—Ermac to Jacqui Briggs before the battle. |
Biography
- Mortal Kombat (2011): "As punishment for resisting Shao Kahn’s claim to the realm of Edenia, the souls of the vanquished were torn from their bodies and fused together to form the being now known as Ermac. Bent to Shao Kahn’s will, Ermac is his foremost enforcer. The essences of so many souls bound together give Ermac immense telekinetic power–an advantage that will destroy Earthrealm’s resistance to Shao Kahn’s rule."
- Mortal Kombat X: "Ermac was created with dark magicks by the former emperor of Outworld, Shao Kahn. He is a collection of souls, those of the thousands of warriors vanquished in Shao Kahn's conquest of Edenia. After Shao Kahn's death, Ermac remained loyal to subsequent Outworld emperors: first Shao Kahn's chosen successor, Mileena, then the usurper, Kotal Kahn. He is now a key component in the emperor's efforts to quell Mileena's rebellion."
Storyline
Mortal Kombat (2011)
Ermac is introduced by Shang Tsung in the first Mortal Kombat tournament, where he was labeled "the newest creation of Shao Kahn". Despite his deadly powers, Ermac was defeated by Liu Kang in battle.
Later on, Ermac appeared in the Soul Chamber, where the souls that comprise Ermac rest and regenerate. Sub-Zero, Sonya Blade, and Jax Briggs were all in the Soul Chamber when Ermac emerged. Jax attempted to attack Ermac, but he caught Jax's punch and proceeded to telekinetically rip off Jax's arms. While Sonya tended to Jax, Sub-Zero fought Ermac, who was defeated once again.
During the second tournament at the Coliseum, Ermac defeated and eliminated Johnny Cage from the tournament, leaving only Liu Kang and Kung Lao to fight for Earthrealm. After Kung Lao was killed by Shao Kahn, Liu Kang was enraged and tried to avenge his fallen friend. The emperor was supposedly killed, and his allies argued about who would be the next ruler of Outworld, an argument where Ermac was also present (but did not participate in). Shao Kahn eventually appeared alongside Quan Chi, who had aided him on his recovery and helped the emperor develop a plan to invade Earth, an invasion in which Ermac took part.
After Kurtis Stryker defeated Kintaro and attempted to call in a medical evacuation for the injured Kabal, Stryker was telekinetically lifted and thrust down into the Subway by Ermac. Stryker and Ermac then fought, and for a third time, Ermac was defeated.
Ermac's final appearance comes after Cyber Sub-Zero frees the Earthrealm prisoners. The recently freed prisoners were shown being telekinetically thrown back into the room by Ermac. In a rematch, the automated Sub-Zero faced Ermac again, and as before, Sub-Zero won.
Mortal Kombat X (Comic Series)
Ermac appears before Mileena in her keep in the Setian Valley where Rain is being cared for, informing the former empress of the status of the Shokan siege on Z'unkahrah. Despite Mileena's hopes that Kintaro would kill Kotal Kahn, Ermac informs her that Kotal Kahn will instead be victorious, having enlisted the aid of the Black Dragon and using their weapons to decimate Kintaro's forces.
An enraged Mileena demands to know of Reiko and the Red Dragon, and Ermac informs her they are still on Shang Tsung's Island. When Rain awakens and informs Mileena of Reiko's true allegiance to the cleric Havik, Ermac tells Mileena that the name stirs confusion and chaos in his thousands of souls, with Ermac calling Havik an enigma. Ermac is then ordered to gather the Tarkata as they all set out for Shang Tsung's Island.
Ermac joins Mileena on Shang Tsung's Island, immobilizing Skarlet with his telekinesis, giving the honor of finishing their 'sibling' to his empress. After Mileena destroys Skarlet's legs, Ermac summons Shao Kahn's Wrath Hammer to Mileena and gives it to her, allowing her to strike Reiko's face with enough force to temporarily kill him. Ermac informs Mileena that Reiko is not dead however, revealing the Blood Code is sustaining him.
Ermac joins Kotal Kahn and Mileena's attack on Reiko after the general is revived by the Blood Code, but Reiko's enhanced power allows him to avoid even Ermac's telekinetic attacks, and the construct is grabbed by his ankle in midair and then swung into Kotal and Mileena. Ermac recovers as Reiko reveals the origins of his delusions of godhood, and Ermac uses his telekinesis to rip the general's head clean off. Before anything else can be done, Havik arrives with a Blood Code corrupted Raiden, and Ermac is one of the many struck and knocked unconscious by the possessed god's lightning.
His body is collected by the Red Dragons and brought to the throne room, where it is hooked up to a device, and Ermac has some of his blood drained as part of a ritual to ascend Reiko to Blood God. Ermac is entirely unconscious during this, and does not witness Reiko's ascension to godhood.
Ermac is conscious as Reiko revels in his new power and contemplates sacrificing the bound champions as tributes to himself, but is spared this fate due to Havik's interventions. When Reiko's ascension to godhood is revealed to have been nothing more than a ruse, Ermac, along with the rest of the bound champions, sees Havik rip the Amulet of Shinnok from Reiko's corpse.
Ermac is bound as Havik tests the amulet's power on some spying Shokan warriors, and after the chaos cleric enslaves Kotal Kahn, Mileena, Johnny Cage, and Sonya Blade to his will via the Blood Code, he reveals to the construct that he has spared him for another reason. Havik then begins absorbing Ermac's souls into Shinnok's amulet, explaining that Raiden's cosmic barriers protect the Netherrealm as much as they blockade it, and intends to charge the amulet with Ermac's countless souls in order to allow Havik to breach the barriers easily. As Ermac writhes in agony as his souls are drained, the construct is saved from death when Takeda Takahashi arrives and cuts off Havik's amulet hand with his new whips.
Ermac remains bound and does not participate in the ensuing great battle between Havik's Blood Code-possessed slaves and reinforcements from Outworld. When those enslaved to Havik are freed, Mileena secretly frees Ermac from his bonds and tells the construct of her plans for them to claim the undefended throne back in Z'unkahrah. Ermac apologizes to Mileena as he rises, telling the former empress that while she is not crazy, she is too impetuous to lead, and declares that Outworld needs proven leadership from Kotal Kahn. With that, Ermac leaves Mileena to serve Kotal Kahn.
Mortal Kombat X
Ermac had once served under the empress Mileena. Five years prior to the game's story, Mileena and her servants, including Ermac, confronted Kotal Kahn (then known as Ko'atal) and his allies Reptile and D'Vorah, who were plotting to overthrow the empress. After Reptile reveals Mileena's true origins (a genetic experiment formed in Shang Tsung's Flesh Pits, as opposed to being the biological daughter of Shao Kahn) to the room, Ermac betrays the empress and engages her in combat. Her remaining allies are eventually slain, and Ko'atal orders Reptile to escort Mileena away. Ermac then pledges his allegiance to the new emperor of Outworld, Kotal Kahn.
Ermac alongside Erron Black and an army of Outworld soldiers escort Kotal Kahn's carriage to its destination. When Mileena's Tarkatan hordes attack the carriage, Ermac joins D'Vorah and Erron Black in fighting them off, killing numerous Tarkatans with his telekinetic powers.
Ermac appears once again alongside Erron Black and Reptile, investigating the slain corpses of two Outworld soldiers who had been ordered to take Shinnok's amulet to a safe location. Upon further inspection, they surmise that it is D'Vorah's work, stating that only she had the ability to create such wounds. Soon afterwards, they are ambushed by Cassie Cage and her team, leading Reptile to believe (erroneously) that D'Vorah had set them free. Although Ermac, Erron, and Reptile have the upper hand for most of the fight, they are eventually defeated by Takeda and knocked unconscious, enabling the Earthrealmers to escape. Later, they report back to Kotal Kahn and inform him of D'Vorah's betrayal, alleging that D'Vorah had stolen the amulet, set the Earthrealm prisoners free (in reality, they had freed themselves without D'Vorah's help), and took the amulet to Raiden (whereas she actually intended to bring it to Quan Chi). In response, Kotal Kahn orders Ermac and the others to prepare his army for an invasion of Earthrealm, intending to steal the amulet back.
After Cassie, Takeda, Kung Jin, and Jacqui crash land in a forest, Kotal and his followers emerge from a portal nearby. Kotal orders his minions to attack, but the Earthrealmers manage to escape. As they venture deeper into the woods in search of Cassie and her friends, Ermac tells Kotal that he can sense their presence. Moments later, Cassie's team spring a surprise attack on Kotal's army, resulting in a long battle between the two. After defeating Reptile and healing Takeda, Jacqui Briggs confronts Ermac, knowing that he was responsible for ripping her father's arms off 25 years ago. Jacqui emerges victorious, and remarks that with his defeat, her father had been avenged. It is not known what happened to him after the defeat of Shinnok.
Ending
- Mortal Kombat (2011) (Non-Canonical): "With Shao Kahn dead, Ermac was no longer bound to him. Anarchy erupted within Ermac as the many warrior souls that comprised his being struggled for dominance. Only one had the strength of will to quiet the chaos. The conflict resolved, Ermac returned to Outworld, determined to reunite with his past. Queen Sindel and Princess Kitana were shocked to learn the truth: that trapped among the many spirits within Ermac was their husband and father, King Jerrod. Though he would never be the Jerrod they once knew, Ermac would forever serve and protect his queen and the Edenian people."
- Mortal Kombat X (Non-Canonical): "Alone once more, Ermac searched the labyrinthine corridors of Shao Kahn's old fortress-- searching for the source of a faint voice calling to him. Suddenly a wisp of dust brushed his chest, wrenching free one of his many souls. The dust took the form of a man who began to consume soul after soul. As the weakened Ermac stared helplessly, he recognized the mysterious figure; the sorcerer Shang Tsung. Returned from death."