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FUJIN |
| The name Fujin is actually that of the god of wind. Fujin is one of the four elemental gods of the Earth realm. Like most of the gods, he has had little contact with the mortals of the Earth realm. He is well known to the Shaolin monks of China, and has interacted with few mortals other than them. Before Shao Kahn's invasion, Fujin's main appointment was to help guard Shinnok's Amulet against anyone who might enter. It was here that he fought several mortals, including a Lin Kuei warrior named Sub-Zero. When Shao Kahn invaded the Earth realm, Fujin was helpless to do anything almost from the beginning. Kahn was quick to begin the merger of Earth and Outworld. Because Fujin is an Earth god, he gained less dominion as the Earth became more a part of Outworld. He could only watch the battle taking place. When Kahn was defeated, Fujin returned to the temple of the elements to find Shinnok's Amulet gone. He immediately informed Rayden. The amulet had been taken by Shao Kahn and later found by Quan Chi. Rayden and Fujin tried to prepare, but Shinnok began his invasion quickly. As this Mortal Kombat tournament begins, Fujin finds himself one of the last remaining gods who is able to fight. He willingly enters the tournament to help Rayden finally defeat Shinnok. | |
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KUNG LAO |
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| Kung Lao bears the same name as his great ancestor who was killed by Goro thousands of years ago. Kung Lao was once a member of the White Lotus Society, but is now a nomadic warrior. When Liu Kang traveled into Outworld, ending up competing in Kahn's tournament there, Kung Lao traveled with him. Lao had been studying Shao Kahn and his realm, and wanted to help Liu Kang in his mission to Outworld. Kung Lao ended up defeating Kintaro and hoped Liu Kang would be able to beat Shao Kahn. Both were attacked by Outworld forces, and escaped back to Earth. Once there, Kung Lao tried to reform the White Lotus Society in order to train warriors for Kahn's future attempts at taking the Earth. But Kahn attacked sooner than anyone had expected. Kung Lao found himself to be one of the last remaining humans while Kahn's forces overran the Earth realm. Kung Lao helped Liu Kang and the other Earth warriors in their attack against Kahn. They were successful, and the Earth was restored, but Lao had suffered severe wounds in the fight, and died shortly afterward. For a time, Kung Lao joined his great ancestor in the afterlife. When the Mortal Kombat tournament against Shinnok's forces is about to begin, Rayden gathers great fighters from all over the Earth to kombat this threat. Because Shinnok is bringing dead warriors back from the grave for the tournament, by the rules of Mortal Kombat Rayden is free to do the same. The first warrior he revives is Kung Lao. Hiss amazing fighting skill will be invaluable to the Earth's cause. Even if it's only for a short time, Kung Lao is proud to once again be fighting in the name of his great ancestor. | |
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KANO |
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| When the Black Dragon organization was in it's prime, so was Kano. He led this group of cutthroat madmen. He was responsible for numerous thefts and murders, including the murder of Sonya Blade's old partner. Kano became involved in the Mortal Kombat tournament after hearing rumors that Shang Tsung's palace was made of solid gold. Kano made his way to the Shaolin tournament hoping that he could pillage the gold. He was pursued there by Sonya Blade. Both Kano and Sonya ended up being captured by Shang Tsung and taken back to Outworld. There they were held captive by Shao Kahn as he lured Earth warriors into Outworld to fight against his armies. Jax managed to rescue Sonya from the Outworld, and tried to bring Kano back as well. Kano managed to escape from Jax and Sonya, but not from Shao Kahn. He was almost executed by Kahn, but convinced Kahn to spare his life if he teaches the Outworld warriors how to use Earth's weapons. This bought Kano some time. He let Shao Kahn believe that he was going to fight for the Outworld, but when the invasion began, Kano used the opportunity to escape. Evading the extermination squads, he stayed alive for a while, but Sonya Blade finally caught up with him. In a rooftop battle, Kano was killed by Sonya. He was thrown off onto the pavement below. Sonya thought she had finally gotten rid of Kano. However . . . When Shinnok is preparing for the new tournament Rayden has declared, he prepares fighters that he knows will have a chance at beating the Earth warriors. Shinnok is able to look into Sonya's soul, and see the man that she fears the most. He lifts Kano's dead soul from the pits of the Netherrealm where it now resides, and restores life to the former Black Dragon leader. Shinnok is controlling Kano by fear, threatening to kill him if he doesn't serve him, and forces Kano to enter the Mortal Kombat on the side of the Netherrealm. As always, Kano has his own plans, and is just waiting for the right moment to execute them. | |
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KATANA |
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| Princess Kitana was born 10,000 years ago in Edenia. Shortly after she was born, Shao Kahn entered Edenia. He killed her father Jerrod and forced a marriage between himself and Kitana's mother, Sindel. Sindel was eventually driven to suicide, and Kitana was raised as Shao Kahn's daughter. Kitana grew up with a resentment for her stepfather. Finally, during the Outworld tournament, she turned on Kahn. Kitana aided the Earth warriors in their fight, and killed her evil clone, Mileena. For these crimes, Kitana was sentenced to death. However, with the help of a friend she was able to escape to the Earth realm, but by the time she got there Shao Kahn was already beginning his invasion. Kitana helped battle the Outworld warriors, but more importantly she told the newly reincarnated Sindel of her true past. After losing Sindel, Kahn was able to be driven back into Outworld. Kitana then returns to Edenia to rule as princess with Sindel as queen. The reconstruction of Edenia goes well for a while, until queen Sindel suddenly disappears, and the fallen elder god Shinnok enters Edenia and wages a war against the elder gods. Kitana joins the Earth warriors in their fight, knowing Shinnok must be defeated and hoping to find out why her mother has suddenly vanished. | |
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SUB-ZERO |
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| Sub-Zero is a name that has been passed through many generations of a family that has been part of the Lin Kuei clan. Along with the name has been passed the ability to generate freezing temperatures, and direct them toward an opponent. This Sub-Zero is a warrior who had been learning his abilities from his father before he died, and then learned from his older brother. Both brothers shared the name Sub-Zero, and it was unknown to outsiders that there were two of them. Sub-Zero's older brother was eventually called away on a mission. He had been hired by Quan Chi to obtain a map from the Shaolin Temples. The younger Sub-Zero was not allowed to go. When his older brother returned, he brought stories of a place called the Netherrealm and a fallen elder god named Shinnok. The elder Sub-Zero then left to compete in a tournament called Mortal Kombat. When his brother never returned from Mortal Kombat, Sub-Zero and his friend Smoke left to search for him. They were drawn into a fighting tournament in Outworld, against strange creatures and an immortal named Shao Kahn. There, Sub-Zero learned that his brother had been killed by a spectre named Scorpion, the soul of a warrior his brother once killed. Scorpion realized that this was not the same Sub-Zero. To atone for killing his brother, Scorpion agreed to become Sub-Zero's protector. Sub-Zero and Smoke left the Outworld and returned to China. They planned to tell the Lin Kuei leader about Shao Kahn, but when they arrived they stumbled onto a plan by their leader to automate the Lin Kuei as cyborgs. They were pursued by two cyborgs, Sektor and Cyrax. Smoke was captured, but Sub-Zero escaped. He began planning a method of rescuing Smoke, but his plans were interrupted by Shao Kahn's invasion. Sub-Zero was forced to battle the Outworld warriors, as well as elude Sektor and Cyrax, who had been sent after him. Sub-Zero managed to incapacitate Cyrax and reprogram him, and Sektor was prevented from killing Sub-Zero by the ninja spectre Scorpion. Sub-Zero eventually found Smoke again, but to his horror, Smoke had been partially converted into a cyborg. He retained his memories, but was trapped in a robotic body. After the Outworld invasion was over, the Lin Kuei was disbanded, and Sub-Zero began looking for a way to restore Smoke's human form. When Shinnok escapes from the Netherrealm, and a new Mortal Kombat against both Outworld and Netherrealm begins, Sub-Zero volunteers to compete. He knows the fate of the Earth is at stake, but he also wants to continue the legacy of his brother by defeating Quan Chi and Shinnok as his brother did. | |
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STRYKER |
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| Kurtis Stryker is an officer in the NYPD. His primary job was as a patrol officer, but when Shao Kahn began his invasion, he was needed to help control the resulting riots. As the Outworld portals open over New York, everyone in the city begins fearing for their lives. The police try to keep the city under control, with little success. Soon, Stryker began to see the souls of everyone around him being ripped from their bodies and drawn into the Outworld portal. Before long he was the last surviving person in a city once populated by thousands. With no idea as to what was going on, he just walked. Stryker walked for days. Abandoned cars and empty buildings stood as remnants of the life that used to be there. One night, Rayden spoke to Stryker in a dream. He told him to travel west, that he would meet some important allies there. With no other clues as to what he should do, Stryker headed west. There he met the other Earth warriors and found out about the Outworld and Shao Kahn. Stryker proved himself as a chosen warrior. He helped battle the Outworld forces and end Kahn's invasion. Afterward, Stryker and the other Earth warriors saw their world returning to normal, including the souls Kahn had taken. Stryker returned to New York. His role in the defeat of Shao Kahn earned him a Congressional medal of honor, as well as several talk show appearances. Stryker was congratulated by department chief Anemone for the limited fame he had earned, but advised him not to let it go to his head. Stryker continued to work as a patrol officer. While on patrol one day, Stryker has to arrest an old man for disturbing the peace. Even after being arrested, the old man keeps ranting about the end of the world. He finally says, "Shinnok is going to kill us all!" Even though it was from a crazy old man, Stryker thinks about his words. Shinnok is a name he knows he's heard before. After hearing about a tournament that Jax and Sonya have insisted on entering, Stryker feels compelled to do the same. His instincts tell him it's important that he be there. |
(c)2005 Chris Conner
bravenet.com