Kurtis Stryker
Context
Mortal Kombat is a series of graphic brawling video games that started in 1992. It is not as big as it used to be, but new games are still released as of the 2010s.
Stryker appears in the 1995 edition of the game – Mortal Kombat III.
Background
- Real Name: Kurtis Stryker.
- Marital Status: Single.
- Known Relatives: None.
- Group Affiliation: NYPD, The Chosen.
- Base Of Operations: New York.
- Height: 5’11” Weight: 204lbs.
- Eyes: Blue Hair: Blond
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Powers and Abilities
Kurtis Stryker is a veteran police officer. Even though he is quite big, he is a much faster and better hand-to-hand combatant than one would expect. His true mastery is his expert skills in all weaponry, police skills as well as his mastery of demolition techniques and his leading ability.
Stryker is also the only Chosen with no metahuman abilities and thus always carries tons of weapons of all sorts ranging from melee weapons (nightstick), heavy explosives (grenades and dynamite) and ranged weapons (guns) to high-tech weaponry (taser gun).
In combat he usually uses only the nightstick or the grenades. A lethal combo of these weapons is often used before doing an Intimidation maneuver. The pack of dynamite and the taser gun (set on kill) are only used to finish the opponent off (see “Doing a Fatality”). The gun is mainly used to show off and for intimidation purposes.
History
Many thousands of years ago a group of wise men from the Far East received visions of a dark realm. This realm would later be known as the Outworld. This dark realm was placed in another dimension and ruled by its malicious emperor, Shao Kahn. The wise men realized that travel might some day be possible between the two realms if the conditions were right.
Fearing an imminent Outworld invasion they appealed to the Elder Gods. The Gods answered their appeal by creating the tournament of Mortal Kombat in which chosen earth warriors could fight for the safety of the earth realm. The Mortal Kombat tournament it thus earth’s last chance against Kahn’s forces : a fight for the lives and souls of all people on Earth.
For centuries now, Earth has used Mortal Kombat to defend itself against the Outworld’s Emperor Shao Kahn. But Kahn became exceedingly frustrated by failed attempts at taking Earth though the tournament battle (MK1-MK2). He decided to enact a plan which began almost 10,000 years ago.
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Hail to the queen, baby
It was during a time in which Kahn had a queen, by the name of Sindel. Unfortunately she died a premature death. Kahn’s shadow priests, lead by the master sorcerer Shang Tsung, made it so Sindel’s spirit would someday be reborn : not on the Outworld but on the Earth realm itself.
This unholy act gave Shao Kahn the power to step though the dimensional gates and reclaim his queen, thus also enabling him to finally seize Earth. Upon breaching the Portal into Earth, Shao Kahn stripped the planet of all human life. Kahn claimed every soul as his own and slowly the Earth began to be transformed into a part of the Outworld itself.
But there were souls which Shao Kahn couldn’t take : the souls of the warriors chosen to represent Earth in a new Mortal Kombat. Kahn sent an army of terrible Outworld warriors to find and eliminate the warriors who where spread throughout the planet. Some of the Earth’s warriors survived the attacks, but most didn’t.
Raiden returns
The remaining few are mankind’s only hope of saving all of humankind (MK3). The survivors were contacted by the god Raiden, who had been the coordinator of the previous Mortal Kombat Tournaments. All gathered in the lands held by Nightwolf’s tribe (one of the survivors) and they began to enact a plan.
When the Outworld portal of the invasion opened up over a large city in North America (probably New York), panic and chaos raged out of control. Bomb Squad Officer Kurtis Stryker was the leader of a riot control brigade when Shao Kahn began taking the souls. He found himself the lone survivor of a city once populated by millions.
Although ignorant of why his soul was spared from the Outworld invasion, Stryker received a vision from Raiden.
He was instructed to travel west and he did. He eventually met the rest of Earth’s warriors and learnt the true meaning of his survival. He then returned to his city, which he swore to protect; a warrior awaiting his victory over Kahn who strangely was unaware of this combatant’s existence.
Stryker thus was a real threat and aided Liu Kang in defeating Kahn and his forces. Stryker presumably returned to active duty in New York and has not been seen since (MK3).
Description
Stryker is a blond, rather tall and tough cop. He is usually clad in ordinary street clothing such as a black ball-cap turned back-to-front on the head, a red-white T-shirt, a pair of jeans and leather boots.
Personality
Stryker is a tough-talking and serious police officer. In combat he lets effectiveness talk for itself. Although he, at first, wasn’t sure why he was spared from the ravages of Kahn, his heart was always in the right place, fighting against this injustice.
His home city is very important to him and he will do anything in his power to protect and save it.
Quotes
“You’re under arrest !”
DC Universe History
In a strict Mortal Kombat genre: The players could be among the chosen ones and in each adventure they could battle some of the known characters from the games until the end of the campaign where they face Shao Kahn (MK3&MK4) or Shao Tsung (MK: Deadly Alliance).
However, since Stryker is the only human character in the games, he could simply be inserted as an elite cop in nearly any type of campaign. Tough cops such as Stryker are useful in a variety of cool themes.
Examples include a team-up with Martin Riggs & Roger Murtaugh (the Lethal Weapon movies), against vigilantes such as the Punisher, Peacemaker etc., as a guard at the Vault (in the Marvel Universe) or as a member of the Metropolis Special Crimes Unit (DC Universe) and so on.
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
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Stryker
| Dex: 06 | Str: 04 | Bod: 05 | Motivation: Seeking Justice |
| Int: 04 | Wil: 07 | Min: 05 | Occupation: Bomb Squad Officer |
| Inf: 06 | Aur: 04 | Spi: 07 | Resources {or Wealth}: 005 |
| Init: 018 | HP: 035 |
Skills:
Charisma (Intimidation): 05, Detective: 04, Martial Artist: 05, Military science: 06, Vehicles (Land): 04, Weaponry: 08
Advantages:
Area Knowledge (New York), Leadership, Luck, Scholar (Demolitions).
Connections:
NYPD (High), The Chosen (High).
Drawbacks:
SIA (Protecting New York).
Equipment:
- Grenades [BODY 04, Bomb: 05].
- Nightstick [BODY 08, EV 04 (06 w/STR, 07 w/Martial Artist), Note: The nightstick is also useful for Blocking all incoming physical attacks].
- Taser Gun [BODY 04, Cling: 02, Lightning: 08, Range: 02, R#2, Limitation: Lightning is limited to use through a wire attached (by Cling) to a subject only].
- Pack of Dynamite [BODY 02, Bomb: 08, R#2].
- .45 Automatic Pistol [BODY 04, EV 04, Range: 05, Ammo: 07, R#2].
When Stryker finishes off an opponent
Combat in the Mortal Kombat Tournament ends well when a fighter manages to kill off his opponent in a gory and impressive manner — a Fatality. Stryker will gleefully use all available weapons against an opponent at all times, with the exception of the pack of dynamites and the taser gun. These lethal weapons are reserved for use only to finish off an enemy.
When an opponent has been subject to intense pummeling and has a low Current Body Condition, Stryker will pick up one of these special weapons, spend some HPs and kill his opponent. The pack of dynamites are bound around a stunned opponent, who is then blown to pieces, while the taser gun is set to maximum strength for an extended period of time leaving but a grilled opponent.
A GM might rule that a fee of 5 HPs is required to make these weapons available to Stryker; although by doing the finishing move Stryker is likely to regain some of the HPs as per doing a successful Gloating maneuver.
Helper(s): Sean MacDonald.
Source of Character: Mortal Kombat (MK3) Game.