Too Hot to Handle

Too Hot to Handle is the twenty-fourth episode of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! Its corresponding live-action segment is "Time Out Luigi".

Plot Synopsis
In Lava Land, Mario, Luigi, Toad and Princess Toadstool using a variety of floating rafts to reach an island named Waki-Waki in the middle of the ocean, where Mario, Luigi, Toad and Princess Toadstool are to meet a Fire God who has promised to use his power to free the Mushroom Kingdom from King Koopa. Reaching Waki-Waki, Mario, Luigi, Toad and Princess Toadstool are greeted by several friendly, native Mushroomers known as the Aloha People. Introducing himself as Scooter, the leader of the Aloha People, gives Princess Toadstool a lei made of grass.

After Scooter gives Princess Toadstool this lei, the ground of the island begins to shake violently, surprising Luigi, Toad, Princess Toadstool and Mario, who hopes the earthquake occuring is just someone making a mozzarella milkshake. Panickingly, Scooter says that everyone should run for cover, as the Fire God has been summoned; as Scooter runs for shelter, a fissure suddenly spreads through the ground beneath Princess Toadstool. Before she can react, Princess Toadstool falls into this fissure, frantically yelling. Before Princess Toadstool falls any further down into this fissure, Mario, using a plunger with a rope tied to it, manages to snag Princess Toadstool's dress and reel her back up on to the surface. After Princess Toadstool thanks Mario for having rescued her, Luigi points to the rumbling volcano and says aloud that the Fire God sure is acting strange.

At the peak of this volcano, a pair of binoculars which are being used as periscope begin to survey the havoc that is being caused on Waki-Waki. Watching the fleeing Aloha People, the periscope sees Mario, Luigi, Toad and Princess Toadstool. Removing his face from the periscope, King Koopa says to himself, Fryguy and his surrounding Shy Guy minions that Mario, Luigi and Toad are falling for his plot to trap Princess Toadstool. After King Koopa announces this, Fryguy proceeds to ask him what should be done with the real Fire God, who is being kept nearby in a large, ice and snow filled bottle. Replying to Fryguy's question, King Koopa tells Fryguy that until he has captured Princess Toadstool, the Fire God should be kept frozen, only to be thrown into the Lava Machine later. After hearing this, Fryguy gives King Koopa a microphone, which King Koopa proceeds to use to announce to the Aloha People, under the guise of the Fire God, that unless Princess Toadstool is thrown into the volcano at sundown, the volcano will explode and destroy all of Waki-Waki. Finishing his announcement, King Koopa turns to a nearby control panel while Fryguy tells him that the Lava Machine, a large, furnace-like device, is ready. Hearing Fryguy, King Koopa uses his control panel top turn the Lava Machine on.

Outside King Koopa's volcano headquarters, Scooter, after gazing up towards the smoking volcano, declares that, in order to save Waki-Waki, Princess Toadstool must be sacrificed. Trying to reason with Scooter, Mario tells him that it isn't the Fire God who made that announcement, it was King Koopa, whose voice Mario instantly recognizes. Not listening to Mario, Scooter grabs hold of him and orders several nearby Aloha People to grab Princess Toadstool and throw Luigi and Toad into a pit. Before they can react, Princess Toadstool, Toad and Luigi are grabbed by several Aloha People; after having Mario, Luigi and Toad thrown into a nearby pit, Scooter orders two Aloha People, who have grabbed Princess Toadstool, to take her to the volcano and throw her in.

In the pit, Mario, Luigi and Toad pick themselves up off the ground; getting an idea, Mario has Toad and Luigi get on his shoulders. Once Toad and Luigi are on his shoulders, Mario, with some effort, manages to leap upwards just enough so Luigi can grab the top of the pit. With Luigi hanging on to the pit's ledge securely, Mario climbs up Toad and Luigi's backs and, once on the surface, turns around and pulls Luigi and Toad to the surface with him. Seeing through his periscope that Mario, Luigi and Toad have escaped the pit they were in, King Koopa orders the nearby Koopa Pack, which consists of Shy Guys, to go out and attack Mario, Luigi and Toad. While traveling up the path to the top of the volcano, Mario sees a nearby Ostro grazing on a patch of grass. Getting an idea, Mario hops on to the back of the Ostro and orders it to move, only to get a dirty look from the Ostro, who continues eating grass.

At the top of the volcano, Scooter and his friend Bingo have carried Princess Toadstool to the hole of the volcano and are preparing to throw her in. Before Princess Toadstool is thrown into the volcano, Bingo stops Scooter, reminding him that Waki-Waki had ordered that they throw Princess Toadstool into the volcano at sundown. After hearing Bingo say this, Scooter decides to simply wait until sundown to throw Princess Toadstool into the volcano, not wanting to disobey the Fire God and anger him even more. Through his periscope, King Koopa sees Princess Toadstool, Scooter and Bingo simply sitting near the volcano's edge and loudly asks why they are just sitting there. Answering King Koopa's inquiry, Fryguy tells him that Scooter and Bingo are waiting until sundown to throw Princess Toadstool into the volcano, just like he ordered. A flustered King Koopa, after hearing Fryguy, loudly exclaims that just because he said that doesn't mean he meant it.

Elsewhere, Mario, Luigi and Toad are riding up the volcano on the Ostro, who is rapidly sprinting. Seeing Mario, Luigi and Toad approaching, King Koopa's Shy Guy minions begin to throw Bob-ombs at them. Narrowly dodging the Shy Guy's bombardment of Bob-ombs, Luigi notices a patch of pineapples and points it out to Mario and Toad. Having the Ostro stop near the patch of pineapples, Mario and Luigi dismount it and begin to pluck pineapples, which they throw at the attacking Shy Guys, knocking them down. Seeing Mario, Luigi and Toad defeat his Shy Guy henchmen through his periscope, King Koopa begins to worry, believing Mario, Luigi and Toad will reach and rescue Princess Toadstool before she can be sacrificed at sundown. As he ponders, King Koopa gets an idea and, grabbing a nearby microphone, announces to Scooter and Bingo that it is now sundown and tells them to get on with the sacrifice.

Believing who the think is the Fire God, Scooter and Bingo prepare to throw Princess Toadstool into the volcano, as the quickly approaching Mario, Luigi and Toad tell them to stop. Ignoring Mario, Luigi and Toad's pleas, Scooter and Bingo proceed with throwing Princess Toadstool into the volcano, where she is caught by a Shy Guy before hitting the volcano's lava. Seeing that a Shy Guy has taken Princess Toadstool captive, Mario exclaims that it was all a trick and that now King Koopa has Princess Toadstool. Inside his base, King Koopa, after taunting Princess Toadstool and the frozen Fire God, orders Fryguy to activate the Lava Machine, which Fryguy does by pulling a nearby lever.

Outside, as they walk, Mario, Luigi and Toad see that the volcano has begun to erupt, causing large amounts of lava to begin pouring out of it. Running away from a stream of lava that is behind them, Mario, Luigi and Toad reach a giant statue of the Fire God, the arm of which, Mario grabs on to. Mario's grabbing of the statue's arm causes it to lower slightly, opening a secret passage in the statue's mouth. Quickly rushing into this newly opened passage, Mario, Luigi and Toad, after watching some lava pass by, descend a flight of stairs that are in the statue's throat. After some walking through the passageway, Mario, Luigi and Toad find themselves in the volcano, which is filled with pipes. Seeing these pipes, Mario surmizes that they must by carrying the lava that was flowing from the volcano, which Luigi guesses was sent by King Koopa. After Luigi says this, Mario tells him and Toad to follow him deeper into the volcano to find out.

In his control room, King Koopa orders Fryguy to begin the inflation of his Fireproof Lava Boat, which King Koopa plans to use to ride a river of lava during his getaway with Princess Toadstool. Complying with King Koopa's orders, Fryguy orders several nearby Shy Guys to begin inflating the Fireproof Lava Boat, which the Shy Guys do, using bellows. Reaching the area of the volcano where the Lava Machine is, which Mario correctly guesses is the source of the volcano's lava. Noticing that King Koopa, several Shy Guys and Fryguy, who has just informed King Koopa that the Fireproof Lava Boat is ready, Mario, Luigi and Toad quietly hide behind a corner and begin eavesdropping.

Hearing that the Fireproof Lava Boat is ready, King Koopa tells Fryguy that, once he and Princess Toadstool ride the vessel to safety, he should use the Lava Machine to sink all of Waki-Waki. Hearing King Koopa's plan, Mario makes a plan of his own and, after sending Toad to distract King Koopa, finds some tools and fireproof gloves that he plans on using to sabotage the Lava Machine.

Nearby, King Koopa has begun to pace back and fourth as Princess Toadstool tells him he isn't as smart as he thinks he is; responding to Princess Toadstool's accusations, King Koopa tells her that his plan was perfect. As King Koopa says this, he is suddenly knocked over by a charging Toad, who begins to taunt King Koopa. Enraged, King Koopa begins to chase Toad all over his control room, finally catching him when Toad trips and falls to the ground. As he holds Toad upside-down by the foot, King Koopa prepares to throw him into the Lava Machine, only to be stopped from doing this by Fryguy. At first, King Koopa is annoyed by Fryguy, until he hears from him that Mario and Luigi have clogged the Lava Machine.

Unconcerned by Fryguy's announcement, King Koopa, after yelling that Mario and Luigi always ruin his fun, grabs Princess Toadstool and takes her and Toad to the Lava Machine, which he intends to fix. With King Koopa approaching, Mario and Luigi, after bemoaning the fact that they have clogged pipes, something that goes against what plumbers stand for, decide to hide in the Fireproof Lava Boat. Walking over to the Lava Machine, King Koopa is told by Fryguy that instead of destroying Waki-Waki, the Lava Machine will backfire and destroy the volcano; just as Fryguy says this, a pipe attached to the Lava Machine burst, spewing lava everywhere.

Dropping Toad, King Koopa rushes over to the Fireproof Lava Boat with Princess Toadstool; seeing King Koopa and Princess Toadstool coming, Mario, grabbing a life preserver attached to a rope, throws it in King Koopa's path. Accidentally stepping on this life preserver, King Koopa is knocked to the ground when Mario pulls the rope attached to the life preserver. With King Koopa having tripped, Princess Toadstool is flung through the air, only to safely land in Luigi's arms. Nearby, the Lava Machine bursts, sending a wave of lava throughout the volcano and causing King Koopa and Fryguy to run away. As King Koopa and Fryguy flee, Toad, who is surrounded by lava, begins to panic, only to be saved by Mario, who throws the life preserver around Toad's waist and pulls him aboard the Fireproof Lava Boat. Once safely aboard the Fireproof Lava Boat, Toad begins to wonder whether or not the Fireproof Lava Boat will work.

With the lava quickly approaching, King Koopa and Fryguy begin to run as Mario, Luigi, Toad and Princess Toadstool use the Fireproof Lava Boat to ride a wave of lava. After having his tail singed several times by lava, King Koopa finally sees a way to escape the lava and jumps into the mouth of an artificial-looking Hawkmouth, abandoning Fryguy. As they ride the wave of lava down a tunnel, Princess Toadstool, Luigi, Toad and Mario see the tunnels end coming up fast; instead of crashing into the wall at the tunnels end though, Mario, Luigi, Toad and Princess Toadstool smash through it and making a skidding landing on the beach of Waki-Waki, near several cheering Aloha People.

Later, having explained everything that has happened, Mario, Luigi, Toad and Princess Toadstool gain a tearful apology from Scooter. As Scooter apologizes to them, Toad sees some smoke signals emanating from the top of the volcano, which Luigi thinks means trouble. As Luigi falls to his knees, Scooter reassures him, saying the smoke signals are from Waki-Waki, who is saying he is alright and that Mario, Luigi, Toad and Princess Toadstool deserve a spaghetti luau.

Afterwards, on the beach, Mario, Luigi, Toad, Princess Toadstool, Scooter and the Aloha People are all gathered around the Fire God, who is cooking a pot of spaghetti, which is being heated by a caged and chained Fryguy. Being handed a plate of spaghetti by the Fire God, Mario begins to eat, saying that now he knows why this place is called paradise, while steam shoots from his ears.