History Main / IrislessEyeMaskOfMystery

* Partly done in ''Film/GreenLantern'', where it's by design, as the mask's purpose is to hide Hal's identity ([[ClarkKenting however poorly]]). The eyes are still visible but are covered by a whitish glow. Additionally, the mask isn't real, being merely a Ring construct.

** [[Characters/FZero Captain Falcon]]: depending [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros on the]] [[Anime/FZeroLegendOfFalcon media]], hints about this trope have been zig-zagging around him for years. The trope is sometimes played straight as the visor has eyeholes, sometimes [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] as the visor has no holes and the "eyes" are just a [[StylishProtectionGear stylized]] [[ExpressiveMask glow]].

** Other characters known to have this include: the hero Tiger of Wild, Wild Pussycats; the villain Twice; and the [[Manga/VigilanteMyHeroAcademiaIllegals vigilante]] Knuckleduster.

* Averted by some characters in ''Webcomic/MissMelee'' - MM herself has them, but Kid Melee’s eyes are drawn naturally behind bubble lenses in her mask, and Osakan Riot doesn’t wear a mask at all, preferring brightly-coloured fave paint.

** ComicBook/SpiderMan DependingOnTheArtist either has [[https://i.redd.it/e9crqrtll6g21.jpg small white eyes rimmed with black]] or [[https://www.comicbasics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Todd-McFarlane-and-Spider-Man-Cover.jpg massive white ones]], in other comics it varies from moment to moment being an ExpressiveMask.

* 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. In the 2012 show, this is justified as their nictitating membrane, a quality independent of their masks also present in Leatherhead when he goes into an UnstoppableRage.

** Batman has always been depicted like this (except when portrayed by Alex Ross, who averts this trope), but a few artists (such as George Perez) have drawn Robin and ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} with proper eyes under their masks.

* WesternAnimation/TheBatman, being a Batman animated series, naturally has this. A notable example, though, it's Batgirl, who is usually shown without this effect due to having larger eyeholes in her mask. The animesque style makes it easier, due to her normal face sporting large eyes.

* 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. 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 it's just the way criminals see him because he's so damn scary.

** [[Characters/FZero Captain Falcon]]: depending [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros on the]] [[Anime/FZeroLegendOfFalcon media]], hints about this trope have been zig-zagging around him for years. The trope is sometimes played straight as the visor has eyeholes, sometimes [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] as the visor has no holes and the "eyes" are just a [[ExpressiveMask stylized glow]].

* Captain Falcon from ''VideoGame/FZero'' has these.

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

** Other characters known to have this include: the hero Tiger of Wild, Wild Pussycats; the villain Twice; and the vigilante Knuckleduster (from the spinoff manga).

** 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.

* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': Tenya Iida projects this when he wears his Ingenium helmet.
** Gran Torino's black domino mask goes irisless in his 'senile old man' persona, but his iris appears when he gets serious, especially during Izuku's internship with him. Apparently, his mask was always irisless in his younger years as shown in some flashbacks.

* ComicBook/TheFlash is an extremely rare subversion -- his eyes have always been drawn normally under that mask, and this has been consistent between the various {{Legacy Character}}s who have taken up the Flash mantle, as well as Wally West's kid sidekicks Jai and Iris. However, Wally had iris-less masked eyes during the period between issues 50 and 130 and would return to this for awhile in 2010, just a year before ComicBook/TheNew52 but has since averted this trope when he returned to the main comics in ComicBook/DCRebirth.

* 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. In the 2012 show this is justified as their nictitating membrane, a quality independent of their masks also present in Leatherhead when he goes into an UnstoppableRage.

* ComicStrip/ThePhantom, who is the TropeMaker, [[OlderThanTheyThink preceding Batman by three years]]. Lee Falk explained his choice with that it reminded him of the statues from Ancient Greece, and it made The Ohantom more godlike. This would later turn into the Phantom Curse, that tell that anyone WHOs sees the Phantoms Eyes will die a horrible Death (and this meaning that to this Day there is always a convenient shadow covering the Phantoms Face whenever he shows his unmasked face to the reader.

* Partly done in ''Film/GreenLantern'', where it's by design, as the mask's purpose is to hide Hal's identity ([[ClarkKenting however poorly]]). The eyes are still visible, but are covered by a whitish glow. Additionally, the mask isn't real, being merely a Ring construct.

* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987'': Scrooge [=McDuck=], during a brief stint as costumed vigilante in "The Masked Mallard", donned a mask that had this effect.

** Zigzagged with Sailor V: in (InUniverse) promotional images of her and the very first time the other senshi meet her, she plays this straight, yet the ADayInTheSpotlight episode focusing on Minako's past as Sailor V has her with with visible eyes (as does a video game version of her). Again, ''Crystal'' and the predecessor manga ''Manga/CodenameSailorV'' averts this altogether.

* Suiren from ''Anime/BattleSpiritsShonenToppaBashin'' wears this kind of mask.
* In ''Anime/StarDriver'', all members of Kiraboshi wear this kind of masks.

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

** Batman has always been depicted like this (except when portrayed by Alex Ross, who averts this trope), but a few artists (such as George Perez) have drawn Robin and Nightwing with proper eyes under their masks.

* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales'': Scrooge [=McDuck=], during a brief stint as costumed vigilante in "The Masked Mallard", donned a mask that had this effect.

* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales'': Scrooge [=McDuck=], during a brief stint as costumed vigilante in "The
Masked Mallard", donned a mask that had this effect.

* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales'': Scrooge [=McDuck=], during a brief stint as costumed vigilante in one episode, donned a mask that had this effect.

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]

* ComicBook/TheFlash is an extremely rare subversion -- his eyes have always been drawn normally under that mask, and this has been consistent between the various {{Legacy Character}}s who have taken up the Flash mantle, as well as Wally West's kid sidekicks Jai and Iris. However, Wally had iris-less masked eyes during the period between issues 50 and 130.

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