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DO NOT PROVOKE A GOD! A Raiden Retrospective

Charybdis

We are returned! Death to the False Emperor!
Time for a flashback now. In these trying times, by which I mean both the content desert as we wait to see precisely what NRS is up to and the last week of June, with both a heatwave and the World Cup meaning work is for suckers, it’s often best to delve into the back catalogue of the internet and see what turns up. Well, look no further, for I bring unto you FIVE AND A HALF HOURS of classic Netherkast retrospective on the God of Thunder and Protector of Earthrealm, Lord Raiden!



This was the first of the current, and best, wave of Netherkast retrospectives which has since included Liu Kang (link), Johnny Cage (link) and Shang Tsung (link), with @Shad and Razor steadily working their way through the entire Mortal Kombat roster one incredibly detailed discussion at a time.

Just as Johnny Cage shows the influence of Jean Claude Van Damme and Bloodsport upon the conception of Mortal Kombat, and Liu Kang and Shang Tsung Bruce Lee and Enter the Dragon, Raiden evidences probably the other most powerful influence on Mortal Kombat, Big Trouble in Little China.




An incredibly awesome piece of 80s cheese featuring God Amongst Men, Kurt Russell, this Carpenter classic had a huge influence on Shang Tsung’s character….


http://cdn3-www.mandatory.com/assets/mandatory/legacy/2016/01/man_file_1064654_1LoPan.png
….but its most prescient influence on MK was in ‘Lightning’, easily the most eye catching of the warriors known as the ‘Three Storms’. I’m going to just present the following without context.

There’s a fine line between ‘inspiration and homage’ and ‘let’s just do that too’


From there, Raiden has grown and grown, originally from a cold, somewhat unfeeling God to the mentor and protector of the heroes ultimately making the final sacrifice to attempt to defeat Onaga to the borderline antagonistic Dark Raiden to the unfortunate God of Blunder in MK9 and then to his redemption in MKX. He’s become synonymous with the franchise, one of the most easily recognisable faces of Mortal Kombat and of fighting games as a whole, and is generally regarded as one of the ‘trinity’ of Mortal Kombat, alongside fellow MK1 alumni Scorpion and Sub Zero.



And there’s no better place to learn everything there is to learn about the God of Thunder than right here, in two parts for your listening pleasure!



https://youtu.be/LUUcIh9DlMY
Big thanks to the Netherkast boys and, as always, be sure to check back to TYM daily for everything NRS!
 

HeavyNorse

#BlackLivesMatter
Wait... why aren't these videos on their channel?

Edit: Oh, it's an old retrospective... whauw.
 
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MKF30

Fujin and Ermac for MK 11
Raiden's awesome, he's also way more powerful than the storms dudes from BTLC. I always got a kick out of their ridiculously sized hats lol. I never understood the hate he got in MK 9 though, I mean LK's death was his own fault(you don't fucking attack a God lol) secondly, regardless of some timeline changes which always happens with any kind of time travel, I mean even Flash, Doc Brown make mistakes lol.

Raiden still saved Earthrealm ultimately and defeated Shao Kahn preventing Armageddon in the future. My biggest issue with him is they nerf his power 99% of the time, I guess to make it interesting he suffers from the Superman complex, shows too much mercy and holds backkk wayy too much most of the time. Still, one of gamings most badass, powerful characters easily.
 

Jynks

some heroes are born, some made, some wondrous
There is a fine line between something ripping something off, something being inspired by and something just being similar but having nothing to do with it.


Thor is not ripping off Mortal Kombat in these scenes for example.. even though this could literally be a scene from a MK film.

There is no denying that Big Trouble is a influential classic and that the 3 Storms show some similarities, but then again, Lightning Powers in a common Chinese super king-fu power, used in MANY films. Yes, even the hats, that is also common. That is where BT got the idea from in the first place as the entire film is an inport of Chinese film cliches. So who is copying who? Yes Raidian looks the same, bit he also looks the same as other Chinese magical kung-fu movies, like StormRiders for example.

Seeing one thing and saying it is because of something else as they have some traits in common is a gross misunderstanding of how ideas work.
 

MKF30

Fujin and Ermac for MK 11
Thor is also inspired by Norse Mythology similar to that of Raijin of Japanese mythology God of Thunder, but interpreted differently.

I don't think Raiden or Thor rip each other off they look nothing alike and their powers come from different origins as well as different backstory. I think Thor recently has similar effects to that of Raiden with the way the lightning swims around his body, and glowing eyes. His eyes rarely if ever glow in the comics, where Raiden's are always glowing so I can see why some people would think that. Though I did laugh a little when I watched Ragnarok when Thor did pull a Raiden with that lunge move haha.
 

Charybdis

We are returned! Death to the False Emperor!
There is a fine line between something ripping something off, something being inspired by and something just being similar but having nothing to do with it.


Thor is not ripping off Mortal Kombat in these scenes for example.. even though this could literally be a scene from a MK film.

There is no denying that Big Trouble is a influential classic and that the 3 Storms show some similarities, but then again, Lightning Powers in a common Chinese super king-fu power, used in MANY films. Yes, even the hats, that is also common. That is where BT got the idea from in the first place as the entire film is an inport of Chinese film cliches. So who is copying who? Yes Raidian looks the same, bit he also looks the same as other Chinese magical kung-fu movies, like StormRiders for example.

Seeing one thing and saying it is because of something else as they have some traits in common is a gross misunderstanding of how ideas work.

It was a joke.....
 

Cursa

Counterpoke with armoured DB2 at all times.
Dude Jesus wore shoes back when he was alive, I bet Raiden took the idea off of him the cheeky electric fuck
 

MKF30

Fujin and Ermac for MK 11
And yet, MKX is about attacking Shinnok lol.
I should have been more specific lol, you don't attack a God trying to help your world lmao. Shinnok's case was different since that was invasion lol. To be fair.
 

Icefyre

Shadows
I should have been more specific lol, you don't attack a God trying to help your world lmao. Shinnok's case was different since that was invasion lol. To be fair.
Well, I wouldn't consider killing the reigning champion of the MK1 and MK2 tournaments (in that particular timeline), someone considered to be one of, if the not the, best martial artists Earthrealm has to offer to be particularly helpful to your world lol. :p
 

MKF30

Fujin and Ermac for MK 11
Well, I wouldn't consider killing the reigning champion of the MK1 and MK2 tournaments (in that particular timeline), someone considered to be one of, if the not the, best martial artists Earthrealm has to offer to be particularly helpful to your world lol. :p
More like self defense using too much power lol, LK attacked Raiden remember lol I mean was Raiden supposed to let LK punch him? lol :p Besides, pretty sure most would agree that Shao Kahn would have murderstomped LK. LK is arrogant, thinks he's the only one who can protect Earthrealm because he won 2 MK tournaments(with rules mind you) Shao Kahn was OP by that point when he merged the realms. I agree about him being one of the top Martial Artists in MK and probably best on Earth, but doesn't mean he was the most powerful/suitable to protect it at that point in time. LK could have just listened to Raiden too you know lol he'd still be alive, just saying:D
 

Parasurama

Dragon
More like self defense using too much power lol, LK attacked Raiden remember lol I mean was Raiden supposed to let LK punch him? lol :p Besides, pretty sure most would agree that Shao Kahn would have murderstomped LK. LK is arrogant, thinks he's the only one who can protect Earthrealm because he won 2 MK tournaments(with rules mind you) Shao Kahn was OP by that point when he merged the realms. I agree about him being one of the top Martial Artists in MK and probably best on Earth, but doesn't mean he was the most powerful/suitable to protect it at that point in time. LK could have just listened to Raiden too you know lol he'd still be alive, just saying:D
LK won that fight in the original timeline (with no rules) then beat Shinnok afterwards too. It was very silly the way LK died actually... And the purpose was simply to make him a villain which I accept and can understand but Raiden killing him with some lightning... Whatever.
 

MKF30

Fujin and Ermac for MK 11
lol@Thor being a good movie, it was trash. MK 1 movie was much better. The only Thor film good was the last one.

LK won that fight in the original timeline (with no rules) then beat Shinnok afterwards too. It was very silly the way LK died actually... And the purpose was simply to make him a villain which I accept and can understand but Raiden killing him with some lightning... Whatever.
He won in both original MK tournaments timelines with rules btw, the only tournament he won without rules was MK 4 but once Raiden from the future changed the past, everything changed except for a few things one of which Shao Kahn's future as we know, in original he was defeated but not killed and then killed everyone in MK Armageddon gaining ultimate power. In the current timeline, Raiden and the Elder Gods prevented that with his death. Shinnok and Quan Chi's plans played out the same more or less but Earthrealm still won without LK...

I don't think it was silly but I do think it was unfortunate, I mean Raiden DID warn him quite a few times verbally and physically and yet LK arrogantly thought "only he could save Earthrealm" so what's he do? Attacks Raiden lol....because that went well. Despite people hating Raiden for accidentally killing LK, he was right as the Elder Gods proved regarding the rules of invasion that Shao Kahn foolishly thought would go unpunished. Even Shinnok foresaw this outcome at the end of MK 9.

LK for what it's worth died originally in the older timeline anyway in not exactly great way, I mean Shang Tsung and Quan team up on him, and Quan breaks his neck? Just seemed anti climatic for the champion of MK to go out like that.
 

Cursa

Counterpoke with armoured DB2 at all times.
So much lolling going on here.
I just imagine you guys sitting alone in a silent room, going "HAH!" and then silence again.
I am because I am thinking of Thor Ragnarok which was such a great movie and pushed me to laughter so much I began crying uncontrollably and asked my ex to take me back but then she said no because it would just end up the same way as last time where I told her I'm a change man because my life has turned around for the better and I'm off the drinks now but she said you'll just go straight back to them like last time and I'll lose the kids again and have to get a new job.
 

Parasurama

Dragon
I think they just didn't know what to do with him by deadly alliance because he won everything by then.
Whichever way fate is decided... It is always written by someone. Like I said... I do not mind the new LK. Let us see what will happen next.

lol@Thor being a good movie, it was trash. MK 1 movie was much better. The only Thor film good was the last one.



He won in both original MK tournaments timelines with rules btw, the only tournament he won without rules was MK 4 but once Raiden from the future changed the past, everything changed except for a few things one of which Shao Kahn's future as we know, in original he was defeated but not killed and then killed everyone in MK Armageddon gaining ultimate power. In the current timeline, Raiden and the Elder Gods prevented that with his death. Shinnok and Quan Chi's plans played out the same more or less but Earthrealm still won without LK...

I don't think it was silly but I do think it was unfortunate, I mean Raiden DID warn him quite a few times verbally and physically and yet LK arrogantly thought "only he could save Earthrealm" so what's he do? Attacks Raiden lol....because that went well. Despite people hating Raiden for accidentally killing LK, he was right as the Elder Gods proved regarding the rules of invasion that Shao Kahn foolishly thought would go unpunished. Even Shinnok foresaw this outcome at the end of MK 9.

LK for what it's worth died originally in the older timeline anyway in not exactly great way, I mean Shang Tsung and Quan team up on him, and Quan breaks his neck? Just seemed anti climatic for the champion of MK to go out like that.
 

MKF30

Fujin and Ermac for MK 11
I think they just didn't know what to do with him by deadly alliance because he won everything by then.
Whichever way fate is decided... It is always written by someone. Like I said... I do not mind the new LK. Let us see what will happen next.
Yeah I hear ya, I don't mind a darker LK or Raiden. Though I have to admit I kind of liked pissed off Zombie LK lol. Sometimes when writing it's tough to come up with newer ideas for certain characters. But yeah I am curious to see the plot from here on out.