It's a pretty simple equation: There are going to be 2 guest characters in Mortal Kombat X and one of them is a Predator. The other one must be the Xenomorph of Alien franchise fame then - right?.. Wrong.

In what seems like a two-prong masterstroke of viral provocation and legendary pranking: NetherRealm stocked their Kombat Pack with two characters famously tied to absent big screen rivals -- Jason Voorhees leading the charge as the other DLC guest.

The Friday the 13th slasher was a hotly requested commodity during the previous game's download cycle, inspired partly by the presence of slasher nemesis: Freddy Kreuger. If you're a long-lived Nightmare on Elm Street fan, you probably have the dark sense of humor to appreciate the hilarity of dividing two horror icons -- and stars of Freddy versus Jason -- between separate games.

The question now - will the same fate befall sci-fi cinema's Predator and Alien?

In August, the Alien has certainly been on Creative Director Ed Boon's mind. On-going news regarding a soft reboot in a fifth Alien film inspired musings about the success of repeat visits to the franchise. On August 16th, he remarked; "All those remakes failed to rejuvenate their franchises, and while Aliens is my favorite action movie of all time... despite how the last 2 were disappointments... I wonder if they should just leave the Alien franchise alone."

It seems Uncle Ed has grown tired of reboots that don't quite hit the balance of honoring and reinvigorating their brands, "After remakes/reboots of Robocop, Total Recall and Terminator I'm finding it hard to get excited about Alien 5." A sentiment many shared after the Alien vs Predator concept made its way to film - twice - under maligned direction by Paul Anderson, and the brothers Strause. [Related Article: Paul Anderson on Mortal Kombat and Film Adaptation]

On the surface, Boon's critiques sound like arguments against including the Xenomorph as Mortal Kombat DLC, but the finer details present nuanced arguments in different directions.

Xenophobia: The Alien stalks players in Sega's Alien: Isolation.

It's worth noting the Alien experience was rejuvenated just last year -- through video games, no less -- when Sega delivered critically celebrated survival horror: Alien: Isolation.

The game put players in the unenviable role of Amanda Ripley - a character referenced in deleted scenes from [James] Cameron's Aliens, and daughter to Sigourney Weaver's iconic film heroine: Ellen Ripley.

By tapping in to the tone, presentation and lore of the first two films; Isolation found new ways to inspire fear and excitement from the menace of the alien. All of this goes to show the interactive experience of video games can add a rejuvenating twist that diminishing film sequels cannot.

Of course, the success of Isolation came very much from restoring distanced respect to Ridley Scott's original veiled, lurking threat -- a perspective the fixed screen of fighting games fundamentally denies. Putting players in control of the Xenomorph may pose serious challenges to the developer if respecting the prestige of the concept is at all the aim.

The Mortal Kombat co-creator notes his favourite instalment is Cameron's action-oriented sequel: Aliens. The leap from mauling gun-toting space marines to Mortal Kombat's Special Forces certainly isn't a stretch for the imagination. The alien doesn't necessarily scream three Variations of hand-to-hand combat, either, but viewed through the prism of Scott to Cameron, maybe Mortal Kombat X can be the action sequel to Isolation's atmospheric precursor.

Besides - who could say no to a face hugger projectile or chest burster fatality?

On the flipside: Having one icon and not the other has proven to be an undeniably successful carrot-on-a-stick for NetherRealm and Warner Bros.

Guest character speculation and wishlists have brought Mortal Kombat X major mainstream coverage, and intense fan interest on forums like Mortal Kombat Online. This could cynically be viewed as the ultimate pre-promotional tool, extending awareness and engagement with Mortal Kombat into the next game's cycle. After all, we were talking about Jason & Predator as early as E3 2014! It's a little Weyland-Yutani, but it speaks to the very nature of using crossover characters to attract attention.

Maintaining the metaphor would make Ed Boon the Paul Reiser of the scheme, fuelling speculation with three days of Alien memes straight outta: John Hurt on the 18th, Kombat Pack 2 on the 19th, and the Lion King on the 20th.

MKO USER POLL - In the pipe, five by five. (43.0%) - Gamer over, man! Game over! (56.9%)

Mixed metaphors would make these tweets face huggers - impregnating fandom with gestating alien mania waiting to explode sometime circa 2019. Are they confirmation of downloadable content on the horizon? Not really. That's not a NetherRealm character model, and these tweets aren't percentage significant proof that Alien is in development. That's not to say it isn't, either!

From the running Character Dead Pool, to our oft cited eight-month forecast for Brazil Skins & Klassic Fatalities -- Ed Boon is a font of early information, if you know where to look. There's enough proverbial 'Alien smoke' to warrant speculation. Until we get a trailer with an ominous heart beat, drifting close-ups toward kombatant's chests, and a bursting baby alien that announces DLC is coming -- we just can't guarantee it.

Is an alien egg waiting to hatch? Register to join the ravenous speculation on the Mortal Kombat X forum! Infect your friends by liking & sharing this story via @MK_Online and Facehuggerbook!

Perhaps more than any other genre of Hollywood adaptation; films based on video games have suffered from sub-standard appropriation, and awkward re-imaginings. Mortal Kombat may be considered one of the most successful to make the crossover, but as director Paul W. S. Anderson explained (in a 2004 commentary), even his 1995 hit involved an iterative process of deliberate alteration.

Mortal Kombat is celebrating the twentieth anniversary since its original theatrical release: August 18th, 1995! The shadow of its $100 million success looms large over the franchise, inspiring a cinematic universe flirtatious in-game references, nostalgic fandom and a new generation of filmmakers.

Anderson's words -- taken from a 2004 commentary for another of his many game-to-film projects: Resident Evil: Apocalypse -- remain prescient.

A new producer has brought the series a step closer to a theatrical return, but the future remains uncertain. Will filmmakers follow Anderson's advice, or the example of his less-than-faithful films? To date, rumors and independent adaptation have struggled to embrace the popular fiction of the video game franchise. Something Paul Anderson clearly grappled with, despite a self-professed fandom.

In an article by The Hollywood Reporter, series co-creator Ed Boon notes, "John [Tobias] and I had comments about the script because I remember at first, from our perspective, it was way too comical. Raiden was cracking jokes like a prankster, and I remember saying, "He's not a clown, he's a very serious character." We didn't write the script, but we read the script and we sent back comments."

In his commentary, Anderson credits strong test audience reaction for correcting the cardinal sin of coupling Scorpion and Sub-Zero as allies. We might infer this led to one of the films' many memorable moments, a reshoot the likely impetus for Shang Tsung declaring them, "slaves under my power!"

Reshoots clearly added a lot to the inexperienced Anderson's US directorial debut. "We added my favorite fights, which were the Scorpion fight with Johnny Cage and the Reptile fight with Liu Kang.," notes THR. Cinematic martial arts showdowns like these were vital to the film's credibility as a Mortal Kombat adaptation.

On Mortal we made, y'know, we made some deviations from the game. I mean, I think you have to - you can't just be totally slavish to the game... Because then there's no surprises in the movie, and you may as well stay at home and play the game. Ah, and also, what makes for a great video game - which, y'know, is an experience that can last a couple of days playing - doesn't necessarily make for a great ninety minutes in a theatre. So you do have to make changes, but I think it has to be, y'know, very careful changes that you made. Like, in Mortal Kombat, you know, in the original screenplay, Scorpion and Sub-Zero were friends. And, y'know, we tested that version of the movie, and boy did the audience let us know that in the game: they were enemies. And they hated them being friends in the movie. So, we went back and we reshot certain scenes and kinda put things right. And I've been very aware of that in all of the video game adaptations we've done since then. To be mindful of the world of the game, and the rules that are laid down."
- Paul Anderson. (Resident Evil: Apocalypse commentary, 2004)

We're celebrating 20 years of the Mortal Kombat movie! Register to share your own thoughts and find more stories in the Media & Merchandise forum! Follow, like & share more via @MK_Online, Facebook & YouTube.

The original mechanically enhanced metal arm of the law is ready to march on Mortal Kombat X Mobile! You can now unlock Jax in the free-to-play kard collecting game if you've got the mettle to complete the campaign before the requisite hours mean you miss his ETA!

Unlocking Jax means facing five tiers of super-soldier training: each consisting of 12 battles each, with the exception of the final 15 fight challenge! Tier 1 is all Bronze Kard war games, Tier 2 & 3 promote you to Bronze & Silver skirmishes. You'll need a Spec Ops kard in your Tier 4 team, before Tier 5 pushes Special Forces newcomer Johnny Cage to run the Heavy Weapons gauntlet.

Check in-app for the most accurate reading of challenge time remaining. Kompleted the challenge? Register to bask in the spoils of war and find more MKX Mobile tips on the Mortal Kombat X forum! At ease, soldier!

Now that you've unlocked Mileena by completing the challenge in Mortal Kombat X Mobile - it's time to find out how to get the most of your new Gold Kard character! The boffins at NetherRealm Studios have a simple breakdown to help you do exactly that:

Mileena provides a strong offensive with above average toughness, offering a variety of complexities that boost her stay in the fight! Blood will only make Mileena more fearsome, and equipping her trademark sais ensures you get the most out of the would-be Outworld Empress!

Download Mortal Kombat X Mobile for free via the iTunes App Store, Google Play, and now Amazon Games! Got Mileena? Register to share your MKX Mobile konquests on the Mortal Kombat X forum! Support the site via portable portals on @MK_Online, Facebook & YouTube!

The innovation of Character Variations has given players three dimensions to consider when honing and battling warriors in Mortal Kombat X! It only makes sense then that the gameplay gimmick is perfectly suited to 3D world of limited edition variant collectibles! Big Bad Toy Store reports PREVIEWS will offer visually altered variants from Mezco Toys in December!

Mortal Kombat X Series 2 features Quan Chi, Kotal Kahn and Kitana as standard. The PREVIEWS Variants will tweak each character appropriately to reflect the Sorcerer (Quan Chi), Blood God (Kotal Kahn) and Mournful (Kitana) variations [pictured above].

Mezco Toys have upped the action figure game, utilizing digital designs from NetherRealm Studios to create some of the most game accurate likenesses the series has ever seen! Each 6 inch figure boasts more than 17 points of articulation, and comes with a variety of variant accessories like glowing skull projectile, sword, and staff.

December pre-order is available now for $19.99 each, or Series 2 Variant Pack starting at $58.99US. Series 1 came out in May, featuring Raiden, Scorpion & Sub-Zero.

Will you unlock the variant figures? Register to follow and discuss all collectibles in the Media & Merchandise forum! Spread the word by liking & sharing stories via @MK_Online and Facebook.