The Mask (object)

The mask's first appearance in the original comics.

The Mask of Loki from the 1994 movie.

The Mask of Loki in the Adventures of The Mask comic.

The Mask which appears in the 2024 movie.

The Mask (or the Mask of Loki) is a supernatural artifact that is processed by Stanley Ipkiss in the film and animated series, including many other wearers in the comics. In all media, the true nature and origin of this mystical mask remains a mystery.

Origin

In the comics, the not ordinary mask was apparently created at an unknown time in the past by an unknown tribe that originated somewhere in Africa. The shamans of the tribe used secret ancient African knowledge to craft a mask out of jade and to infuse it with mystical power for use in their rituals. When worn, it imbues the wearer with cartoon-like reality-warping powers, granting them physical impermeability, the ability to pull random objects out of nothing, and unbounded shapeshifting, allowing them to extend their body and limbs into any shape, but at the cost of their inhibition and morality making them prone to commit abhorrent acts like unjust vengeance and the extreme murder of others.

The story behind the creation of the not ordinary Mask of Loki, as told in The Mask 1994 film, seems to be open to interpretation. Dr. Arthur Neumann informs Stanley of its supposedly 4th or 5th-century Scandinavian origin. The not ordinary mask was fashioned to depict a Norse night god, possibly Loki, who was banished from Valhalla by Odin forever for causing too much trouble. Stanley presumes that Loki could have been banished into the mask, while others conclude that Loki was the creator of the mask to sow chaos and destruction among the people of the Earth realm Midgard.

In a deleted scene of The Mask, a group of Vikings in the 10th century arrived at a place they call "the end of the world" or modern-day "Edge City." Carrying a chest containing the mask, the Vikings bury it, as a witch prays for heaven to help whatever fool finds it, later Stanley Ipkiss.

Those who believe Loki created the mask believe he endowed the magical mask with his powers so he could cast the artifact among Odin's people to inflict suffering on those who wear his mask or those around the host of his creation. Although this is confirmed in the second movie, Son of the Mask, this and the film are not considered canon by some, as why would a god of mischief grant an ordinary person more power than himself? Those who believe that Loki was banished into the mask by Odin believe those who don the mask are possessed by the god himself, thus granting the host all of his powers. This theory has its own problems as every host transformed by the mask in the film maintains a unique identity possessed by the psychological manifestation of their id. If Loki does reside in the mask, it is possible he is incapable of taking full control, thus creating some amalgamation of the host and himself that could be distinct and different for each new wearer. Either created by Loki or created from him, the mask is most likely a representation of him as the symbol adorned on the iron nose of the mask is an inverted Nordic lagu or the letter L.

Norse mythology does not describe Loki as having ever created such a mask and or having the powers to manipulate anything at will other than himself. There is no satisfactory and solid theory behind the creation of the mask, at least from Norse origins. It is most likely that the mask and its powers were presumed to be of Loki by mere association with the look of the not ordinary mask.

According to the animated series, the not ordinary mask was supposedly created around the 11th century in Nordic Europe, but the creator of it is still unknown as this was misinformation created by Dr. Pretorius in the episode "Sister Mask" to entrap Stanley, as the character the Mask, under his control. In the episode "Shadow of a Skillit", the villain Skillit, who is more than 4,000 years old, knows about every host of the mask. In his own words, Skillit confirms several past users, including Abraham Lincoln and Attila the Hun. Taking into account that Attila the Hun was born around 406 AD, it is believed then that the mask was created precisely around the 5th century AD, which could reinforce that the origins of this version of the mask may be linked to Loki after all.

Appearance

The appearance and design of the not ordinary mask are in fact very different in the original comics, in the movies and in the animated series. In the case of the not ordinary Mask version which is seen in the original comics, it is a voodoo mask made entirely of several pieces of jade with cracks around the entire front surface and the back surface, having an oval appearance that covers both the face, the forehead, and the scalp, and having details carved on the front surface with red eyes, nose, and a closed mouth, much like a real face.

In the version seen in the films, it is an old mask of the Viking type made of wood and being of Scandinavian origin due to its design, having a shape of a concave triangle made of wood with the top being cut in a straight horizontal line with wide and distorted vertical bands on the front surface and cracks of wood around it as well as on the back of the artifact as well, with it being painted a dull dark green color with some small parts being painted brown and having on its surface three small holes; two for the eyes and one for the mouth, with a piece of metal made of bronze or painted rusty metal that lies between the nose and the holes of the eyes and mouth on the front surface and bearing around this piece for four spherical metal points stamped on the metal piece and a fifth larger spherical point with an "L" letter stamped in the center of this point, located at the top of the metal part where the forehead is. In an official version of the first film adapted by comics, the Mask's appearance is identical to that quoted above, except that the fifth spherical dot with the letter "L" stamped on its center is replaced by another simple metallic dot, and color of The mask is all light oak painted.

In the animated series, the look and design of the not ordinary mask is a combination of the two designs seen in the original comics and in the movies, but much more prevalent than the version seen in the movies, with this version of the artifact having a more oval appearance and design and being made of wood with vertical stripes with some loose lines between them on both the front surface and the back surface and being painted with light brown oak with three small open holes being shown, two for the eyes and one for the mouth, with a piece of metal painted in silver gray color that lies between the nose and the holes of the eyes and the mouth on the frontal surface and having around this piece five small metal spherical points. The edges of the mask, as well as those found in the holes of the eyes and mouth are painted a green color.

The three versions of the Mask have symbiotic features and are generally placed on the face or are close enough to someone's face to produce small tentacles from the edges of the not ordinary Mask and cover the head completely, with the facial parts of the artifact connecting with the features of face of user (eyes, nose and mouth), distorting, deforming, and squeezing both the face and the head during the transformation, as well as causing the user's eyes to become larger and bulging and the teeth of the mouth causing both distressing and traumatic pain on the user's face and head (both during the transformation and when the not ordinary mask is removed from the face by the wearer himself or by someone removing the mask).

In the original comics, the user's transformation to Big Head is a very quick one, allowing the user to be transformed without attracting the attention of people who are around, completely changing or not the clothes that the user has at the moment, with Stanley Ipkiss and Lieutenant Mitch Kellaway respectively being two examples.

In movies, animated series and comics based on the animated series, the transformation is initiated with the user generally becoming a kind of a spinning human miniature, identical to the Tasmanian Devil of Looney Tunes fame or cover the user's body in a cloud of black smoke in the case of evil people, and the transformations are always accompanied by noises and loud noises of thunder and flashes of lightning surrounding the area where the user is, and sometimes can show the skeleton of the user undergoing the transformation while Inside the tornado or already immense in black smoke. These two types of transformation can attract the attention of people who are close because they are not as stealthy as the not ordinary Mask of the original comics, however, in certain types of situations, the transformation may end up becoming fast in case your user is in danger of life as the case where Stanley was falling from the top of a building after removing the mask from Peggy in the episode "Counterfeit Mask".

After the transformation is completed, he or she will have their head and face completely covered in a rubber-like material of bright green-colored skin color (certain users can be transformed with all their hair and scalp being covered or not by the material of the Mask), with its ears being completely covered by the material of the mask, accompanied with a set of big teeth completely whitened and shiny, their eyes large and cartoonish, as well as a change of the user's basic casual clothes according to the personality of each one, in order to appear more suited to match the most desired repressed personality that is released by the power of the Mask and the loving interest he or she may have in the moment or not.

Personality

The most peculiar and also the most interesting aspect of the mask is what it does with the minds and personalities of its users and its subconscious when they use it and are under its influence. Due to its many different origins in the versions of the mystical artifact that are seen in the original comics, in the films, and in the animated series (well in the adapted comic version of the animated series), the Mask may or may not have a personality and a will of its own, as well as an agenda of its own. In terms of how the artifact affects the user's mind and personality when he or she uses it, the three versions of the Mask have similar effects that are these.

Because it is an object of mystical and magical nature at the same time in its properties, the mask transforms anyone who uses it according to the inner motives and intents that may exist within the subconscious mind and the deepest feelings and emotions within the heart of user, and he or she own usually do not know or have any idea that they can have, whether good or bad, whether conscious or repressed.

The mask transforms the user into a kind of alter ego (both body and soul) based on the most desired repressed personality that may exist within a person's subconscious mind by using the repressed parts he or she represses within, bringing out their desires, dreams, joys, repressed feelings, and deeper, hidden, inner needs that they may have, amplifies all of them and finally puts that alter ego of that person who is created by the power of the mask in the control of the taking of decision with absolutely no self-control or possible psychological inhibitions that are imposed by the society in which that person lives, seeking for pleasure without personal pain in a very exaggerated or aggressive way and thus reach their most desired goals and objectives at the moment without being afraid of the consequences.

That would always vary from person to person and how the character, personality, and state of the user's mental and spiritual alignment is currently at the moment, as well as whether the person wearing the mask is good or bad in both the mind and the heart. This is usually always dangerous, as the users will rarely be able to maintain their morals and even their basic decencies in some active cases while wearing the mask and are affected by their influence, which can even lead to cause deaths as a result of the actions provoked by the user's wishes using the mask, which is more especially true in the case of bad people using the artifact since that type of person is bad by nature and by choice, has almost no inhibitions and are not complacent with the laws and authorities, as well as with their victims and the people they do not like, so they have more control over their actions while they are wearing the mask because of the chaotic nature itself that contains the powers of the mask, which in general, makes its users into insane beings when they use it.

The artifact also feeds on the darker impulses that may exist in a person's psyche, such as anger, fury, envy, lust, childishness, mischief, and other similar feelings and emotions (especially in cases seen in The Mask of Original Comics), and the mask makes its users who use it act based on these types of impulses and emotions. The motor that makes the mask work is the most basic desires that a person has (do not confuse inner desires of the mind with the desires of the heart) which are the need to eat, drink, play, defend, and so on. In other words, the desires and feelings of the user wearing the Mask are more specifically the selfish desires of each other, with the artifact transforming him or her into a personification and also a slave to their own inner and primitive desires.

The forces behind the mask are completely irrational and beyond the comprehension of man, being inherently unpredictable. Depending on his or her personality, the mask brings out the "inner self" of each one who uses it and uses the user's imagination to be able to release their power. The user's will "fuse" with the insatiable thirst of the Mask itself for violent devastation through fun and games. Another important detail is that the Mask itself is not averse to violence, and this is much more demonstrated in the original comics, where they result in destruction and occasionally fatal flurries. In the movie, this was fine-tuned and the Mask only becomes as dangerous as the user who is using it, and in the animated series, one could rarely see something that was explicitly violent, but it was seen in cases as the Mask was used by bad people like Dr. Pretorius, those with mental problems or those who are repressed the most like Arthur Neuman.

There are several differences in how the versions of the Mask seen in the original comics, in the movies, and in the animated series affect the user's mind and how he or she behaves when they come under his influence, but the rule is that the personality of user when using the mask is always different from person to person. In some cases, the character may go "Up to Eleven" (especially if he or she already had superpowers before) or turn it into a soulless vampire type creature, just thinking about himself. In general, the Mask/Big-Head Killer is a very temperamental being what is very moody and loves to want to change the situation around him to be the center of attentions, whose results that people transformed in this type of being cause in his actions when the mask is used Is very inconsistent, unstable and effectively random.

In Original Comics

In the case of the original comics, in addition to obtaining the varied powers and abilities that the Mask confers, it also grants its users a high intelligence that affects their personality to make it smarter, but in return, besides making the user into being insane as the user spends time with it in his face, the artifact ends up causing him or her to become cruel and dangerous anti-heroes with ultra-violent tendencies even if that was not the original intention that the user had in mind.

An interesting detail regarding this version of the Mask is that it did not replace the user's personality with another as is the case of the other two found in the movies and the animated series, but rather exaggerates character traits of the one who use it for something that they dream of being (like a fearsome crime boss or a manic animal for parties depending on the person), which usually results in making the users act on the basis of play and unleash unbelievable violence. In addition, the user almost always becomes overwhelmed by their own desires and their effects when they remove it.

At first, the user who uses this version of the mask after discovering what it is and what it does resolves to take advantage of the powers it grants to perform things related to revenge against any form of injustice that the user may have suffered, be it personal or public. However, over time, the user loses control and he or she becomes a trapped personality behind the Mask while witnessing the chaos he or she is causing as Big Head.

For example, when he discovered the Mask being sold in an antique shop and she had granted Stanley Ipkiss his powers, he had declared that he would become a superhero and protect the innocent, but not before he killed the bikers who had tormented him that very day earlier before he put on the Mask. Ironically, he began to kill the innocent people who had caused him personal sorrow in the past, making him slowly surrender to his most violent desires. The reason for this drastic change in user is because this version of the Mask has a will and controls the user by matching their will with the personality of the user who is using that version of the Mask.

Because the origins in relation to its creation are that of a tribe in Africa, the Mask was created with it having gained a will of its own and as such, those who use it can sometimes get to talk to the Mask itself, even though it is not being used by users on their faces. When the manifestation of the mask manifests itself in the form of one of its users to talk to the host during their sleep, the will of the artifact reveals that it is indeed an "enabler", but that the user is the motor that direct it, or better, "we" as the mask's will refers to itself when it is united with a user, referring to itself as a "humble mystical artifact" and its wearer who uses it is who brings out which mask itself can support.

The mask itself also explains to this user that in case one of their users is a well-adjusted person in terms of attitude and personality, the mask simply "redecorates" those features with the most hidden desires within the user's subconscious. But in case one of the users is an "an ulcerated emotional bag", then the mask's will ends up telling this user that he or she should be on the alert. In general characteristics, the Mask that transforms the user into "Big Head" has a psychotic and extremely violent personality, causing him or her to play the role between anti-hero and villain, depending on who used the Mask at the time, for deal with most personal grudges by killing their targets, using real weapons like pistols and axes and being more direct in their battles.

In terms of side effects on the personalities of users, the Mask ends up leaving a residual effect where they do not end up forgetting the actions they did when they were under the influence of the artifact after each use and will have to live with the consequences of what they did for better or worse. The psychological effects that this version of the Mask causes on users are not only limited when he or she uses it. Some of them, after wearing the Mask have become more violent and temperamental. This can be attributed due to the fatigue they feel because wearing the Mask ends up tiring the wearer, especially if they stay up all night, or more likely due to the barriers of the mind being constantly broken down and then re-raised when the Mask is removed, But it is believed that these mental barriers are not fully healed. There have been a few instances where a Mask user has gradually become insane because his mental barriers do not reform properly after removing the Mask, although in this case this is most often a speculation.

Thus, people who use it in general, even those who are good, always have to deal with the exchange between power and control, and the future realization that the power of the Mask will distort them in a version of themselves Same ones they fear. Because of this, what the original Mask of the original comic does is release the dark side of the psyche of the users and turns him or her into a psychotic killer, who is called "Big Head" by the press, with the ability to materialize any weapon, to become immortal to all type of attack and to change its appearance. But no matter in which hands this version of the Mask ends up stopping, since the end result after using it is usually to lead its users to ruin as well as those who are next to them by causing bloody chaos wherever they go.

In Movies

In the version of the Mask seen in both films, the artifact only is a sentient wooden creature as well as in the second movie son of the mask thereś a scene where tim putś the wooden mask on for halloween party but soon realizes that this mask is not ordinary but before he tries to pull off the object it successfully grabs on to his face and that during the scene itś heard making few hissing noises when tims tries fighting back but ultimately fails and ends up transforming him into his sentient wacky mask persona as well as giving him reality cartoonie godlike powers which shows that this version of the mask is alive and incredibly strong enough to toss a host back when trying to take it off, for example tim avery himself.

The Mask alone in this version is more like a powerful drug, and once the user puts on the Mask, he or she becomes able to do anything without consequences and end up waking up the next day where they do not really remember what they have done or have only a few memories in the form of a blur, but for some reason, they know they want to do it over and over again.

An important detail is that depending on the case, the user may or may not remember the things he ended up doing when he was wearing the Mask. An example is that when Stanley Ipkiss came back to normal the first two times when the Mask left alone on his face when he went to sleep and the sun appeared, he did not remember much of the things that ended up doing as The Mask and thought that that everything he lived in those earlier times were just dreams. However, in case the user himself resolves to remove the Mask after spending a few hours using it of his own free will, it seems that the user eventually remembers all the things he did when he was using the artifact and was under his influence in that moment he or she placed and wore the Mask.

In Animated Series

In the case of the Mask of Animated Series, he is able to let go of a person's repressed side in the form of a crazy alter ego and grant him or her powers that challenge reality, as well as being able to use it both day and night, thus making this version of the Mask the most powerful in relation to the other two mentioned above. In some cases, the alter ego of this person created by the power of the Mask almost always refers to himself in the third person, as if he were a personality separate from the original, where also varied from person to person and it always make users act almost always the basis of the antics (except in case of bad people using this version of the artifact). Being that, in the case of Stanley Ipkiss according to Dr. Pretorius, in terms of personality, he is a "repressed" man, who suffers from a "hyperactive superego", and having inside him "a hallucinated man within himself, wanting to get out."

The Mask also acts on the wishes of the person who is currently using it, whether the user is willing to fulfill those wishes or not. In the episode "The Aceman Cometh", Milo, Stanley's pet dog is abducted and Stanley prepares to go look for him, but he sees a commercial for a limbo tournament at the Coco-Bongo club, and he knows that if he puts on the Mask, he will go where the party was being held instead of going to find Milo. This shows that while the user of the Mask puts it to try to perform a specific task or action, the user's subconscious when have on in the Mask and under his influence has his own agenda.

This version of the Mask is also apparently even aware of the surroundings where it is when it is not being used by the user, which can be shown to be true when Stanley tries to control the Mask with the Sister Mask in the episode "Sister Mask" and the Sister Mask seems to work at the beginning, only for The Mask will end up going back to their normal state of behavior and claiming that the Sister Mask does not really work after all, although this may actually be due to the fact that The Mask and Stanley share knowledge that they possess when the mask is used.

Another detail that can prove this is that in the episodes "Shadow of a Skillit" and "Mystery Cruise", after removing the Mask, Stanley rebukes the actions that the Mask had made his alter ego do as if he had not stopped the shadow of Skillit to stop his thief of shadows after finding her and for having clogged Milo with a lot of dog ration, as well as having pulled the underwear of many of the city's cops and fleeing in a high chase that he had with them respectively. In crossover episode of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, "Have Mask Will Travel," accidentally Ace Ventura ends up with his butt dropping where the bottom of the Mask was being exposed when they were fighting the aliens along with Stanley and Ace Ventura's alter ego ended up being manifested on Ace's backside when the Mask was placed in the shape of a head itself that was exactly like Ace's own but colored in a green tint, while Ace himself was aware with his face intact in that short time when the Mask was linked with Ace. As he removed it and placed it back onto his face, Stanley as The Mask again tried to rub his face repeatedly with water from a sink he took from his coat indicating that he knew where his mask was.

In addition to being self-conscious, the Mask has its own mind and thinks of itself as an independent entity. In the episode "Split Personality", the Mask was broken in half and when Stanley uses one of the halves, he turns his left side into The Mask, which asks Stanley "Hey! What are you doing here?", and as Stanley observes the antics of his alter ego, he comments, "So that's what I do as you do." In another case where the Mask has demonstrated some agency in its actions was in the episode "Fantashtick Voyage", where Milo became ill due to a computer virus that left the cyberspace partially due to the actions of The Mask. Desperate, Stanley left a video message for The Mask saying that if Milo is not healed, Stanley would throw away the mask forever in a museum where no one else will ever put it on again. Convinced, The Mask went outside to save Milo while saying that he has "gotten accustomed to his (Stanley's) face!"

Because of this, the user may or may not remember the things he ended up doing when he or she was wearing the Mask, especially if the user himself or herself decides to remove the Mask from their faces, and may or may not keep some or even all the memories of the things they did when their alter egos were in control of their bodies when they wore the Mask or did not remember well or had no recollection of what they did and their actions when they used it, especially in case they spent up with it in his faces all night, And woke up only the next day with them having already returned to normal and being tired in general.

This version of the Mask transforms the user into a kind of "Jekyll and Hyde" where the character who becomes masked when using it becomes a totally different person with a personality and a mind of his own. These types of alter egos that are born while wearing the Mask are aware of their unmasked hosts (and vice versa), but rarely felt any obligation to do things in their interest. But however there are some mask personas who do care about people, their friends and their unmasked selfs which is shown when the Mask and Eve show genuine love, care, kindness, compassion and they have moral centers as well which is shown when they save the people who care about them and saving Edge City and its people as well which shows its due to them sharing their unmasked hosts feelings and their good hearts and they will not join with anyone who clearly do not have any morals and/or like to hurt or kill other people which is shown when the Mask refuses to join with skillet because his idea of fun involves hurting people and he tells him that he is not like that saying to him what kind of sicko do you think i am and Eve rejecting Pretorius when he asks her to marry him because of the fact that he tried to hurt the man she loves and cares about.

In more philosophical terms regarding how the mask affects users in the last two versions cited above, what it does is highly dependent on the more pressing desire he or she has when they put it on. For example, people like Stanley, Evelyn and Fish Guy in the animated series are extremely insecure and deeply hated people. They are the kind of person who desperately is eager to be another person, and therefore the Mask literally gives them a different personality like Stanley and Evelyn who go under different names and different clothes. In the case of other characters as Peggy in the animated series, or Dorian in the first film, who are people who were already very comfortable with their own identities, they just wanted specific things, such as to be famous in Peggy's case, or to be feared in the case of Dorian.

In the 23rd Century in the Coco Bongo Stanley's mask is used as a power source to keep Edge City's power running. The government has the order for the mask to be used to run the nuclear power and electricity for the city. But a female soldier needs it to set edge city free from the Government guy's control. if you look closely it was the same mask that Stanley owned before but it was green all over with mold. At this time Stanley was already using his mask from the present time line.

In general features, the two versions of the Mask that are seen in the movies and in the animated series turn users into much more comic versions of themselves, such as those of a regular cartoon character, turning them into mischievous and crazy people who just want fun and do mundane things, but they will do heroic acts if necessary by playing with their enemies, such as giving them atomic Wedgies, using comedy-slapstick and prank objects to cause mischief and trigger insanity and cartoon confusion in their struggles. This is more apparently in people with a good heart, but in simple tasks that wish to use the Mask to protect their hometowns and the world in which they live. In the case of bad people, they only wish to use the powers of the Mask to accomplish their evil and evil purposes, but this may be true in the case of people with good intentions also depending on the state of their character and their personality. In the case of those who are In-between such as Arthur Neuman, they are psychotic and delusional, but still have noble hearts, politeness and professionalism, though still willing to hurt people if they have to.

In other words, the Mask/Big Head, regardless of its user, is an immortal spirit, an unstoppable engine, and an untiring avenger, as well as being a force of nature or a wild fire. The artifact itself has no morality, virtually unlimited power, and even in the hands of someone experienced (as in the case of Stanley in the animated series) can not be fully controlled. The mask could easily forge a better future for you and for everyone, or maybe not. It can be the supreme weapon against crime, corruption and evil, or the supreme weapon to cause death, ruin, and destruction.

Powers and Abilities

The Mask (in all existing versions) give the user powers and abilities similar to those seen in cartoons, for example, cartoons such as if able to take out a giant bazooka from his bag or purse or pants pocket or be able to eat a whole car. It is an unlimited power that allows the user to do anything they have wished to do until they decide to take the Mask off. The Mask is known to be a very powerful artifact and whose powers and abilities it possesses are not only limited in just conjuring objects and items from nothingness and the middle of the air. Several of these powers include the ability to change the user's physical size and shape, to appear outside of any type, and no matter what it is (be it a picture, a photograph, an image of a magazine, from comic books, movies, TV shows, soap operas, television shows to live or not, etc.), to be able to transform into various people and objects, and virtually to be able to do anything, having the power to do whatever kind of thing he or she wants to do.

Some examples of what the user who is using the Mask is able to do at any time and time:

• Change your appearance or the size of your body and its characteristics; regardless of what shape your body is in, the user would always show off a huge green head unless they disguise to fool their opponents, opponents, and enemies;
• Move and travel in a matter of seconds, thus doubling the rules of time and space;
• Create objects by imitating reality or the source from the user's imagination; while the user is able to brings his or her imagination to reality, he or she can not change objects that pertain to reality or the rules that they originate naturally;
• Immunity to any inflicted injury or injury, be it minimal or fatal;
• Although the user becomes invincible and can not feel pain, he or she bleeds with a normal person (in original comics only).

In the original comics, the Mask gave the user physical attributes and superhuman intelligence, a healing factor, the ability to disguise themselves in other people, and the ability to create objects from nothing. Already in other averages like the movie version and the animated series, the powers of deform the reality of the Mask are more powerful, and they have abilities that are much more of the physical style of the cartoons, such as:

• Super Powers of Imitation;
• Powers of Metamorphosis or Transmutation: These powers include elasticity, self transmutation, duplication, biological manipulation, and size change;

In the animated series, the mask is portrayed as making the user invincible. Being almost completely impervious to the attacks of his enemies. The only exception to this is when he or she gets sick with a cold;

The powers and abilities of the mask (especially the version of the animated series) are the following below, but not only limited to these same abilities mentioned below and can have still much more:

• Superhuman Agility;
• Have control over the Things of Animation;
• Make the user attractive and handsome; such as when it bonds with Evelyn and Dr Neuman it turns Evelyn into a red dressd woman named Eve and it also gives Dr Neuman colourful clothes along with making his hair very straight up. It also turns Stanley into a bald, but easy looking man and giving him colourful clothes, a hat and snazzy shoes.
• Furious and Berserk Strength;
• Shooting Force Gusts;
• Connect the user to Cosmic Consciousness; All of the mask personas are connected to the cosmic consciousness, but they are all driven insane by it though some like The Mask and Eve are still more sane and in control of their actions despite how it looks at first.
• Danger Sensor;
• Elasticity;
• Make the user into a Leaked Artist;
• Ability to Fly;
• Generate and use Tools, Gadgets, and Inventions;
• Healing Factor;
• Heat Vision;
• Generate Illusions;
• Immortality; All of the mask personas are immortal, so they do not age or get killed, but there are still ways to kill them like the common cold which The Mask understandably laugh at that at first, but saw symptom number one happen which is loss of bladder control does he take it seriously.
• Supernatural Intellect; The Mask is very smart despite his insanity as he uses his ways of being a troll to trick people into thinking he's dead or defeated only to reveal himself alive at the last second.
• Invulnerability;
• Longevity;
• Generate Magic
• Make the user good at aiming;
• To be able to mix, to pass or to cross under the walls;
• Create Objects with Own Powers and Skills;
• Ability to imitate various Powers and Abilities;
• Probability Manipulation;
• Reality Manipulation;
• Ability to Transform and Change the Will;
• Manipulation of Physical Size;
• Supernatural Stamina and Vigor;
• Make the user discreet and sagacious; The Mask though genuinely insane, is clever, cautious, close-mouthed and tactful with what he says and do, along with being sensible and knowledgeable.
• Superhuman Appetite;
• Superhuman Hearing;
• Superhuman Speed;
• Superhuman Strength;
• Teleportation;
• Make the user a Disarmed Combat Specialist;
• Induced Voice Manipulation;
• Make the user an Armed Master;
• Generate and use Constructs based on Willpower;
• Shoot Wind Gusts;

Due to all these powers and abilities cited above, the user of the mask is, for all intents and purposes, invulnerable. Injury of any kind does not cause permanent damage, no matter how severe it may be. Although they can bleed normally (the bleeding part is removed in the movie version and the animated series), the user feels no pain (the movie version was able to translate this by making the user into a living cartoon character). They can also produce whatever weapon they wanted to take out through the air (again, in the animated film and series this becomes a form of help support, there Bugs). These weapons can be as lethal to normal people as true weapons can be (this is much more applied in the original comic book version).

Since the user of the Mask has his inhibitions and his consciousness removed while using it, he ends up treating the other people around him as if they were invulnerable as he or she is, which tends to mean that the user of the Mask killing those That finds in the way (this is more applied the version of the original comics). The users of the Masks such as Stanley and Evelyn are good hearted people so therefore their masked alter egos The Mask and Eve are very careful not to kill those that are not invulnerable as they are and they make sure that the people who are caught in their way are all right and not hurt in any way and they tried to make sure to take their battles somewhere that has no one around so they can dish out all their powers and their abilities at their disposal.

The power of the mask are all based (especially those seen in the movie and the animated series) on Toon Force (or Physics Cartoon), which is able to replace or apply absurd laws in the reality of the universe.

Toon Force is a term used for a specific type of power or imaginary force that is generally used by comedic style characters and used to perform comedy and funny things. Since these characters are usually not meant to be taken seriously (at least, less seriously than the other characters usually seen in Japanese manga and anime, and in serious cartoons with almost no comedy), their powers and abilities are viewed inconsistently To the point that they are able to do almost anything they want as long as it is for fun or for strange things. Examples of this are seen as being able to walk in mid-air and not to fall until they look down, or to paint a tunnel on any wall or some mountain rock and to go in and walk through that painted tunnel although he are not really there, and even some more ridiculous and bizarre ones like sending someone to the real world or stopping a whole TV show for breaking the movie. This term Toonforce is also known by the names of 'Kingdom of Animation', 'Principles of Animation', 'Acme Laws', 'Logic of Caricatures', 'Cartoon Physics', 'Toon Physics', and 'Toon Laws'.

Toon Force is generally considered a form of power that alters and distorts the factory of reality, and also in the usual way confers some degree of immortality.

Also, the Mask has absolute immortality, regardless of what kind of wound it is. Whether it's the destruction of the universe, or even the multiverse. In the film, the Mask's powers were cut due to the budget, and also did not show its full potential when, as in the comics, it literally destroyed universes in a matter of seconds (The Mask/Lobo). It is worth mentioning that the Mask has a huge number of abilities, whether it is Akazuality, or Dimensional attacks. But all his power may disappear, because of the carrier, who in turn may be a child who has not fully studied himself, and his whole mind.

Examples of where Toonforce strength is used in general is seen in the following universes and series such as Animaniacs, Bobobo-Bo Bo-Bobo, Bonkers, Dr. Slump, Ed, Edd 'n Eddy, Excel Saga, The Fairly OddParents, Family Guy, Freakazoid!, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, The Jetsons, Looney Tunes, Popeye, The Mask, Scooby Doo, some of the characters in DC Comics offer Toon Force powers like the Wolf, and Plastic Man, sometimes the characters by Tenchi Muyo! Series offer Toon Force powers such as Mihoshi, SpongeBob SquarePants, Tiny Toon Adventures, Tom and Jerry, and Xavier: Renegade Angel.

However, as you may have seen on the list above now, the Toon Force is more prevalent and more seen in American cartoons, and that kind of power is seen more and more often used in Warner Bros animations and cartoons than those seen in Disney animations and cartoons. The reason for this is still a mystery.

Examples used to define the strength of Toon Force:

• Walk in the middle of the air and do not fall until the user finishes noticing;
• Paint a tunnel on the wall of a wall, on a rock from some mountain and then some vehicle come from this same painted wall, or the user enter from this same wall and walk naturally;
• Send someone from the real physical world to within a dimension of some movie, tv series, cartoon, comic magazine, etc., and vice versa;
• Take away weapons, objects, people, anything from scratch and use to your advantage;

More detailed examples of this kind of power are shown in the following ways so that they better understand: The user of the Mask being able to walk in mid-air and defy gravity, falling soon after after look down comically to comedy effect, Being that when falling to the ground, his body is still pressed on the floor like a pancake and when leaving still be in this format, but without having any serious injury or injury and not being dead, then swelling his own body as if it were a balloon and returning it to its normal state quickly. Allow the user to make a bucket of paint appear next to a paintbrush from scratch and paint a tunnel on a wall or wall or even on a mountain to be able to cross and follow the way forward through this painted tunnel even if painted, While a tracker appears and tries to cross that same tunnel painted only to end up unable to cross and bump into the wall or the wall or the mountain, or end up appearing a vehicle like a motorcycle, a car, a path or even a train from within that tunnel painted to prevent the pursuer. And even things even more absurd and ridiculous like sending someone or some character from a television series, cartoon, anime, manga or any other media source to the real physical world or stop an entire show, movie, or a whole series of animation on display for destroying the source of these media.

The mask has a wide variety of unpredictable and crazy skills and abilities in cartoon style, such as being able to change shape or imitate other people's powers. The user can do very well what he or she imagines and all this is limited only with the imagination, thoughts and ideas that the user has in his mind at the moment.

This information below is to get an idea of what powers and abilities mask gives the user in more detail:

1. Manipulation of the Manufactures of Reality (Reality Warping) in Toon-Force Style - The Main Source of the Powers of the Mask: Comic Cartoon Level: Change the reality around you with manifestation of objects that appear mysteriously, meaning "out of nowhere", change of clothes, handling the physical form of the user and the world around them in a superhuman extension, but for comic effects, funny, weird, fun, humorous and exaggerated);
2. Increased Speed: Supersonic Level: Leaving a blur when it moves in this speed, reaction time to dodge bullets from firearms or attacks using the speed of sound and run at a speed of approximately 344 meters per second or 123.84 kilometers per hour);
3. Increased Strength: Class 100 Level II: Being able to lift 100 tons or more on their heads and varies of user-to-user); The user is able to lift over 100 tons or 1000 tons and being able to jump or leap up to great distances.
4. Increased Durability: City-Block Level: Able to survive an explosion powerful enough to destroy a block an entire city and being almost completely immune to attacks from enemies);
5. Increased Stamina: Very High Level: The user never shows fatigue or getting breathless); The user is able to perform physical activities for a much longer period.
6. Regeneration: Dimensional Level: Making him or her effectively indestructible and able to regenerate while your consciousness exists in the physical world, regenerating from even other dimensions);
7. Increased Intelligence: Insane Level: With the loss of sanity, inhibitions and depending on the wearer, self-control. Depending on the personality, ideas, thoughts of mind and the heart of user);
8. Transformation and Metamorphosis: Imaginary Level: Including elasticity, self-transmutation, duplication, biological manipulation and change of size, in addition to having the ability to turn others to disguise);
9. Amplification and Increased Natural Powers and Abilities: Varied Depending on the Individual Level: Negative and neutralize many or almost all negative effects of any kind of power or natural ability that the user has due the effects of regenerative abilities in the mask and increase the benefits of these same natural powers and abilities in up to ten times more than normal);
10. Energy Manipulation: (Dimensional Level: Being able to use any type of energy attack, imaginary power, techniques or any other type of energy by the rules imposed by the unusual sense, limited only by the mind and the imagination of the thoughts of the user)

Weaknesses

However, the mask has some weaknesses and is vulnerable in some things. But the main weakness of the mask is always shown when it is removed from the wearer's face by the wearer himself or due to any external factor, circumstance, event, or by other persons who can remove the mask and remove it from the face of the wearer. (In the case of the film, she always goes out alone when the first rays of the sun hit the user when he or she is wearing the mask, whether he or she is awake or sleeping with the mask on her face, she will always leave alone). It also comes out on its own in case the user using it suffers a strong enough attack or impact that causes them to lose consciousness and lose all sense temporarily. When the mask leaves the user's face, he or she loses all the powers, abilities, and benefits of the mask and returns to normal. Another important factor is that almost never all the power that the mask has is used in its fullness and maximum capacity, since it is dependent on the user and always varies from user to user as it is used and its powers.

There are other weaknesses that the mask has and they are very varied, being different with each version of the mask found in the original comics, in the movie, and in the animated series. For example, in the version of the mask found in the animated series, if a person possesses a power that affects a dimension and has control over it, it is capable of arresting the user who is using the mask within this respective dimension and the powers of the mask will not serve of nothing for the user to try to escape, unless the user of the mask can return to its respective dimension by some external factor that makes him return or the one who imprisoned him in that dimension use his powers to free the user.

Another weakness that is found only in the version of the mask in the film, it is totally useless and does not work during the daytime with the sunlight being in the sky, because the origin of this mask is that of Loki, and this being dark was regarded as a Nordic night god whose powers are always in his eagle during the nights, and so due to that the mask becomes helpless and powerless during the daytime and during the mornings which may not be true as Loki himself in Son of the Mask able to use his power like summoning a huge metal wall to fall from the sky trapping Tim Avery and double AA from escaping as well as bringing to life a cartoon axe with a pistol which basically means that Loki can use his powers whenever however he likes and that his wooden creation was given a weakness by him and that it´s weakness was daytime which again isn’t true as shown as Otis wearing the object in daytime trying to kill Alvey but again at the same time this case will never be solved on why the mask is not able to work at daytime and why in Son of the Mask, Loki is able to use his powers in daytime even though he's a night god and in one scene he is shown on a beach in the daytime.

In the version of the Mask used in the original comic, the user will always remember the things he or she always did when they used it and was influenced or controlled by the psychotic will of this version of the Mask when they remove it from their face. In the version of the Mask shown in the film, the user will almost always remember the things he did when he was under the influence of the mask for finding at first that it was all a dream, soon after when a person comments on things that the masked personality of the user ended up doing it yesterday and the user remembers, realizing that everything he did wearing the Mask was not really a dream and it really happened. In the case of the mask version of the animated series, only the masked personality of the user is that will remember the things he or she did when the user wore the Mask, while the user would hardly or almost never remember the things he ended up doing when was under the influence of the Mask, and having no idea what his masked counterpart always does except the user's own masked personality.

Another weakness that is found in the version of the Mask in the animated series (and one of the most serious) is that if the user of the mask gets a flu and has a cold and is wearing the mask soon after, the cold would affect the powers of the Mask and the user, too, causing him to suffer seven terrible symptoms before killing the user while wearing the it. The only known cure that can save the user from the Mask when they have a cold and is wearing the Mask at the moment is to inject into the mouth and swallow live and special termites that are only found in Bavaria and thus heal the user completely after a few seconds with or wait for the user to no longer use the Mask before all seven symptoms are performed until the cold is cured and so can use the Mask again without endangering the health and life of the user when using the Mask again.

Another weakness that is only found in this version of the Mask is that if the user decides to release many of his or her parts that he or she represses from within their subconscious and combine them with their current personality to be able to act more like their masked personality, then the Mask when used by this particular user would only work for a few minutes and after that it would melt off from the user's face on their own and returned to normal by leaving the user's face, and causing it to stop working on this user in particular. As the most repressed and trapped parts within the user's subconscious are the parts necessary to make that version of the Mask work, if the user leaves those parts loose and are make part of the user's personality at the moment, the Mask would always cease to function in this user In particular, even when trying to put the Mask on the face again (probably it will work on other people). If this particular user chooses to repress these repressed parts into his or her subconscious and re-adopt his/her current personality from before, the Mask will again work on this particular user again.

Apparently there are a few other things that affect the user when they use the mask and which were shown in the animated series, some of which would trap the wearer's Mask in a tightly closed place made entirely of super-reinforced titanium that would supposedly be able to neutralize the powers of the mask completely, effectively managing to trap the user. Extreme cold is also capable of affecting the wearer when using the Mask, and can trap him or her in a block of ice cold enough to freeze the entire body of the user and thus arrest the user. Other people's spells are also able to affect the user when he uses the Mask, such as some voodoo magic used by ancient tribes, for example, and cause the user to be affected even if it ends up causing the mask to be removed.

A fact to remember is that the Mask when united with the user, it is united to a molecular level and this is proven when in the episode "The Comedy of Eras", when Stanley and Milo were sent to a altered alternative future of Edge City by Dr. Amelia Chronos, the Mask can actually be removed from the user if he receives a shot from a Bio Molecular Disruptive Cannon type gun. The properties of this type of weapon that has to do with disturbing with the molecules of the person that is struck directly by the ray that is fired by this type of weapon end up interfering in the mystical powers to change the reality that the Mask provides at the moment of the impact and how result, it removes the Mask from its user carrier because both the user's molecules and those of the Mask itself are disturbed at a molecular level, thus undoing the symbiotic union between the Mask and its user.

But the greatest weakness of all of the wearer's Mask that is also their strongest weapon, is that he or she gets in a very unstable mental condition when they wear it. The individual being masked with the Mask completely becomes insane after the transformation and any other person might persuade or blackmail him or her to remove the Mask is that they can make him or her return to normal. But however the Mask and Eve try to make sure to keep their minds are in balance most of the time even when they lose complete control of the balance that keeps them focused and stable they eventually regain the balance that keeps their minds focused and stable and help the people who are in trouble or stop anyone who are attacking them.

Trivia

• Since Loki was a night god, The Mask only works at night. This rule is absent in the comics and the animated series.
• Hence the name, the mask was created by Loki in the film canon.
• In the film canon it's shown that if a child is conceived while the father is wearing the mask, the child will gain Loki's powers.
  • However, because "Son of the Mask" was so controversial, many fans regard this concept, along with the film, as non-canon.

In the animated series some people who wear the mask just as Stanley and Evelyn become fun loving, wacky, impulsive, harmless and adorable as well and would rather spend their time just doing mundane stuff, messing around and having fun than destroying everything and killing or hurting people which they hate with utter passion. Some mask personas like The Mask and Masked Dr. Neuman actually like doing mundane jobs as The Mask took his hat off at the sight of the bank, and says he can't just get enough of the place, with him chattering his teeth, while breaking the fourth wall, and Masked Dr. Neuman takes his job as a therapist very seriously as the first thing he does is put Stanley in therapy, and after putting him in a wedgie straitjacket, checks on his watch to see that the time for his appointment is not there yet and when the alarm goes off on his watch, he admits that he almost forgot that he has an appointment at the jailhouse, and decides to go to his appointment instead of doing a lobotomy on Charlie. He also respects the rules and protocols that goes with it, as he frees Pretorius by not using his powers and abilities to free him, but by doing his job instead.

• The Mask of Loki is worn by many people in the comics, in the movie there is normally one Protagonist and Antagonist, but it also works on animals like Milo.
  • The mask has only shown to be ineffective on Walter in the comics and animated series. Perhaps this is because he lacks a personality or soul.
  • Because of his amazing powers, The Mask does not have an equal enemy except for those like Walter or the evil mask personas.
  • In the animated series, it turns people who are neither good or evil like Arthur Neuman into an evil, but still polite villain.
  • When it is worn by an animal that is small, it turns their head green-headed and large along with having cartoonish eyes and razor sharp teeth.
• One of the only powers not adapted into the films (only appearing in the comics and cartoon) is the mask's ability to create a second 'face' on top of the mask itself, disguising the wearer as a normal person even with the mask on.
• In the episode "Fantashtick Voyage" Stanley threatens The Mask by leaving a video promising to throw it away and put him in a museum, if his alter ego doesn't save Milo. Curiously, in the video he puts the mask on to affirm his promise and the Mask says "Listen to him, Joe! DO IT MAN! I THINK HE MEANS IT!" This seems to imply The Mask is not aware of some instances when Stanley puts the mask on, but is of others. It also shows there is a third personality who possibly comes out, when Stanley gets very serious and needs to tell The Mask to confirm it for him.
• It appears that several mask props were made for the original film, as the color seems to change from scene to scene. For example, the scene where the mask rises from the water it seems to be made of bright green wood, while in the scene in Dr. Neuman's lab, it seems to be brown.