"The Fire of Hercufleas" is the fourteenth animated episode of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!. It is paired with the live-action segment "The Marios Fight Back."

Plot[]

Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool and Toad arrive in the ancient city of Mythos in search of one of Toad's friends, the legendary hero Hercufleas, whom they think can help them against King Koopa. As they admire the statue of Hercufleas, Mouser shows up riding on a chariot. The group jumps onto the pedestals around the area and pretend to be statues. Mouser doesn't notice them and moves on. With Mouser gone, the group goes to meet Hercufleas but find that he's gotten massively out of shape since Toad last saw him. Hercufleas informs them that he gave up on hero work in favor of the more steady work of guarding the Great Balls of Fire.

Meanwhile King Koopa decides to send in his Beezos to obtain the Great Balls of Fire. While the Beezos are afraid to perform this task, King Koopa assures them that Hercufleas will be no trouble. The Beezos fly towards Hercufleas' temple while he apologizes for his inability to aid the Marios. Just then, the Beezos fly in and attempt to steal the Great Balls of Fire. While Hercufleas attempts to stop them, they manage to accomplish their mission with ease and humiliate the former hero in the process. The Marios give chase but are chased off by King Koopa using his new weapon against them.

It's decided that they need Hercufleas' help but he is unsure of how he can help them being in such terrible shape. Mario concludes only a rigorous exercise program will help the has-been hero get back to where he was. They start the exercise program and while Hercufleas has trouble at first, he soon returns to his former athletic self. With Hercufleas back in action the group goes to reclaim the Great Balls of Fire.

The group attacks King Koopa and while Hercufleas is now much more effective in his approach, he still cannot overcome the power of the Great Balls of Fire. The group scatters and Toad is chased off a cliff. In order to break his fall, he grabs a Fire Flower and becomes "Super Toad."

Toad returns and fights King Koopa. It seems to be a stalemate until King Koopa runs out of fireballs. With nothing to defend himself he flees the scene. Hercufleas is upset that he is still a poor hero as he failed to save the Great Balls of Fire and capture King Koopa but Toad rekindles the flames with his own fireballs. The group leaves the revived hero who has made a statue of Toad in thanks for his help.

Trivia/Goofs[]

• Mario mentions another relative in this episode, Grandma Mio.
• The scene where Hercufleas runs up the steps of his temple is a spoof of the film Rocky.
• Even though King Koopa's minions wear outfits to match the land they are in, King Koopa doesn't wear a costume in this episode.
• While Hercufleas is an obvious spoof on Hercules, it is never revealed if he is a demigod or a mortal. Since the "fleas" reference usually refer to a dog, the hero is a human being like the Mario Bros. and the Princess.

Availability[]

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Animated characters	Protagonists	Luigi • Mario • Princess Toadstool • Toad
	Antagonists	King Koopa • Mouser • Tryclyde
	Other characters	Albatoss • Angry Sun • Autobomb • Beezo • Bingo • Birdo • Birdoroo • Black Pit Bob-Omb • Bloober • Bob-Omb • Bomb Net • Brutius Maximus Grouchimus • Bullet Bill • Bunsen • Butterfingers • Calamity Clam • Captain Abidab • Captain Clump • Cave People • Cheepy • Clawgrip • Cowazaurus • Cobrat • Dealin' Delbert • Dr. Nerdnick • Dr. Sheldon • Dr. T. Garden • Elves • Elvin Parsley • Fire God • Flab Boys • Flaky • Flurry • Fryguy • Genie • George Washingtoad • Giant Birdo • Goomba • Goomba (zombie) • Goomba Biker Gang • Goomba Mummy • Goosey • Gramma Toadstool • Gramps • Grunt • Hammer Brother • Harry • Hercufleas • Herlock Solmes • Hooded Robin • Hoopster • Koopa Paratroopa • Koopa Troopa • Lakitu • Mousersaurus Rex • Ninji • Ostro • Phanto • Pidgit • Indiana Joe • James Blond • Joliet • Joliet's father • June and Ward • Killer Kitty of the Kaskervilles • King James • King Neptune • Mark Twang • Mayor Fettuccine • Mermushrooms • Mervin the Magician • Misaki • Mouth of the River • Mr. President • Mr. Mayor • Mugga • Murphy • Mushroom People • Mushroom Rebel • Obi-Wan Toadi • Outback mayor • Patches • Pine • Piranha Plant • Pokey • Porcupo • Prince Pompadour • Pronto • Quirks • Robo Shyguy • Robo Koopa • Romano • Romano's father • Royal Cow • Salvador Drainado • Sam Shalam • Santa Claus • Scooter • Secret Agent N • Shyguy • Shyguy Lion • Slammer • Snifit • Space Troopa • Spark • Spider • Spiny • Spiny Egg • State Troopa • Stool Pigeon • Stormtroopa • Super Troopa • The Three Mushrooms • Thunder Birdo • Trouter • Tweeter • Tweeter Bat • Waldo the Wizard • Wereturtle • Whale • Zero
Live-action characters	Characters	Clog • CooKoo Bird • Edison • Luigi • Mario • Ratagator
	Guests	Alligator Dundee • Angelica • Aunt Luigeena • Brian Bonsall • Captain Lou Albano • Cher • Count Zoltan Dracula • Cyndi Lauper • David Horowitz • Doc Freud • Dr. Frankenstein • Dr. Sigmund Fruitcake • Dr. Toby • E.C. • Einstein • Ellie Mae • Elvira • Elvis Presley • Ernie Hudson • Exterminator • Frankenstein's Monster • Fred Van Winkle • George Washington • Grandma Mario • HAL 9001 • Harry Blackstone Jr. • Howard Stevens • Ike • Imperial Poobah • Inspector Gadget • Inspector Klean • Jim Lange • Jodie • Kenneth • Little Robert • Liz • Luigeena • Luigi's girlfriend • Lyle Alzado • Mad Donna • Madam AGoGo • Magic Johnson • Mama Mario • Marianne • Marilyn • Mario Joe and Luigi Bob • Mikhail S. Gorbachev • Monster • Mr. Gibbel • Mr. President • Mrs. Gammliss • Mrs. Periwinkle • Nick • Nicole Eggert • Obi-Wan Cannoli • Pam Matteson • Patty • Patty's mother and father • Pietro • Poochie • Ralph Washington • Rob Stone • Rowdy Roddy Piper • Roxanne • Sgt. Slaughter • Shabba-Doo • Slime Ghost • Super Plant • Susanna Ross • Tawny Tyler • Ted Bull • The Old Psychic Lady with the Evil Eye Who Reads Fortunes and Knows Everything Before it Happens • Tommy Lasagna • Vincent Van Gook • Willy White • Young McDonald
Episodes	Animated	The Bird! The Bird! • King Mario of Cramalot • Butch Mario & The Luigi Kid • Mario's Magic Carpet • Rolling Down the River • The Great Gladiator Gig • Mario and the Beanstalk • Love 'Em and Leave 'Em • The Great BMX Race • Stars in Their Eyes • Jungle Fever • Brooklyn Bound • Toad Warriors • The Fire of Hercufleas • Count Koopula • Pirates of Koopa • Two Plumbers and a Baby • The Adventures of Sherlock Mario • Do You Princess Toadstool Take this Koopa...? • The Pied Koopa • Koopenstein • On Her Majesty's Sewer Service • Mario and Joliet • Too Hot to Handle • Hooded Robin and His Mario Men • 20,000 Koopas Under the Sea • Mighty McMario and the Pot of Gold • Mario Meets Koop-zilla • Koopa Klaus • Mario and the Red Baron Koopa • The Unzappables • Bad Rap • The Mark of Zero • The Ten Koopmandments • The Koopas are Coming! The Koopas are Coming! • The Trojan Koopa • Quest for Pizza • The Great Gold Coin Rush • Elvin Lives • Plummers Academy • Karate Koopa • Mario of the Apes • Princess, I Shrunk the Mario Brothers • Little Red Riding Princess • The Provolone Ranger • Escape from Koopatraz • Mario of the Deep • Flatbush Koopa • Raiders of the Lost Mushroom • Crocodile Mario • Star Koopa • Robo Koopa
	Live	Neatness Counts • Day of the Orphan • All Steamed Up • Marianne and Luigeena • Slime Busters • The Mario Monster Mash • Bonkers From Yonkers • Bats in the Basement • Will the Real Elvis Please Shut Up! • Magic's Magic • Mama Mia Mario • Alligator Dundee • Dance • Cher's Poochie • Wild Thing • E.C. The Extra Creepy • The Marios Fight Back • Magician • Do You Believe In Magic? • Mommies Curse • Lost Dog • Plumbers of the Year • Mario Hillbillies • Super Plant • Fred Van Winkle • Baby Mario Love • 9001: A Mario Odyssey • Fake Bro • Time Out Luigi • Tutti Frutti, oh Mario • Flower Power • Vampire Until Ready • Heart Throb • Fortune Teller • The Magic Love • Little Marios • Gorilla My Dreams • George Washington Slept Here • Caught in a Draft • Defective Gadgetry • Toupee • The Artist • Zenned Out Mario • Texas Tea • The Great Hereafter • The Painting • Game Show Host • Home Radio • Glasnuts • Treasure of the Sierra Brooklyn • Adee Don't • Chippie Chipmunks • A Basement Divided • No Way to Treat a Queenie • Pizza Crush • Goodbye Mr. Fish • French • Two Bums From Brooklyn • Opera • Tutti Frutti Mario • Cyrano de Mario • Rowdy Roddy's Rotten Pipes • Santa Claus is Coming to Flatbush • Captain Lou Is Missing • The Ghoul of my Dreams
Live-action locations	Live-action locations	Mario Bros. Plumbing
Animated locations	Regions	Amazon Jungle • Aqua Land • Brooklyn • Brooklyn Bridge • Car Land • Caveman Land • Cloud Land • Coney Island • Cramalot • Crime Land • Desert Kingdom • Down Under Land • El Desertland • Flatbush • Grand Koopa Canyon • Happy Harbor • Jungleland • Kingdom of Youth • Koopos • Land of Ice • Land of Romance • Lava Land • Linguini Empire • Lonesome Mushroom • Mushridge • Mushroom Kingdom • Mushroom Planet • Mythis • North Pole • Oceanworld • Parsley Land • Pastaland • Pirate's Port • Pirate Waters • Pirate World • Pyramid Land • Quirk • Rap Land • River World • Robo Land • Rotundaland • Sayonara • Shamrock Kingdom • Sharewood Forest • Sharewood Village • Snow World • Sock Hop Land • Spy Land • Sudden Death Valley • Swiss Cheese Alps • Trouter Bay • Turtlevania • Victoria • Winterland • Waki-Waki • Warp Zone • Wild West
	Landmarks	Bonkers Street • Brooklyn Plumbers Academy • Chateau Koopula • Cramalot Castle • Double Cross Ranch • First Mushroom Bank • Forest of Perpetual Night and Terrible Dangers • Fort Hard Knox • Fountain of Youth • George's Gorge • King Koopa's Castle • Koopacropolis • Koopa Klub • Koopatraz State Prison • Linguini Empire Colosseum • Mushroom Colony • Outback • Pasta Pit • Quirk Factory • Rebel Fort • Rotunda Castle • Santa's workshop • Shamrock Inn • Super Spy Headquarters • Temple of Koopa • Tower of Victoria • Tunnel of Doom
Items and objects	Animated	All Purpose Portable Plumber's Helper • Aladdin's Lamp • Beanstalk • Birdo Ray • Blackbeard Koopa's Ship • Bomb Plant • Ding Bell • Excalibur • Fireball • Fire Flower • Fireproof Lava Boat • Flagpole • Flying carpet biplane • Flying Pizza • Freeze Gun • Garbage Pod • Gold Coin • Golden Plumber's Helper (King Mario of Cramalot) • Golden Plumber's Helper (Plummers Academy) • Great Balls of Fire • Heat Gun • Industrial Strength Itching Potion • Intergalactic InSinkErator • Koopa-Kola • Koop Star • Koopa Scepter • Koopa Strength Itching Powder • Koopa Surprise • Koopa's rocket • Koopilus • Lava Machine • Lightplunger • Lost Mushroom • Magic carpet • Magic doodad • Magic flute • Magic Growing Potion • Magic Shrink Potion • Magic Statue • Magical Potion • Mushroom Starfighter • Passion Potion • Peapod • Plumb-Fu • Plumber's Log • Plumbinator • Pot of Gold Coins • Power block • Red-Hot Pepper Detector • Retro Router • Robot Monster Troopa • Robo-suit • Royal Plug • Sacred Sink of Cramalot • Shrinking Sukiyaki • Sinister Star • Space Raft • Spaghetti • Spymobile • Starman • Stereo Gun • Stormtroopa Starfighter • Super Sushi • Super Sushi Shrinker • Unzappable Hat • Vegetable • Yellow spaceship
	Live-action	Mario Brothers Clog Cleaner • Mario Brothers Plant Food • Pizza Transformer • Roseitis • Secret Chippie Decoder Ring • Steam-O-Matic • Strange watch • Super Plant Growth Formula • Veggieitis