Kathy is the ex-girlfriend of the late Stanley Ipkiss in the comics, the second wearer of the Mask and the main protagonist of The Mask Returns.
History[]
The Mask[]
Kathy was the neglected girlfriend of Stanley Ipkiss. Stanley originally bought the mask as a gift to give to his girlfriend to make up for all the neglect he gave her. Stanley's acts as Big Head begin to take an emotional toll on him resulting in him becoming verbally abusive toward Kathy. She eventually kicks him out of her apartment, but keeps the mask since it was a gift from Stanley. Later, Stan breaks into Kathy's apartment to steal it back just as the police arrive in response to an earlier housebreaking call she made. Deciding his only way out is as Big Head, Stan puts the mask back on and kills eleven cops during his escape. When Stanley returns home as Big Head and removes the mask, intent on moving out of the city to somewhere else, Kathy manages to steal the mask and don it. She then shoots Stanley in the back, killing him instantly as he was packing his belongings; declaring her intentions to stay in the city.
Kathy later takes the mask to Lieutenant Kellaway for safe-keeping. Kellaway, who had been struggling with both the recent Big Head murders and organized crime lords on the loose in his city, disregards Kathy's warnings; believing she is stressed and not thinking clearly, and tries on the mask. She learns that Big Head Kellaway has set out to take down the crime lords who have plagued his police career.
The Mask Returns[]
Kathy then hears of Big Head's return after Nunzio, a long-suffering cab-driver for the mob, ends up wearing the mask. Kathy, realizing the return of Big Head means Kellaway failed to hide the mask well enough, knows that it is up to her to stop him. She dresses as a hooker, and Big Head falls head over heels for her. She tricks him into taking off the mask, pulls out a gun, and as Nunzio dives for the mask she shoots and kills him. Kathy uses the mask to escape and decides to go after the real crime boss (whom Big Head stole the office from while he was in Miami), Don Mozzo. When Don comes back from Miami, he knows Big Head is after him and he goes to get help from the one man who can help him, Walter. After Kathy destroys the remaining mobsters, she comes across and gets into a fight with the only man left: Walter. However, Kathy decides to throw caution to the wind and surrenders after deciding neither one of them are going to die and soon some random bystander will just come across the Mask anyway and tosses it to Walter, but he seems to have no interest in it. Kellaway, recovered from the hospital, drives his car into Walter, sending him and the Mask into the docks.
The Mask Strikes Back[]
Mask Persona[]
Kathy's mask persona is ruthless, violent and serious most of the time, but like some mask personas, she does have a good heart, as she tracks down those who hunted her down, and is even in control of her actions a lot more than most mask personas does most of the time, only losing control, when she was facing down Walter. Though like some mask personas, she does realises what she is doing, so she takes her face off, so her unmasked self can come out again.
Appearances[]
- The Mask
- The Mask Returns
- The Mask Strikes Back
- The Mask: The Hunt for Green October
- Night of the Return of the Living Ipkiss...Kinda
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Tina Carlyle in the 1994 film was possibly based on Kathy. Both have blond hair and blue eyes as well as being in a relationship with a neglectful and verbally abusive man (comic Stanley and Dorian Tyrell).