Marx
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KirbySymbol.svg

Official artwork of Marx in Kirby Super Star.

A boss in Ultimate
Universe Kirby
Console of origin Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Article on WiKirby Marx

Marx (マルク, Marx) is a character from the Kirby series, and is the primary antagonist of the Milky Way Wishes game in Kirby Super Star. He appears as a boss in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Origin

 
Marx confronting Kirby in Kirby Super Star Ultra.

Marx made his debut as a major character in the Kirby Super Star game Milky Way Wishes. In the game, Marx asks Kirby to gather the power of surrounding stars to awaken the giant comet, Galactic Nova, so the sun and moon can stop fighting. Once Kirby finds and awakes Nova, Marx appears and asks it for the ability to rule Pop Star. Nova grants Marx's wish, causing him to become larger and grow crystal wings. After Kirby defeats him, Marx is sent flying into Nova, their impact causing them to explode.

Marx appears as the final boss of Milky Way Wishes, and, subsequently, the whole entirety of Kirby Super Star. He also appears as the final boss of The Arena sub-game. In The True Arena sub-game from Kirby Super Star Ultra, Marx's unconscious body absorbs the remaining energy from Nova, transforming him into Marx Soul.

In addition to these appearances, Marx appears as the final boss in the Kirby Mass Attack sub-game Kirby Brawlball, and as both a playable character and a secret boss in Kirby Star Allies.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. 4

While Marx does not make an appearance, a remix of the theme that plays when fighting him in Kirby Super Star, Vs. Marx, appears in Brawl and Smash 4 as a music track.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Marx's boss theme from Brawl returns as a music track.

As a boss

 
Marx (True Form) as he appears in Ultimate.

In Ultimate, Marx appears as a boss at the end of Kirby's, Rosalina & Luma's, and Inkling's Classic Mode run, as well as in Adventure Mode: World of Light. Sephiroth also faces Marx during his Classic Mode, as with most other bosses in the game, though not as the final round. Normally, Vs. Marx plays during the battle, but Calamari Inkantation plays in Inkling's route, and Galeem / Dharkon plays during the boss rush. His voice appears similar to the one heard in Kirby Star Allies. His battle takes place in the Mysterious Dimension, which is in The Dark Realm.

 

Marx's boss fight starts off with him using the moves that he similarly used against Kirby in Kirby Super Star:

  • When the fighter gets close, he will teleport some distance away from them.
  • Marx performs the Shooter Cutter, sending out four crescent blades from his body that all circle back to him. He may perform this move twice in a row, a reference to when Marx Soul does the attack. The blades can be reflected or eaten.
  • Marx moves to the side of the screen to charge up and blast a large Marx Laser. This attack deals darkness damage.
  • Marx floats to the top of the screen and drops a large Ice Ball that explodes into two ice balls that spread out horizontally based on the player's position; they freeze the player on contact. It can be reflected or eaten. The ice balls can also be absorbed.
  • Marx flies offscreen and does a Seed attack, dropping five to seven small seeds that disappear into the ground. Large, thorny, plant-like growths will grow upward from where the seeds landed.
  • A shadow appears on the ground and follows the player. After a bit of time, the shadow doubles in size and Marx flies out of it with a Shadow Uppercut.
  • Marx splits in two, opening a Black Hole that will attempt to absorb the player. If the player gets caught, they will take massive damage and get spiked into the ground. Marx often prefaces this attack with multiple teleports from side to side, until stopping at the exact center of the screen.

However, Marx has moves neither seen in his original game or from his Soul incarnation in Kirby Super Star Ultra:

  • Marx's eyes go completely black, then black balls come out of them and start bouncing around the stage, dealing darkness damage to the player if they hit.
  • Marx moves to the middle of the screen and retracts his wings, where pink, branching appendages resembling blood vessels grow out instead, spreading across the screen and dealing fire damage to the player. The attack is vertically mirrored. There are two variations: one in which the appendages fill the center bottom of the screen while leaving the corners untouched and vice-versa.
  • Marx grows large compound eyes that send out multiple laser beams from the eyes.

Upon defeat, Marx screams and starts flying around the stage sporadically. His wings break off as he reverts to his smaller form and lands face first on the ground. His body also temporarily alights in a purple flame that simmers out just before the screen fades out.

As a costume

 
Marx's hat as Mii Fighter headgear.

Marx's hat is available for the Mii Fighters in the shop.

Spirits

Marx also appears in the game as a spirit in both his normal and true form.

No. Image Name Type Class Slots Base   Max   Base   Max   Base   Max   Ability Series
347 Marx
 
★★ 3 1588 6355 1001 4004 587 2351 Can Be Enhanced at Lv. 99 Kirby Series
348 Marx (True Form)
 
★★★★ 3 4354 10886 2533 6333 1654 4135 Magic Attack ↑ Kirby Series

Gallery

Trivia

  • Marx is the only boss to be fought in Adventure Mode that does not have an area themed after his game of origin. His area appears to be a destroyed variant of various locales in the World of Light, as opposed to Planet Popstar's moon, on which he is fought in Kirby Super Star. His boss arena appears visually similar to its original appearance, however.
  • Just like in his original boss fight, players can avoid his giant laser beam by ducking under it.
  • Marx is one of three universe-representing bosses who had not appeared in previous Smash games; the other two are Dracula and Rathalos.
    • Marx is the only first-party boss with this distinction, as Dracula and Rathalos were made by Konami and Capcom respectively.
  • Marx is the smallest boss fought in the game, as his wings lack hurtboxes and he appears even smaller than numerous fighters.
  • Marx's arrow attack is his only attack from his original boss fight in Kirby Super Star to not appear as an attack in his Smash boss fight.
  • Marx is the only boss in the World of Light whose primary spirit is not classified as a Neutral type; instead, Marx is a Grab-type Primary spirit.
  • According to Masahiro Sakurai in his Sephiroth presentation, Marx was initially a lot creepier and was not suitable for all audiences, so he had to be softened.[1] As Marx has more attacks in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate than Kirby Super Star, it is unclear which game Sakurai was referring to.

References

  1. ^ Nintendo UK (December 17, 2020). Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Battling with Sephiroth (Nintendo Switch). YouTube. Retrieved December 17, 2020.