In 1997, MK4 took the franchise into the 3D realm of polygonal graphics -- but a second release that same year also gave the series one final extravagant digitized hurrah. Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero expanded the mythos with a platforming adventure that opened the Book of Destiny in live-action cut scenes. Some of its lost pages have been freshly unearthed to reveal the prop's secrets! Take a look:
Former Raiden actor and NetherRealm Studios motion capture artist, Carlos Pesina, posted the rarely seen original documents to Instagram. The three pages appeared in the opening scene of MK Mythologies, playing the part of an ancient tome containing the history of Mortal Kombat, and the conflict between good and evil gods.
The pages include Sub-Zero and Quan Chi line art drawn by John Tobias, with kanji text, and an "Asian esoteric symbol" that appears similar to a feng shui compass.
An exact translation of the Japanese text isn't available, but Pesina did provide greater context for the pages while explaining his technique for aging the final art: "Scanned in line art from Tobias, the MK symbol and an Asian esoteric symbol with kanji text. I had to dye the pages with black tea and burn the edges to get that ancient weathered look. These are the original unvarnished undyed pages, I didn't want to ruin them. Enjoy!" See the finished product in the intro video below.
Raiden possesses the Book of Destiny, which alludes to his struggle with the fallen elder god Shinnok. The thunderer enlists the help of Sub-Zero (aka; Bi-Han) in MK Mythologies to prevent Quan Chi freeing Shinnok, who appears as the final boss of Mortal Kombat 4. This storyline also informed the backstory of Mortal Kombat X.
Was the Book of Destiny everything you imagined it was? Share your thoughts about this lost kontent in the comments below and discuss more MKMSZ nostalgia in the 2D Kombat Klassics forum!