Rubber Band

“	Ooooh, I have HAD it with your show stealing and grandstanding! You wish to be the STAR? Fine! Come on up and face the MUSIC!	„
	~ The Rubber Band challenging Paper Mario upon his survival of the third play.

“	No, no, NO! The star of the show isn't Mario, you uncultured HACKS! The real superstar... is MEEE!	„
	~ Rubber Band shortly before formally introducing himself.

The Rubber Band, also called the Elastic Entertainer, is a major antagonist that is encountered in Paper Mario: The Origami King. A member of King Olly's Legion of Stationery, he is the guardian of the Blue Origami Streamer, and the second member of the Legion Mario fights. Like all members of the Legion of Stationary, he is a sentient object, with himself being a rubber band.

Biography

Prior to his battle, the Rubber Band trapped the Mushroom People with his rubber bands within Big Sho' Theater, forcing them to watch him perform in his show. Paper Mario shows up and tries to steal the show, but he gets chastised by the Rubber Band for winning, as that was not part of the show's script. This provokes the Rubber Band into making his entrance in a rather extravagant fashion. Paper Mario and the Rubber Band then duel.

The Rubber Band has a unique defense mechanic where he launches some of his rubber bands onto the stage. If Paper Mario steps on these traps, he will be ejected one space in the direction the band was pointing. Paper Mario will be forced to forfeit his turn should his path cross the same rubber band twice.

The Rubber Band attacks by throwing his rubber bands at Paper Mario with the Rubber Bind technique, attempting to trap him, but this can be easily guarded. If the Rubber Band does succeed in trapping Paper Mario, he will then follow up with a technique called Trapped Snapback, which is more powerful than his regular Snapback technique, although it can be dodged by jumping at the right time. Normal attacks that hit his body will deal very little damage, but will cause him to drop his rubber bands, which will crawl back to his body to refill the lost stamina. Paper Mario has to use his 1,000-Fold Arms technique to really deal damage to the boss by pulling on his rubber bands. After his health bar drops to half, the Rubber Band will attack faster.

Once Paper Mario depletes his health bar enough, the Rubber Band will collapse and reveal his core, which can attack by snapping at Paper Mario with the Solo Snapback technique. Paper Mario has to use his 1,000-Fold Arms to send the Rubber Band's core flying out of his stage.

After his defeat, the Rubber Band yells his final words, claiming his goal was to truly make the theater great. He then finally accepts defeat, falls dead, and explodes, freeing the captive Mushroom People.

After Olivia's wish reverts her brother's actions, Rubber Band turns back into rubber bands.

Appearance

The Rubber Band has the shape of a humanoid figure at first, with a mainly yellow body with black and light blue highlights made of rubber bands. His core is a large, yellow rubber band imbued with King Olly's face that hides at the center.

Quotes

“	ATTENTION, honored guests of Big Sho' Theater! Your attention, if you please! Today's VERY special performance will begin VERY shortly. So fill those seats before I SNAP! My patience is stretching thin! I shan't tell you TWICE!	„
	~ The Rubber Band's first words, albeit over a loudspeaker.

“	ARGH! That's NOT how that scene was written! They were supposed to POP you to SMITHEREENS! Ugh. I DESPISE improvisation.	„
	~ The Rubber Band's angered response to Paper Mario surviving the first play.

“	UGH! That's NOT how that act was supposed to end! I mean, really! There's no way Mario is actually THAT strong! Talk about a STRETCH! You Paper Macho goons had better band together in the NEXT act... or I may SNAP!	„
	~ The Rubber Band upon Paper Mario surviving the second play.

“	Behold the power of my rubber bands! Let's see how well you take stage direction, ha ha!	„
	~ Rubber Band after he launches his rubber bands onto the stage to redirect Paper Mario's movement when he begins his battle.

“	Ow! Hey! Don't YANK* on my rubber bands like that! That's no way to treat a star!*	„
	~ Rubber Band reacting the first time to Paper Mario's 1,000-Fold Arms Attack.

“	Prepare yourselves! Here comes my Rubber Bind attack!	„
	~ The Rubber Band shooting his rubber bands to attack the first time.

“	Olivia: Ew! It's all wiggly and wobbly! Rubber Band: The curtain's pulled back! I've been EXPOSED! You've reduced my ensemble to a one-man band! You'll pay for that!	„
	~ The Rubber Band revealing his weak point after Paper Mario pulls off all the boss's rubber bands.

“	(Groaning) It wasn't supposed to end like this, Mario... The AGONY! The BRUTALITY! The sheer injustice of it all! Oh, muses! Oh, bard! Have you TRULY forsaken me for these flimsy, flat PAPERY beings!? I wanted to make things GRAND! Eliminate things DULL and bland! Alas, this was my FINAL stand. It's curtains for poor Rubber- (gasps and collapses, then explodes)	„
	~ The Rubber Band's last words.