Foreman Spike

Spike riding in a backhoe.
Spike
Species	Human
Debut	Wrecking Crew

Foreman Spike is one of Mario's earliest rivals, predating even Bowser and the character Wario of whom Spike is often thought to have been the basis for.

Background

Foreman Spike first appeared as a rival for Mario in the game Wrecking Crew. Here he appeared on the other side of the demolition site, knocking out different areas in an attempt to beat Mario. He also employed Gotcha Wrenches and Eggplant Men to slow down Mario's progress and would attack Mario himself by trying to hit a wall Mario was currently beside. His motives were unknown, since he was apparently in charge of the demolition.

Spike later made an unusual return in the Japan-only Wrecking Crew '98. His design was altered in that he lost his beard and gained a slick mustache in its place. In this game, he is the second-to-last boss in the normal path. This time he worked for Bowser, making Spike part of the Mushroom Kingdom. After Spike was defeated, he beame a playable character in 2-player mode, marking the first time Spike was playable in a game. In this game, he was referred to as "Blackie", which is his Japanese name.

He makes one final and surprising return in the again, Japanese-only Mobile Golf as a playable character. This game returned Spike to his original appearance of having a beard and being dressed more like a standard construction worker. His stats in this game are unknown.

Trivia

• According the official website for Portal: Super Smash Bros. series, Mario's brown costume in that series is based on Foreman Spike.
• In Super Mario Maker, Foreman Spike's original appearance is one of the random costumes that Mario can wear as Costume Mario after touching a Mystery Mushroom.