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    Mortal Kombat X

    Game » consists of 8 releases. Released Apr 14, 2015

    The tenth installment of the bloody and storied fighting game franchise picks up decades after the events of the 2011 franchise re-boot, as new and returning kombatants fight throughout the realms over the power of an imprisoned evil.

    Post-Mortem Kombat X: The Living (Part 1)

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    Marino

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    Edited By Marino  Staff

    It's been six months since the release of Mortal Kombat X. I've played quite a lot of it, and I've also read all thirty-six issues of the comic book series they released before and after the release of the game. Way back when MKX was announced, I made a list of characters ranked by their likelihood of returning. People seemed to like that, and now that the story of MKX is complete, I decided to put together a report indexing the 70+ characters in the franchise to determine who's still alive, who's dead, and who's...somewhere in between? Death is a fickle concept in the MK universe as we all know.

    It should go without saying, but SPOILERS ahead.

    The girl who saved the world.
    The girl who saved the world.

    The story mode in Mortal Kombat X takes place over the course of the twenty-five years after MK9, but it's generally only two specific time periods. The beginning of the story takes place during the Netherrealm War, which happens shortly after the events of the previous game. After Johnny Cage defeats Shinnok, Raiden locks Shinnok within his own magical amulet and all seems relatively well and good throughout the realms. The story in the game then jumps twenty-some-odd years into the future where some of our favorite heroes now have kids that are becoming adults. The story then focuses on the battle for the throne of Outworld, Quan Chi's quest to release Shinnok once more, and the rise of Cassie Cage as Earthrealm's champion.

    The Elder Gods entrust the Kamidogu daggers to Raiden.
    The Elder Gods entrust the Kamidogu daggers to Raiden.

    The comics do a great job of filling in the gaps and explain why everyone is in the predicament they're in for the second part of the game's story while telling a new story. To be somewhat brief, in order to permanently bind Shinnok within the amulet in a dark dimension, the Elder Gods summon the six pieces of the Kamidogu, which fans will remember from the previous timeline. In this timeline, the pieces are daggers, which have the power to invoke blood magik. Raiden keeps the Orderrealm for himself and entrusts the daggers to heroes of various realms (Earthrealm to Jax, Outworld to Kotal Kahn, Chaosrealm to Shujinko, Netherrealm to Hanzo Hasashi, and the Edenian one was stolen by the Red Dragon). Unbeknown to them all, the blood magik powers had been corrupted by Havik in order to control or possess those cut by one of the daggers via what would be known as "The Blood Code." (I know, right?) The majority of the comics' story revolves around this treachery while introducing characters that "debut" in the MKX game and also including many characters that have yet to show up in the new timeline's games. I'll go into more detail on a per character basis.

    The first entry of this series is going to focus on the first half of the characters who have survived the events of MKX saga (including both the game and comics). So, let's get started...

    Bo' Rai Cho

    Bo' Rai Cho is a little less goofy than in the previous timeline.
    Bo' Rai Cho is a little less goofy than in the previous timeline.

    Bo' Rai Cho is an Outworlder who now trains Earthrealm warriors in preparation for Mortal Kombat tournaments. He is good friends with both Raiden, Fujin, Sub-Zero, as well as the Shaolin monks.

    Comics: Bo' briefly appears by rescuing Sub-Zero (Kuai Liang) after Scorpion nearly kills him. Sub-Zero had been possessed by the Kamidogu at the time. He later appears receiving a delivery from Kung Jin. He offers Jin a spot at the Shaolin academy but is refused. Bo' accompanies Sub-Zero to the secret Lin Kuei cybernetic cloneing facility but waits outside until Sub-Zero returns.

    Game: Near the end of MKX, Bo' Rai Cho arrives at the Sky Temple looking for Raiden. He fears Shinnok may have returned once again (he's right). While Raiden meditates in the Jinsei Chamber, Shinnok and his revenants attack the temple. Shinnok zaps Bo' Rai Cho with his amulet and says "when he dies," he will serve Shinnok. Raiden comments that Bo' Rai Cho is too resilient for that. So, it would at least appear the drunken master isn't dead yet.

    Cassie Cage

    Confirmed. The SNES version of Mortal Kombat II is better than the Genesis version.
    Confirmed. The SNES version of Mortal Kombat II is better than the Genesis version.

    Cassandra Carlton Cage is the daughter of Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade and (by the time of the game) a sergeant in Special Forces.

    Comics: Young Cassie and her best friend, Jacqui Briggs, go to a fight club where Cassie faces Frost. The match is interrupted when Jarek and Tasia of Black Dragon clan kidnap both Cassie and Jacqui, then escape through a portal. The Black Dragons are soon confronted by Mavado and the Red Dragon clan, which gives the girls a chance to escape. In the process, Cassie kills Mavado. They're later captured by the Red Dragon and both are corrupted by the Kamidogu thanks to Skarlet. Cassie, along with the other possessed heroes, attack Sonya and Johnny when they arrive at Shang Tsung's island to save her. When Hanzo defeats Havik, the possession is broken and the heroes return to normal. Cassie and Sonya make amends, which leads to Cassie enlisting in Special Forces.

    Game: During the events of MKX, Cassie is the leader of Johnny's special task force, which also includes Jacqui Briggs, Kung Jin, and Takahashi Takeda. Through the course of the story, she becomes a formidable leader, earns the respect of her mother, and discovers her magical ability inherited from her father. At the Sky Temple, she defeats both Sindel and Kitana on her way to the Jinsei Chamber where she defeats D'Vorah and Shinnok, thus saving both Johnny and Raiden. She and Kung Jin carry Raiden into the Jinsei, which saves Earthrealm from Shinnok's corruption.

    D'Vorah

    D'Vorah faces off with Reiko, and...loses...badly.
    D'Vorah faces off with Reiko, and...loses...badly.

    D'Vorah is a Kytinn, which is a race of humanoid insects from a forgotten realm known as Amyek. This realm was conquered by Shao Kahn long ago and merged with Outworld.

    Comics: D'Vorah is a devout follower of Kotal Kahn and supporter of his claim to the throne of Outworld. Near the end, she is killed by Reiko on the beaches of Shang Tsung's island when he literally rips her in half vertically. After the battle is over, we see many bugs reconstructing D'Vorah's body in the sand. She rises again just as Sheeva and Kintaro swim onto shore (after their ship was destroyed by Havik's forces) and tells them to follow her to Kotal Kahn's back up supplies. She leads a group including Sheeva, Kintaro, Erron Black, FerraTorr, and Reptile into Havik's base where they are met by the heroes possessed by the Blood Code. Kotal Kahn nearly kills her but, when Havik dies to Hanzo, the Blood Code breaks and D'Vorah lives. She later appears in the Netherrealm along with Quan Chi and his revenants as they plan how to reclaim the amulet and release Shinnok, thus revealing her true intentions.

    Game: As a newcomer in MKX, D'Vorah made big impact on the MK universe. She is the first to support Kotal Kahn's usurping of Mileena's rule, and, when Mileena confronts Kotal, D'Vorah single-handedly kills Baraka. Five years later, she and Cassie infiltrate Mileena's camp in the Kuatan Jungle and D'Vorah kills Mileena as well. Once she and Cassie obtain the amulet from Mileena, Kotal refuses to let Cassie take it back to Earthrealm. D'Vorah then steals it without Kotal's knowledge and, later, is able to get it to Quan Chi seconds before Scorpion kills him, which is enough time for Quan Chi to release Shinnok one last time. D'Vorah escapes and is the last line of defense for Shinnok in the Jinsei Chamber at the story's climax. Cassie defeats D'Vorah, but she does not die. When Sonya's team comes in at the end of the battle, she commands the troops to isolate D'Vorah, so she must still be alive.

    Daegon

    Goro meeting with Daegon might be the last thing in the timeline before the next game.
    Goro meeting with Daegon might be the last thing in the timeline before the next game.

    Daegon, and his brother Taven, are sons of an Edenian god named Argus. In the previous timeline, Argus had visions of Armageddon, so he encased his sons in a cave. The plan was they would awaken prior to the events of Armageddon to defeat Blaze. Daegon awoke early and went crazy.

    Comics: Daegon is referenced several times as the leader of the Red Dragon clan and the murderer of Kenshi's wife. He appears at the very end of the story, which may actually be post-game, when an armless Goro arrives at the Red Dragon stronghold in the Krimson Forest. Goro wants to learn about Onaga's regenerative powers in order to get his arms back. Daegon is reluctant to help him until Goro reveals that he has Kenshi held captive and delivers him to Daegon.

    Game: In MKX, Daegon does not appear except for in Kenshi and Takeda's arcade endings. Kenshi and Takeda (along with Taven) hunt down and kill Daegon in their arcade endings, but since that might not be canon (yet), let's say Daegon is alive.

    Ermac

    Ermac and Mileena teaming up against Skarlet on Shang Tsung's Island.
    Ermac and Mileena teaming up against Skarlet on Shang Tsung's Island.

    Ermac is an amalgamation of souls created by Shao Kahn.

    Comics: After the death of Shao Kahn, Ermac devoted themselves to Mileena as she was the decreed successor to his creator. When Mileena sails to Shang Tsung's island to confront Reiko at the end of the story, Ermac is still by her side. They are both captured by Reiko and Havik along with Sonya, Johnny, and Kotal Kahn. Havik is unable to possess Ermac like the others, so he attempts to absorb the souls of Ermac into Shinnok's Amulet, but is stopped by Takeda. After Havik is defeated by Hanzo, the possession is broken and Mileena immediately implores them to follow her back to Outworld to claim the vacant throne before Kotal has a chance to regroup. Ermac declines and pledges themself to Kotal, who they feel is a true leader.

    Game: After some early scenes, which take place before the comics, Ermac stays with Kotal Kahn through the rest of the story. They are last seen when Kotal's forces use a portal into the Dead Woods in search of Shinnok's amulet. Jacqui Briggs defeats Ermac (revenge for her father who lost his arms to Ermac in MK9), but does not kill them. Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei hold off Kotal's forces while Cassie's team heads for the Sky Temple.

    Erron Black

    He's older than he looks.
    He's older than he looks.

    Erron Black is a human from Earthrealm who prefers to apply his trade in Outworld. He doesn't just look like he's from the Old West, he is from the Old West. About 150 years ago, he was hired as an assassin by Shang Tsung, who considerably slowed Black's aging as a reward.

    Comics: Erron supports Kotal Kahn's claim to the throne of Outworld. He accompanies Kotal and D'Vorah when they use a portal into Special Forces HQ uninvited to ask for help. Erron serves as Kotal's liaison with Kano, who is Kotal's arms dealer. Kotal loses faith in Erron when the Black Dragon kidnap Cassie and Jacqui under his watch, which Kotal believes will cause unwanted strife between Outworld and Earthrealm. He is given a chance for redemption when D'Vorah leads a group of Outworlders including Sheeva, Kintaro, Reptile, and Ferra Torr into Havik's base at the end of the story. Erron is tasked with taking out Raiden, who is possessed by the Blood Code. Raiden nearly kills him, but is stopped when Havik dies, thus breaking the Blood Code.

    Game: Erron Black remains loyal to Kotal throughout the story as one of his deadliest enforcers. He nearly executes Rain, but is stopped by Mileena at the last second. He is last seen in the battle in the Dead Woods near the end of the game. When it seems clear that Kotal's team has bested Cassie's, Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei make the save and hold off the Outworlders while Cassie's team heads to the Sky Temple to face Shinnok.

    Ferra

    She's only gonna get bigger. A lot bigger.
    She's only gonna get bigger. A lot bigger.

    Ferra is a small, female warrior who wields large claws and rides atop the hulking brute known as Torr. They are actually the same species, but more on that in a moment.

    Comics: Ferra doesn't play an important role in the comic, but she and Torr are seen several times as part of Kotal Kahn's crew.

    Game: Ferra and Torr support Kotal Kahn's claim as emperor of Outworld. They both follow him to the end when Kotal enters the Dark Woods in search of Shinnok's amulet. Jacqui defeats Ferra and Torr, but does not kill either. In her ending, it is explained that there comes a time in each of her species' lives when they go into exile and undergo a transformation that takes three Outworld years. Afterwards, a rider is chosen and the cycle continues. It would appear that Ferra may return in the future, as a hulking beast with a rider of her own.

    Frost

    A teenage Cassie Cage finds herself in a cage fight against Frost.
    A teenage Cassie Cage finds herself in a cage fight against Frost.

    Frost is a member of the Lin Kuei clan who wields ice powers similar to that of Sub-Zero. In the previous timeline, she turned on Sub-Zero and stole the powerful dragon medallion.

    Comics: Frost appears briefly in the comics as an MMA fighter in an underground fight club that Cassie and Jacqui find themselves in. Cassie defeats her in what is supposed to be a deathmatch, but Cassie hesitates to finish her, which is when Jarek and Tasia show up through a portal and eventually capture Cassie and Jacqui. She then appears at the very end of the story arriving at the Lin Kuei temple with a legion of other warriors who are hoping to join the clan. She tells Sub-Zero that Raiden told them there was a tournament being held to find new members, which Sub-Zero had no knowledge of before their arrival.

    Game: Frost appears briefly when she interupts Sub-Zero's attempt to make amends with Scorpion. Frost's attempt at assassinating Scorpion is stopped when Sub-Zero freezes her in a block of ice. This scene takes place five years prior to the most recent events in the story, so when Sub-Zero tells Scorpion "Frost is strong, but lacks judgment. I will deal with her.", it is unclear what he intends to do with her.

    Fujin

    Fujin helping Takeda on his quest while protecting Earthrealm in Raiden's absence.
    Fujin helping Takeda on his quest while protecting Earthrealm in Raiden's absence.

    Fujin is the god of wind and one of the protectors of Earthrealm along with Raiden.

    Comics: Raiden was obsessed with re-collecting and protecting the pieces of the Kamidogu. Unwittingly, he made it easier for Havik to collect them, and, in the process, Raiden became corrupted by the Cleric of Chaos and served Havik along with a corrupted Cassie and Jacqui. That left Fujin to protect the Jinsei at the Sky Temple and Earthrealm as a whole for a period of time. Fujin gave Takeda his famous bladed whip weapons to aid him on his quest to stop Havik.

    Game: Fujin, although not playable, appears in the early events of the game's story as he helps Raiden and the Earthrealm warriors protect the Sky Temple and the Jensei Chamber from Shinnok and Quan Chi's revenants. Thanks to Johnny Cage, they defeat Shinnok and lock him back int he amulet...for a while.

    Goro

    Goro's in a bad way, but he's still alive and kickin'. Sorry.
    Goro's in a bad way, but he's still alive and kickin'. Sorry.

    Goro is the prince of the Shokan race, which are four-armed half-human half-dragon warriors from the underground kingdom of Kuatan in Outworld.

    Comics: In a battle with Kotal Kahn, Goro loses all four of his arms to Kotal's sword. Kotal leaves him alive in an attempt to shame him. Instead, it led to Goro's father, King Gorbak, leading an all-out war on Kotal Kahn. When the Shokan retaliate, Kotal Kahn kills King Gorbak in battle. The Shokan council decides a handicapped Goro is unfit to lead and chooses Sheeva as the new ruler. Goro exiles himself and promises to return with a vengeance for those who wronged him. At the very end of the story, which may actually take place after the game's story, Goro arrives at the gates of the Red Dragon stronghold in the Krimson Forest. He seeks to learn about the Dragon King, Onaga, and gains the favor of Daegon by bringing him Kenshi. It is unclear how Goro captured Kenshi.

    Game: Goro does not actually appear in the story of MKX. As you can see from the comics, there is a reason he is relegated to being a DLC character in the game.

    Jacqui Briggs

    Jacqui battles Skarlet at Havik's base.
    Jacqui battles Skarlet at Havik's base.

    Jacqueline Briggs is the daughter of Jackson "Jax" Briggs. As a teenager, she trained and competed in Junior Olympic kickboxing. Her best friend is Cassie Cage.

    Comics: Jax never wanted Jacqui to get involved, but of course she does. Together with Cassie, they are attacked by Jarek and Tasia of the Black Dragon clan and eventually captured after running through a portal to Outworld. The Red Dragon clan ends up taken them to Shang Tsung's island where Skarlet, who is allied with Havik, uses the Kamidogu daggers to corrupt/possess Jacqui and Cassie forcing them to fight Johnny and Sonya when they arrive to the island in their quest to save the girls. After they too are corrupted, Jacqui helps Sonya kill Kintaro just moments before Hanzo kills Havik, thus breaking the Blood Code and returning the heroes to their normal selves. When Jacqui returns home, Jax concedes that he can no longer protect his little girl, and decides he must help train her to protect herself.

    Game: Jacqui joins Johnny Cage's special task force with Cassie Cage, Kung Jin, and Takeda. Despite her father's wishes, she had gone to Sonya and volunteered to enlist in Special Forces. Near the end of the game, Jacqui gets some revenge on Ermac for what he did to Jax in MK9. Over the course of the story, Jacqui and Takeda form a romantic relationship. At the end of the story, when the team makes it to the Sky Temple to stop Shinnok, both she and Takeda are injured by Kitana, but together they are able to fend off the revenants of Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Smoke, Kitana, and Sindel long enough for Cassie to defeat Shinnok.

    Jax

    Jax fails to protect one of the Kamidogu daggers.
    Jax fails to protect one of the Kamidogu daggers.

    Jackson "Jax" Briggs is a cybernetically enhanced former Major in Special Forces. At the end of MK9, he was killed by Sindel and his soul was taken by Quan Chi.

    Comics: The comics take place after Sonya, Johnny, and Raiden raid Quan Chi's fortress and free Jax's soul from the sorceror's control. Jax subsequently retires from the Special Forces to live on a farm as a family man. Despite being retired, Raiden entrusts Jax with Earthrealm's Kamidogu. Reiko shows up at Jax's farm demanding the dagger from Jax, but Jax refuses. Reiko demolishes Jax's home and threatens to kill his wife, Vera, and daughter, Jacqui, which leads to Jax handing it over.

    Game: A few years after the events of MK9, Special Forces enter Quan Chi's fortress in Netherrealm. Sonya defeats the sorceror, which releases his hold on the souls of Sub-Zero, Scorpion, and Jax. Raiden cleanses their souls, which returns them to regular human form. Many years later, his daughter, Jacqueline, follows in his footsteps and joins SF against his will, which leads to Jax returning after some convincing from Sonya and Johnny. Jax and Kenshi lead a team into Netherrealm in search of Quan Chi. Jax is able to capture the sorceror and bring him back to the SF camp in Earthrealm. Depending which arcade endings you believe (if any), Jax may end up being killed by either Kano or Erron Black, but whether any of that is canon is yet to be determined.

    Johnny Cage

    Johnny shuts up for once.
    Johnny shuts up for once.

    Johnny Cage is a Hollywood actor who has inexplicably become one of Earthrealm's greatest heroes. He and Sonya Blade were the only two Earthrealm warriors to survive MK9.

    Comics: Sometime after the Netherrealm War, Johnny and Sonya have parted ways. Their daughter, Cassie, a teenager now, is caught in the middle. When Cassie and Jacqui are kidnapped by the Red Dragons, Johnny and Sonya reconcile at least temporarily in order to save their daughter. Johnny, along with Sonya's SF crew, help Kotal Kahn defend his city against the Shokan army, then make their way to Shang Tsung's island, where the girls are being held by Havik and Reiko. To their dismay, Cassie and Jacqui have been corrupted by the Kamidogu thanks to Skarlet. Johnny, Sonya, and Kotal are captured and their blood is sacrificed by Havik to turn Reiko into a blood god. The Kamidogu daggers are then used to possess Johnny and the others. He helps subdue Takeda when he arrives seeking vengeance on Havik. When Hanzo kills Havik, Johnny and the other heroes return to normal.

    Game: A few years after MK9, Cage helps lead the defense against Shinnok's assault on the Jinsei Chamber at the Sky Temple, defeats Shinnok, and saves Sonya in the process thanks to his green aura super powers. Not long after, Cassie is born, Sonya devotes her life to Special Forces, Sonya and Johnny split up, Cassie grows up, and eventually joins SF. Johnny puts together a special task force including Cassie, Jacqui Briggs, Kung Jin, and Takahashi Takeda. Despite getting a cold shoulder from Sonya for most of the story, Johnny plays an integral role in helping Special Forces and Earthrealm as a whole. When Shinnok is released from the amulet by Quan Chi, they kidnap Johnny, likely because Shinnok knows now that Johnny has magical powers that are a threat to Shinnok's plans. D'Vorah encases him in some kind of cocoon in the Jinsei Chamber to torture him, but he survives long enough for Cassie to arrive and defeat Shinnok. At the end, the Cage family is reunited and all seems well.

    Kano

    Kano simultaneously gives Sub-Zero his famous eye scar and corrupts him with the Blood Code.
    Kano simultaneously gives Sub-Zero his famous eye scar and corrupts him with the Blood Code.

    Kano is a cybernetically enhanced mercenary, arms dealer, and leader of the Black Dragon clan, which is an offshoot of the Red Dragon clan.

    Comics: Kano is first seen infiltrating the Red Dragon's base in search of one of the Kamidogu daggers. He finds Sub-Zero there doing the same. In a fight, Kano uses his knife to give Sub-Zero his famous eye scar. In return, Sub-Zero freezes Kano's eye implant and rips it out of his skull. Later, after the Black Dragon have kidnapped Cassie and Jacqui, Erron Black comments that Kano is going to accidentally kill one of them with eye lasers, but Kano explains he's got a new one now with better upgrades. They are then attacked by Mavado and the Red Dragon. Outnumbered, Kano uses a portal stone to evac, leaving Erron, Cassie, and Jacqui behind. Later, Kano and the Black Dragon join up with Kotal Kahn in the defense of Z'unkahra in the war with the Shokan. Kano drops a nuke on the Shokan, eliminating more than half their army. He demands payment from Kotal afterwards, but is instead imprisoned for his role in kidnapping Cassie and Jacqui, which damaged Kotal's relations with Earthrealm.

    Game: Kano, as always, is a double crossing, low life, son of a bitch. When MKX starts, he's been selling intel to Kotal Kahn about Mileena, but is actually setting up an ambush on the new emperor. After failing to assassinate Kotal, Kano gets stabbed through the back by Kotal's dagger after a brief battle. He survives and returns to Earthrealm disguised as a refugee, but is caught by Sonya. She almost kills him but is stopped by Johnny since Kano has info about Mileena and the amulet. We never see him again, so we can only assume he is still alive, either imprisoned by Special Forces or on the run again.

    Kenshi

    Kenshi leaving his son in the care of...Scorpion?
    Kenshi leaving his son in the care of...Scorpion?

    Kenshi Takahashi is an Earthrealm warrior with telekinetic powers who lost his sight when Shang Tsung tricked him into finding an enchanted katana known as Sento. The souls within the sword were released, blinding Kenshi and then were absorbed by the sorceror who left Kenshi to die in the dark. Kenshi survived and wandered the Earth on a mission to eradicate evil.

    Comics: After Scorpion's soul was freed from Quan Chi by Sonya and cleansed by Raiden, Kenshi aided Scorpion in subduing his rage and returning to life as Hanzo Hasashi, the great Shirai Ryu warrior. Kenshi accepted a Special Forces mission to infiltrate the Red Dragon, but he was discovered and ran. The Red Dragon clan found Kenshi's wife, a Thai-American woman named Suchin, and his son, Takeda, which brought Kenshi out of hiding. Kenshi arrived in time to save his son, but not his wife. He fled with his son into Shirai Ryu territory, which led his pursuers into a trap. Scorpion arrived and killed Hsu Hao and the rest of the Red Dragon members with him. Kenshi left his son with Scorpion (Hanzo) to train him in the ways of the Shirai Ryu and hide him from the Red Dragon. Still hunted by the clan, Kenshi flees again but is successfully extracted from a battle by Sonya in Pakistan. At the very end of the story, which may be post-game, it is revealed that Goro (now armless) somehow captured Kenshi and has delivered him to Daegon at the Red Dragon stronghold in the Krismon Forest. Goro knows that Daegon worships the Dragon King, Onaga, who is said to have regenerative powers, which Goro thinks can help him regain his arms.

    Game: Kenshi reunites with his son twenty years after leaving him with Scorpion. At first, Takeda is angry and feels abandoned by his father, but comes to realize why his father made this decision. Kenshi teaches his son how to use his telepathic abilities, then continues to aid Special Forces by leading a squad including Jax and Sareena to capture Quan Chi in Netherrealm. Scorpion is obsessed with killing Quan Chi and leads a raid on the SF camp. Kenshi tries to calm him down, but fails and Scorpion kills the sorceror. The last we see him is when Shinnok's revenants invade the Special Forces refugee camp. Kenshi is defeated along with the rest of SF, but is not dead.

    Kotal Kahn

    Kotal Kahn faces King Gorbak (Goro's father) at the Battle of Z'Unkahrah.
    Kotal Kahn faces King Gorbak (Goro's father) at the Battle of Z'Unkahrah.

    Kotal Kahn is a powerful, Osh-Tekk warrior from Outworld. Their realm was conquered long ago by Shao Kahn and merged into Outworld. Kotal's father, Kotal K'etz, surrendered to Shao Kahn and swore fealty to him. As a reward, Shao Kahn allowed him to keep his portal stone.

    Comics: In a flashback to when he was young, Kotal Kahn is furious with his father's surrender to Shao Kahn. His father tells him if we wishes to lead, he must complete a "realmwalk." Kotal ends up finding the Amazon in Earthrealm and becomes worshipped as a god by the Mayans there after he slaughters a band of Spanish conquistadors. His father was not impressed. The Mayans, having adopted many barbaric Osh-Tekk practices, had become doomed by disease from the foreigners they killed. Upon returning, Kotal has no choice but to serve Shao Kahn in his army in Outworld. After Shao Kahn's death, Kotal Kahn leads a rebellion against Mileena's claim to the throne, which is seen in the game. In the early stages of this rebellion, Kotal Kahn is at war with the Shokan and he mutilates Goro, kills King Gorbak, then convinces Kintaro to join him in hunting down their real enemy; Mileena. Kotal, along with D'Vorah, Johnny, and Sonya, sail to Shang Tsung's island to confront Reiko and Havik. Mileena arrives with Ermac and an army of tarkatan warriors, so an all out battle ensues. Havik defeats them and, after using their blood to summon Shinnok's Amulet, possesses them with the Kamidogu blades. Kotal helps subdue Takeda when he arrives seeking vengeance on Havik, and also fights his own friends (D'Vorah & Ferra Torr) when they arrive at the base trying to save him. He nearly kills D'Vorah but Havik's death breaks the Blood Code. With Raiden as mediator, Kotal and Sonya agree to an "The Reiko Accord" that binds them to discuss conflicts between Earthrealm and Outworld before attacking each other. Kotal turns down an offer to protect the amulet because Outworld is still in a state of civil war with Mileena on the loose.

    Game: In his rebellion, Kotal Kahn's notable followers include D'Vorah, Erron Black, Reptile, Ferra/Torr, and eventually Ermac. At first, it seems Kotal only wants what's best for his realm, but it soon becomes clear that he seeks more power. After allowing Cassie's team to help him find Mileena, he decides to keep Shinnok's amulet for himself rather than allow Cassie to bring it back to Earthrealm. D'Vorah ends up turning on him, which Kotal believes is to join Earthrealm, when she is actually siding with Shinnok. Kotal Kahn invades Earthrealm near the end of the game in search of the amulet and nearly eliminates Cassie's team before Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei make the save. Sub-Zero tells Cassie he will push them back to Outworld to give Cassie time to attack Shinnok, so Kotal is presumably still alive.

    Coming Soon!

    • The Living (Part 2)
    • The Dead (Part 1)
    • The Dead (Part 2)
    • The MIA
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    Fredchuckdave

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    Really interesting post, thank you sir.

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    Brackstone

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    Cool stuff, thanks. I dropped off the MK comics just after the protagonists arrived at the island, but it was pretty good up until then. I'd actually say that from what I saw, the comic's story was maybe better than the one we got in the game.

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    ViciousBearMauling

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    But when do we talk about how centered around setplay this game is and how that's a bummer?!?

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    ObsideonDarman

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    I loved MK9. I fucking hated MKX.

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    Marino

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    #5 Marino  Staff

    Cool stuff, thanks. I dropped off the MK comics just after the protagonists arrived at the island, but it was pretty good up until then. I'd actually say that from what I saw, the comic's story was maybe better than the one we got in the game.

    I'd probably agree with you. I loved all the cameos. As crazy as the lore of MK is, the comics actually handled it with a lot of care.

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    mrfluke

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    the overarching storyline all seems like this is all leading straight into a "Armageddon 2" or basically the Injustice storyline, but for MKX. which given how much events are different in this timeline VS the old timeline, that could be really interesting.

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    Brackstone

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    @marino said:
    @brackstone said:

    Cool stuff, thanks. I dropped off the MK comics just after the protagonists arrived at the island, but it was pretty good up until then. I'd actually say that from what I saw, the comic's story was maybe better than the one we got in the game.

    I'd probably agree with you. I loved all the cameos. As crazy as the lore of MK is, the comics actually handled it with a lot of care.

    I think caring for the characters and consistency is the key. I liked the MKX story well enough, and MK9 a decent amount, but it is kind of ridiculous how whatever character you're currently playing as is just the most powerful possible, and everyone else just fodder. Then of course 90% of fights are like Saturday morning cartoons where no one dies. By having all the cameos from unpopular characters in the comics, they could actually have, you know, fights to the death. The comics felt like there were more actual stakes.

    You'll get to the deaths in a future post, so I won't say too much here, but I feel like there are a lot of characters in the game that could have been killed, and it wouldn't really have effected much, but would at least make the Mortal part of Mortal Kombat come into play more.

    I wonder, overall what did you think of the new characters added in MKX? I liked all the Outworld characters, they each have distinctive looks, personalities, gameplay, and in the case of D'vorah and Kotal, the most interesting roles in the story. The new Earthrealm characters I was less thrilled by.

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    sparky_buzzsaw

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    Nice write up, Marino. Ihad no clue about the comic book histories of these characters, so that's neat. Looking forward to a whole blog series based on Striker.

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    Marino

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    #9 Marino  Staff

    I wonder, overall what did you think of the new characters added in MKX? I liked all the Outworld characters, they each have distinctive looks, personalities, gameplay, and in the case of D'vorah and Kotal, the most interesting roles in the story. The new Earthrealm characters I was less thrilled by.

    Yeah, D'Vorah is easily the most interesting new character. I do love Cassie though. She's not top tier in terms of tournament play or whatever, but she's my go-to character when playing. After reading the comics, I have a better appreciation for the rest of the "Kombat Kids" too.

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