Smithy Gang

The Smithy Gang is an evil organization composed of the mechanical monstrosities created by the villain Smithy. The primary goal of the Smithy Gang was world domination, which it came close to doing during the events of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Additionally, Smithy wanted to fill the world with weapons and destroy the power of wishes by shattering the Star Road. Their main base of operations was Smithy's Factory, which existed in a dimension beyond Mario World. Their secondary base was Bowser's Keep, which the fiend Exor occupied during the beginning of their invasion. The sword creature acted as a gateway between the two worlds, allowing Smithy's forces to overrun the world.

History
The invasion of the Smithy Gang began with an attack on Bowser's Keep, which was conquered by Exor and other mechanical monsters, including the swordsman Boomer. The force of the impact from the sky strategically shattered the Star Road and sent Mario, King Bowser and Toadstool flying away from the castle in different directions. The Koopa King's forces could not stand the onslaught of Smithy's minions, and were forced to retreat. Additionally, many Koopas and Goombas, as well as a brainwashed Magikoopa (possibly Kamek), turned traitor and allied themselves with the Smithy Gang. Eventually, all of Bowser's troops deserted him.

After the attack on Bowser's Keep, Smithy decided to invade the Mushroom Kingdom. Smithy sent out his lieutenant Mack to attack the peaceful kingdom. With his army of Shysters, Mack easily occupied the defenseless castle. The great hero of the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario, was busy chasing down the thief Croco, and could not aid in the kingdom's defense. However, when Mario returned, he fought off Mack's forces and defeated the knife-like lieutenant. Additionally, Mario recovered a Star Piece needed to restore the power of wishes to the world.

Smithy's second lieutenant, Bowyer, was sent to the Forest Maze to begin preliminary attacks on the nearby village of Rose Town. Additionally, the Forest Maze was the site of the second Star Piece Smithy needed to retrieve. Bowyer set up camp in the forest and began firing poison-tipped arrows into Rose Town. When hit with an arrow, a person would become paralyzed and would be unable to move. Rose Town was under siege. Also, one of Bowyer's arrow minions found the second Star Piece. Eventually, Bowyer's fun was interrupted by the star warrior Geno, who was determined to restore the power of wishes to the world. Additionally, Mario and his new ally Mallow arrived to help Geno. Together they defeated Bowyer and claimed the second Star Piece. One of the "Aero" creatures overheard their conversation after Bowyer's downfall, and decided to directly report back to Smithy.

Ignoring the third and fourth Star Pieces, Smithy enacted a plan to retrieve the fifth Star Piece despite this setback. The Star Piece was in the hands of the deadly Jonathan Jones and his pirates. Smithy could not risk an attack on the shark pirate, so he would have Mario do it. Smithy sent his lieutenant Yaridovich to Seaside Town. Once there, Yaridovich locked up all the townspeople in a large building. Then Yaridovich split his being into many bodies that took the form of Toads. Yaridovich, in essence, became the entire population of the town. When Mario arrived in town, he was asked by the village elder (who was a part of Yaridovich) to retrieve the Star Piece from Jonathan Jones. Mario agreed, but when he returned with the Star Piece, Yaridovich revealed his true identity and forced Mario to hand over his Star Piece. If Mario refused, Yaridovich would torture an old man with a tickling feather until Mario gave in. Yaridovich was to be picked up by the Axem Rangers and their battleship Blade. However, the Axem Rangers were running late. As a result, Yaridovich decided to swim away, but Jonathan Jones emerged from the sea, blocking the villain's path. Unbeknownst to Yaridovich, Mario and Johnny had gained mutual respect for each other and became allies. Prevented from escaping, and with no other options, Yaridovich was forced to fight Mario and his allies. Ultimately, Yaridovich lost the fight and the true population of Seaside was released.

With yet another loss, Smithy was getting frustrated. He ordered the Axem Rangers to take their battleship Blade to the Barrel Volcano, the location of the sixth Star Piece. Once there, the rangers not only discovered the Star Piece, they also discovered Mario. However, Axem Red, the leader of the Axem Rangers, had beat Mario to the punch. Axem Red quickly grabbed the Star Piece and retreated to the battleship Blade. Mario and his allies followed. After a long battle, Mario eventually defeated the Axem Rangers and Blade's deadly Breaker Beam cannon. The battleship began to explode after the cannon's malfunction, but Mario and his allies escaped to the nearby volcano before Blade was destroyed.

With six Star Pieces collected, Mario and company began their final campaign: the liberation of Bowser's Keep and the destruction of the Smithy Gang. Mario worked his way through the various enemies and traps set for him by the Smithy Gang. Additionally, many of Bowser's traitorous soldiers ran off when they set sight on their former master. Perhaps they were ashamed for defecting; perhaps they feared Bowser's wrath. Magikoopa also came to his senses, and would aid Bowser by healing him and the rest of Mario's party. Eventually, Mario reached the swordsman Boomer. After a long battle, Boomer was defeated and preferred to die a warrior's death. Then, Mario and company were brought to the top of the castle where they fought the gigantic Exor. When the party emerged victorious, Exor showed he had one more trick up his sleeve, and inhaled Mario and his allies. As a result, Mario was brought to Smithy's Factory, the source of his world's troubles and the site of the last Star Piece. Mario and his allies fought their way through Smithy's forces, including such higher-ups as Count Down and the duo known as Cloaker and Domino. Mario witnessed and passed the Machine Made series, which were gray copies of Smithy's original lieutenants. As it turns out, Mack, Bowyer, Yaridovich, and the Axem Rangers were merely models for a large-scale mass-production. An entire army of Machine Made works was being created on assembly lines, being prepared for a second offensive against Mario's world. In addition, a new prototype was being developed: Drill Bit. Mario realized he had to halt the creations at their source by stopping the management of the factory. Through a series of battles, Mario and friends bested the Clerk, the Manager, the Director, Gunyolk and the Factory Chief. All that was left was the supreme leader of the Smithy Gang, Smithy himself.

As it turned out, Smithy was in possession of the seventh Star Piece. Smithy attempted to talk Mario into giving up his six Star Pieces, but to no avail. Smithy knew the final conflict was inevitable and invited them to initiate combat, trying to take the rest of the Star Pieces by force. Wielding powerful magic and practical tools alike, Smithy was a fearsome and capable villain. Additionally, the Smelter continued to routinely pour out liquid metal which Smithy pounded into Shyper soldiers to help him in battle. However, Mario and his allies were determined not to lose. The party defeated Smithy together, but it was only the first round. Pounding his hammer on the ground, Smithy inadvertently shattered the factory floor, sending him and Mario's party straight to the factory basement. Once there, Smithy revealed his true from. Smithy was, in fact, a shape shifter who could mold his head into various forms. After a long and tiring battle, the heroes emerged victorious and Smithy vanished in a brilliant flash.

With Smithy defeated, his factory was no more. The Star Pieces were returned to Star Road and the power of wishes was returned to the world. Additionally, Exor dissolved into nothingness, eliminating the gateway between Smithy's dimension and Mario's world. As a result, any surviving members of the Smithy Gang would be unable to threaten Mario's world. With this, all returned to the natural way of things.

Supreme Leader

 * Smithy (factory head)

Operatives

 * Mack (lieutenant)
 * Bowyer (lieutenant)
 * Yaridovich (lieutenant)
 * Axem Rangers (lieutenants)
 * Axem Red
 * Axem Black
 * Axem Green
 * Axem Yellow
 * Axem Pink
 * Blade (automated airship)
 * Boomer (shogun officer)
 * Exor (sentient gate)
 * Count Down (security guard)
 * Ding-A-Ling (guard aides)
 * Cloaker (production overseer)
 * Domino (production overseer)
 * Earth Link / Mad Adder (overseer's subordinate)
 * Clerk (fifth-in-command)
 * Manager (fourth-in-command)
 * Director (third-in-command)
 * Factory Chief (second-in-command)
 * Gunyolk (defense system)
 * Smelter (weapons processor)

Soldiers

 * Shyster (infantry)
 * Aero (archers)
 * Springer (experienced infantry)
 * Jabit (long rangers)
 * Ninja (spies)
 * Mad Mallet (builders)
 * Pounder (experienced builders)
 * Poundette (elite builders)
 * Shyper (elite infantry)
 * Machine Made (mass-produced copies of lieutenants)
 * Drill Bit (Jabit remodel likely intended to be a commanding unit or advanced series)

Trivia

 * Each gang member that Mario fights for a Star Piece is weapon based. Bowyer and Yaridovich are respectively an anthropomorphic bow and spear, and Mack, the Axem Rangers, and Smithy respectively wield knives, axes, and a hammer. Although Punchinello is an anthropomorphic bomb and guards a Star Piece, he is not a member of the Smithy Gang.