When it comes to objects found within the universe of Super Mario, it's generally best to be somewhat ignorant of their origins. Yes, we might ponder who built the numerous green pipes found within the Mushroom Kingdom and why there are so many question blocks floating about, but really - why worry?
If you've found yourself wondering exactly how 1-Up Mushrooms came to be, then a 1996 Super Mario 64 manga has the answer for you. As highlighted by Supper Mario Broth on Twitter (thanks, Time Extension), it appears that the mushrooms actually grow from Mario's dead body.
Pretty grim, right? Just imagine some poor Toad digging up a 1-Up Mushoom only to stumble upon the rotten corpse of Mario. Yeesh.
Of course, we can't really consider this information to be canon, but it's certainly an intriguing, if slightly disturbing, explanation for the existence of 1-Up Mushrooms. It's making us wish for a Mario game with oceans of bizarre lore and backstory - how about it, Nintendo?
Supper Mario Broth has also previously detailed an equally grim exploit for Super Mario 64 in which you can actually wipe out the entire penguin family found within Cool, Cool Mountain. Talk about harsh!