The best super-hero mask in the biz

[[]D[]/\/\[]D @ Nite/So-tite]

Post what you think is the best superhero mask or cowl design of all time. Doesn't have to be from only comic books.

[Erik Larsen]

Spider-Man. It's both practical and distinctive.

[[]D[]/\/\[]D @ Nite/So-tite]

Spider-Man. It's both practical and distinctive.

That's my choice as well. :biggrin:

[Erik Larsen]

Others are great--and Batman's stands out as distinctive--but in the real world--you could totally recognize who it was wearing that thing. With Spider-Man you really get no clues. You can't even tell the color of his skin.

[Beacon]

Spider-Man’s mask (especially the “giant reflective eye” mask) manages a to have just the right combination of heroic primary colors and creepy imagery.

Actually his 2099 counterpart’s skull/spider pattern deserves a nod too.

The Golden Age Sandman’s gas mask deserves props for creepiness and practicality. Dodds has the best “real world” costume I’ve ever seen.

I’m also pretty fond of the Question’s mask (but it requires a HAT to work)

[Ned McDodd]

i agree with spider-man's mask, but i must say that i like Spawn's mask even more

http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/9428/spawnv.jpg (http://img714.imageshack.us/i/spawnv.jpg/)

[howyadoin]

i agree with spider-man's mask, but i must say that i like Spawn's mask even more

http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/9428/spawnv.jpg (http://img714.imageshack.us/i/spawnv.jpg/)Well, that pretty much is Spider-Man's mask, really.

And unsurprisingly.

[StoneGold]

Galactus, for the sheer impracticality of it.

[Donald M.]

Spider-Man. It's both practical and distinctive.

Well, I don't know about practical. His spider-sense is a neat way to get around the impaired peripheral vision that any mask must naturally bring, something we're apparently just meant to ignore with most other mask-wearing heroes.

Not to be nitpicky or anything as I'm certainly not one to harp on such details.

[StoneGold]

Well, I don't know about practical. His spider-sense is a neat way to get around the impaired peripheral vision that any mask must naturally bring, something we're apparently just meant to ignore with most other mask-wearing heroes.

Not to be nitpicky or anything as I'm certainly not one to harp on such details.

Given that the eyes are supposed to be some kind of lenses, theoretically any kind of peripheral vision loss would be pretty minimal. Like wearing military goggles. I mean, depending on the artist, half that mask is lens.

[BrendanSilent]

if we are just talking head/face, i dont think this can be beat (specifically the movie version, not just comic or any what have you:)

http://www.shockya.com/news/wp-content/uploads/iron_man_2_poster.jpg

im also a huge fan of the ronin mask/costume. regardless of who's inside or what you think of the story, i really dig this design:

http://www.seanellery.com/gallery/albums/userpics/ronin.jpg

also, while i know little about the guy, this is one of the coolest ones ever:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2056/2348752043_88f2800552_o.jpg

(if you can't tell yet, i just love the full-cover no-hair ones)

dunno if they count, or how wide of an entertainment market we are digging into, but i also really dig the gundam/optimus prime type of face-metal glowing eyes things.

[worstblogever]

Others are great--and Batman's stands out as distinctive--but in the real world--you could totally recognize who it was wearing that thing. With Spider-Man you really get no clues. You can't even tell the color of his skin.

Erik, weren't you the guy who "snuck" Batman and Robin into a group gathering of heroes in a Savage Dragon comic by croppng the ears off the top of Batman's cowl to give plausible deniability if anyone at DC got litigation-happy?

I might be thinking of someone else, but if it was you, that was slick.

[carabas]

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a288/Gugenheimer/Covers/BM_681-1.jpg

Never been any better than this.

I'm also a fan of Superman's far more subdued mask. It seems to work better than most as he hardly ever has secret identity problems.

[Pól Rua]

For me...
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f322/polrua/SANTO20Y20BLU20DEMON.jpg
Accept no substitutes.

[Zimman2]

I'd hate to be "that guy" for this one, but come one, NO ONE has said this?

http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/rorschachwebisode.jpg

Also, if you add a purple wig, I think a simple domino mask becomes very iconic and striking. :biggrin:

[whiteshark]

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/40/1144039-_17_super.jpg

The best mask any super hero have i think.

[[]D[]/\/\[]D @ Nite/So-tite]

Others are great--and Batman's stands out as distinctive--but in the real world--you could totally recognize who it was wearing that thing. With Spider-Man you really get no clues. You can't even tell the color of his skin.

Case in point...

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/JediKia/She-Hulk04Lathan13.jpg

[Professor Moriarty]

The Green Hornet.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w121/jmg3637/others/ghs3.jpg

and the golden age Green Hornet mask is also a favorite of mine.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k4/greyshirt2/Comics/Green%20Hornet/Green%20Hornet%20Year%20One/1255195666.jpg

[Alexander the immortal]

Batman, Spiderman and The Question (Dc). Also I like Magneto's costume + helmet even if he is not a superhero.

[Iangould]

Not a great character, not even a great costume but El Aguila has a great mask.


http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:Xoi_My3MpthrrM:http://marvel.com/universe3zx/images/thumb/f/fd/Aguila_Head.jpg/440px-Aguila_Head.jpg

[StoneGold]

Not a great character, not even a great costume but El Aguila has a great mask.


http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:Xoi_My3MpthrrM:http://marvel.com/universe3zx/images/thumb/f/fd/Aguila_Head.jpg/440px-Aguila_Head.jpg

Zorro mask in red. I like the style a lot though, meant to post it here. The bandanna with eye holes is a fun look. Same goes for Iron Fist.


Really, El Aguila before Zorro or IF?

[Iangould]

I think the hat and the moustache add a certain panache.

Did Zorro do the Bandana thing? If so I forgot.

[StoneGold]

I think the hat and the moustache add a certain panache.

Did Zorro do the Bandana thing? If so I forgot.

Not every version, and even then, he usually has the hat on. Still, underneath the hat...

http://abouttocharge.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/zorro-cover-c.jpg

[Erik Larsen]

Well, I don't know about practical. His spider-sense is a neat way to get around the impaired peripheral vision that any mask must naturally bring, something we're apparently just meant to ignore with most other mask-wearing heroes.

Not to be nitpicky or anything as I'm certainly not one to harp on such details.

There's no impaired peripheral vision with the Spider-Man mask the way it was drawn in the late '80s-'90s. Those eye-holes were huge.

The mask's biggest advantage is, of course, that it covers a person's entire head! you can't tell what color his skin is--his hair is--his eyes are--anything. I wore the Spider-Man outfit on a panel at a convention at one point and I had several people doubting it was me and they flat out said it was me.

[BrendanSilent]

as far as villains go, pretty much the ultimate iconic villainous mask:

http://www.pollsb.com/photos/o/65326-dr_doom.jpg

[berk]

The Black Panther would be my choice. Simple but effective, and actually does a good job of evoking the totem animal of the character, depending on the artist.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c259/bmaclean/graham_panther2.jpg


And I've always liked Barry Windsor-Smith's design for Prince Gaynor, a minor villain from Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion books who appeared in the early Conan the Barbarian series along with Elric.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c259/bmaclean/Gaynorthedamned3.jpg

[Pól Rua]

Not every version, and even then, he usually has the hat on. Still, underneath the hat...

http://abouttocharge.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/zorro-cover-c.jpg

That's a bloody glorious cover.
That said, most of the pictures of Zorro I've seen have used the 'blindfold' style mask which leaves the hair open and just covers the eyes.
And Iron Fist is awesome.

[Pól Rua]

The Green Hornet.

and the golden age Green Hornet mask is also a favorite of mine.

Kudos to Kato as well. It may be a simple domino (albeit one which covers the nose) but it's distinctive enough to be deliberately homaged by the Crazy 88's in 'Kill Bill' Part 1.

Actually, I like the simple domino. It's the sort of thing which, like the luchador mask, can be added to almost any outfit and which automatically changes the character into someone extraordinary.

[Pól Rua]

It owes a lot to both the Zorro and Spider-Man designs, but I've always been keen on Matt Wagner's 'Grendel'.
http://www.brokenfrontier.com/img/2005/mar/DH/GRRWB-TPB-FC-SOL.jpg
It's simple and elegant, plus, later in the series when it's adopted as a kind of tribal marking, it's a design which lends itself to a wide variety of permutations.

[mgs]

There's no impaired peripheral vision with the Spider-Man mask the way it was drawn in the late '80s-'90s. Those eye-holes were huge.

The mask's biggest advantage is, of course, that it covers a person's entire head!

Well, besides the peripheral thing, the biggest disadvantages to those masks that cover the whole head, is breathing and hearing. But, maybe with everyone being 'super', their senses and abilities make up for these disadvantages.

[Pól Rua]

Well, besides the peripheral thing, the biggest disadvantages to those masks that cover the whole head, is breathing and hearing. But, maybe with everyone being 'super', their senses and abilities make up for these disadvantages.

Plus, it's a comic book where being bitten by a creature that is both radioactive AND venomous results in being able to lift a car over your head.

[berk]

...Also I like Magneto's costume + helmet even if he is not a superhero.The Corinthian (do I have that right?) helmet design is one of the most impressive in history, in my book. There have a been a few good comic book versions of it - Magneto, and of course some of the Greek Gods, like George Perez's Ares. Can't recall right now if Marvel's Ares ever wore it much or not. It should really be used more often and more effectively for both the Olympian Gods of War, Ares and Athena, because it really is a great look, and gets across the idea of scary warrior as well as or better than almost anything, for me.

[PsychoGoatee]

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k281/psychogoatee/Judge_Dredd_2000adprog1600.jpg

Gotta go with Judge Dredd, his helmet looks glorious. Just over-the-top enough to be distinctive while still looking glorious. He may not be a superhero per se, but he is the law.

[dupont2005]

Well, that pretty much is Spider-Man's mask, really.

And unsurprisingly.

The first time I saw Spawn I thought it was Spider-Man with a new look.

[Gary_B]

I'm gonna go with Rorschack.

http://api.ning.com/files/Z5cPx17p4fSaWv28bravq4mxXDpwrG4Teqw178K5mVkFYtbM4u FNNpjGht6J-PNbLSTN8GPFYtHpYPQgpR1S94EedX5OlNV7/rorschachanimsmall.gif

[Cam63]

1. Batman
2. Spiderman
3. The Phantom

[howyadoin]

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/77/197173-170768-razorback_large.jpg

[rooibos]

D[]/\/\[]D @ Nite/So-tite;11474996']Case in point...

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/JediKia/She-Hulk04Lathan13.jpg

artist and/or series plz
i dig this

[Beacon]

artist and/or series plz
i dig this


It’s from the Dan Slott’s amazing but underrated She-Hulk run (volume one issue four IIRC). I think Juan Bobillo drew it.

The story had one of those great “why didn’t anyone think of this before” hooks; Spidey sues JJJ for libel. I just wish Slott’s later Spider-Man stories were this inventive.

[Beacon]

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/77/197173-170768-razorback_large.jpg

Kind of a shame, really. Razorback has a really useful power but they’ve made him so over the top that no one can see his value as a support character.

He has the power to drive ANY vehicle.
Cool.
And he’s a mutant.
Fine.
And he’s a trucker.
Makes sense.
And he looks like Elvis.
That’s odd.
And he occasionally fights crime while wearing a pig costume.
Weird.
And he sometimes wears the costume when he’s just driving around as a trucker.
Wait…what?
Also the costume is electrified for no apparent reason.
WTF?

[jdwrocks]

It's mine, dammit! Or at least it's my avatar. C'mon a radioactive dude in a radiation suit. That's gold baby.

[Paradox]

Erik Larsen was there in the second post:

Spider-Man. It's both practical and distinctive.

I saw the title of the thread and wondered immediately how anyone would pick anything BUT Spidey's mask. Full agreement.

[Paradox]

howyadoin is such a pig!:

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/77/197173-170768-razorback_large.jpg

You just couldn't help yourself, could you? :tongue:

[howyadoin]

You just couldn't help yourself, could you? :tongue:Wait. This isn't the "biggest super-hero mask in the biz" thread?

[dupersuper]

Spider-Man. It's both practical and distinctive.

I second this.