Sorry to all you M.A.S.K. fans out there, but I've not really got lots to say about this cartoon as it kind of passed me by when I was a kid. Looking at the cartoon now it looks as though it was a bit of a cross between Pole Position, Transformers and any multitiude of Japanese cartoons that were released in the eighties designed to get kids to buy toys! The cartoon was made in 1985/ 1986 and there were around seventy-five episodes made, so I'm not really sure how I missed it! M.A.S.K. stands for Mobile Armed Strike Kommand (no idea why command is spelt with a 'K'). Fortunately for the M.A.S.K. team the acronym works on two levels as not only were they the Mobile Armed Strike Command defending the world against the evil V.E.N.O.M. (Vicious Evil Network of Mayhem) organisation, but they also had to wear masks to do it! The masks helped the heroes to hide their identity, but also gave them some hi-tec superpowers to kick some bad-guy butt. Due to the cartoons heavy links in with the toy-lines the second series was only ten episodes long and didn't really follow on too much form the first series. In the second series lots of the characters from the first series are side-lined so that the new generation of M.A.S.K. toys can be featured. The cartoon becomes even less focused on plot and character development and even more NEW TOYS - Go buy!
There was also a DC Comics, comic to accompany the series, in which the story-line is fleshed out a bit with further organisations P.N.A. (Peaceful Nations Alliance) helping ut M.A.S.K. and extra bad-guys ContraWorld helping the bad-guys to further their evil schemes. Wikipedia also advises that in 2008 (twenty-two years after the release of the cartoon, a Matt Tracker figure was released aspart of the G.I. Joe toy-line, codename Specialist Trakker, so you never know we may not have seen the last of M.A.S.K.
Matt Trakker
Matt Trakker was the leader of the M.A.S.K. team and a Bruce Wayne style millionaire philanthropist. In the original series he has the Spectrum Mask (which shoots a sonic beam, deafening peple and allowing him to fly, well to fall without hurting himself). He also has an ultra-flash mask which shoots a powerful energy beam. He drives red sports car (chevrolet) which can transform into a fighter plane.
Brad Turner
Brad Turner is a rock musician who likes to ride his motorcycle and is also an accomplished helicopter pilot. This turns out to be quite fortunate as he rides a motor-cycle that turns into a helicopter, what are the chances?
Brad's Hocus Pocus mask is capable of projecting holograms.
Bruce Sato
Bruce is probably the second in command of the team, Matt certainly treats him as his right-hand man. Bruce often says random Japanese riddles that Matt has interpret for the slower members of the team! Bruce is a great engineer and has the Lifter Mask which can lift heavy objects, he also drives the Rhino, which converts into a mobile operations base. For a living he makes toys!
Gloria Baker
Gloria is the lady of the team, but sh eeasily matches the guys for skills and determination. Gloria is a kung-fu black-belt and a race car driver! Gloria drives a porsche that can transform into a submarine, and her mask Aura creates a shield that can absorb energy.
Scott Trakker
Scott is Matt Trakker's adopted son. He lives with Matt and is learning to be an excellent mechanical and robotical engineer. Scott has got a comedy side-kick called T-Bob, who provides a bit of comic relief. Each episode Scott is generally seen upgrading T-Bob with some new ability.
Alex Sector
Alex is the communications expert for the group. Alex is from the UK and is a zoology specialist (his day is job is that he is a vet.). Alex's mask is the Jack Rabbit which allows him to fly, he often sits co-pilot in the rhino with Bruce when the team are on missions.
Sly Rax & Miles Mayhem
Miles Mayhem (on the right) was th eco-founder of MASK. Miles stole half of the helmets from Matt Trakker and ran off to form his evil organisation VENOM. Miles also has a wimpier twin brother called Maximus Mayhem. On the left in the picture above is Sly Rax who is a con artist by trade. Sly's mask is the stiletto, which shoots sharp blades, and Miles mask is Viper, which shoots jets of acid! And if you're interested Maximus has a deep freeze mask which fold an 'ice beam'!
Cliff Dagger & Vanessa Warfield
Cliff was a demolitions expert and also the muscles of the operation, Cliff has the Torch mask, which was basically a very powerful flame-thrower. Vanessa was the Venom espionage and surveillance expert. In the final episode of the cartoon Vanesss falls in love with Brad Turner! But suring the rest of the cartoon she used the whip mask which projected whip like strands of energy against its opponents.
Fighting crime, fighting crime!
Secret raiders, who will neutralise, as soon as they arrive
Trekker's gonna lead the mission,
And Spectum's got such super vision,
M-m-m-MASK!
Is the mighty power that can save the day,
m-m-m-MASK!
No-one knows what lies behind their masquerades!
M-m-m-MASK!
Always riding on Venom's trail,
Come see the Laser Rays, fly away!
M.A.S.K. : Episode Guide
As mentioned above there are seventy-five episodes of M.A.S.K. so rather than try to list them al here, I have put some links below to sites thathave done a much better job than I ever will!
