Character Profile--Spike

Author: Steven Applebaum (Redstar)

April 3, 2011

Richard Edson as "Spike" in Super Mario Bros.

Much like Toad, Iggy and Spike provide insight to Mario and Luigi into the current situation of the parallel world. They explain the crucial function of the meteorite shard and its role in Koopa’s plan as well as the nature of Koopa’s corrupt government, both of which makes Mario and Luigi understand the true extent of the danger they’re in.

While they start out as bumbling villains, the two become allies to Mario and Luigi in the third act of the film following a boost of intelligence. They aid the two brothers in a crucial scene before being arrested for inciting revolution against Koopa, at which point they begin to slip from the story until a surprise return at the end.

Appearances

Iggy and Spike are first seen sitting in their car eating "dog" while discussing their failure to capture the right "girl." Just then, Iggy notices Daisy crossing the street on the way to a payphone. He decides that she's the girl they've since failed to locate.

IGGY
Sure it's her. I mean, two arms, one
head, two legs…

SPIKE
Then get moving. He's gonna kill us if
we blow it again.

They tail Daisy on the street, waiting for the opportune moment to abduct her. Spike breaks off to make the grab, but is thwarted due to his own stupidity when he runs right into a glass pane. Iggy quickly punishes him, Three Stooges-style.

"I missed..."

The two are next seen several shots later back in their car, obviously attempting to look inconspicuous as they watch Daisy across the street with Mario and Luigi. She accepts a ride from the two brothers, which forced Iggy and Spike to wait for their next opportunity at grabbing her.

This moment finally comes later that night following Mario and Luigi’s double-date dinner with Daniella and Daisy. Luigi and Daisy leave first, departing one way while Mario and Daniella leave soon after the other way. Iggy and Spike, having missed Daisy’s departure, now think that Daniella is the girl they’re looking for, only in disguise. They begin to trail her and Mario to Daniella’s apartment. Once there, they wait until Mario has left to run up to Daniella and bag her, muffling her screams as they carry her away.

However, they soon realize their mistake and return to our world to attempt to capture Daisy again. They argue between themselves as they make their way through the underground tunnel, then stop short once they detect Daisy, Luigi and Mario nearby. They begin moving in a herky-jerky fashion as their reptilian instincts take over. They’re on the hunt.

Iggy and Spike then come up behind Mario and Luigi as they’re about to finish fixing flooding pipes and knock them out by hitting them in their heads. They then grab Daisy and pull her to the portal. Mario and Luigi wake up a few seconds later and begin to chase after them, hearing Daisy’s cries. They come up to a seemingly solid-wall, confused that they haven’t found anything. However, Daisy’s face appears in the wall before being pulled back into it by Iggy and Spike’s arms.

The two henchman then pull Daisy along through the wild streets of Dinohattan while Mario and Luigi give chase. They manage to elude them by calling down a Wiggler cab, driving off into the city where Mario and Luigi can’t find them.

They then visit Koopa, informing him that they’ve finally capture the girl. Excited, Koopa asks where the meteorite shard is. Iggy and Spike, realizing their mistake, tell him that “the plumbers took it.”

"The plumbers took it."

Iggy and Spike then don’t return until after Mario and Luigi escape into the desert through the Koopahari Work Tunnel. They inform Koopa of this, who orders them to locate and capture them. However, they’re too dumb, which forces Koopa to increase their intelligence through the use of the de-evolution technology.

Once in the desert, Iggy and Spike locate Mario and Luigi and give chase in their dune buggy. However, they begin arguing and fly from a cliff. They’re thrown into a sand pit, where Mario and Luigi rescue and interrogate them. They reveal Koopa’s plan and why the meteorite shard is a necessary component to it.

"We're gonna leave you to these guys--for lunch."

"We're gonna leave you to these guys--for lunch."

In exchange for the meteorite shard, Iggy and Spike agree to help Mario and Luigi rescue Daisy. The four hijack a Sludge Gulper garbage truck and drive back into the city, where they enter the Boom Boom Bar to attempt getting the shard back from Big Bertha. They sit at the bar and begin to drink, later becoming intoxicated enough to spring into a rap inciting Koopa’s downfall. This leads to their arrest once Lena and several Goombas arrive at the bar.

She takes them to Koopa, informing him that they had been preaching against him in the Boom Boom Bar. This leads into this classic exchange:

               IGGY
                (same)
Oppressor of the proletariat.

               KOOPA
                (pointing at himself)
Guy in charge.
                (to Goombas)
Arrest them.

"Daisy, I think this may come as something of a shock..."

Koopa orders their execution, though they and their Goomba-escort run into Daisy when she’s attempting to escape from Koopa’s suite. They plead for her assistance, escaping with her once she does. They inform her that they knew her father, even being one of his most loyal supporters, and take her to meet him. Once they do, they make their departure and don’t reappear until the end of the film in a post-credits bonus scene.

"The Super Koopa Cousins!"

Finally, after the devolution and defeat of Koopa at the end of the movie, King Bowser is shown reverting back to his humanoid form. Lance Henriksen, in a brief cameo, portrays the humanoid Bowser in the regal attire of a monarch. He remarks that he "Loves those plumbers" before the movie returns to Mario and Luigi, celebrating with Daisy and the rest of Dinohattan.