Fanfic / Mortal Kombat vs Marvel Universe

Mortal Kombat vs Marvel Universe is a 'crossover event' fanfiction written by Snafu the Great, which takes place during the the Avengers' feud with the X-Men, with the author crediting PinkRedRose2's Mortal Kombat: Desperation for inspiring the fanfic.

Six months after the Battle at the Sky Temple, Raiden begins to corrupt (i.e., brainwash) his champions. He succeeds in the task with most of them save for Johnny and Cassie Cage, the former having long since been warned of this event beforehand by Yao (Doctor Strange's predecessor) and flees Earthrealm alongside Cassie and Sonya (albeit unwillingly) to an alternative Earth.

In the Netherrealm, a resurrected Jade confronts the Emperor and Empress of the Netherrealm, Liu Kang and Kitana, and after subduing the both of them, also flees with them to the same Earth that the Cage family has fled to, where she revives them both.

Nineteen years later, the Cage family has risen to prominence in the new realm. Johnny and Sonya have remarried, Johnny is the head of Cage Incorporated, a corporate entity whose power and influence rivals that of Stark Enterprises. Sonya is a Colonel in the Army and is in command of the Tactical Response Unit, Cassie is a Lieutenant under her command and their second daughter, Ravenna, is the heir to Cage Incorporated. Liu Kang and Kitana, in the meantime, has formed the Red Lotus Society, a clan of assassins and agents who defend the helpless and the weak.

But Raiden has not forgotten the betrayal from the Cage family and has tracked them down to the new Earth, forcing his former champions to join forces not only with each other, but also with Earth's Mightiest Heroes - the Avengers and the X-Men - to defend their new home.

Now undergoing a rewrite, "The New Era: Mortal Kombat vs Marvel Universe", which has its own tropes page here.

This crossover event has the following tropes:

0 to D

• A Taste of the Lash: Takeda, during his and Jacqui's fight with Cassie.
• Action Parents: Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade, of course.
  • Liu Kang and Kitana also count, as Kitana is pregnant with Liu's child.
• Actually Pretty Funny: Sonya had a pretty good laugh over Kitana and Jade's reaction upon discovering that Johnny speaks Edenian, which gives away the fact that Mei is a Red Lotus operative.
• Affably Evil:
  • Shang Tsung, for starters. The sorcerer is polite towards Liu, Kitana and Jade…right before unleashing a horde of Tarkartans on the Red Lotus compound. He is also this towards Ravenna Cage, Magik and Hope Summers…right before unleashing Skarlet on the trio. He is also polite towards Cassie in their first confrontation during the rescue mission into Earthrealm.
  • Before her duel with Ravenna, Tasia is this towards Ravenna, even seeing her as a Worthy Opponent.
• Affectionate Nickname:
  • For Captain America, Cassie calls him 'Blue' in a show of respect.
  • Johnny still calls Cassie 'Punkin', although Cassie points out that she is still too old for that. He also can get away with calling Sonya 'Babe', yet she still hates it when he calls her 'Baby'.
• Ain't Too Proud to Beg:
  • Kano tries to negotiate with Sonya to secure his son's freedom when it becomes clear that Sonya intends to kill him. He fails. He tries again when he is defeated and wounded. Again, he fails.
  • In the Desperation Omake, after Raiden gets his ass handed to him by the former revenants, he begs for help from Johnny and Sonya. Granted that he and Kano had kidnapped and tortured that fanfic's version of Cassie up until she switched places with Phoenix!Cassie, said parents refuse to help.
  • During Team S-F's debriefing, it's revealed that Ferra had begged for her life after Takeda killed Torr. Jacqui responds by blowing her head off.
• All of Them:
  • When Tony and Steve find out that Cassie is the Phoenix's host…
  Tony: Assemble the team? (Steve nods) Which ones?
  Steve: All of Them.
  • And after Kitana and Liu explaining to the revenants the events from their leaving the Netherrealm to now:
  Nightwolf: Okay. I did not see that coming.
  Liu: Me becoming an assassin and marrying Kitana, Raiden going insane, Johnny Cage quitting acting and becoming an industrialist, or he and Sonya remarrying and having a second daughter?
  Stryker: Honestly…? All of the above.
• The Aloner: Cassie has refused offers to join the Avengers and the X-Men due to the guilt she has in leaving her former teammates behind.
• An Arm and a Leg:
  • In the Omake, Kano loses several body parts to Cassie.
  • Jacqui loses both her arms due to a car exploding from Raiden's lightning, the shrapnel hitting her.
• An Ice Person: Frost and Sub-Zero.
• An Offer You Can't Refuse:
  • Norman Osborn has both Cassie and Ravenna Cage kidnapped in order to force their father to surrender his business in exchange for his daughters' lives. It backfires spectaculary.
  • Raiden gives one to Captain America: he will not destroy Marvel!Earth provided that they surrender the Exiled Kombatants. On top of that, once every ten years, The Marvelverse Earth must surrender their best champions as 'tribute'. Cassie tells Raiden to stuff it.
  • Three heroic examples from the good guys:
    • When Johnny and Sonya retain the services of Deadpool, Johnny promises the Regenerating Degenerate a huge payday…and Sonya adds in her smothered chicken chimichanga recipe as a bonus.
    • During a meeting with Danny Rand, Johnny proposes that the Secret Avengers sign on to the military registry (which is separate from the S.H.I.E.L.D. registry), thus keeping them safe from the Mighty Avengers and it gives them a military base to work out of.
    • Liu Kang and Kitana have one for the revenants: your life restored if you choose to fight against Raiden. The catch is that they are forbidden to return to their respective realms.
• And I Must Scream:
  • How Sonya describes being corrupted by Raiden in a nutshell. Jax and Team S-F also confirms this.
  • In the Desperation Omake, Desperation!Kano is very aware of his actions, but is unable to stop himself from killing his lieutenants.
• Anti Heroes: Liu Kang and Kitana. Frost also qualifies.
• Armor-Piercing Question: When Carol and Natasha visit Sonya in order to peacefully negotiate for Cassie and Ravenna to be handed over to S.H.I.E.L.D., Carol tries to convince Sonya that detaining them off planet is the best course of action. Sonya's reply?
  Sonya: If the roles were reversed…could you do what you're suggesting to your own children, Carol? Would you help them control their powers so they would see it as a boon…or a burden? Or would you lock them up and throw away the key?
• Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: Cassie's description of Doctor Doom: "Monarch of Latveria, master scientist and sorcerer, would-be conqueror and the leader of an order of Tibetan monks."
• Art Shift: The fight between Kira and Deadpool changes to as if the pair were in Mortal Kombat XL.
• Asskicking Leads to Leadership:
  • Liu Kang and Kitana, the grandmasters of the Red Lotus Society.
  • Sonya Blade, now a Brigadier General having been promoted from Colonel.
• At Least They Admit It: When Mavado gloats to Cassie about the crimes that Jax and Team S-F had done while under Raiden's control, Cassie takes the piss out of him by telling Mavado that she, Cap, Stark and her parents already know about their crimes.
• The Atoner: The Exiled Kombatants have plenty of issues to deal with:
  • Johnny feels as if he has failed Jax and Team S-F in not warning them of Raiden's inevitable corruption.
  • Sonya for how she had treated both Johnny and Cassie back in Earthrealm.
  • Cassie is haunted by her killing of Shujinko and the fact that she was forced to leave her team behind. Fortunately, she is able to rescue her team and Shujinko forgives her for killing him, giving her the absolution she craved.
  • Liu Kang and Kitana are still traumatized by their experiences as revenants.
  • Team S-F and Jax, now freed of Raiden's corruption, are haunted by the deeds they have done in his name.
  • The ex-revenants (Sindel, Kung Lao, Nightwolf, Smoke/Enenra, Kabal and Stryker), having been freed from the Netherrealm.
• Awakening the Sleeping Giant:
  • For all their faults and their desire to take control of the Phoenix Force's hosts (i.e., Cassie and Ravenna Cage), the Avengers and the X-Men are now working together with the Exiled Kombatants in kombating their former boss.
  • Raiden awakens the Phoenix Force within Cassie and Ravenna after Jacqui gets maimed and is burned alive in retaliation.
• Awful Truth: Kano gets two; the first is finding out that Raiden sold him and the Black Dragon out to Daegon and the Red Dragon, and the second is that Cassie and Sonya are out to kill him for what he and Darren did to Vera.
• Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: So much so that Johnny and Sonya remarry.
• Ax-Crazy: Raiden, who kills off Kotal Kahn after merging Outworld with Earthrealm and rules both realms with an iron fist. He also has Fujin imprisoned in Seido for objecting to his rule and drains his powers, and is willing to kill not only Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade (who have escaped to the new Earth after witnessing Raiden brainwashing his champions, and is willing to kidnap Cassie and Ravenna Cage, their daughters), but also Liu Kang and Kitana, after being revived by Jade.
• Back from the Dead:
  • Liu Kang and Kitana, thanks to Jade, who revived herself. The other revenants are later revived by the Elder Gods as well.
  • Shang Tsung manages to revive himself and Mileena.
• Battle Couple:
  • Johnny and Sonya, Liu and Kitana, Cassie and Simon Williams (Wonder Man)
  • Now that Jacqui and Takeda have been freed, they also qualify.
• Badass Boast: The Exiled Kombatants has several under their respective belts.
  • For Johnny, after Sonya jumps his bones:
  Sonya: You're not winning this battle, Cage.
  Johnny: Well ring the bell, babe. You just earned a shot at the title.
  • Johnny, again, when Kano and his forces arrive:
  Johnny: (as the Avengers, X-Men and S.H.I.E.L.D. prepare for battle) As you can see, you got the quantity. I got the quality.
  • Johnny, yet again, whilst fighting Jarek:
  Jarek: I'm gonna write your death scene, Cage. There's gonna be no comeback for you.
  Johnny: As I've told Sonya and the girls…[…]…'you can't fake a comeback'.
  • Sonya gets in on the fun, as she delivers this boast to Kano:
  Sonya: I'm not going to kill you, Kano. But you will learn one valuable lesson before you die: Don't Fuck With A Cage.
  • Liu Kang, when he and Johnny team up to take down Jarek:
  Liu: Champions fighting together…ready to shake the Heavens, Cage?
  • Cassie delivers one to Madame Masque…
  Cassie: Pretty funny, seeing as how you don't know my parents or us too well. In fact, I'm going to give you a gift, Frost. I'm going to kill you last. (She does).
  • …and this gem to Raiden in the Desperation Omake, channeling Tony Stark:
  Cassie: You're right about one thing, Raiden. I'm not playing God. Because I realized that all this time…I've been playing human.
  • Kitana, when she swears the blood oath to avenge Jade:
  Kitana: Flesh of my flesh…this offense shall not go unanswered. Shang Tsung will die. This I vow, with my own blood, and on my honor as a Princess of Edenia.
  • From the Marvel side, T'Challa gets one during his fight with Jax:
  Jax: There's a difference between fighting rookies and veterans.
  T'Challa: You fight neither. You fight a King.
• Badass Family: The Cage family, hands down, with Jax and Jacqui a close second.
• Bait-and-Switch: For Kano, when he calls his son in order to get a status report (as he was ordered to tail Cassie), he is very surprised to hear said woman on the other end.
• Bash Brothers/: Liu Kang and Johnny Cage.
  • Lovely Angels: Kitana and Sonya.
• Be Careful What You Wish For: Remember when Kano said that "Cassie is gonna meet Uncle Kano" if Sonya didn't cooperate? Well, after enduring a particulary nasty torture session with the woman in question in two of the omakes, Kano is seriously regretting making that threat.
• Berserk Button:
  • For Kitana, it's rapists and anyone involved in human trafficking. With Jade's death, Shang Tsung rockets to the top of the list.
  • For Sonya and Cassie, Kano is this to the both of them, as in canon.
  • For Cassie, given her past with the Blood Code, mind control pisses her off.
• Big Bad: Raiden, after purifying the Jinsei.
• Big Badass Battle Sequence:
  • The Skirmish at Cage Incorporated, which spans five chapters.
  • The Infiltration Into Fort Charles spans three chapters.
• Big Damn Heroes: Wolverine and Luke Cage arrive to aide Ravenna, Hope and Magik against Skarlet and a squad of Tarkartans.
• Big "NO!":
  • Kano, just as Sonya kills his son.
  • Cassie, as Jacqui escapes the psionic shield.
  • Daegon, when he realizes that Cassie is going to kidnap Mavado.
• Bilingual Backfire: Imagine Kitana and Jade's shock that Johnny can speak Edenian. It's also how he found out that Mey (his secretary) was a Red Lotus plant.
• Bond Creatures/Pet Monstrosity: Enenra, now free from Smoke, acting as his familiar, its main form being that of a raven.
• Brainwashed: Raiden corrupts Jax, Scorpion, Kenshi, Sub-Zero, Sonya and Team S-F, save for Cassie and Johnny. While Sonya is freed from Raiden's corruption, the others are still under Raiden's control.
  • Following the rescue mission into Earthrealm, Jax and Team S-F are now freed from Raiden's control.
• Brainwashed and Crazy:
  • The Blood Code makes an appearance, as Jarek inflicts it on himself during his match with Johnny.
  • As payback for Skarlet inflicting the Blood Code on her in the past, Cassie corrupts Skarlet with a souped-up version of the Blood Code, the effects now permanent.
• Breaking the Fourth Wall: Deadpool, who else? One prime example is that he carries with him the plot outline for Mortal Kombat: Desperation.
• Broken Aces/Broken Heroes: The Exiled Kombatants have plenty of issues that need to be addressed.
• Broken Pedestal:
  • Raiden is this for the Exiled Kombatants.
  • Sonya was this to Carol Danvers/Ms. Marvel until both women decide to make up.
• Bullying a Dragon:
  • You do not want to threaten and/or kidnap a member of the Cage family. You will regret that life choice. Several villains find this out the hard way.
  • Pissing off the Red Lotus is a virtual death sentence. Just ask Nitro.
• But for Me, It Was Tuesday: After Cassie kills Kano:
  Cassie: You know, when we look back on this years from now, we're gonna remember this moment quite differently.
  Sonya: How so?
  Cassie: Given your beef with Kano, me killing him will be the most important day of your life.
  Sonya: And what will it be for you?
  Cassie: Given what I go through both as a mutant and under your command on a daily basis…for me, it was Tuesday.
• Call It Karma: How Cassie kills Kano. Inspired by the Ghost Rider's Penance Stare, Cassie performs the Phoenix equivalent of said move on Kano, thus killing him quite painfully.
• Celebrity Is Overrated: While Johnny is officially retired from acting, he does see himself acting as an industrialist as his greatest achievement.
• Character Development: As Sonya told Liu and Kitana, her, Johnny and Cassie had a lot of growing up to do.
• Cold-Blooded Torture: Kano is on the receiving end of this in the various omakes…at the hands of Cassie Cage.
• Combat Pragmatist: A staple in the Cage family, and for good reason. This shows during Johnny's fight against Jarek, in which he uses a fire extinguisher to pummel Jarek whilst the latter is under the Blood Code and later teams up with Liu to take him down and when both Cassie and Sonya double-team Kano, Cassie using her powers during the match with impunity. Johnny says it best in regards to fighting dirty:
  Johnny: Kano fights without honor, so why should you? Honor is used by weak people to keep the strong in line. Honor has no place in kombat. You do whatever it needs to be done to win. Either you go home at the end of the fight…or you don't.
• The Call Knows Where You Live:
  • Captain America seeks to recruit Cassie into S.H.I.E.L.D. Now, upon finding out that she is the host to the Phoenix, he seeks to have her placed in protective custody.
  • Shang Tsung tracks down the Exiled Kombatants to the Marvel Universe.
• The Cameo:
  • Frank Castle shows up in an omake to kill Kano.
  • Forge appears in another during one of the side stories.
  • Kano and Raiden from Mortal Kombat: Desperation appear in another omake, along with that fanfic's version of Johnny and Sonya.
• Chekhov's Gun:
  • The Phoenix Tattoo◊ (seen on Rachel Summers' back), which identifies the chosen vessel for the Phoenix Force.
  • The Tarkartan's corpse, which backs up Liu and Kitana's story to the Avengers and the X-Men.
  • Sonya's upgraded gauntlets which allows her to conjure a purple-colored energy shield similar to how her husband and daughters create the 'green halo'. Not only does it protects her from the Goblin's bombs, but it also protects her from Kano's eye beams.
  • A third Chekhov's Gun is locked and loaded during the Union Vale side chapter. As it turns out, it's the schematics for the bionic implants, of which Jacqui herself is outfitted with after losing both her arms.
• Co-Dragons: Kano and Shang Tsung to Raiden. Later subverted for Kano, as it's Daegon who replaces him and Raiden plans to have Kano killed.
• Colonel Badass: Once again, Sonya Blade.
• Cool Big Sis: Cassie is this to Ravenna.
• Cool Old Guy: Logan is this to Cassie.
• The Corrupter: Raiden.
• Crazy Enough to Work: Turns out that Doctor Doom owes Cassie a favor, of which Cassie hopes to cash in her favor. This leads to Cassie heading for Latveria.
• Crazy-Prepared:
  • Upon finding out about Raiden's inevitable corruption from Yao, Johnny makes the preparations should he and his family need to flee.
  • Both Sonya and Johnny train themselves and their daughters into the ground for the inevitable confrontation with Raiden.
  • When Liu and Kitana warns Johnny and Sonya that Kano is in the city with orders to capture Cassie and kill the both of them, they retain the services of Deadpool and sic him on Kano.
• Cruel and Unusual Death:
  • Bobbi Morse/Mockingbird dies via Tremor's Stalag Might fatality.
  • Kano himself falls victim to this as he is forced to relive all his past crimes until he dies. His fate is even much worse in the omake.
  • Tasia is cursed with the Grip of Murder, which rots her body down to nothing.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: Several in the story. Two examples stick out: the first being that a gang of muggers attempt to rob Johnny. Big Mistake. The second is that S.H.I.E.L.D. raid Sonya's upstate hideaway, only to find Cassie instead of Jessica Jones. Again, big mistake.
• Cursed with Awesome: Sonya's exposure to the Blood Code has left her stronger than before.
• Da Chief: Sonya is in command of the Special Forces' Tactical Response Unit.
• Dark Action Girl:
  • Cassie is the most prominent example from the heroes' side, being this in the main story and the omakes, due to being the host of the dark half of the Phoenix Force.
  • Kitana is also this, stemming from being an assassin and former revenant.
• Darkest Hour: For the Exiled Kombatants, in which Raiden discovers where they are after nineteen years of relative peace (whereas it has been three years since they left).
• Death from Above: How we are introduced to Skarlet. Later, Mavado attempts this, but is thwarted by Captain America.
• Death Glare:
  • Or as Johnny calls it, 'the signature Blade death stare' regarding Sonya. Cassie even attempts this on her dad, who brushes it off. She's more successful when she uses it on Ms. Marvel.
  • Fujin gives Raiden a seething glare even while imprisoned.
• Death Is Cheap:
  • Liu Kang, Kitana, Jade, Shang Tsung and Mileena have all been revived through various means.
  • Kano finds out that despite taking two knives to the throat and head, Deadpool is very hard to kill.
• Death Wail:
  • Kitana does this after Jade is killed.
  • Kano also does this after Sonya kills his son.
• Defiant to the End:
  • Despite being imprisoned and his powers drained, Fujin remains defiant towards Raiden.
  • Even when threatened with death, Cassie and the rescue team show no fear despite being outnumbered by Raiden, the Red Dragon, the Lin Kuei and the Shirai Ryu.
• Didn't See That Coming:
  • Raiden gets two from Johnny and Cassie in the Prologue; the former knowing of the inevitable corruption, leading him to flee Earthrealm, and the latter for disobeying orders and returning to the States rather than reporting in at the Sky Temple.
  • Kano didn't expect Raiden to play him like a fiddle, promising him a pardon for his past crimes before finding out that the dark god had sold him and the Black Dragon out to Daegon.
  • Shang Tsung didn't expect his killing of Jade would force Liu and Kitana to join forces with the Cage family.
  • Raiden did not expect neither Cassie, Liu or Kitana would storm Fort Charles to rescue Ravenna and Team S-F backed by a team of superheroes.
  • Captain America and the Avengers did not expect Cassie to be on somewhat friendly terms with Doctor Doom.
  • According to the Skrull sent to impersonate Cassie, it had been watching her for a while. It just didn't realize that Cassie was a mutant.
• Didn't Think This Through:
  • When Kano and his son rape, torture and murder Vera Briggs, he knows that Jax and Jacqui are under Raiden's control and thus are unable to intervene. Kano even goes as far as to gloat in their faces what he had done. He just didn't take into account Cassie and Sonya finding out about his crime, which ultimately seal his and Darren's fate.
  • When Norman Osborn has Cassie and Ravenna kidnapped, he expects Johnny to cave in and surrender Cage Incorporated to him in exchange for their lives. He and the other villains didn't get the memo that both sisters were powerful mutants, resulting in the deaths of The Hood's gang, Madame Masque and the Purple Man.
• Disproportionate Retribution:
  • When three of your chosen warriors flee Earthrealm and two revenants are taken from the Netherrealm, what do you do? You place a death sentence on the heads of the older champions, attempt to have the daughters of two of them forcibly returned to Earthrealm and quite possibly, destroy the new universe they fled to.
  • When Raiden orders Kano to kill Vera Briggs, it's not quick and clean. Both he and his son torture and rape Jax's wife before killing her.
  • When the Green Goblin wrecks Johnny and Sonya's date night, Sonya proceeds to beat the high holy hell out of the villain. In full view of the Avengers and the NYPD.
• Distracted by the Sexy:
  • Attempted by Corrupted!Sonya on her ex-husband. It does not work.
  • Played straight with the Capekillers distracted by Cassie's singing and dancing during the Union Vale Raid.
• Divorce Is Temporary: Johnny and Sonya both seem to think so.
• The Dreaded:
  • Liu Kang and Kitana, given that they are assassins.
  • Sonya Blade, due to her already infamous temper, especially when her children are involved.
  • Cassie Cage is this to Liu and Kitana, after seeing her use her powers. Mavado is also petrified of Cassie after she shows him Kano's demise.
  • Raiden, who brainwashes Jax, Hanzo, Kenshi, Kuai Liang, Sonya and Team S-F, except that Sonya manages to get freed from Raiden's corruption. He also rules a merged Earthrealm and Outworld with an iron fist, after defeating Kotal Kahn in Mortal Kombat AND has also defeated Fujin and has him imprisoned for questioning Raiden's methods.
• Dropped a Bridge on Him: Several examples, such as:
  • Elektra, who is killed by Kano.
  • Nitro, who is assassinated by Liu and Kitana, followed by Walter Declan, who supplied Nitro with the mutant hormones.
• Don't Think, Feel: How Frost was able to detect Triborg hiding inside the mainframe room.
• Dynamic Entry:
  • How we are introduced to Mileena during the Skirmish at Cage Incorporated.
  • Deadpool uses Kano's own Cannonball move whilst Kano is fighting Captain America…
    • …to which Kira does the same to Deadpool during the raid into Fort Charles.

E to I

• Easily Forgiven: Shujinko does not blame Cassie for killing him. He forgives her, thus absolving her of her guilt.
• "Eureka!" Moment: Overlaps with Oh, Crap! when both the Avengers (mainly Tony Stark and Steve Rogers) and the X-Men (mainly Illyana Rasputin and Hope Summers) when they discover who the hosts of the Phoenix is.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Shang Tsung, of all people, is appalled as to how Kano and his son raped and tortured Vera Briggs for their own amusement. Had it been him, he would had given Jax's wife a painless death.
• Evil Gloating:
  • After killing Vera, Kano does this to Jax and Jacqui, knowing that they couldn't do anything about it due to being under Raiden's control.
  • When Darren all but admits this to the Exiled Kombatants, the Avengers and the X-Men, all of the female heroes are ready to kill the boy themselves.
• Evil Mentor: Raiden is seen as this by not only Liu Kang, but also by the Cage family.
• Exact Words: Sonya quotes a part of the Super Human Registration Act to Carol Danvers which let Sonya recruit Julia Carpenter to her Tactical Response Unit (and this lets the fugitive Avengers escape capture from Tony Stark and his forces):
  Sonya: Interesting read, the S.H.R.A.. You really should try to read it sometime. Especially Section 11, Paragraph 4. You know, the section in which any superhumans are exempt from registering under the Act if they are working with the military, be it as an active serviceman, officer or as a civilian employee, or the spouse of one of the above as the federal government already have their names and status already on file with the military? It also exempts the from having to sign on with S.H.I.E.L.D., if they are a registered superhero.
• Expy: Raiden is similar to Regime Superman from Injustice in many ways:
  • Both have gone insane after a traumatic event and are now Ax-Crazy - Dark Raiden is a Knight Templar with borderline Omnicidal Maniac tendencies; Regime Superman is Slowly Slipping Into Evil after his Start of Darkness.
  • Both of them are now running tyrannical dystopias and want to conquer other realms - Dark Raiden wants to go after Marvelverse Earth after conquering Outworld; Regime Superman wants to conquer the Main Universe after crossing the Moral Event Horizon.
  • Both Dark Raiden and Regime Superman have good guys serving as henchmen - Raiden has brainwashed his champions using Shinnok's amulet while Superman has coerced many heroes (except for Batman) into working for him.
  • Both are the Big Bads of their respective universes, and have become their own antithesis - a far cry of what they used to represent.
  • Both have formed alliances with bad guys - Dark Raiden with Shang Tsung and Kano, who has since been replaced with Daegon; Regime Superman with Sinestro and Black Adam.
  • Both were once idolized by many, but are now Broken Pedestals who have become fallen heroes.
• Eye Scream:
  • Takeda wears his Shirai Ryu headband over his right eye ala Kakashi Hatake, having lost it in Mortal Kombat, leaving his eye socket exposed Carl Grimes-style. He later dons an eyepatch to cover the injury.
  • Kano gets his cybernetic eye blasted out by Sonya.
  • Kira completes the trifeca as Deadpool destroys her sight (and hearing) with a flashbang grenade.
• Face Your Fears:
  • Or in Cassie's case, her guilt over killing Shujinko. She does get the absolution that she had been seeking.
  • Following one of their matches, Johnny suggests this to Liu Kang.
• Family Versus Career: Having learned her lesson back in Earthrealm, Sonya is able to strike a balance between her family and career.
• Faking the Dead/Reports of My Death Were Greatly Exaggerated: The Cage Family fakes their deaths after fleeing to the Marvel Universe, although Kano and Raiden know they are alive before Shang Tsung confirms it.
  • Mavado is revealed to have survived Cassie and Jacqui supposedly killing him.
• Fastball Special: Yup, it's here in all its glory. The literal twist is that Emma uses her telekinesis to make Wolverine spin mid-throw.
• Faux Affably Evil: Raiden appears to Johnny Cage in a polite manner and tells that his "truth" is not brainwashing, but Johnny sees through the disguise and knows that the corrupted thunder god actually came to kill him.
  • Also appears polite to Kano and pardons him for his crimes, but secretly sold him out to the Red Dragon and its leader, Daegon.
  • Norman Osborn/Green Goblin gives off this appearance when he delivers his ultimatum to Johnny.
• For Want Of A Nail:
  • Johnny becomes a wealthy businessman, rather than go back into acting.
  • Cassie rejoins the military, but is now an officer rather than a Sergeant.
  • Liu Kang becomes an assassin alongside Kitana.
  • Rachel Summers accompanies Captain America to Utopia, where she not only confirms that Rachel is not the host, but she also keeps Cyclops and Captain America coming to blows.
  • The Phoenix Force has long since arrived on Earth before the Stamford Incident, along with Nova.
  • Hope Summers is not the host of the Phoenix Force. It's Cassie and Ravenna.
  • The Mighty Avengers - especially Iron Man - when they raid an upstate New York home, thinking that Jessica Jones Cage is hiding there, only to discover Cassie there instead.
  • Johnny telling Danny about the military registry during the Initiative results in the Secret Avengers signing on and working out of Fort Burton (and thus, keeping Jessica Jones from defecting down the line).
  • A minor one is that T'Challa and Stork are still married and not on opposite sides, due to Hope Summers not being the Phoenix.
  • Another one is that Magik and Colossus are still on good terms, thanks to Cassie's influence on her.
• Forced to Watch: During their time under Raiden's control, Jax and Team S-F witnessed key events and certain atrocities following Outworld's absorption into Earthrealm.
• Four Is Death: Kano and his top lieutenants - Jarek, Tasia and Tremor.
• Friendly Enemy: The Cage family and the Red Lotus.
• Glamour: Inverted for Liu and Kitana. Kitana conjures a spell to disguise both her and Liu as revenants while on assignment.
• The Gloves Come Off:
  • The Exiled Kombatants are no longer bound by the rules of fair play in regards to their former realm.
  • Johnny notes that whenever Cassie ties her hair back into her bun, she gets even more serious while fighting.
• Good Parents: Back in Earthrealm, Johnny filled the role. Here, both he and Sonya are this to their girls.
• Groin Attack: Expect to see this move if a Cage is fighting. Case in point:
  • Sonya: In a Call-Back as to how she had beaten the tar out of Quan Chi to save Johnny's life, Sonya does the same to the Green Goblin, which ends in this. She also performs her husband's signature move on Kano in their final fight.
  • Cassie: As a mutant, Cassie can use her powers to crush a man's crotch aside from the more physical attack, as Kano finds out the hard way. She also caves in Takeda's nuts (being the second Cage to do so) during her fight with both him and Jacqui.
  • Johnny: Performs the move proper against the Green Goblin. He does this to Jarek who is hopped up on blood magik. With a fire extinguisher.
  • Kitana stomps on Shang Tsung's family jewels in their second confrontation.
• Gunboat Diplomacy: Captain America attempts this twice; the first on Utopia in an attempt to negotiate with Cyclops in handing Hope over. However, Hope is not the host. The second time is when he tries to convince Cassie into coming with him, Maria and Nova peacefully. However, the arrival of Cyclops and Emma Frost puts that plan to a halt.
• Handcannon: Cassie has two Desert Eagles.
• Half the Man He Used to Be: Jarek's fate.
• Hated by All: Raiden is this to the Exiled Kombatants, and by extension, the X-Men and the Avengers.
• Hell-Bent for Leather: Kitana dons the Revenant Empress armor.
• Heroic Bastard: What everyone thinks that Cassie is before The Reveal. What Frost is in reality.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Jade, who sacrifices her life to save Liu Kang.
• He's Back!:
  • Shang Tsung, and he's working for Raiden. He also revives Mileena, who was originally killed off by D'Vorah.
  • The remaining revenants, who were brought back to life.
• Hidden Depths: Sonya sees a side of Johnny that reveals his greatest fear is that of failure.
• Hoist by His Own Petard/Death by Irony: Seen in the Omakes:
  • Cassie kills Kano via his Knife To Meet You Fatality.
  • When the Phoenix Four (Team S-F imbued with the power of the Phoenix Force) visit the Netherrealm to deliver Raiden's warning to the revenants, the Phoenix Four threatens to do this to most of the revenants when Liu orders them to kill the team (using Mileena as an example).
• Honest Corporate Executive: Johnny Cage, Chairman of Cage Incorporated.
• Hope Spot: Pulled off by Sonya during her and Cassie's confrontation with Kano when he to negotiate his son's release. Sonya, having been burned by Kano one too many times in the past, snaps Darren's neck, reminding Kano that she doesn't "negotiate with scumbags".
• Hypocrite: When Cassie begins to use his son for target practice, Kano pleads for his son's life, telling Sonya that Darren had nothing to do with the both of them. Sonya reminded him that Cassie and Jacqui had nothing to do with their rivalry, yet he kidnapped them both all the same.
• I Have…:
  • Your Daughters: Norman Osborn has Cassie and Ravenna kidnapped and held hostage by the Hood and his gang. It doesn't end well for them. Later, Shang Tsung kidnaps Ravenna at the conclusion of the Skirmish at Cage Incorporated.
  • Your Son: Kano's son is being held hostage by the Cage family.
  • Your Right-Hand Man: Mavado is captured by Cassie Cage.
• I Lied:
  • In the Prologue, Johnny sends the brainwashed Jax, Sub-Zero and Team S-F on a wild goose chase to keep them out of harm's way when he and his family flee.
  • Raiden offers Kano a pardon for his past crimes. In truth, he plans on having Kano and the Black Dragon exterminated, the price for Daegon and the Red Dragon's loyalty.
• Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Several examples:
  • Kano tries to kill Deadpool by this method. Given that it's Deadpool, it doesn't stick.
  • Kano himself dies via this method in the omake.
  • Tremor kills Mockingbird with his Stalag-Might fatality.
  • Magik stabs Kung Jin from behind with Soulsword, knocking him out cold while he was distracted with Ravenna.
• Ironic Echo: Just as Kano had threatened Sonya that "Cassie's gonna meet Uncle Kano" back in Earthrealm if Sonya didn't let him go, Cassie does the same thing, only that she threatens that "Darren's gonna meet Uncle Johnny and Aunt Sonya" if Kano doesn't surrender.
• Irony:
  • Sonya notices that while she killed Darren, it was Cassie who killed Kano.
  • For Cassie, it's the fact that a military woman (i.e., herself) is involved with a film actor (Simon).
  • Cassie gets another one during her confrontation with Jacqui and Takeda. In the past, it had been both her and Jacqui who fought Takeda in a handicap match. Now, it's Cassie who is on the receiving end of another handicap match.
• It's Personal: When Cassie finds out that both Kano and his son raped and murdered Vera Briggs (Jax's wife and Jacqui's mother) on Raiden's orders, she nearly pistol-whips Darren to death before she is restrained by her parents, Simon Williams, Captain America, Liu Kang and Iron Fist.

J to N

• Jedi Mind Trick: Phoenix!Cassie perform this on Desperation!Kano and Desperation!Raiden, making both believe that they were actually torturing Desperation!Cassie and Kevin.
• Jerkass Realization: Sonya, who takes responsibility for her actions. Fortunately for her, she is Easily Forgiven by her ex-husband and daughter.
• Just Following Orders: Kano's defense in regards to the rape and murder of Vera Briggs on the orders of Raiden as he pleads for his son's life.
  Kano: Look…I was just following orders! Okay…maybe I was outta line when I did what I did to Vera, okay?! We can deal!
• Kansas City Shuffle: In the prologue, Johnny knows that Raiden has brainwashed Team S-F and is looking to capture Cassie. So, instead of having her show up at the Sky Temple as she was supposed to be (after killing off Shujinko), Johnny sends Jax and Team S-F on a wild goose chase while Cassie is with him. Cassie herself nearly eluded capture by disguising herself from Sub-Zero in Hong Kong and using a fake ID to slip back into the United States.
• Kick the Dog: Kano and Darren rape and torture Vera Briggs for shits and giggles before killing her as per Raiden's orders…
  • The Dog Bites Back: …which bites them both in the ass as it leads to both father and son being violently killed by Cassie and Sonya in revenge.
• Killed Off for Real: Norman Osborn, Madame Masque, The Purple Man, Elektra, Jade, Jarek, Mockingbird, Tremor, Darren, Kano, Tasia, Kira and Skarlet so far.
• Kung-Shui:
  • Johnny uses a fire extinguisher on Jarek.
  • In reference to his 4th-Wall Crisis Hyper Combo, Deadpool pummels Kira with both his Health and Enhance meters before strangling her to death with a rubber chicken.
  • During the fight with Raiden, Cassie and Ravenna use anything and everything to batter Raiden.
• Laser-Guided Karma:
  • Skarlet gets hers courtesy of Cassie, who inflicts the Blood Code on her as payback.
  • After escaping justice for his crimes, Kano is done in by Cassie.
• Late-Arrival Spoiler: The story begins with Cassie Cage fighting Corrupted Shinnok at the Sky Temple.
• Legion of Doom/Villain Team-Up: Raiden has joined forces with the Black Dragon - of whom he replaces with the Red Dragon - and Shang Tsung.
• Let's Get Dangerous!:
  Liu: (during the fight with Jarek) Champions fighting together…ready to shake the Heavens, Cage?
  Johnny: (grins) Let's dance.
• Like Father Like Daughter: Jacqui is outfitted with a pair of bionic arms after losing both her original arms.
• Likes Older Women: Cassie is 41 (but looks 25) and she is involved with Simon Williams, who is at least a decade younger than she.
• Locked into Strangeness: Sonya's eyes are now purple instead of blue.
• Lured into a Trap:
  • How Raiden corrupts his champions.
  • Sonya attempts this on Johnny, buy thankfully, he sees through her attempt.
  • The Skirmish at Cage Incorporated is basically one big trap to lure Kano and his forces.
  • Phoenix!Cassie does this to Desperation!Kano and his lieutenants in the Desperation Omake.
  • Cassie and her team are cornered by the Red Dragon, the Lin Kuei and the Shirai Ryu in the Macau ruins.
• Mass "Oh, Crap!":
  • The Avengers, once they find out the complications that come along with discovering that Cassie is the Phoenix's host: her parents.
  • Kano and his forces when the X-Men, the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. arrive to back Johnny, Kitana, Liu and Captain America.
  • Both the Avengers and the X-Men upon finding out that Shang Tsung has kidnapped Ravenna.
  • The reaction of Liu Kang, Kitana and Cassie when they and the heroes finally encounter Raiden after 19 years during their escape from Earthrealm.
  • Raiden, The Lin Kuei, The Shirai Ryu and the Red Dragon when Cassie and Ravenna finally go Phoenix.
• Mêlée à Trois: Cassie and Ravenna are the hosts to the Phoenix Force. You have both her parents who are successful in containing the Force, the Avengers who want to place whoever is the host into protective custody (or off-planet) and the X-Men who sees the host as the Mutant Messiah. Fortunately, all parties decide to work together when Raiden resurfaces.
• The Mentor: Professor Xavier is this to Cassie, who is this in turn to Magik, Hope and Ravenna.
• The Mole: Mey, Johnny's assistant, is a Red Lotus plant. Johnny knows that Mey is with the Red Lotus because she reports to Liu and Kitana whilst speaking in Edenian, of which Johnny himself also speaks fluently.
• Morality Chain:
  • Cassie to Simon, given his Heel–Face Revolving Door tendencies. She's the main reason why Wonder Man is a good guy.
  • Team S-F is this to Cassie. A fact that Raiden finds out when Jacqui gets horribly injured.
• Mugging the Monster:
  • As Kano and his son found out the hard way, Sonya and Cassie are more than willing to kill him.
  • A group of punks try to mug Johnny. Cue the asskicking from the former actor.
  • In the omake based off of Mortal Kombat: Desperation, Cassie takes the place of that fanfic's version of Cassie. Kano finds out the hard way that Phoenix!Cassie and the one he and Raiden kidnapped are two very different people.
  • When Jacqui is critically wounded by Raiden's lightning and an exploding car, he ends up being burned alive by the Phoenix's cosmic flames.
• My Greatest Failure:
  • Johnny tells Cassie about Sonya 'giving up her (Cassie's) childhood' in order to protect her.
  • For Cassie, she sees Raiden's corruption of her teammates as her greatest failure.
  • For Kenshi, not being there for Takeda as a father and being unable to save him from Raiden's corruption.
• Mythology Gag:
  • Two for Johnny and Sonya when their origins are revealed: The former for storming off a film set following a botched take and the latter for storming a nightclub in search for Kano.
  • Kano gets two during his confrontation with Cassie. Not only does he say that Cassie looks like Sonya, but he also bet that she screams like her mother. The second comes from the film, but with Cassie replacing her mother and the dialogue being slightly different:
  Kano: (draws a knife) We can do this the easy way…or the hard way. Ladies' choice.
  Cassie: Ooh…a toy. How cute. I've seen better blades.
  Kano: Oh, this one has special meaning for me. This little baby brings back memories.
  Cassie: Of what? Knifing your mama in the back?
  Kano: Nah…but it did put a big smile on your Aunt Vera. Ear…to ear.
  • Liu Kang tends to call Johnny an annoying buffoon. Johnny takes it all in stride.
  • One past memory in regards to Cassie has her calling Jacqui 'bitch-face'.
  • Like her father we are introduced to Frost when she freezes and shatters Deadpool's gun.
  • After blowing through a gang of muggers, Johnny tells the last one that "This is where you fall down." The thug collapses seconds later.
• Neck Snap: Bye-bye, Madame Masque and Darren.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Shang Tsung was able to track the exiled Kombatants down by means of Jade and Kitana's sorcery.
• Nice Job Fixing It, Villain:
  • Nice going, Raiden. Ordering the deaths of your former champions and the kidnapping of Cassandra Cage has forced the former revenants and the Cage family to work together.
  • Good job, Kano. Raping and torturing Vera Briggs has all but sealed your fate at the hands of Sonya and Cassie.
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown:
  • Johnny and Sonya are on the giving end of this, pummeling the Green Goblin.
  • Madame Masque is on the receiving end of one after Cassie and Ravenna are kidnapped to force Johnny Cage to turn Cage Incorporated over to Norman Osborn (as payback for the earlier example). After two unknown assassins break the Cage girls free, the two unleash a path of destruction on the H.A.M.M.E.R. Helicarrier. The Hood's gang turns on H.A.M.M.E.R. and each other and Cassie (as she one of the hosts of the Phoenix Force) telekinetically uses her mind to smash Masque's face into the floor repeatedly until first the mask shattered, THEN kept going at super-speed until Masque's FACE was obliterated (her already-scarred face was pulverized). To make sure that she's dead, Cassie then gives a Neck Snap to Masque, making the Purple Man's death from being beaten senseless, taking a hard punch to the throat before being flung from the Helicarrier at 1,000 feet above the ground merciful.
  • Jarek is on the receiving end of this by Johnny and Liu once the Blood Code has burned its way out of his body.
• No One Gets Left Behind: Cassie is determined to rescue her sister, Jax and her former team. She succeeds.
• No-Sell:
  • Kano uses his eye beam on Emma Frost. Too bad it has no effect on diamond-covered skin.
  • Again, Kano, when his punch barely fazes Simon.
  • Skarlet attacks Luke Cage, only to discover that her blades have no effect on him due to him having unbreakable skin. Jax later finds this out when an anti-tank rocket and his energy blasts have no effect on Luke.
• Not Distracted by the Sexy: Corrupted Sonya attempts this on Johnny in the Prologue. Thankfully, it doesn't work.
• Not Worth Killing: Kano still believes that Sonya and Cassie have to take him in. He's dead wrong.

O to S

• Obviously Evil: Both Steve and Tony see that Kano is bad news. The fact that he's standing over Elektra's corpse is a dead giveaway.
• Off with His Head!: Tremor's fate, courtesy of Wolverine.
• Oh, Crap!:
  • Corrupted Sonya in the Prologue, when she realizes that Cassie is behind her. Cue Cassie Pistol-Whipping her mom.
  • Sonya, again, when she realizes much to her horror that her ex-husband was right about Raiden before he corrupts her.
  • Johnny and Sonya, when they realize that Liu Kang and Kitana are in the city, meaning that they are also in the Marvel Universe.
  • The Avengers and the X-Men when they realize that Cassie is the host. Then both sides have the same reaction when it's revealed that Ravenna is the second host of the Phoenix.
  • The Cage family when Liu and Kitana warns them that Raiden knows that they are here.
  • Johnny when Jarek uses the Kamidogu to inflict the Blood Code on himself.
  • Kano when he realizes that Sonya is about to kill his son.
  • Ravenna, Magik and Hope, when Shang Tsung makes his appearance.
  • Triborg, when he discovers that Wolverine is Not Quite Dead.
  • Cassie, Liu and Kitana, when Raiden finally appears.
• Old Married Couple: Johnny and Sonya, literally.
• Old Soldiers: Technically, Sonya and Cassie.
• Older and Wiser: Cassie Cage.
• Older Than They Look: The Cage family, bar Ravenna. Back in Earthrealm, Johnny, Sonya and Cassie were 54, 51 and 22 respectively. Upon entering the Marvel Universe, all three de-aged, with Johnny and Sonya both losing 30 years and Cassie 16, thus making them 24, 21 and 6. Add the 19 years and (according to the Marvel Universe), they are 43, 40 and 25 respectively. However, their true ages are 73, 70 and 41 respectively, thus making them the oldest out of the Earthrealm kombatants. Subverted with Liu Kang, as he was 24 at the time of his death, which technically makes him 43.
• Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: One of the clues as to how Johnny found out Sonya had been brainwashed, as Sonya's hometown is Austin, Texas.
• Our Ghosts Are Different: Kenshi's ghost, who resides in Sento following his death.
• Out Of Body Experience: Liu experiences this, looking back on his life, death and time as a revenant.
• Out-of-Character Alert: Johnny notices several with his ex-wife (who was brainwashed by Raiden) before their flight from Earthrealm.
• Pet the Dog: Kitana enchants a vase for an Outworlder girl, giving the both of them free milk.
• Pistol-Whipping: How Cassie knocks out her brainwashed mother in the prologue. She almost beats Darren to death in this fashion.
• Plot-Relevant Age-Up: Inverted with Johnny, Sonya and Cassie. Johnny and Sonya both lost 30 years and Cassie 16 upon entering the Marvel Universe.
• Pregnant Badass: Kitana.
• Prim and Proper Bun: Johnny notes that when Cassie ties her hair back, she gets serious.
• Psychic Powers: Cassie's X-gene is activated upon going through the portal leading to the Marvel Universe. Ravenna is also a mutant.
• Psychic Strangle: Cassie gets in touch with her inner Vader as she finds that mentally strangling her enemies tends to give her the advantage. Just ask Kano.
• Pyrrhic Victory: Cassie and her team are successful in rescuing her sister, Jax and Team S-F. The trade-off is that Jacqui is horribly injured in the process, losing both her arms.
• Ragtag Bunch of Misfits:
  • The Exiled Kombatants (two Military Brats, their parents, consisting of a retired actor-turned billionaire industrialist and a military officer, and two former revenants) once again fighting for their lives when Raiden manages to track them down to the alternate Earth. They join forces with the Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D. and the X-Men.
  • Team S-F following their rescue, consisting Cassie's best friend, her father (who was both the former commander of S-F and a former revenant) a Shirai Ryu ninja with psionic powers and a Shaolin archer.
• Rank Up: Both Sonya and Cassie; Sonya starting out as a NCO before working her way up to Colonel, while Cassie (who was a Sergeant back in Earthrealm), is now a Lieutenant.
  • Prior to the Skirmish at Cage Incorporated, Sonya is bumped up to Brigadier General. And after the battle is over, Cassie is given a battlefield promotion to Captain.
• Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil:
  • Sure, Kano has troubled Sonya and Cassie in the past, but he and his son Darren cross the Moral Event Horizon when they gloat about how they took turns raping and torturing Vera Briggs before killing her. Sonya and Cassie do not take this lightly and both mother and daughter kill off both men for what they did to Vera.
  • For Kitana, it's her Berserk Button. This stems from her days as an assassin under Shao Kahn, in which Reiko had raped Jade during a feast celebrating the Great Kung Lao's defeat, the act leaving Jade barren as a result. Kitana found out about the crime and proceeded to beat Reiko seven shades of blue. Kitana escaped punishment for bearing down Reiko as Kahn himself also detests rapists and Reiko loses Kahn's respect. Unfortunately, this leads to Reiko being swayed by Havik.
• Rasputinian Death: Kano, both in the original chapter and in the omake, with his fate in the omake being much, much worse:
  • Original: Worn down by Deadpool, resulting in several cracked ribs, double-teamed by Sonya and Cassie, his kneecap slashed by Cassie's knife, stabbed in the leg by Sonya and rendered useless, shot in the hand by Cassie, kneecap and ankle destroyed by Sonya and finally killed by Cassie when she uses the Phoenix version of the Penance Stare.
  • Omake: Worn down by Deadpool, resulting in several cracked ribs, then endures a brutal torture session by Cassie herself, consisting of having his testicles explode in his pants, his right foot all the way up to his knee shredded into kibble by Deadpool's katana with the stump cauterized, his faceplate forcibly ripped from his head, both his right hand and left leg rendered useless by Cassie's Desert Eagles, her thumb driven into Kano's empty eye socket and finally killed by his own knives. Then his soul was dragged off to Limbo by Magik to be tormented for all eternity.
  • Desperation!Omake: Kano is beaten to a pulp, tortured to the point of death and is killed by Raiden when Cassie uses him as a human shield.
• Reforged into a Minion: How Raiden manages to brainwash Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Jax, Kenshi, Sonya and Team S-F (except Cassie and Johnny, who got wind of Raiden corrupting his champions) using Shinnok's amulet. Sonya is broken free of her corruption, but the others still remain brainwashed.
  • Following the Mission into Earthrealm, Jax and Team S-F are now free of the corruption
• Rescued From the Netherrealm:
  • Jade absconds with Liu and Kitana in the Prologue…although it bordered on kidnapping.
  • Liu and Kitana return to the Netherrealm to retrieve the remaining revenants.

• Retired Badass: Johnny Cage planned on retiring from acting following the fiasco with Shinnok's amulet. While he is technically retired from acting, he does play the role of a businessman.
• Resignations Not Accepted: Johnny and Cassie, in the Prologue.
• Revenge Before Reason: Liu talks Kitana out of going to Earthrealm after Shang kills Jade, knowing that it will be a suicide mission. Kitana relents and go with Liu's plan: warn the Cage family.
  • Later, Kitana attempts to attack Shang during the Skirmish at Cage Incorporated, which results in Ravenna being kidnapped.
• The Reveal:
  • The Cage family, Liu and Kitana reveal their past in Earthrealm to the gathered heroes from the Avengers and the X-Men, and of the threat of Raiden.
  • Sonya herself reveals that Kano is a pawn in Raiden's plans. He is working with the Red Dragon. Daegon's price? The destruction of the Black Dragon and Kano's demise.
• The Rival:
  • Martial arts-wise, Liu Kang is this to Danny Rand/Iron Fist. In turn, Danny sees Liu as a Worthy Opponent.
  • Business-wise, Johnny Cage is this to Tony Stark.
  • Emma Frost is this to Cassie.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge:
  • Cassie and Sonya: Kano and his son tortured, raped and killed Vera Briggs. Sonya killed Darren and Cassie killed Kano.
  • Kitana: Shang Tsung murdered Jade. Now she wants to kill him in revenge.
• Roaring Rampage of Rescue: The mission to rescue Ravenna Cage, Jax and Team S-F.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Left with no other choice other than to face one corrupted thunder god and his brainwashed charges, Johnny, Cassie and (an unwilling) Sonya flee Earthrealm.
• Screw Your Ultimatum!:
  • Johnny and Kano, moments before the Skirmish at Cage Incorporated kicks off. Johnny offers Kano terms of surrender: should Kano give up, then he and his cohorts will be spared and sent to the Negative Zone. Kano counter-offers Johnny's offer with his own: surrender both Cassie and Ravenna and both he and Sonya will be given a quick death. Johnny's response? By revealing that he has friends in the form of the Avengers, the X-Men and S.H.I.E.L.D..
  • Raiden gives one to Cassie, demanding that she surrenders herself and her team. Cassie tells him what he can do with his ultimatum.
  Cassie: Raiden…go fuck yourself.
• Secret-Keeper: Julia Carpenter (Madame Web II), Professor Xavier, Luke Cage and Danny Rand are privy to the true origins of the Cage family.
• Serial Spouse: Johnny and Sonya remarry in the Marvel Universe.
• Sex with the Ex: Sonya and Johnny, whilst in Union Vale.
• Share the Male Pain: All the guys save for Johnny as she caved Osborn's nuts in.
• She Cleans Up Nicely: Both Sonya and Kitana; the former in an evening dress in which the author was inspired by Snow White's wedding dress while the latter prefers cheongsam dresses.
• Shell Shocked Veterans:
  • Cassie Cage, as she is haunted by her murder of Shujinko. She is given her absolution following the rescue mission into Earthrealm.
  • Jax and Team S-F, after being freed of Raiden and his corruption.
• Shout-Out:
  • The seal that Jade uses to revive Liu Kang and Kitana was modeled after the Halo of the Sun
  • The way that Cassie kills Madame Masque is a reference to her father's fatality, Little Improv.
    • Her father does this to Jarek with a fire extinguisher. Johnny even calls out said fatality by name.
  • Jade's demise at the hands of Shang Tsung is similar as to how Liu had died.
  • During the final fight with Kano, Sonya performs the Guyver Kick.
  • One Omake had the Cage family use a movie about death traps and a malevolent ventriloquist's dummy as part of a way to get even with Kano. After capturing Kano, Darren and Jarek, Liu and Kitana take out Tremor, Tasia and the rest of the combined Hand and Black Dragon. The footage being used has the dummy (with Cassie's altered voice) tell that a key to the leg cuffs on both Kano and Darren's ankles is hidden inside Jarek's sutured body, but the warehouse they're in is rigged to explode in four minutes. The key is also brittle enough to be used ONLY ONCE if it's found in time. Kano uses his knife to rip open the sutures on Jarek (his best friend and one-time heir apparent to the Black Dragon) then use the key on himself, leaving Darren to die in the explosion. However, Sonya had gotten Tony Stark to hack into Kano's cyber-eye and The Punisher delivers long overdue justice by Liu and Kitana cashing in a favor with him.
  • Deadpool taunting Kano is a reference to the Doomguy hopped on on a berserker pack.
  • Kitana's dialogue about the darkness is taken from Bane.
  • Deadpool's debut, in which he explains why he wears the red suit.
  • During Cassie's torture of Kano in the omake, Deadpool objects to Cassie using his katana, as it is a collector's item.
  • To make sure that Kano is dead, Cassie and Sonya check for a pulse…with Cassie's Desert Eagles.
  Sonya: Huh. No pulse.
  • "Hey, cutie pie…one of us is in deep trouble."
  • Kano is presented with an offer from Raiden that he cannot refuse - amnesty for past crimes in exchange for hunting down the Cage family. If Kano said no, that would mean his own demise and the Black Dragon's extermination. In reality, Raiden secretly sold him out to Daegon and the Red Dragon clan.
  • Tasia is inflicted with the Grip of Murder, which ultimately kills her.
  • Deadpool gets three during his fight with Kira: the first bring that he distracts Kira with the Plot Outline for Mortal Kombat: Desperation. The second is when he beats down Kira using his Health and Enhance meters in his version of his X-Ray move. The third is that he kills Kira with a rubber chicken.
  • The way Cassie's fight with Takeda and Jacqui ends nearly the same way that her father's fight with Scorpion and Sub-Zero had ended. She elbows Jacqui in the face, punches Takeda in the junk and slams both their heads together with her telekinesis.
• We get a nice little Call-Back from the first film by Liu and Kitana when Sub-Zero and Scorpion make their appearance:
  Liu: Scorpion and Sub-Zero. Once, the deadliest of enemies…
  Kitana: …now slaves under Raiden's power.
  • The massacre of the Black Dragon by the Red Dragon reminds Cassie of a certain show and of a certain wedding.
  • The scene with Kitana and the Outworlder girl with the milk jug is similar to that of Ryu's encounter with a young Indian girl.
  • Raiden and Cassie's opening dialogue is eerily similar to that between Jax and an undead Sindel.
• Silent Partner: Sonya is this to Cage Incorporated, as Johnny built his business using S-F and Lin Kuei tech. Sonya is quite literally, the richest officer in the Army.
• Spotting the Thread:
  • Exactly how was Johnny able to discover that Sonya had been brainwashed?
  Johnny: One: you were extremely vocal in how Raiden handled Kahn's invasion. Your faith in him was nearly shattered following the Blood Code. Two: you always hid your accent. Even my parents and sister didn't realize that you were from Texas until you told them. When Raiden corrupted you, it bled out whenever you spoke until you dropped it completely. Third, you never addressed Raiden as 'Lord Raiden', not even 'Sir.' Last, you suck at seduction. You usually jump on me or I seduce you.
  • In the side story, Cassie is able to deduce that Sonya was an impostor (it was in truth, a Skrull sent to capture and replace her).
• Starting a New Life:
  • Johnny, Sonya and Cassie after fleeing Earthrealm. Johnny is now a billionaire industrialist, Sonya and Cassie are both back in the military.
  • Liu Kang and Kitana, after being taken from the Netherrealm and resurrected by Jade. They both form the Red Lotus, a clan of assassins alongside Jade.
• Stress Vomit: Jax does this as the full totality of Vera's death hit him.

T to Z

• Take a Third Option:
  • With the X-Men and the Avengers knowing that their daughters are the hosts for the Phoenix Force (not to mention that Kano and Shang Tsung are out to kill them and to bring Cassie back to Earthrealm), the Exiled Kombatants chose to come clean about their past and to warn the heroes about the impending threat from their former realm. It works.
  • Following the rescue mission into Earthrealm, Cap gives Cassie an offer of his own: that Cassie sign on as a 'military consultant' representing S-F for a year. This way, S.H.I.E.L.D. can monitor Cassie while she contributes to the organization.
  • When faced with two Cassies (the other being a Skrull infiltrator), Johnny claims that Cassie's favorite movie sucked. When the real Cassie took offense to that, Sonya drops the fake Cassie.
• Teen Pregnancy: Johnny and Sonya's cover story regarding Cassie, thanks to Johnny's sister.
• There's No Kill like Overkill: A staple within the Cage family. After Cassie kills Kano, both her and Sonya unload Cassie's Desert Eagles into his body to Make Sure He's Dead.
  Sonya: Huh. No pulse.
• This Cannot Be!:
  • Kira's reaction upon hearing of Kano's demise.
  • Raiden, upon finding out that Cassie has returned to Earthrealm to rescue Ravenna.
• This Is Gonna Suck:
  • A humorous example from Cassie, as she de-ages to a 6-year-old girl with the mind of a 22-year-old. Fortunately, her mind will remain as such until she hits 22 again.
  • Johnny quotes the trope verbatim when he is summoned to the roof of his main office by Iron Man upon the latter finding out that Cassie and Ravenna are the hosts to the Phoenix.
• To Be Lawful or Good: Kano's confrontation with Sonya and Cassie. When Sonya and Cassie make it clear that Kano was not going to leave this battle alive, Kano reminds them that they have to take him into custody and thus, are unable to kill him. Cue the loophole in which mother and daughter are free to terminate the Black Dragon chief with extreme prejudice:
  Kano: You can't kill me. Neither you, yer mom or your idiot father! You have to take me in! You have to uphold the law!
  Sonya: Not this time, Kano. You see, no one here knows who you are save for the Avengers and the X-Men. All the public will see is nothing more than terrorists attacking Cage Incorporated. Had I still been in Earthrealm, then yes, I would have to take you in. But we're not in Earthrealm, aren't we?
  Cassie: I don't know, Mom. I think that he would rather be killed by Daegon instead of us. After all, that's what Raiden had planned for Kano all along, right?[…]You and the Black Dragon are now expendable. Sucks to be you. Raiden's merely biding his time until you've outlived your usefulness.
• Took a Level in Jerkass: Given as how she was tricked into killing Shujinko and was forced to leave her team behind, you really can't blame Cassie.
• Took a Level in Kindness: After how she had treated both her ex-husband and daughter back in Earthrealm, Sonya is making amends.
• We Used to Be Friends: Sonya and Carol Danvers/Ms. Marvel, before the Superhuman Registration Act drove them apart.
  • Subverted later when they finally make amends.
• We Will Meet Again: Inverted. Johnny and Cassie Cage give one to Raiden before leaving Earthrealm in the prologue.
• Wham Episode: Several:
  • Prologue: When Johnny and Cassie Cage realize that Sonya has been brainwashed. Johnny Cage knew beforehand that Raiden would get corrupted and would also brainwash his champions as well.
  • Chapter Five: Shang Tsung is alive and working for Raiden.
  • Chapter Six: Jade dies whilst protecting Kitana from Shang Tsung's attack, her death being the same as how Liu died.
  • Chapter Ten: Mileena and the Blood Code make an appearance. Oh and Jarek dies.
  • Chapter Eleven: Bobbi Morse/Mockingbird is killed by Tremor. Sonya snaps Darren's neck.
• With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: Johnny and Sonya both been training their daughters into properly using the Phoenix's powers for good.
• With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: Raiden, after absorbing the Jinsei's corruption. He not only brainwashes several of his champions, but also merges Outworld with Earthrealm and plans to invade the Marvelverse Earth in order to kill his former champions and quite possibly, destroy said Earth to ensure that it's not a threat. Sonya Blade even mentions this to Liu Kang and Kitana in their first meeting in the alternate Earth's San Francisco.
  Sonya: Raiden has gone mad with power. Cleansing the Jinsei of Shinnok's corruption has all but changed him into something worse - a power-mad tyrant. He used the power of the amulet to brainwash the others, myself included. Jax, Kenshi, Hanzo, Kuai Liang and Cassie's teammates.
• Wrestler in All of Us: Cassie plants Kano with a German suplex.
• Year Inside, Hour Outside:
  • The Exiled Kombatants have been gone for 19 years in the Marvel Universe, whereas only 3 years have passed in Earthrealm.
  • The Mission into Earthrealm took around 15-20 minutes. Johnny noted that Cassie and her group had been gone for five minutes.
• You Are in Command Now: With Kano killing Elektra, he now has command of The Hand.
• Your Soul Is Mine!:
  • Wouldn't be Shang Tsung if he didn't do this. He absorbed Elektra's soul after Kano killed her.
  • In one of the Omakes, Magik sends both Kano and Darren's souls to Limbo after they die.
• You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Johnny Cage and Kano in Raiden's eyes. Ironically, it was Sonya who was the catalyst for this little revelation, as she revealed Raiden's treachery to her husband, while she had Madame Web to reveal to Kano that Raiden sold him out to the Red Dragon.
• You Just Told Me: When Liu asks Johnny about how he manages being a father, Johnny correctly guesses that Kitana is pregnant as he himself asked his dad the same thing.
• You Wouldn't Shoot Me: Or in Kano's case, You Can't Kill Me to Sonya and Cassie. He's wrong.
• Your Days Are Numbered:
  • How Raiden feels about Kano and the Black Dragon.
  • Fujin drops the bomb on Raiden, even invoking this trope by name.
  Fujin: In your arrogance, you failed to realize how far Ravenna's parents and sister will go in getting their loved one back. (Laughs even louder) The Elder Gods will not interfere only because they still favor your former champions! Your Days Are Numbered!