The Fire of Hercufleas

"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 .
* 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 , 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 ==
File:TSMBSS - Volume 1 (DVD, 2006) Shout Factory.png|The Super Mario Bros. Super Show - Volume 1 (DVD, 2006)
File:Mario Bros. Mix (DVD, 2009).jpg|Mario Bros. Mix: Limited Edition (DVD, 2009)
File:TSMBSS - Volume 1 (DVD, 2012) NCircle re-release.jpg|The Super Mario Bros. Super Show - Volume 1 (DVD, 2012) (NCircle Re-release)
File:Mario Mega Mix! (DVD, 2015).jpg|Mario Mega Mix! (DVD, 2015)
fr:L'incendie
it:Il fuoco di Ercolino
Category:Episodes of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!