Even Mortal Kombat’s Sub-Zero Isn’t Safe From Ghost Rider’s Penance Stare

While Bi-Han, aka Sub-Zero, is one of the most formidable fighters in the entire Mortal Kombat lineup, even he isn’t safe from Ghost Rider’s Penance Stare. Sub-Zero and Scorpion originated as enemies from two opposing clans. In one storyline, Sub-Zero was responsible for killing Scorpion, causing him to fall into the Netherrealm and return as a demonic warrior. While that story has since been retconned, the comic in which it was written offers fans a deeper insight into Sub-Zero, proving that even with all his strength, he isn’t immune to the hellish powers of Marvel Comics’ Ghost Rider. 

In the 1992 comic one-shot Mortal Kombat by John Tobias, Ted Adams, and John Vogel, fans are given the story of how each fighter ended up entering the tournament as the comic takes place right before Mortal Kombat was to begin. Before the fight, Sub-Zero is ambushed by Scorpion who tells Bi-Han that he will be looking forward to killing him in the tournament to avenge his own murder two years prior. 

The panel depicting Scorpion threatening Sub-Zero makes it apparent that Bi-Han wouldn’t last a second against Ghost Rider. Scorpion is able to sneak up behind Sub-Zero and grab him by his collar, and even tells the vicious fighter to, “Look into my eyes”. Scorpion stops himself before he lays a potentially fatal blow as that would be breaking the rules of the tournament, but if Ghost Rider had approached Sub-Zero in the same manner, Bi-Han’s soul would be burned by way of Ghost Rider’s Penance Stare. 

While there are limitations to Ghost Rider’s Penance Stare, the biggest one being it doesn’t work against those who have no morality or see their evil actions as being justified, Mortal Kombat lore proves that Sub-Zero does not qualify for that particular exemption. After years of violence, Bi-Han’s soul became tainted which was proven when he was finally killed by Scorpion. Sub-Zero’s soul was sent to the Fifth Plane where the evil Quan Chi resurrected him and turned him into Noob Saibot, something that could not have taken place if Sub-Zero was at his core a good person. 

On the surface, Sub-Zero’s violence throughout his life seems like it should be justified as he is simply a proud warrior defending his clan. However, due to the fact that his soul is canonically tainted, his evil actions are not without their consequences, leaving his essence vulnerable to Ghost Rider’s soul-burning attack. Plus, the interaction Sub-Zero had with Scorpion in this issue proves Ghost Rider could get his hands on him pretty quickly, delivering the terrifying blow before Sub-Zero would truly understand the extent of his damned fate, proving that even Mortal Kombat’s Sub-Zero isn’t safe from Ghost Rider’s Penance Stare.

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