Supper Mario Broth is already the prime destination for weird and wonderful facts about the Mario series, but recently, it excelled itself, sharing an obscure Mario image that offers a grim explanation for the 1-Up mushroom.
The image comes courtesy of the 1996 4Koma Gag Battle manga based on Super Mario 64 and seems to imply that 1-Up mushrooms actually grow from the body of other dead Marios.
Obviously, this is all non-canon and not some hidden piece of Nintendo-approved lore, but that hasn't stopped people from reacting with a mixture of horror and jokes online.
Commenters, for example, were quick to point out the disturbing similarities to The Last of Us, which features its own parasitic fungus, while others highlighted an unofficial webcomic from @extrafabulous that also implies the existence of multiple Marios.
According to Supper Mario Broth, the manga contains a lot of bizarre jokes similar to this one, including an explanation as to how coins can regenerate Mario's oxygen underwater. The series of panels in this instance depicts the Italian plumber breaking a golden coin apart to inhale a bunch of air bubbles sealed within.
As it turns out, Shounen Oh Comics, the publisher of the manga, actually did a number of books based on other Nintendo games too, which we have to imagine are just as strange. This includes but is not limited to:
- Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
- Donkey Kong Country
- Donkey Kong Country 3
- Mario Kart 64
- And Diddy Kong Racing
If you like hearing about obscure Mario facts, we recommended following Supper Mario Broth on Twitter or visiting its blog for articles on other strange pieces of Mario history. It also has a Patreon too, if you fancy supporting the blog directly!