S04:E06 - Power Ponies

[Seaweed-Headed Dragon 359]

S1 E1 was epic. This wasn't  :okiedokielokie:

I thought it was pretty boss XD But that's just me 

[JonPear 209]

I think it would've been better if Maniac would've shot the lazer at Fluttershy and then Spike jumped in and pushed her out of the way and gets hit himself. He gets hurt and then Fluttershy get's angry at Maniac for hurting a baby dragon. A BABY Dragon!

 

That would have been a kewl continuity-nod, although the fact that it was just a tiny little insect made it funnier, I thought

[Seaweed-Headed Dragon 359]

There seems to be a fair amount of division among people as to whether it was good or bad. Personally though i enjoyed it.

Yep same here :3 It was a game changer 

[Best Username Ever 211]

I like the classic convenient animal comes along just to get hurt and make Fluttershy angry. 

[Radiance64 7,053]

Wow, what an episode! They actually did the superhero thing right! For the most part anyway, everypony was given the right superpower I think, even though Twilight could already shoot beams, and Dash could already control the weather, and Pinkie was already super-fast(or could at least just show up wherever she wanted)... you get the idea. Flutter-hulk though... that was funny. AJ and Rarity got powers that amplified them a bit more than normal at least(and may I add that everything that Rarity summoned was simply fabulous?). In the end though, it was pretty much a Spike episode, since he's the one who started the mess. He helped the Power Ponies handily enough though, and the lesson here was basically just for him. Still though, in the scope of the show's episodeogrophy, this episode is probably pretty useless, since absolutely nothing important happened here, at all. Thought they would gain a key for the box or something, but nope, nothing. Not even a journal entry it seems. Still, if anything, this episode is a fun parody of super heroes in general and should at least remain appreciated by hardcore fans of both super heroes and MLP- being a fan of both, this episode was delicious, like a nice, tasty, early desert- not a requirement by any means, but certainly a small tasty treat worth experiencing if you like the taste. 9/10

[hawkflame 3,310]

I was having some reservations with most of the episodes of season 4 up through this point.  While most of the episodes haven't been bad, they haven't been great either. 

 

That is no longer the case.  By FAR, this was the best episode of the season.

 

Where do I begin?  The comic book medium awareness.  I love them making fun of the useless kid sidekick.  But that kind of thing has been done before (think Decoy the Pig Hostage in Tiny Toons).  But to have the villains recognize how usesless he usually is, and then Spike comes through in the end?  Great. 

 

I love the continuity of this episode.  They're picking up on stuff from episode 3, and I guess the restoration of the castle is going to be another season long plotline.  My money is that the fully restored castle is going to have some role to play in the finale.  Plus I really enjoyed seeing everyone work at it. 

 

The villain was a great classic, hammy comic book villain.  Maybe it's because of her hair, but she really reminded me of Sedusa from the Powerpuff girls.  And her giant destructo weapon was a massive blow drier?  Oh lawd...

 

But to get to the meat of the episode, the ponies themselves.  Twilight has ice powers, I guess making her iceman-like.  Pinkie Pie was basically the Flash, or maybe just Pinkie Pie with way too much coffee and sugar.  Dash is I guess Storm?  Applejack doesn't really have an exact equivalent.  Sure she has Wonder Woman's lasso, but Wondy doesn't have a telekinetic link with her lasso, and AJ lacks her other abilities. 

 

But then there are my two favorites in the episode...

 

Rarity is Green Lantern.  I LOVE that.  It somehow just makes so much sense.  Her greatest skill is her creativity and design sense, and so it's fitting that she gets the ability that is based around imagination and design.  And yeah, those *are* what Rarity would come up with if she wielded a Green Lantern ring.  

 

But let's be honest, the highlight of the episode is Flutterhulk.  They were building to this moment the whole episode and it was just PERFECT.  Oh GOD I couldn't stop laughing when they showed her final form.  And it makes sense too, it's been shown that repressed anger and frustration is something of an issue for her, particularly at the Gala and in Putting Your Hoof Down. 

 

Overall by FAR the most entertaining episode of the season thus far, and it may very well crack my top 10 for the series.

[Seaweed-Headed Dragon 359]

I would like to see more done on this comic store It sounds really ..."Enchanting" if I may XD

[Rappy0 338]

It had it's moments, wasn't great but wasn't bad it was kinda just there.

[hawkflame 3,310]

So apparently i got the hero references down.

 

Applejack=Wonder Woman

Rainbow Dash = Thor

Twilight = Cyclops (?)

Pinkie= Flash

Fluttershy = Hulk

Spike = Robin

 

Can't wait for the brony analyzers to look into this episode.

 

The AJ= Wonder Woman link is tenuous at best.  Wondy is much more than her lasso, she's basically a female Superman.  And you forgot Rarity = Green Lantern.

[King Sejong 859]

   This is so far the most entertaining episode of season four so far, I loved Pinkie Pie in this episode she was slaying me, and to see Fluttershy go krunk had me in stitches. Rarity had some amazing powers, and she adapted better than Twilight Sparkle yet she did her part too, Applejack and Rainbow Dash mastered their superpowers in due time also. I loved Mane-iac, she was reminiscent of the hammy antagonist from comic book based media, I think even Linkara would be impressed, yet I think it's a very good Spike episode, he view himself as a side kick before being teleported into the comic book, even the name Hun Drum is a meaning for the monotony, and that is some good writing, then Spike realized that as little as a part he does, he is no less needed when the time arrived, overall I was impressed and thoroughly entertained, now we must wait for the next episode featuring Rarity.

[Best Username Ever 211]

Wait so when can we expect to see a hd version of the episode uploaded someplace

[VenomTrixie 57]

Loved this episode, I think I will say it is my favorite of the season so far. Great villain and the action scenes were great. Pinkie was funny as well.

[KatieHooves 51]

I loved it. And it wasn't just for Flutterhulk. Though that was a big reason. I really love Spike and Twilight's relationship. This was a great way to show their relationship and how much Twilight and the others love and appreciate him.

 

The voice acting was fantastic and so was the animation. All the superhero references were awesome too.

 

And Flutterhulk, I just don't know what else to say. This season has been pretty amazing so far.

[Rascal~ 657]

@@hawkflame,

I came up with the same conclusion as applejack being wonderwoman. She's definitely not Captain America

[Vertigo_95 572]

With my expectations high, this episode was as much as I expected, nothing worse, nothing better. And as if Fluttershy did not rage in an earlier episode, this was a true rage.

[JonPear 209]

But let's be honest, the highlight of the episode is Flutterhulk.

 

Flutterhulk was the moment that cracked me up

[Winona the Dog 1,984]

That would have been a kewl continuity-nod, although the fact that it was just a tiny little insect made it funnier, I thought

I suppose so but the fly showed up out of nowhere. Kinda makes it forced unless it has showed up beforehand.

 

My point being that it would've been better for Spike to do that because the episode was focused on him and him doing that would've earned him extra brownie points for everyone. Me included

[Cerbyrus 63]

I. Loved. This. Episode.

I loved the Voice Acting of the Mane-iac. You can just hear she's having a lot of fun. I also really liked AJ's and Twilight's costume. Not the rest though.

 

 

And holy hell, dat Flutterhulk

[caramba2654 602]

Also, they used the wilheim scream, yet again. And, yet again, it wasn't amusing. I don't understand why they keep using it.....

 

At least they were more subtle this time. "Daring Don't", on the other hand...

[ghostfacekiller39 23,860]

I liked this episode I haven't seen the opinions of others yet, so I'm going to share my own impressions while they're uncorrupted.

 

The whole episode was a cliche, yet, I found it amusing; if you were to take it at face value alone, it was a rather fun, lighthearted episode that I found thoroughly enjoyable, although, less enjoyable than the premiere, "Castle Mane-ia," and "Daring Don't."

 

When compared to the other 3 episodes this season I liked (as stated above), I think of this one being like my Twilight Sparkle in my mane 6 lineup; I like her a lot, but I just like the others more. Nothing against this episode in the slightest.

 

I had stated it, and gone into detail in a topic like this last night; Fluttershy's flaw of reacting poorly when angered was played up for laughs, yet, I found myself chuckling slightly when she went into rage mode  I generally hold these sort of things in contempt; like, as an example: In "Magic Dual," when Trixie was harassing the residents of Ponyville in the beginning, she zaps a horrid-looking dress on to Rarity, which causes her to react over-the-top and faint. That sort of thing irks me, and it was done somewhat over-the-top here today, and I feel somewhat guilty of hypocrisy for laughing when Flutters smashed that giant blowdryer. 

 

So, that was my only criticism; Fluttershy's power (and I'm stating this objectively; subjectively, I sort of enjoyed it.)

 

I loved Rarity's power the most; it was very her! It fit her well, having a jewelry accessory that could create anything her mind could fathom. She's a very creative mare, and, as you may or may not know, she was originally written to be the "Element of Inspiration," rather than the "Element of Generosity," and, to me, it still seems as if they wrote her as the Element of Inspiration throughout the seasons, and tried (In seasons 1 & 2, at least) to portray a generous side as well. All in all, Rarity had the most fitting super-power when it came to her character, stating that objectively. Subjectively, I got REALLY excited to see my best pony get a super-power of that breed; 6 episodes into the season, and I feel the writers have made up a TON of lost ground with Rarity, because of her portrayal and lack of presence, to an extent, in S3. It makes me glad to see that they're trying, and that the Rarity I can enjoy, not have to defend, is back for this season

 

I also found Pinkie's power to be very fitting, for obvious reasons; she's a hyperactive type, always moving, always going fast, and I found it amusing that she would keep running off for a split second to go get cupcakes, even as they were getting sent back to Equestria

 

Twilight's super power was a bit cliche'd for her, though, having super-potent unicorn magic as her power, albeit, it was fitting; I feel they could've branched out a bit more with her power, but overall, nothing to view in disdain.

 

RD and AJ's Superpowers were good; good in the sense I feel no need to go into any specific "This is what I loved about them, this is what I disliked about them, etc.," I was content with them, and nothing made me grin or grimace when it came to their roles.

 

And, now, time for Spike Even though I generally make the purple baby dragon the butt of most of my jokes when it comes to the show, and even if this was a very lighthearted episode, I got a few feels when he saved the day, or, at least, saved the day for the ones who actually saved the day)After hearing the Mane-iac say those awful things about him, he didn't get down and mopey (or, at least, not for too long); he went and got the job done. That's something I can always respect; putting your inner-turmoil aside to help others. Now, did it give me feels on the level of say, "Hurricane Fluttershy," or "Secret of My Excess?" No, but the few feels it gave me really saved the episode from being a jumbled mess of attempts at lightheartedness, IMO; it added some needed seriousness to it.

 

So, all and all, I'd give it an 8/10; below Daring Don't, which I'd give an 8.5/10, the premiere, which had a 9/10, and Castlemania, which is in my top 5 favorite episodes of all time with  9.8/10/

Good episode, and it exceeded my expectations

[PoisonClaw 8,164]

I'm calling it now: Mane-iac as new favorite villain. It's like Doc Oc crossed with Sedusa from PPG mixed with The Joker and finally ponified for good measure. Her voice actress especially sounds like she thoroughly enjoyed the role here. Though I have to wonder...she has an overpowered can of hairspray that not only temporarily petrifies ponies (cleverly fitting it a Medusa shout out possibly), but also completely nulls their powers? How does she lose with something like that?! I mean besides the fact that she has shown to fall victim to almost ever villains one weakness: A powerful urge to start monologuing.

 

As for the line-up, Pinkie is the Flash, AppleJack as Wonder Woman, Dash as one of any dozens of weather themed super heroes (Thor, Shazam/Captain Marvel, Storm, ect.) Rarity as an [insert color] lantern, Fluttershy as THE HULK! and Twilight as...as...I got nothing.

 

Now onto the episode itself, we have more potential plot points with the sisters' old castle being spruced up. That's three times now that castle has come into play (four if you count the first two episodes of Season 1) and if they don't plan on doing something big with it I will be severely disappointed. Spike is feeling useless (again) until the comic starts sucking them up in a...rather horrifying fashion actually. Jimanji comes to mind. 

 

Next we have the fight sequences (following the hilarious scene where Dash pulls a Leeroy Jenkins) before they are all unceremoniously frozen by Mane-iacs hair spray, prompting Spike to come save them. I liked the way each pony showcased her powers, but I still think they were defeated way too easily to try and bring about the conclusion. Once they all all freed however, they proceed to kick but in a most glorious fashion, though Rarity is once more in top form this episode when she skips down the steps she made. Fluttershy finally hulks out, defeats the Mane-iac (which for some reason causes feedback that causes her fair to tie her up straitjacket like rather neatly) and they all return home safe and sound and with the events of the comic behind them.

 

OR DO THEY!? The comic begins to glow and Mane-iac rises up from th- oh, no wait...the comic just disappears in a flash of light. That was a bit of a letdown...

 

All and all, this was still an enjoyable episode, especially for a comic book fan like myself. I could have used a touch more of the Mane 6 showcasing their powers, but I'm still satisfied with what we got. Though the "I got it from a mysterious enchanted comic book shop" closing seems like a really lazy way to sweep where the comic came from under the rug.

 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go drawn Mane-iac fanart before the tentacle hentai people get a hold of her. Excelsior!

[JonPear 209]

I think Nightmare Moon needs to teach The Mane-i-ac how to do a real evil laugh and real menacing antagonistic dialogue

[Seaweed-Headed Dragon 359]

Needs more story development. But sorta hard to do that when you only have a 20 minute frame. So I think 2 part episode would be good

[Wingnut 6,991]

One of the things I relish about MLP:FiM is the writers' ability to think outside the box. But when I first saw the promos and synopsis for Power Ponies, I thought they may have gone too far. I'm glad to report that, having finally seen it, the concept was executed very well. Because Equestria is several decades behind us, I envisioned the comic book as being the very pulpy, grainy printed matter from the 40s and 50s. But the comic Spike read had a contemporary appearance. That's not implausible as Equestria seems to be further ahead in photography and graphic arts than it is in most other areas. It probably would've been too difficult to give the look of an old time comic book with a Flash program anyway.

 

 

 

The AJ= Wonder Woman link is tenuous at best. Wondy is much more than her lasso, she's basically a female Superman. And you forgot Rarity = Green Lantern.

 

-I think Applejack is sort of a Batman/Wonder Woman hybrid. She used horseshoes to trip up some bad guys. The rest of the ponies are more clear cut.

-Pinkie Pie is the Flash equivalent, which was obvious from promo clips.

-Fluttershy is the Hulk, even though Bruce Banner never wore a costume of any kind.

-Rarity is the Green Lantern and my personal favorite of the six Power Ponies.

-Rainbow Dash is Storm.

-And Twilight is Iceman

 

Here are my other early thoughts and reactions:

 

-Maretroplolis looks very futuristic compared to any place we've seen in Equestria.

-Mane-iac fell into a tank of chemicals...which is the Joker's origin.

-Spike wants to assist Rarity...he still likes her.

-How could a lasso stop a tornado?

-I will never see Flutterrage the same way again!

-Humdrum, I mean Spike, gets to be the hero. Predictable, but well played here.

-Why is the castle taking on a whole new purpose after being neglected for most of the first three seasons? I think Twilight has a serious goal in mind but it won't be revealed until later.

-Who "enchanted" that comic book in the first place? Discord is one suspect. Only he and a handful of other beings would have the power to do something like this.

-Does the comic book disappearing at the end suggest we'll see more of Mane-iac in the future?

 

On the whole, I liked this episode very much.

[LED Dasher 228]

I really liked the concept of super heroes here. This episode was better than Daring Don't. Putting the Mane 6 in a different universe is better than bringing a fictional character from a book into Equestria.