Mortal Kombat: Kompendium of Khaos

Rather than beating the ass out of franchise, I largely focus on the early games, while dipping into other brutal bits and bloodstained bobs.

First, let's explore the character origins of original arcade.

Sub-Zero and Scorpion were based on Chinese warriors and Japanese ninjas, but the rest give me more to talk about.

Sonya Blade vs Cynthia Rothrock

Kano vs The Terminator (1984)

Goro¹ vs Kali statue - The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973)

¹According to end credits, boss was designed by John Tobias, who was inspired by the genius of Ray Harryhausen.  Curt Chiarelli provided the stop motion miniature.

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

Hardly a secret, but whatever.

Raiden vs Lightning

Shang Tsung vs David Lo Pan (old)

Now shit gets a bit tastier.

Liu² Kang vs Bruce Lee

²Name pays tribute to Gordon Liu.

Game is basically a version of Enter the Dragon (1973), but photoshopping the crowd from the fight between Roper and Bolo for ending was very naughty.

Johnny Cage³ vs Jean-Claude Van Damme

³Following the tremendous failure of hiring "The Mussels from Brussels", character was created as a parody of Frank Dux in Bloodsport (1988).

Cabinet artwork (Daniel Pesina) vs poster

Nuts punch

Unlucky Pumola.

1995 film
Johnny Cage brings pain to Goro.

Lionheart, aka A.W.O.L. and Wrong Bet (1990)
Lyon repeats the move against Sonny, less the splits.

Oh, must mention this.

The Quest (1996)

Van Damme's directorial debut was a blatant clone of what brought him international stardom.  Frank Dux sued over writing credits, claiming he and Van Damme wrote the story under the title of The Kumite: Enter the New Dragon or just Enter the New Dragon in 1991.

The final screenplay is credited to Paul Mones and Steven Klein (the pseudonym for Gene Quintano), who opted not to be named.

As you'd expect, Van Damme claimed the two projects were unrelated, but several witnesses sided with Dux.  He won his story credit via a ruling of the Writer's Guild of America, but ultimately lost the actual case.

Fatalities

Barbarian: The Ultimate Warriror (1987)
Palace's classic is notable for the flying head chop, which if time correctly, instantly kills your opponent. 

However, the first video game to boast a decapitation is probably Halloween (1983) on Atari 2600.

Miscellany

Heeere's Johnny - MK X vs The Shining

Cheesy as hell, but this effort from Rain in MK 11 is unique to franchise.

Power Trip vs Queen II⁴ (1974)

⁴Image was brought to life for the video to Bohemian Rhapsody.

Heart rip vs Mola Ram - Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984).

Others were unable to resist.

Way of the Warrior (1994)
Nikki Chan grabs hold of whoever's heart.

Suffice to say, Naughty Dog would go on to better things.

Samurai Shodown V Special⁵
Providing conditions are met, Rasetsumaru can take a souvenir.

⁵The final Neo Geo game was supposed to be released in 2004, but for reasons unknown, was abruptly cancelled.  It wouldn't be officially released until 2020, as part of the Samurai Shodown NeoGeo Collection as Samurai Shodown V Perfect.

Check out this stage fatality from MK: Armageddon (2006), which is surely a nod to gruesome death of Chief Guard (Pat Roach).

These may or not be connected, but whatever.

Dumb and Dumber (1994)

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

And.

Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
Kano takes Cyril's heart at Bad-Anon, a support group for video game villains.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Jax - MK 3 vs T-1000

Stage fatality - Shaolin Monks vs Thumbs up

Predator (1987)

Spine rip - Sub-Zero

Cyrax⁶ - MK 3 vs Mask

Self-destruct device

⁶Palette swap Sektor has different moves.

Riki-Oh: The Story of Riki (1991)

Hong Kong martial arts splatter flick is adapted from the manga of same name.

The following in MK II (1993) can't be coincidence.

Head slap - Jax

Kiss of Death - Kitana

MK (2011), often called MK 9, introduced X-Ray moves.

(Ahem).

Trend continued throughout adult animated film series MK Legends.

Scorpion's Revenge (2020)

Battle of the Realms (2021)

Snow Blind (2022)

Cage Match (2023)

MK (1995)

Techno Syndrome is a way of life, with sample of legendary scream lifted from the Mortal Monday advert (13 September 1993).

Rather than kunai blade, the end of Scorpion's spear is uniquely represented as a living snake-like monster, that emerges from the palm of his hand. 

Guess what?

MK: Defenders of the Realm (1996)

MK: Conquest (1998)

Other media

The Simpsons - Treehouse of Horror XIV, Frinkenstein segment (S15 E1)

The Cleveland Show - Another Bad Thanksgiving (S2 E7)

Tormented Souls II (2025) vs MK (2011)

Revengor - The Intergalactic Adventures of Max Cloud vs Shao Kahn - MK II

Both villains chat hot garbage.

DVD menu - The IT Crowd Version 2.0 (2007) vs Choose your fighter - MK (1992)

Kung Fury (2012)

David Sandberg's brilliant 30m short is a tribute to 80's action films, but inserted some exceptions.

MK: Deception (2004)

 

Drawn Together - The One Wherein There Is a Big Twist, Part II (S2 E1) sees Scorpion brutally rip off Xandir's head, traced directly from source.

 

The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)

While discussing how they know each other are gay, Cal (Seth Rogen) and David (Paul Rudd) bizarrely play a PS2/Xbox game with N64 controllers.

(Laughs).

Fiual Destination: Bloodlines (2025)

Ignoring obligatory premonition scene (1968), film is largely set 50 years later in 2018, where Erik briefly plays MK 11. 

Unfortunately, game wasn't released until 2019.

To be kontinued.