Ermac is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games/NetherRealm Studios. The character originated due to rumors over a diagnostics menu listing that displayed the text ERMACS and were followed by claims of an alleged glitch in the first game, which were perpetuated by video game magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM). Due to the growing interest, he was added by the series developers to the roster of playable characters in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, as a red palette swap of Scorpion. Ermac has become a recurring character in the Mortal Kombat games after playing a central role in Mortal Kombat: Deception, in which he had a distinctive redesign and joined forces with series protagonist Liu Kang, but he has had smaller roles in subsequent series releases.
