Bizarre headlines in the news? Unlikely changes in routine? Uncharacteristic announcements from trusted sources?... Why, it can only mean yesterday was April Fool's Day!

Medieval tradition has given way to acts of downright skulduggery, making April 1st the day of mischief, pranks & hoaxes. That's a topic Mortal Kombat knows well -- famed for its hidden secrets and in-game gags! As we restore normalcy to Mortal Kombat Online, we're reaching into the Fan Submission Archive to pay tribute to the hoax who made good: Ermac!

Learn more about Ermac's illegitimate origins in our hoaxes & phony characters feature story! Once inspired: Register to submit your kreations for discussion, archive & future feature consideration!

JAX007 & Fatality_Check_123 start us off for our month of Ermac with two unique takes on a traditional theme. "Ermac 2010" takes his state as a legion being of many souls to a visual end -- his garb as patchworked as his tortured soul! For another take; Fatality_Check_123 drew inspiration from the work of former Mortal Kombat designer Vincent Proce. His Ermac clearly borrows from the ragged Proce Scorpion.

For challenging the status quo with a unique take on a classic - we must applaud Aculeus! The basic elements of a red masked warrior are repurposed to give "Ermac in Meditation" [above] a truly individual design. In a sea of ninjas, this fusion of influences gives Ermac a suitably mystic and exotic look. Flavours from Asia and the Middle East fuse to create something new and interesting, if removed from the designs we've come to know.

From around the web: soysaurus1 adds new layers to the most recent designs in his meditating "Ermac Re-Design". MH-arat combines a physical strength and mystic tranquillity in another truly interesting piece from DeviantART.

Giving more aggression to Shao Kahn's enforcer: jaggudada shows Ermac using his power over the soul against Sindel [above]. A dynamic piece that uses perspective and recent story developments to great effect!

Doing the soul man justice in a variety of styles are also Sondog71, sandspider & The-Switcher! Take a closer look at their individual takes by clicking on the thumbnails below!

Art of Kombat is fast becoming a monthly tradition! Support and appreciate the artistic kommunity on Mortal Kombat Online by checking out other holiday themed galleries: St. Valentine's Day & St. Patrick's Day! The month of May is just 28 days away, so if you want to play submit your best Lin Kuei!

Register to submit your works to the Mortal Kombat Online Fan Submission system! There you will join an archive of thousands and be automatically featured in the dedicated Fan Submission forum! You can discuss each submitted Art of Kombat work by clicking the piece to enter the forum.