The Mark of Zero

"The Mark of Zero" is the 33rd episode of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!. Its corresponding live-action segment is "Toupee".

Plot Synopsis
While traveling in El Desert Land, Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess Toadstool search for the legendary masked hero known as Zero, whom they hope will help defeat King Koopa. Luigi starts to wonder if Zero actually exists. Mario assures him that Zero does exist. Toad remarks how ostriches are too dumb to notice the heat, which causes the Ostros pulling them to stop in their tracks, insulted. He then regrets his comment.

Princess Toadstool notices a taco stand nearby, which the Ostros then rush towards. Popping out of a fake rock on a mountain, King Koopa, going by the name of El Koopitan, becomes aware of their plans and begins to hatch his own to stop them. The Ostros reach the taco stand, creating a cloud of dust. The vendor, wondering whether they came to buy something or make a mess, asks them for their order. After listing each item, Mario responds by saying yes three times.

El Koopitan responds by attacking everyone with with his Koopa Pack. Panicking, the vendor goes back in her shop and closes it. With the Koopa Pack fast approaching, Princess and Toad hop in the bathtub part of the vehicle they were riding in, while Mario and Luigi hop into the sombrero part of the vehicle after Mouser pulls on a cactus, splitting it into segments that fly towards them. Koopa Troopas on Ostros, with some popping out of a hole in the ground, also rush towards them. Surrounded, Mario and Luigi wonder what to do next.

Out of nowhere comes Zero, leaving a look of panic on King Koopa's face. Using a whip, he loops it on a cactus and uses it as a swing, knocking a row of Koopa Troopas down. He then uses his whip to tangle two other Troopas up and launch them towards a cactus. After Zero is noticed by the four heroes, Mouser charges towards him and begins a sword fight, while Mario and Luigi fight off a group of Koopa Troopas. Mouser chops a large chunk of a cactus near him and kicks it off. Zero chops up a cactus near him. While Mouser laughs at Zero, Zero blows on the cactus and shows that he chopped it in pieces. Irritated, Mouser continues their battle, but Zero knocks Mouser's sword out of his hand, frustrating him even further. El Koopitan grabs a small cactus of his own, tossing it at Zero, who was putting his sword back. The small cactus pins him to a bigger one, leaving him stuck. El Koopitan then orders the Koopa Pack to take Zero away with them. With El Koopitan escaping, the princess wonders where they went off to, while Mario comments on how they didn't get a taco. El Koopitan is later shown forcing the townspeople to give him their vegetables. He steals all the gold and a person's house as well. The heroes decide that it's up to them to find Zero.

After a talk with the mayor and asking the citizens if they know where El Koopitan is hiding, they panic and run away. The mayor explains to the Bros. that they (the citizens) want to help, but they are too afraid of El Koopitan. Just then, El Koopitan shows up. Mario tells him that they are not afraid, and the townspeople will help, only to remember that they ran away. The Koopa Pack again attacks them, and the heroes toss vegetables at them, knocking them off their Ostros. However, only a few are knocked off, and the rest surround them just as they run out of vegetables. Two Koopa Troopas grab Luigi. Mario finds and tosses some tortillas at them, knocking El Koopitan off his Ostro, and knocking out the Troopas surrounding Luigi, who then joins the others in tossing tortillas.

After enough tossing, El Koopitan retreats. Mario jokes that Mexican food doesn't agree with El Koopitan, as it was used negatively on him, and eats a tortilla. Later, the mayor apologizes and repeats his explanation on why the townspeople wouldn't help. That somehow gives Mario an idea. El Koopitan later tells the Koopa Pack that they will be able to take over the town. A Koopa Troopa yanks a street post and tosses it over to Mouser, who then declares that as the signal. El Koopitan again orders the Koopa Pack to attack.

Just then, Mario and Luigi arrive and announce that Zero had arrived with his sidekick, Zero plus One. El Koopitan is, obviously, shocked. Another horde of vegetables is tossed at them. In a panic, Mouser tells El Koopitan to retreat to his secret hideout, unintentionally revealing where it is hidden. El Koopitan angrily grabs his hat and begins to hit Mouser with it as they are all driven out of town. Mario, Luigi, the princess, and Toad then go to El Koopitan's secret fortress. When they arrive, Mario and Luigi float to the fortress using their capes, as they are high up on a rocky wall surrounding it. After defeating El Koopitan once and for all, the Mario Bros. free Zero from his prison. Later, at the taco stand, Princess Toadstool announces that with Zero free, the Mushroom people would not have to live in fear any longer. The taco vendor arrives and asks if they are ready to order, having accidentally left her mask on revealing that she is Zero, much to everyone's surprise. She then tells them that if they will keep her secret, she will let them have all the tacos they want. Mario assures her that he will never tell, happily eating one of the tacos as Luigi, Toad, and Princess Toadstool laugh.

Animation and Continuity errors

 * When the Mario Bros. pop out the sombrero they were hiding in at the beginning of the episode, Mario shouts, "Holy Calamari!" but in Luigi's voice.

Trivia

 * The Mayor's sombrero has the same color scheme as a Super Mushroom in Super Mario Bros.
 * The way Mario and Luigi use their capes, when they are impersonating Zero, to float down towards her prison near the end of the episode, may have inspired how Baby Mario's Cape works when he turns into Superstar Mario in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island.