I’ve been grinding NetherRealm fighters since the original Mortal Kombat tore up arcades, and I’ve spent hundreds of hours in Injustice 2 perfecting corner combos and gear builds. So you can imagine my jaw dropping when I stumbled across a deep dive into some cut content that would have completely changed the way we close out a match in the DC universe. Let me take you behind the curtain – we’re talking about Brutalities in Injustice 2, the pseudo-Mortal Kombat finishers that were almost part of the game.
For those who might not know, NetherRealm Studios built its reputation on fighting games that blend slick mechanics with over-the-top, stylized violence. Mortal Kombat’s spine-ripping Fatalities and slow-motion X-Ray moves are the poster children for that brutal DNA. But when they tackle a DC license, the team has to dial things back. I mean, can you picture Superman literally melting someone’s skull in an official DC-sanctioned game? It would feel completely alien to characters like Batman, who famously refuses to kill. That’s why Injustice 2’s finishers lean into creative knockouts, stage transitions, and super moves that feel epic without crossing into Mortal Kombat gore territory. Or so we thought.
Recently, a dataminer named ermaccer shared a video showcasing "/Unused Brutalities/" discovered inside the game’s files. The find was a treasure trove for lore nerds and fighting game archaeologists like me. It turns out there are leftover animation scripts for three characters – Aquaman, Supergirl, and Superman – that point toward a fully realized Brutality system, basically a tamer cousin of the Mortal Kombat mechanic. These unfinished snippets offer a tantalizing peek at what could have been a game-changing feature.
What Are Brutalities in Mortal Kombat? 🔥
If you’ve only dabbled in Injustice or maybe skipped the last few Mortal Kombat entries, you might not be familiar with Brutalities. In the Mortal Kombat realm, they’re distinct finishers that replace the elaborate cinematic Fatalities with a swift, combo-ender-style execution. Instead of inputting a complex command after the opponent’s health bar is empty, you need to meet a series of strict match requirements first – think “land five spears as Scorpion” or “don’t block during the final round.” Then, you must land a specific move as the killing blow, and if everything aligns, the match ends with a deliciously crunchy animation. They require skill, planning, and a little showmanship. In games like Mortal Kombat XL and Mortal Kombat 11, Brutalities can turn a standard uppercut into an exploding torso. It’s pure, uncut NetherRealm.
So when the datamine revealed that Injustice 2 had similar scripts, I immediately started imagining what DC’s heroic spin on that system would look like. The requirements would have forced players to adapt their playstyle for that stylish final hit, adding a whole new layer of strategy to the already deep gear-based combat.
The Cut Content: Aquaman, Supergirl, and Superman’s Deadly Finishers 🔍
Let’s break down what ermaccer’s video actually shows, because the details are fascinating even in their unfinished state.
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Aquaman’s Brutality: Arthur Curry’s animation is the most incomplete. There’s no character model movement for Aquaman himself, but the opponent – displayed here as Supergirl – has a full reaction sequence. She writhes on the ground after a brutal stab, probably from his trident. We only see her agony, but I can picture Aquaman driving the weapon through her and yanking it back in one fluid motion, almost like a spear Fisherman Brutality from Mortal Kombat. Even without the aggressor’s side, the implication is chilling.
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Supergirl’s Throw Brutality: This one is more fleshed out. Supergirl lifts Harley Quinn high into the air, likely via a command grab or an enhanced super-strength throw. Quinn plummets back down and crash-lands upside-down, her legs flailing as she’s embedded halfway into the ground. It’s pure cartoon physics mixed with Superman-family power fantasy, and honestly, it fits the mischievous tone of a Harley fight perfectly. I’d have loved to see this after a hard-fought set when your opponent’s clown princess is dancing all over the screen.
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Superman’s Heat-Vision Execution: The most complete of the bunch. Clark channels those crimson eyes and fires three consecutive beams of heat-vision at Deadshot. The last shot hits with such force that Deadshot is seemingly incinerated and collapses in a smoldering heap. It’s brutal, but nowhere near as gory as what Mortal Kombat would do. The beams leave a charred silhouette instead of a pile of organs. This feels like a true Injustice finisher – powerful, definitive, and still respectful (mostly) to the DC brand.
Now, the key here is that these animations were likely tied to the same Brutality logic: meet a hidden challenge during the match (e.g., hit 3 heat-vision attacks, or land a certain number of throws with Supergirl), then finish the opponent with that exact move. Dataminers haven’t confirmed the specific requirements, but the animation triggers are unmistakable.
Why These Brutalities Never Saw the Light of Day 🤔
We can only speculate, but I’ve got a few theories as both a fan and a fighting game community observer.
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DC License Restrictions: Even though Injustice 2 is set in a world where Superman becomes a tyrant and heroes clash violently, there’s still a line. Executing a Brutality that ends with Harley Quinn stuck in the ground like a lawn dart might have been judged too gruesome by DC. The company is notoriously protective of its characters, especially after the lighter-toned movies and animated series.
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Tonal Consistency: The Injustice franchise has always walked a tightrope between comic book spectacle and fighting game intensity. Clash sequences, stage transitions, and super moves already provide dramatic finishes. Adding a whole new category of end-of-match killings might have felt redundant or out of place.
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Development Time: NetherRealm was simultaneously supporting Mortal Kombat 11 development in secret, and balancing gear, characters, and Multiverse events for Injustice 2 was already a huge task. Implementing a full Brutality system with unique conditions and animations for a roster of 38+ characters would have been a massive undertaking. Cut content often gets axed because the timeline just can’t accommodate it.
Despite the cut, the animations reveal that the team had already invested effort into concepting and partially animating these sequences. In a way, they’re a love letter to fans who enjoy the crossover between the two NetherRealm worlds.
Could Brutalities Return in a Future Injustice Game? 🦸♂️✨
Here’s the hopeful gamer in me talking. With Injustice 2 now a legacy title (released way back in 2017, playable on mobile, PC, PS4, and Xbox One), the community is hungry for an Injustice 3 announcement. Ed Boon and the team have been teasing their next project relentlessly, and while the smart money might be on Mortal Kombat 12 or a new IP, the DC universe is never off the table. If a third installment does arrive, I’d bet that the team revisits the idea of match-ender customizations. Imagine a Gear-based system where you unlock different Brutality animations tied to specific legendary gear pieces. You could equip an “Unstoppable Heat Vision” augment that gives Superman a cleaner version of the incineration finisher we saw in the datamine.
We also know that fighting games are leaning harder into player expression. Street Fighter 6 has its stylized paint finishes, and Mortal Kombat 1’s Brutalities are as creative as ever. Injustice 3 could easily find a middle ground – stylish, superpowered knockouts that feel satisfying without resorting to rivers of blood. Aquaman could summon a tidal wave to drag the opponent into the depths, Supergirl could fly them into the sun, and The Flash could vibrate through the opponent leaving them in a time-remnant daze.
These unused Brutalities remind me why I love digging into NetherRealm’s games. There’s always more beneath the surface, hidden in the code, waiting for someone with enough passion to unearth it. Next time you boot up Injustice 2 for a quick multiverse run, picture Aquaman stabbing Supergirl or Superman melting Deadshot into oblivion. It’s a fun “what if” that cements the studio’s reputation for pushing boundaries, even when they have to hold back. And who knows – maybe one day we’ll see these exact animations polished and reworked into the sequel we’ve been dreaming about. Until then, I’ll keep labbing my combos and hoping.