Salutations, intrepid MKO readers and lurkers! Your gracious host Garlador has roused himself from his deep and restless sleep and scattered his dreams of rainbows and ponies to the wayside to bring you more discussions of all that makes the MK world turn.

We've dealt with Sheeva, Nightwolf, Mileena, Smoke, Shang Tsung, Stryker, Reptile, Sonya's boobs, and Sonya Blade. Up next, we've got everyone's favorite ketchup-colored robot, Sektor.

(not to be confused with an actual ketchup robot)

WHO IS SEKTOR?
Sektor (also known as LK-9T9... also known as "codename: bleeble blabble) is a member of the Lin Kuei clan of ninja assassins, the first to get cybernized into a cyborg, and the son of the Grand Master of the clan. He may also be a world-class motocross champion.


He's also the only one thus far to show any interest in becoming a robot, since every other robot warrior really hated the idea... which makes you wonder how they got away with it when 3-out-of-4 cyborgs in the series thus far REALLY opposed the idea... to the point of leaving the clan entirely.

(I don't think Sektor took the hint)

Also, Sektor was kind of an unlikeable dick right from the very beginning.

(The Lin Kuei are kinda like high priest Vatican assassin warlocks, right?)

Sektor became automated into an efficient killing machine and became a power player in two different continuities; in the first, he flees the Lin Kuei after Sub-Zero showed him who was boss and started up his own little robot village in Japan called the Tekunin.

(Like this, only without Robin Williams howling in your ear every 5 seconds)

In the new continuity, Sub-Zero, er, has some problems, and thus Sektor is free to kill his father and take control of the Lin Kuei himself, where Sektor's cold logic concludes that they'd better align themselves with the guy who wants nothing more than to conquer and enslave him and everything else in Earthrealm.

(Because cold hard math ALWAYS makes sense, right?)

Sektor's also got a bit of a hard-on for his trademark missile and flamethrower attacks.

(Truly the weapons of a stealthy ninja. They'd never even know he'd been there...)

WHY IS SEKTOR IN THE SERIES?
Sektor's debut in MK3 was during one of the odd transitional periods of MK history. They had ditched their rainbow of ninjas (even Scorpion!) and decided they needed something to fill the prerequisite ninja void they'd created.

So, after asking various grade school boys what they thought was awesome, and rejecting their answers of "Batman" (give it time...), they settled on their second choice: "ROBOTS".

(But are Sektor and Cyrax "more than meets the eye"?)

Well, because this is the MK franchise we're talking about, they weren't about to settle on just ONE robot. No, we needed many robots, and, in true MK fashion, we started getting them in all the colors of the rainbow.

(MK is basically CareBears for adults, isn't it...)

Thus, it was planned from the beginning that we'd have multi-colored ninja robots added to our mystical death tournament and slapping the prior fantasy storylines in the face with a blend of sci-fi techno that only the 90's could produce.

(And I'm sure it was EXTREME!!! to the radical MAXXX HARDCORE!!)

One of two creations, codenamed "Mustard" and "Ketchup", Sektor was pieced together from the very best materials the MK team could find... which was at least two Halloween costume shops, one sports depot, and probably a trip to Staples for some masking tape. Like the mad scientist/MacGuyvers they are, they went to work creating their monster.


SEKTOR'S STORY-
Sektor was introduced in MK3 as the first of many robot warriors the Grand Master of the Lin Kuei had decided to create to make the clan stronger. Sektor even volunteered for the procedure, being a lover of technology and all.

(Perhaps to an unhealthy degree)

Sektor then was tasked with tracking down the rogue members Smoke and Sub-Zero, and together with Cyrax snatched Smoke while Sub-Zero got away.

And, well, the story gets weird after that. Originally, in MK4, he was sent to spy on the apparently malfunctioning Cyrax when Cyrax had been recovered... but MK4 shows that Cyrax instead had joined the Special Forces, so no one really knows what Sektor did during that time period.

Things got interesting in MK:Deadly Alliance... even though he didn't show up in that game (or the next). Apparently Sektor was a bit insane and his programming started deteriorating. He concluded HE should lead the Lin Kuei, killed his daddy, and was about to lead the clan down a dark path of robotized evil when Sub-Zero made his dramatic entrance like every romantic lead bursting into a church at the end of a romantic movie to halt the girl's wedding to the wrong guy.

("Chick Flicks" would be far more bearable if the former jerk boyfriend had his spine ripped out more often. Take note, Hollywood.)

Sub-Zero proceeded to beat Sektor silly all the way out of China, where the cyborg retreated to the one place he knew he'd receive little opposition, the one place in the world that LOVES robots more than any other country in the world.

JAPAN!

(It is a rule in Japan that every show MUST include giant robots... yes, even news broadcasts and History channel documentaries)

Sektor then began creating a rival clan to the Lin Kuei, the Tekunin, using all the Japanese ninjas, thugs, and hobos off the street he could find to one day get back at Sub-Zero and show him how superior he was. Well, when he wasn't getting hunted down and beat up by Sonya Blade in Armageddon.

(Yes ma'am)

Not sure what happened to Sektor in Armageddon. We can conclude he got killed or self-destructed or died in a manner befitting a badass killer robot.

(But did he learn to cry before he died?)

Regardless, the Reboot Train arrived at Overhaul Central and Sektor was on board for more familiar territory.

Cue this game, where Sektor isn't just back, he's retconned into the very first tournament as a paid-for fighter on Shang Tsung's payroll. And he's HUMAN at this point.

(Kinda like this, only in reverse, and once again with less Robin Williams)

His partner Cyrax, however, gets talked out of fighting for the sake of money from a demonic sorcerer bent on world domination, something Sektor wasn't too keen on letting Cyrax just walk away from.

(C'mon, folks. If any character in Mortal Kombat looks even REMOTELY like Rich Divizio, DON'T TRUST THEM!)

Well, Cyrax beats him up and quits the Lin Kuei, only for them both to show up as robots several story chapters later with no details on what happened.

(Though I imagine it was just the rest of Smoke's now-wasted storyline)

Cyrax and Sektor hunt down Smoke, who escapes, and Sub-Zero, who doesn't, and pledge their support for Kahn in exchange for letting them outright just take him from the tournament where the fate of the world hangs in the balance.
(So, um, does this mean Sub-Zero forfeits the tournament? I mean, he just beat Scorpion... so shouldn't he advance? Can they DO that? How does that work in the rulebook, Elder Gods? This tournament sucks!)

Sektor then just becomes faceless badguy grunt number 62 that gets beat up and we don't feel bad because he's evil and destroying technology is always fun.


Sektor's ending is just him taking over the Lin Kuei, which was expected with Sub-Zero out of the picture, and letting everyone know that the Grand Master was his equally delusional daddy.

(Their mutual love of the color red and douchebaggery was a father/son bond even Sektor's act of patricide couldn't break)

SEKTOR'S FUTURE-
Surprisingly, Sektor's still kickin' it. Where other, bigger villains were dropping like flies and the heroes got cut down like it was hero harvesting season, Sektor endured to torment us another day.

So what does that mean? Well, a couple of things, both good and bad.

For starters, this means that Sektor is still in charge of the Lin Kuei and cybnerizing them up left and right, thus ensuring Earthrealm has a powerful new threat to contend with.

(Fear and tremble at his unstoppable robot army!)

On the other hand, it's the exact same plot as before, except the Tekunin no longer exist and Sektor no longer has a powerful rival to square off against and drive his quest for augmented perfection forward. He basically became the USA after the Soviet Union dissolved and the Cold War was over.

("Rocky" no longer has his "Drago" and we are the poorer for it)

It's anyone's guess what Sektor's going to do next. Will he cross paths with the Special Forces? Will he ally himself with the heroes during Shinnok's invasion? Will Cyrax regain his humanity and seek to defeat him? Will our heroes ever get off planet Namek?

(Sorry. Got my narrations mixed up)

One thing I would like to discuss is Sektor's "humanity", because, for a "mindless, emotionless, obedient" robot cyborg, Sektor is by far the most independent, expressive, and free-thinking... to the point I'm not so sure Sektor IS a mindlessly obedient robot.

I mean, he's got that brutal laugh in his attacks even after becoming a robot. He's expressed rage and anger many times before. Hell, one of his first acts ever was to turn against his creators and kill his father.

(Robots rebelling against their creators? No way! That's NEVER happened before!)

Some chalked it up to him being insane, or his programming deteriorating.... my own little theory is Sektor altered his programming before the cybernization procedure to ensure he retained most of his free-will and personal goals, using his father's plans to make himself stronger so he could usurp his father, take control of the clan, and create an empire all his own, all under the guise of being a "good little boy soldier seeking to please his daddy".

(The lesson to take away from this is your children can and will try to kill you and take their inheritance. So do your part - Rubber Up!)

But that's just a theory. Who knows? Sektor's been one of those characters that, unlike all the other cyborgs, he's just sort of flitted in and out of the story and little of his actions, storylines, or appearances have made much sense or had much of an impact. He's continually set up as an evil, powerful threat, yet that threat has rarely materialized. I'll give him credit for not being just another bland lackey of Kahn's, but there's a pretty good reason people seem far more invested in Smoke and Cyrax over Sektor's rather forgettable appearances.

That said, he's got a great set of moves, some sickeningly twisted fatalities, a suitable level of menace, and, again, a clear path forward for future games to cause further troubles. I fully expect him to return, and I only hope he's put to more use than as that guy that shows up when it's time to get kicked in the head by one of the many Lin Kuei guys that doesn't think joining him in robot heaven is what they want.

(We didn't want it either, Michael Bay!)

Okay, so sound off! What do you think about Sektor? Do you like his redesign? How 'bout his human form? Do you like any parts of his story? Any parts you miss? Are you happy he survived? Do you think he's fine the way he is, or does anyone have any ideas on how to "upgrade" his standing in the MK universe?

And let me know who I should cover next!

Okay guys, been fun. Garlador out.