Honestly, the idea of "The mane six turn evil" doesn't really work for a plot...

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

Anyways, its a commonly thought about idea with fans for plots about "One of the mane six/all of them go evil" and it seems the IDW staff is doing that now too in a comic plot.

But really... that doesn't make any sense at all. The mane six, Sans twilight, are honestly completely impotent as "villains" were they to turn evil. Without the EOH, the mane six (once again, sans twilight) are utterly irrellevent as a threat, apart from small time muggings or whatnot.

Rarity is a fashion designer; she has no schooling in magic, isn't a prodigy, and has absolutely no ability to threaten equestria in a significant way.

Pinkie pie is... a baker. She has no special abilities of any real kind nor magic.

Applejack can kick things and that's about it.

Rainbow dash can fly fast, sure, but she's still equaled or outclassed by spitfire and the other wonderbolts and there's way more of them than dash and are STILL irrellevent for most situations.
Fluttershy has the stare, and while that's cool and all, in most every situation where push has come to shove (Discord laughing at it for example or every hostile animal in the comics utterly ignoring it) its useless.

 

The mane six just don't have any real power apart from lucking into linking up to the EOH, and that's gone now anyways (plus, apart from the element of magic being shown to be godmode powerful in Equestria girls, they're kind of useless in most all situations without the others there and being 100% good).

 

 

 

 

 

This Extends past the IDW comic plot and into the upcoming Guardians of harmony plotline: Really, the idea of making a more Action focused series Ironically is going to require WEAKER threats than the normal show: If you're going to have the mane six fighting villains in *actual* fights, then you're pretty much going to have to downgrade who they fight from "God of destruction level threats" (Tirek, NMM, Discord) to "A couple changelings or a couple thugs". Since the mane six (sans twilight and that's only due to being an alicorn now) aren't really superbeings, unless you use the EOH to solve things with a large rainbow, the most they will be able to handle are mooks.

Its just going to be highly strange to go from them dealing with Uber world level threats in the slice of life series to Low level threats in the "action" series if they want to have the mane six realistically defeat antagonists in them.

 

[Jeric 46,834]

Rarity made a pretty competent villain once before in the comics.

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

Rarity made a pretty competent villain once before in the comics.

That wasn't really rarity though, it was another being possessing her and wearing her like a skin, albeit with access to her memories; Plus, it required her Being demonically possessed by another being to be relevent-- anypony being possessed by a demon would be a threat, even sweetie belle

 

Okay, maybe not sweetie belle, but anypony ELSE

 

[Jeric 46,834]

The level of influence of the NMF is a topic of interesting debate, and there are several different interpretations.

 

Specificity is !important.

 

Regarding the level of conflict available in the rising action of a GoH storyline, we would first need to know the setup of any such series, right?

[Once In A Blue Moon 894]

 

 

Pinkie pie is... a baker. She has no special abilities of any real kind nor magic.

 

Apart from spider-climbing, teleportation, precognition, an intelligence-gathering apparatus of unknown but significant (if party-centric) capability...  

 

 

 

The mane six just don't have any real power apart from lucking into linking up to the EOH, and that's gone now anyways (plus, apart from the element of magic being shown to be godmode powerful in Equestria girls, they're kind of useless in most all situations without the others there and being 100% good).

 

 

Then maybe they should be the more subtle and insidious type of villain? Undermining (or taking control of) Equestria from within by abusing the positions of trust and respect that they hold. And I can envisage a confrontation between Twilight and Celestia where Twilight exploits Celestia's regret over her sister's thousand-year imprisonment to prevent her taking punitive action against them, or where Celestia slowly learns of their betrayal but Twilight's twisted advice and her own denial keep her from acting.

 

Whilst the setup for 'they all turn bad' will probably be kind of rubbish (although we live in hope) I think that there are options available that could be done well. It might be terrible, of course, but I can't say we have much reason to jump to that conclusion yet.

 

 

 

Since the mane six (sans twilight and that's only due to being an alicorn now) aren't really superbeings, unless you use the EOH to solve things with a large rainbow, the most they will be able to handle are mooks.

 

In a punch-up maybe, but the focus could be more on finding a clever way to defeat the more powerful threat. So, for example, Timberwolves start rampaging through Ponyville until somepony pulls a Francis Drake on them and sets something on fire, driving them off (cue back-to-back fighting scene with burning wooden torches, and all the action-filled heroic potential that comes with.) If anything, that Twilight is an alicorn will mean that the threats have to be far greater or a reason must be contrived for her to be away or unable to unleash her power.

[Steel Accord 6,658]

I think the OP underestimates the Mane Six's overall capability but I do think efforts could be spent better. It's not that the idea "doesn't work" it does, but it's just redundant at this point. The comics went full blown mirror universe with morals switched already and the show has given us glimpses into the inner demons of each of the Mane Six already. I suppose it could be interesting to have ALL of them be evil at once though so I think I'll check this out if I see it.

 

Thanks OP for bringing it to my awareness.

Edited May 21, 2016 by Steel Accord

[Steve Piranha 28,778]

Maybe they'll use a recurring antagonist ala Shredder in TMNT or Munh-Ra in Thunder Cats . Plus, we have weapons, I think even Flutters is far from defenseless with a toy   

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

Maybe they'll use a recurring antagonist ala Shredder in TMNT or Munh-Ra in Thunder Cats . Plus, we have weapons, I think even Flutters is far from defenseless with a toy   

Eh, we haven't had fluttershy with a toy released, but I'm betting it'll be a two toy pack with her riding another animal into combat instead of her directly being a threat (like in do princesses dream of magical sheep with angel)

though, they'd have to more or less have "Super powered evil side" logic come into effect and have her stare increase in power to the level that she's taming things like the tatzlwurm to be a threat as a villain that could threaten equestria XD

(Admittedly, I think Fluttershy is the easiest one to have as an actual threat if she turned evil though, since one could finangle her stare being more powerful if she was willing to abuse it)

[PoisonClaw 8,153]

I don't know, I think you're underestimating just how dangerous they could be. Granted, I'm not looking forward to this arc and I'm tempted to skip it entirely, but I still think the Mane 6 could do some serious damage if given the chance.

 

Twilight's obviously the main issue, giving that now she's a super smart bookworm with epic levels of magical power but with little to no restraints or ethics on what to use those powers for. There's a reason Tyrant Twilight is a thing, even if it is OOC. Rainbow Dash could easily fly circles around the Wonderbolts, just remember how hard it was to for them to nab her in Return of Harmony.

 

Pinkie Pie would go from a Loony Tune's character to Deadpool, maybe even giving Discord a run for his money. Whether Rarity is a true evil mastermind or mildly inconvenient, you gotta admit that she certainly dresses the part.  

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

Rainbow Dash could easily fly circles around the Wonderbolts, just remember how hard it was to for them to nab her in Return of Harmony.

 

As much as I hate to reference Newbie dash (seriously, if that episode is up there with MMDW as one I'd like to pretend never happened) dash seemed pretty incompetent compared to the wonderbolts, having a VERY hard time keeping up with them during their flight drills, and overall seeming to barely be on par with them; Plus, if we look at rarity investigates, she's still slower than Wind rider as a long distance flyer.

 

RD's been toned down since S1 in how good of a flyer she's depicted as, compared to other flyers at least.

[Johnny1226 14,674]

Rarity is very cunning and manipulative, twilight has awesome magical powers perhaps rivaling celestia herself and has has a tactical mind with vast knowledge, pinkie pie defies the laws of physics and reality, applejack is exceptionally strong physically maybe enough to defeat multiple tough enemies at once, rainbow dash is an incredibly skilled flyer who knows everything about the wonderbolts including their strengths and weaknesses, Fluttershy has nature at her beck and call not to mention discord, I believe that the mane six would stand quite a good chance as villains.

[Jeric 46,834]

As a fan of comic books, literary fiction, and film, this idea that a villain has to be magically or physically strong is just plain silly.

 

Do I really have to name all the 'low powered badasses' in fiction?

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

As a fan of comic books, literary fiction, and film, this idea that a villain has to be magically or physically strong is just plain silly.

 

Do I really have to name all the 'low powered badasses' in fiction?

Low powered badasses either fight other Low power heroes or have Either plot armor out the ass (Batman for example is written as basically being psychic whenever he's in the justice league) or have super intelligence (lex luthor) that makes them no longer "low power" due to super tech.

Edited May 21, 2016 by Unlikeable Pony

[Jeric 46,834]

 

 

 

I can play this game all day regardless of buzzwords like 'plot armor' being used. I mean, it is kinda disingenuous to use a term like plot armor as if we are discussing the villains in To Kill a Mockingbird in a true narrative analysis. Villains lose the majority of the time after all ... and a failure to lose is not what makes a good villain good. In fact I am fairly certain that Joker would rank in many peoples top 10 lists of general villainous characters ... and it would be a legitimate choice. In a huge majority of comic and animated narrative form, the villain loses. However, that was not the point of your attempt at a logical argument ... which still lacks justification and validity. 

 

And since you place some artificial high standard on genius level intellect ... I submit Bill Sykes. Edmund, Claudius, Captain Hook, Cruella Deville, Trashcan Man ...  

 

The mane six possess the skills to be appropriately villainous in their canonical world. I made my point whether you concur or not, Unlikeable. 

 

*Jeric Poofs

[Buck Testa 5,503]

Without the EOH, the mane six (once again, sans twilight) are utterly irrellevent as a threat, apart from small time muggings or whatnot.

 

LMAO, are we watching the same show? Cause from what I've seen those six would be terrifying as evil.

 

Fluttershy alone could devastate  Equestria. How you may ask? Well considering she has complete control over most monsters, AND she has Discord wrapped around her hoof, AND without fear holding her back she could use both those assets with impunity. All she'd need to do is use these abilities and head down to Tarturas, and working with Discord, she could recruit an entire army of Monsters from both the Everfree and Tartarus. She'd be terrifying. 

 

 

Pinkie Pie on her own is frightfully strong and fast, able to warp and contort her body in all kinds of ways, and oh yeah; Has the mirror pool. An Evil Pinkie Clone Army. 

 

Give Alicorn Princess Twilight Sparkle the Alicorn Amulet and/or Turn her to Midnight Sparkle, and suddenly she's not going to seem so impotent. 

 

 

Give Rarity the Inspiration Manifestation book, Plus the entire race of Diamond Dogs, and suddenly she'd be as formidable if not more so than Sombra.

 

Rd and AJ would be more support, but they wouldn't be slouches either. 

 

Over all I think they'd be pretty devastating as villains

Edited May 21, 2016 by Buck Testa

[GeekySonic 1,150]

...That's a cool comic book cover, tho.

 

Still never read one of those, yet. Honestly, if I had never heard of MLP, that art alone would make me go buy that issue right now! (Kinda want to, actually)

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

snip

Give ANYONE an artifact that turns them evil and all powerful and they're suddenly a threat. You give Rarity the book she's a threat, you give DERPY the book she's a threat, you give Twist that book and she's a threat.

The villain in that situation isn't Rarity or the pony themself but the book: Rarity turning alone without getting a random "God mode power" artifact isn't a threat: its the book that's the threat.

As for twilight, I already said she's the one outlier that's an actual threat: I 100% agree that twilight turning evil is a threat. But giving her the alicorn amulet once more is just handing a "All powerful" artifact to someone to make them a threat: Trixie, Twist, Snip and SNAILS would be a threat with that amulet. The threat's not "Them" its the amulet.

same with the mirror pool: anypony cloning themselves ad infinum will be a problem, but its not THEM its the pool: anypony could use the pool, there's no special link to pinkie.

 

 

 

Same thing with Discord and Fluttershy: Discord is agreed to be a great villain: Discord causing problems doesn't make Fluttershy a threat it just means that Discord, without a Morality pet, is a threat: which I fully 100% agree with because he has been shown to be a massive villain before. But its NOT fluttershy being a threat, its Discord.

 

The question is not "If you gave this person a super artifact that makes them all powerful, would they be dangerous" but rather "If this pony turned evil, in normal everyday circumstances, would they be a threat?" and the answer is: No. they wouldn't.

If they had some sort of personal link to those object so only THEY could use them properly or could summon them to them, then I would agree those items held merit: but the only things that the mane six have a personal connection with is the EOH, which haven't been shown (In the pony universe at least) to be useable for evil.

 

Now, for Fluttershy recruiting an army of monsters: If her stare were that powerful, I'd agree: Except every situation where there's been a Dangerous monster, past the cockatrice and dragon, she's been utterly unable to use her Stare to stop them: In the comics we have the Various monsters she's run into (like the Spiders from issue 2), the monsters chasing them in issue 3, and then In show we have the bugbear; to say nothing of the Fruitbats just not giving a crap about her.

 

Unless her stare recieved a random powerup from her going evil, she's not a huge threat by herself, as her stare has not been shown to generally be reliable in situations where it would really help. (I did however state and agree in my previous post that, were fluttershy's stare to be made suddenly completely Reliable when evil and useable on all the creatures she encounters, she'd be able to be a proper villain)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The mane six possess the skills to be appropriately villainous in their canonical world. I made my point whether you concur or not, Unlikeable. 

 

 

They could be evil: but actualy Threats to equestria? That's my issue, they'd be at most mild hoodlums, apart from twilight. Applejack could be a petty thug and hurt some ponies, As could dash, but anything that's of actual import to the world as a large threat is beyond them.

Its like saying "the dude down at the 7/11 turned evil". Yeah, that's going to cause some problems, but nothing that's actually important to the world.

Edited May 21, 2016 by Unlikeable Pony