In Episode 13 of Tiger Mask W, our hero finally gets to sink his fangs into the evil Yellow Devil for injuring several of his pals. The enemies meet in the final bout of the Masked Tournament.
But if Tiger Mask truly hates Yellow Devil and wants to punish him, why not jump in the parking lot, or follow him and run his car off the road? Why would his revenge need to occur only during a public wrestling match?
We get the sense that Tiger’s obsession with Yellow Devil, his undying need to wrestle with him, might be more about desire than hatred.
The rivals lock horns, their torsos bare, their muscles flexing. In drawing this match, the cartoonists did a great job presenting the action from unusal angles and viewpoints, and using close-ups, slow motion, and other techniques to make the scene feel dramatic, sexy, and exciting.
For example, they zoom in on the back of Tiger’s head, with a view of the Devil’s sharp yellow claws embracing Tiger’s neck. This reminds us how treacherous he can be. Those sharp points are echoed in the the Devil’s fangs, the corners of his eyes, even the jagged fur on Tiger’s mask. Our hero is clearly in great danger from all those sharp points!
Tiger Mask gives the Devil a reach-around.
Here is another close-up, this time focusing on Yellow Devil’s bare midriff. Tiger Mask has slipped behind the villain to embrace him around the waist.
The commentator points out that Tiger has “taken Yellow Devil’s back.” Yes we can see that — is he just trying to be sexually suggestive?
Yellow Devil is presented as an Immovable Object, standing fully erect and powerful while Tiger Mask tries to throw him.
We know that the German Suplex is one of Tiger Mask’s most effective moves, yet Yellow Devil is impervious to the maneuver. This again spells trouble for our vulnerable hero if his most effective move is useless against this brutal villain.
Now THAT’S how you throw a dude, you wimp.
Yellow Devil, however, is able to lift and throw poor Tiger Mask, emasculating him by succeeding where Tiger Mask failed.
Check out how Tiger Mask’s black trunks fill our entire view, first when he is lifted, and again after he is thrown. It feels as if our noses are being pressed right into his taint to violate him.
My only regret is that he didn’t slash Tiger’s chest open.
Next the Heel unleashes his patented Devil Tornado, a killer move that knocks Tiger (in glorious) slow motion right on his ass. Our poor Tiger Mask is in big trouble now!
Beautifully executed — or I should say, beautifully drawn.
Oh good, Tiger Mask is now suffering the one-sided squash and unrelenting punishment that I was hoping to see. I love when the Good Guy takes a whipping like this (which is why the majority of most pro wrestling matches involve the Good Guy taking a whipping.) Yellow Devil fucks Tiger Mask up with a big, flexing, slow-motion Clothesline to the throat.
Our hero finds the strength to fight back (for a minute.)
After a short retreat outside the ring, Tiger Mask re-enters the fight with a vengeance. He unleashes a series of vicious Skull Kicks, leaving his opponent dazed and brain-damaged.
What I love about cartoon violence is that they can get as over-the-top and sadistic as they want, showing us intense levels of cruelty and abuse that would maim a person in real life.
The above Armbar was fairly sexy, with the Devil’s muscular limb protruding from between Tiger’s thighs, his yellow claws splayed across our hero’s sweaty chest. Check out those swollen guns on Tiger Mask as he pours on the pressure!
Yellow Devil re-gains the upper hand by slamming the top of his head into Tiger Mask’s gut. This move gives us the sense that Tiger Mask is being penetrated, that the Devil is forcibly violating his body by slamming stiffly into it.
This drawing of the Torture Rack is a masterpiece by the cartoonists, especially from this above-looking-down angle. If only I could draw this well — oh, the punishment and degradation I would unleash on Tiger Mask and any other muscular Baby-Faces.
This is a good place to pause, with Tiger Mask helpless in the Heel’s devastating “Argentine Backbreaker.” Imagine that the poor hero must remain in this tortuous hold until we pick up this story again in a few days…
To Be Continued…