On Thursday, Capcom announced a four comic-book series leading up to the events of Street Fighter VI. Produced in partnership with Udon Comics, the series will catch eager players up on what their favorite fighters have been up to since Street Fighter V. The first of Street Fighter 6’s prequel comics, which focuses on the Japanese-American spitfire Ken Masters, hilariously confirms that the McMillionaire has unfortunately become a crypto-bro.
Last June, SF6 story leaks revealed that Ken’s wife, Eliza, got fed up and left him, taking their son, Mel with her. At the time, Ken’s story leaks, coupled with reports that other characters’ victory quotes sometimes refer to him as “washed up,” led fans to believe Ken was the latest victim of divorce court. Because it’s the internet, Ken falling on hard times resulted in a sea of memes filling in the gaps, some of them jokingly suggesting that his rumored divorce was a consequence of his getting heavily involved with crypto-currency and NFT scams.
According to Ken’s official SF6 bio, “accusations of orchestrating a criminal plot have forced Ken to abandon his family and business and go into hiding,” so it sounds like he may not be divorced after all. However, it turns out the “Sad Ken Masters” memes about Ken shilling crypto were right on the money.
Read More: Street Fighter’s Ken Has Fallen On Hard Times (And Fans Are Laughing)
In Street Fighter 6 #1: Indication (which you can read here), Ken is in the process of setting up a live-streamed tournament in the developing (and fictional) Asian nation of Nayshall. Fellow street fighter Johann Petrovich helpfully provides some exposition, explaining that Ken’s fancy tournament, which’ll use omnidirectional AI drones to record bouts inside of an arena situated amongst ancient ruins, will help put global eyes on Nayshall and thus help usher the rapidly developing nation toward independence. However, many citizens don’t appreciate the developments Ken is spearheading in their country, and political demonstrations against his initiatives run rampant. Meanwhile, the Masters estate’s board of directors don’t approve of Ken rushing into financing his lofty venture by playing fast and loose with “cryptocurrency and micro-insurance” projects without the board putting his “economic support project” to a vote.
Ken goes full Kendall Roy, bulldozing over his executive’s request that he consult with his father about his decision by petulantly reminding his suits that he’s the acting chairman of the board now, and saying he’s going through with the tournament no matter what his execs or the protesting people of Nayshall think. But if you thought the crypto stuff and Ken’s dunderheaded economic imperialist antics were bad, the comic also revealed that Ken is an absent father.
Luke is a better dad to Mel than Ken
Early on in the 49-page comic, Ken’s son Mel reveals to his bodyguard Luke, who was introduced in Street Fighter V and features prominently in 6, that he had to cancel his camping trip with his friends because Ken wanted him to come to see the tournament. When Mel does a check-in call with Ken, his father erroneously lashes out when he answers the phone, thinking he’s getting a call from unhappy board members. The two then have an awkward conversation about Ken expressing more interest in his tournament than his son, which results in Mel hanging up on his dear old bumbling father.
Good thing Uncle Guile wasn’t nearby or Ken would’ve had hell to pay. Fear not readers, for Mel’s road trip with Luke becomes a makeshift camping trip for the pair, where Luke tactfully inquires about friending Mel in the mobile game they both play. Ken, on the other hand, gets his escort vehicle t-boned off the road by angry protestors. To be continued, I guess.
Street Fighter 6 comes out on June 2 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.