History Main / GasMaskMooks

* All over the place in the works of Otto Dix, driving home [[WarIsHell the horrors of]] UsefulNotes/WorldWarI.

* ''Literature/WorldWarZ'': In the Battle at Yonkers, the Army brass decide to invoke this trope in order to create the appearance for the news cameras that the US Army troopers are invincible killing machines that are ready to mow down the shambling zombie hordes. On top of the MOPP-4 masks was layered body armor and the latest in [[HelmetMountedSight satellite commo gear]]. It fails miserably -- as told by a line infantryman, all this succeeded in doing is making every grunt on the line more tired, overheated, and inaccurate due to trying to shoot while wearing all that junk. That was just the infantry: the armor, artillery, close air support, and engineering divisions had also been selected and loaded for [[HollywoodTactics maximum visual effect and bragging rights]] for the news crews as opposed to [[CombatPragmatist maximum efficiency]] in actually destroying zombies.

** An earlier example than the above are the one-game wonder [[SuperSoldier BOWs]] called "Trashsweepers" from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilGunSurvivor''. They look like gas-mask wearing soldiers... [[UncannyValley until you see the way that they move]]. Or listen to the [[HellIsThatNoise nightmarish hooting noises they use to communicate]].

* {{Justified|Trope}} in ''Film/{{Avatar}}'', as the planet's atmosphere is tixic to humans and requires some form of rebreather. However, the masks worn in the film are flat with a full clear face visor and are not concealing at all.

* ''Film/WonderWoman2017'': The guards at the factory/military base where the climax takes place are wearing gas masks, which for once makes in-story sense given that they're handling chemical weapons. This enables our heroes to infiltrate the facility easily by posing as some of them. [[spoiler:After the fighting is ended, the surviving guards pull off their masks, symbolically giving up their role as FacelessGoons and becoming real people.]]

A popular form of the FacelessGoons, achieved by taking your enemy Mooks and giving them all gas masks. Note that this almost always occurs in situations where the gas masks [[GogglesDoNothing serve no real practical purpose]], as chemical weapons aren't even a factor in whatever conflict is involved.[[note]]With how much they restrict both your breathing and vision when actually worn, few people would ever want to wear one without being in a situation making it necessary.[[/note]]

* {{Justified|Trope}} in ''Film/{{Avatar}}'', as the toxic atmosphere requires some form of rebreather. However, the masks worn in the film are flat and not concealing at all.
* ''Film/Batman1989'' has a futuristic example in the Wayne Manor armory. Disconcertingly, it's just ''there'', practically begging for some kind of backstory. Did Bruce make it as an art project of some kind? Is it a Wayne Industries prototype? Did it come from a horrifying, still-recent chemical war? We may never know.

* ''Film/ClearAndPresentDanger'': The cartel member firing an RPG-7 launcher in the convoy ambush wears a chemical warfare hood, apparently to hide his identity.

* An interesting example is ''Film/KamenRiderTheFirst''. The mooks wear Gas Masks, but are killed just as easily as in their [[Series/KamenRider skeleton-costume days]] (and they give the same "yee!" shout as they hop around!) The Shocker Greeed in ''Let's Go Kamen Riders'' has a gas mask apparently as homage, though ''The First'' and ''The Next'' aren't in main series continuity. Fewer appear in ''Film/KamenRiderTheNext'' and mostly in a non-combat role with foodsoldier work largely left to the [[EliteMooks Shocker Riders]].

** The Imperial Stormtroopers are probably ''the'' example people think of about this trope, or at least high on the list of candidates. Their helmets can filter out poison gas, and in a pinch be connected to an external rebreather pack for use in atmospheres too toxic for their helmets' filters or even for brief expositions to vacuum.

An extremely popular form of the FacelessGoons, achieved by taking your enemy Mooks and giving them all gas masks. Note that this almost always occurs in situations where the gas masks [[GogglesDoNothing serve no real practical purpose]], as chemical weapons aren't even a factor in whatever conflict is involved.[[note]]With how much they restrict both your breathing and vision when actually worn, few people would ever want to wear one without being in a situation making it necessary.[[/note]]

** ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' has a habit of throwing Raiders at you with a penchant for sporting various types of gas mask helmets, one of which is even a scarecrow-esque burlap sack with holes for eyes and tubing run through it as a makeshift filter.

* In ''Anime/CowboyBebop'', the temperatures on Callisto are so frigid that many wear masks outdoors. A large gang of them mistake forever-broke Spike for a cash-laden Vicious and attempt to rob him. This does not end well for them.

** Borderline example: "The Empty Child"/"The Doctor Dances" is set during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. The "monster", a small boy, wore a gas-mask and was actually a zombie, who could control technology, could only say the words "Are you my mummy?", and [[spoiler:could convert everyone else to be just like him. Nothing says fun like watching a grown man gag as a gas-mask forces its way up his throat.]]

* An interesting example is ''Film/KamenRiderTheFirst''. The mooks wear Gas Masks, but are killed just as easily as in their skeleton-costume days (and they give the same "yee!" shout as they hop around!) The Shocker Greeed in ''Let's Go Kamen Riders'' has a gas mask apparently as homage, though ''The First'' and ''The Next'' aren't in main series continuity. Fewer appear in ''Film/KamenRiderTheNext'' and mostly in a non-combat role with foodsoldier work largely left to the [[EliteMooks Shocker Riders]].

* Federation troopers in ''Series/BlakesSeven'' -- although some do remove their helmets, usually when they have to provide exposition.

* In the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37r2XHm4cIo&list=PL9fGHMcRLx6gU9ZLieogw3HJTU9C53HAA Ben McYellow]] series of videos, the Point-Five Legion of {{Mooks}} all wear gas masks and black ''[[CheapCostume t-shirts]]''. This may have less to do with offering protection and more to do with the fact that the face-covering masks help expand the illusion of numbers for a cast that consists of [[NoBudget four actors.]]

* Justified in ''Film/{{Avatar}}'', as the toxic atmosphere requires some form of rebreather. However, the masks worn in the film are flat and not concealing at all.
* ''Film/Batman1989'' has a futuristic example in the Wayne Manor armory. Disconcertingly, it's just ''there'', practically begging for some kind of backstory. Did Bruce make it as an art project of some kind? Is it a Wayne Industries prototype? Or did it come from a horrifying, still-recent chemical war? We may never know.

* [[StupidJetpackHitler HYDRA's forces]] in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger''.
* ''Film/ClearAndPresentDanger''. The cartel member firing an RPG-7 launcher in the convoy ambush wears a chemical warfare hood, apparently to hide his identity.
* ''The Crazies''. In both [[Film/TheCrazies1973 the original]] and [[Film/TheCrazies2010 the remake]], all of the soldiers wear gas masks even though the Trixy virus is spread via drinking infected water. The soldiers wear them in case the virus has gone airborne and to [[EvilArmy hide their identities from the public]] (or to prevent either side feeling any empathy for each other, as their job basically involves massacring civilians as NecessarilyEvil).
* ''Film/{{Flash Gordon|1980}}'' (1980). The soldiers in Ming's palace.
* The tractor drivers in ''Literature/TheGrapesOfWrath'' due to the dust being kicked up. Incidentally, the driver who talks to Muley just wears goggles.
* The Russian stormtroopers in the ''Film/{{Hitman}}'' movie wear gas masks and football-gear-based armor straight out of ''Anime/JinRohTheWolfBrigade''. Just in case they ever need to storm another opera house.
* A rare heroic example in ''Film/TheHungerGamesMockingjayPart1'' when [[spoiler:the rescue team from District 13 arrives at the Capitol to rescue Peeta and the other captured victors. The gas masks help protect the team from knockout gas they use on Peacekeepers during the operation]].
* In ''Film/IronSky'' the Nazis are seen wearing gas masks as they load up into their flying saucers.

* ''Film/TheLeagueOfGentlemen'' (1960). The ex-soldiers-turned-bank robbers wear gas masks during TheCaper, because they're using tear gas to cover their withdrawal from the bank, as well as to scare bystanders into compliance and hide their identities.

* The Gravers in ''Film/{{Phantasm}}'' films wear gas masks. Reggie fights one in a chainsaw battle in [[Film/PhantasmII the second movie]].
* The titular EliteMooks from ''Film/PhantomSoldiers'' are a specially-trained division of Spetsnaz enforcers, who goes on an unstoppable killing spree while clad in black facemasks and armour. Their lack of facial features makes them even scarier to behold as they massacre entire villages throughout the movie.
* ''Film/RepoTheGeneticOpera'' has Rotti's henchgirls donning gas masks in ''Things You See in a Graveyard''. Justified as they're throwing tear gas grenades.
* ''Film/ResidentEvil2002'' begins with a squadron of faceless goons abseiling in the windows via different camera angles. ''Film/ResidentEvilRetribution'' has Umbrella mooks in the GasMaskLongcoat version.
* The opening scene in Creator/IanMcKellen's ''Film/RichardIII'' has Richard's commandos wearing gas masks. Of course, this is to allow a DramaticUnmask of the villain during the opening titles. (Bonus feature: compare that opening to the first shots of ''Film/ANewHope''.)

** Clonetroopers, the predecessors of the Stormtroopers, once they adopt the Phase II Armor. The Phase I Armor, on the other hand, was fully sealed and had its own oxygen reserve, but that was eliminated in the new armor as most of the time it was just dead weight.

* Justified in ''Film/{{Tenet}}'' as a person moving backwards in time has to carry their own oxygen supply, as an inverted person can't breathe air moving forwards in time. This means both heroes and villains wear breathing masks. The final battle is fought between two groups of GasMaskMooks and a fight the Protagonist has with a mook in gas mask and protective gear [[spoiler:is later revealed to be the Protagonist fighting ''himself'' while moving backwards in time.]] The movie also opens with gasmasked special forces using KnockoutGas on terrorists who have taken over an opera house (unfortunately the terrorists also have gas masks). The CIA team led by the Protagonist finds this convenient for [[InstitutionalAllegianceConcealment infiltrating the scene in disguise]].

* ''Film/Ultraviolet2006'' (2006) features an assortment of FacelessGoons, many of whom wear gas masks as their identity-concealer of choice. These include BigBad Daxus' personal platoon (who are specifically referred to as "the Gas Guard" in a semi-important manner, even though they turn out to be just regular Mooks wearing gas masks instead of motorcycle helmets), as well as a dozen white-clad EliteMooks who try to fight Violet using katanas instead of firearms (and end up doing a rather lousy job of it). Although the gas masks are somewhat {{handwave}}d in that the film takes place amid massive paranoia about a highly infectious blood-based disease, it's not clear why these particular goons feel obliged to protect their purity of essence with gas masks, instead of being content with the cloth surgical masks or motorcycle helmets most of the other Mooks use.
* In the robbery that opens ''Film/WelcomeToThePunch'' (2013), the crooks wear gas masks for similar reasons to those in ''The League of Gentlemen'' (see above), combined with BadassInANiceSuit.
* ''Film/WhoDaresWins'' (1982). The [[EliteMooks Special Air Service]] during the storming of the US Embassy, including a POVShot [[VaderBreath through the gas mask]]. This is TruthInTelevision of course, as the film was inspired by the Iranian Embassy Siege.

*** That wasn't to say that the Germans didn't have poison gas - they made tons of the stuff, but Hitler himself refused to use it (because of his own experience with gas in WWI). The UK also stockpiled chemical arms, which would have been used against a German invasion.

An extremely popular form of the FacelessGoons, achieved by taking your enemy Mooks and giving them all gas masks. Note that this almost always occurs in situations where the gas masks [[GogglesDoNothing serve no real practical purpose]], as chemical weapons aren't even a factor in whatever conflict is involved[[note]]With how much they restrict both your breathing and vision when actually worn, few people would ever want to wear one without being in a situation making it necessary[[/note]].