Astroshroom — The Mushroom That Fell From Space
Astroshroom. It came from space. It landed in a forest. It had a tiny smiling face.
What could possibly go wrong?
Astroshroom is an extraterrestrial mushroom species in Mewmiwmiw Takes Back the World and one of the organisms connected to the beginning of the Zompocalypse. Small, purple, star-speckled, and almost suspiciously adorable, an Astroshroom hardly looks like something that should concern anyone. That is part of the problem.
Astroshroom Profile
| Name | Astroshroom |
| Classification | Extraterrestrial fungal organism |
| Origin | Unknown extraterrestrial environment |
| Arrival | Transported naturally through space on a meteorite |
| Landing Site | A tropical forest outside Metro Mao, Maomao Country |
| Appearance | Purple mushroom cap with star-like markings, pale stem, and a small friendly face |
| Known Host | Mice |
| Transmission | Consumption of contaminated Astroshroom tissue; infection may later spread through bites from infected hosts |
| Effect | Transforms infected hosts into aggressive, protein-seeking creatures |
| Visible Infection Sign | One or more Astroshrooms may sprout from an infected host |
| Known Weakness | Milk and milk-associated components interfere with the organism |
| Story World | Mewmiwmiw Takes Back the World |
Arrival on Earth
Long before anyone in Metro Mao knew its name, Astroshrooms were already travelling toward Earth.
A meteorite carrying the strange little fungi crossed space and eventually crashed into a tropical forest outside the city. There were no spaceships, invasion fleets, or alien machines. The Astroshrooms simply arrived with the rock that carried them.
Then they grew.
To anyone wandering through the forest, they could have looked like an unusual new species of mushroom: purple caps, tiny stars, cheerful faces. Cute enough to photograph. Curious enough to touch. Possibly even interesting enough to taste.
That last idea would prove particularly unfortunate.
The First Meal
The first known encounter involved mice camping in the forest. One of them discovered the strange mushrooms and eventually added sliced Astroshroom to a salad.
It looked excellent.
The Astroshroom had other plans.
Once consumed, the organism began interacting with its host. The infected mice developed an intense appetite for protein, their behavior changed, and the organism became visibly incorporated into their bodies. Astroshrooms could eventually be seen growing from infected hosts themselves.
The harmless-looking visitor from space had found a way to move.
Why Do They Want Protein?
The infected creatures become unusually fixated on protein. Their hunger is so simple that it becomes one of their defining behaviors: find protein, pursue protein, eat protein.
This gives the infected an almost ridiculous single-mindedness. Complex plans are unnecessary when your entire worldview has apparently been reduced to one word:
“PROTEIN!!!”
The Milk Problem
Astroshroom has an unexpected problem: milk.
Milk and certain milk-associated components can weaken or interfere with the organism, making dairy unexpectedly important once the infection begins spreading. What initially sounds like one of the strangest weaknesses imaginable eventually becomes a major clue for Mewmiwmiw Cato.
For Mew, milk pudding was already important.
During a Zompocalypse, it becomes considerably more useful.
Cute Is Part of the Problem
Astroshrooms do not arrive looking threatening. They have no claws, enormous teeth, armor, weapons, or frightening alien machinery. They are tiny mushrooms with stars on their heads and happy little faces.
That appearance makes the Astroshroom one of the stranger dangers in the world of Mewmiwmiw Takes Back the World. Nobody sees a smiling purple mushroom and immediately thinks:
“This may become a civilization-level problem.”
Perhaps they should.