For a thousand years a great war has been fought once a generation, between the warriors of the realm of Earth, and the realm of Outworld. Each battle takes place on an island between the two realms. There are no armies, only single warriors fighting face to face in a secret tournament. But though the number of warriors is very small, the stakes are enormous. The fate of the realm of Earth hangs in the balance. For five centuries, Outworld has won every tournament -nine in a row. They must not win the tenth tournament... they must not win Mortal Kombat.

Three warriors have been chosen above all others as the last best hope for the realm of Earth. Liu Kang, trained by village monks. Lieutenant Sonya Blade, US special forces. And Johnny Cage, famous Hollywood star. These three do not know why they have been chosen for this mystical and mysterious tournament. None realizes that this boat is taking them to the greatest adventure of their lives. None of them yet understands the power of the magic which surrounds the tournament of Mortal Kombat, or why so many warriors who came before them failed...

Liu Kang, Sonya Blade and Johnny Cage are all on a boat, which is heading to the place where the tournament is going to be held. Sonya tries using her radio to contact her allies, but it's not working. Meanwhile, Johnny Cage is being seasick.

Sonya asks them if they know where she can find the captain. She's looking for him because she was given a tip that a wanted man was going to be on this ship. Johnny says he's a wanted man -everyone wants him! Liu says this tournament is by invitation only, so how was she able to get on this boat if she's not a competitor? Sonya just says she walked on, and then says she has got to find the captain.

As she walks off, Liu and Johnny see a storm cloud up ahead, even though there wasn't a cloud in the sky a minute ago. Sonya meets someone else, who won't let her pass. Sonya shows him her badge and tells him to move. She places her hand on his shoulder, but she she does, her arm gets frozen!

A man walks out, and asks Sonya if he can be of assistance. He's says he's Shang Tsung, the tournament master, and the emperor's emissary. Sonya doesn't care about that and says she has a job to do. Shang tells her she may think she's pursuing a dangerous criminal, but she has been chosen to participate in their great tournament: Mortal Kombat. He says Johnny and Liu have also been chosen, and then uses magic to lift them up...

...and drop them down. He tells Sonya that her radio won't work where they're going, and then leaves with the guy in blue. Johnny thinks he gave Sonya the cold shoulder, but Liu thinks this is no time for jokes.

Sonya keeps trying to use her radio, but it just won't work. She says that a lot of weird stuff is going on around here. Liu says that in his village, there is an ancient temple, and all his life the old monks told him stories about the great tournament. He'd always thought they were just fairy tales. Nearby, Shang tells Sub-Zero that those three are the most dangerous adversaries. He states that if the three of them were to fail to reach the island because of some tragic accident, Outworld will win the tenth tournament. Sub-Zero takes the hint, and heads off.

As he does, Scorpion appears. Shang tells him that for him to secure a place in the hallowed victory hall of his clan, he must kill Sub-Zero himself. If the three warriors from Earth kill Sub-Zero, he'll never have his chance. He tells Scorpion to help Sub-Zero now, then he can personally kill him later. As Shang leaves, Scorpion starts following Sub-Zero.

Johnny tells Liu that he and Sonya think maybe they should hear more of those fairly tales he'd mentioned earlier. But they then notice Sub-Zero behind them, who throws out an ice projectile. It freezes part of the floor, causing Johnny to slip and crash into some crates.

Sub-Zero throws another ice ball out, but Sonya blocks it with a crate. He then throws another ice ball at Liu, but he leaps over it. Sonya then leaps over and kicks Sub-Zero a couple of times.

Liu then kicks him in the back, and they're all about to gang up on him when Scorpion suddenly appears. He teleports behind Liu, and tries to get him with a jump kick. But Liu is ready for him, and throws him to the ground.

Sonya tries to kick him, but he teleports again. He attacks Johnny from behind, but Liu then hits him with his bicycle kick technique. Meanwhile, Sonya gets Sub-Zero with her handstand grab throw, and he gets sent crashing down through the boat.

Scorpion throws a spear out, which wraps around Sonya. He tells her to get over here, but then his rope gets hit by a bolt of lightning. The rope is cut, and Scorpion falls over backwards, sending him down to where Sub-Zero went. Rayden appears, and Liu recognizes him -he's the god of thunder, the protector of the realm of Earth. Sonya doesn't think that makes any sense, but Johnny says who cares.

Rayden tells him he should care, and zaps him. Shang then walks back out, and thinks Rayden being here is an unexpected surprise. He asks what they owe the honor of his visit, and Rayden accuses him of sending his warriors against his own.

Shang says he sent no one, and suggests they were all engaging in a little warm-up exercise. Rayden calls it an ambush, which is strictly forbidden by the rules of Mortal Kombat. He tells Shang to see that it does not happen again. Shang says of course, and offers his sincerest apologies. He and Sub-Zero walk off, whilst Scorpion teleports away.

Rayden says that should not have happened. Johnny wants to know who that guy was, and Rayden tells them that Shang Tsung is a great sorcerer. Shang's power is second only to the emperor of Outworld. Liu says that in the legends, Outworld is a realm that exists on another plane, separated from Earth by a mystical doorway. Only the Mortal Kombat tournament can unlock it. Johnny says he was invited to this secret tournament to prove he's the best, and finds it hard to believe they're on their way to fight people from a parallel universe. He says it's not in his contract, but Rayden says he has no choice. A thousand years ago, Shang Tsung became the tournament master by challenging the Earth's finest fighters from the temple of the Order of Light...

Rayden explains that Shang easily defeated the students of the temple master. In the final bout, Shang met the temple master himself, a man of great skill and wisdom. Shang had perfected his own dark skills over many centuries, and easily overcame the temple master's attacks. It was if he could read the temple master's thoughts, and know what he'd do next. This was because of his magic -he could probe a human soul and know its secret desires and fears. The temple master realized this, and cleared his mind. But it wasn't enough, and the great tournament was changed forever. From that day forth, Mortal Kombat would be a ruthless contest for the domination of the realm of Earth. A battle where cunning and magic would overcome honor and experience, and change it to treacherous, desperate and deadly.

Shang defeated the temple master. That sad day also revealed the secret of Shang's terrible power: his ability to steal the soul of his vanquished enemy.

Rayden tells everyone that, whether they like it or not, they have each been chosen to participate in this great tournament. If they lose, it shall be the last Mortal Kombat. The portals of the realm of Earth will be thrown open to the armies of Outworld, and the Earth will be destroyed. The fate of the Earth is in their hands, and only mortals, the best fighters of their generation, can stop this from happening. They must be better than all who have fought before them, and succeed where they have failed. They must win this final tournament -they must win Mortal Kombat.

The boat arrives at an island. Rayden says it is Shang Tsung's island, and tells everyone to never forget that Shang is a sorcerer, capable of formidable magic. Nothing as they see here is what is seems, and the island's peace and beauty are only an illusion. Shang Tsung will have them watched, so they'll never truly be alone. Johnny, Sonya and Liu arrive on the island, where they see many other warriors. They also see some large doors up ahead.

They look at the other warriors, and Johnny thinks he's still the best looking guy here. The doors then open, and Shang appears. He welcomes them to the great tournament of Mortal Kombat, and says he is the tournament master -and their humble host. Johnny then sees someone behind Shang.

He asks the others if they saw that, as it looked like that guy had four arms! Shang says they've all been carefully chosen to compete in the greatest of all tournaments. In a few hours, the tournament will begin, so until that time they can make themselves at home on this little island. They can enjoy an evening of peace and tranquility... it may be their last.

Johnny thinks this is a joke, but claims he was born to win this tournament. Sonya thinks he was born to annoy people. Johnny says he'll prove what he does up on the silver screen isn't fake. They then see Sub-Zero, and watch as he is followed by Scorpion. Rayden appears, and says Sub-Zero is from the clan of the Lin Kuei. There are very few clan members left in Outworld.

Liu says he senses something strange about Scorpion, he felt an aura. Rayden says that Scorpion is from another ninja clan of Outworld, but is also a specter. Sonya says this fight was among mortals, so how can they fight a ghost? Rayden says that specters return to the living in their mortal form, to come back and avenge something in a former life...

Rayden says that in the past, Scorpion and Sub-Zero were bitter enemies from rival clans. Their clans had often fought on the planes of Outworld, to decide who trained the best warriors. One day, Scorpion met Sub-Zero in a battle to the death. They were evenly matched, and for a long time, neither had the advantage.

But Sub-Zero eventually managed to land several hits on his opponent. Each of them possessed a special weapon, which they were each forced to use. Scorpion threw out his spear, but Sub-Zero avoided it.

Sub-Zero created in ice ball, which hit Scorpion and froze him. Sub-Zero then shattered his opponent whilst he was still frozen. Rayden tells Liu and the others to watch out for Sub-Zero!

Rayden says that as a result of Scorpion's defeat, he could not enter the sacred victory hall of the dead until he had once more redeemed the honor of his clan. He returned as a specter with all of his old skills, and some new ones. But if he again loses, his soul will be hurled into oblivion. Sonya asks why Scorpion helped Sub-Zero just now, and Rayden says it's because Scorpion must vanquish Sub-Zero himself, or his soul will be lost forever. They notice Sub-Zero nearby, and Rayden says that all of Shang Tsung's emissaries fear him, and do his bidding. If they fail him, he'll steal their souls and enslave them. Even Goro, the mightiest of them all, lives in dread of Shang Tsung's dark magic.

Johnny tells Rayden he keeps saying Shang is a demon sorcerer. Rayden says Shang is a very powerful one. Liu says that in his temple, he was taught that only mortals could compete in the great tournament. Rayden says that Shang is mortal, in spite of his great age and enormous powers -but he can be destroyed. Long ago, before Shang first entered the tournament, it was a competition of honor, hosted by the temple of the Order of Light. Liu says that is his temple in his village back home. Rayden says it used to be run by an enlightened order of men, who believed that a tournament was preferable to total warfare as a means of solving differences. Each monk was trained to be not only a philosopher and holy man, but a skilled fighter. Liu says those men trained him, but he thought they were just a bunch of silly old men telling crazy stories. Sonya says it's understandable, as she'd think the same thing -anyone would.

Johnny says he's standing here, and he still doesn't believe it. Sonya asks how Shang Tsung was able to get control of the tournament. Rayden says that for many, many generations, warriors from the two realms were evenly matched. No one dreamed that one realm could win 10 Mortal Kombats in a row. But Shang was sent by the emperor of Outworld, and brought his formidable dark magic to Mortal Kombat. The tournament became a desperate struggle for the survival of the realm of Earth. Sonya asks if Rayden can help them, but Rayden says he's not mortal, so he can't participate in the tournament directly. He can only help them realize their true potential. Johnny asks if he'll teach him how to throw a frozen ice stream from his hands, or suck somebody's soul from his body. Rayden says that is not that answer.

Liu asks how they can possibly win, and Sonya wants to know why they were chosen. Rayden tells them they have been chosen because they are the best, and will win by facing their fears and believing in themselves. They then see someone nearby, and Johnny realizes it's the guy he saw earlier. Rayden says it's Goro, the price of Shokan. As Goro walks into a cave, they all notice that Goro has four arms. Rayden says that Goro commands the legions of Nomads, which are fierce subterranean creatures who obey his every command. They'll try and stop them from winning the tournament, but they can be defeated.

Rayden says that 500 years ago, Shang Tsung had won nine victories in a row. The realm of Earth faced the unimaginable horror of the emperor's cruelty, and only one champion could stop it: a humble monk from the temple of the Order of Light called Kung Lao. Liu knows that Kung Lao was his ancestor, and Rayden says Liu is Kung Lao's direct descendant. Shang used all of his tricks, all of his dark powers against Kung Lao, but in the end goodness and strength prevailed.

Johnny thinks they can win, but wonders how or why. Rayden says the emperor of Outworld was very unhappy, and banished Shang Tsung to be a slave in the cobalt mines of Shokan. Many years later, he met prince Goro. Sonya is surprised Goro is a prince, and Rayden says he is. Goro's father was the ruler of the subterranean kingdom of Shokan, in the realm of Outworld...

Rayden says that in Shokan, there is only one law: survival of the fittest and the most ruthless. On one particular day each year, it was customary to pay tribute to the king. Durak, Goro's older brother, decided to offer his father the rarest, most precious object in the underground kingdom of Shokan. It was a jeweled Nika egg, from the deepest cavern in all of Shokan. When he returned to offer the gift to his father, Goro decided he wanted to pay tribute with the egg as well. It was decided they should fight for it.

Durak easily obtained the upper hand in the battle. Goro was about to fall, but before he did, he grabbed the egg. He hung onto the side of a cliff, and pleaded for his brother to save him. Durak took the egg from Goro...

...and then helped him up. The battle was over, and Durak was the victor. He was going to pay tribute to his father, but Goro decided he wasn't finished. He kicked Durak off the cliff, and watched as his brother was now the one hanging on. Goro asked for the egg to be passed to him, or it would be lost forever. Goro took the egg, and then looked down at his brother.

He made Durak fall to his death, and gave his father a magnificent gift. The king was very pleased and proud, because his son had become ruthless and deceiving -which was the Shokan way. From that day forth, Goro was the successor to the throne.

Rayden says that Shang Tsung promised to share power with the young Shokan prince. He brought Goro to the next tournament, where he would win each Mortal Kombat since that time: nine in a row. Liu knows that Goro beat his ancestor, Kung Lao, who had defeated Shang Tsung before. He doesn't know how Kung Lao could have lost. Rayden says that Goro was simply too great an adversary for the human Kung Lao. Shang Tsung's promise of power made Goro even more ruthless than ever...

Rayden explains that to every champion of Mortal Kombat: a very special gift is given: the gift of youth and vigor as long as they are victorious. Due to his victory in Mortal Kombat, Kung Lao did not age in the many years since he had defeated Shang Tsung. He retained all of his strength and skill, and no one in the realm of Earth could defeat him. But no one from the realm of Earth had seen a creature like Goro. Punishment that would have killed a mere man simply angered him. Kung Lao was relentless, but Goro was an engine of destruction. There were limits to the strength of even the greatest champion.

Goro defeated Kung Lao, and Earth had lost to the realm of Outworld. Shang quickly appeared, and said he would take Kung Lao's soul. He ordered Goro to finish Kung Lao, which he did.

Sonya asks that if a champion like Kung Lao couldn't win, how can they? Rayden tells them that first, they must understand the most important thing: Mortal Kombat doesn't mean death, but life. Mortal men and women, competing for what they believe in. Each one of them has the potential to change the world, and the outcome of this tournament. They must not be afraid, and be ready for new, unexpected challenges. Johnny says everything he's seen today is unexpected.

Liu says Rayden is giving them much to think about, but not enough time to learn the lessons well. Rayden says he has even less time than he thinks, as once the tournament begins, he can no longer help him. Nearby, Goro orders for the Nomads to attack.

Rayden suddenly teleports, as the Nomads surround Liu and the others. Johnny starts things off by punching one of them in the face.

The other Nomads try to gang up on them, but to no avail.

The Nomads are defeated, but Goro tells another group of them to not let Liu and the others escape. More Nomads enter the cave, so Sonya and the others start beating them up.

The fighting continues, but stops when Rayden suddenly appears. He calls out Shang's name, and Shang walks into the cave. Shang says he was out enjoying the garden, but sees that Rayden seems upset.

Rayden tells him that once again, he has defied the sacred rules of the tournament for his own power and glory. Shang says that rules, especially sacred rules, were made to be broken. Johnny tells him the only thing that's going to be broken is him!

Shang says it doesn't really matter now. There will be no more fun and games, the real contest will force them to face skills and powers beyond their wildest imagination. He tells them they have no hope of winning, so he implores them to lose with grace and dignity. Sonya says she can only see one loser here, but before she can try anything, more Nomads appear, along with Sub-Zero. Shang says to let Mortal Kombat begin, and he then teleports out of the cave.

The Nomads begin their attack, and Rayden says it has begun...

From now on, you will face formidable adversaries. Each opponent will have strange powers, incredible strength. Each has the experience from a hundred battles. Some, like Shang Tsung, use powerful magic. But each of these opponents can be defeated. Look into your souls and you will find hidden powers. The knowledge and the skill to win Mortal Kombat is within you. Now, you must find the will.

Sonya Blade. Lieutenant Blade honed her fighting skills as a member of a top US special forces unit. Her beauty, strength and power are a deadly combination.

Scorpion. A specter who must avenge his Earthly death at the hands of the sinister Sub-Zero.

Liu Kang. This noble warrior was once a member of the Order of Light temple. He is the temple's last hope for victory.

Sub-Zero. Believed to be a member of the Lin Kuei -a legendary clan of Chinese ninjas. His deep freeze leaves opponents helplessly frozen.

Johnny Cage. A movie superstar intent of proving himself to his fans by winning the tournament.

Goro. Reigning champion of Mortal Kombat for the last 500 years. No one opposing this four armed giant has survived.

Rayden. The god of thunder returns to help the three combatants realize what's really at stake in this tenth Mortal Kombat.

Shang Tsung. A sorcerer who has controlled Mortal Kombat for most of the last thousand years. He steals his opponent's souls.