In Issue #33, I've noticed earlier that during the creation of the Reiko Accords there was this following dialogue:

Raiden: Reiko and Havik didn't do this alone, they had help, manpower...
Kotal Kahn: From DAEGON and the his RED DRAGON ARMY
Raiden: I've asked Kotal to consider an accord with us...to discuss interrealm conflicts before attacking each other.

Noticed how Raiden simply brushed the issue of Daegon aside? Hell even Kotal Kahn offers Erron's "beating up" by possessed Raiden as amends for kidnapping Cassie to improve interrealm relations with Earthrealm. Raiden's implied side of the accord should have been to hunt down the Red Dragon who have been SUPPLING Reiko and Havik (you know the guys who tried overthrowing Kotal Kahn and threatened the universe's existence?) and bringing Daegon's head as proof that Raiden is serious about improving relations with Outworld. What does Raiden do to the Red Dragon after the accords are finalized?...NOTHING.

I find this baffling because if you're a Protector God and you find a powerful foreign rogue DEMIGOD living in your realm (seriously shouldn't be too hard for a god like Raiden to find), your first instinct would be to root him out and smite the shit out of this potential threat. I know people will say, "But krajax gods aren't supposed to interfere in mortal affairs, their job is to protect the realm from outside threats." This isn't the case when the potential threat is PART GOD. Hell Daegon was even affiliated with SHINNOK, the god that tried to invade Earthrealm and is Raiden's most powerful enemy? From this dialogue of course, it can be certainly implied that Raiden KNEW that Daegon and the Red Dragon existed and were operating in Earthrealm, but he did nothing to stop them in the first place.

So here's where my theory comes in: what if...Raiden and Daegon had an understanding and the God of Thunder gave Daegon free asylum?

(glass crashes)

"But krajax Raiden is one of the good guys! He would never make a deal with an evil and suspicious-looking being that might attack Earthrealm! Your theory is poo-poo!"

Really? The god who fried his own Champion and tried dealing their souls to Quan Chi, the equivalent of the Devil in MK9? Some good guy he is. Now I'm not saying Raiden is evil, but he was just manipulated from the very beginning.

I could see how this statement I made above works. 9,000 years ago in the MK timeline: years after the destruction of Edenia, Daegon owes his allegiance to Shinnok and kills his parents etc during that timeframe. In 9,000 years, he arrives to Earthrealm despite being awaken from Earthrealm prematurely earlier. Why would he go back and form the Red Dragon? I can see that he was given an assignment by Shinnok since the fallen God is locked in the Netherrealm and can't infiltrate Earthrealm so he sends Daegon who is less detectable than a normal God. The mission? We all know Daegon's father Argus (the Robert Baratheon/Zeus of the Edenian god pantheon) produced Rain as a bastard. However I wouldn't be surprised if Argus was continuing to fuck female mortals and producing tons of unclaimed demigod bastards who were scattered after Shao Kahn destroyed Edenia. Because they'd be hunted down in Outworld and the other realms aren't like their homeworld, the best option for those demigods is to settle in Earthrealm where at the dawn of man's civilization, became the basis for humanity's MYTHOLOGICAL DEITIES (It's kind of like ancient aliens/fallen angels/Nephilim visiting Earth, but makes more sense plus it does explain the basis for Johnny Cage's powers.) Daegon's assignment being trained in the art of fire and sword is to slay all of these bastards so they don't become a problem for Shinnok in the future. So Daegon accomplishes this Earthrealm-wide goal and a unique consequence comes: people begin to look at Daegon as the basis of the malevolent, all-powerful monotheistic god and start worshipping him. This underground crusade becomes known to Raiden who of course comes down to Earth to confront Daegon.

Know you'd expect Raiden to finally smite Daegon, a foreign demigod for causing havoc and death throughout Earthrealm, endangering the lives of mortals just like Shinnok's very first invasion before being trapped in the Netherrealm. But I can see Daegon pull out an unexpected card from his hand: HE SWITCHES ALLEGIANCES. Daegon reveals his allegiance to Shinnok, explains the purpose of his mission, and gives the excuse that these demigods would have become internal threats to Raiden's legitimacy as Protector God and potential allies to Shao Kahn, Emperor of Outworld. He then explains that more demigods are more likely to invade Earthrealm in the future so the gullible mortals who worship Daegon plus Raiden will NEED him to be there. Raiden at this surprise turn of events is actually impressed with Daegon's "honesty" and offers a possible pact: He will allow Daegon to stay in Earthrealm unimpeded to start the Red Dragon Clan and "help" mankind develop throughout its history until they are strong enough to defend Earthrealm. In return, Daegon will not AID Outworld or the Netherrealm in any circumstance. This explains why the Red Dragon didn't openly side with Outworld in MK9 or the Netherrealm in MKX. Hell it's possible that during Shinnok's second invasion while the Special Forces were fighting the Netherrealm at the beginning of MKX, who was keeping tabs on Shinnok's forces in other parts of the world? The Red Dragon of course, fighting against forces Daegon was once LOYAL to to honor Raiden's pact. And to top it off, Raiden keeps this deal with Daegon a SECRET even from his close friend, the Wind God Fujin. Add that to his character flaw which is keeping secrets from the mortals that end up getting them killed.

"But krajax Daegon sent in Red Dragon units to Reiko to aid the conquest of earth realm and Outworld! He violated the pact!"

That is kinda true, but Daegon is smart and can do loopholes. Reiko could have walked up to Daegon and said, "I would like some of your Red Dragon to help me." And Daegon would just turn to those units and say, "You no longer follow my orders. Reiko is your new leader, not me." So Daegon could absolve himself of any responsibility of sending in Red Dragons to Outworld because those Red Dragon in Outworld were Reiko's men, not Daegon's men. It's wrong, but in this light Daegon still upholds his treaty with Raiden. Hell even Raiden might have confronted Daegon about this, Daegon simply gave his above excuse, and Raiden buys into it.

We know Dark Raiden has a history of making ruinous decisions like dealing with Shao Kahn in Armageddon that Kahn will honor Earthrealm's independence in return for Raiden stopping Taven from stopping Armageddon, even though we know Shao Kahn is an evil bastard. Now that Dark Raiden is back and irrational as ever, Daegon will finally begin his plan. He has Red Dragon soldiers confiscate Kano's nukes from Special Forces headquarters secretly that were given by Kotal in Issue #33 as part of Kotal's end of the accords, permanently mark them with Kotal Kahn's sigil, and plant them in every major city around the world. Coinciding with that, under the guise of an international businessman, Daegon will give orders to launch faux terrorist attacks on the Special Forces HQ, Lin Kuei Temple, and the White Lotus Society HQ with his Red Dragon men DISGUISED as Black Dragon thugs to distract Raiden's allies from the real event: the nuking of Earthrealm's cities. After the disaster, Dark Raiden is shocked and furious over this atrocity and Daegon comes forward with "evidence" of the nukes' engravings and the footage of the men attacking Raiden's allies that these were Black Dragon hired by Kotal Kahn to attack Earthrealm in preparation of an invasion. Raiden of course gobbles it up and declares interrealm war on Outworld even though Kotal and his allies are in no position of attacking Earthrealm after the events of MKX. Some of Raiden's allies buy it while others are suspicious of the circumstances and take no part in the war (who it will be is up to speculation). Even Fujin is skeptical about Raiden's conclusions, but the Thunder God has made his mind. Given his secret dealing with Daegon, it wouldn't be out of character for Dark Raiden to appoint someone he can trust to protect Earthrealm while he's out in Outworld and guess who it is: Daegon. BEHIND FUJIN'S BACK. So once Dark Raiden makes Daegon the LEGAL temporary Protector God of Earthrealm, the latter will finally reveal his face and cause major shit for Earthrealm behind Raiden's back. This I think is another example of Raiden keeping secrets (the Kamidogu) from his mortal allies and this lack of communication gets them killed. However I see this (keeping his partnership with Daegon a secret) as Raiden's DOWNFALL when his major character flaw that he keeps repeating finally bites him in the ass in MK11. Also, this makes Daegon extra badass as the only villain who has ever took over Earthrealm successfully without fighting Raiden in this act as a master manipulator. A feat both Shao Kahn AND Shinnok have failed at accomplishing. Plus giving him Clancy Brown's voice would definitely add to the manipulator and demigod ego Daegon has if he's confirmed playable.

So yeah that's my theory.

Later, I will discuss Daegon's motivations for Earthrealm psychologically in retrospect.