MASK #1 (DC Comics, 1985)

Who are M.A.S.K. and why should V.E.N.O.M. be very, very worried? The debut issue throws readers headfirst into the high-speed, high-tech war between the heroic M.A.S.K. and the criminal organization V.E.N.O.M., as Matt Trakker and his elite team of agents reveal their transforming vehicles and signature masks for the first time. From covert infiltration to explosive chases, the story wastes no time showcasing the franchise’s core hook: ordinary-looking vehicles that convert into battle-ready machines at the push of a button.

As Miles Mayhem and his V.E.N.O.M. operatives unleash chaos with their own weaponized rides, M.A.S.K. responds in full toyline-on-toyline fashion, cars flip, trucks transform, and jets roar into action with unapologetic 1980s excess. Part origin story, part rolling catalog of transforming hardware, M.A.S.K. #1 is pure kinetic fun, designed to mirror the cartoon’s energy while proudly putting every plastic vehicle through its paces. It’s a loud, fast, chrome-plated opening salvo that lets readers know exactly what kind of series this is, and exactly which toys they’re supposed to want next.