Dirk Drain-Head
Dirk Drain-Head is a comic book superhero and is Mario's plumbing based idol in Valiant's Nintendo Comics System imprint.
Aside from possessing various plumbing related weaponry, it is unknown what powers, if any, Dirk Drain-Head may possess; Dirk's origin is also relatively unknown. Dirk seems to be a stereotypical superhero, being honorable, virtuous, having a catch-phrase and a comedic sidekick, named Snakey; some of Dirk's enemies include Pipe Ooze, Muck and the mysterious Dark Dirk.
Interestingly, Dirk is almost identical to Luigi in a appearance, likewise, Snakey resembles Mario; Dark Dirk, being the apparent evil twin of Dirk, may also bear some minor resemblance to Waluigi.
Despite his comic only coming out quarterly, Dirk Drain-Head has a surprisingly large amount of comic issues, at six-hundred, fifty-eight.
Appearances
Dirk Drain-Head was first mentioned by Mario in the issue "A Mouser in the Houser"; Mario, while travelling with Princess Toadstool through a Warp Pipe, mentions that he shouldn't have left his "Official Dirk Drain-Head Compass" at home. Princess Toadstool promptly tells Mario to be quiet about his obsession with Dirk.
Dirk Drain-Head was later mentioned in "The Adventures of Dirk Drain-Head", which gave somewhat more information on him.
In the issue "Bedtime for Drain-Head" it is revealed that Mario is so obsessed with Dirk Drain-Head that he often stays-up for days reading his comics. Unfortunately, this oftentimes causes Mario to sleepwalk, believing himself to be Dirk Drain-Head. As "Bedtime for Drain-Head" showed, Mario would often go on adventures looking for Snakey in his "Dirk Drain-Head phase", often attacking any creatures that he came across. Oddly, while believing himself to be Dirk Drain-Head, Mario becomes several times more competent, easily beating several monsters, wrestling a Birdo to the ground and even subduing Bowser single-handedly in "Bedtime for Drain-Head".
"The Revenge of Pipe Ooze!" showed that Dirk, despite being a fictional character, is treated as a celebrity on the Mushroom Planet, with an annual convention thrown in his honor every year in Pipe Land, complete with a large-scale role playing. "The Revenge of Pipe Ooze!" also showed that not only Mario loves Dirk Drain-Head, several dozen members of the Koopa Troop also adore him, even Lemmy Koopa.
Trivia
- A brief mention of Dirk Drain-Head having a brother is made by Mario to Luigi ("Dirk drives his brother crazy too!"), but this brother is never seen. It's possible Snakey, Dirk's sidekick, may be his brother, however.
- Coincidentally, another plumbing based hero of Mario's, called Mighty Plumber, would later appear in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 television series.
