Masque Appreciation

[jeansbff]

This thread is to allow the x-fans to appreciate one of the x-mens most ruthless villains and one of the most dangerous morlocks.

I have always thought that masque was one of the x-mens more deadlier but underestimated foes. I feel that masque should resurface in san francisco with his group of morlocks to once more torment the x-men.

What do you think?

BEHOLD MASQUE! :evilsmile:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1b/Masquewiki.jpg

[worstblogever]

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20070606172445/marveldatabase/images/5/52/Masque_002.jpg

Masque
Real Name: ???
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #169
All appearances: Uncanny X-Men #169-170, 176, 178-179, Power Pack #12, Uncanny X-Men #195, X-Factor (1st series) #11-12, 15-16, Uncanny X-Men #254, 259, 262, New Mutants (1st series) #91, 99-100, Wolverine (2nd series) #41-43, 45-46, 51, X-Force (1st series) #6-7, 9, X-Treme X-Men #38-39, Uncanny X-Men #487-491
Death: X-Force (vol. 1) #9, killed by Shatterstar
Return: X-Treme X-Men #37, was revealed to have survived death. Two theories on his survival from being impaled on Shatterstar’s blades are that it either jump-started his secondary mutation so he could alter his own flesh to seal his wounds when X-Force was not looking, or, since there was a body, it seems more likely that it wasn’t Masque but some other Morlock that died in his place. Masque might have created several look-a-likes of himself to keep his enemies off-guard and the new power he developed later, to alter his own appearance might be a secondary mutation.
Last Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #491
Powers: Masque has the mutant ability to psionically sculpt flesh with a touch, rearranging the features of living beings to alter their hair, skin or eye color, add on additions such as tentacles and extra eyes or mouths, seal off body orifices and transform others into grotesque creatures. Since his unexplained resurrection, he can apparently use his power to alter his own features.
Status: Masque retained his powers after the Decimation. He was believed to have been in government custody, but might have escaped when the Skrulls set all the metahumans out of prison in Secret Invasion #1, in theory.

[worstblogever]

Bio:

Masque was supposedly one of the founders of the Morlocks (whether or not he is a creation of the Dark Beast, or a mutant from the surface who came to the tunnels on his own is unknown), and first turned up when Callisto kidnapped Angel (Uncanny X-Men #169). From the start, he showed he had no remorse about using his power, desiring to use it upon a captured Storm, whom he loathed for having nearly perfect facial features. After being distracted from disfiguring Ororo by Nightcrawler, he was about to use his powers to turn Kurt inside out when he was interrupted by Callisto (Uncanny X-Men #170).

Later, he was involved in the plot to try and marry Kitty Pryde to Caliban, when he was commanded by Callisto to alter the appearance of a dead homeless girl to appear as though she was Kitty Pryde, so that they might kidnap her, and the X-Men would believe she was dead (Uncanny X-Men #176, 178). Prior to the ceremony, Masque began to sculpt Kitty’s facial features, saying that part of a Morlock’s initiation right was to take on a hideous visage (Uncanny X-Men #179).

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6a/Masque-power.jpg/150px-Masque-power.jpg

Masque was one of the few Morlocks to escape the Marauders in the Mutant Massacre. He allied himself with “The Tunnelers”, a small group of Morlocks led by Berzerker. They are initially rescued by X-Factor after a fight with Iceman and Beast. Masque's powers were neutralized by the presence of Leech, whom the Morlocks believed to be in danger from X-Factor. Ultimately the Morlock Scaleface convinces everyone to make peace. Both groups barely escape the incinerating flames of Thor's funeral pyre for the rest of the slain Morlocks. Not wanting to live life above with X-Factor, the Tunnelers sneak out, using Masque's mutant power to disguise their features. Unfortunately they soon encountered a local street gang. In the resulting fight, Blow-Hard was slain and Masque was apparently badly injured. While his ally Berzerker declares he is dead, he would prove to be fine, and back under the protection of X-Factor not long thereafter (X-Factor (vol. 1) #11). When the Morlocks attempted to leave the care of X-Factor and return to the tunnels, Masque would actually prove he would not be deterred by anyone when he would disfigure the Beast for trying to prevent him from leaving. Caliban would be angered by this, and challenge Masque to a fight without powers, if he won, he wanted Masque to fix the Beast’s face. While Masque went ahead and tried to mangle Caliban anyway, he was prevented from doing so again by the presence of Leech, and Caliban made him help the Beast, under threat of having his arm ripped off (X-Factor (vol. 1) #15).

Not long thereafter, Rusty Collins would seek out Masque in the hopes he might use his powers for good, and help restore the formerly beautiful face of Emma LaPorte, who Rusty gave horrible burn scars to when he lost control of his pyrokinetic powers. Masque agreed, but only on the condition he would get to mangle Rusty’s face. When Emma LaPorte learned of this, she told Masque any deals were off, as she couldn’t live with knowing she would have Rusty still suffer in her stead. Masque seemingly acquiesced, changing Emma’s face back to its scarred appearance, but then he would use his powers to spitefully seal off Rusty’s mouth and nose in an attempt to suffocate him, instead. He had to be fought off by Skids, and threatened into repairing the damage he had done to Rusty. He managed to flee, however, before he could be asked to help Emma LaPorte again (X-Factor (vol. 1) #16).
http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/2/29735/687901-skids07_large.jpg (http://www.comicvine.com/skids07/105-687901/)


After the slaughter of most of her brethren, Callisto traveled to Moira MacTaggert's hospital on Muir Island, to be with the few surviving Morlocks. In her absence, Masque came to lead the Morlocks through fear, and was apparently even kidnapping human children and using his powers on them to make them hideous, but powerless victims and additions to the Morlocks while also mangling the body of anyone who disagreed with him, such as the Morlock, Pixie (revealed in Ghost Rider (vol. 3) #9). When Callisto returned to New York to seal off the paths beneath the X-Mansion connecting to the Morlock Tunnels, she is kidnapped by a few of Masque’s Morlocks, and Masque gives Callisto a pretty new face of a top supermodel to remove her from the group (Uncanny X-Men #259). Callisto, however, would meet an amnesiac Colossus, and the two would share a brief romance. Masque would however, attack Forge and Banshee when they’d come from Muir Isle looking for Callisto, as well as Jean Grey, sealing off Banshee’s mouth so he’d be unable to use his powers, and giving Jean Grey a mass of tentacles where her arms should be. Masque also played mind games with the X-Men during this battle, sending several Morlocks after them with hideously deformed bodies, but the heads of the X-Men, as to give them pause to wonder if their opponents might just be mangled allies. Masque would also try and find and kill Callisto, since she wouldn’t be going away quietly anymore, but she was saved by Colossus, who regained his powers and memories as a result (Uncanny X-Men #263).

Masque would continue to prove hostile, threatening the New Mutants when they entered the sewers trying to find Rictor, who fled the team into the Morlock Tunnels, and then gleefully watching as Caliban fought and got revenge for the Morlocks against Sabretooth by snapping the ex-Marauder’s spine (New Mutants (vol. 1) #91). Upon Feral fleeing the Morlocks, Masque attempted to hunt her down and force her to stay, leading both Brute and Hump after her, but upon finding her, he could only watch as Cable shot Brute, just to prove he wasn’t playing around anymore (New Mutants (vol. 1) #99-100).

He would also give sanctuary to both Elsie Dee and Albert, helping both of the robots repair themselves when they were damaged, including tapping into New York City’s main power lines to restore Elsie Dee. The alliance was forged mainly out of fear of Albert, who killed a few Morlocks to prove his point, and since they were more than honest about their intention to kill Wolverine (Wolverine (vol. 1) #41-43, 45-46, 51).

Masque, soon after, though, would team the Morlocks with Toad's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to go gain vengeance against Feral and X-Force, but in battle with them, Masque is apparently killed by Shatterstar, who runs him through with his swords (X-Force (vol. 1) #6-9). It should be noted, however, that this might not have been the real Masque, since at any time during this battle does he try to use his powers, and because years later…

Masque returns as the leader of an underground cadre of mutant gladiators in Tokyo that fought for fame and the right to control defeated fellow warriors in combat, while, wearing a kimono and resembling Marilyn Monroe.

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/77/143383-100175-masque_large.jpg (http://www.comicvine.com/100175-masque/105-143383/)

He apparently developed a secondary mutation to alter his own body, as well. As Storm’s X-Men team and Callisto stumble across his operation, he takes them captive and uses his powers to manipulate Callisto, giving her octopus like arms, and Storm into becoming the greatest gladiator. Callisto and Storm eventually rebelled and defeat Masque yet again (X-Treme X-Men #38-39).

In the wake of the Decimation, Masque retained his powers, and began leading a band of Morlocks (including Erg, Litterbug, Skids, and Bliss) in search of Magneto, hoping to inform him of a prophecy that says mutants may yet come to rule the world (Uncanny X-Men #487). To this end, they have assaulted and maimed Caliban, and abducted Leech. He and his group then set off a bomb laced with Bliss’ knockout toxin in a packed subway train and Masque used his powers to disfigure the humans on it (Uncanny X-Men #488). Masque also made a video of why they did it and what is to come and posted it on the internet. All the while, he managed to stay a step ahead of the authorities in the government, and O.N.E. (Uncanny X-Men #489). He and his Morlocks would defeat Hepzibah and Warpath, with Masque suffocating the latter with his powers by sealing off his facial features, but letting him as Qwerty’s prophecies foretold. Masque would also attempt to ensure that only he would know of Qwerty’s prophecies, and no one else, when he blew up the tunnels where she wrote them, which were still inhabited by Delphi, and several other Morlocks (Uncanny X-Men #490). After being defeated once again by the X-Men, Masque was forced by Professor X to undo the changes he had made to the faces of the innocent during his reign of terror (Uncanny X-Men #491).

http://francemarvel.free.fr/images/equipes/morlocks/Masque.jpg

What do you think of Masque? Do you like his secondary mutation, which allows him to change his own appearance? Who do you think he/she was before they entered the tunnels, or do you think he/she is a creation of the Dark Beast? Would you like to ever see him as a part of Magneto’s Brotherhood?

[Hindsight lad]

Wasn't there some question over whether Masque was a man or a woman? I seem to recall that being in doubt at some point.

Hindsight lad

[worstblogever]

Wasn't there some question over whether Masque was a man or a woman? I seem to recall that being in doubt at some point.

Hindsight lad

X-Treme X-Men would be the real time it was in doubt, in my estimation. During Storm: The Arena, specifically.

[RickyD410]

X-Treme X-Men would be the real time it was in doubt, in my estimation. During Storm: The Arena, specifically.

But if he only (relatively) recently gained the ability to alter his own appearance, how could he have looked like a man during all his other appearances?

Masque is evil and cool. He should be an X-Villain more often.

[Justin K.]

I hope he has a run in with Callisto again. Depowered knife Cal is not the same as tentacle Cal.
At first, I didn't like what Masque did to her, but after Excalibur by Claremont, I didn't mind them.

[jeansbff]

Wasn't there some question over whether Masque was a man or a woman? I seem to recall that being in doubt at some point.

Hindsight lad

Are you talking about when he looked like marilyn munroe in the arena? That was a bodysuit. I'm pretty sure masque is a man but i believe he wants to be a woman.

Thanks wbo for adding all of the neat info. Much appreciated. :wink:

[Mikl C]

Tranny.!!!!

[jeansbff]

Tranny.!!!!

:eek: Could be right!

[M.I.Brooks]

I think he'd make a good villian for this generation. He was okay in the last decade or so he was around, but bad guys tend to be treated a (little) better now than back then.

[Havok83]

Are you talking about when he looked like marilyn munroe in the arena? That was a bodysuit. I'm pretty sure masque is a man but i believe he wants to be a woman.

Thanks wbo for adding all of the neat info. Much appreciated. :wink:
Actually Masque's sex was never revealed. The character was only assumed to be male bc of his appearance. Here's the official entry in the 1985 Marvel Official Handbook. The pronoun "her" is used to describe Masque here, suggesting that the character may have been intended to be female. To this date, I think the sex is still ambigious

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/2783/masque.jpg


But if he only (relatively) recently gained the ability to alter his own appearance, how could he have looked like a man during all his other appearances?

There are some ugly looking women in real life who look like men

http://totallylookslike.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/bill-gates.jpg

[M.I.Brooks]

Actually Masque's sex was never revealed. The character was only assumed to be male bc of his appearance. Here's the official entry in the 1985 Marvel Official Handbook. The pronoun "her" is used to describe Masque here, suggesting that the character may have been intended to be female. To this date, I think the sex is still ambigious

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/2783/masque.jpg
I think I like it better that way.