Kabal is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. He debuted in Mortal Kombat 3 (1995) as a former member of the Black Dragon criminal organization. Chosen by the thunder god Raiden to help defend Earthrealm, he pursues redemption by battling invading forces from Outworld. Subsequent installments, however, give Kabal a more good depiction as the leader of a new Black Dragon clan in the original timeline because of the brainwash by Kano, and a villainous depiction as an undead revenant in the reboot. Due to injuries suffered against Outworld's warriors, the character wears a specialized helmet with a built-in life-support system. He possesses superhuman speed and uses a pair of hookswords as his primary weapon. Reception to Kabal has been mostly positive, with him regarded as one of the franchise's most powerful fighters, although his Fatality finishing moves have been more scrutinized. He has also appeared in various media outside of the games. Appearances Mortal Kombat games Making his debut in 1995's Mortal Kombat 3, Kabal was a member of the Black Dragon crime syndicate alongside Kano until Outworld emperor Shao Kahn's invasion of Earthrealm. After the thunder god Raiden chose him to help defend Earthrealm, Kabal became a target of the Kahn's extermination squads, who subjected him to a vicious attack that left him badly maimed and scarred; forcing him thereafter to rely on artificial respirators for survival and a mask to hide his now disfigured face. However, the assault had also resulted in Kabal abandoning his life of crime in order to fight alongside the Earthrealm warriors and successfully thwart Shao Kahn and his forces. As was the case with the debuting characters from MK3 onward, Kabal is not playable in Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance (2002), though he has a significant role in the game's storyline when he is killed in battle and has his hook swords stolen by Mavado, a leading member of the Black Dragon's rival, the Red Dragon clan. This storyline briefly continues in Mortal Kombat: Deception (2004), when Kabal hunts and defeats Mavado and takes back his swords. Beforehand, a cleric of the otherworldly dimension Chaosrealm, Havik, brought Kabal back from the brink of death and instructed him to restore the same Black Dragon that he had long tried to disassociate himself from. Kabal complies, recruiting Kira, who had impressed him by being able