Smoke



See also: Human Smoke

"Where there is Smoke there is fire!"

- Smoke's battle cry from Mortal Kombat (2011)

Smoke is a cyborg assassin in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. He made his debut in Mortal Kombat II as an unplayable secret character, and first became playable in Mortal Kombat 3. He appears in the reboot to the franchise, now retaining his human form in canon for the first time in almost two decades.

About Smoke
Smoke debuted in Mortal Kombat II as a hidden character to fight against. He was often spotted in the Living Forest stage in which he (along with Jade) peeked out of the trees. Like Reptile when he made his first appearance, he was simply a palette-swap of Scorpion with puffs of smoke surrounding him, but would move extremely fast. He would appear randomly before matches, offering clues that would enable the player to fight him, as Reptile had in the original Mortal Kombat.

thumb|250px|right|Smoke's Armageddon Fatality in MK3Smoke would not have his own storyline until he was featured in Mortal Kombat 3, where he was once again a hidden character, but accessible to players with the use of a code. In this appearance, he would be a tortured, human soul trapped in the body of a cyborg. His most defining feature is the fact that he constantly seems to emit a smoke or vapor. This, combined with his power to teleport and turn invisible, once made him one of the Lin Kuei's top assassins.

In Mortal Kombat (2011 Video Game) its revealed that he has long, flowing, ghostly white hair, which, while blown back in renders and artwork, covers his face in game.

Storyline
Smoke started out as a ninja assassin of the Chinese Lin Kuei Clan. He was a friend and ally of the younger Sub-Zero, and had gone with him to Outworld on his mission to kill Shang Tsung. They did not accomplish their mission. When Sub-Zero and Smoke returned to the Lin Kuei, they discovered that their clan had chosen to transform their best warriors into cyborgs, already performing the procedure on Sektor and Cyrax. Smoke and Sub-Zero turned on their clan and fled. Sub-Zero managed to escape, but Smoke was captured and converted into a bounty hunter warrior, designated LK-7T2. Under the programming of the Lin Kuei, Smoke was forced to hunt his old friend.

During the events of Mortal Kombat Trilogy and Shao Kahn's invasion of Earth, Smoke's fortunes continued to fail him. Although he discovered, with Sub-Zero's help, that he still retained his soul and was in fact one of Raiden's Chosen warriors, he was captured by Kahn's forces. The inert Smoke was transported to Outworld as a trophy and was locked away in the bowels of one of Kahn's fortresses.

Nearly a decade later, however, he was discovered by Noob Saibot. He reactivated the cyborg, whose nanotechnology set about repairing and improving his systems. Reprogramming Smoke to obey only him, Saibot turned the cyber-ninja into both his ally and template for a future army of cyber-demons that was to rise from the Netherrealm.

Although he appeared to follow orders blindly from his new master, it has been hinted at that a part of his soul and good nature still remains, as evidenced by Ashrah´s ending. Also in Konquest mode, Smoke asks Shujinko to send messages and plans to Sub-Zero, hinting that he may be a double agent for good.

In Mortal Kombat: Armageddon Konquest mode, Smoke still fights on some kind of side and uses his powers to transform Lin Kuei warriors into shadow fighters. He is fought by Taven during his exploration of the Lin Kuei temple. At the end of the temple, after the defeat of Noob, Sub-Zero states that he would try to make Noob's memories return, but his plans with Smoke remain unknown. It is interesting to note that in Armageddon's intro Noob is still on the evil side, fighting Ashrah, while Smoke can be seen fighting Nitara on the good side. This may hint that Sub-Zero successfully restored Smoke's memories, while Noob escaped the process.

In Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Smoke again teams up with Noob Saibot to take over the Lin Kuei. Their plans failed as the demigod Taven, who had come in search of a suit of armor left by his mother, had teamed up with Sub-Zero. He battled both kombatants and defeated them.



In Mortal Kombat (2011) Smoke appears with the younger Sub-Zero to search for the whereabouts of the original Sub-Zero. Smoke was saved from the Lin Kuei cyborgs by Raiden, however this caused the younger Sub-Zero to to go through the automation process instead. Smoke joined Raiden's resistance to battle Shao Kahn's force's invasion of Earthrealm. Smoke is killed by Sindel along with most of the Earthrealm fighters, and is resurrected by Quan Chi to face Raiden.

Biographies

 * Mortal Kombat 3: "Smoke, unit LK-7T2, is the third prototype cyber-ninja built by the Lin Kuei. He tried to escape the automation process with Sub-Zero but was captured. His memories were stripped away, leaving behind an emotionless killer. However, Sub-Zero believes that within this machine is a human soul trying to escape."Smoke_alt.jpg


 * Deception: (In Noob Saibot's words) "I found my first "ally" in the abandoned fortress of Shao Kahn. Deep in the labyrinth of torture chambers and prison cells, the cyborg ninja Smoke, lay inoperative. A war trophy of the late Emperor, Smoke had lain there since the invasion of Earthrealm. It did not take long for me to reactivate his technology, which reshaped and repaired his artificial body."


 * Bio Kard: "Left disabled in the dungeon's of Shao Kahn's fortress, the cybernetic ninja Smoke has been reactivated and programmed to serve Noob Saibot. His new purpose is to be used as a seed for a new form of cyborg."


 * Mortal Kombat (2011): "Originating from Prague, Tomas Vrbada was recruited by the Lin Kuei for his impressive ability to escape capture. Able to transform into a wisp of smoke, his talent has proved useful on countless missions. Smoke has no memory of his childhood. His only family is the Lin Kuei, more specifically the younger Sub-Zero, who is like a brother to him. It has been Smoke's hope that through the Lin Kuei he will discover his past--and the origin of his power."thumb|200px|right|Smoke's Bio Kard

Combat characteristics
Of all the three cyborg ninjas, Smoke appears to specialize in stealth and speed. His powers as a human were unknown for the most part, but in both forms, his body emits a constant smoky fume, probably to confuse his opponents on the whereabouts of his location. In MKII, he was depicted as moving at extremely high speeds. In Mortal Kombat: Deception onward, Smoke is seen using smoke-related attacks such as causing his opponent to cough as well as teleporting. Due to Smoke's 'upgrades', his body appears to be made out of smoke, or at least nanomachines emulating the sensation of smoke. Whatever the case, due to Noob Saibot's modifications made on his body, he has become a demon nonetheless. In Armageddon, he is seen able to mind control other people by inserting his gaseous mist into others. In Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Smoke is armed with rockets, similar to Sektor, and has the ability to transform himself into smoke in order to ambush his enemies.

In MK 2011, Smoke remains in his human form and his abilities are explored deeper. It is revealed in his ending that he is, in fact, an enenra, a demonic creature composed entirely of smoke and vapor. As such, he is able to not only actively utilize his namesake as a extensive weapon, but he is also able to morph his entire body into a cloud of vapor, allowing him to move swiftly around his opponent as well as escape from enemies or potential captors.

Signature moves

 * Krypt_041-1.pngSpear: In MKII, Smoke would send out a rope tipped with a Kunai at the end to impale the victim and pull them through the air towards him for a free hit and would cause minor damage, identical to Scorpion. In his cyborg form, Smoke would catapult a trident-like spear from his chest rather than his arm. Smoke uses the spear in his secret fight in MK 2011. (MKII, MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK 2011)
 * Smokeycut: Smoke would go underground and then reappear under the opponent's chin, hitting them on the way. (MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK:D, MK:A)
 * Air Throw: While in the air, Smoke could grab the opponent and throw them back on the ground. (MKII, MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK 2011)
 * Invisibility: Smoke disappears while a puff of smoke helps him become invisible. (MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK 2011)
 * The enhanced version is called Vanish and it turns him completely invisible, as well as giving him an attack boost.
 * Stinky Cloud: Smoke dodges back, leaving a cloud of black smoke in his former position, which chokes the opponent if they get caught in it. (MK:D, MK:A)
 * Stinky Fingers: Smoke waves his hands and a cloud of smoke is summoned a sweep away, which chokes the opponent if they are in its path. (MK:A)
 * Play Dead: Smoke falls flat on his back and vanishes in a puff of smoke then reappears behind the opponent. (MK:A)
 * Robo-Punch: Smoke dashes forward doing a straight punch. He did this move together with Noob Saibot in Mortal Kombat: Deception, as a part of Noob-Smoke. (MK:A)
 * Smoke Away/Smoke Towards: Smoke turns into a cloud of smoke and dashes forwards or backwards. (MK 2011)
 * The enhanced versions are Phase Away and Phase Towards.
 * Teleport: Smoke disappears, then reappears punching the opponent in the back and in front of them. This is done similarly to Kobra´s Tele-Punch. (MK 2011)
 * The enhanced version is called Smokeport. In addition to the two hits, Smoke will jump down from above and attack the opponent.
 * Smoke Cloud: Smoke throws a smoke projectile at his opponent. If it connects, they are teleported up into the air and closer to Smoke, where they are vulnerable to attack, similar to Noob Saibot's Black Hole. (MK 2011)
 * The enhanced version is called Smoke Bomb.
 * Shake: Smoke stands in place and surrounds himself with smoke, if a projectile touches him, Smoke will counter attack. This can be charged. (MK 2011)
 * The enhanced version is called Vibration and counters every attack, including throws. It can also be charged.
 * X-Ray Move - Burn Out: Smoke teleport-punches his opponent, then runs behind them and delivers a German Suplex which slams the opponent's head onto the ground, breaking their skull and neck. Then while they are trying to get up, Smoke kicks them in the face, breaking the skull even more. (MK 2011)

thumb|250px|right|Smoke's Fatality in MKD

Fatalities

 * thumb|250px|right|Smoke's Fatality in MKDSmoke Bomb: Smoke shoves an explosive bomb in his opponent's mouth in which detonates and explodes, ripping his opponent's body apart in the process. (MK3, UMK3, MKT)
 * Armageddon: A series of time bombs spews out of his stomach, which results in Earth's destruction at their (implied) explosion. A "glitch" would occur when used in an Outworld or Edenia arena, as the Earth would blow up, even though this is in another realm. (MK3, UMK3, MKT)
 * Killer Harpoon: In the Game Boy version, a giant spear shoots out from Smoke's chest armor, impales his opponent, and proceeds to shake them around. (MK3)
 * thumb|250px|right|All Smoke Finishers in MK 2011Invisible Decapitation: Smoke disappears into thin air, after which he hits his enemy in the face. He then tears off their arms and head before becoming visible once more. (MK:D)
 * Smoked Out: Smoke jams his fingers into the opponent's eyes and injects smoke into them. As he lets go, the extreme heat starts to sear the opponent's body from the inside. The excess heat begins to percolate from the opponent's body, they gush blood, and their flesh melts off. (MK 2011)
 * Tremor: Smoke does his "Smoke Towards" move, and goes through the opponent. When he reappears, the opponent begins to internally combust, then falls to pieces from the endothermic heat starting with the top of the skull separating from the mandible and the rest of the body from key joints of the body. (MK 2011)

Other finishers

 * Friendship: A huge horn comes out of the chest and sounds off like a loud siren. (MK3, UMK3, MKT)
 * Animality: Bull Chase: After turning into a bull, he charges and rams his opponent off screen. (MK3, UMK3, MKT)
 * Hara Kiri: Self Destruction: In a move similar to Cyrax's Fatality in MK3, Smoke presses the self-destruct mechanism on his arm console and explodes. (MK:D)
 * Babality: He turns side ways and farts, then falls on his bottom and cries.

Endings

 * Smokeend.gifMortal Kombat 3: (Semi-Canonical) "Smoke was once a friend and ally of Sub-Zero when they both tried to escape from being turned into machines by their ninja clan. But Smoke is captured and turned into a cyborg with a mission to find and kill his old partner. But Smoke soon finds himself being pursued by Shao Kahn's minions. He learns that he still has a soul and his true mission is the destruction of the Outworld invaders. He defeats Kahn and saves the world but is forever trapped in his artificial body."


 * Deception: (Semi-Canonical) (Noob-Smoke) "With Smoke as his template, Noob Saibot planned to return to the Netherrealm and use Smoke's nanotechnology to create an army of cyborg demons. He was unaware that they were followed by someone Noob had not seen since before he became a wraith. Smoke instantly recognized their visitor. He was an echo of their past. He was Sub-Zero, Noob Saibot's brother. Noob Saibot was surprised to see how much stronger his brother had become. If he were still Lin Kuei, still human, he would probably have shown some degree of pride. But as Raiden had revealed during the ordeal with Shinnok's Amulet, his soul had been tainted when he died at the hand of Scorpion. Noob Saibot, the original Sub-Zero, had descended into the Netherrealm free from compassion. He ordered Smoke to assist him in slaying his brother- his first act as ruler of the Netherrealm."


 * Armageddon: (Non-Canonical) "Smoke's power lies in his nanobot technology. Microscopic machines course through his veins, constantly repairing and altering his being. But when infused with the power of Blaze, his nanobots took on a life on their own. Multiplying at an exponential rate, they were soon numerous enough to consume Edenia, transforming the entire realm into a mass of sentient grey material that calls itself Smoke."


 * thumb|200pxMortal Kombat (2011): "Shao Kahn's violent death shook the very core of Smoke's being and dislodged his earliest memories. Tomas Vrbada was only a boy when he was abducted by an obscure cult and sacrificed to a demon. Burned alive, he returned to the mortal realm as an enenra, a creature of smoke and vapor. His captors were helpless against his shapeless form as he lashed out with rage, killing them all. His murder avenged, he returned to his human form, remembering nothing of his former life. Now aware of his true identity, Smoke understands he is no mere assassin. His destiny has been revealed."

Movie appearance
In the movie Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Smoke appears in his cyborg form to find Liu Kang and to capture Princess Kitana, in order to keep her apart from Sindel. However, Smoke is stopped by Sub-Zero, who reveals that Smoke was originally after him before being reprogrammed by Shao Kahn. Sub-Zero does not state anything else of their past connections if they existed in the movie storyline.

Curiously, Smoke was basically a silver-colored (rather than violet blue-colored unlike his MK3 appearance) version of Sektor in the film, as he was able to shoot missiles from his chest. Smoke's arsenal in the games included a three-pronged harpoon that shot from his chest, but no missiles. He did, however, exhibit one ability unique to his movie incarnation - being able to disintegrate into a moving cloud of smoke and re-form at will - which he used in a successful sneak attack on Liu Kang and Kitana. This was given to his game counterpart in MK 2011.

TV appearance

 * Smoke mkdotr.jpg the animated series, Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm, Smoke appeared in one episode (titled "Old Friends Never Die"), serving Shao Kahn and seeking Sub-Zero. He is briefly seen in human form in a flashback scene before becoming automated. In the end, Smoke's human soul was able to overpower his programming and he stood to the vow of friendship between him and Sub-Zero. Many fans consider it to be the best episode in the short-lived series.


 * Human_Smoke.jpg Smoke makes a brief appearance in his human form during the ending of one Mortal Kombat: Conquest episode, following Sub-Zero's betrayal of the Lin Kuei. Smoke is called upon by the clan as the next warrior to be sent to hunt and kill the traitor, at which point he emerges from a mist as a faint, grey figure with glowing red eyes. However, his appearance was not further elaborated on in later episodes as the series was canceled soon after. His appearance was elaborated in the fiction "Mortal Kombat Conquest Aftermaths Part 1", where he faces Sub-Zero in a battle.

Trivia
Mortal Kombat 2: Mortal Kombat 3/Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3/Mortal Kombat Trilogy: Mortal Kombat Deception: Mortal Kombat Armageddon:
 * Smoke was the first character in the series to become unlockable to the player in contrast to the other hidden kombatants who could only be fought against.
 * As a cyborg, Smoke's color scheme in Mortal Kombat 3 involves a violet shade of blue (preferably periwinkle and/or indigo) rather than grey. Fans speculated that Smoke is a robotic Sub-Zero because of their similar color schemes.
 * When Human Smoke was created for UMK3, he was simply a grey clone of Scorpion and shared his uppercut decapitation Fatality with Ermac. In Mortal Kombat Trilogy, he was given his own set of Fatalities.
 * Human Smoke's color scheme in UMK3 was grey, but in Mortal Kombat Trilogy, was more similar to white.
 * In Mortal Kombat II, Smoke is excessively fast compared to the other characters. This opened him up for sudden attacks if the player was fast enough to stop him.
 * Of the three cyborgs, he was the first that managed to regain his soul after his automation.
 * Although Sektor and Cyrax volunteered to become cyborgs, Smoke was forced to be a cyborg.
 * Smoke's destiny appears permanently tied to the two Sub-Zero brothers. He accompanies the younger to the Outworld in MKII, hunts for him in MK3, and is restored to life but bound to servitude by the elder Sub-Zero in Mortal Kombat: Deception.
 * In Mortal Kombat: Deception, his alternate costume shows his body as being fully composed of smoke (in effect, living up to his name). It sparked debate as to whether this outfit was actually Smoke in his human form, or a cybernetic demon form. Information provided on production art from Deception seems to suggest that it is human; both of Noob-Smoke's appearances are depicted, with the comment that both Ninja Smoke and Robot Smoke have a lot of fans. From a storyline perspective however, it is more likely that this is Smoke's form as a cyber-demon; as Noob-Smoke's alternate bio described Smoke's body being 'reshaped' by his nano-technology.
 * In Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, Smoke (still in his human form, the game having been intended to take place during the first two tournaments) challenges the player to complete 5 missions. Doing so will unlock Mortal Kombat II. (Ironically, much to the great ire of fans, this version of the game was the same as the one present in Midway Arcade Treasures 2, where due to a control mapping issue it was impossible to fight Smoke, as hitting Start would only pause the game.)
 * His appearance in Malibu Comics' non-canon Mortal Kombat series was something a source of amusement for fans, as he would randomly shout "Toasty!" while speaking, a reference to Mortal Kombat II's means to fight him.
 * Smoke has made two appearances in the cartoon, Robot Chicken: once, as a sparring partner to Joey Fatone, and another fighting Sub-Zero. Erroneously, Smoke was shown using fire as his main technique. His fatality against Sub-Zero was to tear his heart out, kick his body away, set the organ on the ground, pull out a hockey stick, and smack the heart off screen, parodying Mortal Kombat's needlessly long and gory fatalities, specifically the ones that relate nothing to the character performing them.
 * A secret unplayable character of the game. To fight him, you must fight in the portal stage and perform a uppercut on your opponent until Dan Forden pops up at the bottom right corner and says Toasty. By pressing down & Start, the player would receive a message, and then be transported to Goro's Lair to fight with Smoke. In the Sega Genesis version of the game, you would be transported to a variation of the Portal stage, only it is blue.
 * Has the same special moves as Scorpion.
 * Appears to have the same fighting stance as Reptile as shown on top.
 * He occasionally peeks out from behind the trees in the Living Forest stage along with Jade.
 * A secret playable character of MK3.
 * While doing his Armageddon fatality in MK Trilogy in any MK2 Arenas that almost all of them are in Outworld, the screen still shows planet earth exploding.
 * A sub-boss of the game.
 * The first game that Smoke has his own Special moves.
 * His render from the Bio Card is different from his final costume in the game.
 * When Sektor is knocked out, he gets back up the same way as Smoke. Although Smoke does not do that for this game but only does that in Deception.
 * He uses the Judo fighting style, the same fighting that Jax had in Deadly Alliance and Kenshi had in Deception.
 * During the Finish Him bit if you use the stinky fingers move the opponent will not fall down
 * Smoke, along with Onaga, Moloch, Motaro, Mokap, and Blaze, is the only character without a weapon style.

Character Relationships
Original Timeline:
 * Once a member of the Lin Kuei.
 * Once a close friend of the younger Sub-Zero.
 * The Lin Kuei transformed him into a cyborg, along with Cyrax and Sektor to exterminate Sub-Zero in MK3.
 * Captured by Shao Kahn's extermination squads and then deactivated and brought to Shao Kahn's fortress.
 * Eventually reactivated by Noob Saibot to serve him.
 * He and Noob were followed by Sub-Zero in the Netherrealm in Deception.
 * Defeated by Sareena and then fled.
 * Worked for Quan Chi along with Noob Saibot and Sareena.
 * Attacked the Lin Kuei palace with Noob Saibot.
 * Defeated by Taven in Armageddon Konquest mode.
 * Sub-Zero restore him to the good side.
 * Joined the Forces of Light in the final Battle of Armageddon.
 * Killed during Armageddon.

Alternate Timeline:
 * Once a member of the Lin Kuei.
 * Once a close friend of the younger Sub-Zero.
 * Defeated Kitana.
 * Defeated Kano.
 * Defeated Shang Tsung (while morphing into Sub-Zero) along with Reptile.
 * Defeated Sektor.
 * Was saved by Raiden from being transformed him into a cyborg, hunted by Cyrax and Sektor for extermination.
 * He and Johnny Cage were defeated by Kitana.
 * Defeated by Jade.
 * Had his neck snapped by Sindel.
 * Resurrected by Quan Chi to serve him.

Stage Relationships

 * Goro's Lair: The Earthrealm dungeon of Goro. Smoke will challenge anyone who enters through an Outworld portal. (MK2, MKT, MKA)
 * Lin Kuei Palace: Smoke and Noob Saibot invade the new Lin Kuei only to be driven off by Taven and Sub-Zero. (MKA)
 * Living Forest: Smoke would hide behind the trees, keeping an eye on his comrade Sub-Zero. He would also make this his area for Smoke Missions in Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks. (MK2, MKT, MK4, MKD, MK 2011)