A former mechanic who became a police officer when mob kingpin Boss Dooley began expanding his criminal operations into Los Angeles. Mike refused to pay protection, and soon found his humble garage burned to the ground. He quickly made a name for himself on the force thanks to his physical prowess and unwavering determination and dedication. Honest and incorruptible, he soon proved himself to be a major thorn in the mob's side who could not be bought or threatened. Boss Dooley arranged for certain evidence against one of his men to "disappear," only to have it re-appear in Mike's house a few days later. That, and a large deposit to Mike's account, of which he had no knowledge, led to his dismissal from the force. Mike had already begun to believe that many in the department, including the commissioner, were on Dooley's payroll; now he was sure of it. But if the police could not stop Dooley due to corruption at the highest levels, who was left to defend the innocent citizens?
Mike could find no other answer than himself.
Quickly putting together a disguise to protect his identity and calling himself The Darkmask, Mike continued his crusade against the mob, eventually bringing down not only the commissioner, but many other criminals, from petty thieves to Dooley's inner circle. Finally, Darkmask caught up with Dooley as well, and defeated him. Both men lost something precious in the battle, however; Dooley was paralyzed from the neck down, and Darkmask lost his wife, Jessica, who had joined his fight as Ghost Girl, when she took a sniper's bullet intended for Mike. Crushed by the loss of his wife, Mike retired to raise their daughter, then only two.
Decades passed, and, with no official recognition that he ever really existed, Darkmask became an urban myth. It wasn't until the 90's that Mike was called back into service once more by a new generation of super-powered masked crime-fighters, and discovered that his grand-daughter had developed super-human abilities she was now using as the new Ghost Girl. Though not donning cape and mask in the present, Mike became an unofficial advisor to this new crop of heroes.
Click Image to Enlarge
