History YMMV / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E6PowerPonies

** Spike's character is clearly a reference to Comicbook/{{Robin}}, who--depending on which specific version or adaptation you're talking about--is an expert gymnast, martial artist, detective, strategist and/or hacker. Of ''course'' he wouldn't be useless.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: As divisive as Power Ponies were to the fanbase, most everyone agreed that [[Franchise/GreenLantern Radiance]] was excellent, as Rarity really took to her powers; they seemed so natural for her.

** Masked Matter-Horn is an {{Expy}} of [[Franchise/XMen Cyclops]], able to shoot various forms of magical beams from her horn. Creator/JamesMarsden (film), Cyclops' original actor in the ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'', played Hitch Trailblazer in the G5 Movie ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyANewGeneration''.

* EvilIsSexy: Mane-iac.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: This episode and its [[AnAesop Aesop]] could be seen as one to Spike's treatment in "Spike at Your Service" and "Just for Sidekicks", as well as Deconstructing his role as TheLoad in numerous previous episodes.

** Masked Matter-Horn is an Expy of [[Franchise/XMen Cyclops]], able to shoot various forms of magical beams from her horn. Creator/JamesMarsden (film), Cyclops' original actor in the ''Film/X-Men Film Series'', played Hitch Trailblazer in the G5 Movie ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyANewGeneration''.

** Twilight/Masked Matter-Horn is an Expy of [[Franchise/XMen Cyclops]], able to shoot various forms of magical beams from her horn. Creator/JamesMarsden (film), Cyclops' original actor in the ''Film/X-Men Film Series'', played Hitch Trailblazer in the G5 Movie ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyANewGeneration''.

** Twilight/Masked Matter-Horn is an [[Expy]] of [[Franchise/XMen Cyclops]], able to shoot various forms of magical beams from her horn. Creator/JamesMarsden (film), Cyclops' original actor in the ''Film/X-Men Film Series'', played Hitch Trailblazer in the G5 Movie ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyANewGeneration''.

** Fluttershy's [[HulkingOut superpower]] makes sense if you think about it. The ComicBook/IncredibleHulk seems to be the very last hero one would associate with the sweet, delicate Fluttershy. However, when you take into account her previous rage moments in episodes such as "Dragonshy", "Best Night Ever", and "Putting Your Hoof Down", you realize that Fluttershy is similar to Bruce Banner, and Saddle Rager is equivalent to The Incredible Hulk. Fluttershy is the emotionally repressed, socially awkward wallflower, while Saddle Rager is the bold, assertive, and occasionally bullying side that emerges when one pushes one of Fluttershy's [[BerserkButton Berserk Buttons.]] Plus, what sets Fluttershy off in the first place is the fact that the Mane-iac was bullying something small and harmless for no good reason. Fluttershy has good reason to hate bullies, considering that she was a victim of it in her childhood.

** Does the Power Ponies in the comic book have a low opinion of Humdrum or they truly think of him as one of them? Mane-iac claims that everypony knows they only keep Humdrum out of pity, while Spike states that his only purpose is to make [[TheMillstone make things worse]] and be a PluckyComicRelief. But both has some clear bias; Mane-iac [[EvilCannotComprehendGood being a super-villain who can't understand why they would keep him]] while Spike is [[ThisLoserIsYou clearly projecting his insecurities]]. Does Humdrum [[BigDamnHeroes always saves the day]] and serves as TheHeart like Spike does towards the Mane-six, and we only see it through our heroes' perspective?

* FoeYay: Mane-iac refuses to use her Hairspray Ray of Doom to freeze Spike, the only boy on the Power Ponies team. When she teases him over the thought of this being "pointless" she briefly tickles him under the chin with her mane and her tone of voice almost makes it sound like she is ''flirting'' with him.

** Does the Power Ponies in the comic book have a low opinion of Humdrum or they truly think of him as one of them? Mane-iac claims that everypony knows they only keep Humdrum out of pity, while Spike states that his only purpose is to make [[TheMillstone make things worse]] and be a PluckyComicRelief. But both has some clear bias; with Mane-iac [[EvilCannotComprehendGood being a supervision who can't understand why they would keep him]] while Spike is [[ThisLoserIsYou clearly projecting his insecurities]]. Does Humdrum [[BigDamnHeroes always saves the day]] and serves as TheHeart like Spike does towards the Mane-six, and we only see it through our heroes' perspective?

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: The Mane-iac -- evil supervillain or in-character DungeonMaster? Is she throwing things at the Mane Six [=/=] Power Ponies to be nasty, or to get them to engage her like they're supposed to? Did she pause to BreakingSpeech Twilight about Spike's supposed incompetence to KickTheDog, or to trigger a KirkSummation that would restore his confidence and get him to spring the others for the final battle? Did she swat that firefly [[EvilIsPetty for petty evil]], or because she knew it would trigger the beatdown Fluttershy was supposed to give her to end the comic?

* MemeticMutation: After Twilight's WorldOfCardboardSpeech about how Spike/Humdrum always comes through when his friends need him, Spike comes up with a plan that takes half of the Mane-iac's {{Mooks}} out of play. [[Film/ReturnOfTheJedi It's a tarp!]]

* AccidentalInnuendo: ... or perhaps [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar not-so-accidental]], considering how much the show's writers enjoy trolling the peripheral fandom via Twitter. Applejack's alternate persona of ''Mistress'' Marevelous combined with her mastery of a psychically-controlled lasso can easily be seen as fetish appeal.

* FoeYay: Mane-iac refuses to use her Hairspray Ray of Doom to freeze Spike, the only boy on the Power Ponies team. When she teases him over the thought of this being "pointless" she briefly tickles him under the chin with her mane and her tone of voice almost makes it sound like she is ''flirting'' with him.

* CrazyAwesome: "Flutterhulk" can be seen as this given the sheer hilarity of it.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: As divisive as Power Ponies were to the fanbase, most everyone agreed that [[GreenLantern Radiance]] was excellent, as Rarity really took to her powers; they seemed so natural for her.

* JustForFun/SurprisinglySimilarStories: It's likely not inspired by it (although it would be very cool if it was) but the premise of this episode is very similar to the ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' series of ''Pet Force'' children's novels (where Garfield and company get pulled into the world of a superhero comic book and inhabit the characters they are analogous to within).

* AccidentalInnuendo: ... or perhaps [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar not-so-accidental]], considering how much the show's writers enjoy trolling the peripheral fandom via Twitter. Applejack's alternate persona of ''Mistress'' Marevelous combined with her mastery of a psychically-controlled lasso can easily be seen as FetishFuel.

* JustForFun/SurprisinglySimilarStories: It's likely not inspired by it (although it would be very cool if it was) but the premise of this episode is very similar to the series of ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' series of ''Pet Force'' children novels (where Garfield and company get pulled into the world of a superhero comic book and inhabit the characters they are analogous to within).

* JustForFun/SuspiciouslySimilarStories: It's likely not inspired by it (although it would be very cool if it was) but the premise of this episode is very similar to the series of ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' series of ''Pet Force'' children novels (where Garfield and company get pulled into the world of a superhero comic book and inhabit the characters they are analogous to within).

* SuspiciouslySimilarStories: It's likely not inspired by it (although it would be very cool if it was) but the premise of this episode is very similar to the series of ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' series of ''Pet Force'' children novels (where Garfield and company get pulled into the world of a superhero comic book and inhabit the characters they are analogous to within).