He made a surprise appearance in yesterday's IGN Inside the X-Ray behind-the-scenes featurette [full story], but today, it's official: Liu Kang is back!

Described on the Official Mortal Kombat website as "The Returning Champion" -- MK's iconic four-time big hero is a surprisingly late entrant into the new game. He's looking much healthier, though, after suffering a lethal broken neck in the opening scene from Deadly Alliance, before being resurrected as a zombie for Deception and Armageddon.

The time travel premise of Mortal Kombat means Liu Kang is, theoretically, in his element, enjoying the success that comes from entering and winning the Mortal Kombat tournament. There can be no guarantees, however, that Liu is still the chosen champion to represent the Shaolin order and all of humanity. A recently revealed blurb from the Official Mortal Kombat Strategy Guide gave us a strong indication that the existing canon could possibly expect some lasting changes.

Fortunately, much like his spinal column, Liu Kang's history remains in tact. The Official website offers a brief blurb alluding to his extensive training as a Shaolin fighting monk, including recognition from Raiden and his special training with Bo' Rai Cho.

Orphaned at a very young age, Liu Kang was raised by Shaolin monks, who taught him the way of the spiritual warrior. They soon recognized his potential as a contender for the Mortal Kombat tournament and rigorously trained him for this task. Raiden, too, understood that Liu Kang was Earthrealm's best hope for freedom and introduced him to Master Bo' Rai Cho to further his development. Once fully trained, Liu Kang bested all challengers and earned the high honor of representing the Shaolin in the Mortal Kombat tournament. He and Raiden then embarked on their fateful journey to Shang Tsung's island to compete in this pivotal kontest.

The update also includes a new Dead Pool site background.
You can find it, as well as the official Kombat Chat message boards, on TheMortalKombat.com. To learn more about Liu Kang, be sure to join the message board and get talking. Discussion supports character rankings, and has already seen a blockbuster release of Mileena materials!

Mortal Kombat has a release date of April 19 and will be available in standard and kollector's special editions. For more on PAL versions, be sure to follow that story. You can also get a first-hand glimpse of some of Liu Kang's spectacular kung fu by watching Inside the X-Ray!