Besuch vom anderen Stern
The title of this article is official, but it comes from a German source.
If an acceptable English name is found, then the article should be moved to the new title.
"Besuch vom anderen Stern" is a story from the Super Mario Bros. Comic-Magazin Nr. 1 edition of the Super Mario Bros. series of comics. This comic told as an entry from the Plumber's Log, with it having a log number of 366. The first page features artwork from the cover of "The Buddy System."
Plot synopsis[edit]
Luigi has set out to polish the windows of Mario Bros. Plumbing, located in Brooklyn. However, while he is cleaning and shining the windows, Mario has nothing else on his mind but cooking tortellinis with cauliflower, with steam quickly fogging up the recently cleaned windows again. Luigi, angry by this, says that it is a disaster.
However, Luigi's troubles are not over, as when Mario fails to catch the mushroom omelet with the pan he tosses up, scrambled eggs and chopped mushrooms spread across the freshly polished floor. In response, Luigi moans that he is clumsier than Barney Bear, and looks like Bud Spencer in an interview suit, mentioning that he wanted to cook tortellinis with cauliflower. However, Mario, beaming, says that he should be happy that he changed his mind; scrapping off sticky tortellinis from the floor is much worse than a delicious omelet, especially with all of the cauliflower that goes with it.
At that moment, the doorbell rings. Mario asks Luigi if he is expecting guest for dinner, though Luigi, holding a rag which he used to clean the smeared stove, shakes his head. He suggests that it may be a customer, though Mario points that today is Sunday and that the workshop is closed. However, he counters, saying the plumbing problems do not care about public holidays, citing a time where he and Luigi had to go to a house on Easter morning where the Easter Bunny came swimming towards them when they opened the door and a torrent of water brought many eggs and nests. The doorbell rings again, with Luigi urging Mario to open the door. Mario mumbles something to himself, steps on bolt cutters, and slips on the scrambled eggs, but manages to open the door.
A creature is standing at the door and greets them, before asking them if they are the Mario Bros. Mario responds that they are the best in Brooklyn, before being surprised by the creature's appearance: The creature is green and has only one eye on its forehead and what appears to be three long noodles protruding from its head. Mario asks if they are antennas, to which the creature nods, though mentions that, as there are still problems in the wiring, it is has to carry them. It continues by explaining that it can receive RTL every Sunday at noon.
Luigi, having put away the scouring cloth and turned off the stove, tells Mario to stop speaking of pointless things and ask their visitor what it actually wants. Mario, after stumbling briefly, asks for the creature's name, to which it responds that it is Green Noodle. Mario is impressed by its name and asks for it to sit down in the stove, explaining it would pair nicely with a gorgonzola soufflé. However, Luigi tells him that he has not here to whet his appetite, before telling Noodle to take a seat. He then asks him what they can help him with.
The extraterrestrial explains that he has come from the distant planet of Scampione, which is located where the Milky Way and Wermut-Boulevard intersect, which Mario comments that it must be somewhere in The Bronx. He continues by explaining that he needs to enter a black hole, otherwise he will travel light years on the road and be completely moldy when he returns, explaining that nothing is worse than a moldy green noodle, with Luigi agreeing. He explains that the black hole is similar to a dimension slide, where, upon a fraction of minus seconds, he will be back home. However, he mentions that the black hole is clogged.
Mario, having misheard him and thinking that the black hole is mended, explains that Noodle needs to go a tailor and not a plumber, directing him to the nearest tailor, which is three streets to the right. However, Luigi corrects him, saying that the black hole is clogged, not mended, explaining that he is already at the correct address. However, Mario questions how they can unclog a black hole, explaining that it is a cosmological phenomenon, and that they are merely plumbers.
However, Green Noodle reminds him that they are the best in Brooklyn, explaining that he said that to himself. Mario admits that this is true, though explains that they have no experience with clogged black holes, mentioning that they cannot use a rubber vacuum cleaner to unclog it. He then takes the vacuum standing in the center of the table and looks at it scrutinizingly, but shakes his head, explaining that even with the most hope in the world, it would be impossible to perform this task. Green Noodle urges Mario to give it a try, explaining that he brought the black hole with him. He then places the black hole on the table.
Mario becomes upset and explains that the extraterrestrial cannot put a hole on their table, though Luigi urges Mario to calm down, explaining that it is clogged. Mario stokes the surface of table where the hole lies with his hand, and explains that there is no hole in it; it is merely a black circle on wood. Noodle explains that it is completely impossible to enter the black hole, and asks them to do something so he can go back home. Luigi comforts the creature and wipes a tear from his eye, because he thinks of the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, where he had cried so much. He then assures Noodle that they will do the best they can to unclog the black hole.
At that moment, the timer turns off the stove and turns on the TV. After a commercial featuring a happy advertising housewife, the screen turns black. A voice then announces important news for plumbers; it first explains that Drain-Free unclogs a drain, before asking them if they have ever faced the problem of unclogging a black hole. The voice then announces that Black Hole-Free clears black holes, with the screen brightening, showing a landscape filled with moon rocks, Martian deserts, and Venus jungles. Green Noodle then cries out, "Scampione! This is SCAMPIOOOONE, my home planet!" Mario and Luigi take turns staring at the screen and their visitor in amazement. After the creature shouts the name of his home planet again, clanging is heard, combined with an implosion, and the screen bursts into a thousand shards. As the TV steams and emits smoke, Noodle has disappeared.
Mario is astonished by what has happened, explaining that he jumped into the TV. Luigi agrees and stared into the TV's remains. He steps forward, looking around and shining his flashlight in all directions, but sees nothing. He mentions that Noodle is gone and has finally landed on his home planet of Scampione through television, explaining that it is unbelievable. Mario adds that there will always be miracles, especially on their show, and begins sweeping up the shards, which is not easy as some have mixed with the mushroom omelet. Luigi asks what they should do with the black hole still on table, to which Mario responds that they should take it as a plate coaster.
Half an hour later, the Mario Bros. finally have dinner. There are fried squid rings from a frozen pack; however, Mario had left to stew for too long, resulting in some of now highly resembling black holes. Nevertheless, everything that had happened to Mario and Luigi appears to be a dream if not for dessert and a police officer that stands at the door and asks sternly if the spaceship parked in a no parking zone is theirs.
Characters[edit]
- Mario
- Luigi
- Green Noodle
- Police officer
Notable mistakes and errors[edit]
- On the second page, when seeing Scampione on the TV, Green Noodle incorrectly refers to it as "Scorpione" once.
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| German | Besuch vom anderen Stern[1] | Vistor from another Star |
Notes[edit]
- Green Noodle mentions that he can receive RTL through his antennas, the same channel that the original German dubs of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! and The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 aired on, which is also mentioned on every issue of the Super Mario Bros. Video-Comic-Magazin except the first issue.[2][3]
