Invincible Mario
Invincible Mario is a form Mario assumes after using a Star. In this state, which only lasts for a few seconds, he is resistant to any enemy. Additionally, he is able to defeat them by simply touching them. He is not protected from falling into a pit or dying when time is up, however. Invincible Mario, just like the Star, made his first appearance in Super Mario Bros. Invincibility is depicted by a flashing, and, in later games, also color-changing character. Since this is not really a transformation, Mario can become invincible and mantain the form he had before, for example, if he is Fire Mario and gets a Star, he becomes invincible, but he is still in Fire form. Wario can also become invincible in Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 using a Starman as well. In most games, when Mario, upon being touched by an enemy for example, changes his form to a less powerful one (usually Small Mario), he will be invulnerable for a few seconds as well.
In the Mario Kart series, every driver could become invincible by collecting and using a Star, allowing them to make other drivers slide or tumble by touching them. In Super Mario Galaxy, there is a similar form, named Rainbow Mario.
In Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World and New Super Mario Bros., there are some ? Blocks that normally contain coins but will contain Starmen if Mario or Luigi is invincible when they strike the block. This allows the player to string together a long period of invincibility.
Starting in Super Mario World, Invincible Mario could get extra lives by defeating nine or more enemies while invincible. This was later added to the Game Boy Advance version of Super Mario World.
