Kung Lao - in Other Media

In Other Media

Kung Lao made several appearances in Malibu's' Mortal Kombat comic series. His story is slightly altered, stating he is an exile in Outworld due to the failure of his ancestor, and the fall of his lineage. During the comics, he shares a very close relation with Kitana. During the "Blood & Thunder" miniseries he has a minor participation rescuing a near-death Liu Kang after he was stabbed by Kano. In the "Battlewave" miniseries, he joins with Kitana, Baraka and Sub-Zero in an attempt to ovethrow the Emperor Shao Kahn. He was also featured in his own one-shot issue from Malibu Comics in the summer of 1995. The comic, entitled "Rising Son", showed his struggle against Shang Tsung and his shapeshifting mind tricks, using his friends' forms (Kitana, Baraka and Sub-Zero) as well as his ancestor's form to kill him.

Kung Lao is also mentioned by name in the first Mortal Kombat film. When Liu Kang challenges Shang Tsung to Mortal Kombat, he calls himself a "descendant of Kung Lao."

The Great Kung Lao briefly appeared in the animated film Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins during a flashback sequence detailing his battle with Goro and ultimate defeat at the hands of the Shokan warrior.

Kung Lao was also the centerpiece of Jeff Rovin's novelization of the first Mortal Kombat game, but his description therein completely differed from that of the games; he was depicted as being tall, bald save for a queue of long black hair (similar to Goro's), barefoot, and wearing a long white robe.