Some Shadow Priests enter a cave, where they find a grave full of the bones of Shang Tsung. They take Shang's bones back to Shao Kahn, who asks them if they've prepared everything. One of the priests presents Kahn with a potion, which he says is an ancient formula known only to the Shadow Priests. Kahn says they will begin.

He pours some of the liquid onto the bones, which cause them to reform. Once the skeleton is in place, skin appears onto it, as Shang is remade. One of the Shadow Priests says that the resurrection is complete -Shang Tsung lives again! But when Shang turns around, Shao Kahn immediately hits him.

Kahn tells him he failed, his defeat in Mortal Kombat cost him the Earthrealm. Shang says he paid for his mistakes with his life -no one can fathom the damnation he has been through! For years, his soul has been trapped in a tortured inferno. Kahn tells him to remember this well, as if he fails him again, he'll spend eternity there. But he is willing to give him one last chance to prove himself worthy.

Kahn says he has gained possession of a force that's so great, it'll give him ultimate power, and reduce even Rayden to a mere mortal. He pulls an orb out of a fire and says it has infinite power. He uses it to create a powerful gust of wind, and says whoever possesses the orb has the key to control the very elements of Earthrealm. Fire, wind, water, earth -and it includes Rayden's powers. Shang says this is most extraordinary, but asks what it has to do with him. A Shadow Priest says they've learnt that the more innately evil the possessor, the more intense is the power of the orb.

Kahn tells Shang that few have ever existed more malevolent than him. Shang asks what the plan is. Kahn says that first, he will send warriors into Earthrealm to lure out Rayden's minions. Then, Shang is to surprise them with the power of the orb -they'll never know what hit them. Rayden will have no choice but to come forward and defend his pathetic mortals, but the orb will render the God of Thunder powerless!

Once Rayden and his minions have been wiped out, Shang is to return to Outworld. Kahn says that then, he will send a mighty army to conquer the Earthrealm. Shang says he is honored to carry out the great emperor's commands. Kahn warns him that if he fails again, he will be banished to the void for eternity. Shang takes the orb, as Kahn and the Shadow Priests leave. Shang says he will gladly take revenge on Rayden and his minions... before he destroys Shao Kahn! Then, he will rule Outworld and the Earthrealm.

On Earth, the team are doing maintenance on the dragon jets. Jax tells Rayden to make sure he doesn't get his feet wet whilst everyone else is working. Rayden suddenly emits lightning from his body and collapses. As the team check on him, Jax tells him he doesn't look too good. Kitana asks him if something's wrong, but Rayden claims he's fine. Jax thinks he's hiding something.

Nightwolf then contacts them and tells them to take a break, as he needs them all in the main chamber now. He tells the team that there isn't a rip this time, but there is an irregularity in the Earth's elemental pattern. He shows them video clips of bizarre environmental disasters unfolding all around the Earthrealm, such as floods in the desert. It's as if someone was messing with mother nature herself.

Jax asks Rayden if this phenomenon is connected to him somehow. Rayden admits that something is interfering with his powers. Nightwolf then reports that they've got a dimensional rip. Jax says he can't go as he's not feeling right. He tells them to go, he'll join them if he's feeling better. The team move out, but Rayden nearly collapses again.

Jax asks him what's going on, and helps him to a chair. Rayden says that whatever is messing with the elemental pattern is somehow effecting him. His powers are acting very strange, and he feels like he's losing them. Jax asks how they're going to handle this. Rayden says he's no stranger to being powerless, such as having no power in Outworld. But this is Earth, where he draws his greatest strength. Something is definitely interfering with nature. Meanwhile, the team arrive at the location of the rip, where a bunch of Cybers have come through the portal.

The team start fighting the Cybers. Nightwolf and Kiva merge and take down some Cybers. The team soon have the Cybers beaten, and knock them back through the portal. Striker says he's sealing it, but before he can, the entire team get hit by a powerful blast of wind, which knocks them all back.

Shang Tsung then appears and says they meet again... for the last time. Liu thinks this can't be, but Shang explains that the emperor has resurrected him. He's waited a long time to take his revenge on Liu Kang. Liu says he's ready to meet the challenge, as he's defeated him in the Mortal Kombat tournament, and he can certainly do it again. Shang says this time, he cannot win. He uses the orbs power...

...to blow apart the ground, creating a fissure. Shang tells the weaklings to run, run from the new master of their realm. The team fall but manage to land on solid ground, but see a pool of lava beneath them. Sonya says they won't be alive long in this blistering heat. Shang tells them that their fate rests in Rayden's hands. Now that he's defeated Liu Kang, he has had a taste of vengeance. He wants them to tell Rayden that unless he comes here, he'll close the fissure and crush the life out of them.

The team contact base and explain what's happened. Rayden can't believe Shang was able to do this, but Liu says this isn't the same Shang Tsung. He tells him about the orb, which seems to control all the powers of nature. Nightwolf says he's not sure what Rayden can do, but Sub-Zero is really suffering. None of them can take this intense heat for too much longer. Sonya says she can't wait to see Rayden blow Shang away with a few well-placed bolts. Rayden tells Jax that telling the team about his situation could definitely spoil the rest of their day. So he instead tells them to tell Shang Tsung he's coming.

Rayden and Jax leave the base in a dragon jet. Rayden says he hopes he won't have to get use to this painfully slow method of transport. Jax thinks that's funny, but says that as they may not make it out of this alive, he asks him to answer a personal question. Rayden says why not, as if they do survive, no one will ever believe he confided in him. Jax asks him why he decided to stick around Earthrealm with all this warring going on, as a God he could have chosen almost any realm. Rayden says the truth is, he has become connected to the very essence of this unique planet, with its amazing diversity of life. He draws his power from one of its many natural wonders. Earthrealm possesses great power, but it is also remarkably fragile. Too few mortals realize that over a hundred species perish from the planet every day. In his soul, he feels the people of this realm are good, and they do care what happens.

He believes in humanity, and the power of the human spirit can be the most amazing force imaginable... plus he's always been a sucker for the underdog. He then tells Jax it's his turn for a confession, and wants to know why he gave up a relatively normal life for one of constant struggle and sacrifice. Jax says he guesses he really loves this place too. He knows if they let the other realms take over, Earth will be totally thrashed, so he keeps fighting. Rayden laughs and says it's ironic that now he's been reduced to one of the underdogs. Jax says that being mortal doesn't mean being a wimp. Their little band of mortals has pulled off some amazing stuff.

Rayden assures him that even without his special powers, he's ten times the combatant of any of them -after all, he does have thousands of years more experience. Jax thinks he'd modest, too. He gives Rayden some advice: there are times were they're up against so much, he doesn't think he can go on. But then he joined forces with the others, and working together they pull off miracles. Rayden says he has no doubt he can easily defeat Shang Tsung, but unfortunately, it is this strange orb he is truly up against.

They arrive at the place the dimensional rip is, but their jet is immediately blasted by a bolt of energy. Rayden says nature's power is in the wrong hands, as the jet crashes into a forest and slides forward until it comes to a stop next to the fissure. Shang Tsung appears, who says they're all his now. He uses the orb to blast the jet.

This causes the canopy to burst off, but Shang realizes Rayden isn't there. He hears Rayden's voice, asking if he's looking for him and if he's a little nervous. Shang tells him he can't hide, he challenges him to Mortal Kombat! Rayden says he accepts, and starts fighting him. He lands several hits on Shang.

But Shang tells him to have a taste of his own lightning, and blasts Rayden with the orb. He then kicks him and tells him he can't escape. He then uses the orb again, this time blasting the ground to cause some lava to spill out. As he resumes blasting at Rayden, Jax uses the opportunity to send a rope down the fissure.

Nightwolf and the others start to climb out of the fissure. Up top, Rayden gets blasted again. Shang then sees what Jax is doing, so he tells Rayden to watch as he squeezes the life out of his precious mortals. Jax tells everyone to hurry, as Shang is onto them, but Shang then hits the ground with a blast of power from the orb.

This makes the fissure start closing up. Rayden uses this chance to charge into Shang, causing him to drop the orb. But the fissure is still closing, so Jax goes after the orb and manages to grab it.

Jax throws the orb to Rayden and tells him to close the fissure if he can. Rayden catches the orb and concentrates, managing to stop the fissure from crushing all of the team. The team pull themselves out of the fissure.

Rayden tells Shang that now, they'll see how he does without nature backing him up. Shang tells him he's nothing without his powers, but Rayden reveals he's gotten his powers back. But he decides not to use his special talents, he's going to kick Shang's sorry tail mortal style! He throws the orb to Jax, as Shang throws out a skull fireball at him.

Rayden avoids it and then lands several hits on Shang. Sonya tells Rayden to finish him, but Rayden says he has a better idea. He's going to let the emperor deal with him. He opens a portal up behind Shang and then gives him one final kick.

Shang is sent through the portal. Rayden says he suspects that things didn't turn out the way Shao Kahn had planned. He then closes up the portal, and says Shao Kahn's revenge on Shang should be brutal. Jax gives him the orb back and tells him it's good to have him back to normal.

Rayden says it's not that he enjoyed being blasted around, but he did benefit from the experience. It proved, as he has always believed, that mortals can accomplish amazing feats. Jax says they just have to get in there and dig it up. Sonya is surprised the two of them are acting like friends, but Jax says there's no chance of that. Rayden thinks a sea slug would have been wittier company.

Kitana says the orb has all the power of nature. Nightwolf says it seems like once the orb was out of evil hands, everything returned to normal. Rayden says the orb is essentially not evil, like nature herself. The orb was driven to evil by Shang. Stryker asks him what he'll do with the orb now. Rayden says nature is perfection when she is left to her own devices. This orb possesses far too much power, so they can't ever risk it falling into corrupt hands again. He then creates another portal, and throws the orb into it.

This causes a large explosion. As everyone shields their eyes, none of them see another person get to the portal and jump through it. Liu asks Rayden where he sent the orb. Rayden says into space, where it should be safe from evil.