M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand

"*We are so proud to be able to continue growing the impressive relationship between IDW Publishing and Hasbro with this new M.A.S.K. comic series. We can’t wait to bring the high-octane, unique, brand of storytelling to this book that we know fans of M.A.S.K. will expect!*"
—IDW Managing Edition David Hedgecock[src]
***M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand*** is a monthly comic series published by IDW Publishing. The series will be written by Brandon Easton with artwork provided by Tony Vargas. Covers will be provided by Tommy Lee Edwards. M.A.S.K. will be part of the Revolution stable of interconnected Hasbro titles alongside *Transformers*, *G.I. Joe*, *Micronauts*, *Rom*, and *Action Man*.

## Premise

M.A.S.K. is based on the toy and cartoon series of the 1980s of the same name. Originally produced by Kenner, the license was bought by Hasbro after interest in the series had waned. The series chronicled the adventures of the M.A.S.K. team as they battled the criminal forces of V.E.N.O.M. Both sides had access to vehicles that transformed from ordinary cars and planes into state of the art attack platforms, as well as unique masks that gave their wearer special abilities.

The M.A.S.K. team, led by Matt Trakker, will battle the evil V.E.N.O.M. headed by Miles Mayhem.
The series aims to be mindful and respectful of the original source material, but will also strive to reimagine the property for the current generation of readers by infusing modern sensibilities while preserving the old school qualities beloved by the fans. The M.A.S.K. team will have to prove themselves capable and deserving to pilot their fantastic machines on what are essentially suicide missions. Their adversaries, V.E.N.O.M., are highly efficient terrorists instead of the bumbling crooks of the original animated series. Many of the characters have been reimagined and have dark and complicated pasts, which each having a compelling reason to be a member of the M.A.S.K. team. Characters might be serving in the unit because it is their last chance, or simply to earn a paycheck.

The classic masks of the series have also been redesigned with a more streamlined version including holographic elements. Writer Brandon Easton likened them to weaponized "Google glasses." Some of the mask's abilities have been refined from the original show, while others remain the same.

Characters slated to appear include the team leaders, Matt Trakker and Miles Mayhem, who will have a student/teacher dynamic. Trakker will admire Mayhem for his leadership skills and their friendship. Other characters from the original series appearing will be Gloria Baker, Brad Turner, and Julio Lopez for the M.A.S.K. team, and Vanessa Warfield, Sly Rax, and Bruno Sheppard for V.E.N.O.M. The character of T-Bob, a cowardly robot from the original series, will not appear.

Concept art from Tony Vargas reveals the new looks of Matt Trakker, Gloria Baker, Brad Turner, Julio Lopez, Miles Mayhem, Sly Rax, and Vanessa Warfield. Most character designs retain elements of their original incarnations, but Matt Trakker had been reimagined as an African-American rather than the traditional blond-haired Caucasian of the original series.

## External links

* The M.A.S.K. Wiki
* IDW To Publish M.A.S.K. Comic Book This Fall
* Easton And Vargas Take Command Of 'M.A.S.K.' At IDW
* M.A.S.K. Gets The Comic Treatment It Deserves And Stays True To Its Japanese Origins
* IDW's M.A.S.K. Is a 'Fresh Take' While Remembering 'Spirit of the Show'
* Exclusive: '80s cartoon 'M.A.S.K.' gets comic reboot this fall

## Notes and references

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 IDW Publishing (2016-05-02). IDW To Publish M.A.S.K. Comic Book This Fall. Retrieved on September 5, 2016.
2. ↑ IDW Publishing (2016-06-01). The Revolution Is Here. Retrieved on September 5, 2016.
3. ↑  M.A.S.K. on Wikipedia
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 TJ Dietsch (2016-10-05). Revving Up Hasbro’s “MASK” For a Modern Comic Audience. Retrieved on September 5, 2016.
5. ↑ Chris Arrant (2016-06-13). IDW's M.A.S.K. Is a 'Fresh Take' While Remembering 'Spirit of the Show'. Retrieved on September 5, 2016.