Both Scorpion and Sub-Zero succeeded in getting to their destination, but the two met each other reaching for the same map they were sent out to acquire. The two rival warriors fought, with Sub-Zero gaining the advantage. As Scorpion lay on the ground defeated, Sub-Zero decapitated him and left his corpse where it fell. Scorpion's soul would fall into the pits of the Netherealm itself; there he had to choose whether to remain in the bowels of Hell for the rest of the eternity, or to return to the world of the living as a spectre, but losing any memory from his past and his family. Obsessed with revenge, he became a ninja spectre. Scorpion learned that the Lin Kuei, following his death, had also massacred his entire clan and family. Fueled by an undying rage and thirst for retribution, he vowed to kill Sub-Zero in retaliation for his own murder.
Scorpion would not meet Sub-Zero again until a brief encounter in the Netherealm, where Sub-Zero had been sent by Raiden to regain the amulet from Shinnok and Quan Chi. The two fought, but Sub-Zero defeated Scorpion again and escaped the undead assassin's wrath. Following his return to Earth, Sub-Zero was later invited to participate in Shang Tsung's tournament of Mortal Kombat - unknown to the Lin Kuei warrior, Scorpion had been invited as well. The two met on Shang Tsung's boat, at which point Scorpion grabbed Sub-Zero by the throat and said "You killed me in cold blood exactly two years ago, to this day, but my demons have allowed me to avenge my death. I could kill you at this moment, but I am not a murderer. We will meet at the tournament, and then, Lin Kuei warrior, you will pay with your life."
While Scorpion and Sub-Zero did not meet during the actual tournament, they did meet in the closing moments of Mortal Kombat, and true to his word the hell-bent spectre fought Sub-Zero in another fight to the death. Proving to be too strong and powerful for the Lin Kuei warrior, Scorpion slew his nemesis and avenged his death. With that, he violently burst into flames and ash, returning to the Netherealm.
A year later, Scorpion learned of Sub-Zero's plans to compete in the second tournament. Enraged at the idea that his murderer had somehow returned and his vengeance was incomplete, Scorpion followed Sub-Zero into the realm of Outworld, where Shao Kahn hosted the second tournament. It is unknown whether or not Sub-Zero and Scorpion met, but Scorpion was a witness to one of Sub-Zero's battles, in which he saw Sub-Zero sparing the life of an opponent. Scorpion did not understand why the Lin Kuei warrior had grown so merciful. He later came to the realization that this Sub-Zero was the younger brother of his murderer, who was sent to complete his brother's failed mission. Scorpion then vowed not to harm this new Sub-Zero, as it was not the man who once killed him. He also vowed to be this new Sub-Zero's guardian in atonement for killing his older brother who had become Noob Saibot. Scorpion was then summoned back to the damnation of the Netherealm.
