On August 30th, 1987, a new video game by developers Capcom hit the arcades and became something of a hit with players. The game was titled Street Fighter, but that name would come to mean something much more with the release of its first sequel in 1991, the now legendary Street Fighter 2.

RELATED: Every One-On-One Fighting Game That Came Before Street Fighter

With over 20 separate titles in the franchise, it was inevitable that the games would be adapted to other media. One such adaptation came with UDON Comics, which kicked off a popular comic series in 2003 that was greatly received by fans. It featured some excellent moments of action and character drama and more than a few things to bring new fans into the series.

10 Iconic Artist Joe Madureira Worked On A Short Scene

Gambit Sabretooth Mutant Masacre Joe Mad

For only 5 pages, the hugely popular artist Joe Madureira provided the art for an intense fight scene between series protagonist Ryu and the towering Muay Thai champion, Sagat. This was part of various one-shot stories revealing key character backstories with new artists involved.

The fight scene was strikingly similar to the opening of Street Fighter 2: The Animated Movie released in 1994, which was likely a deliberate callback. Madureira's art is a great fit for the short but brutal fight which results in Sagat receiving his famous scar thanks to Ryu's unleashed power.

9 It Shared A Continuity With Other Capcom Titles

Rival Schools Logo

Along with the popular Street Fighter comics, UDON also published titles based on other Capcom properties, Darkstalkers and Rival Schools. These three series' all existed within the same continuity, similar to the games themselves which saw certain characters cameo in other titles.

This shared universe would be stepped up with a genuine crossover starting in 2017, with Street Fighter VS Darkstalkers finally pitting the two franchises against each other on paper. Previously, the two sets of characters tended to only encounter each other in non-canonical games.

8 The Comics Adapted A Surprise Character Into The Storyline

Charlie Nash Street FIghter

1997's Marvel Super Heroes VS Street Fighter included a secret character named Shadow, who was really just a blacked-out palette swap of the SF Alpha character Charlie. No real backstory was given for this version of him, but many fans considered him to be a brainwashed version of Charlie that operated after his "death" (much like Marvel's own Winter Soldier, who hadn't yet debuted).

UDON must have liked this approach and decided to include a version of the Shadow persona as just that, a seemingly resurrected Charlie who now worked mindlessly for the evil M. Bison and Shadaloo organization. He would soon regain his personality and be reunited with his friend Guile, before apparently dying once more in battle.

7 Ryu And Sagat's Reunion Didn't End In Violence

Sagat Street Fighter

After his bloody defeat at the hands of Ryu, Sagat would spend years obsessing over a chance at revenge and to defeat Ryu in a rematch. This burning desire led to him aligning himself with Bison and his diabolical henchmen, Balrog and Vega.

When they next met, Sagat initially lost his temper and immediately attacked Ryu, but would just as quickly regain his composure and end the confrontation. Sagat revealed that Bison was looking for Ryu and wanted to harness his power and turn him into one of his puppets. As much as Sagat wanted to best his rival, he wanted it to be a fair fight and warned the younger fighter to flee and prepare for their rematch further down the line.

6 Newcomer Sakura Knocks Out The "Strongest Fighter" Easily

Sakura standing in front of a white background

Sakura Kasugano debuted in 1996s SF Alpha 2 and became an instant fan-favorite. She idolizes the series' central hero Ryu and wants to be trained by him. In the comics, she initially adores E. Honda before his defeat at the hands of Vega, which leads to her trying to track down Ryu.

RELATED: 10 Ways The Street Fighter II Anime Is Still The Best Video Game Movie Ever

Her search brings her to Dan Hibiki at his dojo, where he quickly points out his status as the "strongest fighter", before instantly becoming jealous at the mere mention of Ryu's name. He says that he'll be willing to teach anyone for free if they can defeat him in combat, but that no one has dared attempt such a feat. Sakura swiftly KO's the arrogant Dan and takes him to the hospital as an apology.

5 Rose Freed Bison's Personal Assassin So She Could Become A Hero

Rose ready to attack

Killer Bee was one of Bison's many "Dolls," brainwashed female agents and assassins who would execute any order given by him. Arguably the best of them all, Killer Bee was even responsible for the death of Chun-Li's father, prompting her search for vengeance.

The mystical Rose, whose Soul Power is in opposition to Bison's Psycho Power, finds Killer Bee and manages to free her of her dark influence- leaving her at the British Embassy in Italy. Now reborn as Cammy, she would quickly be recruited by a special ops team named Delta Red and work with other heroic figures such as Chun-Li to find and destroy Bison once and for all.

4 Ken's Wedding Was Crashed By Balrog And Vega

Vega in Street Fighter x Tekken

In the first series of the UDON run, Vega attempts to attack Ken and his wife Eliza in their hotel room. The assault ends in Vega's defeat and his face being injured by Ken. Vega, a complete narcissist obsessed with his own perceived beauty, vows revenge against his enemy for hurting him.

In the second series, Vega and Balrog crash Ken and Eliza's wedding, and a brutal brawl kicks off against Ken, Ryu, Guile, and Sakura. With Shadaloo goons on their side, the villains manage to make a deadly statement and Vega viciously attacks Ken with his claws, resulting in him needing urgent medical attention. He would eventually recover.

3 The Legends Spin-Off Focused On Different Female Fighters

chun li

Like many other fighting games, Street Fighter has a wide array of popular female characters on the roster, and several of them have particularly engaging story arcs and histories that make them a welcome addition. The Street Fighter Legends comics would focus on four of the franchise's most well-known female fighters in stand-alone stories.

RELATED: Street Fighter Vs Mortal Kombat  & 9 More '90s Game Debates That Still Rage On

First would be Sakura, telling the events of what happens after she parts ways with Ryu partway through the main series. Chun-Li had a prequel story focused on her younger days as a police officer and telling the events that would lead to her father's disappearance. Ibuki and Cammy would follow soon and help bring the short series to a close.

2 Characters From Final Fight Made An Appearance

Characters From Final Fight Made An Appearance in the street fighter comics

The Street Fighter 2: Turbo comic series saw various different characters from the games come together to compete in Bison's fighting tournament. While the comics already shared continuity with other Capcom properties, this storyline allowed UDON to introduce characters from the Final Fight games as well.

Cody, one of Final Fight's central heroes, would appear as an opponent during the American round of battles. While he, along with various other FF characters, have appeared in SF games over the years, it was a fun addition to add more of the bigger Capcom lore into the comics.

1 Ryu And Ken Met Defeat In Their First Encounter With Akuma

Ryu and Ken confronting Akuma

At the end of the first 6-issue run, Ryu and Ken finally managed to confront the deadly Akuma, who had murdered their former master Gouken. Akuma had given his soul for power and mastered the art of the Dark Hado, a mighty energy that Ryu was in danger of also falling for.

The two heroes battled as hard as they could, but Akuma easily bested them at every turn. Even Sakura stumbled upon the fight and attempted to tackle the brute, who swiftly knocked her aside before complimenting her resolve. Akuma would leave the heroes beaten and unconscious with a promise to see Ryu again should he ever embrace the Dark Hado.

NEXT: Street Fighter & 9 More Forgettable Games That Kicked Off Amazing Franchises