I was first introduced to M.A.S.K at the age of about 5 and instantly found a great attraction to it. I cannot say why I liked it, but I still watch it now even at the age of 32, although it helps by having great theme music for the amazing introduction sequence.
Now for a brief explanation about what M.A.S.K is all about:- The main premise revolved around the fight between an underground task force called M.A.S.K. (Mobile Armoured Strike Kommand) against a criminal organization called V.E.N.O.M. (Vicious Evil Network of Mayhem). The 2 main characters in it were Matt Tracker, who was the force of good, and Miles Mayhem who was the force of evil.
As with all good vs evil cartoons/films/tv programmes they had cars, bikes, trucks or helicopters as the vehicles of choice, each with their own names: rhino, gator, condor, firecracker. Each one of them could transform into a new variation of itself, for instance condor was a sports bike which could transform into a bike/helicopter combo all with the standard laser guns attached (just in case).
In total there were 75 episodes released on tv over a 2 year period. My most memorable 2 are called “The Deathstone” and “The Roteks”. The Deathstone episode is about venom stealing a healing meteorite and turning it into 3 pieces which caused death instead, but my favourite, The Roteks, is about some experimental bugs that eat metal. A colony of these are stolen by V.E.N.O.M and its up to the good guys to get them back.
Each character in this cartoon had a special helmet/mask which had a special ability. Matt Tracker’s mask was called Spectrum. Amongst other things, this could allow him limited free fall flight. Miles Mayhem’s mask is called Viper, which spits out corrosive poison.
At the start of the series there were a total of 13 characters, but more were added as the series progressed. At the end of every episode in series 1 there was always a safety feature, for the kids to follow, so it was great fun for kids to watch but also educational too.
For a full list of characters their masks and vehicles, go to The M.A.S.K. Wikipedia Page
Expertly Reviewed by Chris Holt
