New characters eyed for ‘Mortal Kombat X’

We’re getting an almost weekly stream of new character reveals for “Mortal Kombat X,” a ploy certainly devised to help build up the excitement for its April 14 release. Sure to please veterans of the series, two more classic characters have been announced, namely the telekinetic terror, Ermac, and everyone’s favorite anthropomorphic freak, Reptile.

 

 

First off is Ermac, a.k.a. “the red guy whose name sounds like it was inspired by a muppet’s.” He brings to the fray his trademark telekinetic abilities, sure to encourage sore losers everywhere to cry accusations of “cheap!”

 

Like all other combatants before him, Ermac comes with three fighting variations. “Master of Souls” surrounds him with a trio of floating orbs that can be thrown like fireballs. “Mystic” augments his telekinesis, while “Spectral” allows him to hover around the screen.

 

His fatality, as seen in the video, also reveals Ermac as a fan of origami.

 

Born as a rumored secret character dating back to the original “Mortal Kombat,” Ermac first became a playable character in “Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3.” Ermac is unique in that he is not actually a single entity, but a multitude of souls occupying one physical body. Which kind of makes Ermac the single most inspiring character in video games; because if more than a thousand souls can work together to accomplish a goal – such as disemboweling an opponent – why can’t we?

 

 

The other revealed character is Reptile. Reptile debuted in the original “Mortal Kombat” as a secret boss whom you battled at the bottom of the Pit stage. In 1993’s “Mortal Kombat II,” this lazy palette swap was finally made playable, not to mention given his own repertoire of moves. He is best known for his extremely long tongue, which makes him very popular with the ladies, and his face-melting acid spit, which causes selfie addicts everywhere to flee in terror. While his latest incarnation is more brutal than ever, he seems to have retained some of his old abilities, such as his slow-moving Force Ball – sure to annoy people who are bad at jumping over fireballs.

 

The third most interesting piece of “Mortal Kombat X” news is the fan petition to bring late GWAR singer Dave Brockie into the game as a playable guest character. The petition has already garnered more than 12,000 signatures, overshooting the initial target of 5,000.

 

According to the petition page:

 

 

The thrash metal band is notorious for the shock value of their live performances, and the elaborately frightening costumes of the members. Oderus Urungus himself looks like the unholy offspring of Baraka and the Devil, so he seems a natural fit for the “Mortal Kombat” universe.

 

Freddie Kruger entered the “Mortal Kombat 9” arena as a DLC character, and the “Soulcalibur” series got Spawn and Darth Vader, so the idea of having Oderus in “Mortal Kombat X” isn’t exactly far-fetched. Of course, there’s the matter of whether it’s tasteful to include a recently deceased performer in a game where his alter ego can be murdered in the most gruesome fashion. But who knows? Maybe sometime in the future, we’ll see Sub-Zero and Scorpion trading blows with the likes of Marilyn Manson, KISS, Taylor Swift, and Justin Bieber. — TJD, GMA News