Mortal Kombat 11's DLC roster is shaping up to add some interesting fighters that may shake up the meta in many ways such as Nightwolf, Sindel, and Spawn. Al "Spawn" Simmons is actually the first guest fighter to be confirmed who will, according to rumors, be joined by the Joker and Terminator as MK11 guest fighters later on. For the uninitiated, Spawn is a comic book anti-hero designed by Todd McFarlane that has a sizeable cult following.
Spawn is not as big of a name as characters such as DC or Marvel comic book characters, so it's within the realm of possibility that many know nothing about the character. So, for those wanting to pick him up as DLC in Mortal Kombat 11, here are 5 totally weird facts about Spawn.
5 1. His Suit is Sentient
Spawn has a ton of powers that may come into play in Mortal Kombat 11, but one advantage is also that he is not alone. This is because his suit is actually a sentient being known as K7-Leetha and it feeds on Spawn's body. K7-Leetha is a neural parasite that feeds on chemical remnants in his spinal fluid and his entire central nervous system, and this connection gives K7-Leetha access to Spawn's subconsciousness. It remains to be seen if developer NetherRealm intends to utilize K7-Leetha in his combat or not, but Todd McFarlane recently talked Spawn in Mortal Kombat 11, promising that the studio was taking his comic book powers seriously.
4 2. His Body is Made of Necroplasm
At first glance, many may attribute Spawn's exaggerated build to his comic design, but the character actually weighs over 400 pounds. When Al Simmons is revived as Spawn, his body is made entirely from necroplasm, a will-controlled magical substance, that is responsible for his weight. Al only weighs around 230 pounds in his human form and stands at 6'2, but Spawn nearly doubles his weight and grows to 6'11, making it a substantial form change. It's unsure how or if this will affect his character design in Mortal Kombat 11.
3 3. Why Spawn was in Soul Calibur II
Mortal Kombat 11 isn't Spawn's first rodeo in video games. Many may also remember back in 2003 when Spawn appeared in the Xbox version of Soul Calibur 2, with his first appearance in a fighting game garnering a ton of confusion. First off, Spawn wasn't necessarily the first pick, as his inclusion came as a result of an agreement between McFarlane and Namco for resin figurines. It was also due to the fact that Dead or Alive characters couldn't be used in the Xbox version because of licensing concerns.
However, it doesn't end there because Spawn's signature bladed chains and red cloak do not appear in the game, which was later attributed to the processing power of the console. The axe he uses is considered to be his cloak in a new form, but luckily, video games have come a long way since then. Spawn's inclusion as one of Mortal Kombat 11's confirmed DLC characters may hopefully erase the 2003 era from many memories.
2 4. There Are Technically Two Spawns
Spawn's design hasn't significantly changed since he was formally introduced into his comic series, but that doesn't mean the character has remained the same. Many may be surprised to learn that there are technically two Spawns in the comic series (while there are also a ton of the same race in spin-offs and history, this is specifically considering Spawn with the K7-Leetha suit), while only one will appear in Mortal Kombat 11.
Al Simmons is the traditional Spawn character, but when he decides to end his second life, Spawn returns as Jim Downing. Simmons was Spawn from 1992-2008 and then Jim Downing took over from 2008 until the return of Al Simmons in 2015. Furthermore, Jim Downing was actually one of the legion of souls that Al carries with him, and Al assumed Jim's human form at one point early in the whole comic series. It seems safe to say that it will be the Al Simmons version of the character appearing in Mortal Kombat 11.
1 5. He was Almost Played by Snoop Dogg in Movie
Many may want to forget the Spawn movie that released in 1997, as it is often considered a flop, but it was a pivotal moment for the character's publicity. Spawn is played by Michael Jai White, but many iconic 90s African American actors were actually considered for the role. Chief among them was rapper Snoop Dogg, but his career certainly hasn't worsened by skipping out on this movie. Speaking of acting, the Mortal Kombat 11 Spawn will be voiced by Keith David who also voiced the character in the HBO animated series.
Mortal Kombat 11 is out now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.