History Main / IrislessEyeMaskOfMystery

** Usually (but not always) averted in ComicBook/Batman66, as fitting the way Creator/AdamWest looked in costume.

* ''Anime/{{Gundam}}'': Many a CharClone throughout the Gundam franchise wear masks that have this property, with one [[Anime/MobileFighterGGundam exception]].

* The Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles were designed this way in [[ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMirage the original comics]]. The only other media to retain this look from the comics was the [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 2003 cartoon]] (though later seasons give them irises, and the [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012 2012 show]] uses them whenever [[LetsGetDangerous things get serious]]). The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles originally had Irisless eyemasks to simulate GlowingEyesOfDoom, without actually making their eyes glow. When they gave the turtles visible irises? They looked cute instead, regardless of how menacing they make their faces look.
%%* ComicBook/{{Empowered}}.

* WesternAnimation/SpaceGhost: Though the character was never shown unmasked on-screen, artwork by Alex Toth [[http://blog.brendanmckillip.com/2007/01/space-ghost-unmasked.html shows what he looked like without his cowl]].

** For most Batfamily members, this is explained by the fact that the cowls contain special lenses for GogglesDoSomethingUnusual purposes. This is a generally accepted fan theory, however in close ups we can see that there isn't anything in batman's eyeholes. Either its artistic expression, or its just the way criminals see him because he's so damn scary.

* Other DC Comics examples who are usually designed this way are Atom Smasher, Aztek, Crimson Avenger, ComicBook/DoctorFate, ComicBook/{{Firestorm}}, ComicBook/GreenArrow and Arsenal/Speedy (Roy Harper), ComicBook/GreenLantern (with a couple exceptions such as John Stewart and Kilowog, who don't wear masks), Grifter, Hawk and Dove, Hawkman, Orion, Steel, Wildcat, and various other Bat family characters (Catwoman being a notable exception).

[[AC: Anime and Manga]]

[[AC: Comics]]

** ''Comicbook/{{Watchmen}}'': All the masked characters play this trope straight with the exception of Rorschach, whose mask completely obscures his face, and Ozymandias, who (perhaps unintentionally) borders on ExpressiveMask (complete with the mask wrinkling when he frowns- in the original comic, at least. He's pointedly this trope in ''ComicBook/BeforeWatchmen'').

-->'''Flash''': "Those white Comicbook/{{Batman}} eyes were never really me anyway."
-->--''ComicBook/TheFlash #133''

* ComicBook/ThePhantom, who is the TropeMaker, [[OlderThanTheyThink preceding Batman by three years]].

* ComicBook/{{Empowered}}.

[[AC: Film]]
* Film/TheDarkKnightSaga: These films usually avert this trope, but on one occasion in the Dark Knight he acquires this look via a [[TechnoBabble Sonic imager]] in his mask.
* Averted with the first battle suit constructed by Tony Stark in ''Film/IronMan'', which had open eyeholes in the helmet. Subsequent constructions of the Iron Man armor have this trope in play, as Stark prefers a heads-up tactical display to peeking out eyeholes. As a practical matter, eyeholes tend to funnel debris, shards and sharps toward the wearer's eyes, rather than deflect them like the rest of the headpiece. Preferable is a resilient, transparent material that blocks the eyeholes and shields the eyes; the blankness can be HandWaved as gloss from the shield's outer surface.

[[AC: Video Games]]

[[AC: Webcomics]]

[[AC: Western Animation]]

* ''Anime/SailorMoon'': Tuxedo Mask wears a mask that whites out his eyes in the anime adaptation. In the [[Manga/SailorMoon manga]], the artist {{averted|Trope}} this by giving him fully visible eyes.

* StaticShock: While the character's irislessness is from GlowingEyesOfDoom via electrokinesis in the comics, but in the television adaptation this design is averted by giving the eponymous hero visible irises behind his mask. However, his older self as shown in Justice League Unlimited plays this trope straight by having white eyes without the GlowingEyesOfDoom.

* In all its forms, the mask of the ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' archenemy SelfDemonstrating/DoctorDoom constantly averts this trope. Doom's mask has a heads-up display both within the lenses and surrounding them. Not only are Doom's irises visible whenever Doom is roughly facing the viewer, but also some of the damaged tissue around his eyes, an allusion to his brash action with that same metal mask that left Doom's face badly disfigured.

* The ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles were designed this way in the original comics. The only other media to retain this look from the comics was the [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 2003 cartoon]] (though later seasons give them irises, and the [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012 2012 show]] uses them whenever [[LetsGetDangerous things get serious]]).
** The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles originally had Irisless eyemasks to simulate GlowingEyesOfDoom, without actually making their eyes glow. When they gave the turtles visible irises? They looked cute instead, regardless of how menacing they make their faces look.

* Suiren from ''Anime/BattleSpiritsToppaBashin'' wears this kind of mask.

** ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}: [[BreakingTheFourthWall 'Cause I wouldn't look as BADASS otherwise]].
*** Deadpool is an interesting case. During his earlier appearances, when unmasked, [[{{AvertedTrope}} his eyes were really]] [[{{MonochromaticEyes}} blank-white]] (seemingly also result of Weapon X treatment along with bad skin condition). Since character's popularity skyrocketed, though, he's been usually drawn as much less hideous and having normal human eyes underneath the mask.

** Comicbook/{{Watchmen}}: All the masked characters play this trope straight with the exception of Rorschach, whose mask completely obscures his face, and Ozymandias, who (perhaps unintentionally) borders on ExpressiveMask (complete with the mask wrinkling when he frowns- in the original comic, at least. He's pointedly this trope in BeforeWatchmen).

* In ''[[http://flyingsparkscomic.com/comic/ Flying Sparks]]'', Chloë Anderson's mask has this effect when she is Meta-Girl.

* The AmbiguouslyGay Duo from the animated SaturdayNightLive segments of the same name wear masks that white out their eyes.
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Zuko's alter ego of the Blue Spirit wears a mask of the completely black variety. His mask presumably has black glass covering it's eyeholes, since they appear black even when fully illuminated. This, of course, helps hide his SecretIdentity, since major characters tend to be very good at seeing through disguises in this universe.

* Other DC Comics examples who are usually designed this way are Atom Smasher, Aztek, Crimson Avenger, ComicBook/DoctorFate, ComicBook/{{Firestorm}}, ComicBook/GreenArrow and Arsenal/Speedy (Roy Herron), ComicBook/GreenLantern (with a couple exceptions such as John Stewart and Kilowog, who don't wear masks), Grifter, Hawk and Dove, Hawkman, Orion, Steel, Wildcat, and various other Bat family characters (Catwoman being a notable exception).

* The most notable hero to have this trope as part of their design is Franchise/{{Batman}}. He has this feature in all other adaptations as well, with the exception of live-action ones.

** The original ComicBook/MsMarvel
** ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}: Plays this trope straight when in costume.

* Film/TheDarkKnightSaga: These films usually avert this trope, but on one occasion in the Dark Knight he acquires this look via a [[TechnoBabble Sonic imager]] in his mask.

** For most Batfamily members, this is explained by the fact that the cowls contain special lenses for GogglesDoSomethingUnusual purposes.

* Other DC Comics examples who are usually designed this way are Atom Smasher, Aztek, Crimson Avenger, ComicBook/DoctorFate, ComicBook/{{Firestorm}}, ComicBook/GreenArrow and Arsenal/Speedy (Roy Herron), ComicBook/GreenLantern (Hal Jordan and Guy Gardner specifically, but John Stewart averts this by default of not wearing a mask), Grifter, Hawk and Dove, Hawkman, Orion, Steel, Wildcat, and various other Bat family characters (Catwoman being a notable exception).

* The most notable hero to have this trope as part of their design is Franchise/{{Batman}} (to the point that he, along with Robin and Batgirl, provide the image for this article). By extension, he has this feature in all other adaptations as well, with the exception of live-action ones.

** Batman has always been depicted like this, but a few artists (such as George Perez) have drawn Robin and Nightwing with proper eyes under their masks.

[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/TheBatman http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/o_TheBatman_Pic.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350: [[CoolMask Cool Masks]] that have been making irises disappear since 1936.]]

* ''Anime/{{Gundam}}'': Many a CharClone throughout the Gundam franchise wear masks that have this property, with one [[GGundam exception]].

* BlazBlue: [[WickedCultured Relius]] [[MadScientist Clover]] always wears an opera mask that makes him seem to have Monochromatic Eyes.
* Captain Falcon from VideoGame/FZero has these.
* [[MaskedLuchador Tizoc]] (AKA Griffon Mask) from the SNK produced games Garou: Mark of the Wolves and TheKingOfFighters series always wears a mask that gives him this look.
* Franchise/{{Mortal Kombat}}: Scorpion is a unique example. His mask doesn't just blank out his eyes, it's responsible for making him look like he has a face at all; when he removes it, all that's left of his head is a skull. Which is [[IncendiaryExponent on fire]].
* ViewtifulJoe
* This is the [[VideoGame/TheWonderful101 The Wonderful 101's]] signature.

* ''Webcomic/MagickChicks'': Tiffany's mask typically has the effect of whiting out her irises whenever she wears it, as [[PaperThinDisguise her MMAA disguise]] (which makes her look similar to ''Webcomic/{{Spinnerette}}'') The mask itself is [[ExpressiveMask still expressive]], which is [[http://www.magickchicks.com/strips-mc/omigawd best seen here]], though there was [[http://www.magickchicks.com/strips-mc/a_superhero one occasion]] where her irises were visible while wearing it.

* Franchise/{{Mortal Kombat}}: Scorpion is a unique example. His mask doesn't just blank out his eyes, it's responsible for making him look like he has a face at all; when he removes it, all that's left of his head is a skull. That's [[IncendiaryExponent on fire]].