Mushroom War Earth shown after the Mushroom War Name Mushroom War Origin Earth Type Nuclear War/Apocalypse Holder Earthlings Location Earth Introduced in Tree Trunks" (evidenced)

"Video Makers" (official)

The Mushroom War (usually referred to as the Great Mushroom War) was an apocalyptic event that occurred roughly a thousand years before Adventure Time. The war crippled and eventually resulted in the near-annihilation of the human species and left their civilization in ruins throughout the Land of Ooo.

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History

Not much is known about The Mushroom War or the events leading up to it, except that it ended with a mushroom bomb being dropped on what was once America, awakening The Lich and ending most of life on Earth. The episodes "Finn the Human" and "Jake the Dog" support this, as Finn wishes the Lich, a product of the mushroom bomb, never existed. This implies that either some country used the essence of the Green Catalyst Comet to make the weapon, or it was a regular nuke that released the evil essence upon explosion. When the wish is granted, Finn is transported to a world where Simon has sacrificed himself to stop the mushroom bomb and freezes the entire Earth in the process. Despite some destruction, without the detonation of the mushroom bomb, humanity continues to exist. Also, in "Finn the Human," Farmworld Marceline suggests that the mushroom bomb likely concluded the war as she states that the world would have been annihilated if Simon had not stopped the bomb with his ice powers.

The war likely ended approximately one thousand years before the events of Adventure Time. Marceline's flashback in "Simon & Marcy" is explicitly stated in a time card in the episode to have taken place 996 years ago prior to the present setting. The exact year(s) that the war took place have never been stated, though it can be concluded that the Mushroom Bomb was dropped sometime after, at the earliest, 1985, as in "Everything Stays", Two Bread Tom, a surviving human, is depicted singing the theme song to the sitcom Mr. Belvedere, which premiered that year; in "Simon & Marcy" the Ice King is depicted singing the theme song and making reference to the sitcom Cheers, which premiered in 1982, further supporting the 1980s timeframe of the war. However, due to the appearance of a Generation 3 iMac computer in the episode The Lich, (which started becoming available to mass public consumption in 1998), it can be assumed that the war occurred sometime after the year 1998. This would also help explain why Internet-derived expressions and phrases are frequently used by characters. Modern smartphones are seen in Patience St. Pim's flashback of the human era, in "Elemental"; this could indicate that the Great Mushroom War began sometime around 2010. Further evidence that proves that the War took place in the 2000's is in the episode "Sons of Mars," where Abe Lincoln briefly shows a penny that has a date with the first two numbers being "2" and "0" (the rest of the numbers are obscured).

Aftermath

The end of the war left much of the world devastated and devoid of much life. The infrastructure that had existed throughout the land had been mostly destroyed. The little human infrastructure that survived, such as girder bridges and office buildings, now lay in ruin. Evidence of the war appear in the form of abandoned military vehicles, ruined army blockades, bombed buildings and crashed warplanes. A great deal of human technology also remained scattered throughout the land. Abandoned and destroyed vehicles were a common sight in the devastated landscape and their rusting skeletal remains can be seen in the backgrounds of several episodes. Despite the great destruction, some humans managed to survive the war, such as Simon Petrikov (Ice King), Moe, the tribe of humans led by Two Bread Tom, and the family lines that eventually led to humans in the current setting of the series, including Finn and Susan Strong; Marceline, a half-human/half-demon, also remained as one of the war's only survivors. Nonetheless, most presumably perished during the war. In "I Remember You," Simon says to Marceline that they may be alone after the apocalypse, and "Simon & Marcy" depicts a post-war society devoid of any other humans.

Some individuals survived the war through special or supernatural means. Simon Petrikov was kept alive by the magic of his crown, as he states in his note to Marceline in "I Remember You". Hunson Abadeer, Marceline's dad, was seen with Marceline in a flashback in "Memory of a Memory" in the remains of a ruined diner, though considering that he is nowhere to be seen in Marceline's flashbacks in "I Remember You" and "Simon & Marcy" it is likely that he may have been in the Nightosphere during the war and its immediate aftermath. Therefore, it can be inferred that they were separated sometime after the Mushroom War.

In "Everything Stays", it is stated that some years following the initial aftermath of the war, a major climate change developed, implied to have been a result of the war and the dropping of the bomb. Having detected abnormal atmospheric readings, Two Bread Tom's tribe of humans sailed away from their makeshift forest settlement in a renovated freighter in search of a safer place to thrive.

Despite the destruction from the war, the land slowly began to recover and soon life was once again allowed to freely inhabit the earth. Only a few signs of the nuclear devastation remained in Ooo. One example was in the episode "The Vault," where Shoko helps Princess Bubblegum establish her new kingdom by covering up an irradiated river at the site of the Candy Castle. In the process of covering it up, Shoko becomes disfigured and mutated by the effects of the waste and appears as she had in premonitions in earlier episodes of the series. The episode implies that the Candy Kingdom is built atop a pond of nuclear waste.

Along with the rise of new civilizations, such as the Candy Kingdom, a diverse variety of intelligent life settled down in Ooo. Many were able to recover or develop technology for their own use. Examples of this are universal translator devices and holographic newspapers. It is unknown whether these are based on prewar technology (the year of the war was never stated, but we know that it must have happened sometime after 1982 because the Ice King is heard singing the theme song and making reference to the sitcom Cheers in the episode "Simon & Marcy" which premiered that year) or are more recent inventions. Despite this, most human inventions, especially those related to transportation, remained lost to the inhabitants of Ooo. In "The New Frontier," Jake mentions this when he says that "rocket ships haven't been reinvented yet," implying that the technology to build conventional space-faring vessels was lost during the Mushroom War.

The first mention of the war in continuity was in "Video Makers," when Finn and Jake discover government copyright warnings before the movies they watch for their film club. Even though the civilizations that created these warnings would have been long gone by their time (and that films bought for home video usage generally are protected to be used for private usage only, which being held in a home would be considered as such), they decide to abide by them to avoid breaking the law.

Evidence or clues of former civilization

To see a chronological list of episodes, see List of episodes.

In many (but not all) episodes of Adventure Time, there are hints or clues regarding the world and the civilization that existed prior to the Mushroom War, including as follows:

Theme song

Three nukes, arrows, axes, and swords are seen. The swords, arrows, and axes imply the stagnation of technological development, in reference to an Albert Einstein quote: "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."

A pair of headphones is seen hanging on a dead tree.

Princess Bubblegum's amulet is hanging from a tree.

A severed arm (possibly belonging to Shoko) and an axe are stuck in a tree.

Two casette tapes are on the ground.

A broken television from the 21st century is in front, implying that this was possibly some sort of bomb shelter that was destroyed. An object resembling a VHS tape is near the TV, alongside a creature's skull.

Season 1

"Tree Trunks": Traffic signs, which have since somehow mutated into Sign Zombies. The painting in Tree Trunks' house appears to be of Egyptian pyramids.

"The Enchiridion!": When Finn and Jake first walk through the forest of Mount Cragdor, pieces of metal and some dryers/washers can be seen as they look for the sacred book. Some of the pieces at the top, right corner of the path may be sinks.

"Business Time": Ancient artifacts frozen in icebergs, including computers, a bike, baby shoes and the Business Men. When the Businessmen try to remember where they came from, they seem to be in pain. Finn also uses a flamethrower built from two fuel tanks connected to a rifle by a tube. A tank is also seen later in the episode.

"My Two Favorite People": When Finn and Lady Rainicorn confront Jake and Tiffany, the bottoms of upturned cars can be seen in the ground. Jake also uses a military issue phone and headset, and some mutated and regular skulls can be seen near the fire pit where Jake, Lady Rainicorn, and Finn are sitting. The bottom of Lake Szelezon is covered by a horde of gold, and the area closest to the shore has the remains of a ship wreck on it.

"The Witch's Garden": The remains of a highway system and a plane's wing can be seen near Gary's nest; The River of Junk is essentially a river of mundane pre-war garbage. A car door can also be spotted near the River of Junk. When Gary picks up Finn a computer monitor can be seen with a tree growing in it. An airplane wing can been seen nearby Gary's nest. The Video recorder that the witch uses is probably from before the war.

"Ocean of Fear": Underwater city ruins and vehicles appear, and a brief scene shows a damaged aircraft carrier and a stranded tank. An even briefer scene depicts two dead bodies on a couch in the remains of a pre-war living room. Finn and Jake also take to the depths in a submarine which contains a fire extinguisher, which is most likely from before the war. One can see the remaining tops of cars while they are floating over what might have been an ancient road. There are also ruins of old prewar buildings and battleships that can be seen when Jake tries to teach Finn to swim. A prewar tank can be seen stranded on the building as well. The buoy that Finn stands and the wrench he uses to knock himself out are most likely from before the war.

"City of Thieves": When Finn and Jake are in Penny's tent, a double barrel shotgun can be seen sitting among a pile of gold coins, and a tommy gun can also be seen in the background. In addition, the chest stolen from the tower contains what appears to be a hand-held video game system in the bottom left corner. Also, right before the wizard vanishes a can opener can be seen on the tower next to him. The fishing rod used to take Penny's basket and the boots that Jake stole are probably also from before the war. When Finn falls into the King of Thieves' room a keyboard can be seen in the background.

"What is Life?": Neptr is made from an old microwave, a tin can, small tank treads, a circuit board and insulated wires.

"Henchman": At the start of the episode, Finn and Jake are playing on the remains of what looks like a dragon. In the foreground, an old wooden boat is buried in the soil, and in the background, the remnants of a castle can be seen.

"His Hero": In Billy's cave, TVs, a bathtub, and other items can be seen lying around.

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

"Five Short Graybles": In the study of the Story Teller "A.K.A Cuber" is a holographic "globe" of Earth (similar to the globe of Earth usually used in study images), with a massive gash over a corner of the world just like Earth's depiction in "The Real You." It also seems that Finn's catapult for his "super high five" is partially made of some sort of military device.

"Web Weirdos": The piece of wall that Jake and Finn bounce off of when doing stunts seems to have rebar. When Ed goes to find Barb a present in the forest, he passes a derelict vehicle in the background and by the dead knight, one can see an electronic panel on the damaged wall to the left.

Season 5

Season 6

"James II": During the opening shot, there are rusty, old buckets near the dock next to the waterfall.

"Breezy": While Finn is singing for the first time, he walks past the ruins of a smashed boat and a TV. Lizard Kingdom seems to be the remains of some sort of residential building (judging by the mailbox out front) or an airport (again, judging by the control tower-esque part of the building). There are also ruins and refuse in and around the remains of Lumpy Space Princess' camp.

"Joshua and Margaret Investigations": The house that Joshua and Margaret live in appears to be in the middle of a derelict and bombed-out metropolis. This city is actually most likely San Francisco, since in a background shot of the city in the distance, a red suspension bridge greatly resembling the Golden Gate Bridge can be seen behind the skyscrapers. In the forest near Tree Trunks's house, an abandoned backhoe and the remains of a bank (the "Pantheon of Savings") can be found.

"Jake the Brick": As Finn journeys to meet Jake, he walks over what appears to be an old metal pipe before greeting Jake near an old abandoned house. The structure probably dates from before the Mushroom War, due to its deteriorated status.

"Dentist": When Finn is being lowered down the well, the remains of a building can be seen behind him.

"Dark Purple": While Finn, Jake, BMO, and Marceline wait for the Super Porp shipment, they hang around Squeeze-E-Mart, which looks as if it was a pre-war structure. The ruins of Beautopia reappear. In the vicinity, an underground, seemingly pre-Mushroom War soda factory is still active. Marceline mentions having drunk Super Porp frequently as a child, leading Finn to wonder how Super Porp can still be in production long after the Mushroom War.

"Jermaine": A piece of debris can be seen by the Tree House when Finn and Jake head of to meet their brother.

"You Forgot Your Floaties": Magic Man's derelict house, which is surrounded by many abandoned vehicles, is once again visited. Although the house has been retrofitted by Magic Man, its design suggests it is of pre-Mushroom War origin.

"Be Sweet": The area in and around Lumpy Space Princess’s camp is littered with bombs and swords.

"Orgalorg": Gunter has a recollection of living throughout history, which includes many events from before the Mushroom War (such as Ancient Greece, Rome, and Prohibition, to name a few).

"Hot Diggity Doom": In Princess Bubblegum's bunker, the remains of a space shuttle and a helicopter can be seen.

Season 7

Season 8

In "Hide and Seek," a flashback shows Dr. Gross showing her students "the Founder's Song." The song sing about and a video along with it shows after the mushroom war the surviving humans (who were very likely the ones seen in "Everything Stays") left the mainland and moved to the islands and repopulated for generations.

In "Min and Marty," a statue of Two Bread Tom is shown.

Season 9

In "Skyhooks II," Betty Grof suggests using the Enchiridion to create a portal to go back in time a possibly stop the Mushroom War.

In "Three Buckets," Finn and Fern walk through a field, where giant nuke bombs are seen.

Season 10

Most of "Bonnibel Bubblegum" is a flashback to 800 years prior to the series. In this time Ooo is a wasteland with very little life. A young Princess Bubblegum scavenged through the land and reached a gas station with many old items from before the war. There is even a poster with a mushroom cloud and the words "never forget", obviously referring to the Mushroom War. There is also a crashed military stealth bomber greatly resembling an F-117 Nighthawk.

In Blenanas Finn and Ice King visit the headquarters of Ble magazine. The headquarters is inside a building in the ruins of a city with most the buildings submerged underwater. Inside the headquarters are the skeletons of presumably the writers of Ble.

In "Come Along With Me" Marceline tries to convince Princess Bubblegum to call of the Gum War. She reminds her that she lived through the Mushroom War and that she would hate for a similar out come to occur. A flashback briefly occurs showing child Marceline standing in front of a destroying burning city.

In "BMO," CGO explains to BMO that Hugo and his inner circle came from Earth to escape a war (unnamed but clearly referring to the Mushroom War) and shows footage of the explosion that created the massive crater on Earth.

Other

Legends of Ooo : A game on cartoonnetwork.com, mentions the Mushroom War. If one clicks on the radio in Marceline's house, Jake states that, "They stopped making these before the great Mushroom War." In the Forest where the Teenage Bear is found, one can see a car that says "Wash me."

: A game on cartoonnetwork.com, mentions the Mushroom War. If one clicks on the radio in Marceline's house, Jake states that, "They stopped making these before the great Mushroom War." In the Forest where the Teenage Bear is found, one can see a car that says "Wash me." Adventure Time Theme Song: An opening shot showing various weapons and technological debris including undetonated nuclear missiles, the remains of a tank's tread, a pink necklace, a television and headphones. There is also what appears to be a zombie arm reaching upward from a tree trunk. And when the screen goes past Marceline's cave a driveshaft and two axles can be seen to the right.

Theme Song: An opening shot showing various weapons and technological debris including undetonated nuclear missiles, the remains of a tank's tread, a pink necklace, a television and headphones. There is also what appears to be a zombie arm reaching upward from a tree trunk. And when the screen goes past Marceline's cave a driveshaft and two axles can be seen to the right. Adventure Time Battle Party: At the "waiting for opponents!" screen, there are two skeletons, bones and some swords inside the ribcages of the skeletons on the grassy patch. In the arena, the player can find a broken truck and a damaged television.

Timeline

In "Memory of a Memory" Marceline appears as a young girl in a post-apocalyptic environment. A burning city in the background suggests the Mushroom War had affected that area fairly recently, although plant overgrowth suggests that some time has passed since humans inhabited the area. Marceline is one thousand and three years old, suggesting that the Mushroom War occurred roughly one thousand years into the show's past. This theory was proven when, in "Finn the Human," Farmworld Marceline says that Simon Petrikov saved the world from the Bomb of Death (mushroom bomb) 1,000 years ago to Farmworld Finn.

In "Holly Jolly Secrets Part I" and Part II BMO plays tapes which show Ice King as a young human. The Ice King, then known as Simon Petrikov, narrates a video diary about his life. The early part of his video diary shows him living in what appears to be human civilization, either before or during the war.

A scene in "I Remember You" ends up revealing a memory of Simon traveling through the destroyed world and meeting an alone and crying Marceline. Simon calms her by giving her a toy. During the episode, it had been revealed that they might be the only survivors to the Mushroom War. However, this is unlikely due to the fact that Finn appears to be a normal human boy, meaning some humans may have survived the Mushroom War, though it is not known whether any besides Finn and Finn's dad, Martin are still alive. It later revealed in "Everything Stays" that there were indeed human survivors of the war.

The alternate universe of "Farmworld," created by Finn in an attempt to stop the Lich from existing, further seems to reveal the possible birth of modern Ooo. Although the Mushroom War still occurred, a massive nuclear-like weapon was fired by one of the sides. Though the weapon did not hit initially due to the sacrifice of Simon Petrikov, it ultimately did finally hit the Earth a thousand years later. When it hit, a massive green energy similar to that of The Lich emerged and covered the entire world quickly. It can be assumed that when this "bomb" hit Earth in the actual universe, this began the emerging of the Lich, the Human Apocalypse, and the end of the Mushroom War; leading to the beginning of the transformation of the entire world into what would emerge, over the next thousand years, as Ooo; a world where technology would exist side by side with magic.

Comics

The following information is from the Adventure Time comic book series. It may not be part of the same canon or continuity as the animated series.

In Issue 4, a still unchanged Marceline can be seen hiding in a cave as mushroom bombs bombard the planet around her, creating the giant gash on the side of the planet. In the collected edition of the comic book, Marceline's coloring in the flashback is changed to the more demon-like look seen in "I Remember You."

In Issue 13, Randall N. Byron states that the first Mushroom War happened 1,002 years ago. However, this is probably false because that would place the episode "Simon & Marcy" (when Marceline is seven years old) six years after the war even though Marceline is already three or four years old before the war in "Everything Stays".

In issue two, after Finn and Jake kill the Lich in outer space, Finn sees Earth and wonders if the hole from the Mushroom War had been there all along.

In "Marceline And The Scream Queens," Marceline mentions to Princess Bubblegum how Bubblegum thought Iggy Pop was a soda. This is further evidence that the Mushroom War was after the 80s/90s.

Trivia

In an interview with Pop Candy, Pendleton Ward said that the post-apocalyptic aspect of Ooo was not in the original concept of the series, but emerged as a result of the episode "Business Time," when the writers decided the Business Men being frozen in ice made the world post-apocalyptic, and "we just ran with it."

It is possible that goo monsters could be former humans mutated by the Mushroom Bomb, theorized by the abundance of the creatures in former highly populated areas, such as the metropolis in the episode "Simon & Marcy." Also, they seem to leak a very similar green goo as the irradiated pools of waste in the same episode aforementioned, as well as the episode "The Vault," it draining out of most of their orifices, such as their ears, eye sockets and mouth. They are seen again in the episode "James," wherein James is turned into one.

The Mushroom War shares some similarities to the Fallout series' Great war, especially the near extinction of the human species and the large amounts of nuclear weapons launched during the war.

It is implied that the Mushroom War was extremely devastating, since when viewed from space, the Earth's continents have deformed and became nearly unrecognizable while a giant crater covers the area where Europe once rested.

In other media

In the YouTube animated show Bravest Warriors (created by Pendleton Ward), a quick frame shows Earth, with a chunk missing from it, seen when Chris is imagining the future.

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