Deadly Alliance

  The Deadly Alliance  The Deadly Alliance of sorcerers joins forces

The Deadly Alliance is a faction in the Mortal Kombat video game series, making its debut in the game with the same subtitle.

About the Deadly Alliance
The Deadly Alliance was a temporary alliance between two powerful sorcerers: Shang Tsung, advisor to Emperor Shao Kahn and host of the last Mortal Kombat in Earthrealm, and Quan Chi, a free-roaming sorceror and one-time ally of the fallen Elder God Shinnok. Their eventual goal was to conquer Earthrealm by using the Dragon King's Undefeatable Army.

Quan Chi's discovery
At the end of the events of Mortal Kombat 4, Quan Chi was transported to the Netherealm, along with his ally turned nemesis, Scorpion. In the Netherealm, Scorpion relentlessly tormented the necromancer whenever he could. Quan Chi eventually met the two Oni, Moloch and Drahmin, and bargained a deal with them; in return for their protection, he would free them from the Netherealm.

Shortly thereafter Quan Chi found the ruins of an ancient portal, and while examining the artifacts, Scorpion attacked. The two Oni sprang into action and Quan Chi used this time to finish his examination and open the protal to escape the realm alone. He was transported to Outworld and found himself in the lost tomb of the mummified, Undefeatable Army of the Dragon King. He surmised that with such an army at his disposal, he could conquer the realms and defeat the Elder Gods, becoming ruler of all creation.

Partnership with Shang Tsung
Because the army was mummified, Quan Chi needed someone who could reanimate their bodies. That person happened to be the shapeshifter Shang Tsung, who also lived on Outworld. Quan Chi told him about his discovery and his plot, and they came to an agreement. First, they needed to remove the three most important obstacles that stood in their way. It is unclear at what time after the events of Mortal Kombat 4 all of this took place, but the final stages of their plans likely happened in the same year as the Deadly Alliance tournament, in 10 AMK.

Their first possible threat was Liu Kang, Earthrealm's champion. Shang Tsung disguised himself as Kung Lao, and ambushed him. Thanks to Quan Chi's intervention in that battle, the sorcerers were able to win, and Shang Tsung took Liu Kang's soul. At the same time, Noob Saibot attacked and mortally wounded prince Goro at a command of Quan Chi, during an important battle between the armies of Edenia and Outworld. Due to Goro's demise, the forces of Edenia were forced to retreat. The two sorcerors then travelled back to Outworld, where Shang Tsung presented Quan Chi to Shao Kahn. After a token display of loyalty, the two attacked, slaying the emperor. When the emperor lay dead on the floor, general Kano stepped out of the shadows and offered his loyalty to the sorcerors.

The Deadly Alliance's victory
With their enemies out of the way, Quan Chi used his amulet to open the Soulnado, a portal to the Heavens through which Shang Tsung summoned the souls of countless warriors to animate the Army of the Dragon King. They planned to invade Earthrealm with the army, and their ally Mavado, the leader of the Red Dragon, offered his loyalty in exchange for safety for the Red Dragon. Mavado had found out that they employed Kano, one of the last Black Dragon members, and expressed his desire to kill him. The Alliance would give him a fight to the death with Kano, if Mavado found and eliminated Kenshi. He succeeded, and then killed Kano in combat.

Raiden's Earthrealm champions then travelled to Outworld to stop the Deadly Alliance from bringing all of their plans to fruition. However, their attack against both sorcerers failed. Jax, Johnny Cage, Kung Lao, Sonya Blade and the Edenian princess Kitana were all killed. Kenshi was badly wounded and Sub-Zero was betrayed by his own disciple, Frost. Frost tried to steal Sub-Zero's dragon medallion, but was consumed by her own freezing ability. With all heroes from Earth caught up, wounded or dead, Raiden took on the Deadly Alliance himself. Ultimately, he too was defeated.

The Desparate Alliance
Both sorcerers had little time to relish in their victory and quickly turned on each other. After a brief and vicious fight, Quan Chi stood victorious. His attention now turned to a tall, massive intruder: Onaga, who had returned from beyond death. It became obvious soon that Quan Chi could not stop the Dragon King. Even when Shang Tsung and Raiden regained consciousness and joined the fight against their common foe, Onaga was unstoppable. In a last ditch effort, Raiden released his godly essence in a terrible explosion which destroyed the palace, the Soulnado, the Deadly Alliance and Onaga's army, but not Onaga himself, who had now gained control of Shinnok's amulet.