Cyrax

"We're not machines, Sektor. I chose to serve the Lin Kuei, but I will not surrender my free will!"

- Cyrax betraying the Lin Kuei

Cyrax is a Lin Kuei Clan warrior transformed into a robot and a villain from the Mortal Kombat series of fighting games.

Info
Cyrax was working for the Lin Kuei Clan of ass assassins. He, Sektor and Smoke were ordered to track down and kill a renegade member of the Lin Kuei, the younger Sub-Zero. Sub-Zero had disagreed with the decision to convert all its members into robots and left the clan. He was thus marked for death by the grandmasters, especially Oniro.

During the invasion of Earth by Shao Kahn and his minions, Sub-Zero defeated Cyrax and reprogrammed him with orders to destroy Shao Kahn. However, Shao was defeated by the other Earth warriors before Cyrax had a chance to do so. As a result of his reprogramming, he awaited new orders. When these never came, he malfunctioned and wandered until becoming mired in the middle of Shinnok's Desert in Outworld.

Cyrax was recovered and repaired by the Lin Kuei. However, he appeared somehow different than when first constructed. Once again the clan sent Cyrax into battle with his fellow robot Sektor assigned to monitor him.

After the defeat of the fallen Elder God Shinnok, it became apparent that Cyrax had begun to experience flashbacks of his former life. Special Forces agents Sonya Blade and Jax Briggs brought him to the Outerworld Investigation Agency headquarters and used its technology to restore his humanity. Grateful for their help, Cyrax joined the OIA as a scout in the planet of Outworld.

During the events of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Cyrax was ambushed by the two Onis, Moloch and Drahmin. After driving the two onis off, he became stranded in Outworld. Although he managed to drive off Reptile, who took part in a surprise attack orchestrated by the vampire Nitara, but his arm console, which allowed him to return to Earth, was damaged.

A short time later, Cyrax encountered Nitara. She offered to help him return home, in exchange for his aid in recovering a lost artifact. They traveled to the underground chamber of a hollow volcano that housed the egg of a long-forgotten Dragon King. There, Cyrax submerged himself in the lake of molten lava and discovered the orb that would separate her Nitara's homeworld from Outworld. With the orb in her possession, she honoured her promise to Cyrax and used her mystical necklace to open a portal, and sent him back to Earth where he belonged.

Cyrax joined the battle of Armageddon, siding with the Forces of Light. He tried to stop Sheeva from climbing the Pyramid of Argus but was sent flying by the Shokan. At the end, Cyrax's dead body is seen on the stairs of the pyramid.

Current timeline
Cyrax enters the Mortal Kombat Tournament hosted by the sorcerer Shang Tsung, alongside his fellow Lin Kuei Claners, Sektor and the elder Sub-Zero. The Lin Kuei were invited by Shang to participate in the tournament. Shang Tsung planned to use the assassins to eliminate Earth warriors so Outworld could win.

Cyrax is quite reluctant, regarding the last decision that was taken by Oniro, of turning the Lin Kuei into robots, as he is seen arguing about that with Sektor, until they see the ninja spectre, Scorpion. Scorpion was once a leader of the Shirai-Ryu Clan, a clan that was rival of the Lin Kuei. Cyrax and Sektor mocked Scorpion and fought him in a two-on-one fight, in which Scorpion emerged victorious. Afterwards, Scorpion faced the elder Sub-Zero and returned from the Never Never Land with his charred skull. As everyone began to leave, Cyrax and Raiden walked towards the remains. Cyrax swore revenge on Scorpion for Sub-Zero's murder, but Raiden bluntly told him that Sub-Zero's fate was his own doing. Raiden also asked about the cyber initiative, which Cyrax admitted he opposed. Raiden then admonished him for participating in the tournament on Shang's side. He told Cyrax that if Earth loses, there will be no more Lin Kuei. As Cyrax pondered about that and left, Baraka was shown having overheard their conversation.

Later, Cyrax was confronted by Sheeva and Baraka on the bridge high above the Pit, who informed him that Shang Tsung no longer needed the Lin Kuei's help, Baraka having informed Tsung of the earlier conversation Cyrax had with Raiden. Cyrax defeated both of them, and confronted Shang who was talking to Sektor. Shang was upset that Cyrax had spoken to Raiden and stated that he jeopardised his plans. Sektor said that Cyrax was Lin Kuei, and that he would complete his task. Tsung then had Cyrax face Johnny Cage, whom he had been tasked to assassinate. Cyrax defeated Cage in their match, and Shang demanded that he kill him, but Cyrax refused. He let Cage down and walked away. Tsung glowered in fury, but Raiden nodded his approval. Angered by Cyrax's disobedience, Sektor followed and confronted him. Their argument turned into a fight in which Cyrax won. He told Sektor to tell the Grandmaster: "He was finished", to which Sektor responded that "no one leaves the Lin Kuei", only to be kicked him in the head, knocked out, by Cyrax.

Cyrax later appeared during the events of the second tournament in his automated form in Outworld. It is unknown whether Cyrax agreed to the automation or (more likely) was captured and forced into automation. However, Cyrax follows the orders of the Lin Kuei without question. He confronted the younger Sub-Zero in the Soul Chamber and stated "I am Lin Kuei Robot L-K-4-D-4. You will come with me." Sub-Zero replied he was sorry for what the Lin Kuei had done to him and told him that he would not comply. They engaged one another in combat and Sub-Zero emerged victorious. Cyrax then teleported away as Jax Briggs and Sonya Blade appeared.

Cyrax later appeared in Kahn's Coliseum following Sub-Zero's victory over Scorpion, offering Shao Kahn the Lin Kuei's full loyalty and service in exchange for taking Sub-Zero to be automated. Shao Kahn agreed, and the Lin Kuei left with Sub-Zero. Cyrax was later seen in the throne room with Sektor and Shao's chief lieutenants in the immediate aftermath of Shao Kahn's defeat at Liu Kang's hands. When Shao Kahn appeared before them, Cyrax and the others (except Sektor) quickly bowed to him in respect.

During the invasion of Earth, Cyrax was seen with the rest of the Outworld forces receiving orders from Sektor, when the recently reprogrammed Robot Sub-Zero appeared through the portal. He leaves with Noob Sailbot. Later when the Earth warriors gathered at a temple, the Lin Kuei robots, led by Sindel, attacked them. Nightwolf faced and defeated Cyrax, who was not seen again following Sindel's attack.

In Mortal Kombat X, Cyrax was merged together with Sektor and Smoke to be transformed into Triborg.

Mortal Kombat: Annihilation
Cyrax briefly appears in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. The storyline involving his connection to the Lin Kuei was mentioned but was more in favour of him being sent by Shao Kahn, the emperor of Outworld, to kill Sonya Blade and Jax Briggs. After entering the research facility in which Jax was being held, Cyrax engages Jax in battle whilst Sonya deals with the extermination squad accompanying Cyrax. Cyrax's body self-destructs after Sonya incinerates him with a variation of her kicks. In the film, he displays the ability to shoot tiny, spike-studded grenades and a corrosive, green plasma net - seemingly capable of rapidly and completely disintegrating organic matter, but is successfully and harmlessly blocked by Jax's cybernetic arms. His abilities as a ruthless martial arts fighting machine are shown, as he dominates Jax for almost the entirety of their confrontation.

Quotes

 * "Safeties disabled, combat mode engaged."
 * "I'll kill you if I have to!"
 * "Your inferior clan is dead! Soon, you will join them."
 * "Your obsession with Sub-Zero ends here!"
 * "Scorpion will pay for this!"
 * "His "own" doing?!"
 * "I am among those speaking out against the Grandmaster's plan. Surgically transform the Lin Kuei into glorified robots? It kills our intuition, our instincts."
 * "We were invited by Shang Tsung."
 * "My loyalty is to the Grandmaster."
 * "What are you doing? I'm not here to fight you. I'm assigned to kill Johnny Cage."
 * "I need to have a talk with your master."
 * "You mean to finish me? You couldn't even stop the actor."
 * "Sektor, we need to talk. Our host tried to have me killed."
 * "I won't kill him! I'll kick him!"
 * "I eliminated him from the tournament. He didn't need to die."
 * "You are ordered to return to the Lin Kuei temple for assimilation."
 * "My speed and skill are beyond you."

Powers and abilities
As a robotic ninja, Cyrax is well-equipped, both in martial arts involving ninjutsu and weaponry. Cyrax houses a number of weapons in his chest cavity designed for both incapacitating and destroying targets. Of the three robot ninjas, Cyrax is most associated with bombardment, his arsenal is full of timed explosives with a seemingly unlimited supply. He also has access to an 'energy net' capable of incapacitating his targets completely. When his soul was returned to him, not only did Cyrax retain some of his robotic parts, he was also outfitted with state-of-the-art technology, courtesy of the Outerworld Investigation Agency.

Cyrax was now equipped with a portable device that would allow him to freely traverse across the planets without the need of stationary portals or spaceships. In addition, his armour is heat-resistant, as he was able to completely submerge himself in molten rock without severely damaging himself in the process. His net weapon was replaced with a buzzsaw-like appendage, used for mid-range combat. Cyrax is also able to relocate himself across short distances by separating all of his limbs and head as his torso would transport to a different area where all of the discarded limbs would rejoin, but not exactly like how they were (sometimes head was replaced where an arm should be, leg where a foot should be, etc.).

Journal Entry
A skilled Botswana warrior, Cyrax relies on his natural fighting ability, his chi, to carry out the Lin Kuei missions. He is proud to serve, but when the Grandmaster initiates a program to convert the clan into robots, Cyrax resists. He is reluctant to lose his humanity, which he believes is more effective than any mechanical augmentation. He has contemplated leaving the clan, fearing that it is no longer a organisation of honourable assassins. Cyrax knows, however, that such a decision means death at the hands of his former comrades. No one leaves the Lin Kuei alive.

Trivia

 * During the Great Battle, Cyrax emits the same sound that all the robots emitted when they were damaged in MK3, after being knocked away by Sheeva. It is often misinterpret that Cyrax was saying “Screw You!”.
 * Hapkido was one of the many fightisng styles Cyrax trained.
 * Cyrax is the only character introduced in MK3 that was seen in Deadly Alliance.
 * He is ranked in sixth on Carmine Varrotto's list of top 10 fighters from the Mortal Kombat Tournament.