Summary
Mortal Kombat’s timeline can be confusing, but luckily there are only two to contend with currently.Mortal Kombat 1takes place in a new eracreated by Liu Kang following the events ofMK11’s Aftermath DLC, and while that entire timeline has some trickery with others, the game puts players there at the beginning of it all with now-champion Raiden. Then there’sMortal Kombat: Onslaught, a recently released mobile character collector and squad-based RPG. The latter takes place in its own universe, distinct fromMK1and eras of the past.
Of course, it’s stillMortal Kombatand much of that universe puts key players where they would normally be.Mortal Kombat: Onslaughtalso retains the intense cinema known of NetherRealm Studios, putting the game squarely in line with many of its predecessors. It, even, is getting a comic book adaptation that dives into its universe, withMortal Kombat: Onslaughtlaunching digitally on October 24. Game Rant was able to check out this comic ahead of release.
What fans should know when diving in is that it establishes the background lore, major factions, and all the characters fans know and love. It is told through a recollection of Raiden’s as he contemplates the various champions of and threats to Earthrealm, delving into his and Fujin’s role, singing the praises of the Shaolin, discussing the new path of the Lin Kuei, and going over every single faction one might imagine: Special Forces, the Black Dragon, Emperor Shao Kahn and his forces, the Netherealm, and so forth. It even delves intothe lore behindMortal Kombat: Onslaught’s relics.
The big drawback of this comic, as a result ofRaiden’s contemplations being the focus, is there’s no real action and nothing that drives the story forward, quite yet at least. The artwork is nice and pops off the page, bringing each panel to life, and this is exciting for future gorier entries in the run. But the comic serves the sole purpose, it would seem, of providing important background information onMortal Kombat: Onslaught. Nothing about this universe really breaks from the standardMKworld, but it’ll be interesting to see where it goes.
One thing that’s exciting is how the game is treating post-launch characters.Mortal Kombat: Onslaughtwill addMK1’s version of Scorpionat some point through a game mode called Khronicles, with it explaining how and why this Scorpion crossed universes. It’s unlikely the comic will do much of the same, but just as it notes, fans should be prepared for an onslaught in this universe, which of course means more content in and outside of the mobile game.
Mortal Kombat: OnslaughtIssue #1 releases digitally on October 24.
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