Just Deserts

Just Deserts is an issue of the Super Mario comic series published by the Nintendo Comics System.

Synopsis
While in the desert, King Toadstool is driving a go-kart with Mario and Luigi in the back. Unfortunately, they run over a cactus, which shreds the wheels. The King rests on his portable throne while Mario and Luigi attempt to fix the tires. Meanwhile, King Koopa and his Cobrat minions are in their hidden headquarters under a pyramid. The King jumps into a spring, though Mario and Luigi believe it's just a mirage. However, the King starts splashing around, exciting Mario and Luigi as they jumped in as well. The water vanishes, and Mario and Luigi hit the sand. The brothers hop into their go-kart and drive, searching for the King.

They arrive on top of Koopa's hideout, and the pyramid rises, leaving Mario and Luigi atop the pyramid. They drive down, but go through a window into the pyramid, where they find the oasis and the King. Mario finds an exit and presses the "Master Mirage" button, destroying Koopa's fortress and sending Koopa and the cobrats in the middle of the desert. Mario then turns the go-kart into a limousine using the mirage controller as the three of them drive back to the Mushroom Kingdom.

Trivia

 * King Koopa's design in this comic is the closest any of the Nintendo Comics System installments came to using his design from the games. However, just like in all his other NCS appearances, he is still colored about the same as in the DiC Entertainment television cartoons, and he still has a crown instead of a mane.