I'm afraid that doesn't make much sense. You're saying create a guy with the exact same name, look, and moves, and then say he's not the same guy?
If he looks like Kobra and his name is Kobra, how is he not Kobra? The reason each Link being a different guy works is because each Zelda game is set like a hundred years before or after the last, the new Link literally can't be the old Link because the old Link died of old age!

Personally, I always thought Kobra has a half-decent story, a street thug who joins MK's resident street gang faction, and his Karate Kid villain looks weren't terrible, he was just a little too babyfaced for a criminal. Make him more rugged and grimy looking and he'd be fine.

The big problem with Kobra, I feel, was two things:

1) He seemed like he was meant to be killed in the same game he was created, that Kira's ending would've been canon if not for Armageddon. Which is basically telling the audience NOT to get attached to or care about him. The same thing happened to Hsu Hao.

2) His moves sucked. I think if they ever brought him back, they should scrap what he had in Deception and just literally give him a fireball that looks like the Hadoken, a jumping uppercut that looks like the Shoryuken, and a Hurricane Kick. SF and KoF games have characters that parody each other, why couldn't MK have a character who parodies Ken/Ryu, one who's like "the Dan" of the franchise?

Like I said, the whole point of my idea is that he's so generic there are many like him. Most of the time the other characters would react as if they just met him, even if they interacted with one of the previous Kobras in a past game.

Basically, the new Kobras wouldn't actually be the Kobra of MKD. Kobra would become an avatar of unremarkable blandness for laughably disposable new characters (male human ones in this case). Kobra would be brought back without actually being brought back. A bit like having a recurring actor/actress playing several, unconnected minor/secondary characters in a TV series. If a Kobra met another Kobra, they'd treat each other as separate people, completely oblivious to their identical traits.

Kobra would no longer be a true character, just a symbol. Of utter worthlessness. If you're a Kobra, it basically means you don't deserve to be treated as a unique individual, just some other chump. That's all the Kobra of MKD was after all. He's not in the same league as Baraka, Drahmin, Stryker or Johnny Cage, characters you do not cheaply replace with pale imitations. Kobra however? The guy just screams disposable. Cannon fodder. So that's what I think he should represent. You could humorously kill him over and over, and since it's never the same guy anyway, you wouldn't be resurrecting him constantly.

I understand the ideas in this thread, but I'm not sure that I'm down with the idea of making an MK character in to "disposable cannon fodder" or "The Dan of MK." It just sounds like you're inherently going out of your way to make a garbage character or a copycat character and while the latter isn't bad, I'd still rather see them make a mediocre character in to a good or even great character.

Is that even possible with Kobra? Possibly, though probably not. Still, given that they found a way to make Stryker much more likeable in the last MK game, I have a bit more hope that they could do the same with other, less loved characters.

I wouldn't mind it if they gave Kobra one of Ken/Ryu's moves, but then give him some other stuff that makes him unique and perhaps even cooler and more fun to use than Ken/Ryu.

That's my 2 cents on it anyways. MK has had enough garbag/copycat/joke/throw away characters (Meat and Mokap immediately spring to mind, though Rain, Skarlett and Ermac were both never really meant to be full fledged characters either as I understand it).

Alright, here is one story suggestion for a Kobra I've had in mind for a while. Admittedly this is more for the old timeline, but it can still work in the new one. While I would still love to see my idea in my op applied, this Kobra could become a recurring character.


A new star of the action genre, Kobra has starred in blockbusters such as "2 Cool 2 Looz" and "Badass B.A". He is a hero for teeny boopers. But he is better known for starring in several remakes of Johnny Cage movies. The king of remakes, or the Remaker, he is called, by the older generations of movie enthusiasts. Convinced he is superior to him in every ways, Kobra has frequently insulted Johnny in interviews, calling him an old fart and a has-been. Every JC movies he's remade were those in which Johnny played the victorious heroes, since Kobra believes that by not playing a villainous and/or losing JC character, that it actually makes him better than Johnny.

Kobra has the full support of his largely immature fanbase, who shares his views of Johnny and other famous actors of the past decades. One day, Johnny embarrased Kobra by kicking his ass, after the asshole (Kobra, duh) challenged him to a fight in the streets. The whole thing was filmed by bystanders, and uploaded on Youtube. Kobra's hatred of Johnny only intensified after that.

He finds himself recruited by the villain (whoever it is), who promises Kobra to wipe Johnny and his movies out of existence and the public's conciousness if he helps them. Kobra's remakes would become the originals. The legitimate ones. He accepts the offer. The Remaker shall honor his name!

Ending: After finally killing Johnny, and helping the villains triumph, the Remaker expects his reward. He is denied, and kills them. This act of rebellion grants him the power to alter reality. He does exactly what is expected of him, and he erases Johnny Cage and his movies from history. But why stop at that, when he can do the same to other action stars of the past? Better yet, why not remake...the world?!

I like Razor's idea. And use inspiration from Vincent Proce's Johnny Cage for him. Maybe a brass knuckle, too..

Also, they made Tundra Kuai Liang's nickname, they should make Michael Grimm his real name.

I don't see enough similarities between Kobra and Johnny Cage to take him in a Cage-related direction. Honestly, Black Dragon member really does work best for him, the way I see it, the ONLY reason for him to exist is that he represents grimy, everyday urban backalley crime in the way bigtime merc/arms dealer/terrorists like Kano, Jarek, Kabal, and Kira don't. You gotta have henchmen and smalltime guys, that's how you flesh out the world. Where would MK be without the occasional Baraka or Reptile to do somebody's bidding?
As for the name thing daryui mentioned, I'm in favor of "Ben" being Kobra's real first name since that was supposedly his temp. name during development like how Sektor and Cyrax were Ketchup and Mustard.

I've had the Ben idea for a while. I would make it a name he hates with a passion, hence why he renamed himself Kobra, since it sounds so "badass" and all. Each times he hears the name Ben, he flips out, spinning around and stomping his foot repeatedly screaming "Kobra! Kobra Kobra Kobra!". I would make that his victory pose, with the announcer calling him Ben.