Super Mario: Makai Teikoku no Megami

The title of this article is official, but it comes from a non-English source. If an acceptable English name is found, then the article should be moved to the new title.

This article is about the manga adaptation of the Super Mario Bros. film. For the film itself with the same Japanese name, see Super Mario Bros. (film).

The adaptation's cover

Super Mario: Makai Teikoku no Megami (スーパーマリオ 魔界帝国まかいていこくの女神めがみ, "Super Mario: Goddess of the Demon World Empire") is a 34-page, one-shot manga by Ikkei Kawai published in Shogakukan's Gekkan CoroCoro Comic Haruyasumi Zōkangō (月刊コロコロコミック春休み増刊号, "Monthly CoroCoro Comic Spring Holiday Special) on March 23, 1993. It is an adaptation of then-upcoming Super Mario Bros. film made to promote behind-the-scenes and novelization books. Due to its short length, a lot of content and characters are cut out to tell a more simplified retelling of the plot. There are also various major differences; for example, Iggy and Spike are de-evolved into Goombas and then die using the meteorite piece to merge the dimensions. The name of the manga is the same as the Japanese name for the film.

Plot synopsis

The manga begins with an introduction explaining that 65 million years ago, the meteor strike that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs split Earth into two dimensions. The manga explains power of a chipped-off piece from the meteor is the only thing capable of merging the dimensions.

Daisy calling out to Mario and Luigi for help

Now in the modern day, the scene is established with Daisy calling to Mario and Luigi that she needs help. Daisy states that her excavation site has been flooded, sabotaged by someone. Mario and Luigi reassure Daisy that they can fix it the pipes, as Iggy and Spike observe the scene hidden from view establishing they caused the pipe sabotage. With Mario and Luigi focused on the pipes, Spike and Iggy are able to snatch and take Daisy away. The brothers follow her pleas for help, and come to find various pipes. Luigi jumps in first and Mario follows. They come to a rocky underground area, where Daisy's face pops out from behind a boulder. Luigi reaches out for her despite Mario's resistance saying it is an illusion, and Luigi takes her meteorite necklace off her neck. Luigi shows Mario it is not an illusion as evidenced by the necklace and the two jump into the boulder.

Mario and Luigi arrive at an underground city (Dinohattan, though never referred to as such). Mario and Luigi are confused by their environment, and Mario asks a local city resident what the fungus covering the city is. He explains that there is a theory that the former King of the city has been choking the city in fungus form as revenge on President Koopa for overthrowing his government. He adds that Mario should be careful as parts of the fungus might explode. Mario laughs in disbelief, and tosses the exploding mushroom he is holding aside. The mushroom explodes to his surprise, sending him flying. He lands next to a woman pushing a stroller carrying an egg, and he makes the shocking realization people in this city are born from eggs. Mario and Luigi see a political poster for Koopa, and Mario asks a different city dweller who he is.

Koopa's depiction in the manga

The scene cuts to Koopa welcoming Daisy to his Koopa Kingdom, and Koopa explains he is the ruler of the city, aiming his goals to rule Earth as well. He offers Daisy a short explanation of the dimensions splitting due to the meteor strike, creating a parallel alternate dimension where dinosaurs survived and evolved into humanoid-like intelligent creatures. He reveals Daisy is descendant of dinosaurs as well, explaining Daisy's mother escaped to Earth carrying her newborn daughter, Daisy, and the meteorite piece needed to merge the worlds. Koopa demands the meteorite piece from Daisy, and Spike and Iggy reveal to him that the plumber brothers confiscated it. An angry Koopa shoots them with the Devo Gun, de-evolving them into Goombas. Koopa showcases his de-evolution technologies to Daisy, explaining he plans to de-evolve all humans on Earth into monkeys.

Mario and Luigi continue picking exploding mushrooms off the growing fungus, until they hear the arrival of Koopa holding Daisy and being followed by Koopa's army of Goombas. Koopa demands the meteorite piece from the brothers, and Daisy pleads to them not to briefly explaining Koopa's plans to invade Earth. Mario is surprised by the power of the meteorite piece and fools Koopa by dangling a string out offering to trade the meteorite necklace for Daisy. Koopa lets Daisy go to reach out for the string, and Daisy takes off running with Luigi. Mario hands the string to Koopa, revealing it is actually tied to an exploding mushroom. Luigi and Daisy are seen escaping to the portal to Earth, but are stopped by Spike and Iggy. Spike and Iggy snatch the meteorite piece and insert it into the portal chamber to start merging the worlds. Unable to withstand the force of the meteorite, the two are killed by dissolving. Daisy realizes only she could have withstood the force, and Luigi and Daisy begin trying to extract the pendant.

Luigi, Mario and Daisy running back to Earth

Back to Mario and Koopa's fight, Koopa is disgusted by the fungus residue left from the exploding mushroom. He demands his Goombas clean it off him, and just as Mario is about to throw another exploding mushroom the dimensions start merging. Koopa and his Goomba army arrive on Earth, and they begin shooting humans with the Devo Gun, turning them into monkeys. Mario throws an exploding mushroom on Koopa who catches it and reveals that on Earth, exploding mushrooms lose their power and become ordinary mushrooms. Meanwhile, Luigi and Daisy successfully remove the meteorite and the dimensions are split yet again. The exploding mushroom in Koopa's hand explodes, blasting his arm off. Koopa reveals his species has regeneration powers, though Mario begins continuously pelting him with more mushrooms. Koopa laughs at his attempts telling him to aim for his head instead as his arm carrying the Devo Gun is blasted off. Mario reveals the aim was intentional, as he picks up the Devo Gun off the floor. Mario shoots Koopa with the Devo Gun, de-evolving him back to primordial slime. Mario meets back up with Luigi and Daisy and says now they have to return back home to evolve the de-evolved monkeys back to humans.

Differences from the film

Spike and Iggy turned to Goombas, a notable major plot deviation

• A majority of events from the film are not included. Characters such as Lena, Toad, Angelica, Sergeant Simon, Bertha, Yoshi, Daniella, and Anthony Scapelli do not appear. Dinohattan is not referred to by name, and is depicted as a much more friendly environment. The Devo Chamber is not seen.
• During Mario and Luigi's chase of Spike, Iggy and the kidnapped Daisy they come across various pipes they enter similar to Warp Pipes.
• The Bob-omb is replaced with exploding mushrooms, an original element not seen in any other Mario-related media.
• Spike and Iggy are turned into Goombas, and remain as antagonists until their death. In the film, they are not turned to Goombas, eventually reform into allies and do not die.
• In the film, only Anthony Scapelli is turned into a monkey. In the manga, at least three humans are shown to be turned to monkeys.
• Koopa is depicted as less humanoid, and more reptile-like, with blue-tinted skin and scales.
• Koopa reveals his species is capable of regenerating limbs, a detail not present in the film.
• Though The King being rumored to be the expanding fungus is mentioned, this detail is not confirmed nor is the fungus turned back into its original form. He is also not mentioned to be Daisy's father, nor is Daisy's mother mentioned to be royalty.
• Daisy's mother escapes with Daisy having already been born. Her appearance somewhat resembles Lena more than her film counterpart.
• Daisy already knew Mario and Luigi prior to the events of the manga. She also returns back to Earth with the brothers instead of staying in the alternate dimension.

External links

• Super Mario Wiki post mentioning this manga
• English blog mention, with descriptions