Scorpion (Mortal Kombat)

Scorpion
Scorpion in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
Series	Mortal Kombat
First game	Mortal Kombat (1992)
Voiced by	Ed Boon (games and films) Patrick Seitz (MKvsDC, MK2011)
Motion capture	Daniel Pesina (MK, MKII) John Turk (UMK3, MKT) Sal Divita (MK:SM)
Portrayed by	Chris Casamassa (first film, Konquest) J.J. Perry (Annihilation) Anthony Demarco (Live Tour) Ian Anthony Dale (Rebirth) and (Legacy)
Fictional profile
Origin	Japan, Earthrealm (reborn in Netherealm)
Weapon	Kunai Axe (UMK3, MKT) Broadsword (MK4) Ninjatō (MK:DA,MK:D,MK:U, MK:A)

Scorpion is a recurring player and boss character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. He has been a playable character in all the games, with the exception of the original version of Mortal Kombat 3.

In video games

"Scorpion" is the code name of the ninja named Hanzo Hasashi, formerly one of the Shirai Ryu's finest warriors,^[1] who became a hellspawned revenant residing in the Netherrealm underworld and seeking vengeance against those responsible for the destruction of his clan and the death of his family. Although essentially neutral in allegiance, Scorpion will ally with anyone who can assist his plans of revenge. He was once manipulated by Quan Chi, whom he promised his life in exchange for his impressive combat abilities in order to defeat Sub-Zero. Since Scorpion is a spectre, sorcery and supernatural anomalies have proven effective against him in battle, although none of them had served to destroy him.

Scorpion is introduced in the first Mortal Kombat game as a dead warrior who enters into the Mortal Kombat tournament to kill Sub-Zero, the man who killed him. Scorpion manages to kill his target, but later learns that Sub-Zero plans to compete in the second tournament. Enraged at the idea that his nemesis has somehow returned, Scorpion tracks him down during the tournament. He realizes that this Sub-Zero was actually his killer's younger brother, who was sent to complete his brother's failed mission of assassinating the tournament's host Shang Tsung. As a result, Scorpion vows to serve as the new Sub-Zero's guardian in atonement for killing his older brother. He also appears as a boss character in Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (set during the events of Mortal Kombat II), as he tries to kill the protagonists Liu Kang and Kung Lao. He appears in both masked and unmasked forms (the latter being named "Inferno Scorpion"). Scorpion returns to the series in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 when Shao Kahn tries to conquer the Netherealm after his invasion of Earth and enlisted the ninja in his forces. Scorpion's allegiance to Kahn quickly dissolved when he discovered that Sub-Zero was one of Earth's chosen warriors, with whom he then sided in their final showdown with Kahn.

In Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero, Scorpion is only a boss character, appearing twice through the game. Scorpion is enlisted by Quan Chi to find a map hidden in a Shaolin temple, a task also given to Sub-Zero. After Scorpion is killed by Sub-Zero, he again attempts to kill Sub-Zero in the Netherrealm. In Mortal Kombat 4 he is tricked by Quan Chi to believe that the younger Sub-Zero was actually involved in the deaths of his family and clan and joins Quan Chi. Scorpion emerges victorious against the new Sub-Zero, but when Quan Chi reveals afterward the truth, Scorpion grabs the sorcerer to send him to the Netherealm. In Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Scorpion is attacked by the Oni Drahmin and Moloch, who free the sorcerer from the Netherealm. Scorpion continues hunting Quan Chi and eventually meets the Elder Gods, who give him a new mission to seek and destroy Onaga before he would unmake the realms during the events of Mortal Kombat: Deception. In the Konquest mode of Armageddon, Scorpion makes a deal with the Elder Gods to serve them in exchange for the resurrection of the Shirai Ryu clan, along with the resurrection of his wife and son. However, the Elder Gods resurrect them as undead beings. Enraged, Scorpion seeks to destroy the Elder Gods' chance of preventing Armageddon by taking Blaze's power that was meant for Taven or Daegon, but Taven defeats him and Scorpion is later killed by Sub-Zero in battle.

In Shaolin Monks, however, he is not only a boss but also a playable character for both versus and story modes (Scorpion's movesets in this game are largely identical to Liu Kang's with some original techniques).^[2] In the 2011 Mortal Kombat title, Scorpion reprises his role from the first tournaments. He serves Quan Chi, unaware that the sorcerer is the true murderer of his family, and kills Sub-Zero despite Raiden's negotiations with him to revive his clan.

Scorpion also appears in the crossover game Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, participating in the war between the two titular series. In addition to the MK series, Scorpion has made appearances in four other Midway games: NBA Jam Tournament Edition, MLB Slugfest: Loaded, Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy and The Grid.^{[citation needed]}

Character design

Scorpion appeared in the first three MK titles simply as a yellow palette swap of Sub-Zero with a different stance, though the original costume used for filming in the first two games was red. According to the back-story of the first game, his outfit is said to have mocked the Lin Kuei, after former Lin Kuei member Takeda developed ninjutsu, then left the clan and founded the rival Shirai Ryu. In the games after MK4, his outfit was enhanced with two swords on his back and his kunai attached to a rope tied to his belt. While he and all the male ninjas were absent from MK3 due to Daniel Pesina's being fired by Midway, he was later added to UMK3 after John Turk did the motion capture for the male ninjas.^{[citation needed]} In the 2011 Mortal Kombat game, Scorpion's original outfit was featured as downloadable content.^[3]

Scorpion's spear taunts were voiced by Ed Boon in the games and both films. However, only two of the taunts were included in the home versions of MK and MKII due to memory constraints; the now-famous cries of "Get over here!" played randomly whenever the spear was used. One of the phrases, "Get over here!", according to an interview with Ed Boon, originated because "[...] I just thought it would be funny to have him yell out 'Get over here!' when he did it. So they just said 'Well, why do not you get behind the microphone and do it.'"^[4] The phrase "Toasty!," according to MK co-creator John Tobias, first originated as "You're Toast!" which was a taunt bandied among the programmers during MKII game-testing sessions.^[5]

In other media

Scorpion, as depicted in John Tobias' 1994 comic

Scorpion was portrayed in Malibu Comics' MK comic series as an evil entity, a spectre consumed by revenge against Sub-Zero who had decided to kill those close to him as well before killing him personally. In the conclusion of the Blood & Thunder miniseries, he has a short fight with Kitana (who stopped him from murdering an unconscious Sub-Zero) that ultimately leads to his demise. During the Battlewave miniseries, Shao Kahn returns Scorpion to the living world using a mystical gem called the "Deathstone," which also allows him to resurrect an army of undead soldiers under his control. Scorpion becomes Shao Kahn's general, while his army replaces the mutants that engrossed his ranks.

In the novelization by Jeff Rovin, Scorpion is a combination of sorts of a father and a son; Sub-Zero killed the father, a former Lin Kuei member named Yong Park, in front of his family. Yong's spirit merged with his son Tsui's body, in order to seek revenge under the form of Scorpion.^[6]

Chris Casamassa as Scorpion in the 1995 film Mortal Kombat

Scorpion was played by Chris Casamassa in the first Mortal Kombat film. His spear was changed to a living metal snake-like entity that shot from a slit in his palm and could fly to a limited extent. Scorpion's rivalry with Sub-Zero is only mentioned in passing by Shang Tsung in the storyline, which instead had them both serving as his guardians, and he is defeated by Johnny Cage in the Netherrealm. Scorpion returned in the sequel film Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, played by J.J. Perry. In it, following a failed assassination attempt by Smoke and his extermination squad due to the unexpected interference of the younger Sub-Zero, Scorpion confronts the would-be victims, Liu Kang and Kitana, but is challenged by Sub-Zero to a duel. After incapacitating Sub-Zero, he successfully captures Kitana and escapes with his captive.

In the animated film Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins, Scorpion was again depicted as a henchmen to Shang Tsung opposite Sub-Zero. On the sorcerer's orders, the duo fight Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, and Sonya Blade and are almost successful in killing them until Raiden intervenes and put the fight to a halt. The backstory relationship of Scorpion and Sub-Zero is explored during the course of the film.

Scorpion appears in the animated series Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm in the episode "Sting of the Scorpion", in which he sends an undead army against the Earthrealm defenders and overwhelms Sub-Zero, but is finally defeated by Liu Kang.

He also appeared in several episodes of the TV series Mortal Kombat: Konquest with an origin different to that of the games, and was again played by Chris Casamassa. His feud with Sub-Zero was also presented in the show, with Scorpion commanding his lover, Peron, to murder Sub-Zero's sister, and Sub-Zero slaying Peron in vengeful retaliation, culminating in a duel which ends in a draw due to the arrival of Kung Lao and his allies, Siro and Taja, who come to aid Sub-Zero.

In the live-action short film Mortal Kombat: Rebirth, Scorpion is depicted as a voluntary prisoner. During a meeting with Jackson Briggs regarding an underground tournament hosted by Shang Tsung, Sonya Blade shows up with a confidential document about Sub-Zero. She reveals that the person he killed was Sub-Zero's brother. Knowing that Sub-Zero will enter Shang Tsung's deadly tournament, he agrees to participate in the tournament and leave no one alive. Unlike his game incarnation, at the beginning of Rebirth, Scorpion appears to be a normal human, though his eyes are completely white and his signature spear weapon also appears. Actor Michael Jai White and actress Jeri Ryan play the roles of Jackson Briggs and Sonya Blade respectively, while Scorpion himself, referred to by his real name Hanzo Hasashi, was played by actor Ian Anthony Dale.^[7]

Dale reprises his role as Scorpion in the Mortal Kombat: Legacy webseries. In his episode, his story takes place during the years of the shogunate, where he is the leader of the Shirai Ryu clan. He is summoned to a meeting with the shogun, which is revealed to be a trap by Bi Han, who is the elder Sub-Zero, in order to lure Hasashi away from his village. After subduing Sub-Zero, he returns to his village where he finds his family dead. He is then stabbed and frozen by Sub-Zero. Shang Tsung appears with Sub-Zero, who then reveals himself to be Quan Chi who took the form of Sub-Zero to manipulate Hasashi. Quan Chi offers him revenge against Sub-Zero in exchange for his service. Hasashi is resurrected as a spectre and takes the name Scorpion.

Reception and cultural impact

UGO.com listed Scorpion at number one on their "Top 11 Mortal Kombat Characters" article, describing him as their "favorite asskicker" while also stating approval for his augmented abilities and attitude with each title.^[8] They additionally noted his signature Fatality as one of their favorites in the series.^[9] He tied with Sub-Zero in the top from Game Revolution's "Top 10 Old School Mortal Kombat Characters", with both noted as the most popular characters from the franchise.^[10] Scorpion and Sub-Zero also shared the fifth place on the top video game ninja list by PC World in 2009.^[11] A GamesRadar article from 2011 discussed their evolution across the Mortal Kombat series, citing them as its two most popular characters.^[12] In Game Informer's 2009 list of "Top Ten Best Fighting Game Characters" Scorpion was third in response of his techniques.^[13]

IGN's Jeese Schedeen mentioned that although Scorpion was initially a palette-swapped character, he "is actually a lot more complicated than these initial appearances let on".^[14] The same site listed Scorpion's fire-breathing Fatality as second best one from the series due to how the player's perception of the character changes when he removes his mask.^[15] In a later article, the site noted that the fatality was not notably changed in following games as a result of how the fatality connects with Scorpion calling it an "enduring classic."^[16] In 2009 GamePro ranked Scorpion and other ninjas from the series third in their list of the best palette-swapped video game characters, adding: "Midway--the world-renowned Gods of the palette swap--has turned the art of making new characters from other, different-colored characters into a science."^[17] Scorpion's phrase "Get Over Here!" was also listed in Play's "Ten of the best chat-up lines."^[18] In 2010, GamesRadar placed him in their article "Gaming's most badass scorpions" stating that despite not being an actual scorpion he "is one of Mortal Kombat's most beloved characters, and the fact he's named after one of nature's finest creations has surely helped!"^[19] ScrewAttack] placed Scorpion at #1 on their list of "Top 10 Mortal Kombat Kharacters" and complimented his "Get over here!" saying.^[20]

Scorpion guest-starred on an episode of Drawn Together, depicted as a cut-out from Mortal Kombat: Deception.^{[citation needed]} He also appeared in the webcomic VG Cats trying to ask Sonya Blade out on a date.^[21]

References

1. ^ "Scorpion and the Ninja". Archived from the original on 1998-12-01. http://web.archive.org/web/19981201035009/http://mythologies.dragondata.com/MKM.html. Retrieved 2009-11-24. 
2. ^ Dodson, Joe (2009-05-22). "Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks Review". Game Revolution. http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/xbox/mortal-kombat-sh. Retrieved 2009-12-13. 
3. ^ Watts, Steven (May 27, 2011). "Mortal Kombat 'Klassic Skins' DLC due June 7". Shack News. http://www.shacknews.com/article/68601/mortal-kombat-klassic-skins-dlc. Retrieved September 7, 2011. 
4. ^ Walk, Gary (2008-11-17). "Interview: Ed Boon on the Ups and Downs of the Mortal Kombat Franchise". GameDaily. http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/interview-ed-boon-on-the-ups-and-downs-of-the-mortal-kombat-franchise/?biz=1&page=2. Retrieved 2009-09-20. 
5. ^ Making of MK3 (6:26) on YouTube
6. ^ "Mortal Kombat The Novel by Jeff Robin". http://mknovels.webs.com/mkjronline.htm. Retrieved 2009-09-22. 
7. ^ IS THIS VIDEO FOR THE NEW MORTAL KOMBAT MOVIE?
8. ^ Noob Saibot - Top 11 Mortal Kombat Characters. UGO.com. Retrieved on 2008-12-23
9. ^ Scorpion - Top 11 Mortal Kombat Characters. UGO.com. Retrieved on 2008-12-23
10. ^ Jensen, K. Thor (2011-02-03). "Top 10 Old School Mortal Kombat Characters". Game Revolution. http://www.gamerevolution.com/features/top-10-old-school-mortal-kombat-characters/2. Retrieved 2011-05-23. 
11. ^ Top Ten video game ninjas, PC World Australia, 06 August 2010
12. ^ Reparaz, Mikel. "The evolution of Scorpion and Sub-Zero". GamesRadar. http://www.gamesradar.com/f/the-evolution-of-scorpion-and-sub-zero/a-2011041214633658093. Retrieved 2011-05-22. 
13. ^ "Top Ten Best Fighting Game Characters". Game Informer (GameStop Corporation). August 2009. ISSN 1067-6392. 
14. ^ Schedeen, Jeese (2008-07-15). "Kast of Kharacters: MK vs. DC, Part 1". IGN. http://stars.ign.com/articles/889/889573p1.html. Retrieved 2009-11-15. 
15. ^ "IGN's Unofficial Top 10 List of the Best Mortal Kombat Fatalities". IGN. November 30, 2010. http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/113/1137436p1.html. Retrieved September 7, 2011. 
16. ^ "The Evolution of Mortal Kombat Fatalities". IGN. April 7, 2011. http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/115/1159114p1.html. Retrieved September 7, 2011. 
17. ^ Koehn, Aaron (January 13, 2009). "Palette Swapping: 17 Games that Did it Right". GamePro. http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/208571/17-best-palette-swapped-characters/. Retrieved March 25, 2010. 
18. ^ Mackenzie, Gavin. "Ten of the best chat-up lines". Play. http://www.play-mag.co.uk/features/ten-of-the-best-chat-up-lines/. Retrieved September 11, 2010. 
19. ^ Sterling, Jum. "Gaming's most badass scorpions". GamesRadar. http://www.gamesradar.com/f/gamings-most-badass-scorpions/a-2010110411331998094/p-2. Retrieved November 8, 2010. 
20. ^ "Top 10 Mortal Kombat Kharacters". ScrewAttack.com. http://www.screwattack.com/shows/originals/screwattack-top-10s/top-10-mortal-kombat-kharacters. Retrieved 2011-10-05. 
21. ^ Ramsoomair, Scott. "VG Cats #283:in the zone". VG Cats. http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=295. Retrieved 2010. 

External links

• Official website
• Scorpion - The Mortal Kombat Wiki
• IGN: Scorpion (Mortal Kombat)
• Scorpion at the Internet Movie Database