It's about time.

After 10 chapters of Mortal Kombat X, we finally learn what is up with all those cursed daggers that everybody and their mother seem to have laying around. And it's all Raiden's fault.

Scorpion and the Thunder God share a brief battle at the beginning of this issue before Raiden is given the opportunity to explain himself. What follows is one of the most exposition-heavy chapters of the series yet, as Raiden explains the origin of the "kamidogu" daggers and their purpose.

Each dagger is part of a key, a key that, if brought together, has the power to free the fallen elder god Shinnok from his extra-dimensional prison. It is for that reason Raiden entrusted each dagger to various defenders of Earth Realm, including Scorpion.

Of course, Raiden couldn't foresee that the daggers would somehow be corrupted with blood magic, possessing those near the daggers and driving them insane. That's what happened to Fox and even to Raiden himself. Though Raiden apologizes for keeping Scorpion in the dark about the true purpose of the dagger, Scorpion seems a little too forgiving, considering Raiden's secret cost Scorpion his entire clan.

This history lesson serves as the bulk of the issue and makes for a slower, albeit necessary issue than we've been used to. Outside of the Raiden vs. Scorpion battle there is a quick look at what Sub-Zero is up to, as well as Raiko's Outworld plans. This is an issue that those who are unfamiliar or rusty on Mortal Kombat's lore will have a difficult time digesting. With all this talk of elder gods, Shinnok and blood magik, this issue assumes you actually know who Shinnok is and why he is such bad news. It doesn't bother to explain further. But that's what Google is for, I suppose.

Even if this is hardly an action-filled issue, it's nice to finally learn what the heck is going on. It's surprising it took this long to get here, but it has been a fun ride so far. It looks like the series will now be a battle to see who can acquire all of the cursed daggers first. With Sub-Zero in possession of one dagger and Scorpion pledging to find him, it is certain to lead to a bloody showdown we've all been waiting to see.

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