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LiuKangFighter
08/26/2007 04:35 AM (UTC)
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Cage is the comic relief character, and that's all he will ever be. He's the Special Forces groupie and the comic relief character. He's the same thing in every single game he's been in. Here's the breakdown of Cage in each game:

MK1: Fights in the tournament and makes a movie about it. Supposedly makes friends with Liu Kang.

MK2: Cage did next to NOTHING in MK2. You know what he did in MK2? He made another movie and helped out the Earthrealm Warriors. He then supposedly dies by Shao Kahn.

MK4: Yet again, we find Cage in the same storyline. Fighting alongside the Earthrealm Heroes.

MKDA: Fighting alongside the Earthrealm Warriors, again. And then gets killed and ressurected by Onaga.

MKA: Sees visions of Shinnok, gathers the heroes, and goes to fight alongside Earthrealms heroes, again. Does this guy do anything else besides making movies and fighting alongside the earthrealm heroes?

So basically, this guy has nowhere else to go, unless he reaches enlightenment, and becomes a monk. Or gets killed off. I really hope he dosn't come back. Cage has been a space filler since MK II.

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Leo
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08/27/2007 01:49 AM (UTC)
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Name: Johnny Cage
Likelihood to Return: 60%
Most Probable Path: Reformed Hero

Having Cage take on a role of leadership in MK: A means one of two things: either the MK Team wants to take him out of MK with a big bang, or they're setting Johnny up to be a hero unlike what he's ever been before. My opinion is that they're preparing him for his next-gen persona, otherwise I doubt they'd have done anything different with Johnny on such an initially story-weak game such as MK:A. I think Johnny will give up on his superficial lifestyle and "background sidekick" image in order to become a more prominent hero in MK:8 and beyond.



===============================================

~ Storyline ~


If Johnny does come back, I see the MK guys totally revamping him in a way, and I completely agree that doing so is the best move for Johnny. People have come to not take him very seriously, and to never expect him to do anything great. He's been too worried with movies and his personal life and career while there's much bigger things going on around him, and that needs to change.

Stalagmite Wrote:
Perhaps Cage will join Sonya and Jax in the OIA. I wouldn't be surprised if he did.


Neither would I. Throughout all the past MK games, there have been hints of Cage's connection with Sonya. Whether he views her in a romantic level or just a deep friendship level is unimportant, so long as it's agreed that there IS a connection. And if it exists, then they should explore it to a certain extent. Johnny joining the OIA would be a good start.

Now, I don't see Johnny completely GIVING UP on his old lifestyle and his old self: he'll be just discovering a better purpose in life, and choosing to act on a different basis, because I still think he should keep some of his comic-relief aspects, since it makes him unique. In a way he'll become more serious overall, but not like a Liu Kang or a Kung Lao. Anyway, he'll see a position in the OIA as his ticket to doing just that. Sonya would put him through some type of rigorous test, but in the end (and not to her surprise) he would prove his worth to the organization and gain a favorable position within it.

As for his MK: 8 storyline, I see him taking a lead role in the hunt for Raiden, tracking him down with the aid of Kung Lao and the guidance of Fujin to finish him off and stop him from hunting down the past Earthrealm fighters.



===============================================

~ Opening Sequence ~


IMAGE #1:
We see Johnny in a his primary outfit (will describe it later) running toward the screen and looking back at a gigantic explosion, his right hand positioned as if he'd just thrown something at that exact location. Debris and fragments of stone fly from the locale. Sonya is closer to the screen, a few feet in front of him, looking intently to her right side, a large gun in her hands. Many similarly-dressed agents wielding diverse variations of Sonya's gun are seen scattered throughout the shot.

"The first truly-dangerous mission I took part in after joining the Outerworld Investigation Agency involved us following our superior to the supposed hideout of Mavado and his still-standing Red Dragon members. We raided the base hidden deep within the mountains, capturing and killing more Red Dragon agents than we lost from our group. I had the pleasure of locating Mavado himself after what seemed like an endless battle. I led Sonya to him. He was defeated and apprehended soon after."

IMAGE #2:
We see the side of a colossal, high-tech building being blown to bits by Raiden, who is hovering in the sky, transferring lightning from the dark skies to the structure. Five dead bodies lie in the rubble and fire. Close to the screen is Johnn and Sonya. Sonya is glaring up at Raiden, her right fist cocked and a ferocious look on her face. Johnny has a firm grip on her left arm, and seems to be pulling her away from the attacked base.

Our raid of the hidden Red Dragon hideout left the surrounding areas looking almost war-torn. This explosive damage to a natural area undoubtedly was what attracted Raiden to us, for he materialized at the O.I.A. base we'd returned to soon after our arrival. To our shock, he attacked it mercilessly. Realizing that he seemed to be after Sonya and I, the two of us retreated from the base as to stop the end of any more innocent livesl

IMAGE #3:
Johnny, now in his ALT., stands beside Kung Lao at a fighting arena beside a Shaolin Temple. Fujin is speaking to them.

I received word from Kung Lao that it would be in our best interest to meet him as soon as possible. Sonya had her own agenda, and I journeyed to meet with Kung Lao alone. Fujin appeared before us and told us of the frightening taint that had overcome Raiden, and that all of us who had once aided his cause had now become his targets. It was clear what must be done: Raiden had to be erased from existance, or we would, and Earth itself would plunge into a state of tyranny not soon after.



===============================================

~ Ending ~

I've already talked about the ending for Johnny that I'd like to see in the next game. He'd locate Raiden alongside Kung Lao and Fujin, only to to discover him being backed up by Shinnok. The fight would lead to both Raiden and Shinnok being banished to an unknown realm.

Afterwards, Johnny resumes his new life with the O.I.A., gaining a new rank for his accomplishments: Jax's old one. (More on Jax when we get to him or Sonya). From here-on, he is Sonya's new partner in her missions.



===============================================

~ Outfits ~


PRIMARY:
Johnny's primary outfit should reflect his new persona. He should have some type of combat uniform, with a few aspects of it drawn from a stealth oufit. Something worthy of his position in the O.I.A.

Maybe something like this....... only without all the pouches on the utility belt and the eypatch (-_-'), or the headband. A nice-looking, more-thin-than-thick uniform.

ALTERNATE:
Johnny's alternate should be based on his old look. The blue sports sunglasses, the black pants, showing off his kick-ass dragon tattoo, but put some shoes on this time!

===============================================

~ Moves ~


Johnny's had some nice moves in the past MK Games, Though his Uppercut was always really dangerous to use, most of his moves had good range and probability to hit, making him an above average character overall.

Like most characters, Johnny's had some moves that became his trademark and should definitely return along with him:

Shadow Kick: The updated version of the Shadow Kick could have a different "green shadow" effect than previously: rather than Johnny leaving a green, humanoid shape as he slides forward, the wind whipping around him as he performs the attack could be turned green. That would look amazing in next-gen graphics.

Plasmic Firebal: Johnny swings his fist; his forearms glow green just before the glow shifts into the actual projectile, which shoots toward his opponent in a semi-circular motion. The projectile divides into countless green mini-orbs that scatter through the arena, vanishing shortly after.

Those are the only ones that I think should return. With his new persona should come new moves as well.

Plasma Puddle: Johnny flings his projectile at the ground a few feet ahead of him. It bursts, leaving a temporary puddle of green, sticky substance. If his opponent walks over it, an animation will trigger where the opponent will attempt to leap at Cage, only to have his feet shoot back to the ground as the substance sticks to it, forcing him to stay put for a hit.

Minefield: The player presses (let's say) DOWN, FORWARD + TRIANGLE. Johnny will throw a small, metallic bomb toward his opponent (it shoots forward slower than an actual projectile). If it hits, the bomb will burst, releasing a Plasmic Fireball straight at its victim's head (for minimal damage), stunning him/her for a second hit. If it doesn't hit, the bomb will simply fall to the ground. If Johnny has bombs lying on the ground, the player can either: press DOWN, FORWARD + TRIANGLE again to throw another bomb (he may have two on the arena at once), OR he can press DOWN, BACK + TRIANGLE, which will cause Johnny to quickly take out a revolver and shoot at the nearest bomb, which will cause it to explode more violently than if it had hit Johnny's opponent at first: this bigger explosion will stun the opponent if he/she is anywhere near it.
^ A move that is a good mix of the old Johnny and the new, OIA Johnny.

Throw - Nut Punch: Johnny's throw should be his Nut Punch.

SPECIAL MOVE:
High-Tech Assault: Johnny throws one of his bombs at his opponent (this is the other player's chance for evasion). If the other player was unsuccessful, the first bomb will hit him/her square in the face, causing him/her to stumble backwards just as another one pops onto his/her head, then another at the stomach, and a final one at the face again; the rest of the bombs would just fall in a circle around the victim as he/she is dazed. Johnny then whips out his revolver and, with one single well-aimed shot, all the bombs around his opponent explode. There is a huge, slimy, booming burst, and Johnny's opponent flies into the air toward Johnny, who nails him/her with his old Sliding Uppercut (wind effects similar to his Shadow Kick), knocking him/her back into the ground. If the other player successfully input the evasion combination, then Johnny's opponent would kick the first bomb back at Johnny, hitting JOHNNY in the face instead, causing him to stumble backwards and fall hard on his rear (for no damage).

You can see that his special move is quite comical. Like I said, I still want some of his comic-relief "Vibe" to return.



===============================================

~ Fatalities ~


Bad Meal: Johnny shoots his victim in the foot, causing him/her to hold it and scream out. He takes this chance to shove one of his bombs down the victim's throat (if the victim is a ninja, he rips off the mouth covering before doing so). As he steps back, his victim swallows it. Johnny shoots him/her on the stomach, prompting the victim to explode. Body parts and green goo rain down around Johnny.

Touchdown: Johnny grabs a firm hold of his opponent's head. He then performs his Shadow Kick, kicking the victim's body off-screen so that only his/her head remains, "safely" in Johnny's hands. Johnny hops into the air and slams the head on the grond, which bounces away, leaving a small pool of blood on the floor.

Hara-Kiri: Johnny lifts his right leg straight into the air (the wind whipping past it turns green), until his foot finally smashes into his head, knocking it clear off. The head flies backward with the same wind effect. Johnny's decapitated body falls limp to the floor.



===============================================


That's it for Johnny. I've always really liked him, and I want him to return, only with that new edge that MK:A hinted at. Hopefully we'll continue to see him around, more impressive than he was in the past. smile
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m0s3pH
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08/28/2007 11:49 PM (UTC)
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Johnny shouldn't come back. He's outlived his usefulness as comic relief, it's time that the MK team eliminates that element from the series and gets serious about it.

Next character:

SONYA BLADE
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Sub-Zero_7th
08/29/2007 01:33 AM (UTC)
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Sonya probably has somewhat of a better chance of returning than not returning since she's a fan favorite and is one of Ed Boon's favorite characters. Percentage-wise, I'd probably say maybe around 70%, if that's not going too high or too low.

Personally, I'm very iffy when it comes to Sonya Blade. I don't hate her nor dislike her, but at the same time, I'm not really all that much into her. The problem with Sonya stems from her lack of development as a character, despite being one of the main protagonists and the central character of her own story arc. If she's going to return, character development is one thing that is a MUST for her.

I want to see her character be delved into more and maybe have some changes of some sorts. Part of me would love to see a rivalry between Sonya and Kira and set them up as each others' antithesis, Sonya being the brash and aggressive Special Forces agent while Kira is the cunning and tactical Black Dragon criminal. This could lead to Sonya learning how to become less brash and much more tactical, in order to be more efficient, especially against Kira.

Aside from that, I'm not sure what kind of story path would be best for her. For her to simply be another hero that fights alongside the others is kind of boring, so I want some kind of dynamic to make her more interesting. Possibly she can side with Raiden later on out of being fed up with the way things have been going on. Then again, Raiden has the whole kind of totalitarian dictator type thing going on while Sonya is from the U.S. She could perhaps develop into a villain, with some kind of backstory involving a secret desire to be free from boundaries of the law and experiencing what it's like to be a criminal.

For her story overall, it's currently very mediocre, imo. I probably wouldn't want to see much more of a thing with Sektor. That should probably be a one-time thing. If Frost returns, maybe the rivalry between her and Sonya could be further developed, but I'm more interested in a rivalry between Sonya and Kira. Either way, I hope that if she were to return that her story would be more interesting and that we'd get some good character development.

Now, onto her gameplay, which as far as I know, has never been lower than mid tier. For those of you who are experts with high-level playing in the MK games, especially when it comes to MK1-MKG, please correct me on that if I'm wrong.

Gameplay-wise, I think she should be that linear, aggressive fighter, using more external styles. Tae Kwon Do fits her nicely, imo. Her stance should change and imo, she should use Kyerugi Seogi, which is the "fighting stance" used in that style. She should of course use a lot of different kinds of kicks as well as some strikes. She could perhaps have her style be a fusion of Tae Kwon Do and Judo, which would give her some well-roundness due to the fact that Judo specializes in throwing and grappling techniques while Tae Kwon Do specializes in kicking techniques.

If we go by having two styles, which I would like to see again in future MKs, I think her other style should be American Kenpo, the Western style of Karate founded by Ed Parker. It's the style she used in MKDA, and I imagine it being her more well-rounded style that has Chinese, Okinawan, Japanese, and Hawaiian influences. Some might like her with the Kali Sticks, which is a fine weapon for her. However, I think that she is better off with two unarmed styles.

For her special moves, she definitely needs the Leg Grab and Energy Rings to return as well as have her Kiss of Death and maybe the Diagonal Bicycle Kick. If she's going to have her Square Wave Punch, I actually think it would be cool if it were changed into a Square Wave Kick. She could also have her Front Flip Kick move that she had in MK4. If they don't give it back to her, maybe they could give it to Kira, even though that probably would lead to more criticism towards her. Either way, Sonya needs her classic moves back. I wished that she had the throw that Kung Lao had in MKA. It would've gone nicely with her Tae Kwon Do style. Another throw could be like one of the ones that Hwoarang from Tekken uses where he sort of walks up on the opponent and back kicks him/her.

If she doesn't return, I'm not going to have a problem with that. However, I would still like her to live at least. I don't feel that she should die.

So overall, I'm 50/50 on Sonya's return, but I do think that she has a better chance of returning mainly due to her popularity.
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Stalagmite
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08/29/2007 07:56 PM (UTC)
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I'm sure Sonya will return in a future MK game, however she's in more of a rut than people realize. Her story has always been pretty much the same. In MK1 and MK3 she was after Kano, in MK4 she was after Jarek, in MKDA she was after the Red Dragon, and in MKA she was after Sektor. I think it will be a challenge to remove Sonya from this rut. I don't think she should change very much, but some kind of difference in her character would be important. I don't think the Tekunin will be her top priority in MK8. Instead, I believe she'll go after the new Black Dragon clan, while at the same time fighting alongside her allies against the main threat. Here are the characters she might interact with:

Jax - There's a chance Jax won't return. His story is basically just an expansion of Sonya's story. Still if he does return I see him having a rivalry with a new member of the Black Dragon, or maybe he'll split up from Sonya to work on dealing with another threat (Red Dragon/Tekunin)

Johnny Cage - I can't see one coming back without the other one for some reason. They're going to be tied together, but perhaps their interaction will increase in the next game. Johnny could still have involvement with the OIA.

Raiden, Liu Kang, Fujin, Kung Lao - Since I'm kinda sick of explaining my views on the Raiden fiasco, let's just say I would expect Sonya at some point to fight Raiden along with her allies, but I'd expect her ending to be more about the Black Dragon.

Kano - lol, no I don't expect Kano to cheat death again. Sonya should kill him in Armageddon. If he does return, I don't expect Sonya's story to be interesting.

Kira - I want Kabal to die and for Kira to take up leadership of the new Black Dragon. Sonya and Kira should immediately start a rivalry, and maybe Kira should win the first fight. Still Sonya should try and find a new way to bring down Kira.

Kobra - Please don't insult this idea, since I realize how it's never gonna happen. Kobra looks like a male Sonya. Sonya has a supposedly dead brother. Would it really be so bad if Kobra was Daniel Blade? It might be stupid, but it would add a conflict to Sonya's story. If this whole theory is incorrect, Kobra should still be Kira's second-in-command.

Sektor - Since her bio revolved around the Tekunin, I don't think it's out of the question for her to interact with Sektor. Still, I'd like to see Sektor ally with Noob, and form a conflict for Sub-Zero and maybe Cyrax.

Cyrax - It's possible for Cyrax to continue working for the OIA, but instead the writers may want him to leave them for a while to handle Sektor (and perhaps Noob and Smoke as well). Still it's possible for Cyrax to help Sonya with the Black Dragon.

Other ideas include Stryker, Kabal, Jarek, Daegon, Mavado, Hsu Hao, Taven, Kitana, Frost, Sub-Zero, Kenshi, Shinnok, and Shao Kahn.

Sonya's always been a consistent character. A bit too consistent. Yet, I'm unsure of how to fix this problem. Maybe after MK8, she should take a break from the series. But before that, maybe Jax should die, or Kira should come close to killing her. Sonya's just getting stale and unlike Johnny Cage, it doesn't seem like she's gonna change anytime soon. Still, I hope the MK team does give Sonya a twist in her story.



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XiahouDun84
08/29/2007 08:58 PM (UTC)
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Little behind here, so I'll catch up real quick....

Raiden
I think Raiden has a good shot at coming back. IMO, he's kind of the unofficial third icon of the series after Scorpion and Sub-Zero...so I think he'll most likely come back.

I think they should keep the "dark" Raiden story going because it'd be real lame to have him revert back to normal just like that. I think his frustration should grow beyond just mortals and include the Elder Gods as well. He could then decide he wants to conquer the realms to force peace.

It would provide an interesting conflict and change of pace from Shao Kahn and the other villains we've seen so far. The battle would divide the heroes between the ones who agree with Raiden's POV and those who don't. Could lead to interesting battles and unexpected alliances.

I would delve into there being some sort of parallel between Raiden's fall from grace and Shao Kahn's background...since in Deception they revealled Kahn was once like Raiden. I think it'd be interesting if they explored that...especially if Shao Kahn happens to return as well.

Fujin's Armageddon bio mentions that something must've gone wrong when Raiden reformed that might be the cause of his sudden change. Were me, I'd play the One Being card and build it up that it is what's influencing Raiden's change. Because, way I see it, since they've mentioned the One Being, one would expect it will in some way pose a future threat...similar to how MK3 hinted at Shinnok and MK:DA hinted at Onaga. Since if the One Being reforms, the realms would end and everyone would be blinked out of existence, Raiden could be how they make the One Being the boss. Having it's essence/influence manifest physically in the form of Raiden.


Johnny Cage
I have significantly less to say about Johnny Cage. I think he should go. Maybe not die, but I think he should retire. Some see his change and taking things seriously in Armageddon as a new beginning....I see it as closure. He finally learned to take things seriously and did something important in the big final battle. The end.

I do not buy Johnny Cage as the new main hero. Not at all. I've zero interest in seeing him continue. I think he should be one of the old characters who passes on to make way for the new generation.

Even if he does come back, I have no idea what can be done with him.


Sonya Blade
Like Liu Kang, Cage, and various other old characters, I think Armageddon should be Sonya's last game to make way for the new generation. I don't think she'll die...but she should retire. Perhaps have a daughter or something for the next gen.

However, I would be a bit more forgiving if Sonya came back. She has more life in her than Liu or Cage and she doesn't have an immediate successor. Drop Liu...you got Kung Lao. Lose Kitana...you got Jade. Raiden...Fujin. But Sonya doesn't have that...unless they do introduce her daughter. More importantly, she does have a potential future story which, if it continues, should continue.

I am not referring to the Sektor feud, though. The only reason I care about that rivalry in the slightest is because I like Sektor. I'm not expecting much from Sonya's end because it will probably be the same as every other battle Sonya's fought. Like Sub-Zero_7th already pointed out...Sonya has not evolved through the series. Sonya now is the same Sonya from MK1. Different things happen to her...but she doesn't change. Sektor won't provide that change. He won't reveal any new layers to her character.

Should Sonya continue, the best thing they can do is run with Jax turning evil. They've hinted that Jax now has a terrible anger inside...which would suggest he might turn evil. I would prefer they had it something to do with Onaga's enslavement...but Armageddon suggests the Tekunin may be involved.

Either way, Jax turning evil would be the best thing for Sonya. It would challenge her because it's something that hits her where she hurts....her fear of loss. So if she was forced to fight her best friend....could be trouble. I know I mentioned the Liu/Raiden thing was too similar to Sub-Zero/Noob and I've expressed little interest in either....but the difference is Sonya/Jax offers something more to the table than the previous two. It would be a good challenge for Sonya and one that could maybe finally give her some much-needed character development.

Aside from Jax, I wouldn't mind seeing Kira built up as Sonya's antithesis. Could prvide and interesting dynamic, reveal something new about Sonya and develope her and increase Kira's potential. If Mavado happens to return, I'd like to see them pick up on the feud suggested in MK:DA where they kept saying Mavado would be a greater threat to Sonya than Kano was. Speaking of which....Kano should die. 'nuff said.
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Leo
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08/30/2007 12:57 AM (UTC)
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Name: Sonya Blade
Likelihood to Return: 90%
Most Probable Path: Afflicted Main Heroine

Sonya's chances of returning next-gen are very high, mostly due to her popularity among MK fans, as well as the special liking Boon and the MK Team seem to have for her (they always picked her to return in their transitions, renewed her looks, etc.) Not only that, but I think it's impossible for the MK Team to not realize how much untapped potential Sonya has. They'll see that, thoughout her many appearences in the past, endless possibilities have risen in front of her: she has made countless possible enemies (more than most MK characters), each one able to give something new and different to her character and storyline. From Frost and her dangerous, arrogant persona, to Kira and her seeming affinity for strategy, to many others who might rise up in the future and oppose Sonya. They need to pick which one of the many candidates would be the best new enemy for Sonya, and on top of that, turn her into more of a protagonist than ever.

===============================================


~ Storyline ~


Let's face it: Liu Kang isn't coming back. Johnny, as much as I like him, doesn't have the biggest of chances. In truth, Sonya and Sub-Zero are the two Earthrealm heroes most likely to return out of the bunch, IMHO, with Kung Lao almost stealing their current position (his similarities to Liu Kang could diminish his chances). I want to see Sub-Zero unlink himself from the Lin Kuei story arch a bit and step more into the protagonist role, with Kung Lao serving a similar purpose if he does return (kind of like Liu Kang and Johnny Cage in the past). Sonya should then do the same thing as Sub-Zero: step away just a bit from her OIA story arch and step more into a protagonist role. Since Kung Lao would likely be most concerned with Dark Raiden, then Sub-Zero and Sonya should set their sight on whoever the main threat to Earth will be: Sub-Zero as the main hero, Sonya as the main heroine.

The good thing about this idea is that it would tie in perfectly with the concept of Raiden making the remaining Earth heroes his new targets. I like to believe that Raiden still has a bit of good inside of him, a slight portion of his past memories and sentiments. He could find himself unable to directly destroy those he once allied himself with, but decide that, for the sake of Earthrealm's safety, he cannot give up on his new task. He could then enlist the aid of past villains to do the job for him, hunting down and killing their choice of the group. I can totally see a revamped Frost and Kira forming a sort of mini-Deadly-Alliance to eliminate Sub-Zero and Sonya once and for all.

Frost would want the duo dead for obvious reasons. However, I think that Kira would need more of a push to hate Sonya or actually want her dead. Sonya and her OIA agents (with exception of Jax, who disappeared) should apprehend and lock Kabal up in a high-security prison during the events of Armageddon, and as the icing on the cake, Sonya herself should brutally murder Kobra right in front of Kira. Seeing her partner-in-crime die helpessly before her could shock and enrage Kira: something we haven't seen happen to the girl yet. Not only that, but this act from Sonya would show us a stragenly sadistic and merciless side to her, adding to her character. Let's say that, during Armageddon, she had one golden chance to kill Sektor and destroy the Tekunin as a whole, but she knew that Jax must still be in captivity. For the sake of Earthrealm, however, she had to make the choice to obliterate the only remaining Tekunin base, thus possibly ending Jax's life as well. This could be a huge blow to her that affected her personality, hardening it and turning her into a heroine who is oddly cruel and unforgiving with her enemies. Think the personality from Nina of Tekken.

So, in conclusion, Sonya's MK: 8 storyline would (simply put) be the following: her #1 concern would be to take down the new main villain (I'm thinking either Shao Khan or Onaga, or both, in competition with one another). Sub-Zero could discover a way to accomplish just that (thus taking up the protagonist role), and Sonya would join him so as to more easily accomplish her own agenda. Their quest to bring the big bad boss down would be hindered by the side-villains intent on seeing them dead: Frost, Kira, and Noob Saibot.


===============================================



~ Opening Sequence ~


IMAGE #1:
We see Sonya standing atop an icy terrain in her primary oufit, cloaked by a long leather coat being peltered with snowflakes. The sky above her is dark-red and filled with a blackened mist. Two blazing red eyes beneath a skeletal helmet look down at the screen.

"The chaos that had ensued a long time ago was both a blessing and a curse: it provided me with a priceless chance to destroy key members of the renewed Black and Red Dragon, crippling or possibly defeating them as a whole. My attack on Sektor and the Tekunin did not go as planned, however: the chances are high that they have been wiped from the face of the Earth, but they are just as high that I may have caused the death of Jax. Even so, it seemed as though nothing but peace could follow such brutal times. I was wrong.

Outworld is in a state of constant war, and Shao Khan has given every capable Earth fighter a choice: join his battle against Onaga, or die during an inevitable invasion. God only knows how many, aside from our once-friend Raiden, have already heed his call. I will not be one of them. I am sick of Earth being placed in grave peril by the likes of Khan. To see him dead at last I will need to somehow travel into Outworld. Sub-Zero may be my ticket for this journey."


IMAGE #2:
A desert-like area encircled by darkness. Sonya is close to the screen, nailing a flying kick to the face of a being resembling a demonic cyborg. Sub-Zero is in the background, releasing a wave of ice onto the large crowd of them closing in. The horizon harbors a strange green light jutting from the earth and rising into the pitch-black sky.

"It seems as though Khan has managed to open a secretive portal linking Outworld to Earth: a portal which he undoubtedly uses to transport his newest allies in-between worlds. Sub-Zero has led me to it, but our paths were blocked by a hord of strange creatures unlike I have ever seen before: they clearly belong in the Netherrealm, but their grotesque limbs move with the mechanical whirr of a cyborg, and there are obvious hints of robotic enhancements throughout their bodies.

Sub-Zero believes them to be mindless slaves to his long-deceased brother, released upon the Earth to prepare it for Saibot's coming, but not counting on Khan's own interference within the realm. He agrees that we cannot yet fight these creatures, for more will spur from hell at the wraith's will, and his brother's arrival is unavoidable. It has now become clear that Shao Khan must be pushed back before Noob Saibot can finalize his own attack on Earthrealm."


IMAGE #3:
Sonya and Sub-Zero are side-by-side, their bodies surrounded by a green beacon of light. We can make out the translucent image of Frost behind Sub-Zero, and Kira behind Sonya, their faces contorted with a look of ferociousness and cunning.

"It will not be long before I run into the old faces that I have failed to draw enough blood from in the past, and that have unquestionably accepted Shao Khan's request. No matter. I will slaughter each of those traitors to their home like the scum that they are. I will not seek to kill them yet... I will instead let them come to me... come to their final hours at their own pace. Sub-Zero has become more powerful than ever since recent events, and I refuse to both kneel or fall before the forces siding with Khan or Onaga in these rampageous times. All who have turned their backs to Earthrealm will have their limbs scatter around the former emperor's helmet.



===============================================

~ Ending ~


The battle of Sonya & Sub-Zero VS. Kira & Frost would be expected under this new storyline for the two characters. It would be a grueling battle taking place in Khan's Fortress (they would be on their way to clashing with him), but eventually, Frost and Kira would be defeated. Before final blows can be dealt, however, the war of Outworld reaches a breaking point: Onaga and his allies lead a final assault on Shao Khan and his forces. This would be the final, epic battle of MK: 8's storyline, similar to what the fight against Quan Chi and Shang Tsung was to Deadly Alliance. Most who have no yet lost their lives in the events leading up to this would be present for this climatic finality.

I'm not gonna even attempt to think up a canon ending to this battle, especially since I'm focusing only on Sonya.

I do know that I want Sonya to survive past the end, and have a hand in the salvation of Earth so as to more or less "officialize" her new position in the MK games. The events preceding this would lead us to believe the both Frost and Kira are dead (hmm).

When Sonya returns to Earth, she finds out that the Tekunin have started regrouping. She is confused out of her mind, obviously, knowing for a fact that Sektor and his entire clan was obliterated. She manages to locate the hideout of these cybernatic warriors attempting to restart their organization. She is shocked to find out that it is none other than a robotic Jax who has taken up leadership of the clan... a Jax with astonishingly limited memory of his human self's past. Obviously, Sektor had tempered with him, fearing the Tekunin's downfall, and programmed him to take his place should he fall.



===============================================

~ Outfits ~


I gave a lot of thought to how I want Sonya to look in the next games.

I think every one of Sonya's past costumes have had something about them that was perfect for her, but none of her outfits so far have really summed up how I think of Sonya or how I believe she SHOULD look. In MK: 3 she was sexy. MK: 4 saw Sonya looking army-like, but feminine at the same time. MK: SM gave her a beautiful attire (and that kick-ass belly piercing). MK: DA and MK: A only gave her nice pants, IMO, and that's about it.

PRIMARY OUTFIT:

Here's a sketch I made of the MK: 8 Sonya. It took me a lot of tries to really get something I was happy with. Anyway, here's the rundown of her new look:

1. Her hairstyle is an elongated version of her MK: DA one, and I took the strands covering the sides of her face from Tekken's Nina William. She also reclaims her choker from MK: DA.
2. I based her top and gloves from her MK: SM outfit. The short, slightly-skimpy black top fit her flawlessly, and the gloves and armbands are a must if we're talking about her military-based look.
3. The thong has become a trademark of her, apparantly, lol, ever since MK: DA.
4. Leather pants, based on MK: DA's.
5. I brought back the belly piercing from MK: SM and added one to her left eyebrow. I also thought she needed some earrings: nothing flashy or that takes away from her "tough chick" persona.
6. As for her shoes, I wanted to give her back her MK: 4/Gold boots with the slight heel, but it didn't fit, lol. Just pretend it's there. smile


ALTERNATE OUTFIT:

Please, get away from the military look for once! I never liked how they based even Sonya's alternate on an army look. IMO, Sonya's alternate should have the "casual Earth outfit" vibe. I don't have a sketch for this one, but it's not hard to picture what I have in mind. Give her some shorts, a normal white top, some sneakers. Give her a little more bling: a nice, thin necklace, some bracelets and/or rings. OH, ALMOST FORGOT: her alternate SHOULD DEFINITELY, 100% HAVE HER PONYTAIL! Please don't let Sonya go another game without her ponytail. I think the loose, long hair fits her primary outfit better, but we need her ponytail in the alternate, at the least.





===============================================

~ Moves ~


IMO, Sonya is and has always been top-notch gameplay-wise. I've always liked picking her for obvious reasons, but the reason I actually STAYED with her was how strong of a character she's always been. In the 2D games, her special moves were her strong point. The Leg grab was devastating, and almost always caught her opponent. Her bycicle kick was fast and unpredictable, Energy Rings were very fast. And when she made the transition to MK: DA, she kicked everyone's ass with Tae Kwon Do.

If there's one thing we can all agree on is that Sonya needs her trademark moves back (and I think we can relax, since Boon said we'll see her Leg Grab and the like again).

Leg Grab: Sonya performs a handstand and actually flips her body forward (so that she can catch her opponent at greater distances than in the 2D MKs). When she catches her opponent with the Leg Grab, Sonya raises her torso and lands two straight jabs to the poor sap's face (ala her MK: Annihilation move to kill Ermac), then bends and flips her body backward, releasing her opponent and sending him/her sliding halfway across the arena. Sonya herself lands on her knees before hopping back up.

Energy Rings: Armed Forces is nice and all, but she needs her Energy Rings. As for hand-movement, Sonya should strike the air with an open right palm, touching her forearm with her left one while the projectile rapidly flies from her right hand. A much cooler motion than her MK: 3 one, but resembling it in a nostalgic sort of way.

Kiss of Death: This has also become a trademark move for her, but considering Kira also has it, hers should be different, even if Kira doesn't return with it. Sonya blows her kiss with both hands, opening her arms wide; the pink mist affects the entire area in-between and around her hands, making this updated version much more powerful and dangerous than before.

As for new moves:

Elliptical Assault: This should replace her current Flying Kick. By inputting the button combination of (supposedly) DOWN, FORWARD, CIRCLE Sonya speedily leaps at her opponent and throws a chain of violent spinning kicks, one after the other, like a helicopter in motion. She shoots forward a slightly greater distance than her past Flying Kick. Pressing DOWN, BACK, CIRCLE, however, causes Sonya to perform this move vertically.

Throw - Acrobatic Neckbreaker: Since her Leg Grab should become a move of its own, I can only think of another move that is equally eye-pleasing to be her throw, and it's actually very cool, IMO. Sonya grabs her opponent's right arm and raises her right leg to his/her neck, enclosing the neck in her thigh and calf. She then moves as if performing a roundhouse kick, her victim spinning fully around along with her leg. Sonya then falls on her knees, compressing her victim's neck even harder than before. We hear a sickening SNAPPING sound. Sonya flips backward and allows her pained opponent to get back on his/her feet. Sexay.

SPECIAL MOVE:
Invisible Kill: Sonya takes a deep breath, during which the other player has a chance to inputting the evasion combination. Shen blows a
powered-up version of her Kiss of Death: powerful enough so that the pink mist covers up every inch of the arena. The victim looks around desperately for Sonya, but only sees her Energy Rings flying from within the mist and catching him/her directly in the stomach, causing him/her to stumble backward while holding the midsection in pain. When the victim's momentum ends, Sonya's legs suddenly pop up from behind him/her, and he/she finds him/herself caught in a reverse Leg Grab. Sonya now goes on to handstand and flip her body three times, smashing her victim's head hard on the ground each time. When she releases the victim, the latter's limp body flies into the air. Sonya finishes her special move with a cinematic Elliptical Assault, sending her victim crashing to the ground, forming a human-sized hole. The pink mist has cleared up by now.



===============================================

~ Fatalities ~


Kiss Goodbye: Sonya gently places her hands on the sides of the victim's face, then leans in, lips slightly parted, as if to land a passionate kiss. When her lips are about to touch the victim's lips, however, she stops, and a gust of pink mist flies from her mouth into the victim's mouth. Sonya jumps backward. Her victim begins to scream in horror, arms flailing wildly. Pink mist gushes from the victim's mouth as he/she screams... it then gushes from the victim's eyes, which pop to the floor... then it gushes from the victim's wrists, severing his/her hands... finally, it gushes from his/her neck. The head falls to the ground and so does the mutilated body. The blood coming off of the victim's neck goes from liquid to gas as it mixes with the pink mist. ^_^ Coolest fatality since Mileena's head-eat (even cooler than that one! grin)

Military Maul: Sonya flips into the air and lands with her thighs on her victim's shoulders. She drives the back of her hand over his/her face, humiliating him/her. Sonya now flips back and lands on her feet, which are safely shut around the victim's neck. She twists his/her neck once... twice... three times (by now, the victim's head is at an odd angle)... four times (the head is actually almost parallel with the shoulder)... finally, she performs one last backflip. The victim's body flies high into the air; the head separates from it, and Sonya releases it off-screen as she lands. As Sonya is performing a victory pose, the headless body of her victim finally falls behind her.

Hara-Kiri: Sonya blows her Kiss of Death, then jumps into the mist. She shuts her eyes and coughs. We now see her raise her right palm up to her face and charge up her Energy Rings, finally releasing them. The charged-up Rings smack her head right off, flinging it off-screen, and her body falls on its back.




===============================================


So that's it! Sonya has always and will continue to be my favorite MK Character, but that's not the only reason I want her back: she has grown into an icon for the series, and just as has SOOOOOOOOOO much potential that it would be a sin to let her go so early. The MK Team will hopefully realize what a golden character they have on their hands, and MK: 8 will mark Sonya's well-planned renewal. ^_^

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ThePredator151
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08/30/2007 01:46 AM (UTC)
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Missed a couple things did I?

Raiden

LeoBrZ81 Wrote:
ThePredator151 Wrote:
Possibilities are pretty endless once you demote Raiden. Irony would be that he's be a human(remember how close Raiden has always been with humanity) . A human with alot of power in knowledge and experience mind you, but still a very powerful "person".


I really like this idea, Pred: a shocking and very interesting way to bring Raiden back from his "dark" persona. It just sucks that making him into a human would probably also mean he'd be stripped of his thunder god powers.

Hmm... maybe they can just decrease the level of his power? Since most of the human characters have some kind of "extraordinary" ability, he could also be allowed his electricity-based ones, only lowered? =/


Right. I think that if they "took his powers away" in any fashion, it would be correct to simply strip him of his "Rites" as a god. Therefor, he couldn't be in outer space without breathing assistance, which means he wouldn't have a willful access to the portals, other realms, or the nexus(he couldn't ascend to the Heavens anymore). He wouldn't have the "divinity" of a God". Or in other words, his "superman complex" anymore...so he couldn't do things like walk on water, fly, get killed and come back, can't toggle from human form to god form ect ect...

At the same time, can't forget that he's been around since the beginning of time. So, he should have by now mastered "martial arts" as a whole. There shouldn't be anything about "how to use the body in combat" that he doesn't know....Which now, starts to pertain to Chi//Ki and all those energy taps that come from within the body. I don't believe that Raiden should ever be short of "special powers" out of his sheer experience...

I think Raiden should have his power limitation as a human "become apparent" to him like never before. He'd have to protect himself in combat (maybe a large group of people attack him), he'd have to do a fatality or something, and he almost kills himself in the process. You see, he would have to "use a secret" of his "vast knowledge" to keep himself alive.



LeoBrZ81 Wrote:
ThePredator151 Wrote:
The angle I would love to see, is to have him demoted, and in order to reconstitute his god rites,......send him through Mortal Kombat. Duh. lol


There's still the possibility that MK: 8 is yet another MK that will not revolve around a tournament, but more a struggle of opposing forces, as has been the case for quite some time now.

So instead of sending him through Mortal Kombat, they can judge whether his actions during the struggle make him worthy of reclaiming his title or not.

Personally, though, if the MK Team chose to NOT go further into the Dark Raiden idea (which they probably will, IMO), and they instead took this approach, then I'd personally like for Raiden to NOT regain his past status.


Agreed, at least for some time...and then too, it would only make sense. It shouldn't be anything near "easy" for Raiden. Really, it shouldn't be easy for any fallen god..*Shinnok nudge* Not to mention if they took this whole idealism and applied it to Raiden....It would make him and Shinnok undeniable equals. Two "Fallen Elder Gods"..

___________________________________________

Cage: I'm with XD84 here. I don't think he should really "get killed" but, he could retire or "old age" out of Mortal Kombat already.

I don't see that there's anything else they could really do with him ...

__________________________________________

Sonya: Sonya is a character that I actually want to see come back....

But as I think about it, she should have ranked up or out by now. I wouldn't mind being introduced to more of the squadren she and Jax command.

I wouldn't mind seeing her rank all the way to the top(Department of Defense - D.O.D.) or become the first Lady president(Commander and Chief). She's certainly earned it.

I'd have her indirectly effect the way the Special Forces operate in any further Mk games. I'd still keep her associated with Mortal Kombat because of what's going on with Jax, but I wouldn't exactly make her a playable character.

I think she should command the fleets against the Tekunin forces more than anything, but she wouldn't do a whole lot of fighting anymore, even in story line.

hm...
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Sub-Zero_7th
08/30/2007 02:21 AM (UTC)
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Leo: I don't see how Kung Lao is so much similar to Liu Kang. Raiden has all his memories retained, and I doubt he'll be hesistant to kill his former allies. He'd kill anyone who would put Earthrealm in danger.

A Frost/Kira Deadly Alliance might be interesting. If Sub-Zero and Sonya were to team up, I think that the dynamic of their relationship should be explored to a good extent. I currently picture Sub-Zero and Sonya having a mutual, unspoken respect for each other but not interacting much at all.

Why should Kobra's death enrage Kira? She's a survior and would ultimately care about her safety first. She doesn't need something like that to motivate her when it comes to wanting Sonya dead. Kira is a Black Dragon criminial and Sonya is a part of the U.S. Special Forces. That in itself is enough.

I think that if Sub-Zero and Sonya are going to step up into the main protagonist roles, it has to be done nice and smoothly.

One thing I forgot to bring up was her costumes. I hope they stick with the more militaristic look while keeping her attractive-looking.

If Jax is going to be an antagonist towards Sonya, I'd rather not go down the whole "robot with little to no past memories" bit and instead make Jax into a worthwhile villain, much like how XiahouDun84 did him in his next-gen stories. He would be much more interesting that way, imo.

The sketch isn't too bad, but I feel that the overall look isn't right for her. I feel that a nice cross between her MK4 and MKDA outfits would be good, as long as it's done right of course. I do think that one outfit should have her hair in a ponytail while the other outfit has her hair down.

Oh no. I guess it's not a surprise that you and queve, both of whom are big Sonya fans, would say that Sonya has always been top-notch gameplay-wise. That is far from the truth. This isn't to say that she's never been good. However, she has not always been top tier. I do agree that she needs some of her old specials back.
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Leo
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08/30/2007 02:48 AM (UTC)
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Sub-Zero_7th Wrote:
Leo: I don't see how Kung Lao is so much similar to Liu Kang.


Don't read too much into it, I was speaking in a really general term. When you talk "heroes", yes, I do think they're awfully similar, but I'm sure if you stopped to think about the smallest details concerning the two characters, you could find many differences. Just for the sake of talking about a characters' likelihood to come back, though, I didn't give that much thought.

Sub-Zero_7th Wrote:
Raiden has all his memories retained, and I doubt he'll be hesistant to kill his former allies. He'd kill anyone who would put Earthrealm in danger.


I think it would be much more interesting to have a Dark Raiden with a bit of his old self trapped inside than just a straight-up murderous good-guy-turned-evil. Makes him more interesting and more dynamic, plus instills hopes in his fans that he may very well return in the future with his old persona.

Sub-Zero_7th Wrote:
If Sub-Zero and Sonya were to team up, I think that the dynamic of their relationship should be explored to a good extent. I currently picture Sub-Zero and Sonya having a mutual, unspoken respect for each other but not interacting much at all.


Exactly. They're both strong, main heroes, but have never really interacted much. I really think they'd be very good partners if danger struck in the way I talked about.

Sub-Zero_7th Wrote:
One thing I forgot to bring up was her costumes. I hope they stick with the more militaristic look while keeping her attractive-looking.


Me too, but should the military look really also dominate her alternate? I mean, a character's alternate should be just that. I just don't think it should look similar to her primary one or have its "feel" in any way.

Sub-Zero_7th Wrote:
If Jax is going to be an antagonist towards Sonya, I'd rather not go down the whole "robot with little to no past memories" bit and instead make Jax into a worthwhile villain, much like how XiahouDun84 did him in his next-gen stories. He would be much more interesting that way, imo.


But how would that work? Jax may be a loose canon and all, but he has deep feelings for Sonya, and we've seen that ever since he went to her rescue in MK: 2. I think he would NEVER change to the point where he'd have the heart to harm her. It would be way too "out there", honestly. No, I have to disagree with ya there. Sektor HAS to have tempered with his mind, otherwise Jax would never turn this much, regardless of his natural faults.

Sub-Zero_7th Wrote:
The sketch isn't too bad, but I feel that the overall look isn't right for her. I feel that a nice cross between her MK4 and MKDA outfits would be good, as long as it's done right of course.


What parts of each do you think should come back to form her new attire? Would you add anything new?

Sub-Zero_7th Wrote:
Oh no. I guess it's not a surprise that you and queve, both of whom are big Sonya fans, would say that Sonya has always been top-notch gameplay-wise. That is far from the truth. This isn't to say that she's never been good. However, she has not always been top tier. I do agree that she needs some of her old specials back.


Of course, I know she hasn't always been top-tier. I was just trying to get across that Sonya has never let me down gameplay-wise, and I always found her to be among the strongest characters. Of course, that could change from person to person, since people play the game differently and rely on different types of attacks to win.
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Sub-Zero_7th
08/30/2007 02:58 AM (UTC)
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He's not really a good-guy turned evil. He's become corrupt and has developed into an anti-villain, kind of like Magneto from X-Men. I'd rather he not return to his former self or give off the impression that he has a possibility of doing so.

I don't know. I personally like the more militaristic costumes better though I felt her MKDA alternate was just ok. But yeah, her costumes should be different enough.

I'm pretty sure that Jax being a loose cannon has to do with Onaga and not Sektor. Jax made a deal with Sektor regarding an upgrade in cybernetics in exchange for something else. What Jax didn't know was that Sektor had implanted a chip in his head. Jax is a higher rank than Sonya yet he's the secondary character to her, which is strange.

I don't exactly have many concrete ideas for her look. I do kind of like the little jacket thing and the military style pants from MKSM. I don't care for the belly button. The thong..well..it's kind of silly in a way, but I don't know...I'm undecided on the thong overall.

Oh ok, sorry for misunderstanding about Kung Lao and the whole gameplay thing. As for how people play, well, yeah, everyone has their own strategies. However, when you get right down to high-level competitive play, things are much more on the objective side, hence the formation of tier lists.
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Cyber_EV1L
08/30/2007 06:30 AM (UTC)
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The thing I don't really understand is how did Raiden become Corrupt?
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Sub-Zero_7th
08/30/2007 01:45 PM (UTC)
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Cyber_EV1L Wrote:
The thing I don't really understand is how did Raiden become Corrupt?


We don't really know yet, although some believe it has to do with him, Shang Tsung, and Quan Chi when they were destroyed by his ethereal blast.
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Leo
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08/30/2007 02:58 PM (UTC)
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Sub-Zero_7th Wrote:
I'm pretty sure that Jax being a loose cannon has to do with Onaga and not Sektor. Jax made a deal with Sektor regarding an upgrade in cybernetics in exchange for something else. What Jax didn't know was that Sektor had implanted a chip in his head. Jax is a higher rank than Sonya yet he's the secondary character to her, which is strange.


Yeah, I also think that this whole "uncontrollable rage" thing started manifesting itself into Jax after he was released from Onaga's control. You COULD, of course, use that as the reason why he would turn into a villainous character, like you suggested. But then that would bring up the question of why the same thing didn't happen to the other characters? Why weren't they also corrupted?

And even so, would Onaga's control over Jax really have been enough to infect him to the point where he is willing to let go of every human emotion he has and instead replace it all with some strange thirst for power? I keep trying to find a way through all these questions, but the whole aspect of it just continues to be very "out-there" for me.

As for the higher rank thing, I think it has and should have little to do with the characters themselves. IMO, Sonya is more well-liked and more fit for the main role in her own story arch than Jax, and that alone gives her favor over him.

Oh yeah, I forgot to address another question of yours, sorry bout that:

Sub-Zero_7th Wrote:
Why should Kobra's death enrage Kira? She's a survior and would ultimately care about her safety first. She doesn't need something like that to motivate her when it comes to wanting Sonya dead. Kira is a Black Dragon criminial and Sonya is a part of the U.S. Special Forces. That in itself is enough.


Do we really want a female Kano for the next-gen Sonya-hater? Look at it this way: Sonya is a character who needs a jump in her storyline, and Kira is a character who is in a crucial time in her "MK-career", where it will be decided if she really is a worthy character to keep around or not. They both need their rivalry to be much more substantial than Sonya Vs. Kano was, IMO. And the only way to make characters and their desires more realistic and engaging is to complicate their feelings and give them a lot of depth:

That is exactly why I suggested the newborn fury of Kira for Kobra's death: it differentiates her from Kano in that she won't be a bland criminal who despises any authorative figure for the sake of it. Instead, she becomes a dangerous villain because she has been tempered with emotionally, and instantly has in her possession more of a drive as to why she would want Sonya dead. AND this also gives Sonya her own chance to develop further as a character by having us be introduced to a darker side of her, perhaps (as you've suggested), as an aftermath of Onaga's control (though not nearly as severe as Jax).

Another sidenote, since I touched the subject again: wouldn't you agree that, up until now, we've always seen the hero want revenge over the sadistic villain? It would be a very surprising turn of events if, this time, the villain was the vengeful one. Makes for some welcome drama in the characters' lives, not enough to make it cheesy, but enough to make them intriguing.
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Sub-Zero_7th
08/30/2007 03:32 PM (UTC)
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Jax was pissed off about not being able to beat Onaga hence why he turned to Sektor for help, even though he's an enemy. I really wished that we would've gotten some insights to how the others felt when they were under Onaga's control and a bit after that. I think Onaga may have controlled them by exploiting the darkness in their souls.

Personality wise, Kira is hardly a female Kano. She's very tactical and calculating, which doesn't make her bland at all. Having Kira want Sonya dead due to the death of Kobra doesn't really seem like the Black Dragon way nor does it seem to fit Kira's personality. Like I said, she's a survivor and would ultimately care about her safety and well-being first. And besides, you'd basically be asking for a revenge story. Also, I don't think Kira and Kobra like each other that much anyway.

Don't we already have vengeful villains in the form of characters like Jarek? If I remember correctly, he desires to use his fatalities on his opponents, especially Jax.

I just don't find the concept of Kira wanting Sonya dead due to Kobra's death as an interesting and believeable story. I would rather much see a rivalry based on Kira's tactical abilities having an advantage over Sonya's relative brashness, hence developing Sonya into a wiser, more strategic character. The thing is, there hasn't been any interaction between the two, so their rivalry would have to start in the next-gen itself and develop from there, only to have it be wrapped up in the end. Out of all the enemies Sonya has made, I think that Kira should be the truly worthwhile, formidable one, though Jax is also a possibility.
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XiahouDun84
08/31/2007 12:34 AM (UTC)
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LeoBrZ81 Wrote:
Yeah, I also think that this whole "uncontrollable rage" thing started manifesting itself into Jax after he was released from Onaga's control. You COULD, of course, use that as the reason why he would turn into a villainous character, like you suggested. But then that would bring up the question of why the same thing didn't happen to the other characters? Why weren't they also corrupted?

And even so, would Onaga's control over Jax really have been enough to infect him to the point where he is willing to let go of every human emotion he has and instead replace it all with some strange thirst for power? I keep trying to find a way through all these questions, but the whole aspect of it just continues to be very "out-there" for me.

Who says Jax's corruption becomes a thirst for power?

Say deep down, Jax feels a little bit of bitterness towards Sonya. Deep inside, he doesn't like that she's constantly getting him into trouble. We know Sonya is brash and hot-headed and tends to rush into things. And Jax is usually the one who follows and has to back her up. He's human, there are things about even our best friends that bug us even just a little bit. But normally, it's nothing major.

Now enter Onaga who when resurrecting Jax looks into his soul and finds this little bit of hostility. He exploits it and corrupts Jax with it, making him his slave.

Now say even after Onaga's destroyed, this corruption doesn't go away entirely. And it starts to fester and grow. Jax doens't like being treated as Sonya's sidekick even though he outranks her. He doesn't like that she's constantly dragging him into these battles. He doesn't like that she got him killed. It builds and builds until finally, Jax's soul is fully corrupted. Now again, who says he then wants to conquer the world? He might simply just project all the anger and frustration caused by his corruption onto Sonya and want to horribly butcher her. In my storyline, this also leads to him agreeing with Raiden's more extreme view of defending Earth and joining him.

As we saw with Li Mei in Deception, Onaga's corruption isn't something natural. He taints people. Like the ring in Lord of the Rings. It fucks you up...perminately if not careful.

As for the other characters, the experience of Onaga's control should be explored to some degree. Is it a coincidence that after his death, resurrection, and temporary corruption that Johnny Cage finally grew up and started taking things seriously.
Even though I hate the idea, Onaga's corruption might be the reason Kung Lao is suddenly resentful of Liu Kang as his Armageddon ending suggested. Hopefully Kitana's bio will acknowledge that her serving Onaga again reminded her of the years she served Shao Kahn.


I'm with Sub-Zero_7th on the Kobra thing to. While the villain wanting revenge on the hero would be a change of pace, I just see Kira as much too smart and too cold-hearted to give a rat's ass about Kobra. If that angle is to be done, it should be Kabal...who Kira may see as something of a mentor.
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Leo
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08/31/2007 01:34 AM (UTC)
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I see what you're saying, XiahouDun. If Jax has ALWAYS been secretly harboring some sort of hate toward Sonya, whether caused by her hot-headedness or a hint of jealousy, it would be more understandable that he become a villain. However...

XiahouDun84 Wrote:He might simply just project all the anger and frustration caused by his corruption onto Sonya and want to horribly butcher her.


I can't bring myself to see that ^ the way you do. I think it would be too sudden of a change, regardless of how "powerful" Onaga's corruption may be. What I think could happen is Jax's overgrown resentment toward Sonya may lead him to withdraw from the OIA and/or her in general, siding with Raiden. Then THAT would eventually lead him and her to be rivals, not particularly because Jax despises Sonya, but because they would find themselves on opposite teams, in a way. Jax's fury toward Sonya would be more of a FUEL for his actions than a REASON for them.

XiahouDun84 Wrote:As for the other characters, the experience of Onaga's control should be explored to some degree. Is it a coincidence that after his death, resurrection, and temporary corruption that Johnny Cage finally grew up and started taking things seriously.
Even though I hate the idea, Onaga's corruption might be the reason Kung Lao is suddenly resentful of Liu Kang as his Armageddon ending suggested. Hopefully Kitana's bio will acknowledge that her serving Onaga again reminded her of the years she served Shao Kahn.


I also really want to see some sort of aftermath to Onaga's corruption of those characters, so that's a point we both agree on. It would also fit in well with Sonya becoming more of a harsh and merciless fighter, giving less importance to any connections or positive feelings she may have toward others, considering Onaga would most likely have exploited her fear of loss and hate for those who cause her loss.

XiahouDun84 Wrote: I'm with Sub-Zero_7th on the Kobra thing to. While the villain wanting revenge on the hero would be a change of pace, I just see Kira as much too smart and too cold-hearted to give a rat's ass about Kobra. If that angle is to be done, it should be Kabal...who Kira may see as something of a mentor.


Hmm... giving more thought to ur point of view on the matter, it does seem like Kobra would not have much importance to Kira. I think I read too much into his ending? =/ Who knows. Anyway, it now becomes a matter of whether Kira should dislike Sonya simply because she's OIA, or she should feel something over Kabal's death. I think a mix of both would be fitting. Perhaps, during Armageddon, Kira fought Sonya and was defeated, or subdued long enough for Sonya to end Kabal's life. Kira's hate would grow for Sonya for two reasons: 1) It was Kira's task to take her down, and she failed. She feels humiliated, feels as though she shamed the Black Dragon and what it stands for by falling in battle against a representative of a rival organization. 2) She feels as though her weakness led to her leader and mentor's death. Maybe if she had overpowered Sonya and proved her worth to her position in the Black Dragon, Kabal would not have needed to aid her and be killed. These are just some vague ideas, nothing concrete, but I'm just trying to show the kind of "mix" I currently think would fit Kira.
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Sub-Zero_7th
08/31/2007 02:35 AM (UTC)
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I think that's a better motive for Kira than the whole Kobra thing. I think Kira's and Kobra's MKA endings were kind of strange in how they did them. Kira wanting the resurrect Kobra seemed really out of character, and Kobra choosing Kira is probably just because he finds her to be hot.

I do think that just the former bit, with Kira losing to Sonya, could even be enough. Interesting point on Jax. Maybe his anger and resentment towards Sonya could be a fuel instead of the motive.
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m0s3pH
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08/31/2007 10:25 PM (UTC)
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New character:

KANO
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Sub-Zero_7th
09/01/2007 01:10 AM (UTC)
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I think that Kano's chances of returning are probably around 20-30%. I don't see much of a future for him, and I don't want him to return. He's had his run, and I feel that it's time for him to go for good.

If he does return, I have no idea what can/should be done with him in terms of story. In terms of styles, he needs a bit of fixing. If he's going to use the Butterfly Knives in his own way, then he should use it in his own way, not the Shaolin style, which he isn't supposed to use, because it's said that he hates the Shaolin and uses the Butterfly Knives in his own way. Then there's his unarmed style, which I think should either be San Shou or Shootfighting. And then we have his special moves, his old ones like the Knife Swipe I want to see.

I don't have much else to say. He should get killed by Sonya and regardless of whether or not she returns, I think he should say something to her before he's going to lose, something psychological, such as her really wanting to be free from boundaries of the law and just kill him, in which she kills him.
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Midoriryuu
09/01/2007 10:49 PM (UTC)
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I am interested in seeing a member of either Dragon clans coming back in a hybrid dragon form

Possibly Kano and he sees to be the most popular dragon clan member

However I think the Kano character concept is getting rather tired, it's like he has served his purpose and needs a desperate storyline to keep him going or he will just fade away.
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Stalagmite
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09/02/2007 05:15 AM (UTC)
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Out of all of the original characters, Kano has the least chance of returning, except for maybe Goro. Even if he does return it won't be until MK9. Since he's only been in MK1, 3, 5, and 7, I don't see him randomly popping up in MK8. (that was a joke btw) That said, I don't know if he actually will return at all. He's pretty darn boring now, being the same character he's been since MK1. He can't just play the old "I didn't really die, I just cheated death...again" card. If he somehow returns, here's who he can interact with:

Sonya - The obvious. Sonya's story hasn't always included Kano. Kano's stories have always included Sonya. So, naturally his ending I'm sure would involve him killing Sonya, even though we all know it won't end up canon.

Kira/Kabal/Kobra - Here's something that could be a bit interesting for Kano. A rivalry with the "new" version of the Black Dragon. I'm sure he'd want to be the leader, so maybe he could kill Kabal and at least do something helpful to the overall story. But I don't want him to be the leader either-I think if anyone, it should be Kira.

Jarek - A possible underling of Kano's? Perhaps Jarek will want to practice a fatality on Kano and end up being killed himself.

Shao Kahn/Shinnok/Quan Chi/Shang Tsung/New Villain - Kano can do what he does best and work for one of the bad guys in exchange for his safety and maybe a way to kill Sonya. Of course we have Reptile and Baraka as alternate underlings.

Sheeva/Motoro - He does have unfinished business with both, but I'd prefer them both to kill each other during Armageddon.

Daegon - Maybe Kano will actually turn into one of those Dragon-Hybrids and become enemies with Daegon. It could be a fresh idea for Kano, but perhaps a bit cliche. Or maybe an alliance would be interesting between the two.

Mavado - Another character Kano has unfinished business with. I thought Mavado "killed" him in MKDA, or was that retconned? Either way, Mavado isn't that interesting anymore, since Daegon is the true head of the Red Dragon.

Jax/Cyrax/Johnny Cage - I guess Kano could kill one of them in another cliche story and give Sonya yet another reason to hate his guts. Meh.

Umm yeah, these are all just stupid theories, since I really doubt Kano's coming back. He should be briefly mentioned in the story, by perhaps Sonya or Kira, but not return. There are better characters that they could bring back instead.
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ThePredator151
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09/02/2007 11:57 AM (UTC)
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I don't really have much to say for Kano. I mean, I hated it when he wasn't in Mk2, but since then, and since everything about him (which wasn't much anyway) has been spread beyond thin amongst other characters on the roster....now he really only rings as obsolete.

I think he's one of the Original characters that has about a 0% chance of coming back ever again. And too, off the top of my head I can't remember anyone in the past 10years who was a Kano fan. So, yea....no Kano in the future that I can see//want.
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You-Know-Who
09/02/2007 02:25 PM (UTC)
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I've missed a bit, so I shall quickly go back a little way.

Johnny Cage
I agree with XiahouDun on this one, and that Johnny Cage's serious storyline was the perfect way to say "see ya later" to the movie star. I'd have him step it up and fearlessly charge into battle, and not make it out. This time his character deserves to rest in peace.

Sonya Blade
I think Sonya will be back. She's the original female of Mortal Kombat, and she provides a great supporting protagonist. I'd have her story change slightly (and you can read it in my Mortal Kombat: Illusion thread), and have her become kind of depressed after Armageddon. She realises that there is no end to the battles, and that once she defeats on threat to the realms, another will take its place. I see her making some new allies during Armageddon, but also losing some old ones, and taking that a little hard. I see her character becoming a little less tough and a lot more resigned. Of course, she would retain the same level of skill, and even step it up a bit if she were to return. She'd just be a little lost without Johnny Cage and Liu Kang there to guide her.

Kano
If you asked me a few weeks ago, I'd say Kano has no chance of returning, then I read about his Armageddon developments, and the guy seems to get a power boost during it. The Kane character is yet to officially die, and I think that he has that going for him. He could very easily just be forgotten in Armageddon, but I'd personally have him return, with a new passion for making the Red Dragon suffer. That clan is still too young to write off completely, and I see Mavado and Kano both making the next games, just to provide rivals for themselves. And Sonya can always have something to do if Kano is still breathing, although I think that their plots will take them elsewhere, however I would like for Sonya Blade to eventually be the one to kill Kano, or vice versa.

So my final score card reads like this:

Returning:

Noob Saibot
Scorpion
Sonya Blade
Kano

Not Returning:

Liu Kang
Raiden*
Johnny Cage

* - Possibility of return in later installment.
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owen_pwned
09/02/2007 05:01 PM (UTC)
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Well Kano...Lets see

liklyhood of returning I'd say about 40% because I really don't fancy his chances.


Pretty much throughout his mortal kombat legacy his story has not really changed. Mortal kombat never really took it seriously with Kano I mean they pitted Kano against special forces Sonya Blade but to tell you the truth it kind of wore thin after about ten years. This got to the point were it was almost as dismal as the Scorpion revenge storyline, I mean Iliked the feud in the beginning but after a while they were really taking the piss. And also if they bring him back they've really got to stop with this suck up storyline, also I think it would be a big break for Kano if they made his charcter cold and calculating. I'm really thinking that in the future Kano could be doing really serious evil things and he could use members of his clan and kill them in succeeding his evil plots therefore killing of characters like Kabal, Kira, and this would be good...he could kill Kobra.


I've never had a problem with his special moves I like the concept behind his eye laser move I thought that was neat..I didn't really like the cannonball move because I didn't think it had a big impact I thought he could combine his eye laser and his cannonball...first he cannonballs at their legs so they are in mid air and then while their in mid air Kano does the eye laser and he can control them a bit like Rains mind control orb from the older games.


His appearance stands out from other characters but I request get rid of his alternate costume and change it please because it looks terrible in this day and age maybe give him something thats a little like Mavados secondary costume because he would really suit it.



Thats my opinion on the character I don't really have much to say on him but he may have a future.


-owen-
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