Cyrax



After experiencing the flashbacks with my fight against Shinnok, I realized that my existence is unnecessary, unless I can fully recover my human psyche.

-- Mortal Kombat Gold Ending

Cyrax is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. He made his debut in Mortal Kombat 3.

About Cyrax
Making his debut in Mortal Kombat 3, Cyrax was one of the three cybernetic ninjas created by the Lin Kuei, in an effort to convert all members into unfeeling, cold-hearted, cybernetic assasins. He was assigned to hunt down the renagade, former Lin Kuei member Sub-Zero as designated unit LK-4D4. Of the three cyborgs, he has become the second to recover his humanity. This is due to the efforts of Sonya Blade and Jax. He has currently allied with them as a token of his appreciation.

Appearance
As with all ninjas, Cyrax debuted as a palette swap of the cyborg ninja character with a yellow sheen, sporting bright armor and a helmet that slightly protrudes forward to produce a crude beak and dreadlocks from the back of his head. In Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance, Cyrax gains a redesign, courtesy of the Special Forces, now featuring new, shining armor a heartbeat regulator on his chest. In the newest Mortal Kombat, Cyrax is given an entire overhaul featuring more armor plating and visible scratches thanks to graphical improvements as well as green eyes. His chest cavity also opens up to reveal an energy core. His helmet is also almost changed completely, still possessing the crude beak-like appearance. Underneath the robotic shell reveals Cyrax to have dark skin.

Storyline
In Mortal Kombat 3, Cyrax was working for the Lin Kuei. He appeared alongside his partners Sektor and Smoke on the order to track down and kill a renegade member of the Lin Kuei clan, the younger Sub-Zero. This Sub-Zero had disagreed with the decision to convert all its members into cyborgs and left the clan. He was thus marked for death by the grandmasters.

During the invasion of Earthrealm by Shao Kahn and his minions, Sub-Zero defeated Cyrax and reprogrammed him with orders to destroy Shao Kahn. However, Kahn was defeated by the other Earthrealm warriors before Cyrax had a chance to do so. As a result of his reprogramming, he awaited new orders. When these never came, he malfunctioned and wandered until becoming mired in the middle of a vast desert. In Mortal Kombat Gold, Cyrax was recovered and repaired by the Lin Kuei. However, he appeared somehow different than when first constructed. The short-handed clan again sent Cyrax into battle with his fellow cyborg Sektor assigned to monitor him.

After Shinnok's defeat, it became apparent that Cyrax had begun to experience flashbacks of his former life. Special agents Sonya Blade and Jax Briggs brought him to the Outer World Investigation Agency (OIA) headquarters and used its technology to restore his humanity. Grateful for their help, Cyrax joined the OIA as a scout in the realm of Outworld.

During the events of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Cyrax was ambushed by the Oni Moloch and Drahmin. After driving the two demons off, he became stranded in Outworld. His arm console, which allowed him to return to Earthrealm, was damaged in a surprise attack by Reptile orchestrated by the vampire Nitara. He managed to drive off Reptile as well with his Slice and Dice buzzsaw attack. A short time later, he encountered Nitara. She offered to help him return home in exchange for his aid in recovering a lost artifact. They traveled to the underground chamber that housed the egg of the Dragon King. There, Cyrax submerged himself in the lake of molten lava and discovered the orb that would separate her world from Outworld. With it now in her possession, she honored her promise to Cyrax. She used her mystical necklace to open a portal and send him back to Earthrealm.

In Cyrax's Armageddon ending, he defeats Blaze and is filled with elemental power that shatters his robot form and makes him human once again. Siding with Sub-Zero, he defeats Sektor and Smoke. Sektor and Smoke are reprogrammed by the Lin Kuei and are held until they too regain their human forms.

Biographies

 * Mortal Kombat 3: "Cyrax is unit LK-4D4, the second of three prototype cybernetic ninjas built by the Lin Kuei. Like his counterparts, his last program is to find and terminate the rouge ninja Sub-Zero. Without a soul, Cyrax goes undetected by Shao Kahn and remains a possible threat against his occupation of Earth."


 * Mortal Kombat Gold: "Cyrax is finally rescued from his desert prison by the Lin Kuei. The physical damage sustained while in the desert was relatively easy to repair, but Cyrax seems very different from when he first set out on his original assassination mission against Sub-Zero. Only time will tell how well Cyrax has overcome his ordeal."


 * Deadly Alliance: "The cyborg ninja Cyrax had regained his soul with the aid of Special Forces agents Sonya Blade and Jackson Briggs. In return for their help, he joined the Special Forces Outerworld Investigation Agency and became a scout in the realm of Outworld. On his last transport to that realm, Cyrax was ambushed by a reptilian creature. His arm console was damaged in the struggle and with it his inter-realm portal technology. He defeated the creature, but will have to find somethumb|300px|right|Cyrax's Bio Card. other means to return to Earthrealm. A vampire named Nitara offered Cyrax a deal to return him to Earthrealm if he retrieved for her an object from the molten depths of Outworld. His cybernetic exterior was resistant to the harsh enviroment in which the object was hidden, but only for a short period of time. It was a risky proposition, but it was one that Cyrax was willing to take to return to Earth. Although he did not fully trust Nitara, he agreed to travel with her to the location of the mysterious object."

Powers and abilities
As a cyborg ninja, Cyrax is well-equipped, both in martial arts involving ninjutsu and weaponry. Cyrax houses a number of weapons in his chest cavity designed for both incapacitating and destroying targets. Of the three cyborg ninjas, Cyrax is most associated with bombardment, his arsenal full of timed explosives with a seemingly unlimited supply. He also has access to an 'energy net' capable of incapacitating his targets completely. When his soul was returned to him, not only did Cyrax retain some of his cybernetic parts, he was also outfitted with state-of-the-art technology, courtesy of the Outworld Investigation Agency. Cyrax was now equipped with a portable device that would allow him to freely traverse across the realms without the need of stationary portals. In addition, his armor is heat-resistant, as he was able to completely submerge himself in molten rock without severely damaging himself in the progress. His net weapon was replaced with a buzzsaw-like appendage, used for mid-range combat. Cyrax is also able to relocate himself across short distances by separating all of his limbs and head as his torso would transport to a different area where all of the discarded limbs would rejoin.

In Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Cyrax fires a similar net, but it is compromised of nanomachines that completely eat the flesh, blood, and organs of any unlucky targets, completely destroying them without even leaving the marrow behind.

Signature moves

 * Energy Net: Cyrax fires a green net from his chest which ensnares the opponent temporarily. (MK3, UMK3, MKT, MKG, MK 2011)
 * Detonator: Cyrax drops a bomb from his chest compartment in front of him, which explodes after a couple of seconds. He can shoot the bomb either far or near. (MK3, UMK3, MKT, MKG, MK:DA, MK:A, MK 2011)
 * Exploding Teleport: Cyrax vanishes and reappears behind the opponent. In Mortal Kombat Gold, Cyrax can follow up with a special throw after teleporting. (MK3, UMK3, MKT, MKG, MK:A)
 * Air Throw: Cyrax can throw his opponent into the air. In Mortal Kombat Gold, Cyrax can perform this move while in the air. (MK3, UMK3, MKT, MKG)
 * Funky Spin Kicks: Cyrax performs a spin kick while balancing on one of his legs. (MK:DA, MK:A)
 * Slice And Dice: Cyrax opens his chest compartment and a giant sawblade emerges. (MK:DA, MK:A, MK 2011)
 * X-Ray Move: Cyrax launches his opponent up into the air with a bomb, which causes them to flip upside down. He then teleports up to them and kicks them in the spine. He then grabs the opponent, whilst they are still upside down, and pile-drives them into the ground, with his foot on their head. (MK 2011)

Fatalities

 * Self-Destruct: Cyrax uses his arm console to activate a timed self-destruct mechanism. He detonates, killing his opponent. This move was used as Smoke's hara-kiri in Deception. (MK3, UMK3, MKT, MKG)
 * Slice n' Dice: Cyrax spins his head like a helicopter with the 'hair' serving as the blades before flying up offscreen. He appears a second later above the opponent headfirst as he descends upon the victim and slashes them to bits from head to toe before flying offscreen and reappearing via Exploding Teleport (MK3, UMK3, MKT)
 * Armageddon: Copied wholesale from Smoke. Cyrax opens his chest cavity and releases an absurd amount of explosives. The screen then moves to a shot of the Earth a few moments before it explodes. (MKG)
 * Grinder: Cyrax opens up his chest cavity to reveal a large mechanical arm. Using it, he grabs ahold of the victim by the head and slams them onto the ground three times before pulling them into his own body. During the time inside of his body, Cyrax grinds the body into pieces before turning around and spewing out the remains. (MK:DA)
 * Sawblade: Cyrax turns his left hand into a sawblade and slices his opponent with it. Cyrax finishes the job by kicking the opponent, making him/her fall down in pieces. (MK 2011)
 * Energy Net Slicer: After entering some coordinates into his arm module, Cyrax fires an enegy net that passes straight through the enemy. The opponent then watches in terror as he/she falls to pieces. (MK: 2011)

Other Finishers

 * Friendship: Cyrax dances the Charleston. (MK3, UMK3, MKT)
 * Animality: Cyrax turns into a shark and ingests the opponent. (MK3, UMK3, MKT)

Endings

 * Mortal Kombat 3 (non-canonical): "Cyrax is captured by Sub-Zero and reprogrammed with new orders: Destroy Shao Kahn. With Kahn unable to detect the assassin's soulless presence, Cyrax delivers a successful sneak attack. But, after eliminating Kahn and saving Earth, Cyrax awaits new orders from his Lin Kuei headquarters. The orders never come and Cyrax malfunctions. He ends up stranded in the middle of a vast desert, blindly heading towards his base."


 * Mortal Kombat Gold: Cyrax is seen in a laboratory with Sonya and Jax. Sonya and Jax converse with him, and reveal that Cyrax plans to revert back to his human form, before he was violated by his fellow Lin Kuei clan. After Sonya and Jax flip a series of switches and command, Cyrax removes his helmet, and is seen to be fully human once again. For this, Cyrax now serves the Special Forces.


 * Deadly Alliance: "The enormous heat and pressure of the lava burned out Cyrax's sensors almost immediately. He cast about blindly in the infernal pit, searching for the orb Nitara had sent him to locate. Cyrax found it resting upon a small submerged pedestal beneath the molten depths. As soon as he clambered to the surface, she demanded he hand over the Orb. Nitara had promised to return Cyrax to Earthrealm once the orb had been retrieved. Taking her necklace in hand, she uttered a mystical thumb|300px|right|Cyrax's Mortal Kombat Gold ending.incantation. A swirling portal opened around Cyrax and he only had time for a solemn bow before he was swept into the gateway."


 * Armageddon (non-canonical): "When he defeated Blaze, elemental power surged through Cyrax and shattered his cybernetics. He was human once again. He allied with Sub-Zero and with him confronted the cyborgs Smoke and Sektor. In an epic battle of men versus machines, Cyrax and Sub-Zero defeated their longtime foes. The cyborgs will be reprogrammed to serve the Lin Kuei once more, until they too can be reverted to their human forms."

Film
Cyrax briefly appears in the movie Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. The storyline involving his connection to the Lin Kuei was eschewed in favor of being sent by Shao Kahn, the emperor of Outworld, to kill Sonya Blade and Jax. After entering the research facility at which Jax was being held, Cyrax engages Jax in battle whilst Sonya deals with the extermination squad accompanying Cyrax. Cyrax's body self-destructs after Sonya incinerates him with a variation of her "Kiss of Death" fatality. In the film, he displays the ability to shoot tiny, spike-studded grenades and a corrosive, green plasma net - seemingly capable of rapidly and completely disintegrating organic matter, but successfully and harmlessly blocked by Jax's cybernetic arms. His abilities as a ruthless martial arts fighting machine are shown, as he dominates Jax for almost the entirety of their confrontation. His name is not mentioned; he is just referred to as "a robot" by Sonya in a later part of the film. On the DVD's bonus features, however, Cyrax's character biography is given along with his name and in the film's theme song, one of the combatants mentioned is "Cyrax".

Television
Cyrax, along with fellow cyborg Sektor, was shown in non-canonical human form in an episode of the cartoon, Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm. In the first episode, "Kombat Begins Again", Sektor and Cyrax led an attack on Earthrealm that was thwarted by Earth's warriors and Sub-Zero.

Cyrax and Sektor were both shown in human form in this episode: Cyrax, ironically, as a white man, and Sektor as an black man. Cyrax's human look has since been contradicted by official renders and outfits in the main games where he appears as a black man. However, Sektor has yet to appear as anything other than a cyborg in the game.

Character development
He and his robotic counter-parts, Sektor and Smoke, began as palette-swapped characters to work around technical limitations to increase the number of playable characters. Since their appearances in the MK3 series, each character's appearance has evolved independently. Of late, they have only appeared in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon together. While Sektor and Cyrax were playable in Mortal Kombat Gold, only Cyrax was playable in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, while Sektor appeared in Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition. Smoke was playable as part of a tag-team with Noob Saibot in Mortal Kombat: Deception. However, they all have returned for Mortal Kombat: Armageddon as individual characters.

Initially, fans speculated that Cyrax was a robotic Scorpion because of the latter's absence from MK3, their similar color schemes, and similar moves that involved hauling an opponent towards them for a free hit.

In the development stage of Mortal Kombat 3, Cyrax and Sektor were referred to as "Mustard and Ketchup" before their names were finalized. Cyrax has separate combos in the Sambo style in Deadly Alliance named Ketchup and Mustard, a reference to this.

Cyrax's face was first seen ingame during Mortal Kombat Gold. His alternate costume depicted him in the same outfit, but lacking the front of his mask. Although he stated he was human again after the process Jax and Sonya performed on him, he is clearly still a cyborg in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, giving a plausible explanation as to why he still bleeds oil or "black blood" in the game. While Cyrax's normal outfit in Deadly Alliance shows him more robotic than human, his alternate costume shows him to be almost completely human with cybernetic parts in his body.

Game information
In most Mortal Kombat games, Cyrax bleeds a black oil (except during fatalities), a contrast to other characters whose blood is red or green.

Cyrax's Mortal Kombat Gold storyline – being recovered from the desert by the Lin Kuei and sent once more to kill Sub-Zero – was contradicted by Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance's Konquest Mode, which stated that he was "recovered by Special Forces agents Sonya Blade and Jackson Briggs." It is interesting to note that this seems to acknowledge an unused bio for him that appeared in Prima's official strategy guide for Gold, which does state he was rescued by Special Forces and reprogrammed to fight on the side of good against Shinnok. Cyrax is seen trapped in the sand in the background of Jade's Desert stage in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, despite also being a playable character. This foreshadows his ending in that particular game.

Cyrax's self-destruct fatality, initiated via his arm console, closely resembles that of another fictional character: the titular antagonist from the Arnold Schwarzenegger film, Predator. Certain elements of both characters' armor, such as the faceplate, dreadlocks, and net weapon are also similar. Fans have widely considered Cyrax, along with the other cyborgs, to be some sort of homage to the character.

In Deadly Alliance, Cyrax’s Pulse Blade weapon had a blue colored blade. In Armageddon, the blade was changed to green. This is likely an homeage to the Star Wars films wherein the main character Luke has a blue lightsaber and then, in a later film, constructs a green one.

Trivia

 * Of all of the cyborg characters, he is the only cyborg in MK3 and UMK to have a different fighting style.
 * His unit number is LK-4D4.


 * Of the three cyborgs, Cyrax is the most likely to perform good deeds.
 * According to his Deadly Alliance Konquest text box, Cyrax loathes Johnny Cage's films and "felt especially robbed of his eight bucks when he saw Johnny's film, Ninja Mime".
 * In the opening movie to Armageddon, Cyrax emits the same soundbyte used for all cyborg ninjas in MK3 when they take damage when he is knocked off by Sheeva. Fans have often misinterpreted this soundbite as him saying "Screw You!"
 * Before given initial names, both Cyrax and Sektor were dubbed "Ketchup" and "Mustard" with Cyrax being mustard and Sektor being ketchup.
 * In early versions of MK: Armageddon, Hapkido was supposed to be his unarmed fighting style.
 * Cyrax is slightly similar with the Predator.
 * The Pulse Blade weapons used by Cyrax and Sektor are similar in appearance to the lightsabers featured in the Star Wars films. Even the colors of the weapons' blades are similar as the good Jedi characters in the films typically use blue or green lightsabers, like Cyrax, while the evil Sith characters typically use red lightsabers, like Sektor.
 * In a game over message in Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, it says, "Who will win, Stryker or Cyrax?"
 * Actual game footage of Cyrax in MK3 using the name Mustard was used in his Bio Card.
 * In the same card, Cyrax is seen launching three time bombs at once as opposed to the two that can be launched at a time.
 * Cyrax's Sambo fighting style in Deadly Alliance is one of the fighting styles not used by any character in Armageddon, not even in Kreate-A-Fighter mode.
 * Although Cyrax's armor is said to be heat-resistant (as stated above), he can still be defeated by being knocked into a death trap with lava. However, this is just a gameplay mechanic.
 * Cyrax's Self-Destruct Fatality (along with Smoke's Armageddon Fatality) may be something of a precursor to the Hara-Kiri from Mortal Kombat: Deception.

Character Relationships

 * Once a member of the Lin Kuei.
 * Was transformed into a cyborg along with Sektor and Smoke by the Lin Kuei to exterminate Sub-Zero.
 * Defeated by Sub-Zero and reprogrammed him to fight Shao Kahn.
 * Rescued by the Lin Kuei from being trapped in sand.
 * Found by Sonya and Jax, who restored his human soul and then recruited him into Outworld Investigation Agency after MK Gold.
 * Sent to Outworld by Sonya and Jax to look for outside threats.
 * Fought Moloch and Drahmin and drove them off.
 * Fought Reptile and defeated him in combat, but had his arm console damaged and was stranded in Outworld.
 * Encountered Nitara and helped her in seperating her realm from Outworld, then she sent Cyrax back to Earthrealm.
 * Joined the Forces of Light in the last battle in Armageddon.