Summary
Though it had its self-serious phase in the mid-2000s, theMortal Kombatfranchise has always had a more lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek tone than many of its fighting competitors. Even though players can rip out each other’s spines and spray blood across the arena,Mortal Kombat’s violencehas mostly been delivered with a sense of self-awareness from its creators. That’s especially true with NetherRealm’s most recent entries, withMortal Kombat 1being no exception.
In many ways,Mortal Kombat 1is the most violent and gruesome entry to date, featuring the most realistic portrayals of some truly horrific Fatalities and Brutalities. But in many ways,Mortal Kombat 1is also one of the most jovial entries in the franchise, with a strong tongue-in-cheek tone present throughout the entire experience, and plenty of self-referential jokes and jabs to break up the violence. Another element that helps to makeMortal Kombat 1a lighter experience is its wealth of Easter eggs and references to the wider pop-culture world, and being the roster’s loudmouth, it’s only natural that Johnny Cage is the source of the vast majority of these.
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Johnny Cage’s Introduction Is Ripped Right Out of Raiders of the Lost Ark
One ofMortal Kombat 1’s best Easter eggscomes right at the start of the game when players first take control of Johnny Cage. As his chapter opens up, fans of theIndiana Jonesfranchise will immediately notice some similarities between Johnny Cage’s dramatic entrance, and the opening ofRaiders of the Lost Ark, with practically the movie’s entire opening jungle sequence being remade with Johnny Cage taking on the role of the mysterious adventurer.
This sequence goes far beyond just a throwaway Easter egg, with Cage’s entire first set of fights occurring during thisIndiana Jones-esque backdrop. And as if that wasn’t enough, Cage even makes another reference to the series later on inMortal Kombat 1, exclaiming “holy Ark of the Covenant”.
Johnny Cage Makes a Not-So-Subtle Aliens Reference
Perhaps Johnny Cage’s most obvious reference, right before Earthrealm’s protectors are about to jump in and “save” Mileena from Shang Tsung, Kenshi shouts “Get away from her”, to which Cage finishes “You [insert expletive here]”. Though horror movie fans will immediately recognize this line from the climactic ending of James Cameron’sAliensin which Ripley squares off againstthe Xenomorph Queen, Kenshi and Kung Lao don’t get the reference, prompting Johnny Cage to explain the quote, saying “You know, the movie! Tiny girl, ginormous alien”.
Reptile’s Powers Remind Johnny Cage of Another Horror Movie Icon
A much faster Easter egg than the last two, Johnny Cage references another classic horror movie icon a bit later on inMortal Kombat 1’s story mode. After breaking out ofShang Tsung’s laboratoryand foiling Quan Chi’s soul-stealing plans, Cage and the rest of Earthrealm’s protectors find themselves in the Outworld capital city of Sun Do, where they’re tasked with infiltrating a festival and making their way to a portal on the other side of the city.
In an attempt to create a distraction for the group, Reptile turns invisible, to which Johnny Cage remarks he didn’t know he could “go full Predator”. Upon arriving back in Earthrealm, Cage delivers another quick pop-culture reference, this time asking Liu Kang for a martini, shaken, not stirred, of course being a reference to James Bond movies.
Other Pop-Culture References Found in Johnny Cage’s Mortal Kombat 1 Intros
Johnny Cage’s pop-culture references don’t stop atMortal Kombat 1’s story mode, however, but also appear frequently during the character intros before a match. These references range from Cage exclaiming that he’s been “Miyagi’ed” by Liu Kang, giving his best impression of Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter inSilence of the Lambs, and name-dropping movies likeFull Metal Jacket, and even referencingMortal Kombat’s own animated movie spin-offs likeScorpion’s Revenge.
Mortal Kombat 1is available now for PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X/S.
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