Characters / Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe

Mortal Kombat Main Character Index
Original and Reboot Timeline: MK (1992) | MK2 | MK3 | MK4 | Deadly Alliance | Deception | Armageddon | MK vs. DC Universe | MK9 | MKX | MK11
The New Era: MK1
Spin-offs: Mythologies: Sub-Zero | Special Forces
Non-video game: The Movie | Conquest | Defenders of the Realm | 2021 Movie
Individual Characters: Scorpion I (Hanzo Hasashi) | Sub-Zero I/Noob Saibot (Bi-Han) | Johnny Cage | Liu Kang | Raiden | Shang Tsung | Sub-Zero II/Scorpion II (Kuai Liang) | Kitana | Mileena | Shao Kahn/General Shao | Quan Chi

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Spoilers for 1 and 2 will be unmarked

For the Mortal Kombat characters appearing in this crossover, check the sheets for Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat II.

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DC Characters

Here we're going to list the tropes that only/mostly apply to the game. For the other tropes, check their sheets.

The Flash

The Flash (Bartholomew Henry "Barry" Allen)

"Listen, I don't know what happened. I just... felt this rage... It overwhelmed me, I couldn't stop myself."

— To Batman in Chapter 2 of the DC side

Voiced by: Taliesin Jaffe

After a freak laboratory accident, police chemist Barry Allen was given the powers of superspeed and took on the crimson costume of the Flash. Able to travel at nearly the speed of light, The Flash can also vibrate through most obstacles and has been known to phase into entirely different realities.

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• A Day in the Limelight: He is the protagonist of chapter 1 of the DC side.
• The Cameo: He is referenced in 11 in an intro with the Joker and Kabal.
  Joker: Everywhere I go, there's a speedster...
  Kabal: My apologies for boring you.
  Joker: None needed! You'll be dead in a flash!
• Composite Character: Although his bio confirms him to be Barry Allen, his costume, eye color, and mention by Deathstroke of being based in Keystone City come from his successor, Wally West.
• Fragile Speedster: He hits the quickest in the game, but he’s low on endurance.
• Foil: He's the counterpart to Scorpion: Both have lost family and can strike quickly from far away.
• Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Shortly after subduing Deathstroke, he responds to a call from the Justice League HQ stating that he's "just went three rounds with Deathstroke."
• Neck Lift: Uses it on Kano when the Rage takes him over.
• Psychic Link: With Liu Kang in his arcade ending.
• Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs: He's almost the only character in the game who can rack up to 14 hits in a single combo. Oh, and his "Flashy Beatdown" Heroic Brutality involves him not only using this, but also Rapid Fire Bicycle Kicks.
• Spam Attack: As a speedster he hits quickly. Thus his combos are this.
• Super-Speed: As several specials. His "Whirlwind Slam" Heroic Brutality involves creating a tornado with it to levitate his opponent.
  • Kano has some difficulties trying to use his Eye Beams on him in the first chapter of the DC side.

Batman

Batman (Bruce Thomas Wayne)

"Your world is invading mine, affecting everything and everyone in it. Don't think you can take me so easily."

— To Sub-Zero in the fourth chapter of the MK side.

Voiced by: David Gazzana

When his parents were gunned down in front of him, young Bruce Wayne resolved to rid Gotham City of the criminal element that took their lives. He trained extensively to achieve mental and physical perfection, in addition to mastering martial arts, detective techniques, and criminal psychology. Dressing as a bat to prey on criminals' fears and operating out of his secret Batcave below Wayne Manor, Batman fights crime with the aid of specialized gadgets and vehicles.

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• Badass Normal: Defeats all sorts of foes with a combination of martial arts and advanced technology.
• Bat Out of Hell: His "Bat Swarm" Heroic Brutality involves him attaching a sonic device to attract bats to his opponent.
• The Cameo: While Batman doesn't make a physical appearance in Mortal Kombat 11, his likeliness is prominent in the Joker's arsenal of weapons.
  • His Batarang also makes an appearance for the Joker's Friendship, where it hits him in the back of the head to assure the crazy clown still doesn't kill anyone during what's supposed to be a humorous moment of peace.
• Chest Insignia: The Bat logo.
• Combat Pragmatist: A definite in his fighting style.
• Cool Car: The Batmobile, which is used in cutscenes.
• Crazy-Prepared: He prepared for anything, Joker, alien invasions, and dimensional overlords.
• Dark Is Not Evil: He wears dark, but he’s one a hero through and through.
• Deadpan Snarker: His attitude towards the more hammy heroes and villains.
• Foil: Batman is a loner just like Sub-Zero.
• I Sense a Disturbance in the Force: He detects more "energy anomalies similar to that of Scorpion's frequency" in the heart of Gotham.
• Precision-Guided Boomerang: His Batarang. There are special variants such as bomb ones.
• Teleport Spam: One of his normals.

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman (Princess Diana of Themyscira/Diana Prince)

Voiced by: Tara Platt

Daughter of Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons, Princess Diana sprung from the mists of Greek mythology. She left the female-only island of Themyscira to travel to "Man's World" as an emissary of peace. Gifted with super-strength and invulnerability, her main tool in crime-fighting is her golden Lasso of Truth. Unbreakable, it forces all captured by it to tell the truth.

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• Action Girl: As the world's best-known female superhero, this is to be expected.
• Alliterative Name: Wonder Woman.
• Flag Bikini: Her iconic outfit in the comics at the time.
• Foil: To Kitana as they are both warrior princesses.
• Knows the Ropes: Her iconic Lasso of Truth.
• Mission Control: In the first two chapters, she is in the JLA headquarters.
• Sexy Backless Outfit: This iteration of Wonder Woman's outfit leaves her back bare.
• She-Fu: Her fighting style in the game.
• The Smurfette Principle: She's the only DC heroine in the game. Catwoman is present but is a villain. This gets somewhat subverted when the DC heroes and villains pull an Enemy Mine.
• Spin Attack: Her "Wondrous Spin" attack.
• Stripperiffic: Just look at her outfit.
• Warrior Princess: Princess of the Amazons and one of the world’s mightiest superheroes.

Green Lantern

Green Lantern (Harold "Hal" Jordan)

Voiced by: Josh Phillips

Fighter pilot Hal Jordan was testing an experimental aircraft when he found himself transported into the desert, to the side of a dying alien who gifted him with a glowing ring, which is charged regularly by a green lantern. By taking the ring, Jordan found himself drafted into the Green Lantern Corps, an interstellar police force that assigned him to protect Earth. Jordan can use his ring to conjure up anything he can imagine!

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• Barrier Warrior: He can summon a barrier with his ring as one of his specials.
• Brought To You By The Symbol OZ
• Chainsaw Good: His ring creates a saw as the finishing part in the Freefall Kombat.
• Color Character: Green Lantern.
• Foil: Green Lantern and Liu Kang are appointed protectors of their respective worlds.
• Swiss-Army Superpower: The Green Lantern Ring (former Trope Namer) and the source of his specials, including his two Heroic Brutalities.

Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel (William Joseph "Billy" Batson)

Voiced by: Kevin Delaney

Young Billy Batson was an orphan who wandered into a deep cavern. There he encountered the ancient wizard Shazam, who granted Billy the ability to transform into the hero Captain Marvel. Whenever Billy speaks the name "SHAZAM!", a mystical lightning bolt recreates him as a hero with super-strength, flight, speed, and other powers of mythological heroes. In return, he must always fight evil in its form as the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man.

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• Captain Superhero: It's in the name.
• Difficult, but Awesome: His "Achilles Bolt" has a delay before it can connect. When it does, it sends the opponent flying to the extreme of the screen.
• Foil: Much like Shang Tsung, Captain Marvel wields powerful magic.
• Lightning Can Do Anything: He uses lightning as a grab (The "Power of Zeus") and it's also involved in his "Ground Slam" Heroic Brutality.
• Look What I Can Do Now!: In his ending, he receives the powers of the Elder Gods.
• Secret Test of Character: In his chapter, he's dragged to the Netherrealm by Shang Tsung, then has to fight against Scorpion, Baraka, and Shang Tsung himself. After he succeeds:
  Captain Marvel: ''I've had enough of your games, Shang Tsung. I've beaten you and your demons. Now before the combat rage takes over again, Send. Me. Back.
  Shang Tsung: As you wish.
• Shock and Awe: His lightning bolt in the game is part of his brutalities.
• Teleport Spam: His "Solomon Escape".
• Theme Naming: All of his six moves are named after the gods/legendary heroes that empower him. (Solomon Escape, Strength of Hercules, Atlas Clap, Power Of Zeus, Achilles Bolt and Mercury Bear Hug)

The Joker

The Joker (Unknown)

"You haven't seen crazy!"

^{Click here to see his vs. DC Universe design}

"Come on! We'll kill things, BLOW STUFF UP! Oh, it'll be fun!"

— To Deathstroke in the fifth chapter of the DC side.

Debut game: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (Richard Epcar)

Other appearances: Mortal Kombat 11 (DLC) (Richard Epcar, English; Kenny Braasch, Face Model; José Antonio Macías (Latin American Spanish), Stéphane Ronchewski (French)

Unpredictable, violent and incredibly dangerous, The Joker is chaos personified. He’s killed a Robin, crippled Batgirl and tortured and murdered countless people throughout the DC universe, and now he's set his sights on the Mortal Kombat universe.

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• Art Evolution:
  • Perhaps one of the best cases of this trope in action in the Mortal Kombat series. His appearance in Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe has him use a design based off his traditional look in the comics at the time with a colorful purple suit and exaggerated features. His return appearance in 11 has him drawn with realistic features (Namely a less pronounced chin) and a more subdued suit without a vest or tie.
  • Also applies to his 11 model. Pre-release he had a noticeably youthful look, while the final game model portrays him with an older-looking and more detailed face.
• Ax-Crazy: To call him crazy is too simple. The man is horrifically, murderously insane beyond any reason.
• Bad Boss: Implied. He tries hiring Kabal for a job, to which the man has no qualms with if he pays well. However, when Kabal asks what happened to his last group of workers, the Joker suggests he killed them for laughs. Kabal calls the deal off after.
  Kabal: What happened to your last crew?
  Joker: They came down with a really bad case of death!
  Kabal: Forget it, Joker. No deal.
• Badass Normal: Temporarily gets to be an Empowered Badass Normal. Read Took a Level in Badass below for details. He is this fully in Mortal Kombat 11, however; there's no Dark Kahn or Rage, no density pill like in Injustice, here he's able to go toe-to-toe with Elder beings with just his wit and his weapons.
• "Bang!" Flag Gun: He pulls this first in his "Gunshot" fatality, then subverts it by firing a real gun. In 11 a variation of it shows in one of his win outros. Likewise, a plausible way of looking at his MK11 Friendship is that the Joker actually was going to use the flag gun as a part of his Friendship, and then gripes at Batman for not trusting him enough to play by the game's rules.
• Batter Up!: Some of the variations for his Kane, are either Baseball or Cricket Bats with all kinds of nasty stuff on them to make sure that when it hits his opponent, it's gonna hurt. Appropriately enough, one of his MK 11 Brutalities is called "Batter Up". In which he obviously does a home run on his opponents' head, but not before giving both of his mitts some spit before winding up for one.
• Battle Trophy: In his "Pop Goes The Mortal'' fatality, an alternate song he can rarely sing has him proclaim how he intends to keep his opponent’s cranium as a trophy while decapitating them with a jack-in-the-box:
  The fight is done and now's the time, to bring it to a crescendo!~ Crank the knob, and what'll I get?... Your head as a memento!~
• Berserk Button: The Joker takes immense pride in his identity as the enigmatic 'Clown Prince of Crime'; he brags about his infamy to various fighters, and is delighted when the opponent can't find out anything about his past. The biggest way to set him off is to challenge who he is in some way, as demonstrated with how enraged he becomes when Shang Tsung uses his face and Geras threatens to expose him for who he really is under the bluster.
• Beyond the Impossible: An interaction with Sheeva has her lampshade Joker being hated by the entire MK cast, claiming the Joker has united the realms solely to end his evil.
• Bilingual Bonus: Apparently speaks some Hawaiian:
  Joker: There's a name for people like you.
  Scorpion: Choose your next word carefully, Joker.
  Joker: Humuhumunukunuku apua'a! ^Explanation He said Scorpion looks like a triggerfish with a pig's snout.
• Bloodier and Gorier: MK vs DC was rated T for Teen, which limited the extent of how brutal Joker's attacks could be (though he still managed to get a Fatality censored); MK11 has no such restrictions, and boy, does he know it. Special mention goes to one of his special moves, where he blows up a person just to damage his opponent, and his Fatal Blow, which ends with him brutally caving in the opponent's face, covering the screen in blood.
• Blood Knight: He loves killing, and what he loves even more is killing someone who's capable. He never misses the chance to brawl here.
• Body Horror: Some of his skins replace his left eye with an 8-ball crudely shoved into the socket, while a few disguises he can equip include masks that appear to be nailed into his skull.
• Boom, Headshot!: One of his fatalities back in MK vs DC. Where he tricks his opponent by pretending to do this first with a good ol' "Bang!" Flag Gun, before pulling out an actual gun and shooting off their face. Unfortunately, this is done offscreen. However, one of his brutalities in 11 has him inflict this with the gun inside his dummy's mouth. Although as to be expected from Joker, it's rather excessive as he seems to unload an entire smg's worth of bullets onto his poor opponent's mug. It's played with in his friendship where he seems to be going for this, but Batman batarangs him before he can pull the trigger, ignoring his combatant for the rest of the finisher.
• The Bus Came Back: He is once again playable in MK11 as part of the Kombat Pack. This is also the case In-Universe, as several characters recognize him and seem to remember the events of MK vs. DC.
• Cane Fu: He makes use of many different types of large kanes in 11.
• Combat Sadomasochist: Shockingly subverted, compared to other interpretations. Various intros in 11 show him claiming that he would get off to being beaten to a bloody pulp. However, when you perform any Finishing Move such as a Fatality on him, rather than finding it so enjoyable he laughs maniacally as you kill him, he screams in abject agony as per the other characters. It could also just be Gameplay and Story Segregation.
• Couldn't Find a Pen: In one of his intros, he uses blood from a knife he carries to paint a smile on his face.
• Crazy-Prepared: In vs. DC Universe, he was apparently prepared for an unexpected capture, similar to his old rival.
• Creepy High-Pitched Voice: Befitting the Joker's status as a Monster Clown.
• Crowbar Combatant: Alongside unique kanes, bats and amongst other bludgeoning instruments. He also has his trademark crowbar, although somewhat modified.
• Darker and Edgier: The Joker has always been a twisted person, but unlike other games that portray him in some amount of comedic fashion, the Joker in 11 is one of the vilest and evil depictions yet. As an example, whereas the rest of the cast's Friendship finishers are all them doing something silly or fun, Joker fully intends to kill the enemy and only stops because an offscreen Batman stops him. Even characters like Kano play the finisher for laughs.
• Deadpan Snarker: Not quite deadpan, but he nevertheless loves to throw some snark at his opponents before he fights them.
• Demoted to Dragon: Defied. When Shang Tsung makes a gesture at the Joker becoming something like to this to him, he makes it a point he's always going to be in charge.
• Double Subversion: His MK11 Friendship, where he still tries to kill his victim. Cue a Batarang to the head, a disgruntled clown, and a still-living opponent.
• The Dreaded: Those who appeared in MK vs. DC remember all too well who he is and are not happy to see him again, including obvious villains. Those who didn't are already up to speed on what he's capable of just from word of mouth. Liu Kang later outright tells Peacemaker that the Joker was the worst of the villains from his universe to crossover.
  Sub-Zero: The realms will sleep well with you silenced.
• Early Installment Character-Design Difference: In the first trailer for MK11's Kombat Pack, he looked like Cameron Monaghan's portrayal of him in Gotham. His final design in 11 makes him an unintentional Ink-Suit Actor for Richard Epcar.
• Electric Joybuzzer: He makes use of these when fighting in vs. DC Universe. Humorously enough, he uses them to bait the opponent into a truce.
  "Put 'er there!"
• Enemy Mine: Another example that's not him so much as something he causes. In Sheeva's intro, she is awed that he has accomplished what the entire MK series has shown as nigh-impossible: getting all of the realms to unite, in order to take him down.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Not the Joker himself, but pulled on him from other villains. Kano and Kollector in particular explicitly note there is nothing practical gained from what he does, the latter adding there is nothing amusing about it either.
• Evil Has a Bad Sense of Humor: It says something when Noob Saibot and Kano even lampshade it.
  Kano: Only you would find being gutted funny.
• Evil Puppeteer: In 11 he uses a Batman puppet outfitted with several weapons hidden in its body.
• Eviler than Thou: Horrifyingly, to almost every MK villain out there. Noob Saibot is confident the Joker hasn't killed as many people as he has when the clown draws a body count comparison. Even with his life as an assassin, Bi-Han's implied body count does not remotely compare to Joker's millions of murders. Jax even considers the Joker to be far more of a monster than Kano could ever be. And for all of Kronika's manipulations over everyone, she at least didn't go as far as to go on a killing spree. Through time. The only Kombatants who could potentially have a higher body count than him would be Shao Kahn (due to his lifespan and the amount of realms he’s either conquered or destroyed), Havik (who is just as crazy, homocidal and chaos-loving as the Joker himself), Shinnok (the resident Satanic Archetype and God of Evil) or other Guest Fighters from past games like Freddy or Jason.
  Jade: I've never met someone so horrid.
  Joker: Oh sweetie, it was just a joke.
  Jade: You killed millions of people!
• Expendable Clone: One piece of Mirror Match dialogue has both Jokers claiming to have killed a dozen of themselves.
• Extendo Boxing Glove: Another weapon in his arsenal, used as a ranged attack. In 11, he escalates from the standard huge red one to a red-and-green pair, both with extremely painful-looking spiked brass knuckles on the ends.
• Fighting Clown: Literally and figuratively! His comedy is vantablack, especially in the Bloodier and Gorier MK11, but one can't deny how the sight of him attacking using spiked, springy boxing gloves and grabbing random offscreen bodies to attack his enemies looks both hilariously absurd and remarkably effective.
• Fingore: In one of his intro animations in 11, he slices his thumb open to paint on his Glasgow Grin with his own blood.
• Foil: To Batman, but also to Kano; a vicious, unpredictable criminal.
• For the Evulz: Is willing to do anything and everything if it means it would be funny to his own twisted mind.
  Kollector: There is no profit in chaos.
  Joker: It's not about the money, it's about fun!
  Kollector: There is no fun either.
• The Fourth Wall Will Not Protect You: His ending in 11 includes threatening the player that he, Havik, Mileena, and Hsu Hao will swing by the player's house, then cause some mayhem there and even shoots the TV. It even provides the current page quote.
  • A variation of this occurs during his Friendship: instead of immediately doing something silly and harmless, the Joker instead walks up to his downed opponent and pulls out his gun to shoot them dead, only stopping due to the intervention of an offscreen Batman. To put this in perspective: the Joker is such a bloodthirsty maniac that he'll attempt to kill his opponent even when the player's input tells him not to.
• Glasgow Grin: Defied in 11, where his mouth is normal and the red smile was drawn on his face in blood. But he plays it very straight in his Fatal Blow, where he uses a pair of knives to cut up the corners of his opponent's mouth.
• Good Old Fisticuffs: Invokes this in MK vs DC; less so in 11, where his main weapon is his kane and all sorts of goodies.
• Grievous Harm with a Body: He uses tied up people to damage his opponents in 11.
• Groin Attack: Does one to his opponent in MK vs DC if he does not do a fatality, where he walks over to the opponent and stomps on their crotch. In 11, he uses one of his Extendo Boxing Gloves to smack his opponent in the groin in one of his throws, which even has a Krushing Blow variant.
• Guest Fighter: Less so with Crossover nature of MK vs DC, but he became a proper solo guest in 11, not just for the DC Comics, but NetherRealm Studios' Injustice series, a series which has itself crossed over with Mortal Kombat for DLC (Scorpion appearing in Gods Among Us, Sub-Zero and Raiden in 2). Interestingly, while the gameplay styles of the aforementioned MK fighters remain generally consistent (naturally with tweaks to accommodate whatever game they're in), 11's Joker plays significantly closer to that of MK vs DC than any Injustice version.
• Hated by All: In 11, it is directly stated in one of his intros with Sheeva that Joker is so unfathomably vile to the core that the entire MK universe would unify against him, very similarly to Injustice and its sequel. The cast from vs. DC does not welcome him back warmly, with other characters fearing or hating him either because of his nuking of Metropolis, or because they just know who he is. Even Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn, amongst other characters with similar reputations (Shang having it the worst besides Joker), express distaste for him. Simply put, Jax points out that he makes Kano look tame.
  Jax: I'll never forgive you, Joker.
  Joker: Which of my crimes have your panties in a twist?
  Jax: Making Kano seem like less of a monster.
• Hero Killer: In 11, one of his intro dialogues with Liu Kang implies that he killed Kung Lao offscreen.
• Improbable Weapon User: Half of his arsenal are strange toys, turned into murder weapons. From jack-in-the-boxes to ventriloquist dummies who look like Batman.
• Ink-Suit Actor: While it's of the coincidence variety, given he has a face model, he does resemble Richard Epcar in 11.
• Insult Backfire: Anything that amounts to "crazy" or "creepy" won't faze the guy.
  Joker: Well, aren't you just as cute as a button?
  Cassie: And aren't you just as creepy as fuck.
  Joker: Flattery will get you nowhere, dearie.
• Kill It with Fire: He carries around a canister full of gasoline he can spill on the ground and then light up. He also uses this as a Brutality, setting the opponent on fire... which goes out right when he tries to hug them as a Together in Death maneuver.
  Joker: N'awwww, look at us!
• Large Ham: His dialogue is full of ham, and his voice actor's ham levels are up to par with Mark Hamill himself.
• Laughably Evil: Of the Crosses the Line Twice variation. For example, he shoots his opponent with a gun sticking out of a Batman puppet, breaking Batman's Does Not Like Guns rule in a darkly humorous sense. Additionally, in one of his Brutalities in 11, he either bludgeons or shoots his foe to death with the doll, breaking Batman's Thou Shalt Not Kill rule.
• Laughing Mad: Par for the course. A particularly chilling example, however, is when Sindel says the Joker can be her subordinate in one intro, all the Joker does is break out madly laughing. This is the only interaction in 11 where a character does not speak at all.
  Sindel: You may have the privilege of serving me.
  Joker: HYEHEHAHAHAHAHAAA!
  Sindel: Did I say something funny?
• Leaning on the Fourth Wall: The fatality shown in his reveal trailer shows him giving a cake to Baraka before a giant "FRIENDSHIP" sign appears in the background, filled with the font and coloring of Friendships from the early Mortal Kombat games. This is followed up by the cake exploding Baraka directly into the physical sign, where Joker shoots him up with a Tommy gun. The bullets pop the balloons saying "Friendship" to show FATALITY written in blood or red paint underneath the balloons, as it crashes down and slices the body in half for the killing blow. The normal Fatality graphic is even absent if this one is used.
• Multiple-Choice Past: Dialogue in 11 varies greatly as to exactly which Joker this is. Some imply he's the same Joker from Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. Others imply that he's either one of the Jokers from Injustice: Gods Among Us and Injustice 2. Still others imply that he's from anywhere to the main DCU to the Batman: Arkham Series, or possibly even a brand new, never-before-seen version of him. As per usual for the character, only the Joker himself knows, and he's not telling.
• Mysterious Past: The Terminator will sometimes note that he has no data on the Joker, befitting his Multiple-Choice Past. Double subverted with Geras, who tells him Kronika will reveal his true origin, while also telling him he is just a man beneath it all.
• Mythology Gag: As to be expected from such an iconic villain as him.
  • Some of his attacks involve him calling over a hostage dressed as the Joker in a wheelchair and grabbing them to swing as a weapon or using them as a decoy to attack opponents, a nod to the Batman: Arkham Series where he used a wheelchair-bound doppelganger to trick Batman before attacking him. He also carries around a wooden ventriloquist's dummy of Batman, much like his counterpart's strange affection for the discarded Scarface dummy.
  • His Fatal Blow ends with the Joker beating his opponent repeatedly with his kane, a reference to the infamous way he brutalized Jason Todd before killing him, down to his moves and the camera angle perfectly mirroring the panels.
    • In addition, the shape of his kane somewhat resembles a crowbar, in fact, some of the variations of his Kane replaces it with a unique crowbar. Appropriately, he often uses it similar to one throughout his moveset.
  • One of his special moves has a bound person in a Joker suit and a bomb collar and vest hop towards the opponent, while the detonator in the Joker's hand doesn't work at first, referencing a scene in The Dark Knight where the Joker blows up a hospital and the bomb doesn't go off until a few moments later. One of his outros is also a reference to that, now featuring his opponent strapped with dynamite and also a close up on Joker trying to make the detonator work and his reaction to the delayed kaboom.
    • A part of his Fatal Blow has him shove his knives into the opponent's mouth and violently drag them to the cheeks, leaving a Glasgow Grin. This can be seen as a reference to one of his "scar stories".
  • An intro has the Joker cut his finger on his knife and use his own blood to paint a smile on his face, similar to how he did it in Joker (2019).
  • His dialogue with himself in a Mirror Match has him ponder the existence of a third Joker, a reference to how there might actually be three Jokers in the main continuity.
  • One of the Joker's alternate disguises is based on his Devilish Hair Horns from Batman: The Animated Series, with another based his beret from the museum scene in Batman (1989), and another being his purple fedora from that film.
  • When confronting Sonya Blade, Joker will sometimes ask, "Why so serious, army girl?", a reference to the famous Heath Ledger's Joker phrase. He'll also quote Jack Nicholson's Joker on two separate occasions: he responds to Shang Tsung's shapeshifting ability with "Never rub another man's rhubarb!" and when he demands to be in Johnny Cage's next film, he says "Just wait 'til they get a load of me!" and quotes one of the lines from the song "Partyman" by telling Rain "All hail the new king in town."
  • Joker being miffed with Shang Tsung running around with his face could be a nod to one of Shang Tsung's fatalities in MK9 which was a Take That! towards Joker's censored fatality back in MK vs. DC.
  • A mid-round taunt has Joker douse himself in a can of gasoline, in reference to his outro animation in Injustice: Gods Among Us, where he uses a similar gas can and a match to immolate the defeated opponent.
  • The Batarang seen in his Friendship has its design taken right out of Injustice 2.
  • Concept art in the Kollection shows that various looks were considered for him based explicitly on his portrayals by Joaquin Phoenix, Heath Ledger, Jack Nicholson, and Jared Leto, before the developers decided on using a more traditional-looking Joker.
  • One of the alternate colorations for his default and scarved costumes is the pinkish color famously worn by Cesar Romero in the Adam West Batman TV series.
  • In his Tower Ending in 11, "Why so serious?" can be seen spray-painted onto the Hourglass.
• Nightmare Fetishist: He seems to take a liking to Spawn's violent nature, treating his threat to "turn him inside out ass-first" as dirty talk.
• Noodle Incident: While Shao Kahn is suggested to be alive from the encounter, Skarlet comes to collect the Joker's head because he somehow unmasked him, greatly humiliating Kahn.
• Not Me This Time: Assuming that the Joker really was going to use the "Bang!" flag gun as his Friendship in 11. In this case, Batman chucked the Batarang at him to make sure he did not get any funny ideas, and an indignant Joker complains to Batman for not trusting him enough to play by the game's rules.
• Only Known by Their Nickname: As a result of his insanity and Multiple-Choice Past, the Joker's real name is unknown to everyone, including himself, though he occasionally goes by the alias Jack, with Jack Napier being the name given in Batman (1989).
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business:
  • He is furious when he discovers Shang Tsung has been using his face, even calling him a "son of a bitch".
  • The Joker is incredibly taken aback when Geras threatens to reveal his origins.
  Joker: What kind of sick joke is this?!
  • Not him, but Johnny Cage. The guy is troll incarnate and a total killer clown in his own right who always acts carefree and bombastic toward almost everyone, Johnny is completely shocked and stunned by the Joker's over-the-top chaotic exuberance and evil humor, even he expresses a loathsome seriousness and willingness to stop the real threat while being afraid of Joker.
  • In his interactions with Spawn, he seems to panic a little when he realizes that Spawn fully intends to kill him and doesn't follow a "moral code" like Batman would.
• Pretty Little Headshots: Averted in one of his Brutalities, where a bullet from his Batsy doll leaves a fist-sized hole through his victim's head.
• Psycho Knife Nut: One of the most unhinged fighters in Mortal Kombat history, he brings a pair of knives in 11 that he uses in his Fatal Blow, maniacally stabbing his opponent's back over and over before giving them a Glasgow Grin. Even his Intro features him sliding the thumb up the dull edge to draw enough blood to paint on a smile.
• Psychopathic Manchild: While his intellect is far from childlike, the fact that he themes himself after a clown, has weapons modelled after stereotypical cartoon props and party gags, and never stops laughing maniacally throws his maturity into question.
• Sadist: Always looking for ways to up the ante, what he does in his 11 ladder ending makes his actions that kicked off Injustice look like child's play. He kills everyone in Earthrealm, Outworld, and Netherrealm. Then he uses Kronika's hourglass to find a timeline where Havik Of Chaosrealm is alive, strike up a Villainous Friendship with him, then revive various deranged murderers like Mileena and Hsu Hao. All four of them are seen viciously attacking Orderrealm next; and according to Joker's sinister monologue at the end, that's only the first part of what he intends to do.
• Sadistic Choice: In one of his intros with Jax, he has apparently taken Sonya and Jacqui hostage and gives him the choice of saving one of them, possibly implying that he will kill the other one.
• Scary Jack-in-the-Box: Another weapon in his arsenal in 11. He not only uses it as part of his moveset, but also as a fatality!
• Slasher Smile: His default expression. He gives a particularly sinister one in the Kombat Pack trailer as well.
• Strange Minds Think Alike: His ending in 11 shows him able to get along swimmingly with Havik and Mileena. Keep in mind, both are candidates for the most violently insane characters in the series.
• Stuff Blowing Up: His Surprise Bomb special has him bring out just that, which can propel the opponent higher into the air.
• This Is Unforgivable!: Played for Laughs. One interaction has Jax greeting the Joker with this trope without initial context, causing the Joker to wonder aloud what he did to him. Jax then expresses the "unforgivable crime" is that the Joker had Jax thinking Kano seems less bad by comparison.
• Threat Backfire: Raiden threatens to banish him to Chaosrealm. The Joker is hardly intimidated by this.
  Joker: "Chaos?" Now you're talking!
• Took a Level in Badass: Thanks to the whole power-fluctuance effect from the mere existence of Dark Kahn, he's now able to fight people like Superman on equal footing. Even more so in Mortal Kombat 11, where he's still able to throw down without that.
• Torso with a View: One of his Fatalities in 11 sees him punch a hole through his opponent's chest with an Extendo Boxing Glove, then placing a jack-in-the-box in their chest cavity to spring their head into the air.
• Villain Respect: He has a particular liking for Rambo, who is just as, possibly more so, violent than the Clown Prince himself. In an intro with him, he states that they should be partners since they both realize how fucked up the world actually is. Of course, Rambo is not keen on palling up with the nutjob.
• You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: Has this reaction to a Batarang hitting him during his Friendship, frustrated that Batman won't let him kill the opponent. Begrudgingly, he pulls out a bunch of balloons instead and gives a half-hearted "sorry."

Lex Luthor

Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor

"I never take sides. I choose the lesser of two evils."

— To Catwoman in the fourth chapter of the DC side.

Voiced by: Joe Thomas

One of the richest and smartest men in the world, Lex Luthor is motivated by bottomless ambition, an egotistical disregard for morality, and an intense hatred of Superman. Using the resources of his financial empire as head of LexCorp, Luthor has developed a high-tech suit to duplicate some of Superman's abilities. Luthor is obsessed with removing the man he sees as the main obstacle to his rise to absolute power.

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• Badass Normal: Has Powered Armor, however, to make up for the lack of superpowers.
• Bald of Evil: Perhaps the iconic example.
• Brought To You By The Letter L: On the chestplate of his armor.
• Armor Makes The Lex Luthor
• Corrupt Corporate Executive: Anyone who knows Luthor knows how corrupt he is.
• Expy: His gameplay style is reminiscent of Sektor.
• Foil: Superman's nemesis, but Jax also relies on technology in his battles.
• Homing Projectile: One of his specials involve shooting a missile upwards and said missile locking on his opponent.
• Macross Missile Massacre: Blasts missiles as a fatality.
• Mighty Glacier: He’s powerful bit slow in his attacks.
• Moveset Clone: He fights very much like Jax, with some differences, of course.
• Playing with Fire: One of his specials involves a flamethrower.
• Powered Armor: What he wears to battle.
• There Is No Kill Like Overkill: His "Missile Attack" Fatality involves the enemy being devastated by a Macross Missile Massacre.

Superman

Superman (Kal-El/Clark Joseph Kent)

Voiced by: Christopher Corey Smith

As the planet Krypton braced for destruction, the infant Kal-El was placed in a rocket ship by his parents and sent into space. Arriving on Earth as the Last Son of Krypton, he was found and raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent on their Kansas farm. Clark Kent manifests the amazing powers of super-strength, flight, and invulnerability under Earth's yellow sun. Instilled with the values of right and wrong, he has taken on the identity of Superman to defend his adopted planet.

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• Brought to You by the Letter "S": His Chest Insignia.
• The Cameo: An intro in 11 with the Joker and Jax references him.
  Joker: A lifetime of sacrifice, and for what?
  Jax: The pride of serving my family and country.
  Joker: You sound like that big blue boy scout.
• Character Narrator: He's in charge of the narration in the beginning of the DC side of the story.
• Eye Beams: His heat vision.
• Foil: Superman and Raiden are the strongest heroes of their worlds.
• Hammered into the Ground: The eponymous "Ground Pound" Heroic Brutality.
• Kryptonite Factor: In addition to his well-known weakness to Kryptonite, he also has a weakness to magic. Since a part of the fusion of both universes is fueled by magic (originated from the MK side), this serves as a Hand Wave as to why Badass Normals can fight him on equal footing.
  • To be fair, Superman's weakness to magic is moderately documented in canon sources, yet easy to forget because foes that use it on him are few and far in-between.
• Superheroes Wear Capes: A trope codifier.
• Super-Strength: To the point where the people not on his level need magic to have any chance of facing him.
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork:
  Okay, Lex, I'll trust you... for now.

Catwoman

Catwoman (Selina Kyle)

"No one cages this kitty!"

— To Sonya in the second chapter of the MK side.

Voiced by: Patty Mattson

Selina Kyle operates as a costumed cat burglar in Gotham City, and has a love-hate relationship with Batman. She is able to commit nearly impossible crimes thanks to her athletic prowess, skills with a whip, and seductive wiles.

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• Badass Normal: She's formidable even for someone without powers.
• The Cameo: She appears as an unlockable skin for Kitana in 11.
• Composite Character: Her outfit is a cross between her 90's black and purple costume and her modern look with the goggles.
• Deadpan Snarker: Loves to snark people, especially Batman.
• Femme Fatale: What she adds hear.
• Foil: Catwoman and Sonya Blade are counterparts... by process of elimination? They are more-or-less female mascots of their respective universes, who at the time tended towards various levels of stripperiffic-ness, and being traditionally on opposite ends of the law provides an interesting potential rivalry, but the connection is somewhat tenuous.
• Goggles Do Nothing: Doesn’t help her at all.
• Heel–Face Revolving Door: Lampshaded by Flash in the first chapter of the DC side.
• Ms. Fanservice: Large breasts, well-formed figure, luscious rear, and long legs.
• Navel-Deep Neckline: Her outfit has her Spy Catsuit zipped down to her stomach.
• Sensual Spandex: People comment on how sexy it looks.
• Spy Catsuit: Wears these as her outfit.
• Whip of Dominance: Wields a whip in combat alongside the domineering personality and skintight leather suit she's known for.
• Wolverine Claws: Aside of being part of several of her attacks, Catwoman uses them in her "Claw Attack" fatality.

Deathstroke

Deathstroke (Slade Joseph Wilson)

Voiced by: Patrick Seitz

Slade Wilson was given enhanced abilities as part of a military experiment, and has such confidence in his skills as a mercenary and assassin that his chosen costume highlights the fact that he only has one eye. Adept at both sword and gunplay, his superhuman physical abilities are matched by his tactical genius and his facility for manipulating both allies and enemies alike.

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• Badass Normal: Probably the most prominent of the tropes.
• Cool Mask: His two faced mask looks nice.
• Combat Pragmatist: His fighting style is just sheer pragmatism and ruthlessness.
• Creepy Monotone: His voice is just sheer creepiness in one.
• Foil: Deathstroke and Baraka are blade-wielding mercenaries.
• Katanas Are Better: Loves his katanas.
• Ninja: Like Batman probably one of the few DC who’d fit in a Mortal Kombat game.
• Stance System: The only character of the game besides Baraka who uses one.
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Deathstroke really doesn't like the Joker.

Darkseid

Darkseid (Uxas)

Voiced by: Perry Brown

A ruthless despot, Darkseid rules over the perpetually burning planet known as Apokolips. Obsessed with discovering the "Anti-Life Equation", he plans to use it to complete his quest for absolute power, and rule over all life in the universe. Nearly invulnerable, his powers include the ability to project Omega Beams from his eyes-dark rays with the power to alter, transport, and incinerate everything that he may come into contact with.

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• The Cameo: He appears as an unlockable skin for Geras in 11.
• Eye Beams: His Omega Beams.
• Foil: The Shao Kahn of the DC Universe.
• Lightning Bruiser: He hits hard, quickly, and with great endurance.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: One of the most prominent of the others listed.

Final Boss

Dark Kahn

Dark Kahn

"Through Mortal Kombat, I will conquer all!"

— In the "Beginnings" comicbook

Voiced by: Perry Brown and Patrick Seitz

The Big Bad of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. He's the fusion of Shao Kahn and Darkseid, who were thrown to an interdimensional portal and a boomtube at the same time and place in space.

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• Big Bad: The combination of the two big bads of the game.
• The Cameo: He is referenced in 11 in an intro with the Joker and Kotal Kahn.
  Joker: Whatever happened to Dark Kahn?
  Kotal Kahn: Dark Kahn?
  Joker: Oh, that's right. You missed it.
• Crossover Combo Villain: Of Shao Kahn and Darkseid. It's also reflected on who's voicing him, as Patrick Seitz (the voice of Deathstroke and Scorpion) is also the voice of Shao Kahn and hence is one of his voices (the other being Darkseid's voice actor Perry Brown).
• Hate Plague: Spread by his mere existence to increase his power and serves as the main justification of why both universes' characters are beating the crap out of each other.
• Humanoid Abomination: What else can describe him?
• Large Ham: His voice is the combination of two large hams combined.
• Literally Shattered Lives: When you defeat him.
• Original Generation: Original in the context of original fusion.
• Power Echoes: Each time he speaks his power echoes.
• Power Glows: His power glows from him.
• Punny Name: Dark Khan sounds like a Pretentious Pronunciation emphasizing the syllables of "darken".
• SNK Boss: The final boss.
• Spikes of Villainy: His costume is spiked.
• Voice of the Legion: As befitting his status as a Crossover Combo Villain, he speaks with the voices of both Darkseid and Shao Kahn.

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