WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD for Mortal Kombat 1’s Story Mode. Proceed at your own risk.
Summary
Mortal Kombat 1follows NetherRealm Studios' formula of providing a grand, cinematic story mode featuring surprising twists and character interactions. As withMortal Kombatgames of the past,MK1’s story mode is littered with secrets and, in this case, a few interesting character reveals towards the end of the game. Among several other playful new additions to theMortal Kombatuniverse, a character called Janet Cage was introduced.
Mortal Kombat 1is set after the events ofMortal Kombat 11’s Aftermath DLC where Liu Kang and Shang Tsung battled for control of the Titan Kronika’s hourglass, the celestial device that controls time and space in theMKuniverse. At the start ofMK1,it is revealed that Liu Kang has managed to take control of the hourglass to restart history and reestablish the characters of theMortal Kombatuniverse. The story ofMortal Kombat 1then plays out in Lord Liu Kang’s new era which has been crafted by him to be a universe of peace and balance – but that peace wasn’t meant to last.
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Mortal Kombat 1’s Timeline Allows for New Versions Of Characters
Asthe events ofMortal Kombat 1’s story modeunfold, new versions of many classicMortal Kombatcharacters are shown, most with slightly different takes on their storyline. Scorpion and Sub-Zero are now brothers, Raiden is a humble farmer, Baraka is an infected merchant, and so on. Toward the end of the game, the differences become more stark. Liu Kang and his champions realize that, to win their battle against Shang Tsung and his forces of evil, they must enlist the aid of champions from other timelines. This is where Janet Cage comes in.
Janet Cage was first shown briefly in the opening cutscene of Act 4 Chapter 15: Armageddon. She enters the scene by pushing Johnny Cage to the side to take a position in front of him amidst the army of fighters amassed by Liu Kang to combat Shang Tsung’s forces. She’s seen wearing athletic attire, sunglasses, and a golden chain necklace with the letter “J” as a pendant. The name “Janet” can be seen tattooed on her left side near the ribs. Janet Cage is shown again in a cutscene as players progress throughthe final chapter ofMortal Kombat 1’s Story Modefighting a Goro variant wielding four large hammers alongside Johnny Cage and an alternate Johnny Cage called Ninja Mime. The group successfully knocks Goro into an abyss but is shortly after pulled in as well.
Janet Cage is one of thealternate reality versions of the familiarMortal Kombatcombatantsbrought into the fray from a parallel timeline. She is among many interesting and often humorous variants that players must face in battle as they progress through the final chapter of the game. These other variations include a Sub-Zero/Nitara hybrid called Frostbite, a Sindel-meets-Reptile called Lizard Queen, and a blend of General Shao and Johnny Cage called John Kahner, among many others. There are also female versions of characters such as Reptile, Sub-Zero, and Ermac that players can face.
With the introduction ofalternate timelines in theMortal Kombatuniverseall happening simultaneously, there is an opportunity to see more variations on traditional characters such as those shown in the final chapter ofMortal Kombat 1. WithMortal Kombat 1expected to be supported for several years moving forward, it will be interesting to see how this reveal of alternate character variations inspires the content to come.
Mortal Kombat 1is available now for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X|S.
