Mortal Kombat Characters Almost Joined the DC Universe

The characters of the Mortal Kombat universe have had run-ins with heroes like Batman and Superman, most notably in games like Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe and Injustice: Gods Among Us. However, the connections between the two franchises almost went much deeper! In a thread on Twitter, comic book writer Gail Simone recounted a time when former DC co-publisher Dan DiDio shared a list of Warner Bros. owned properties that could not only be given new comics pitches, but would have also had the opportunity to be put “in the DCU proper.” Simone had an opportunity to pitch one, and chose Mortal Kombat. 

Simone’s pitch would have seen the Mortal Kombat characters integrated in a manner similar to the characters of Charlton Comics in the ’80s. Simone’s logic at the time was that a Mortal Kombat comic series could help fulfill needs for both franchises. For Mortal Kombat, it would have been an opportunity to “cement the lore,” clearing up the timeline and making things less confusing. For the DC Universe, Simone felt that Mortal Kombat included two types of characters that DC was missing compared with Marvel: “martial artists and gods.” 

Integrating Mortal Kombat Favorites

Simone specifically mentioned how Marvel has a “more integrated god mythology than DC,” specifically listing prominent characters like Odin, Loki, and Sif. Folding the Mortal Kombat characters into the DC Universe could have helped to change that, presumably through gods like Raiden and Fujin. In terms of martial arts, Simone also envisioned an annual tournament that could have included DC heroes. Simone specially mentioned match-ups like Superman vs. Raiden, Black Canary vs. Sonya Blade, and Plastic Man vs. Scorpion. 

Simone worked on the pitch for a year, and if it had been given the greenlight, Mortal Kombat would have seen three ongoing books at DC. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be; while Simone did not go into specific detail, she noted that her pitch “fell through for simple corporate stuff.” 

Rebooting the Mortal Kombat Lore

While Simone started out feeling that Mortal Kombat’s mythology needed cementing, the writer wrapped her thread by noting that Mortal Kombat 1 “does a fantastic job laying out the new lore, it’s really excellent and the writing is top notch.” As a result, the franchise might no longer need her vision, but it’s interesting to think what might have been! Past WB acquisitions like Blue Beetle and Captain Marvel have gone on to become a major part of the DC Universe proper, and the characters of Mortal Kombat could have fit in well, if things were handled correctly. For now, fans will just have to settle for the occasional video game match-up between these two universes! 

How would you have felt about the characters of Mortal Kombat joining the DC Universe? Do you think it would have worked the way it did for the Charlton characters? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!