that Sub-Zero the elder turned into Noob Saibot). In the comic book Baraka, Noob Saibot appears in the storyline yet Sub-Zero (the original) still remains alive in the comic book series (the events that took place in Baraka occurred a week after the events of Battlewave: No Guts No Glory issue) where Sub-Zero left his alliance (consisting of Kitana, Kung Lao and Baraka) to infiltrate Shao Khan's fortress. Baraka left the group because of his arrogance, and therefore when he needed help, Noob Saibot was there to assist him.
- Kung Lao and Kitana share a love relationship instead of the Liu Kang/Kitana relationship in the games.
- Raiden had sworn to protect Sub-Zero.
- Scorpion was in fact a force of evil.
- Johnny Cage and Sonya had a relationship, although this concept is highly supported by the game's official storyline, there have been no suggestions in the game's storyline to officially prove that Sonya and Johnny Cage shared a relationship.
- Sonya Blade was hypnotised by Reptile into marrying Shao Khan.
- The Mortal Kombat: Goro, Prince of Pain trilogy revolves around the storyline elements of chaos and order, suspected to be the influence behind said themes being introduced in the video game, Mortal Kombat: Deception.
[edit] External links
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