They even slightly referenced it in Deadly Alliance, Sonya's storyline included a small mention of the OIA going around the world destroying every portal on Earth, which is why Quan and Shang had to use that secret one "known only to sorcerers and deities" to sneak in and kill Liu Kang.
Kind of an odd thing though because in past games, Shang could just open his own portals any time he wanted, like in MK2 when the Tarkatans attack the Shaolin temple. That's something "free-roaming sorcerers" like Quan and Shang are supposed to be able to do, travel from realm to realm any time they like without the gods being able to sense them.
I can understand Quan losing that power in DA because Scorpion was keeping him in Hell and they said being in the fifth layer drains sorcery. But what's Shang's excuse?

Oh yeah, now I rememebr, forgot about Sonya's MKDA bio.
Good point, what is Shang's excuse? And it better not be being a senile old geezer either, lol.

I dunno, maybe Kahn took away some of his power as punishment for failing so much after MK3. I mean, in both MK2 and 3, Shang's bios say Kahn kept giving him more and more juice so he could get things done and it never paid off.

Very likely, failing the big man 3 times in a row is pretty much just asking for an ass kicking. No wonder he jumped at Quan Chi's offer, I'd wanna kill Kahn too, lol.

I think Shao Kahn being evil may not have anything directly to do with Onaga. Just because he was only just Onaga's advisor, doesn't mean he was all good at that time. First, after all, there was some evil in him to motivated him to poison Onaga. Second, the fact, that he's even serving Onaga. Onaga is evil, and to serve as an advisor for an evil, there must be some evil in you. He could just be like Reiko, ironically. Reiko served Shao Kahn but want the throne himself. No, I don't think Kahn was born evil, but he may develop his sense of evilness earlier on, and may have nothing to do with Onaga.

And about what you guys think why he wanted Sindel and Kitana, I think it's very interesting. But I believe it's more as justification of conquest and propaganda. Best way to subdue and lower morale of the Edenian resistance after the conquest, is for Kahn to married their Queen. And at that time, before conceiving the idea of creating Mileena, he need Kitana to portray as his heir. Having an heir makes it seems the Empire at least secure for the next generation to come, especially if that heir is a princess.

As far as Shinnok, I personally think his story could parallel what happen to the Greek mythology. Maybe and he and the other Elder Gods defeated the One Being and spread its essence that form the realms. This is like how Cronus and other Titans castrated Uranus, and from Uranus spilt seed, others are form, like Aphrodite and the Furies. The Titans were like the Elder Gods in Greek Mythology. Cronus went on to become the leader and ruler of the Titans before being overthrow by Zeus. I think Cronus was expecting to be leader and ruler of other Elder Gods as well, but unlike Cronus, he was never given the chance..

Perhaps. However, Onaga's rule of Outworld was claimed to have been one of Order according to Hotaru's bio in MKD IIRC, while Kahn's is one of Chaos, as Havik claims it to be. So who knows, Onaga might not have been so bad an emperor when he was alive.

The words "benevolent" and "like Raiden" were specifically used to describe Kahn before he poisoned Onaga.

He was good and something changed him. That's just plain canon.

I must admit, trying to picture Kahn as benevolent is kinda funny.

Spider, you may be right. But don't you think, there's possible different outcome for same actions. What I mean is both Onaga and Shao Kahn want to take over other realms. Onaga know how to keep order and peace within his Empire, while Kahn can't. I think this may have to do with Onaga ability to resurrect his army. So he always have an army to enforce his will. His personal army too, not some from different warring species. Kahn have to rely on the warring factions to provide him with his army. They vie for his favor and they are dispensable. When Goro thought dead after MK1, he turn to Kintaro in MK2, then Motaro in MK3. So the fact that he rely on warring species who vie for his favor, lead to more chaotic. Both Onaga and Kahn wanted to take over realms, just different outcome and methods.

Razor, you may be right as well. All I remember from MKD, that some NPC describe Shao Kahn was an advisor, like Raiden part, but nothing about the benevolent part. I interpreted this as like Raiden, he use, to give advice to his respective realm. He perhaps did not partake in the fight, just give advice with words. I don't think Raiden participate in MK tournaments until MK1 going forward. If he did, Earthrealm wouldn't have push to brink of losing it all by MK1 time. So I interpret Kahn being as being like Raiden as in that he was just an advisor, and at that time no ambition to be anything other than that.

I did a little search to see if I can find anything relate to Kahn and benevolent, and all I found was description of Sindel as benevolent, not Kahn though.

I also found an interest video with all the NPC from Chaosrealm and Netherealm speech is reverse order or rather in proper order so we can understand what they are saying. I found a bit Shao Kahn at around 2:30. Nothing about benevolent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-zRFc8U19M But since it been a long time since I played MKD, I'm gonna give you the benefit of the doubt.