The Mask (or the Mask of Loki in the film) is a titular supernatural artifact that is the most prominent item in the film, comics and the animated series of the same name. It is kept by Stanley Ipkiss and many other wearers throughout the franchise. In all media, the true nature and origin of the not ordinary mask remain a mystery.
History[]
Comics[]
The extraordinary mask was apparently created in the unknown past, at an unknown time, by an unknown tribe that originated in unknown Africa. The shamans of the tribe used ancient African techniques of secret and mystical knowledge, using a kind of magic that was infused and used in the creation of the not ordinary mask, which was made of jade and originally used in ancient rituals performed by that tribe. When it was used, its bearer is impregnated with fictional magical reality and gains physical impermeability and skills similar to those of a cartoon character, such as being able to pull random objects out of nothing and extending one's body and limbs far beyond human limits.
Film[]
The extraordinary mask was created between the end of the 4th century AD and the beginning of the 5th century AD by Loki, the Norse god of fire and mischief in the northern lands of Europe in Asgard, supposedly of Scandinavian origin. Some very old texts describe Loki as a night god and a nocturnal creature, which fits perfectly with the not ordinary mask and its method of functioning, since it only works at night and stops functioning at sunrise.
Appearance[]
The appearance and design of the mask are in fact very different in the original comics, in the movies and in the animated series. In the case of the Mask version which is seen in the original comics, it is a voodoo mask made entirely of several pieces of jade with cracks around the entire front surface and the back surface, having an oval appearance that covers both the face, the forehead, and the scalp, and having details carved on the front surface with red eyes, nose, and a closed mouth, much like a real face.
In the version seen in the films, it is an old mask of the Viking type made of wood and being of Scandinavian origin due to its design, having a shape of a concave triangle made of wood with the top being cut in a straight horizontal line with wide and distorted vertical bands on the front surface and cracks of wood around it as well as on the back of the artifact as well, with it being painted a dull dark green color with some small parts being painted brown and having on its surface three small holes; two for the eyes and one for the mouth, with a piece of metal made of bronze or painted rusty metal that lies between the nose and the holes of the eyes and mouth on the front surface and bearing around this piece for four spherical metal points stamped on the metal piece and a fifth larger spherical point with an "L" letter stamped in the center of this point, located at the top of the metal part where the forehead is. In an official version of the first film adapted by comics, the Mask's appearance is identical to that quoted above, except that the fifth spherical dot with the letter "L" stamped on its center is replaced by another simple metallic dot, and color of The mask is all light oak painted.
In the animated series, the look and design of the mask is a combination of the two designs seen in the original comics and in the movies, but much more prevail the version seen in the movies, with this version of the artifact having a more oval appearance and design and being made of wood with vertical stripes with some loose lines between them on both the front surface and the back surface and being painted with light brown oak with three small open holes being shown, two for the eyes and one for the mouth, with a piece of metal painted in silver gray color that lies between the nose and the holes of the eyes and the mouth on the frontal surface and having around this piece five small metal spherical points. The edges of the mask, as well as those found in the holes of the eyes and mouth are painted a green color.
Capabilities[]
The Mask grants the user powers and abilities similar to those seen in cartoons, for example, cartoons such as if able to take out a giant bazooka from his bag or purse or pants pocket or be able to eat a whole car. It is an unlimited power that allows the user to do anything they have wished to do until they decide to take the Mask off. The Mask is known to be a very powerful artifact and whose powers and abilities it possesses are not only limited in just conjuring objects and items from nothingness and the middle of the air. Several of these powers include the ability to change the user's physical size and shape, to appear outside of any type, and no matter what it is (be it a picture, a photograph, an image of a magazine, from comic books, movies, TV shows, soap operas, television shows to live or not, etc.), to be able to transform into various people and objects, and virtually to be able to do anything, having the power to do whatever kind of thing he or she wants to do.
Some examples of what the user who is using the Mask is able to do at any time and time:
- Change your appearance or the size of your body and its characteristics; regardless of what shape your body is in, the user would always show off a huge green head unless they disguise to fool their opponents, opponents, and enemies;
- Move and travel in a matter of seconds, thus doubling the rules of time and space;
- Create objects by imitating reality or the source from the user's imagination; while the user is able to brings his or her imagination to reality, he or she can not change objects that pertain to reality or the rules that they originate naturally;
- Immunity to any inflicted injury or injury, be it minimal or fatal;
- Although the user becomes invincible and can not feel pain, he or she bleeds with a normal person (in original comics only).
Trivia[]
- It was sometimes called the "Loki Mask".
- In the comics, the Mask of Loki is just referred to as "The Mask" and is not affiliated with Loki at all. Instead, it was an African shamanic mask.
- Since Loki himself was a night god, the Mask only works at night.
- Hence the name, the Mask was created by Loki.
- In both the comics and animated series, the Mask can work anytime.
- If a person conceives a child while wearing the mask, the child will gain Loki's powers.
- The Mask is worn by many people in the comics (but never animals), in the movie there is normally one protagonist and antagonist, but it also works on animals as shown with Stanley Ipkiss' faithful canine pet Milo in The Mask.
- In the original Dark Horse Comics, anyone who puts on the Mask is referred to as "Big Head".
- A different perspective of the mask is revealed in the animated series when Stanley says to Skillit in the episode "Shadow of a Skillit" that the mask itself was never evil, but who ever owned and wore it.