History ShoutOut / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDW

* A tent is seen advertising "Plasmids and Vigors", a reference to ''VideoGame/BioshockInfinite'''s power-granting substances of the same names.

* DJ [=P0N-3=] is playing a record from [[Music/ElectricLightOrchestra Candle Light Orchestra]].

*** "Never Gonna' Give You Up" by Rein Astley ("Never Gonna' Give You Up" by Music/RickAstley) with Snowflake (of all ponies!) as the singer.

* Shining's room includes a figurine of [[ComicBook/{{Batman}} Batpony]], a model of the [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries ''USS Enterprise'']], a moose hat from [[Film/NationalLampoonsVacation Wally World]], and posters for [[Film/BillAndTed Wyld Stallyns]] and [[ComicBook/TeenTitans The New Foal Titans]]. One comic lying on the floor is of [[ComicBook/ManThing Colt-Thing]].

* The sound effect the spiders make while shooting web is [[Franchise/SpiderMan very familiar]].

* Twilight's teleporting, in issue 3, is accompanied by a [[Comicbook/XMen "bamf!"]] sound effect

* One pony on the splash page with Big Mac entering the fair has a cutie mark that is the same as the ''Franchise/GreenLantern'' symbol.

* Luna's ExpressiveShirt displays the emblem of the [[Franchise/StarTrek Starfleet]] during the race, and the Franchise/{{Batman}} emblem later on.

* Shining's room includes a figurine of [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Batpony]], a model of the [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries ''USS Enterprise'']], a moose hat from [[Film/NationalLampoonsVacation Wally World]], and posters for [[Film/BillAndTed Wyld Stallyns]] and [[ComicBook/TeenTitans The New Foal Titans]]. One comic lying on the floor is of [[ComicBook/ManThing Colt-Thing]].

** A later panel shows the [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Bottled City of Kandor]] on one of the library shelves.

* Much of Star Swirl's library can be taken as a shout out to Franchise/{{Batman}}'s Batcave, with its cave-like formation and collection of odds and ends. One predominate prop is what appears to be a giant penny (including a ponified version of UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln), an element introduced in the original comics and used in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''. A shortcut from Star Swirl's library to the castle is revealed by [[Series/Batman1966 hitting a button hidden within a bust of a pony that looks like]] Creator/WilliamShakespeare, as to reveal two sliding poles.

* The [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Bottled City of Kandor]] can be seen in the flashback on a bookshelf in Star Swirl's lab. A drawing on a stand there shows the [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Batmobile]] schematics with an ejector seat.

* The headquarters of the Power Ponies is very similar to the high rise of both [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark's]] and the Franchise/TeenTitans, with the building capped by giant "PP" letting

** Fluttershy's [[Franchise/{{Spiderman}} spidey-senses]] tingle when Luna's thinking about finding a pet, though it turns out just because there was a spider nearby.

* At the end of issue #2, Rainbow Dash panics when Twilight leaves them without a map and Pinkie responds: [[Film/BackToTheFuture "Where we're going,]] [[Film/TheTreasureOfTheSierraMadre we don't need no stinkin' map!"]]

* Twilight reminds Pinkie to tell visiting ponies how [[Film/BackToTheFuture the clock tower doesn't work anymore after being struck by lightning.]] Pinkie later misattributes this to two-time travelers that stopped there.

*** The Cutie Mark Crusaders as Franchise/PowerRangers[=/=]Franchise/SuperSentai. Their "Mega Pony" robot bears a resemblance to [[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 Jetfire]] (or the Anime/{{Macross}}[=/=]Anime/{{Robotech}} mecha that developed into Jetfire, but IDW has the {{Transformers}} license, so Jetfire himself seems more likely). The monsterized version of Gummy they wind up fighting is blatantly based on Franchise/{{Godzilla}}.

** A newspony appearing throughout to provide exposition is from [[Creator/{{CNN}} [=PNN=]]], including a logo/cutie mark that is similar to that of [=CNN=]'s.

*** [[MementoMori ''Memento Mori'']]

** In an ImagineSpot, Fluttershy has visions that mirror those from ''Film/{{Carrie}}'', though instead of pig's blood, it's rainbow liquids.

** Jade comments that Twilight [[Series/TheMaryTylerMooreShow "has spunk"]] (see YouGotSpunk, below).

* Fiendship Is Magic
** [[https://derpibooru.org/811505 The covers for the Tirek, Sombra, Chrysalis, and Nightmare Moon art]] by Amy are based on portraits of members (or presumed members) of the Borgia family from Renaissance Italy. The Sirens cover is based on the images of the Charities in Creator/SandroBotticelli's ''Art/{{Primavera}}''.

* Twilight Sparkle, after becoming a vampire pony like the other Manes, considers the concept of [[Literature/{{Twilight}} "sparkling vampires"]].

** Jade thinks Twilight is interested in that [[Literature/{{Twilight}} "silly series with the vampire pony"]].

* Long-Face's name refers to an old [[StockShtick "Guy walks into a bar"]] joke.

** When Fluttershy is fretting about her art, and Angel is trying to help, he's shown in front of three different paintings. The last two include Pablo Picasso's "[[http://everypainterpaintshimself.com/article/picassos_mandolin_and_guitar Mandolin and Guitar]]", and Creator/SalvadorDali's "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Persistence_of_Memory The Persistence of Memory]]". Angel even emphasizes this last one, suddenly sporting a vest and a mustache similar to Dali's own style.

** The Stranger, the stallion that pulls their stagecoach, is a ponification of Sam Elliot from ''Film/GhostRider''.