Temple gongs quake as Outworld’s throne fractures—the fight is coming to us. Johnny Cage (Urban) struts in with Hollywood smirk and brass knuckles, Liu Kang’s fire crowns the sky, and Sonya/Jax run a black‑ops extraction that detonates into arcana.

Kitana’s fans whisper steel, Raiden threads lightning through a collapsing bridge , and Scorpion’s chain rips sparks from obsidian . A wraith crawls from blackout—Bi‑Han reborn as Noob, ice gone to shadow —while Shang Tsung smiles like a closed door.

Set pieces hit hard: neon‑alley knife throw into X‑ray crunch, desert arena where sand turns to glass, and a breathless corridor oner that ends in a flawless, bloody punctuation. The chant rises—MOR‑TAL KOM‑BAT—and a hammer looms: Shao Kahn steps forward.