Cyrax is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise.

Introduction

Cyrax first appeared in Mortal Kombat 3 and made appearances in Mortal Kombat Gold (a Dreamcast exclusive game) and Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. While his standard moves support speed, strength and skill, his special abilities rely on his cybernetic enhancements.

== Game background ==

Cyrax appeared in Mortal Kombat 3 as a cybernetic assassin working for the Chinese Lin Kuei clan, which is portrayed as a clan of ninja-assassins relying on both conventional martial arts, technology, and magic to eliminate opponents. Cyrax appeared alongside Sektor and Smoke, who were allegedly his partners, and had the mission to track down and kill a renegade member of the Lin Kuei clan, Sub-Zero (who is known as the younger Sub-Zero). The reason why Sub-Zero left the clan (and was thus marked for death) was because it began to convert its members into machines, but Sub-Zero refused to be augmented, incurring the wrath of the clan leaders.

During the events of Mortal Kombat 3, taking place against the backdrop of an extradimensional invasion from Outworld, Sub-Zero allegedly reprogrammed Cyrax, causing the cyborg to crash in the middle of a vast desert. This storyline is picked up again in Mortal Kombat Gold; he is eventually recovered by his clan but appears to be malfunctioning. Eventually, although sent on a new mission to kill Sub-Zero, he has his humanity restorted by special agents Sonya Blade and Jax. Grateful for this, he joins the Outer World Investigation Agency, a military organisation devoted to the research of extraterrestial worlds, which was created after the repulsion of Outworld's invasion.

In Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Cyrax was stranded once more, this time on Outworld itself. His arm console, allowing him to return to Earth, was damaged and the portal on the other side destroyed by unknown enemies. An agent sent to look for him is soon lost as well, forcing Sonya and Jax to travel to Outworld themselves.

Movie appearance

Cyrax appears in the movie Mortal Kombat: Annihilation as a reprogammed cyborg of the Lin Kuei, only this time not by Sub-Zero, but by Shao Kahn, the emperor of Outworld. In a battle with Sonya and Jax, he eventually explodes.