Across a black screen, the following words are displayed.
“WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS”
As those words fade out, the camera fades in to the Edenian Wasteland.
More words appear on the screen.
“A NETHERREALM STUDIOS PRODUCTION”
They fade out. Vultures are flying over the rocky landscape as the title screen appears.
“MORTAL KOMBAT”
As the title fades away, a vulture pops up in front of the camera, its beak bloodied from feasting on an unseen carcass. The camera pans around the wasteland. Kung Lao’s dead body is shown crushed underneath a skeletal hand presumably summoned by Shinnok (or more specifically, his clone). Kitana’s bloodied hand lies next to him.
Scorpion’s kunai is buried point deep in the ground, with he himself being impaled upon Sub-Zero’s ice blade. Behind him, Hotaru’s body is slack in a seated position, and many other kombatants lie dead, one with a sword impaled in them, another (Li Mei) upright and impaled on a naginata.
Baraka is propped up against a rock in two pieces; Kung Lao’s hat has split him in half across his face and chest. In the background, one of his arms (or more specifically, the blade in it) is impaled in the back of Sub-Zero.
Johnny Cage’s glasses have broken and fallen from his face, with Cage’s head missing from the rest of his body. The vulture is shown again, feasting on the intestines of Sonya Blade, who has been sliced in two across her abdomen. Another vulture flies in and pushes the first off the carcass.
The first vulture flies off and the camera pans to follow its flight across towards the Armageddon pyramid. Reptile, a bloodied skeleton and an unidentified ninja lie dead before it, as well as an impaled Jax in the background, and the camera pans up the pyramid to follow more bodies.
Bo Rai Cho and Cyrax, Nightwolf and Sheeva (with one of Nightwolf’s arrows in her side), Kabal (with a vulture feeding on his corpse), Sektor, Kenshi and Mileena. As the camera moves up to Quan Chi’s dead body, the sounds of a struggle can be heard. These sounds continue as the camera pans up to the bodies of the zombified Liu Kang and Shang Tsung, reaching the top of the pyramid.
The fire that was once Blaze still burns across the pyramid top. The camera cuts to Raiden falling on the floor, his hat falling off his head as he does so. His red eyes struggle to focus and he tries to sit up to face his tormentor, Shao Kahn.
SHAO KAHN: Where are the Elder Gods, Raiden?
Kahn laughs as he stalks toward his long time enemy and picks him up.
SHAO KAHN: Their pathetic Mortal Kombat shackles me no longer.
He methodically pounds Raiden across the face several times and throws him across the pyramid top. In mid-flight, an amulet on Raiden’s chest falls off and shatters into several pieces. Raiden crashes onto the floor a moment later. Kahn draws his hammer, which pulses with magical energy.
SHAO KAHN: They masquerade as dragons, but are mere toothless worms.
As Raiden rolls over, Kahn slams his boot into Raiden’s chest.
SHAO KAHN: My venom spreads. It is the end of all things.
His hammer now glows with a flaming essence. Kahn himself glows the same essence, and it is clear he has absorbed the godlike power of Blaze.
SHAO KAHN: Armageddon.
RAIDEN: STOP!
SHAO KAHN: It is done.
Kahn picks Raiden up once more.
SHAO KAHN: Your time has passed.
He throws Raiden aside again. Raiden once more struggles to pull himself up.
SHAO KAHN: Ages wasted in foolish resistance.
Raiden spots the broken amulet.
SHAO KAHN: Now is the dawn of my rule.
Raiden scoops up most of what remains of the amulet in his hand. He begins an ancient chant as Kahn walks to his side, laughing. The amulet glows with Raiden’s signature blue lightning as the chant continues.
SHAO KAHN: Yes. Pray to the worms, Raiden. As your world ends…
As Kahn raises his hammer to smash Raiden into the ground, Raiden finishes the prayer with the following words.
RAIDEN: He must win!
Raiden’s eyes suddenly flash from red to blue and lightning sparkles from them. Just as Kahn’s hammer smashes into his skull, a blue portal of lightning appears before the screen. Images of Raiden’s past flash into existence:
- Raiden fighting Taven.
- Raiden speaking with the alliance of Quan Chi, Shao Kahn, Onaga and Shang Tsung made just before Armageddon.
- Raiden reanimating Liu Kang’s body.
- Raiden fighting with the Deadly Alliance against Onaga.
- Raiden fighting the Deadly Alliance.
- Raiden telling Earthrealm’s warriors (Jax, Kung Lao, Frost, Johnny Cage, Sub-Zero and Sonya Blade) of the Deadly Alliance.
- Sub-Zero bowing before Raiden.
- Jax and Sonya opening a portal to Outworld with Raiden watching.
- Raiden holding Liu Kang’s body.
- Raiden forcing up a lightning shield against energy blasts from Shinnok.
- Liu Kang in a fighting stance before a beaten Shao Kahn in front of an Outworld portal.
- Tarkatan warriors and gigantic monsters laying waste to a pile-up of cars in Earthrealm (and the people in them).
- Motaro impaling Johnny Cage on a spear.
- Raiden and Nightwolf standing before a black portal in the middle of a desert.
- Raiden watching Jax receiving his cybernetic implants.
- Liu Kang punching a hole through Shao Kahn’s chest.
- Kano in shackles.
- Baraka commanding Tarkatan forces to attack the Wu Shi Academy.
- Liu Kang in a fighting stance before a beaten Shang Tsung.
- Kung Lao discarding a disguise and running toward Baraka.
- Reptile lunging toward Johnny Cage.
The portal then pans out into the eyes of Raiden. He gasps and clutches his head. It’s apparent that this is the Raiden of the past – of the time of first Mortal Kombat tournament, to be precise. Liu Kang walks up to him.
LIU KANG: Lord Raiden! What is wrong?
RAIDEN: Strange visions…
A crackling of magic emanates from Raiden’s amulet. He holds it in his hand. It has cracked in several places.
LIU KANG: Your amulet!
RAIDEN: It is nothing, Liu Kang. The tournament begins.
They both turn to witness a procession of monks walking towards them. It becomes apparent they are on Shang Tsung’s magical island. Johnny Cage watches alongside Sonya Blade to the left of them. Sub-Zero (Bi-Han, the older brother) is slightly behind them with Cyrax and Sektor (both currently human) flanking him.
The camera cuts to behind the grandmasters throne. The elderly Shang-Tsung walks out, flanked by Kitana and Jade. Baraka enters as well to the left of them. Nightwolf (on Raiden’s left) watches cautiously, while Quan Chi and Scorpion (to the left of Johnny Cage and Sonya) watch them impassively. The monks finish their walk and sit down before Shang Tsung.
SHANG TSUNG: Kombatants. I am Shang Tsung! In the coming days each of you will fight. Some are here of their own volition, others were brought here by chance…
As Tsung continues talking, Johnny Cage looks to his right at Sonya.
JOHNNY CAGE: Hey, beautiful. Johnny Cage.
SONYA: Good for you.
JOHNNY CAGE: What? “Massive Strike”, “Citizen Cage”, “Ninja Mime”? None of those ring a bell?
Sonya looks over to see another kombatant walking out into the arena.
SONYA: Kano…
JOHNNY CAGE: “Kano”? Wasn’t in that one…
SHANG TSUNG: You participate in the most important Mortal Kombat in history! This tournament, the tenth after nine Outworld victories, will determine Earthrealm’s fate. If you defeat all of your opponents, you will face one final challenge… me.
JOHNNY CAGE: Huh! That old geezer’s the final challenge? They might as well give me the belt right now. They do have belts, right?
Someone coughs behind Cage. He turns around to see Shang Tsung standing beside him.
JOHNNY CAGE: What? How did you
SHANG TSUNG: Appearances can be deceiving.
He levitates back toward his throne.