Every superhero has an origin story, and Mario is no exception. Back in 1981 he was just a carpenter minding his own business until a large gorilla saw King Kong one too many times and stole his girlfriend Pauline. Thrust into the spotlight, Mario was forced to use his carpentry skills to destroy barrels being chucked at him by an angry ape while climbing a destroyed skyscraper to rescue his love. Neither his trade nor his girl stayed, but his abilities did. His incredible speed, strength, and jumping ability only improved with time, later augmented by incredible “power-ups” which gave him the ability to fly, throw fireballs, or double in size. How was this possible? Where does his power truly come from? This week we discuss all the mushroom-powered possibilities, as well as the strange fire-breathing biology that is found in those pesky pipes.
