Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe: Super or Silly?

It’s been over a week since Midway announced that the rumored Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe game was in fact real. The reaction from both comic and gaming communities has been a collective, "Huh?"

At first it seems like an odd couple, but it isn’t without precedent. In the past, Capcom combined their 2D Marvel fighting games with their Street Fighter franchise to create X-Men vs. Street Fighter, the first of many successful Marvel vs. Capcom games. Look at it this way: people know Mortal Kombat and they also know the Justice League. So, from a sales point of view, this looks like a mainstream winner.

But from a fanboy perspective, does this work? Sure, we hear the cries of "Superman would just rip the head off of Sub-Zero," but it just might be more interesting than you think. If this Superman is reigned in to a reasonable level, he could be a boss-level character — but not invincible. Think less Silver Age or post-Infinite Crisis and more Superman: The Animated Series or John Byrne’s Man of Steel. And remember, Superman’s as vulnerable to magic as anyone else, so the Mortal Kombat warriors’ special abilities could be a hassle for Mr. Faster Than A Speeding Bullet. And when you think about it like that, Sub-Zero’s freezing power doesn’t seem so, well… powerless.

Now, from the Mortal Kombat perspective, beyond the violent, over-the-top gameplay, the Mortal Kombat franchise actually has a pretty deep mythology. Just like their counterparts in the comics world, this has been explored in movies, television, comics, books and cartoons. But the basis has always been different mystical realms invading other universes — like, say, one populated with brightly garbed superbeings?

So can this crossover work as a story? It seems like it has potential. And we’d be surprised if DC Comics didn’t publish a tie-in story when the game is released later this year. The only question remains, "Who would be the champions?" So far, the only characters confirmed have been Batman, Scorpion, Sub-Zero and Superman. Who else would be included? And let’s not forget, since Mortal Kombat will have heroes and villains, why shouldn’t DC’s bad guys join the fight?

ComicMix proposes the following match-ups between DC’s superpowered characters and their counterparts in the Mortal Kombat universe. Feel free to throw in some of your own in the comment section at the end of the article.

• Wonder Woman vs. Mileena. Why? Because she’s the princess of a warrior society. Who are we talking about? Both of them!
• Flash vs. Kabal. The two speedsters clash to see who can put who in a top-spin.
• Cyborg vs. Cyrax. Cyborg superhero vs cybernetic ninja. One’s a Mac, one’s a PC.
• Aquaman vs. Rain. The two water-based characters fighting in Atlantis. It’s a super-soaker! (Okay, that was pretty bad, I know.)
• Martian Manhunter vs. Shang Tsung. Battle of the shape-shifters. Learn how quickly you can lose track of who’s really who.
• Green Lantern vs. Nightwolf. Nightwolf conjurs weapons from mystical fire, just like Alan Scott, the original Lantern.
• Captain Marvel (Shazam) vs. Raiden. Lightning, flying, super-strength, powered by the gods. This is closer then you think.
• Darkseid vs. Shao Kahn. Yeah, it’s the two bad-ass bad guys squaring off. Who’s the greater of two evils?
• Lobo vs. Bo’ Rai Cho. The best bar brawl ever. Just think about it: the Mortal Kombat drunken master even has a vomiting attack!
• Johnny Cage vs. Guy Gardner. Forget the fighting. Who’s got the most obnoxious ego?