Mortal Kombat 11 Teases Spawn/Batman Connection

Fans still have a few days left to wait for Spawn to appear as a playable character in Mortal Kombat 11, but it already seems quite obvious that developer NetherRealm Studios has put in a lot of effort to please longtime fans. Today, NetherRealm gave fans a closer look at the character’s appearance in the game through the latest Kombat Kast. During the Twitch stream, an exchange is shown between Raiden and Spawn, in which the former tells the latter that he reminds him of “another dark knight.” While the exchange would be cool enough if it ended right there, Spawn takes it one step further, referencing “the billion-dollar crusader.”

Comic readers might recall that Spawn and Batman previously met in two crossover events released during the ’90s, one of which was drawn by Spawn creator Todd McFarlane. Raiden has also encountered Batman on two separate occasions, as well. Raiden appeared as a playable fighter in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, and in Injustice 2. Since the character mentions that “we are both well-traveled,” he could easily be referring to either of those games. Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is not part of the current Mortal Kombat series timeline, but Raiden has been established as one of the characters that remembers previous events in the series.

While Spawn expresses a fondness for Batman in the clip, he’s clearly less fond of another DC Comics character. In another clip released today, Spawn encounters the Joker, causing the hero to expresses his disdain for clowns in general. While the comment is made for comedic effect, it’s also a reference to Violator, one of Spawn’s oldest enemies from the comics. Violator is a demon that trains Hellspawns, but in his human form, he goes by “The Clown,” with an appearance that matches his name.

While continuity buffs will appreciate Spawn’s Batman reference, there is another layer to the comment. In addition to the comic reference, Spawn’s voice actor in the game, Keith David, is good friends with longtime Batman voice actor, Kevin Conroy. So, Spawn wasn’t exaggerating when he mentioned their friendship!

Are you a fan of the various references made to Spawn’s continuity in Mortal Kombat 11? Are you excited to play as the character when he releases next week? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!