The character V was developed by Alan Moore and David Lloyd for their comic book series V for Vendetta. He wears a Guy Fawkes mask, has long hair, and dresses in all black; he is a mysterious anarchist, vigilante, and freedom fighter.
Face Reveal in “V for Vendetta”
The popular comic book series “V for Vendetta” centers on a character named “V.” V has become a fan favorite among listeners of the program. Many of the series’ characters have been curious about when he will finally remove the Guy Fawkes mask and show his face.
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V’s genuine identity has always been shrouded in mystery, and he is very good at keeping his anonymity a secret. However, he takes off his mask only once throughout the entire plot of V for Vendetta. It is at Surridge’s request that he takes off his mask in public, and only then does he turn his back on the audience. That’s why nobody got a good look at his mug. His identity has always been concealed because his physical appearance played no role in the plot.
As a Symbol of Dissent, V Wore a Guy Fawkes Mask
V hides his identity by donning a wig and a Guy Fawkes mask. On November 5, 1997, he committed his first big act by obliterating the Houses of Parliament. Conspiracist Catholic Guy Fawkes planned to blow up Parliament with a bomb containing a barrel of gunpowder.
The “gunpowder scheme” became a patriotic rallying cry after he was apprehended before he could carry it out. The movie adaptation shows Fawkes actually doing that to reveal his mask. Guy Fawkes Day originally commemorated the ritualistic burning of an effigy of Fawkes.
Moore threw a wrench in this plan by having V destroy these structures, and David Lloyd made excellent use of this frozen smile throughout the book. Many people have worn masks in protest after seeing the film. Time Warner, ironically, controls the image rights and makes money off of every mask sold (per The New York Times). Anonymous, a hacker group, has been known to employ the Guy Fawkes mask in its online attacks on the CIA, the KKK, the Church of Scientology, and several corporations.
To hide their identities and express their discontent, protesters in Hong Kong frequently used masks during the Occupy movement.
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There Is Serious Doubt About V’s Morality
Even if they are very compelling and drive the story, Alan Moore’s protagonists are rarely heroes. This is most obviously true of Rorschach from “Watchmen” and William Gull from “From Hell,” but it also applies to V. Moore leaves the morality of V’s acts open to interpretation, even if he is interested in anarchy.
V is, first and foremost, a heartless murderer. After being imprisoned and tortured, he kills scores of individuals who worked at the concentration camp. This was done in part to hide his true nature, but he also takes great delight in poisoning the Bishop and sending Lewis Prothero mad, just as V was sent mad by the medicines he was made to consume in the experiment.
Furthermore, V is a calculating manipulator. Using what he learned from Fate’s extensive monitoring network and his own natural intuition in psychology, he gets individuals to do what he wants them to. The Leader is murdered at his behest because of his influence over Rose Almond. In an effort to get Conrad to kill the man who had been sleeping with his wife, he used threats and pressure.
Worse yet, he repeatedly uses manipulation to release Evey from her own cages, when in reality he is just keeping her captive. V cites “Macbeth” in the first chapter, “The Villain,” but casts himself as the rebel and the villain after killing several Fingerman. V’s morals are developed enough for him to realize that he’s lost his eternal self.
