Character Questions: Mai Maddox
Full name: Madeline Maddox
Nickname: Mai (preferred name), The Edenian Swan (her moniker during Edenia's Prime), The Edenian Siren (her moniker by the Outworld people after Edenia was merged), Mrs. Maddox (by too many to count out of respect)
Occupation: Doctor, Kitana's Kombat Instructor, Teacher, Co-Founder of a Fashion Line with Kim called Maddonosuke Fashion, Singer
Appearance: Light milk chocolate Skin that glows due to taking good care of it. Mai has dark brown hair that extends to her upper back, usually slicked back with a couple of loose fringes in front. Brown eyes with lips are full, with dark brown lipstick that compliments her skin tone perfectly. On her back is an Irezumi of a White Swan, her Mark that signifies her mastery of Illusion Magic.
Age: 72,349 when we first meet her, 72,776 after the MKX time skip.
Mannerisms: Motherly, elegant, and intelligent are the three words I would use to describe the Maddox Family Matriarch. She's loving to her friends and family and acts like everyone's mother if allowed. Has reinforced spine, trademarks Maddox Sass, and takes lip from few to none.
What does he/she wear?: When she was first introduced, Mai preferred to wear bodycon cheongsams and heels that always complimented her dresses and finished with an overcoat and gloves. Normally, that posed as a problem for women of Mai's age, but her mastery of Illusion Magic has fixed the problem as she fooled her entire body and brain into thinking she has eternal youth, so those dresses looked heavenly on her.
After earning her children's forgiveness, she went for a more modest outfit - a white coat with a Maroon Button-Up, black slacks, and matching heel boots with a silver hoop earring on her left ear. In both outfits, the coat hid her Jambiya holstered on her left side, levelled with her breast. Out of all my OCs, Mai has easily the best fashion sense.
Favorite color: Maroon Red
What is he/she good at?: The better question is what isn't Mai good at? She's an accomplished Doctor, the first (and only) Edenian to master Illusion Magic on top of being an expert on Healing Magic, A Master at Pencak Silat, especially with her Jambiya, an expert at sewing (she makes her own dresses and outfits including the ones we saw in GbNF), and last but certainly not least, a phenomenal singer. She sang at Benji and Callie's weddings and occasionally sings to the Edenian People in the realm's nightclub while successfully serenading Gods with her divine voice.
What is he/she bad at?: I mean, she can't play the piano as well as her daughter. In all seriousness, Mai can have a bit of an attitude if agitated, though it's extremely difficult to genuinely piss her off. Those who successfully do, aren't long for this world.
What does he/she want?: To honor the memory of her husband.
What is his/her goal?: To do right by her children and grandchildren.
What lie does he/she believe?: She isn't worth the love of her birth children due to abandoning them.
What flaw results from the lie?: That she isn't worthy of being a part of Benji and Callie's lives.
What truth does he/she learn?: She's more than worthy of her children's love and affection.
What is his/her background?:
Mai Maddox is a woman who commands and demands respect regardless of your relation to her. Allies and friends look up to her, enemies fear her. Everyone respects her strength and skillset. So much charisma, you'd think she was the main character of GbNF. In her younger days, Mai was into magic tricks and the illusions that accompanied them. If it wasn't tricks, it was pranks. It would eventually lead Mai to specialize in Illusion Magic. At the time, however, Edenia was convinced that Illusion Magic was the most useless school of Magic. Her family, including her older four sisters, tried to convince her to pursue another school. Yet Mai was dead set on her passion. (AD: Four sisters. Interesting...)
That turned out to be a smart decision as Mai singlehandedly proved how horrifying Illusion Magic truly was. Someone who has shown first hand the elegance the Maddox Family used to represent despite using one of the most savage Martial Arts in Pencak Silat. As she matured into a woman, she quickly gained the admiration of the Edenian people despite the attempts of having her name besmirched by the Dacarthi Family. Any negative attempt was met with Mai's actions proving them wrong, and making them all look like fools. Whether it be her duties as a Doctor to the public, or aiding the realm in any conflict with her Magic and Kombat skill.
Eventually, Mai met the love of her life in Joseph Bansho, who would take her name as she was the youngest of five girls. It definitely wasn't because her charisma convinced Joseph to take her name instead. But by the time the pair became pregnant with their first child, the Dacarthi Family had enough of the Maddox Clan's existence and ordered to have them all killed. Thankfully, Mai and Joseph escaped the Dacarthi's wrath and successfully gave birth to Benji, their first child. A thousand years later, Callie Ann was born. But the Dacarthi Family found the parents as well as their most trusted ally in the soon to be Protector God of the Netherrealm in Okada and was finally able to kill the last of the dreaded Maddox Clan off.
Or so they thought.
While Joseph did unfortunately meet his end, Okada would be reborn in the Netherrealm by the Elder God Duffeck who saw his death as unjust. Mai used the previously thought useless Illusion Magic to fake her own death and escaped the Dacarthis once again. But instead of taking her children, she felt too guilty to bring them asylum and decided to watch and guard them from afar. She resigned herself to an unfair fate, only relenting when the brother and sister moved to Earthrealm. Only then did she return home to find Shao Kahn's army having run through the area. Using an extremely powerful Illusion, she expelled all who fell under it out of the Edenian section of Outworld which was Shao Kahn's entire army, and the Emperor himself. And an accomplishment of that caliber is mere child's play for the Maddox Clan Matriarch.
When Shao Kahn rigged the rules and had a second Mortal Kombat Tournament, Mai thought it was good time if any to reveal herself to her children who had thought her dead for all those millenia. While her eldest was angry with her at first, both Benji and Callie forgave Mai for her actions and welcomed her back into their lives. But it wasn't until her second heart to heart with her youngest did she feel like she truly earned their forgiveness. Now, Mai is arguably the fiercest pillar in the Forces of Light's defense alongside the Edgemaster and her children. Nowadays during times of peace, Mai is normally found at the Wu Shi Academy teaching the White Lotus in her son's place or is seen with the Wind God Fujin, or his older sister Amaterasu as they have quickly formed a friendship.
Thanks to Mai, the Maddox Clan's future is brighter than it's ever been.
Additional Questions about Mai
- Are things serious between Mai and Fujin?
Their relationship has grown into a platonic but affectionate relationship. Mai's the oldest cast member of GbNF besides Okada (He's a side and she's a main, so she's the oldest main cast member) so falling for someone romantically is out of character for her. But she knows Fujin craves affection, so she happily gives it to him. But it's hard for Mai to not act like a mother around him, Bo' Rai' Cho, even Amaterasu. Raiden won't allow that behavior to him. Mai could care less about his opinions.
(I love the dynamic they have so far, and I think it's good for each character. Whether that goes into a marriage remains to be seen. Though I'm sure both Benji and Callie want the best for Mai as she deserves her own happiness as well)
- Do Mai and Ilah lament about Destiny?
Of course, they do. Destiny was the straight woman to Ilah's idiosyncrasies and Mai's at times goofy behavior. She completed them each and they both miss her dearly. The only thing stopping them from hunting Tanya down like the dog she is is her stepdaughter's insistence on being the one to end Tanya. They reluctantly relent because of that fact.
(It's only fitting and the right thing to do for Mai and Ilah to leave Tanya to Jade. Destiny was her mother after all. And it will finally give Jade the closure and atonement she's sought since learning the truth at the coliseum and in Earthrealm about her father's demise. Atonement for her deeds before meeting Benji. She may not say it, but Jade still carries a lot of self-guilt)
Editor's Thoughts
(Mai continues to be the pillar of the Forces of Light in every way imaginable. It's hard to imagine where they would be without her. Not even Benji and Callie could've gotten this far without her. And it's why most of the villains want to lure her to their side)