EARTHREALM versus OUTWORLD
Death Moves (Malibu/Midway)
Where: Mortal Kombat: Battlewave #6
When: August 1995 Why: Charles Marshall
How: Vinton T. Heuck

The Story So Far...
Held once every generation; the sanctity of Mortal Kombat was intended to be Earth's saving grace. By pitting their greatest warriors against the forces of Outworld in controlled one-on-one contests, they fend off invasion. Representing their evil emperor, Shao Kahn; Shang Tsung and Outworld's fighters need only win ten straight tournaments to be granted freedom to attack Earthrealm.

Lust for power led Shang Tsung to deviate from the course of traditional combat and pursue the powers of a mystic book called the Tao te Zhan. With the tournament compromised, Earth's greatest champions were forced into battle Goro outside of the rules, only to be flung into the depths of Outworld upon the champion's disappearance. Both hero and villain united their efforts to curtail the unleashed forces of the Tao te Zhan, but the Emperor is not so easily curbed.

In his bid to claim the realm of Earth, Shao Kahn takes full advantage of the kidnap of Sonya Blade. Intent on marrying her as a means of crossing the threshold between worlds, Shao Kahn has his minions manipulate the special forces agent's mind, but he failed to account for her friends...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Shao Kahn 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Shang Tsung 5 (Professor)
Speed: Reptile 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Raiden 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Smoke 7 (Formless)
Fighting Ability: Goro 6 (Warrior)
Energy Power: Raiden 6 (UWMD)


- The Earthrealm warriors are: Raiden, Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, Jax, Johnny Cage, Bo, Sing, Sang, Kung Lao, Sub-Zero, Kitana, & Baraka.

As one of the key realms of the universe, Earthrealm is a land of great promise and potential. Protected by the god of thunder and lightning, Raiden, the Earth stands steadfast against it's opposition, survived by the courage of generations of warriors pledged to light and justice.

Among the great champions to spring from Earthrealm was the warrior called Kung Lao, who first earned victory in a tournament with Outworld. Kung Lao's reign may have been brought to an end by the Shokan Prince, Goro, but decades later his descendents carry on the flame. Liu Kang, accompanied by Kung Lao II, follows in his ancestors footsteps to become the new champion of Mortal Kombat.

- The Outworld warriors are: Shao Kahn, Shang Tsung, Goro, Kintaro, Reptile, Mileena, Smoke, Jade, Kano, & Scorpion.

The realm of Outworld was once the domain of the fabled Dragon King, whose desires to become immortal proved his undoing. Shao Kahn, once an advisor to Onaga, poisoned his master to usurp the throne. In doing so, Kahn destroyed one horror only to become a far worse alternative. His desire for power sees the invasion and conquest of many realms, such as the once beautiful kingdom of Edenia, which was merged into Outworld by the tyrant.

Shao Kahn's most recent preoccupation is Earth where the sorcerer, Shang Tsung, acted as an emmissary of Outworld in the tournament called Mortal Kombat. Ten victories in the tournament would earn Outworld the right to invade Earthrealm without the intervention of the gods. A warrior named Kung Lao once held the title, but his reign as champion was undone by a Shokan prince called Goro.

Outworld is home to many violent species, some displaced by the destruction or assimilation of their home realms. Within Kahn's empire are the nomadic mutant creatures, the Tarkata; the four-armed powerhouses, the Shokan; and the horse-legged Centaurians.

Math: Earthrealm (Ttl) Outworld (Avg) Ranking: Shang Tsung (#19)

What Went Down...
Having endured the hypnotic suggestion of Reptile - Sonya Blade is on the verge of accepting Shao Kahn's hand in marriage when a solitary voice echoes into the tyrant's chambers. Unintimidated by the collective of evil, Liu Kang stands proud, confident as the champion of the Temple of the Order of Light.

Goro, former champion of kombat, charges his newest nemesis with evil intent, but Kang is ready. He leaps the descending fist of the four-armed man-dragon and counters with a skillful kick that staggers the beast!

Shao Kahn's other minions descend with overwhelming numerical superiority, but just as they do, a hurricane wind and thunderous roar usher the arrival of Earth's protector god -- Raiden! Shang Tsung shoos his own allies away, intent on exacting revenge for one of his greatest opposers.

Coming to aid in the scrap are two more of Earth's destined warriors - Sonya's Special Forces partner, Jax, and the actor with a special affection for her, Johnny Cage. Together with Cage's bodyguard, Bo, the trio make an immediate impact against Reptile, Smoke, and Kano!

Just as Goro steps up to make the save, yet another warrior makes a dramatic entrance, this time the merged mortal whose soul is comprised of both living and dead -- Siang! Having been manipulated with the use of a rare gem, Siang again falls beneath the mystic control of Prince Goro, who himself was responsible for killing one of the brothers, Sang.

The rebel collective of Kitana, Kung Lao, Sub-Zero, and Baraka, enter to complete the opposition of Kahn's sinister plot. The Lin Kuei ice warrior, Sub-Zero, quickly renews his vendetta with the ninja whose spectre remains bound to torment so long as he lives. Scorpion is quick to sting, but finds an opponent at the ready!

While the blood fued boils on, kombat spills throughout Shao Kahn's throne room. Kung Lao battles Reptile, while the many other combatants tackle their own foes. The mutants Baraka and Mileena; Princess Kitana and her former ally, Jade; Bo against the combined prowess of Goro and Smoke; and Jax a double-team by Kintaro and Kano! It is a fitting conclusion that mirrors the struggle between realms that gathered these warring factions.

Baring witness to this bitter clash of nemesis', Shao Kahn achieves a moment of clarity. Recognising the passion that drives them to attain physical superiority, he questions the value of any attempt to bring the two sides together.

Even as he observes the mutual hatred shared by denizens of the opposing realms, Shao Kahn is set upon by his would-be bride, the Earthrealm agent he'd attempted to brainwash! Free from her programming, Sonya topples the Emperor with a jump kick to the back of the head!

It begins with a cackle and ends with a booming speech.
In an effort to bring about a conclusion, Shao Kahn declares a challenge to decide the superior force. Thus, Mortal Kombat begins anew, pitting the fighters from both worlds against each other in a race for a sacred artifact...

The Hammer...
After what really amounts to a series of dramatic introductions, we can only conclude that neither force gained certain enough a blow to obtain victory. Ergo, it is a draw for all concerned!

Now well into December, it seems we have quite a bit of catch-up to do. While this means we won't get to milk quite as much out of the month of Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe as originally intended, let it never be said that a Friday went unrepresented in the Infinite Wars!

MKvsDC Super Stock
#1 Batman (DC)
#2 Superman (DC)
#3 Shang Tsung (MK)
#4 Wonder Woman (DC)
#5 Catwoman (DC)
#6 Green Lantern (DC)
#7 Shao Kahn (MK)
#8 Sonya Blade (MK)
#9 Flash (DC)
#10 Raiden (MK)
#11 Kano (MK)
#12 Darkseid (DC)
#13 Deathstroke (DC)
#14 Kitana (MK)
#15 Sub-Zero (MK)
#16 Captain Marvel (DC)
#17 Lex Luthor (DC)
#18 Scorpion (MK)
#19 Joker (DC)
#20 Baraka (MK)
#21 Liu Kang (MK)
#22 Jax (MK)The idea behind this post was to preceed next week's entry (which will feature Darkseid) with the classic MK boss who put the "Kahn" in Dark Kahn. Admittedly, impatience leaves us with a pretty vague entry for the character, but it's yet another opportunty to indulge in the vast cast of characters that Mortal Kombat has to offer.

Malibu Comics by no means made any kind of delicate effort to weave an intricate story of subtlty and subtext, but we should give them some credit. In practise it proves to be a fairly cumbersome idea, but I rather like the motivation behind Battlewave's interpretation of Sonya as famous captive of the Emperor during MKII.

Presumably inspired by the background that had many fans buzzing with theories in 1993; Sonya, in a subplot pulled straight from modern living, finds herself as the ticket for Kahn to be allowed what amounts to a visa into Earthrealm.
When put alongside established fact from the series - such as Kahn's wedlock to the Edenian Queen, Sindel - you can imagine the scheme as a trump card in the complicated game of the Elder Gods' rules.

What will be lost on neophytes is the fact that the second MK game exists as part of a farcical tournament that serves as little more than a distraction.
The much maligned cinematic sequel, Annihilation, revealed to unfortunate mainstream audiences the core plot of MK3/Trilogy pertaining to the resurrection of Sindel in Earthrealm. If we consider these backdoors into Earth as a routine practise for the conquerer, it stands to reason he might just as likely marry to gain entry into realms, as he is to fight. Whatever works, eh?

Man-slut doesn't really do this boss character justice, however.
Multiple fake-out deaths and a string of varying characterizations have left Kahn in a bit of a state. Back in the day you might have been naive enough to take his lauding exclamations as an acknowledgment from an honorable warrior, but cries of "excellent" and "outstanding" should never have taken away from his menace!

Kahn dealt super-power blows at a cut-price to gamers who made it far enough to enter his arena. Like Bison/Vega before him, Kahn represented the stuff of legend to fans who believed Mortal Kombat's digitized graphics, cartoon gore, and mythologically inspired storyline was king of the arcade.
As much as is possible in storylines dependent on such big and loud plot-twists, I like to think of Kahn as a respectable warrior who is as cunning as he is powerful. A character who is master not only of harsh hand-to-hand combat, but also the dark mystic arts that allow him insight into his allies, enemies, and the world around him.

It's characters like Shao Kahn that gave me fairly high hopes for the meeting between Mortal Kombat and the DC Universe. It felt like an ideal opportunity to take advantage of a T-rated audience quite possibly trained to indulge further in the story and character driven events that surround the DC characters. It was disappointing that the series, largely unrecognised or mocked by other fanbases, could not rise to the challenge.

If Midway can fight to live another day, it will be very interesting to see where they take the series in it's first focused step into this current generation of consoles. With iterations that improve in some way the previous fight engine, Mortal Kombat appears to have a plan for the future, even if this type of scenario has crumbled to mediocrity before. With financial destruction looming, the future of MK remains a very interesting subject.

While we play catch up, be sure to tune in daily for the annual DC/Marvel Fantasy Fight polls, and much more in the Infinite Wars!

The Fight: 3 The Issue: 3

For more on Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe, check out the official website, our Q&A interviews with Jimmy Palmiotti and Hans Lo, and our series of character spotlights and discussions: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, clues special, bonus one, two, three, four and Dark Kahn spotlight, Final MK cast, Final DC cast! ALSO: C2C editions Mortal Kombat vs DCU, Finish Him...!, Heroic Brutality, Heroic Fatality, Mooortal Kombaat!

Don't forget! The holidays are right around the corner! For the fanboy in your life, the Infinite Wars Gift Shoppe offers a range of the titles derived from the many issues reviewed in the Secret Archives! You'll not only find a great Amazonian deal, but also help sponsor the site by using purchase links provided! Cheers!

QUICK FIX MEGAMIX: BLOOD & THUNDER #3!
The Art of War (Malibu/Midway)
Where: Mortal Kombat: Blood & Thunder #3 When: December 1994 Why: Charles Marshall How: Patrick Rolo

Quick Fix...
Lost, Lost, Lost, Lost, Lost!
Today we'll be talking about the island tournament of Mortal Kombat, and while that might not have anything to do with the season finale of the ABC sci-fi/drama, I really wanted to take advantage of that fat Lost web-traffic...

With useless gratuity out of the way, I now officially welcome you all to the latest instalment of our running reviews and discussions of Mortal Kombat.

Reflecting on a month where reviews have been tough to come by, I'm almost a little disappointed we've dedicated so much time to the video game franchise. Apologies to those of you who've been coming by hoping for more iron in your diet in the proclaimed Invincible Iron Month. Hopefully our back catalogue specials will have at least contributed to whetting our apetite.

I don't want to be too apologetic.
Over the past month I've been very conscious of the split audience I've been talking to, and as much as the loyalties of this website are to comics, I feel I should be doing more to champion the Mortal Kombat cause.
Since the announcement of November's Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe, I've done plenty to document the cultural insignificance of this once mainstream phenomena, and the accompanying disinterest of comics fans. What I haven't done terribly well is describe what's great about the franchise that has kept my interests since the first game, released in 1993.

I suppose full disclosure is in order. I like to consider myself a pretty savvy individual, with well grounded criticisms and opinions, but I'm not without my predelictions. As is self-evident, I have a special penchant for combat, and I take absolutely no issue with the simplicity of a narrative dependent on the interactions of two (or more) opposing forces. I like the art of fighting.

Fortunately, Mortal Kombat manages to deliver substantially more in the story department than would otherwise be associated with it's under achieving, two-axis gameplay. Important, given the few admirers the series has earned within the hardcore gaming community, even with recent advancements.

Though far more technically sound; rival narratives, like the more successful Japanese Street Fighter, can be typified by the underdeveloped method of communicating ideas through individual characters. Contrary to this genre-established tradition; Mortal Kombat takes far more ownership of it's concepts and story, delivering serialized epics comparable to the checkpoint storytelling of major comic book events, like Infinite Crisis or Civil War.

Within the larger themes of interdimensional world domination are the personal struggles that develop the characters and embue the sense of verisimilitude within these fantastic situations. These details have inevitably propelled the Mortal Kombat franchise forward into it's most involved incarnations. Spin-off stories tackle everything from; the origins of Scorpion's predicament as a tortured soul; to the law enforcement duties of the Jax, Sonya, and the Special Forces; the manipulations of the eventually resurrected Dragon King; and more.

These finer details that have really made the MK story a valid piece of fictional history are the product of cumulative effects. The departure of creative co-creator, John Tobias, though often connected to the downfall of the series, arguably allowed the franchise to blossom under new creative direction.
Though crucial to laying the groundwork, it's fair to say the natural state of circumstances worked against Tobias and the makers of the first games. Though definitive in the MK canon, the specifics of many important details derived from the early games were retrofitted, and certainly not elaborated upon in detail accessible to the everyman playing at the time.

It's here I think we find the disconnect between MK's once mainstream fandom, and today's smaller, dedicated fanbase. Though not everyone's vice, the story remains one of the most important pieces of the MK puzzle, evidenced brutally by responsive outcry for the announcement of Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe, perceived by many fans as a frivilous, post-Armageddon interruption.

I can't help but wonder what difference might have been made had the details of the Mortal Kombat epic been more accessible to mainstream audiences.
This rather conveniently segues into our review of the comic books, which, though a quaint opportunity to see the characters moving in a narrative environment, offers examples of what not to do when translating the MK story.

Running terminally late; I want to get on to the review/play-by-play portions of this meandering and garbled entry, but consider this a conversation to be resumed at a later point. Sometime in the countdown to the November release of MKvsDC we may revisit these points in relation to the influence and involvement of the Threshold films.

- SIANG versus GORO
Alright. Things have been a bit hectic here on the Infinite Wars, so I've got to stretch it out a little before resuming. Crick, crack, creeak. That just about does it, but I should offer a stern health warning to all of you! Before continuing on to the [mis]adventures of the character Siang, everyone should indulge in some thorough stretching.

It would be fair to say 1994 had it's share of gems!
Real 2 Real released I Like to Move It; Pulp Fiction made Tarantino an undisputed name in film history; we finally found out what would happen if Venom fought Iron Man; and the beat 'em up video game genre enjoyed some it's highest heights with titles like Mortal Kombat II and Street Fighter II permeating throughout the pop culture landscape to reach heights unparalleled.

Comics were teetering between the repercussive harmony of post-grim and gritty superheroics, and the Image-funded shitfest of over developed anatomy and splash pages. At some point all the companies were guilty of selling out to a movement now much maligned, but only Malibu managed to bring together the very worst qualities of mid-nineties comic books, and the video game franchises we know and love.

So foul were their efforts that Capcom ordered the cancellation of a Street Fighter series, infamously identified by scenes of Ken Masters' scalping at the hands of Sagat and the villains of the series. Violence familiar to MK proved to be little more than flash and style - if you can call it that - over substance.

Enter Sing and Sang: vengeful twin martial artists chosen to represent the forces of Shaolin in Mortal Kombat. As individuals they were great fighters, but together they could fuse into one super-powered green-mohawked fighter called Siang!

You can probably start to see that aformentioned disconnect...
Series star and in-game five-time champion, Liu Kang, finds himself little more than an accepted tag-along for what amounts to a repetitive distraction. Think, though you might, with modern consideration, that Siang would surely be put in such a position to somehow elevate the importance of the central cast, or present some sort of dilemma by which Liu Kang could be baptized.

Alas, no.

Fans of the series surely sigh a breath of relief as Siang, much like Lt. Lance before him, is unceremoniously removed from Malibu's stable in his first fight.
They'd be wrong to get too comfortable, though, as this is not only a comic, but also a Mortal Kombat licensed property, which means Siang is down, out, but sure to return...

By six degrees of seperation you might connect previous issues to Street Fighter Alpha, if only for the fact that the sinister tournament master intends to gather fighters for nefarious purposes underground. You might remember fighters were disappearing in previous entries [Blood & Thunder #1, #2].

By this, the third issue, any assemblance of an actual tournament goes out the window when the characters are gathered in Goro's dungeons. Scorpion's full-page arrival at the end of #2 proves to be little more than tedious filler, the vengeful spectre opting to free his blood enemy, rather than fight him...

This eventually leads to an impromptu fusion dance as the Kombat warriors wander the labyrinthine halls beneath Shang Tsung's island. The mini-mixxed duo launch a fly kick assault on the four-armed Goro, who welcomes the opportunity to secure the rare feat of two corpses for the price of one.

Given that Kung Lao is the last direct descendant of Earth's last champion, it's always seemed a little insulting that Liu Kang was chosen over him to represent Earth in it's most crucial entry. Imagine then, how Kung Lao must feel, after this green and gold mook was chosen!

I do not know what Charles Marshall and Malibu were thinking when they devised such a prominent inclusion to the series, but if you weren't a Goro fan before, hopefully you are now...

The Fix: 3 Winner: Goro (Fatality!... Sort of...)

- RAIDEN versus GORO
Shang Tsung's treachery, part of a distracting plot introduced by Malibu revolving around a magic book of riddles, does not go unnoticed by Earth's protector god, the phonetically challenged, Raiden.

Since he's an all-seeing god, you've got to assume he didn't care much for Sing and Sang (aka; Siang), either, because it's not until they've been mortally ripped apart that the thunder god shows himself!

A lightning bolt precedes the god's entry, which prompts a macho exchange between the thunder god and Shokan champion. Goro absorbs a lightning blast and mocks Raiden's powers, lumbering at him with evil intent. The barbaric assault proves ineffective in battle with a god who can teleport himself.

Challenged as a coward, Raiden finds himself joined by the mortal warriors of Earthrealm. Not a terribly constructive gesture for proving one's bravery, nor a conclusive end to the battle between god and champion!

The Fix: 3 Winner: Draw

- LIU KANG, SONYA BLADE, SUB-ZERO, JOHNNY CAGE, KANO, HYDRO & RAIDEN versus GORO
Having thrown in with Raiden; Liu Kang and Sonya Blade are the first to step up to the champion. Somewhat suitable, given that Liu Kang is supposed to be the champion of the series, and the one to defeat Goro. Of course, depending on what you pluck from the game series, Kang actually becomes champion after beating Shang Tsung... Which has a shakey logic, because Goro's champ...

Never the less, the pseudo-tournament continues in the bowels of Shang Tsung's dungeons. Kang connects with a flying kick that leaves Goro open to an ice blast from Sub-Zero. Mirroring elements from the game, Goro blasts free from his icey pause, providing the heroes no time to score a free hit.

Enraged, the Mortal Kombat champion begins a rampage against the insolent warriors, beginning with a devestating swat that sends Cage, Sub-Zero, and Raiden sprawling! Then, with Sonya clutched in a vice-like grip with one hand, Goro uses the other to slap one of the Lin Kuei warriors around a little.

Just as Shang Tsung arrives to enjoy his warrior's dominance the four-armed warrior begins to disappear! Neither the sorceror, nor Raiden, are able to explain the phenomena, but it buys the necessary time to abandon the underground courtesy of an escape blasted by the thunder god!

Mohawks, chains, flames, dodgy art, foil variant covers, bad writing; as the ultimate in shameful nineties experiences, you should be able to guess Goro's fate. Yes, that's right. The first in a small collection of crossover mini-series and one-shots, padding out the Mortal Kombat story with more brilliant Malibu-originals, and a few new colours to add to the ninja tally. Awesome!

The Fix: 3 Winner: Draw

The Hammer...
At this point Blood & Thunder has featured a sum of two official fights in the Mortal Kombat tournament. Given the implied importance of the rules, one would imagine that would be some measure of problem. That's nto the only qualm to be derived from these early issues though, and since I'm supposed to be offering positive remarks about the franchise, I should probably mention some of the assumed details from the official game canon.

John Tobias certainly seems content to support much of the pre-tournament scenes as depicted by Malibu. In fact, in an official collector's edition comic for the first game, scenes are almost identical, including the scuffle between Cage, Kang, and Kano [Mortal Kombat: Blood & Thunder #1].

To Malibu's credit, even today details of the first game's events are sketchy, and with the addition of highly debated additions; like 2005's Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks; very little has been streamlined through recent revisions.

It's generally accepted that post-tournament catastrophe sees the island crumble, taking with it Kano, Sonya, and Goro, who were engaged in mortal combat, along with Johnny Cage. Cage survived to be picked up by Jax and his Special Forces rescue team, in scenes bridging the gap between the first and second games. These events also ultimately connect to in-game backgrounds revealing the unplayable Kano and Sonya in bondage.

We also know Scorpion caught up with his mortal nemesis at the tournament, and indeed successfully returned the favour of his death with a fatality of his own. This beat was revealed in the second game with the introduction of the dead Sub-Zero's younger brother, a more heroic successor to the family mantle of the legendary cryomancer. More recent additions, discussed previously, led to the reveal that the elusive all-black secret character, Noob Saibot, was actually the dead Sub-Zero reborn as a mysterious wraith with the Brotherhood of Shadow. An ironic end for the character whose rivalry with Scorpion was galvanized whilst served Brotherhood patriarch, Quan Chi.

Scorpion's continued presence is likewise elaborated upon through the interference of the necromancer, Quan Chi. As per the original description of Scorpion's curse, it was not only his own death, but the extermination of his family and clan that keeps him bound to unrest, the latter being the responsibility of Quan Chi, and not Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei as originally thought.

Finally, and perhaps most important, is Liu Kang's victory in the tournament.
Details of whether the Shaolin Monk battled anyone, let alone defending champion, Goro, are unclear, but we do know he was successful in both defeating Shang Tsung, and securing an official tournament victory. A victory that prevented the lawful invasion of Outworld's forces, but began a plot of deception to lure the Earthrealm warriors to an Outworld tournament - Mortal Kombat II.

These are but some of the intricately layered details that have made up fifteen years of Mortal Kombat history. I don't expect to convert the unimpressed with this checklist of confirmed events, but I hope it can at least provide a gateway to a story that seems to have been mistranslated, and ultimately lost to mainstream audiences. In the lead-up to Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe, I can at least hope to appeal to the sensibilities of those already invested in indulgences of this nature.

Fix Average: 3 The Issue: 2.5

QUICK FIX MEGAMIX: BLOOD & THUNDER #2!
Test Your Might (Malibu/Midway)
Where: Mortal Kombat: Blood & Thunder #2 When: November 1994 Why: Charles Marshall How: Patrick Rolo

Quick Fix...
If you're an old hat at the Infinite Wars, you know we've got a strong vein of Street Fighter in the Secret Archives. With the announcement of the comic-clashing Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe it was the perfect opportunity to bring America's leading beat 'em up franchise to the Infinite Wars!

Over the past few weeks we've been taking a closer look at the substantial cast of characters that could potentially match-up in the upcoming game [Fantasy Fights R1, R2, R3, R4, R5!]. Also on the agenda have been other features, like last week's megamix review of Blood & Thunder #1, which will all help to paint a fuller picture of the Mortal Kombat/DC universe.

Admittedly, a lot of our discussion has dwelled on documenting the negatives of the Mortal Kombat franchise. It's fair to say this once prominent series has done little to maintain it's respect in an increasingly artistic field, but that's not to say it is without it's charms. For Mortal Kombat, escaping the nineties quaint had to be the driving factor behind an uncharacteristic pause after MK4 in '97/'98.

There's a strong sense of irony surrounding MK and it's crucially dedicated fanbase. Despite the vital creative success of 2002's Deadly Alliance; common consensus amongst fans typically rates 1993's Mortal Kombat II as one of, if not the, greatest game in the series. Though representative of MK's peak significance as a pop culture phenomenon, MKII harkens very specifically back to an era where technological limitations meant many characters were differentiated only by colour and the specifics of four or five custom moves.

This strong nostalgia vote has seen recent recession in MK's creative direction post-Deadly Alliance, doing very little to sway the opinions of critics, or the dismissively uninformed. Sadly, beneath this unimpressive exterior, still lurks the heart of a strong story and potentially significant cast of characters.

Using Malibu's licensed comics as a vehicle to discuss the positives of Mortal Kombat is not easy. It's not at all unfair to say these series represent some of the worst qualities of popular comics of the mid-1990s, and also the worst qualities of the games of the same time. Front and centre, as you might imagine, are the iconic ninja characters from the games.

Colour coded yellow for Scorpion, blue for Sub-Zero, green for Reptile, and grey for Smoke; these iconic characters have never actually had a lot of artistic reason to resemble one and other. In truth, only Scorpion is a ninja among the group that eventually grew to include black Noob, purple Rain, and red Ermac.

Key to the quality of the post-MK4 revolution in the series was a long due overhaul for the individual designs of these series stalwarts. Rare was the opportunity to see story and specific logics influence and dictate the appearance of these characters. Sub-Zero, gradually moving away from the homogenized ninja suit, saw his powers increase naturally, and through the inclusion of a medallion introduced through the series canon.

While it has it's issues, it's arguably the saga of Mortal Kombat that makes this such an engaging series. Sharing much in common with the on-going adventures of superheroes, the MK characters have spent the best part of a decade-and-a-half running their own races of resurrection, revelation, and revenge.

The reveal of franchise icons Sub-Zero and Scorpion in the upcoming MK/DC game has been disappointing. Harkening back to the days of shared sprites, these characters have lost much of the individuality and design that was making them so exciting. No doubt there will be plenty of criticism in the coming months as we hover around the series, but I hope to have more specific positives to share with you at some point. In the mean time; comic book fisticuffs!

- LIEUTENANT LANCE versus KANO
There's something strange about the undertaking of a licensed adaptation. Somewhere in the translation vital elements are lost as writers and artists try to enfuse successful materials with variations and additions of their own design. I do not know why this is such a widespread phenomena, particularly given the long list of infamy that surrounds such a move, but these comics are no exception.

To the credit of Malibu, their additions aren't without their logics.
For starters, it's always been a little dubious that an elimination tournament would have between eight and ten fighters. In an effort to flesh that out, without killing off the trademarks they've licensed, they introduce guys like Lance.

With one cybernetic arm, Lieutenant Lance looks much less US Special Forces than he does one of the team from C.O.P.S! Fortunately we don't have to deal with him much longer. After joining Sonya in her vehicular pursuit of Kano, it's Lance that steps up to take on the felon in the tournament, reinserting Sonya's classic revenge motiff as a more personalized event for readers.

For those who don't know, it's tradition in games like Mortal Kombat for characters to have some sort of wooden motivation for entering the tournament. For Sonya, the tried and true story of a law enforcement agent seeking revenge for the murder of a partner. In the games that partner was never revealed, allowing us to imagine anyone from Pam Grier, to Jim Kelly, to Van Damme.

The less than impressive extendo-armed Lance does little to enhance this age-old plot, but I suppose an excuse for extra combat in this series is nothing to complain about, no matter how swift.

Despite getting the drop on Kano initially with an electrical charge, the Lieutenant's destiny is quickly fulfilled with a backhanded swat, and Kano plunging his hand into Lance's chest, only to remove the heart in a splash of blood rare in the comics. Mmm, toasty!

The Fix: 2.5 Winner: Kano (Fatality!)

- SONYA BLADE versus KANO
None too happy with the death of her partner; Sonya begins her vendetta against Kano quite immediately with blatant disregard for the rules of the tournament!

Mortal Kombat's always a bit of a misnomer, not only for the apparent immortality of many of it's characters, but also for the nature of combat. Though never really elaborated upon, many of the characters rely on energy attacks, such as Sonya's pink ringed power blast.

It's fair to say much of MK's mythology relies heavily on the conventional logic of martial arts fiction, but in typical MK style, none of this is really explained or detailed, sometimes making the characters look boarish, undisciplined, and severely lacking in the skill department.
One might argue this is a fairly accurate reflection of the fighting quality of the games, but more often than not the fiction asks us to believe they are in fact, master fighters. I digress, but it's all food for thought.

Sonya's energy attack stuns the Black Dragon clansman, leaving him wide open for another trademark attack, the head scissor lock. Sonya vaults the villain head over heels, raising the attentions of Shang Tsung's masked guards.

Sonya defiantly turns her aggression on the guardsmen, launching into a diving kick that swiftly topples two of the anonymous warriors. Not so cocky, is Sonya, when the four-armed Goro interjects, delighted by her vigor, but intolerant for her impetuousness. The Special Forces agent is led away with her arms bound by the spare hands of the mighty Mortal Kombat champion.

Sonya is arguably one of the most significant female characters in American video game culture. In a strange sort of sexualized way video games managed to make a prominent step forward for female empowerment in fiction. Leading the way were characters like Metroid's deceptively armored Samus; beat 'em up icons like Chun-Li and Sonya; and the once significant, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

Inspired by martial arts actress Cynthia Rothrock and baring the name of co-creator Ed Boon's sister; Sonya actually managed to coast through the first MK fairly anonymously. Brought to life through digitized capture of actress Elizabeth Malecki, Sonya set herself apart from genre counterparts Chun-Li and Cammy with the distinction of wearing pants. Despite representing a meagre ten percent of the first game's otherwise all-male cast; Sonya stood out as an early indication of the empowerment of female players in games to come.

No doubt we'll be talking much more about Sonya in the future!

The Fix: 4 Winner: Sonya Blade

- SUB-ZERO versus GRUM
Continuing the trend of ready-made cannon fodder, Malibu serve up another unforgettably ridiculous addition to the series. Grum out-does iconic Mortal Kombat champion, Goro, by bringing yet another additional two arms to the fight! One can only imagine that makes Grum even better than Goro, non?

No. Not at all.
Sub-Zero; a character who became a central figure to the story as significant as Liu Kang, or any other hero; gets a chance to shine on his own terms.

Eagle-eyed readers will have noted that links to Sub-Zero thus far are tagged with the name Noob Saibot. Noob was an all black palette swap of Scorpion in 1993's Mortal Kombat II, which also revealed the playable Sub-Zero as brother to the character of the same name, who had actually perished in the first game.
2004's Deception introduced the fact that that first Sub-Zero had been transformed into the dark wraith called Noob Saibot. This concept was soon supported in '05 through the release of the adventure spin-off Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks.

The key distinction between the two incarnations of Sub-Zero were the heroic nature of the succeeding brother, and the tie between the former Sub-Zero and his arch-nemesis, Scorpion. The latter version of the character earned the protection of the undead spectre when Scorpion discovered his true identity, leading to further complications later in the tale of his curse.

The Malibu series doesn't quite adhere to the established canon of the video games, allowing the first games' Sub-Zero to survive, and even appear more heroic than his in-game counterpart. X-fans will probably appreciate the parallel between comic book mythology, and the convoluted twists of the MK universe...

As to the matter at hand; Grum intimidates with six sets of nunchaku spinning wildly, if inconsequentially. Sub-Zero summons the powers of cryomancy to render his opponent inert, leaving Grum helpless before a flying kick.
Goro, having watched the fight, laments on his disappointment in not getting a chance to snap his good friend's neck in battle, settling for Sub-Zero instead.

Sub-Zero is sure to be a prominent representative of Mortal Kombat as we continue to initiate these characters into the Infinite Wars rankings. I hope we might get a chance in the future to take a look at his successor, if only for the opportunity to make a less confusing statement about the identity of each character. Apologies to anyone now irreversably cross-eyed after reading the previous explanation of the two Sub-Zeros.

The Fix: 3 Winner: Sub-Zero (Who eventually becomes Noob Saibot...)

- HYDRO versus JOHNNY CAGE
Ah! Few characters unique to the Malibu comic series have caused as much confusion and interest as the aptly (but ridiculously) named, Hydro!

For those who've grown up with Mortal Kombat as an influence on their vernacular, Sub-Zero is probably so intrinsicly associated with the character, they no longer realise how absurdly descriptive a name it is for a stealthy, bad ass Chinese warrior. In that respect, I feel it's again worth acknowledging precedent for Malibu's ridiculous contribution.

Unfortunately, however, the true status of the character became entangled with rumor, fan distribution, and a healthy dose of vintage arcade-style lying.

The popular practise of MUGEN allows fans to insert, combine, and create playable characters from a wide range of franchise video games. It's here the MK fanbase was able to realise Hydro as a mechanized Lin Kuei cyber-warrior, complete with his own special moves. This, however, only fanned the flames for confusion over whether or not Hydro actually existed.
A quick YouTube search will fill you in on these devices used for fantasy battles between the likes of; Akuma, Homer Simpson, Robocop, and Brolli.

Meanwhile, in the bowels of Shang Tsung's palace... Johnny Cage and Liu Kang seek the Shaolin tandem of Sing and Sang; warriors whose powers combine to make Malibu's most embarassing inclusion -- the green mohawked, Siang!

Whilst navigating the labyrinth of hallways they come across the lurking Lin Kuei warrior, Hydro, who's none too pleased to see them. Hydro shoots first, firing jets of water from his mortal hands in a move reminiscent to Sub-Zero's ice blast!

Cage is able to duck the move, leaving Liu Kang to glug his way through a face full of water. Cage, smooth customer that he is, takes the opportunity to launch himself into a flying kick that knocks the Lin Kuei warrior into submission.
Further fisticuffs are quickly quelled by the arrival of the masked guards, who surely keep the secrets of the warriors who have obtained victory, only to disappear from the competition...

The Fix: 3 Winner: Johnny Cage

- KANO versus GORO
The final bout in the series sees Kano return to action.
We've already lamented on Kano's role in luring Sonya to the tournament, but as per the rule of motivation, Kano has his own goals. Never one to pass up an opportunity for crime, Kano enters the tournament with an agenda to liberate certain riches from the veiled sorceror, Shang Tsung.

For Blood & Thunder, this motive grafts onto a theme that will encompass the latter half of the series, and distract from the conventions that justify the entire plot of the game. For you see, despite the zealous enforcement of the masked guards, the rules of combat are quickly dismissed when the Earthrealm warriors wind up bundled into a dungeon beneath Shang Tsung's palace.

The introduction of a book of riddles; capable of granting the solver power beyond imagination; becomes the omniscient mcguffin that diverts combat to something more akin to the Wacky Racers. Kano brings the book to the A-story when he steals it from behind the back of a fawning Shang Tsung, only to flee to the den of a sleeping Goro.

Goro not surprisingly dispatches the Black Dragon thief with relative ease. An energy blast has little effect on the four armed Shokan, who finishes his opponent with a single backhand, and some dubious dialogue; "I'll have to string you up and finish my business with you later."

Y'know, I always wondered about that ponytail...

The Fix: 2 Winner: Goro (Flawless Victory!)

The Hammer...
I think, if I had to be honest, a big ol' chunk of self-consciousness is responsible for my continued acknowledgment of Mortal Kombat's issues. I'm very conscious of a split audience in this case, but I assure you all the on-going discussions have been vital not only to my sanity, but to the unfolding events of the Infinite Wars!

As something new(ish) to the site, and topical in nature, it's been providing a great subject to breach relatively easily, and mine lots of discussion from. An important fact because, as you might have noticed, I've been a bit distracted from Infinite Wars duties over the past month.

Top 25 Gamers#1 Ryu (Capcom)
#2 Noob Saibot (Midway)
#3 Dhalsim (Capcom)
#4 Ken Masters (Capcom)
#5 Johnny Cage (Midway)
#6 Guile (Capcom)
#7 R. Mika (Capcom)
#8 Goro (Midway)
#9 Sagat (Capcom)
#10 Fei Long (Capcom)
#11 Raiden (Midway)
#12 Akuma (Capcom)
#13 Sakura (Capcom)
#14 T. Hawk (Capcom)
#15 Jin Kazama (Namco)
#16 Rose (Capcom)
#17 Sonya (Midway)
#18 Chun-Li (Capcom)
#19 Vega (Capcom)
#20 Birdie (Capcom)
#21 Scorpion (Midway)
#22 Kano (Midway)
#23 Liu Kang (Midway)
#24 Balrog (Capcom)
#25 Sodom (Capcom)As always, I hope this shift in subject can be enlightening and enjoyable for those who log on for more than just our sports league brand of comic fights.

The ranking aspect is always going to be interesting, particularly given the age old debate between Western fanbases surrounding MK and Street Fighter; but there's more at work here. These are characters of archaelogical significance in the pop culture realm, and it feels right to talk more about them, particularly to an audience irrevocably connected, but seemingly disinterested.

As we rocket toward November's Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe I hope we can breach and share some of what's made the series an enduring topic for me. I'm all too aware of MK's problems, but I'm pretty comfortable in the thought that I'm a relatively intelligent fellow and believe I have some credibility in describing the franchise as much more than just 'that fossil of techno syndromed acrobatics masquerading as martial arts'.

This is a franchise populated by characters who've earned their place in the on-going fictional canon. The promotional exercise of the video game seems like the perfect opportunity to remind comics readers of that shared pursuit. It will be a real shame if DC aren't to announce a licensed crossover comic to hit sometime around the game's release, because this is a series so desperately crying out for a decent comics treatment.

The comics creator in me is a little disheartened by the team-up.
Long have I desired the opportunity to tackle these characters in a way they deserve. It was a dream to give these characters the treatment they deserved under the NLT banner, but I'm not too worried.

The deck isn't quite stacked for what I would call a penultimate Mortal Kombat comic, but with competent individuals like Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray involved, it's definitely my hope that we can get some sort of decent project out of this. If there are advantages to be shared for each franchise, replacing the Malibu comics with something more reflective of the strong fiction of the video games seems like a good place to start. We shall be watching!

Fix Average: 3 The Issue: 3.5

QUICK FIX MEGAMIX: BLOOD & THUNDER #1!
A Slow Boat to China (Malibu/Midway)
Where: Mortal Kombat: Blood & Thunder #1 When: October 1994 Why: Charles Marshall How: Patrick Rolo

Quick Fix...
The Infinite Wars have been running terminally late, so in an effort to respark the fires of combat I thought I'd turn to the subject that's been driving several features over the past month: Mortal Kombat!

Chances are there are still many of you unaware that this Fall the heroes of the DC Universe will come face-to-face with their counterparts from the Mortal Kombat world in an upcoming video game announced last month!

It's interesting to observe the contrasts between the two camps of fans. There's a sense of qualification required for Mortal Kombat when thrown up to diehard comics fans. It's fair to say the martial arts franchise has fallen considerably from it's days as a mainstream popculture icon in the mid-nineties. While the gaming franchise has languished into relative obscurity on home consoles; comics have been enjoying some of their best exposure through the success of artful and well regarded feature films.

It's easy to be a snob when it comes to Mortal Kombat.
All too often progress in the series suffers under the weight of questionable creative management; technological shortcuts; and pressures from vocal and fiercely nostalgic fanbase. Much of what defines the MK identity resembles qualities maligned in the comic fanbase. Gimmicks, questionable style over substance, and poor creative logics; all trademarks of some of the era's most popular, but creatively fragile, properties.

As a fan with feet firmly planted in both camps, it's easy to be critical both for perspective, and the harsh affection of a longtime fan. However, it cannot be denied that even after the shock withdrawl of iconic co-creator, John Tobias; the MK franchise has prospered under the creative direction of [Ed] Boon and replacement writers, like John Vogel. Sure, there have plenty of misses, but these do not at all discount some of the momentum built up in the writing of the franchises' most recent releases (2002-post).

We've dabbled in MK comics in the past [Mortal Kombat: Blood & Thunder #4, #5], but the tragic irony is that the despite the source material, Malibu's licensed comics feature an erratic degree of combat within the pages. Our usual format struggles to properly accomodate these series that very unfortunately speak MK's failings in a language familiar to disappointed comics fans.

Never the less, I really wanted to get a chance to canonize the characters on the Infinite Wars. It seems odd talking about Mortal Kombat so much when we only have three MK characters locked into the Super Stock Rankings!
In a perfect world it would be nice to rank the MK fighters against their Street Fighter counterparts by ploughing through the entire catalogue of twenty-nine Mortal Kombat comics. That might be a little too ambitious, but here's a start...

- GORO versus MASKED GUARDS
The Masked Guards are well known to fans of the very game that started the phenomenon. These elite warriors chosen by Shang Tsung guard the tournament grounds, but in the opening scenes of this story, they are the ones disciplined!

Majesty goes out the window as readers are granted this unceremonious introduction to the four-armed Mortal Kombat champion - Goro!

The Shokan warrior quickly dispatches of the trio of unworthy guards with a butting of heads, and a smouldering projectile that, even in the games, looked suspiciously like flinging steaming faeces. A kick across the page brings the fight to a second page, but for the most part it's a lot of flowery narration and clunky exposition. You can begin to appreciate how the series made it even difficult to anticipate the usual quick fix treatment...

The Fix: 1.5 Winner: Goro (Flawless Victory!)

- KANO versus JOHNNY CAGE
Then again, to be fair to the last battle, it's not like it was a throwdown between two feature characters! Unlike this fight that breaks out shortly after Kano evades Sonya and her Special Forces partner in a game of chicken that sees the Black Dragon villain bunny hopping their van on a bike to make Shang Tsung's boat. You have to remember at this point, it was the nineties...

Liu Kang leaps aboard to find the movie star Johnny Cage under siege by Kano and his thugs. Now, given that he's wearing spiked wristbands underneath, you might say Johnny's expensive white suit was always going to end up ripped to shreds, but for the sake of the record it should note that it's Kano's roughery that strips the star of his garb.

A swanning Kano meets Liu Kang in an exchange of third-person boasts, only to find his face engulfed in the explosion effect of Johnny's rising kick!

Liu Kang aids in the dispatch of a mob of random crooks that have apparently rallied to Kano's cause in the mere minutes they spent on ship. They may or may not be cannon fodder for the tournament that has always been suspiciously under booked, but no matter. They serve their purpose, suffering the indignity of not only being punched in the crotch, but by being punched in the crotch by a guy in bikeshorts doing the splits.

Kano again makes boastful claims of his power, but ultimately suffers a third-page defeat on the losing end of a half-page jump kick. Liu Kang gets the assist for appearing to do something in one panel.

The Fix: 3 Winner: Johnny Cage

- SCORPION versus SUB-ZERO
Also onboard the island bound boat are representatives of the Lin Kuei: Sub-Zero and Hydro. So begins the Malibu tradition of creating tragically stupid characters with even gaudier names than the officially licensed icons.

Despite the injury only being two years old; Subby grimaces over an old throat wound that gives him grief the same time every year. The wound supposedly forewarns the return of the ninja who granted the wound before being killed by Sub-Zero - Scorpion!

The entrance prompts a one-page flashback of the encounter that led to Scorpion's death. Narration clarifies that it only occured two years prior to the issue's contemporary setting, which is good, because the Sound of Music backdrop for the battle might have confused the exact timeline.

A spiked ball strikes Sub-Zero in the throat, just as the Lin Kuei warrior's ice blast freezes Scorpion's entire body. The free-hit gives him the time needed to kill his yellow clad counterpart in a way denoted by a splatter of blood from the off-panel kill. If you've read our other reviews, you know this is but the first of many deaths for Scorpion through the duration of the series.

The dubious balance between Malibu's original cast of cannon fodder and trademarks that can be killed inevitably makes an undead ninja (who constantly returns from the dead) a target of Wolverine-style proportions.
Those of you seething with yellow-tinted rage may take solace in the fact that Scorpion eventually does get his revenge in the official canon. In a fashion similar-but-different to Scorpion, Sub-Zero undergoes his own transformation in hell, becoming the shadowy wraith, Noob Saibot.

It's worth clarifying, for the unintiated, that Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei, much like their real life namsakes, are not ninja. Backstory spun the notion that Scorpion's Shirai-ryu clan of ninja were an off-shoot intent on wearing the same outfit, only yellow to mock Lin Kuei cowardice, doesn't really fly with me. Which is why I will forever express chagrin any time the rivals share couture from the same label.

The Fix: 2 Winner: Sub-Zero (Fatality!)

The Hammer...
That, friends, wraps up our tour through the first exciting issue of Mortal Kombat: Blood & Thunder. I do rather like the notion of using the comics to rank the MK cast in much the same fashion as we have the Street Fighters, but I doubt my ability to maintain that kind of commitment, so we'll leave it to chance for now. If you think you'd like to see more Mortal Kombat in the Infinite Wars, drop a comment.

I had hoped to talk more about the individual characters as they're introduced in the series, but these entries just aren't conducive to that thought process. So brief is each encounter that you really do wonder where the motivation was for producing these comic series. It's impossible not to think of the recent tournament fighting arc in Iron Fist as an example of what could have been.

Fix Average: 1.5 The Issue: 3.5