Raiden/Original Timeline

Biographies

 * Mortal Kombat: "The name Raiden is actually that of a deity know as the Thunder God. It is rumored he received a personal invitation by Shang Tsung himself and took the form of a human to compete in the Tournament."


 * Mortal Kombat 2: "Watching events unfold from high above, the thunder god realizes the grim intentions of Shao Kahn. After warning the remaining members of the Shaolin Tournament, Raiden soon disappears. He is believed to have ventured into the Outworld alone."


 * Mortal Kombat Trilogy: "As Earth's sworn protector, Raiden finds himself banished in the merger between Earth and Outworld. When the Elder Gods refuse to assist him in aiding the Earth, he is forced to take matters into his own hands. He transforms himself into a mortal warrior to fight alongside his human comrades - this time risking his place in the pantheon of gods and giving up his own immortality."


 * Mortal Kombat 4: "The God of Thunder returns to Earth after the defeat of Shao Kahn, but finds a new threat when Shinnok's forces, led by Quan Chi attack the Elder Gods. With the heavens in disarray Raiden exists as one of the last Gods of Earth. He must come to the aid of his elders and put an end to his evil villainous reign of his ancient enemy."


 * Deadly Alliance: "The Elder Gods were fully aware of the potential damage the alliance between Quan Chi and Shang Tsung posed to the stability of the realms. Yet even with this foresight they all stood firm on their decision not to interfere. All, that is, except for one - Raiden. The former Thunder God pleaded with his fellow Elder Gods to take action, but they refused. Disgusted, Raiden relinquished his Elder God status and returned to Earth realm to gather support against the coming storm. Raiden returned to Earthrealm to reunite with his comrades and inform them of the impending threat from the Deadly Alliance. Those that accepted his call to arms were instructed to meet him on Shang Tsung's old island fortress, located in the Lost Sea. Once there, Raiden explained in detail the dire situation that faced not only Outworld, but Earthrealm as well. He then Shang Tsung's Nethership from the ocean depths and with it transported them all to a celestial portal known only to sorcerers and deities. They emerged to Outworld ready for battle."


 * Deception: "I was well aware of Onaga, the former ruler of Outworld. Shao Kahn had been his adviser until he poisoned the Dragon King and stole Outworld for himself. But Onaga had somehow returned, more powerful than before. His power seemed augmented by a force previously exhibited only by the Elder Gods. Even the might of the Deadly Alliance combined with my own could not defeat him. I did the only thing I could: I released my godlike essence in an attempt to destroy them all. By the time my energies reformed in Earthrealm, I was aware of all that had transpired. I became disgusted with the doings of mortals. It was Shujinko's vanity and desire for glory that had led to the return of the Dragon King. I will no longer allow the will of men to determine the fate of this realm. They will fight for it, or I will destroy them. All will fear the new God of Thunder."


 * Bio Kard: "As a last resort against the Dragon King's advance, Raiden sacrificed himself by releasing his godlike essence, thereby creating an intense ethereal blast. The Dragon King was unaffected and continues to threaten the realms."


 * Armageddon: "No longer will I entrust the safety of Earthrealm to the free will of mankind. The time has come to take matters into my own hands. Centuries ago I defeated an ancient sect of necromancers, the Houan. Though their members subsequently were scattered to the winds, their ancient underground temple still existed, abandoned and unused for ages. On the stone walls within were etched enchantments that would revive the dead. Strewn about were the enchanted chains of binding the Houan would use to control their undead. I laid the corpse of Liu Kang on a ceremonial altar and bound it with the shackles. Reciting the unholy enchantments, I brought to life the body of my former ally and infused it with a thunderclap of lightning. The corpse of Liu Kang would be no mere zombie; it would serve as my ultimate enforcer. Satisfied, I then set free this abomination to wreak havoc on those who have done harm to Earthrealm. Though I tried to conceal my activities, my use of the dark energies did not go unnoticed. Shinnok appeared before me and proposed an alliance. He would help secure the protection of Earthrealm in return for my aid in some undisclosed plot. I am no fool. I know well the treachery of this former Elder God. I accepted his offer and will complete this task, but only to discover his true objective. Until then, I will use Shinnok to serve my own ends."


 * MK vs DCU: "Raiden: God of Thunder, Protector of Earthrealm. Ageless and wise beyond measure, he is the defender who rallies Earthrealm's mortals to fight against the forces of evil. When his brother, Shao Kahn, Emperor of Outworld, finally invaded Earthrealm, only Raiden and his Forces of Light stood between slavery and freedom. As Earthrealm merged with Outworld, Raiden held the line and fought back against the emperor, defeating him and freeing Earthrealm. It seemed that peace was finally achieved, but the battle for Earthrealm had only just begun."

Endings

 * Raidenend1.gifMortal Kombat: (Non-canonical) "Raiden's victory comes as no surprise to him. He was never impressed by Shang Tsung's inferior sorcery, Goro's brute force, or the challenge of the other contestants. He quickly becomes bored with his mortal competition and soon invites other Gods to participate in the contest. The Ensuing battles rage on for years. And the wars result in our world's final destruction. Have a Nice Day."


 * Raidenend3.gifMortal Kombat 2: (Non-canonical) "Familiar with Shang Tsung's lies and Shao Kahn's brutality-- Raiden accepts their challenge to compete in an Outworld tournament. He is well aware of their scheme to unbalance the furies and invade the Earthrealm. Raiden vows to use all his might to end their treachery. Winning the tournament, Raiden destroys Shao Kahn and all his minions. He also destroys the dimensional gates which would have been their passageway to the Earth realm."


 * Raidenend4.gifMortal Kombat Trilogy: (Non-canonical) "When Outworld and Earth merge, Raiden finds himself battling Shao Kahn without the assistance of the Elder Gods. The Thunder God must transform into a mortal in order to exist in the merged realms. When he does this, he puts his own immortality as risk. But Rayden has always found ways of fouling Kahn's plots. He guides the chosen Earth warriors into battle against the Outworld emperor's armies, then finally faces Kahn himself. The powerful beings fight until the very core of the Earth is shaken, and Raiden emerges victorious."


 * thumb|250pxMortal Kombat 4:


 * (Raiden is ascending through the skies. He stops before the visage of an Elder God)


 * Elder God: Raiden... For many ages, you have protected the Earthrealm from the forces of evil. You have earned your place among us. With your ascension into the Pantheon of Elder Gods, you must choose your successor as the new Protector of Earth.


 * Raiden: With the aid of Earth's mortals, I have once again managed to defeat Shinnok and his minions. I choose Fujin. He will guide the mortals of Earth as they move into the next millennia.


 * Deadly Alliance: (Non-canonical) "Once again, the threat to Earthrealm has been vanquished. The Deadly Alliance is no more. What dangers lie in the future, I can no longer foresee. Perhaps the Dragon King will, in fact, return. Perhaps the depths of the Netherrealm will spew forth a legion of Oni. Even the Vampire people pose a threat to peace now that Outworld is in chaos. But one thing is certain... Earthrealm must be protected. I have abandoned my status as Elder God to aid these mortals... an act defiant of the Heavens. I will instead remain here on Earth... as GOD OF THUNDER."


 * Deception: (Non-canonical) (In the words of Raiden) "My patience for mortals has worn thin. If I am to protect Earthrealm, I must punish those who would threaten it. The fool Shujinko had let himself be deceived into believing that he worked for a greater good. He was in fact an unknowing tool of a greater evil - one that had almost caused the destruction of Earthrealm. That Shujinko undid his mistake and destroyed the Dragon King is of no importance. Those who place Earthrealm in harm's way will pay with their lives."


 * Armageddon: (Non-canonical) "The thunder god, Raiden, overpowered Blaze and absorbed the energy intended to transform the sons of Argus. His strength enhanced beyond that of other gods, Raiden became a deity of unimaginable power. Releasing his fury upon the realms, he destroyed them all. None would threaten Earthrealm again."


 * Raiden_MK_vs_DCending.pngMK vs DCU: (Non-canonical) "As the inter-dimensional conflict ended, Raiden returned to Earthrealm, only to discover that exposure to his homeworld's sun weakened him greatly. The sorcerer Quan Chi offered Raiden a jade-colored stone that would replenish his power - in return for his sworn allegiance. Where Quan Chi acquired this stone is a mystery. Raiden must now decide between servitude to an evil sorcerer... or mortality."

Character Relationships

 * Assigned Fujin as well as the Water, Earth and Fire Gods to protect Shinnok's amulet.
 * Sends the Elder Sub-Zero to steal back the amulet he gave to Quan Chi.
 * Close friend and ally of Fujin.
 * Mentor and ally of Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, Sonya, Sub-Zero, Jax, Kung Lao, and Kitana.
 * Arch nemesis of Shinnok.
 * Arch enemy of Shao Kahn.
 * Invited by Shang Tsung to fight in the first Mortal Kombat tournament.
 * Entered Shao Kahn's Outworld tournament.
 * Protected the Earth warriors souls from Shao Kahn before MK3.
 * Was elevated to Elder God status and appointed Fujin (his friend and ally) as the new Protector of Earthrealm in MK4/MKG.
 * Renounced of his status of Elder God for recruit Johnny Cage, Jax, Sonya, Kung Lao, Sub-Zero, and Frost to fight the Deadly Alliance.
 * Recruited Shujinko also to fight the Deadly Alliance but was unable to because he was arrested by Hotaru.
 * Defeated by the Deadly Alliance.
 * Sacrificed himself to destroy Onaga but failed.
 * Revived Liu Kang's body.
 * Trained Shujinko in order to stop Onaga.
 * Sided with Shao Kahn and his minions.
 * Along Raiden, they were defeated by Kung Lao and Fujin
 * Joined the Forces of Light in the final battle of Armageddon.
 * Fought Shao Kahn after Armageddon and was defeated by him.
 * Sent a message to his early self to prevent the future of Armageddon, before being killed by Shao Kahn.