Mark Twang
Mark Twang is an elderly man who seemingly inhabits the River World, whose rivers he voyages down in his ship, the Ding Bell.
In The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode "Rolling Down the River", Mark Twang apparently agrees to a race with Captain Koopa and his Sinister Star, with whoever winning the race becoming King of the River and presumably, the River World. Unfortunately, the engine of the Ding Bell is sabotaged by Captain Koopa, severally limiting the speed which Mark Twang can travel at on the Ding Bell.
While feebly trying to catch-up to Captain Koopa and the Sinister Star, Mark Twang happens too, by chance, find Mario and Luigi in the river. With a lasso, Mark Twang manages to pull Mario and Luigi aboard the Ding Bell, narrowly saving them from being devoured by a Trouter. Mark Twang is then told by Mario and Luigi that they are trying to rescue Princess Toadstool, who has been kidnapped by Captain Koopa and is being held onboard the Sinister Star.
After hearing Mario and Luigi's story, Mark Twang tells them his own, about his race against Captain Koopa; deciding to aid Mark Twang, Mario and Luigi begin to work on the engine of the Ding Bell.
After the Ding Bell's engine is repaired, Mark Twang, along with Mario and Luigi, begin to catch-up to Captain Koopa and the Sinister Star; only to be met with another obstacle, an unpassable black pit created by Captain Koopa and a Black Pit Bob-Omb. After narrowly managing to escape the current of the black pit, thanks to Mario and Luigi using a plunger to anchor the Ding Bell, Mark Twang, along with Mario and Luigi, decide to venture onto land to seak the advice of the Mouth of the River to help them pass the black pit.
Finding the Mouth of the River, Mark Twang, Mario and Luigi gain some cryptic advice to help them pass the black pit. Watching as Mario and Luigi create a large piping system, Mark Twang is surprised when that piping system manages to drain the water surrounding the black pit and empties it in a nearby path, separated from the black pit by a wall of rocks. Mark Twang, with Mario, Luigi and the Mouth of the River easily manage to pass the Ding Bell through this newly created path.
Later, Mark Twang, with Super Mario and Super Luigi, who power the Ding Bell ahead with pumps, manage to catch-up to and pull along side the Sinister Star. As Mario and Luigi leap from the Ding Bell to the Sinister Star, Mark Twang has the Ding Bell zoom ahead of the Sinister Star.
Afterwards, as Mario is about to be forced overboard by Captain Koopa on the Sinister Star, the Ding Bell, supposedly driven by Mark Twang, appeare. As Mark Twang maneuvers the Ding Bell, the Mouth of the River uses the Ding Bell's cannon to launch Turnips at the Sinister Star.
In the end, the Sinister Star is crashed into a beach and Mario and Luigi, along with Princess Toadstool and Toad, board the Ding Bell, which passes the finish line of the river. Mark Twang is last seen being congratulated by Mario, Luigi, Toad and Princess Toadstool for having become King of the River.
Trivia
- Mark Twang's name is a spoof of the name "Mark Twain", which was the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, a famous American novelist and satirist.
