Masque

Biography

Masque was one of the few Morlocks to escape the Marauders in the Mutant Massacre. Masque teams with The Tunnelers, a small group of Morlocks. They are initially rescued by X-Factor after a fight with Iceman and Beast. Masque's powers are neutralized by Leech, whom the Morlocks believed to be in danger from X-Factor. Ultimately the Morlock Scaleface convinces everyone to make peace. Both groups barely escape the incinerating flames of Thor's funeral pyre for the rest of the slain Morlocks.

Not wanting to live life above with X-Factor, the group sneaks out, using Masque's disguise capabilities. They soon encounter a mutant hating street gang. In the resulting fight, Blow-Hard is slain and Masque is injured. He vanishes from the book at this point; later, his ally Berzerker seemingly declares he is dead. The cops surround the survivors and multiple misunderstandings end with the deaths of Scaleface and Berzerker.

After the slaughter of most of her brethren, Callisto travels to Moira MacTaggert's hospital on Muir Island, to be with the few surviving Morlocks. When Callisto returns to New York to seal off the tunnels of the X-Mansion connecting to the Morlock tunnels, she is kidnapped by new Morlocks, now under Masque's leadership. Masque gives Callisto a pretty new face of a top supermodel. She soon encounters Colossus (who had just resurfaced with amnesia, after having traveled through the Siege Perilous). He falls in love with her.

Masque teams the Morlocks with Toad's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, but in one of their first battles against X-Force, led by Nathan Summers, Masque is apparently killed by Shatterstar.

Masque returns, wearing a full-body outfit costume resembling Marilyn Monroe. Masque rules an underground cadre of mutant gladiators that fought for fame and the right to control defeated fellow warriors in combat. Here, he uses his powers to manipulate Callisto, giving her octopus like arms, and Storm into becoming the greatest gladiator. Callisto and Storm eventually rebelled and defeat Masque yet again.

Masque has reappeared, leading a band of Morlocks (including Erg, Litterbug, Skids, and Bliss) in search of Magneto, hoping to inform him of a prophecy that says mutants may yet come to rule the world. To this end, they have assaulted and maimed Caliban, using his newly developed secondary mutation that also now allows him to shape-shift himself, and abducted Leech. The group then set off a bomb in a packed subway train and Masque used his powers to disfigure the humans on the train. Masque also made a video of why they did it and what is to come and posted it on the internet. After being defeated once again by the X-Men, Masque was forced by Professor X to undo the changes he had made to the people's faces.

in other media

Television

X-Men: the Animated Series

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Body alteration: Masque possesses the ability to change the physical appearance of any other person by touch, but cannot use it to alter his own hideous appearance. This caused him to often manipulate others' bodies to make them as disfigured as his own. When the Morlocks formed, Masque was used to make several members ugly, thus making them outcasts from the human world, ensuring their loyalty.