My Little Pony XCIX: Leakier Than A Changeling Bathtub!

[Rater202]

As someone who is actually reading the comics in question: Literally, every X-Person still on earth* mourned Rahne.

They all attended the funeral, except Wolverine who tracked down and killed the four people who stomped her to death.

*Most of them are trapped in a pocket dimension that a X-Man created, presumed dead by the people on the outside. Age of X-Man's kind of an iffy story, but it has free-love Communist Apocolypse and that's just so different from anything else that's been done with him that I have to keep reading.

[DigoDragon]

It did motivate me to get my QuibbleDash fanfic started before the episode aired. :)

You sure are efficient. :3


Pinkie, no...

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[zimmerwald1915]

free-love Communist Apocolypse

Explain. . . more.

[Rater202]

Explain. . . more.

X-Man, Jean and Cyclops's clone son from an alternate universe, kind of went insane and decided he was a God in response to learning he was terminally ill. Considering that his psychic powers can bend reality and that he once willed himself back to life after having been dead years in meat space-time becuase he got bored with it, he's not exactly wrong.

So he grabbed the life-seed to make himself stronger, turned Angel, Magneto, Blob, and Omega read into his brainwashed and empowered minions, and then kidnapped Kitty Pryde, Apocolypse, and a senator who was proposing that a 'vaccine' that can prevent the X-gene from activating be made mandatory to serve as his council of opposing viewpoints and then set out to fix the world in the least efficient manner possible--Yes Nate, don't use your ability to rearrange molecules and atoms to clean the pollution out of the air and your 'can beam complicated messages to everyone on Earth without Cerebro' level telepathy to incept businessmen and politions with the idea that it's finally time to go green. Just send Blob and Omega Red to murder some workers on an oil platform while ranting about the environment.

Eventually he was defeated, but at the last minute he let out a wave of energy that seemingly obliterated everyone present(Most of the X-Men+Magneto, Blob, Omega Red, and Apocolypse) but actually transported them to a pocket reality that's Nate's perfect world.

And with some exceptions(Glob Roberts, for one,) everyone's memories are rewritten as if they've always been there, but some people are noticing inconsistancies and flashing back to their memories of the real world.

The place is a bit of a police state--nobody's allowed to have anything more than friendship, no love, no sex, no family ties(the cuckoos are exempted since they're a hive mind, but people say nasty things about them) all religion's been stamped out, and babies are born in tubes.(Nate is projecting his own issues about being a test-tube baby, methinks.)

Familial relationships are treated like sexual deviances.

Romantic and sexual relationships are outlawed.

After being rewritten to fit into this world, Apocalypse is a peaceful(almost pacifistic) rebel against the system. He's a loving father to the rewritten Genesis and is preaching to anyone who will listen that there's nothing wrong with loving people and that family, romance, and sex don't invalidate the uniqueness of the individual and that people should come together to fight alienation, and so on.

He's not exactly a communist since he's not talking about worker's plight and economics, but he's coming from the same place--the pamphlets he gives out for a rally definitely look the part, and the "Apocalypse and the X-Tracts" miniseries, among other things, includes him wanting to recruit the world's last surviving communist on the grounds that communism is ideally the opposite of the system that Apocolypse is opposing.

The fact that Apocolypse is genuinely one of the good guys in this event and is a hard opposite from how he's normally depicted is genuinly interesting to me

[Aotrs Commander]

Yaha.

And my decision to not look at this stuff Even Though It Has Jubilee In It stands, as it appears to be as much a dumpster fire as I thought it would be, only perhaps with very slightly less gratuitous and pointless character death. But hey, give it time.

*sigh*

Twenty-odd years I had Marvel comics, and I started in the mid 90s, which people have the gall to say was the dark age...

[Rogar Demonblud]

It was. The best years for X-Men was the Claremont run in the 80s, most of the best Avengers related stories were in the 60s, generally the 70s were hit or miss but the hits were very good. Since the 90s rolled around it's been one massive buy everything we print to know what's happening bloated story arc after another, most of them getting neatly wiped away at the conclusion to return to the status quo. I have sitcoms for that.

[Aotrs Commander]

It was. The best years for X-Men was the Claremont run in the 80s, most of the best Avengers related stories were in the 60s, generally the 70s were hit or miss but the hits were very good. Since the 90s rolled around it's been one massive buy everything we print to know what's happening bloated story arc after another, most of them getting neatly wiped away at the conclusion to return to the status quo. I have sitcoms for that.

The 90s sure as [excrement] weren't as bad as now or even ten years ago, though. The 90s introduced tons of characters, at least, not killed off long-standing favourites to the point it's become "whose turn is it to be "killed of for real now." (They did that in, like, one series, which I guess on top of the Ulitmiate universe, made them think it was a good idea to make that standard practise).



We HAVE some really good stuff since, don't get me wrong; Whedon's run was great (and stands as the only thing ever that made me LIKE Cyclops), but it's been all downhill from there. There was even a few flashes of brilliance even then (see X-Men' 92 and "no more vampires," which made me laugh the absolute hardest I've laughed in YEARS, on top of taking the time to use all the characters who DID get knobbled then and now and give them a better present) and also that one-shot in which Captain America gifhts nazi vampires in a submarine WITH JUBILEE, but even those have more or less gone now, at least as far as they are no longer worth my effort, time and money to try and track down amid the trash.

[Rater202]

Meanwhile, I'm just sitting here reading about Venom fighting off ancient Eldritch abominations, Spider-Man finally getting back together with Mary-Jane, and Squirrel Girl actually doing stuff on-screen.

Honestly, my only complaint is that after getting the license for Conan the Barbarian again Marvel immediately brought him to the modern day so he could join the Avengers.

@Bleackbane: The 90's are called the Dark Age becuase there was an overwhelming amount of dark and violent comics--this is when Wolverine's title s were full of blood and gore, the Punisher went from a Spider-Man villain to an independent "hero*" (despite being a god-damned serial killer,) Venom became the "Lethal Protector," and when villains like Carnage and Bloodscream were born.

It's called the Dark Age becuase of all the Edge, basically.

That and the Clone Saga. Clone Saga was garbage.

[Aotrs Commander]

@Bleackbane: The 90's are called the Dark Age becuase there was an overwhelming amount of dark and violent comics--this is when Wolverine's title s were full of blood and gore, the Punisher went from a Spider-Man villain to an independent "hero*" (despite being a god-damned serial killer,) Venom became the "Lethal Protector," and when villains like Carnage and Bloodscream were born.

As opposed to later, when character death became the norm for shock value - like the incident brought up that started this discussion. Did the 90s have crap in it? Sure it did, but the crap in there wasn't so prevalent that it pervaded everything (as I got a LOT more titles once I go going); the 90s may have started it, but the noughties and twenty-tens have run with it since. Put it this way, it wasn't worse crap than we have gotten since, Ultimatium, looking at you for instance.



(Wolverine's titles have ever been NOT full of blood and gore...?)

[Rater202]

As opposed to later, when character death became the norm for shock value - like the incident brought up that started this discussion. Did the 90s have crap in it? Sure it did, but the crap in there wasn't so prevalent that it pervaded everything (as I got a LOT more titles once I go going); the 90s may have started it, but the noughties and twenty-tens have run with it since. Put it this way, it wasn't worse crap than we have gotten since, Ultimatium, looking at you for instance.



(Wolverine's titles have ever been NOT full of blood and gore...?)

Ultimatum doesn't count. It's part of the "Spider-Man's okay but everyone else is an edgelord" Universe.

Wolverine's titles have been toned down in the violence considerably. The worst that's happened since he was brought back is a little bit of blood and setting a zombie on fire. While Logan was dead and Laura was Wolverine, she went out of her way to avoid causing needless harm.

(I recommend All-New Wolverine to everyone, BTW. Gabby is a treasure.)

Also, honestly the tendency for major characters to be killed off willy-nilly for the sake of drama is vastly overblown. It's mostly minor characters dying. Like Gibbon.

The last major "shock value" death was the Death of the Inhumans event which... Killed Maximus and a bunch of nameless characters that no one cares about. Major characters who looked to have died turned out to be fine.

The last major character to die off was Flash Thompson, whose death wasn't done for shock value and the ramifications of it are still being felt.

[Appleshy1973]

Final FiM summer hiatus and the special.

https://www.equestriadaily.com/2019/...-confirms.html

[DigoDragon]

Final FiM summer hiatus and the special.
https://www.equestriadaily.com/2019/...-confirms.html

Summer hiatus special?

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Okay, does Rainbow Brite know that Pony is totally stealing her shtick? Color-drained critters is totally Brite's thing to solve. That said, I'd still pay good money to see these two nimrods get beaten up by ponies. XD

[Manga Shoggoth]

Summer hiatus special?

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Okay, does Rainbow Brite know that Pony is totally stealing her shtick? Color-drained critters is totally Brite's thing to solve. That said, I'd still pay good money to see these two nimrods get beaten up by ponies. XD

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Odds are that Discord gets blamed - he's done it before...

[Aotrs Commander]

SF Debris reviewed some more pony...



Endgame is frickin' awesome, by the by.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Yes it is. Entirely worth the trip to the chiropractor after my back locked up from not moving for that long.

[zimmerwald1915]

SF Debris reviewed some more pony...

Always good value. Although I dread his picks for Christmas.

[Appleshy1973]

Next weeks episode is early out on Wednesday.

https://derpibooru.org/2035177

[Aotrs Commander]

So, I hate to be the bearer of bad news (though perhaps it is somewhat fitting), but here goes:

MythrilMoth, the gentleman on Fimfic who has written a great deal of stories, died at the weekend, apparently rather suddenly.

Link to the annoucement.

I, certainly, read quite a few of his stories and I suspect more than a few of you have as well.

A great loss.

[DigoDragon]

Know the difference, it could save your life!

Spoiler: Sleepy vs. Tired

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Next weeks episode is early out on Wednesday.
https://derpibooru.org/2035177

I question the 55 minute run time.

[Adderbane]

So, I hate to be the bearer of bad news (though perhaps it is somewhat fitting), but here goes:

MythrilMoth, the gentleman on Fimfic who has written a great deal of stories, died at the weekend, apparently rather suddenly.

Link to the annoucement.

I, certainly, read quite a few of his stories and I suspect more than a few of you have as well.

A great loss.

I had an awful lot of his in my tracking bookshelves; most of his non-clop stories I think.

He will be missed.

[Appleshy1973]

Brandnew song as seen oon the preview.

[Alabenson]

Spoiler: S9 E7

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I thought this was a fine episode, a little predictable granted, but it didn't have the paint-by-numbers feel that some of the other episodes have had this season *cough*Uprooted*cough*. Yona's desire to transform herself into a pony for the dance seemed a little out of character at first, given how proud she is of her Yak-ness. But then I considered how important Yaks take being "perfect", and I realized that Yona was essentially making the same mistake that the Mane 6 made in Party Pooped, where she felt that she needed to imitate the ponies in order to be perfect. Also, the fact that the drive for Yona to imitate pony ways was entirely internally driven made the issue much more pleasant to watch.

Overall, I'd probably give it a B.

[DigoDragon]

Spoiler: S9 Ep7

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I guess it wasn't bad. Sandbar likes the big ladies and Spike is best voiced DJ.

[Aotrs Commander]

Spoiler: s9e7

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Eh.

Not feeling this one, especially. A few amusement moments (I was counting own to "by Celestia, she's got it...") but a little bit to obvious where it was going. (I wondered briefly if they might go with "it's fun to learn about other cultures and do their stuff sometimes" rather than "just be yourself, for the ten trillionth time, seriously we did this last week too, weren't you listening?")

Apparently Sandbar/Yona is a Thing now. (Though, dude, I have to say, she put a LOOOOT of work into that, she's pretty keen, I'd say. So, y'know screwing up might lead to a lot of Yak smashing is what I'm sayin'...)

Doesn't help that I'm still not really into the new six. Sure, this episode had a few character aspects if you analysed hard enough on Yona's desire to want to fit in and being a fair bit uncomfortable in her own skin, but...

Yeah.

Not a bad episode, just one that didn't really work for me.

Spoiler: S9 E7

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I thought this was a fine episode, a little predictable granted, but it didn't have the paint-by-numbers feel that some of the other episodes have had this season *cough*Uprooted*cough*. Yona's desire to transform herself into a pony for the dance seemed a little out of character at first, given how proud she is of her Yak-ness. But then I considered how important Yaks take being "perfect", and I realized that Yona was essentially making the same mistake that the Mane 6 made in Party Pooped, where she felt that she needed to imitate the ponies in order to be perfect. Also, the fact that the drive for Yona to imitate pony ways was entirely internally driven made the issue much more pleasant to watch.

Overall, I'd probably give it a B.

That's a point I'd not considered, too.

[DigoDragon]

Happy mother's Day to any pony moms out there.

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[t209]

So has anyone posted She-RaXMLP yet?

Spoiler: AJ as Adora

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[Spamotron]

I hope people are willing to indulge me on a shameless self quote. Over on Admiral Biscuit's The Haunting I had an interesting thought while writing a comment.

Biological children are probably possible with magic.

For example, we know that Twilight knows a transformation spell so thorough that the recipient gains the new form's inherent magic. It's how they got the Breezies home. Another example is that there are Seaponies/Hippogryphs that were born underwater post Storm King invasion. Showing that the Pearl's transformation is that complete too.

Actually thinking of it while Twilight Sparkle level casters are rare there's a direct railway line to Mt. Aris, and half the population there has a Pearl Fragment. It could be the magical analog of Fertility Clinic Tourism. Interspecies couples visiting and paying to have one partner transformed so they can conceive biological children.

OCs can now have parents of any two species in all of MLP so long as they were born post Season 8. Heck, if you wanted a really nuts backstory a child can be a completely different species than either parent. As far as we know of the Pearl's powers there's nothing stopping say a breezy and a diamond dog transforming to conceive a dragon child.

I thought it might prompt some interesting discusion since it also applies to interspecies shipping like Spikity.

[zimmerwald1915]

I thought it might prompt some interesting discusion

Do we actually know if the Pearl can transform beings into forms other than their original form and a corresponding marine form? It's only Twilight's surmise that says it can, and even if it can be made to do that, it might require some additional tinkering rather than just being something the Pearl can do naturally.

There is also a better, and earlier, solution to hand: the mirror to the human world, and other portals like it. We know that species as diverse as ponies, sirens, and diamond dogs are transformed into humans by the transition, even if some species (e.g., dragons) are not.

[DigoDragon]

There is also a better, and earlier, solution to hand: the mirror to the human world, and other portals like it. We know that species as diverse as ponies, sirens, and diamond dogs are transformed into humans by the transition, even if some species (e.g., dragons) are not.

My question is if two species go through the mirror and conceive a child as humans, what does the child transform into when they go back through the mirror?

[Rater202]

Do we actually know if the Pearl can transform beings into forms other than their original form and a corresponding marine form? It's only Twilight's surmise that says it can, and even if it can be made to do that, it might require some additional tinkering rather than just being something the Pearl can do naturally.

There is also a better, and earlier, solution to hand: the mirror to the human world, and other portals like it. We know that species as diverse as ponies, sirens, and diamond dogs are transformed into humans by the transition, even if some species (e.g., dragons) are not.

Uhh.

Unless Princess Twilight works something out with the human world government or rents out a hotel or something nearCanterlot High, I can see some serious issues with her renting out the Mirror Portal to faciliate cross-species reproduction.

For one, people are teenagers when they cross over(Baring Celestia and Luna, who are generically adults, but they're literally ancient.)

For two, to prevent complications with crossing back over, they'd have to stay in the human world until the kid is born.

(There's also no telling what the kid will come back is once the baby moves back across the portal.)

Ans if people are moving across the portal long term to have a kid, then diet comes into play--it's easy enough to handwave it away for the few days or so that Princess Twilight visits and furthermore than Sunset's made her peace with it, but the fact remains that ponies, for the most part, are vegetarian(even if Twilight was willing to eat fish) and that most human world food animals are sapient or at least to smart to eat in Equestria which complicates matters significantly in terms of logistics.

Which means Princess Twilight would have to be spending out the plot or else cutting deals with governments in th eHuman Wolrd to do that, even on the small scale which even then would be costing her something, which raises the question of what she's paying for it with--she can't just take Equestrian Money and give it to the Human World, even if they accept it and convert it would be devaluing human world money while increasing the scarcity and thus value of Equatrian money, which could potentially upset one or both economies.

So what would people in the human world accept from Equestria that ins't money? Magic? But bringing Equestrian Magic to the Human world is unpredictable and can cause bad things to happen. Twilight could make a magic wand that makes broccoli taste like chocolate and it could turn a man into a dragon when he tries to test it.