Sphinx (monument)

Mario holding the nose of the Sphinx, which he has accidentally broken off.

The Sphinx, more precisely called the Great Sphinx of Giza, is a statue in Egypt with the head of a human and the body of a lion. One of its most striking features is its missing nose, the reason for which is still dubious. The Club Nintendo comic "Mario's Picross" implies that Mario is accountable for it.

In this story, Mario travels to Egypt, but gets pushed off the plane by Bowser. Luckily for Mario, he is able to grab onto a rock spur, which however turns out to be the nose of the Sphinx. It breaks off and Mario falls down. Some Egyptians observe this accident and get angry at the plumber, calling him a "nose-breaker" and a "philistine" and chasing him. His attempt to escape fails, so he gets arrested.