Mortal Kombat Retcons Kabal’s Mask Origin

Kabal, the masked speedster mercenary, has had his mask’s origin story retconned in Simon McQuoid’s Mortal Kombat (2021). Like most of the exciting film’s many characters, Kabal’s changes are mostly limited to his backstory more than to his appearance. One of the key components of his look that has remained unaltered is his trademark respirator mask. However, the helmet’s origins, tied directly into his new backstory, involves another one of the movie’s human characters, as well as a shift in allegiance that some fans might not have seen coming.

Kabal debuted in the Mortal Kombat 3 (1995) video game as a playable character whose most defining physical attribute was his supernatural speed. Kabal’s first storyline introduced him as a gun-for-hire from Earthrealm who belonged to the Black Dragon crime syndicate. While he’s never been a certified hero, such as hallmark Earthrealm defenders like Sonya Blade and Liu Kang, Kabal’s loyalties did shift across the course of several iterations, serving as both protagonist and antagonist in various storylines. Originally, he fought against the evil Shao Kahn after the latter’s extermination squads deformed his face and forced him to don the mask. In McQuoid’s Mortal Kombat, Kabal still has his incredible pace, and his affiliation to the Black Dragon clan, but this mercenary is far from Earthrealm when the audience meets him.

That’s because Kabal’s services, complete with deadly hookswords, have been acquired by Shang Tsung, lord of Outworld. The audience learns right away that although Kabal is now Outworld’s resident, he used to live on Earthrealm, and he’s still very familiar with another fighter who still does: Kano (Josh Lawson). In fact, in Mortal Kombat, Kabal’s mask origin story is retconned to make Kano the man responsible for injuring Kabal so badly that he needs the mask to breathe. The gruesome damage to Kabal’s face happened when both he and Kano were working for the Black Dragon.

Kano and Kabal meet in Raiden’s temple after Shang Tsung sends Kabal to reason with his old accomplice. It’s a good move too, because Kabal and Kano, whatever their rivalry, definitely have a personality trait in common. Their shared greed and amorality prove to be integral to the Mortal Kombat story, as Kabal convinces Kano that he’ll be paid whatever he wants if he betrays Raiden and the other Earthrealm defenders. True to form, as Kabal describes Kano as a certified “scumbag” Kano takes Kabal’s deal, defects to Outworld’s evil ranks, and breaks Raiden’s force field from the inside, compromising the temple defenses.

This backstory retcon of Kano being the cause of Kabal’s horrible injury when they both worked for the Black Dragon does create a personal connection between the two that’s helpful for the movie’s more general plot, but although there’s animosity in their dialogue, their rivalry is never truly realized in the film. For a deformity that has relegated Kabal to wearing a respirator, he’s happy to let Kano off the hook, so long as they’re on the same side. The retcon might have worked a little better if what Kano did to Kabal was specified, but perhaps that explanation is better saved for another story, like Mortal Kombat 2. In any case, the fact that Kabal never strikes for payback is lucky for Kano, considering their fraught past, but this Mortal Kombat retcon definitely applies an interesting twist to a character whose ominous look deserves a fascinating origin.

About The Author