Calculate: $$-3^4 - (-5)^3 = $$

To solve the given expression $$-3^4 - (-5)^3$$, we will first evaluate each term separately and then perform the subtraction. First, let's calculate $$-3^4$$. Remember that the exponent applies only to the 3, not to the negative sign. So, $$-3^4 = -(3 \times 3 \times 3 \times 3) = -81$$ Next, let's calculate $$(-5)^3$$. This means multiplying -5 by itself three times: $$(-5)^3 = (-5) \times (-5) \times (-5) = 25 \times (-5) = -125$$ Now, substitute these values back into the original expression: $$-3^4 - (-5)^3 = -81 - (-125)$$ Subtracting a negative number is the same as adding its positive counterpart: $$-81 - (-125) = -81 + 125$$ Now, perform the addition: $$-81 + 125 = 44$$ Therefore, the final answer is 44. Answer: 44