Biographies
- Mortal Kombat 3: "As a chosen warrior, his identity is a mystery to all. It is believed he is a survivor of an attack by Shao Kahn's extermination squads. As a result, he is viciously scarred, kept alive by artificial respirators and a rage for ending Shao Kahn's conquest."
- Deception: "I had left the Black Dragon and all that it stood for... but to some I would forever remain associated with that despicable organization. Eventually, the Red Dragon clan found me, and I was defeated by Mavado. He left me for dead and took my hooksword as his trophies. As the life trickled from my body, a stranger rescued me: a cleric of Chaos who called himself Havik. He convinced me to return my clan to its former glory. Never again will I deny my devotion to the Black Dragon. Inspired by Havik, I set out to find and kill Mavado of the Red Dragon. His organization is secretive, but not invisible. It feels good to have hookswords in my hands once again. I have since recruited young, skillful warriors to fill the ranks of the new Black Dragon clan. I will now lead my fellow Dragons to Outworld, where Havik has a task for us. It will be an excellent opportunity to test the abilities of my young comrades -- and weed out the weak ones."
- Armageddon Bio Kard: "After being ambushed by the Red Dragon member Mavado, Kabal has been brought back from the brink of certain death by an unknown stranger. He will travel to Outworld to shape a new destiny for himself."
Storyline
Mortal Kombat 3
For many years, Kabal was a loyal member of the Black Dragon clan, until one day Shao Kahn broke the sacred rules of Mortal Kombat to instigate an invasion and took Earthrealm by force. When Kahn began stealing souls, Kabal was spared from this gruesome fate because he was one of Earthrealm's chosen warriors, destined to fight against Shao Kahn.
Seeing all chosen warriors as a threat to his dominance, Shao Kahn ordered his extermination squads to annihilate him. Kabal managed to escape, but his face was left forever scarred, irreparably mutilated, and forced to rely on a respirator due to his windpipe being slit. The events of Shao Kahn's invasion had profoundly changed Kabal; he left behind his life of crime with the Black Dragon and vowed to become a force for good.
Between the events of Mortal Kombat 3 and Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Kabal was wounded severely in battle by Mavado, a leading member of the Red Dragon, who hoped to wipe out the Black Dragon. Mavado then took Kabal's trademark Hookswords as a trophy.
Mortal Kombat: Deception
At the brink of death Kabal met Havik, who restored him and saved his life, and then instructed him to bring back the Black Dragon as a force of anarchy and decay. In spite of his previous experiences fighting alongside his Earthrealm comrades against Shao Kahn's hordes and his vow to help put an end to crime and injustice, he followed Havik's instructions seemingly without hesitation.
Later on, Kabal travelled back to Earthrealm where he confronted Mavado once more, and regained his Hookswords. In Earthrealm he recruited two more members for the Black Dragon, Kira and Kobra. The three of them joined Havik in Outworld for the events of Mortal Kombat: Deception.
While his reason for recruiting Kira and Kobra as the newest members of the Black Dragon was basically to fill the void left behind by his apparently deceased comrades, Kabal had ulterior motives. Seeing as how the complacency of the former members led to the demise of his clan, Kabal wanted to ensure that his newest recruits were truly worthy of the Black Dragon. He tested their prowess in battle against the enemies of the Dragon King.
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Kabal confronted Taven after Taven had defeated Kobra and several other Black Dragon thugs in the Botan Jungle. He offered Taven a chance to join the clan, but Taven refused, which led to a fight between them, from which Taven emerged victorious.
Later on Kabal joined the Forces of Darkness in the battle of Armageddon. He can be seen fighting Ermac and later trying to stop Stryker from climbing the Pyramid of Argus, however, it backfires and Kabal was thrown off of the pyramid, before getting beaten by Shao Kahn. Along with most of the kombatants, he was killed.
Endings
- Mortal Kombat 3 (Non-Canonical): "After returning from near death, Kabal swears revenge against his attackers. He fights alongside the other Earth warriors. When he defeats Motaro and the mighty Shao Kahn, he proves that he truly is the chosen one. Before the invasion, Kabal lived a life of crime. He was once a member of the Black Dragon along with Kano. Now Kabal devotes his life to fighting injustice: He will give crime's inner circles a new reason to fear."
- Deception (Non-Canonical): "Havik had given Kabal's new Black Dragon recruits a task: Lure the heroes away from the Dragon King's corpse while he somehow retrieved the heart, and with it, Onaga's power to raise the dead. Apparently Onaga's ancient army had only been invincible by means of constant resurrection during battles. The power to raise the dead would prove quite useful to the Black Dragon clan. Kabal slew Havik and took the Dragon King's heart for himself. Havik was most impressed."
- Armageddon (Non-Canonical): "The heat of Blaze wrapped itself around Kabal's hookswords and transformed them into fiery blades of vengeance. Crossing them above his head, Kabal challenged Mavado atop the pyramid, seeking to end their rivalry once and for all. In an epic hooksword battle, Mavado could not withstand the fury of Kabal and his enhanced weapons. Never one to admit defeat, Mavado took his own life by performing hara-kiri. Standing atop the pyramid, Kabal raised Mavado's severed head high so all would know of the Black Dragon clan's superiority."