—Shang Tsung to a captured Bi-Han. |
Biography
- Mortal Kombat 1: "Shang Tsung grew up in Outworld's backwaters. Too lazy for hard labor and too shifty for honest work, he eked out a living selling quack cures and fake magic. Though his wares were useless, Shang Tsung's easy charm always closed the deal. Shang Tsung was resigned to to this hardscrabble life. But then one day a mysterious stranger came, promising to make Shang Tsung a powerful sorcerer. Though suspicious of the offer, it was one he couldn't refuse."
Storyline
In restarting the timeline, Liu Kang wanted to ensure the realms would not fall into the same conflicts as he had previously experienced. In doing so, after seizing control of The Hourglass, Liu Kang forged the destinies of many past villains, such as Shang Tsung, to be nothing more than simple inhabitants in the realms, ensuring Shang Tsung would not rise to become the powerful sorcerer that Kronika had made him once before. Instead, the former sorcerer from Earthrealm is now an Outworld-born con artist.
Unknown to Liu Kang, however, his battle for the Hourglass was not without its consequences, as the battle had fractured time's fabric, breaking open the multiverse where the Shang Tsung he fought for the Hourglass had seized it in a separate timeline. This Shang Tsung, having the power of the Hourglass as Liu Kang did, became a Titan like Kronika and discovered Liu Kang's newly forged timeline, finding a way to traverse the multiverse and began manipulating events to sabotage the utopia Liu Kang had made.
Mortal Kombat 1
After being outed for his fake medicine, Shang Tsung is attacked by a mob of his fellow Outworlders. Upset that his ruse has been compromised, he is approached one night by a mysterious woman. Shang Tsung confused as to who she is, is offered by the stranger to become a powerful sorcerer with real magic. Incited by the inclusion of control of the realms, Shang Tsung agrees to the offer. Over the next couple of months, Shang Tsung becomes a sorcerer in dark magic as well as genetically experimenting on Outworlders with the assistance of his mysterious benefactor. During this time, he had enslaved Syzoth, forcing him to do his bidding with the threat of killing his family, though Syzoth had no knowledge that Shang Tsung had already killed his family. He also becomes close to the Outworld Throne due to his serum to reduce and hide Mileena's growing Tarkat infection. He becomes a beneficiary to General Shao, with the General secretly allowing Shang Tsung's experimentations to take place as well as conspiring with him to seize Outworld from Empress Sindel and her daughters.
After some time, General Shao is told a prophecy by another sorcerer, this being Quan Chi, who had also been in contact with Shang Tsung's benefactor with the same offer. This prophecy falsely stated that Liu Kang wishes to conquer Outworld, something that increases Shao's ire toward the Fire God. After lying to Princess Kitana about Johnny Cage, Kenshi, and Kung Lao's attempt at apprehending Shang Tsung, General Shao wants to lead an attack on Earthrealm, much to Kitana's disagreement. Later, Shang Tsung meets with his benefactor on the preparation of Soul Stealers constructed by he and Quan Chi, as well as his plan to turn the Lin Kuei against Liu Kang and Earthrealm. After a confrontation with Bi-Han and his brothers, he awakens the Dragon Army, offering its control to Bi-Han, much to Kuai Liang's dismay. He awakens the Dragon Army, but Kuai Liang and Tomas escape with an unconcious Bi-Han as Quan Chi and Rain activate the Soul Stealers created in Earthrealm.
While preparing the Dragon Army, Shang Tsung and Quan Chi are ambushed by the allying Outworld and Earthrealm forces. After a fight with Mileena, Shang Tsung and the others are greeted by his benefactor, who reveals their true form as another Shang Tsung, the same one who battled Liu Kang for the Hourglass. This Shang Tsung, now a Titan, reveals the fractured timelines and plans to merge it with his own with the help of his own version of Geras, Dark Raiden that had conquered realms for him and an unknown version of Sindel. Titan Shang Tsung leaves and Shang Tsung forms an alliance with Liu Kang and his forces after being deceived by the Titan.
Amassing the Dragon Army, Titan Shang Tsung's efforts are halted by the combined Outworld and Earthrealm warriors. Liu Kang, realizing he needs to become Keeper of Time again, is given the idea by Shang Tsung of the possibility of other timelines, if his Titan counterpart exists, so should other timelines. At the Hourglass, Liu Kang brings forth other Titan counterparts of his friends and apprises them of the situation, only for Titan Shang Tsung to arrive with his Dark allies. Seeing the other Titans, he comes to the realization that his current counterpart had stated, that other timelines exist, thus altering his plans of merging his timeline with Liu Kang's and instead destroying it and conquering every other timeline. After failing to destroy Liu Kang's Hourglass, Shang Tsung retreats to The Pyramid in his own timeline, where he amasses mortals and Titans from across the multiverse as Liu Kang did.
Liu Kang arrives in Titan Shang Tsung's timeline with his Forces of Light to battle Titan Shang Tsung's Forces of Darkness. A battle ensues with kombat and death all around. Titan Shang Tsung summons a Titan version of Quan Chi, thus reforming The Deadly Alliance for the battle at hand. As the battle wages to the top of the Pyramid, a good version of the Deadly Alliance briefly fight the Titan Deadly Alliance before being quickly killed. At the top, the Titans fight Liu Kang and an ally, only to be bested by Liu Kang's ally in kombat. Liu Kang uses his Temporal Power to erase both Titans, but in doing so, causes the timeline seemingly begins to collapse. Running out of time, Liu Kang sends his ally back to their respective timeline before doing so with himself.
With his Titan counterpart erased and the revelation of his treasonous and inhumane actions against Outworld, Shang Tsung, along with Quan Chi and General Shao are later imprisoned under Mileena's rule.
Ending
- Mortal Kombat 1 (Canonical): "After escaping Lei Chen prison, I was hounded by the Imperial Police. I needed a place to hide and to recuperate, while I plotted the best way forward. I knew the remote canton of my youth would be perfect. To escape capture, I travelled by sea. Little did I know that a gargantuan storm was brewing. My tiny craft was smashed apart. I closed my eyes, waiting to drown, hoping that the Netherrealm wouldn't claim my soul. But when I reopened them, I found myself not in Hell, but on a deserted island. From its ruins I could tell that great sorcerers had once lived there. In the caves beneath the ruins, I found what I can only describe as a Well of Souls. Once I learn how to wield its power, I will become invincible."