Batman isn’t the only comic book hero who has a problem with clowns, it seems.
Thanks to his impending release in Mortal Kombat 11, Todd McFarlane’s Spawn is enjoying something of a burst in popularity as of late, not least because of NetherRealm’s painstaking attention to detail for the loyal adaptation. Sporting the same shabby crimson red cape and necroplasm-spewing green eyes often associated with Malebolgia’s reluctant servant, Al Simmons’ new life as an agent of hell has all the hallmarks fans would expect to see and thanks to Keith David, he has a silver tongue that’s just as fearsome.
More than two decades since the conclusion of HBO’s animated series, the actor has returned to the role for Mortal Kombat 11 and, well, it goes without saying that he’s nailed it yet again. David has recorded a dizzying number of contextual intro lines for the game which, depending on who the opponent on the other end is that’s about receive a whooping, makes several references and in-jokes.
One of these can be seen when Spawn faces off against Joker, wherein he pulls no punches in verbalizing his hatred of clowns. Check it out below:
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The Clown Prince of Gotham isn’t exactly popular with anyone, of course, but what makes this interaction particularly noteworthy is its reference to one of Spawn’s own enemies. The Violator, a demon sent to Earth in order to train new ‘hellspawns’ takes the form of a stout, overweight clown when on the human plane, explaining Spawn’s, let’s say, extreme view on the profession.
Spawn releases next week, March 17th for Mortal Kombat 11 Kombat Pass owners, with everyone else able to get their hands on the long-awaited addition a week later.