History ComicBook / TheMask

* CallBack: In the original 4-part series, a 2-page spread of a laughing Big Head shows Kellaway's vigilante spree in action. A near identical spread shows up again in ''Lobo VS Mask'' when Lobo is wearing it.

** Walter blasts Kathy/Big Head with both barrels of an elephant gun. For a being enhanced with the powers to bend reality and shrug off injuries, Kathy stayed down for the count long enough to make us think she was dead.
** This also happens the first time we see Walter as he gives Kellaway/Big Head quite a harsh beating that actually stuns him. We ARE talking about a being that gives entire police precincts the runaround here!

* PoliceBrutality: When Lt. Kellaway put on the mask he went on a massive killing spree to off drug dealers, mobsters and anyone else he felt the system let slip through.

* SternTeacher: Stanley's old teacher was one, even to the point of doing the same to students now as she did to Stanley as a boy... right before Big Head entered the classroom and killed her in front of the children.

The story of the comics begins when Stanley Ipkiss, a seemingly nice guy with repressed violent thoughts buys a green mask (really a semi-living artifact stolen from a tribe in Africa) for his girlfriend, Kathy. Putting the mask on that night and suddenly changing into a green-headed being with near-infinite powers, Stanley spends the next several months killing anyone he dislikes and becoming increasingly militant and deranged, until a final showdown with police and his girlfriend leaves him dead. The mask ends up in the hands of police Lt. Kellaway, who becomes the next "Big Head", carrying out similar murders against anyone he dislikes, until he finally realized what was happening. The stories over the years followed the mask itself as it went from owner to owner, usually pursued by Kellaway as he was one of very few who knew the truth.

* AdaptationExpansion: While it's hard to think this could apply to the original Mask comics... they were actually the product of John Arcudi and Doug Mahnke fleshing out and adapting Mike Richardson's original "Masque" concept. Most of the original ideas remained intact, however.

* AdaptationDistillation: While it's hard to think this could apply to the original Mask comics... they were actually the product of John Arcudi and Doug Mahnke fleshing out and adapting Mike Richardson's original "Masque" concept. Most of the original ideas remained intact, however.

* FauxActionGirl: Kathy. While she's brutally unstoppable while wearing the mask, without it on she tends to play it safe. Though at heart, she's not an action girl OR a killer, she's just an unlucky woman who got mixed up in this mess.

* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: Oh sure, at first being the mask is fun, but by the end of it you become so AxeCrazy it's not even funny.

* CallBack: In the original 4-part series, a 2-page spread of a laughing Big Head shows Kellaway's vigilante spree in action. A near identical spread shows up again in ''Lobo VS Mask''' when Lobo is wearing it.

* AxeCrazy: People who wear the mask don't start out like this, but it does happen eventually.

** {{Lobo}} VS The Mask [[spoiler:The latter is revealed to be Lobo himself wearing the mask.]]
** Grifter VS The Mask
** Also Joker/Mask, though it seemed to be in its own hybrid canon that combined the comics and cartoon into one

''The Mask'' is a comic book series [[AdaptationDisplacement best known as the inspiration for]] [[Film/TheMask that film where Jim Carrey was even more of a live-action cartoon character than usual]]. Unlike the movie, the comic book [[DarkerAndEdgier is *not* harmless slapstick]], fitting much better in the comedy horror genre.

* CanonImmigrant: After the movie, the last few remaining comic appearances The Mask had, his deafult form had Big Head wearing a variation of the inconic yellow suit from the movie and cartoon universe even, though the user wasn't Stanley.

''The Mask'' is a comic book series [[AdaptationDisplacement best known as the inspiration for]] [[Film/TheMask that film where Jim Carrey was even more of a live-action cartoon character than usual]]. Unlike the movie, the comic book [[DarkerAndEdgier is ''not'' harmless slapstick]], fitting much better in the comedy horror genre.

* IAmNotShazam: "The Mask" is the title of the book. Anyone who wears the mask itself is always referred to as "Big Head".

* WeaksauceWeakness: Walter is nigh-invincible, bordering on Villain Sue levels... but ''his head is too big for the mask to fit''.

''The Mask'' is a comic book series [[AdaptationDisplacement best known as the inspiration for]] [[Film/TheMask that film where Jim Carrey was even more of a live-action cartoon character than usual]]. Unlike the movie, the comic book is ''not'' harmless slapstick, fitting much better in the comedy horror genre.

''The Mask'' is a comic book series best known as the inspiration for [[Film/TheMask that film where Jim Carrey was even more of a live-action cartoon character than usual]]. Unlike the movie, the comic book is ''not'' harmless slapstick, fitting much better in the comedy horror genre.

* SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome: Somewhat subverted with [[spoiler:Kellaway in The Mask Returns. He gets shot down by mobsters while trying to find the Mask, but isn't killed. The rest we see of him is unconcious in a hospital bed, but he gets better for the next story arc.]]

** Lobo VS The Mask

* AntiHero: While Stanley just wanted revenge for all those who did him wrong, Kellaway really wanted to use the mask for good. Let's just say Big Head had other plans.

* TheUninstalment: A story arc showing what happened to Kathy between Stanley's death and her handing over the mask to Lt Kellaway (including what would have been the first appearance of Walter) was planned but never published.

* TheUninstallment: A story arc showing what happened to Kathy between Stanley's death and her handing over the mask to Lt Kellaway (including what would have been the first appearance of Walter) was planned but never published.