As the April home console release of Mortal Kombat X draws near, fan mania is reaching new, fever pitched highs. The reveal of "a hell of a lot more" is on the horizon, but that won't stop the hysteria producing a few more bogies, along the way.

Australian retail chain JB Hi-Fi has fuelled speculation with the inclusion of Reptile into one of their banner house ads for the pre-order title [below]. This is a legitimate advertisement on an established major retailer, but not all is as it seems.

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The cult favourite Mortal Kombat original appears in a line-up with official Mortal Kombat X render artwork for: Kotal Kahn, Raiden, D'Vorah & Kano. If you think the pose and quality is out of place - you're correct. It is.

Closer inspection quickly identifies the Reptile image as the work of UK fan artist: Ryan Crosby. The image was posted in 2012, and thanks to fan enthusiasm, appears in a mix of official and unofficial results in a quick google search for "Mortal Kombat Reptile".

Art of Kombat: Reptile image by RCDESIGN.

While the fan created nature of the image eliminates its authenticity, the question remains: Why did JB-HiFI use it? Could a wayward Google search be indication of the character's ultimate inclusion - known to retailers? Or, is this simply an overzealous employee? JB were yet to respond at the time of this article. Join the speculation on the forum.

This isn't the first time unofficial character artwork has prompted premature celebrations. Bernard Beneteau's creations sparked rumors in June, when his Ermac Concept Art made the rounds.

Enjoy more fan contributions in Mortal Kombat Online's Art of Kombat! The fan-art feature series includes spotlights on: Reptile and Ermac! Register to submit your own, and run the kommunity gauntlet in the Mortal Kombat X forum! Thanks to User KenshiMaster16 for sparking the conversation!