Wednesday 3 April 2013

M.A.S.K. Comic Issue 10


Issue 10 of M.A.S.K. Comic UK dated 28th February - 13th March 1987.

Table of contents -
  • Front and Back Wraparound Cover
  • Five Pages - "Venom Virus" (B&W with Pink Tint First Cell)
  • Four Pages - "Stop The Falls!" Part 1 (Colour)
  • Five Pages - "Project Dinosaur" Part 3 (B&W)
  • Centre Page Spread - Vampire
  • Five Pages - "Kamikaze" Conclusion (B&W with Blue Tint First Cell)
  • Single Page - Advertisement
  • Single Page - Letters Page
  • Single Page - MASK Art
  • Single Page - Backlash Mask Cut Out
  • Four Pages - "UFO Over Africa" Part 1 (B&W)
  • Single Page - Preview of next issue/advertisement
At last, the Fortnight wait is over!  Issue 9 of M.A.S.K. UK Comic gave us a brief glimpse of a new V.E.N.O.M. Agent and this issues cover delivers us with the answer - Floyd Malloy!

On the back page we are told he is "Shifty, Sneaky - and Dangerous!" - a bold character statement on V.E.N.O.M.'s newest agent to their ranks.  On the front cover we see his steed, Vampire.

"VENOM Virus" is our first story this issue and we get our first glimpse of Firefly in action after it's Centre Page appearance in last issue.

Searching for missing botanists in the Amazonian Rain Forest are Matt Trakker in Tunderhawk, Julio Lopez in Firefly, Bruce Sato and Alex Sector in Rhino with Buddie Hawks in Rhino's ATV, Brad Turner on Condor and finally Dusty Hayes in Gator.  Only Hondo MacLean is missing from our M.A.S.K. line up that we have encountered so far in our Fortnightly comic.

Using a Surveillance Bomb from Thunderhawk, our heroes manage to find the botanists campsite which is in a state of disarray.  They also discover diseased trees all around.

As they survey the site, a figure on a motorcycle parks up and watches them from a distance - Floyd Malloy on Vampire.  He turns tail to warn Miles Mayhem and the rest of the V.E.N.O.M. team, as he does so, Matt and Alex hear his engine and Alex is dispatched to investigate.  Using his Jackrabbit Mask, Alex reports back to Matt.

Fearful that Alex may be detected, Buddie Hawks is sent to covertly follow Malloy using a combination of his Penetrator Mask and Rhino's ATV allowing him to easily drive through the dense forest.  When his prey gets back to base, we find out that Mayhem has kidnapped the botanists to create a virus that kills trees and is set on using it.  

Now that M.A.S.K. are on the case - V.E.N.O.M.'s plans have to move swiftly - and they get ready to move out.  M.A.S.K. are quickly on the scene to intervene.  As Firefly and Thunderhawk attack, Bruce uses his Lifter Mask to attempt a rescue on the Botanists.  However, Floyd Malloy uses his Buckshot Mask on Bruce and puts paid to his plans!

As Lifter disengages after the assault of Ball Bearings, the Botanists land unconscious into a Vat of the Virus.  Mayhem seizes the opportunity to use this to his advantage telling Matt that unless he and his team lays down his arms then the Botanists won't receive the Antidote!

Cliff Dagger foils his boss's plan by bringing up his incident of falling into the virus and Mayhem telling him it doesn't harm humans....  The V.E.N.O.M. team about turn...

Miles Mayhem has V.E.N.O.M. troops on the banks of the Zambezi River battling against a Gunboat in "Stop the Falls!".  Switchblade being out of action, his back up comes in the form of Cliff Dagger and Sly Rax in Jackhammer which quickly dispenses with the Gunboat.

As we find out Mayhem's plans to divert the Victoria Falls, and hold her to ransom, we see Matt Trakker and Bruce Sato watching the scene unfold...

Following on from the last instalment of "Project Dinosaur", Jackhammers cannons derail the Russian Train carrying the precious Dinosaur Eggs.  As Cliff Dagger gloats, Sly Rax is soon on the scene on Piranha and reports back to Miles Mayhem in Switchblade.

Buddie Hawks, disguised as a Russian General, gives orders to his "Comrades" in the Russian Army not to intervene - to give his fellow team mates the opportunity to resolve the V.E.N.O.M. incursion with no outside interference.

As Dagger and Rax load up the Dinosaur Egg's, Matt engages Miles Mayhem up above.  His team on the ground, Dusty and Hondo in Gator, however are blocked by some Russian tanks on manoeuvres - will they survive....?

Vampire, V.E.N.O.M.'s newest vehicle, features on the centre page spread this issue.


A formidable fighting machine!  Piloted by Floyd Malloy when wearing his Buckshot Mask that fires Ball Bearings.

In the Conclusion of "Kamikaze", Miles Mayhem is attacking Matt Trakker and Bruce Sato in his Switchblade helicopter.  His former cohort, Hidetadi, begs with him to stop this dishonourable attack.

As the attack continues, the behemoth, Kamikaze, manages to recover from under the wreckage he was trapped under to help protect his Master.

We see Kamikaze grab a hold of Switchblade to take care of Miles Mayhem as we see one of the best drawn images from the M.A.S.K. series.

Whilst Matt and Bruce rescue the rest of the M.A.S.K. team, Cliff Dagger in Jackhammer and Sly Rax on Piranha attempt to rescue their boss.  However, they come under attack from the Savage Sumos who are helping their "brother", Kamikaze, in protecting their Master.

Mayhem converts Switchblade to jet mode and manages to shake off his attacker.  As Kamikaze falls to the ground, he lands on his Master killing both of them.

We finish off with the Savage Sumos rebuilding what they once destroyed.

After last weeks V.E.N.O.M. takeover of the Letters and MASKart page, Matt Trakker takes control this week.

We have a cut out of Dusty Hayes Backlash Mask!



Our last story, "UFO over Africa", does what it says in the title!  We see a UFO attacking a Game Reserve in Africa - or is it?  Perhaps not when V.E.N.O.M. are involved.

We finish off this story with an invitation to "meet Bruno Sheppard" in the next issue.

Overall this is another great issue of everyone's favourite comic!

However, I think it would've been better to have have introduced Malloy as an unknown agent to the M.A.S.K. team and the artwork in the last story is very dark - a lot of shading involved which is quite different from the norm.

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