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Issues 1-12 (Blood Ties)
Issue 1: Prelude
A pursuit is taking place, where Kenshi runs through the forest with a boy in his back. He's being pursued by the Red Dragon who, according to Hsu Hao, were betrayed by him. The boy runs to his safety, but is intercepted by a Red Dragon soldier, who's then killed by a man in yellow. The man in yellow turns out to be Hanzo Hasashi, known by his nickname Scorpion, and both Kenshi, the boy, and the Red Dragon are trespassing Shirai Ryu territory. Hanzo kills Hsu Hao, then fends off the Red Dragon. After this small battle, Kenshi and Hanzo talk about how the Shirai Ryu was reborn, and Hanzo asks who the kid is. Kenshi introduces him as his son, Takeda Takahashi. Another survivor.
We're then treated to his story: Kenshi was doing undercover work for the Special Forces by infiltrating the Red Dragon. Needless to say, his cover was blown. The Red Dragon informed him that they know he has a kid living in Thailand with his mother (and Kenshi's wife) Suchin. She sent Takeda running to the next town, while Suchin was murdered by Red Dragon assassins.
Back to the present, Kenshi and Hanzo talk about the former's next moves. They agree to leave Takeda in Hanzo's (and the Shirai Ryu's) hands, so he can improve his fighting skills. Meanwhile, in China, Kuai Liang starts beating Red Dragon soldiers in his search for a blade. Then he's attacked by Kano and gets cut by the blade he was searching for.
Issue 2: Scorpion's Apprentice, part 1
Some years after Kenshi left Takeda in Hanzo's care, he and a boy, called Forrest Fox, duel between each other while Hanzo observes the match. Several years after, Takeda's skills haven't improved enough, so Hanzo leaves Takeda in Forrest Fox's care. Forrest starts hearing voices in his head.
Cue another flashback. Some days ago, Hanzo received Raiden's visit. The Elder God entrusted him with a dagger, and he went personally to the Shirai Ryu temple in order to audit and warn him about a demon breaking through cosmic barriers protecting Earthrealm from beyond. Back to the present, Hanzo tells both Forrest and Takeda to be warned about this demon, so they will kill it should it manifests. At midnight, Forrest was awakened by the voice in his head, broke through the Temple's defences and stole the dagger. Then, he destroyed the remanent of the Shirai Ryu, and captured Takeda.
Issue 3: Scorpion's Apprentice, part 2
A possessed Forrest took Takeda to Hanzo, who was put upside down from the ceiling. Hanzo then starts remembering the massacre of the original Shirai Ryu... except for a detail which awakens him from that memory and allows him to become Scorpion. Cue a battle against the possessed Fox, who's then offed by Takeda. Takeda and Hanzo travel to Raiden's Sky Temple in order to find the Elder God and make him pay for what he did.
Speaking of the Sky Temple, we're treated to a conversation between Raiden and Fujin, where Raiden cuts himself with the Kamidogu dagger of Order, and he starts seeing visions of events yet to come.
Issue 4: Caged, part 1
Back to the Sky Temple, Fujin berates Raiden for not listening to him. Cue to Cage's, where Cassie Cage, Johnny's daughter, is sparring with her friend, Jacqueline Briggs. They break one of Johnny's "awards" for "worst actor". The next scene takes place at the Special Forces base, where Colonel Sonya Blade, escorted by some soldiers and a scientist, talk about matters with Outworld: emperor Kotal Kahn, escorted by D'Vorah and Erron Black, came in order to ask for Earthrealm's aid in order to fend off Mileena, and they were captured. A brief battle begins.
Meanwhile, Cassie and Jacqui go to an underground fight club, thinking that it's just a MMA club. Then Jacqui notices that things aren't what they thought about, and the club is a Deathmatch club. Cassie then is forced to fight for her life against Frost.
Issue 5: Caged, part 2
The battle at the Special Forces base escalates quickly, until it's interrupted by Raiden. The Outworlders go back to their realm, and Raiden asks Sonya about Cassie's whereabouts.
Back to the Deathmatch club, Frost is dominating Cassie, but the battle's tides are turned with a comeback from Cassie's part. Then she finds she can't leave the cage without killing Frost. Just when Cassie is about to do so, Black Dragon members Jarek and Tasia interrupt the fight and start murdering people. Cassie and Jacqui are found by the Black Dragons and they run for their lives... directly to a teleport. Cassie leaves a trail behind capturing it with her phone, which captures an image of Erron Black, one of Kotal Kahn's soldiers. Sonya finds about this, and the Special Forces prepare to invade Outworld.
Issue 6: Kotal Kahn: Secret Origin
The issue relates Kotal Kahn's story. Ages ago, the golden realm of Osh-Tekk was ruled by proud warriors. Helmed by Kotal K'etz, they conquered all of their enemies. Growing so powerful and wealthy, they forgot the meaning of defeat, until they met Shao Kahn, emperor of Outworld, and his champion, Goro, prince of the Shokan race. Kotal K'etz surrendered his realm to Shao Kahn, and in exchange, he was allowed to keep his treasure: the Portal Stone. Kotal K'etz gives the stone to his reluctant son, who now must fulfill the Realmwalk rite. So Kotal Kahn survived the harshest of Earthrealm, and found a civilization which reminded him of his home: the Amazon. He came at the same time as the Spanish armada. He started by saving a little girl from the Spanishmen, and then taught them the rite of drinking their enemies' blood. In exchange, the Amazon tribe gave him a new name: Buluc, the War God. As the tribe's enemies dwindled, he returned to Outworld, expecting his father's approval. He didn't got what he wanted, instead K'etz asked him to return the stone, as he condemned the tribe to oblivion with his acts. When he came back, he confirmed his father's suspicions: the tribe fell to a disease brought by the Spanishmen.
Cut to the present, where Kotal Kahn was speaking to his people, at Z'unkahrah, Outworld capitol, where he claimed that he would find and kill Mileena.
The next scene takes place at a building where Reiko, Mileena and Goro start planning their next steps in order to depose Kotal Kahn from his seat.
Issue 7: Betrayal In Outworld, part 1
Kotal announces that his father, armed with Shao Kahn's Wrath Hammer, will personally lead the search for prince Goro, who disappeared after he was sent on a mission. Back to the palace, they discuss the recent turn of events.
It turns out that Mileena is accompanied by Reiko, one of Shao Kahn's generals, and he's seducing her, becoming her closest advisor. Kotal Kahn's orders are clear: "Kill Reiko. Kill Mileena. History is written in blood, not speeches." Meanwhile Reiko talks with Goro about the Osh-Tekk's strengths and weaknesses. Events unfold as Reiko keeps telling Goro about his plan.
The next day, Goro awaits for Kotal Kahn's most trusted warriors. After Rain neutralizes the sun, Goro destroys Kotal K'etz while the Red Dragon slaughter everyone else, save Reptile, who manages to deliver the news of Kotal K'etz's demise to Kotal Kahn. He then uses the Kamidogu to cut his chest and bind his soul to the Blood Code.
Issue 8: Betrayal In Outworld, part 2
Goro tells the Red Dragon that Kotal Kahn will meet his death at his hands when he comes for him. Meanwhile, Reiko convinces Mileena that Goro isn't to be trusted as well. Back to the desert, Rain "kills the sun" at Goro's orders, so that he can finally kill Kotal Kahn, but the Emperor scorches the Edenian before he can finish his job. Next are the first wave of Red Dragon soldiers, who get slaughtered one by one. Then Kotal faces Goro himself. The battle was short, as Kotal literally disarmed Goro, cutting his arms. Then he ordered Reptile to uncloak him, D'Vorah and Ferra/Torr, who took care of the remaining Red Dragon soldiers. The Prince pleaded for an end, but Kotal refused to do so, under Shokan tradition. Suddenly, Kotal is shot by the Special Forces. Sonya asks where is Cassie.
Issues #13-#24 (Blood Gods)
Issues #25-#36
