Comic books and video games. The two things a nerd cannot live without. Okay, maybe not, but these two are among the primary needs for nerds like me. If you love both, I’ll bet a penny and a pot of gold that you’re probably a fan of Marvel Comics and Mortal Kombat. If you say you’re not, then you’re no nerd. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with being a nerd.
And if there’s anything I love more than talking about nerd stuff, it’s combining nerd stuff. For instance, did anyone ever wonder what would a Marvel and Mortal Kombat crossover would look like? We’ve already seen what a DC/Mortal Kombat crossover would look like. We’ve also seen what a Marvel/Street Fighter crossover would look like. However, as a lifelong comic and video game nut, I’d very much like to see a Marvel/Mortal Kombat crossover.
What are some of the biggest movies that are coming to us this year? Well, we got several Marvel Cinematic Universe movies (Black Widow, Shang-Chi, The Eternal), and the Mortal Kombat movie in April. I think now is as good as time as any to take several characters from both franchises and analyze who their counterparts are. I have a few in mind, so if you’re a lover of both franchises, keep reading.
Round one.
Thor – Raiden
The first one is the most obvious one. Thor is the God of Thunder and Raiden is the God of Thunder. Thor serves the Allfather and Raiden serves the Elder Gods. The comparison is in their titles. Not only are they literal gods and can manipulate the storms, but what they share in common the most is their sense of humility. Despite being gods, Thor and Raiden care deeply for the safety of humans and learned by fighting alongside them that being gods doesn’t make them superior. These are Gods of Thunder that will always fight for the little guy.
Iron Man – Cyrax & Sektor
I know I’m cheating a bit here, but it’s hard to look at Sektor and Cyrax and not think about Iron Man. I mean, come on, just look at them. Iron Man is often referred to as the “metal man” by several Marvel characters and Cyrax and Sektor are literally all metal. However, the two cyborg ninjas were once humans, so they do have that connection. But just look at Iron Man’s armor, and then look at the colors of Cyrax and Sektor. Cyrax is yellow and Sektor is red, and Iron Man’s armor is yellow and red merged together. What else do you need to hear?
Well, I actually have more. While Iron Man doesn’t share Sektor’s villainy, he does fight like him. He likes shooting missiles at people and he likes using his suit’s flying ability to punch the bad guys. In terms of his heroism, he’s definitely more like Cyrax, because they both know that their human side is what makes them fight for what’s right.
Captain America – Kung Lao
Captain America is certainly way more humble than Kung Lao, but these two share a distinctive similarity. Cap likes to throw around a circular weapon that always comes back to him. Kung Lao also likes to throw around a circular weapon that always comes back to him. These two don’t even need their weapon to fight, because they’re masters in martial arts. However, it’s almost impossible to imagine them fighting without their weapons. Kung Lao’s hat is as much a part of him, just as much as Cap’s shield as a part of him. Cap is nowhere near as cocky as Kung Lao, but like Kung Lao, he can be emotional and let his anger get the best of him. Ultimately, however, these two characters are warriors who fight for their people and aren’t afraid to be the first ones in the heat of battle.
Wolverine – Baraka
Both of these guys have retractable blades coming from their arms and use them to fight like animals. They love to show their teeth, they growl like feral beasts, and when they’re mad, they enter berserker rage. Heck, Baraka’s latest appearance in Mortal Kombat 11 had him fight with some brand new bone blades. And what did Wolverine have before his adamantium claws? Literal claws made of bones. Baraka is more of a villain, although MK 11 had him take on more of an anti-hero role. While Wolverine can be totally crazy and berserk at times, he has proven his heroism and will fight for the innocent and for mutants. Baraka, while brutal, just wants what’s best for his race. Even the most violent of people are capable of honor.
Wonder Man – Johnny Cage
Johnny Cage and Wonder Man are both movie stars who love wearing sunglasses. In terms of their powers, Johnny Cage uses the strange green energy he inherited from his ancestors that enhances his strength, emit energy blast, and literally turns him green. Wonder Man uses ionic energy that allows him to fly, enhances his strength, emit energy blasts, and it literally turns him purple. These Hollywood action stars may be cocky, but they have the fighting skills and the powers to back up their big talk.
Iron Fist – Liu Kang
Sure, Liu Kang might have more in common with Shang-Chi, but when I think of Liu Kang, I cannot help but think of Robin Shou. His portrayal of Liu Kang made the character far more charismatic than a regular kung fu master. Shou’s portrayal of Liu Kang reenforced the character’s disciplined and determined nature of the character, but he also gave him quite a swagger. He was respectful, but he could also be sarcastic, confident, but not arrogant, and highly skilled, but still vulnerable. These are all character traits of Iron Fist and that’s why he and Liu Kang have so much in common.
Plus, I’d like to remember Liu Kang’s second fatality from MK 11 and how he used that one-inch punch to destroy his opponent’s body. Although Iron Fist probably wouldn’t kill someone like that, I’m sure his iron fist can probably do that. His chi is basically Liu Kang’s fire.
Black Widow – Sonya Blade
And what about the girl power, you ask? Well, if you ask me, Sonya has to be the best female combatant in the franchise. And thanks to the MCU, Black Widow’s stardom has catapulted into astronomical heights. What don’t these two femme fatale’s have in common. Probably the fact that Black Widow is Russian and Sonya is American. The differences end there though. They both have wrist blasters, rely on their military gadgets, and love to jump and use the strength of their legs to toss their enemies around like rag dolls. Aside from their fighting skills, both Sonya and Black Widow have undying loyalty to their friends and are willing to die for them.
There you have it, fans of Mortal Kombat and Marvel Comics. That’s just a dip in the water of how similar the Marvel characters are to the Mortal Kombat characters. In my opinion, these are the characters who I believe best represent each other from both franchises.
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