VS.
Man, today's Matchup caught me by surprise. Eccentric in their own right, these two boast frequently when it comes to their power, skills, status, and overall role as a human being whether it be as an Actor or a Luchador. They could be seen as comic relief, but they're overall fighting abilities aren't to be underestimated as looks are to be deceiving. If you were to judge them, you'd LOL & LYFAO (Laughing Your F*cking @$$ Off), but deep down ~ they'll KO yo @$$ before you could say otherwise. As of July 7th, Bleach & Mortal Kombat are tied 1-1. However, who'll take home the championship belt in the rumble ~ the Actor or the Luchador? Today's Matchup is none other than MK's Johnny Cage & Bleach's Mask De Masculine. Let's jam & remember ~ MechG's portions are on Cage & mine are on Masculine.
Backstory/Role (Masculine)
Prior to Bleach entering it's final Arc, Mask De Masculine wasn't shown nor mentioned until now. As a member of the Wandenreich & a Sternritter, he is only obligated into fulfilling his Majesty's wish ~ the annihilation of the Soul Society, the Royal Guard, & possibly the end of humanity. Designated with the letter "S" for Superstar, Mask De Masculine is a powerful Quincy with special abilities attributing to his "Superstar" namestake. In retrieving orders to subdue the Shinigami, Mask De Masculine ambushed Renji Abarai from above & mercilessly pummeled him down. As the Sternritter retreat on orders from Yhwach & upon Ichigo's arrival, Mask De Masculine & other fellow Wandenreich members are surprised to hear that Uryu Ishida, a stranger to them, is Yhwach's successor. Upsetting Bazz-B, Mask questions him on where he's going, but knows that whatever happens ~ it was Yhwach's decision as he puts extreme faith in Uryu's abilities despite everyone's misconceptions about him. Sometime afterwards, the Sternritter attack once more and this time, it's 3-vs-1. He easily beats down Hisagi, Ikkaku, & Yumichika, but Kensei & Rose show up for support to try and thwart Mask De Masculine's advances. However, Mask De Masculine proves he can handle his own as he beats Kensei & Rose by showing off his extreme strength, agility, & durability whenever his fan/adjutant, James, is around. However, things change for the worse when Renji arrives, now fully prepared & back from the Royal Palace, to due battle with Mask De Masculine's "The Superstar." Giving it his all, Mask De Masculine tries each technique he can use ~ Star Eagle Kick, Star Headbutt, Star Rocket Headbutt, and Star Dropkick, but to no avail. Renji was too much for Mask De Masculine and despite James' cries that amplify Mask De Masculine's power & stamina even in his Vollstandig form ~ Mask himself along with James were incinerated and split in two once Renji showcased his Zanpaktou's ability ~ Soo Zabimaru, Zaga Teppo. Thus the Hero meets his end at the hands of a Villain.
Backstory/Role (Cage)
A cocky, charismatic
martial artist and Hollywood star, John Carlton (*CARLTON DANCE*) better known
by his stage name, Johnny Cage was trained by the best martial arts masters
around the world. He used his martial arts training to put him into
superstardom as a big shot action/martial arts movie actor, producing a
record-breaking box office movie, Dragon
Fist and its sequel Dragon Fist II
as well as winning an award for his motion picture, Sudden Violence. Though he was enjoying his success, his critics
thought of him as an actor relying on too many worked stunts and camera shoots
and didn’t really see him as a proficient fighter at all. Cage used that as
motivation and accepted an invitation to the Mortal Kombat tournament held on Shang
Tsung’s island to prove that he was no joke.
While boarding the
boat to Shang Tsung’s island, Johnny Cage was harassed by the Black Dragon
leader Kano and his henchmen. Cage managed to fight his way through with the
help of Liu Kang. The two introduced each other after and as they arrived on
the island, they met Special Forces, Sonya Blade and throughout the tournament,
the three made great camaraderie and sworn to be Earthrealm’s protectors
mentored by the thunder god, Raiden. During Liu Kang’s battle with Shang Tsung,
Cage, Sonya, and Kano (of all people) teamed up and battled Goro and defeated
him, ending his 500 year reign as champion of Mortal Kombat. As Shang Tsung’s
island collapsed, Raiden rescues Johnny Cage and put him on a boat leading to
the Special Forces Agency where he was interrogated by Jax on Sonya’s
whereabouts. After being set free, Johnny went on to film Mortal Kombat and the movie became a success and helped saved his
career. In MK2, while filming for a
commercial, Johnny was attacked by Shao Kahn’s forces on set, but with the assistance
of Jax, managed to fend them off and later he would reunite with his Earthrealm
warriors to compete in the MK tournament held in Outworld. After Earthrealm was
once again saved, Johnny went on to film Mortal
Kombat II and it became critically acclaimed. As explained in the MK3 update of MK Trilogy, Cage was one of the deceased warriors during Shao
Kahn’s invasion of Earthrealm, but since the realms were merging, Cage’s soul
couldn’t ascend to the Heavens and it went back to his physical body, allowing
him to join his Earthrealm warriors in battle. In MK4, Cage’s soul resided in the Heavens, but saw the Elder God
Shinnok attack Earthrealm and with Raiden’s help, his soul merged back with his
body to go into battle once again. After Shinnok’s defeat, Cage’s body and soul
were permanently reunited and he was human again. In Before Deadly Alliance, he went on to film Mortal Kombat: The Death of Johnny Cage, but he was unhappy with the project, then
Raiden approached him to help fight Shang Tsung and Quan Chi’s alliance which
he agrees to do, but like the other Earthrealm warriors, were killed in the final
battle. The Dragon King, Onaga revived Johnny and the rest of the Earthrealm
warriors to serve under his rule in Deception,
but with the help of Liu Kang’s spirit, they were freed and turned against Onaga.
In Armageddon, he exploited Shinnok’s
plan of uniting the forces of evil from every realm and was the one who
gathered the Forces of Light into battle for the ultimate showdown between good
and evil.
Powers/Abilities (Masculine)
Being a member of the Sternritter & a fellow Quincy ~ Mask De Masculine possesses all the skills relating to that of a quincy ~ Hirenkyaku (agility), strength, hand-to-hand combat, reishi manipulation, enhanced durability, and, with every Sternritter, a Vollstandig (pretty much the Quincy's equivalent to Bankai). Since he is given the letter "S" for Superstar, all his techniques are wrestling related ~ dropkicks, head-butts, punches, kicks, and creating explosions stylishly. However, all of this wouldn't be possible without the help of James ~ his fan/adjutant whose very cheers amplify Mask De Masculine's everything ~ power, stamina, agility, & durability. He was powerful enough to take on two captains, 2 renown members of the 11th Division, and a Lieutenant-level Shinigami.
Powers/Abilities (Cage)
As mentioned, Johnny
Cage has proven his mastery over renowned martial arts styles around the world,
especially in fighting styles such as Karate and Jeet Kune Do. In MK9, it is emphasized that Cage is more
than a human, that he possesses super natural abilities having been descended
from a Mediterranean cult that bred warriors with special abilities to please
the gods, hence why he has a green or red-colored aura as he performs his
Shadow Kicks or Energy Blasts. The green or red-colored aura enhances his strength
and the impact of his blows, with red possessing the strongest and most
powerful enhancement of strength, speed, and impact. Aside from his Shadow
Kicks and Energy Blasts, one of Johnny Cage’s most notable and perhaps his
funniest move is the Split Punch, in which he does the splits and punches his
opponent in the balls. It evolved into a Fatality exclusively in Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks where he
would punch his opponent in the balls multiple times and perform one last
powerful blow that splits his opponent in half.
Verdict (By MechG)
And the winner is....
Oh boy choosing
between a professional wrestler or a Hollywood actor, well after evaluating to
the two, I originally had this matchup go to Mask, but looking at Johnny Cage
in terms of storyline overall, that made me reverse my decision and give this
matchup to Johnny. Looking at Johnny Cage’s story in depth, I was literally
floored at the amount of depth given to his role in the MK storyline. I always
thought of Johnny Cage as a cocky SOB and didn’t contribute much to the
storyline, but his role, wow, especially in Armageddon
he played a big part in gathering the Forces of Light to battle a united forces
of evil lead by Shinnok, not to mention he had such bravery to battle the
Fallen Elder God alone as he exposed his plan to gather all the forces of evil
under one roof; he proved a lot that he was more than just a charismatic,
stereotypical flashy movie star with good looks mainly because he has undying
loyalty to protect Earthrealm. As for Mask, I give a lot of credit to Bleach for creating a character with a
pro wrestling background, but aside from his battle with Renji, his role in
story overall didn’t convince me to let him fully go over as he only was involved in one story arc,
which is the current one in manga. In terms of powers and abilities, true Mask
has some superior abilities, but the fear of every wrestler is receiving a cheap
low blow and Johnny Cage would’ve turned Mask de Masculine into Mask de Not So
Masculine as he would’ve kept hitting him right in the manhood jewels with a
barrage of Split Punches. Just ask Goro how that feels, even the strongest of
men couldn’t overcome a hard shot to the nuts from Johnny Cage. So in
conclusion, you always gotta protect the McNuggets (Longest Yard reference). JOHNNY CAGE WINS.
So who do you think won? Johnny Cage or Mask De Masculine? Comment below and let us know. As always, look forward to Bleach Kombat (July 4-August 25) on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays. As of today, Mortal Kombat leads 2-1 against Bleach. Until then, you all stay classy now. The following Matchup(s) are up:
1) Jax Briggs vs. Yasutora "Chad" Sado ~ Mortal Kombat
2) Jade vs. Yoruichi Shihoin ~ Bleach
3) Johnny Cage vs. Mask De Masculine ~ Mortal Kombat
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