So new comic issue’s out. The plot thickens. Some highlights for those interested:
-I was just expecting RD but instead they gave us the whole cavalry. RD herself, Bulk Biceps, Somnambula, Flash Magnus, Spitfire and the Wonderbolts, and finally fan favourite….. Derpy Hooves!!
-So yeah, Sunny does have knowledge of g4’s time. Up until the S6 finale. Nothing else after that did she about.
-Zipp’s sudden lack of interest in the old era in-universe is because she didn’t want to be disappointed when she finally does discover it. Unfortunately as she sadly anticipated, it’s now a ghost town.
-Speaking of which, it’s now populated by many cloud eggs which hatched a winged, quill firing hedgehog. How long were they there?
-During Flash Magnus’ time in what would be Twilight’s era, they’ve already made computers. Wonder who sponsored them? Also side note, assuming the synopsises we knew are now outdated, apparently this “fan favourite” is none other….than Flash Magnus. Sorry bud, but you’re not everyone’s favourite. But we’re all glad you’re here anyway.
-Assuming it’s not an oversight even coming from Andy Price, Izzy has learned clone-jutsu!
-As usual with works by Andy Price, we’ve got cameos of Rosie the Riveter, Fred and Wilma Flintstone.
So yeah, with that, I’m just eagerly awaiting the final conclusion to this tale.
The first part of the comic has been let down by the poor quality even though the story is very good - which emphasized the problem with IDW, because there is far too great a difference between comic artists in quality and style. It would have been far more amazing if Andy Price had also taken it, or one of the good G4 artists.
So Zipp found a secret in the airship hangar and had it moved to a hangar building, to save these who couldn’t take refuge? Kind of weird that G5 ponies didn’t know about airships or flying vehicles and had to go on a crash course… literally.
Price has a rather poorly hidden secret, he is perhaps the most American-influenced comic artist in the world, as he loved to Americanize everyone he portrays, and shamelessly uses cameos and references to American entertainment such as the Flintstones - that’s his “brand” which makes his work very entertaining.
The second part of the comic is very interesting. And; Raindow Dash is expected to appear at the end of the arc, not midway through. There is something wrong with Flash Magnus, it seems that it is not him in the holography, but a digital clone. Because he’s not that… formal. As one of the heroes in the pegasi history, it may be natural to use him as a guide, because the holograph came from an “information deck”.
Such advanced technology is not found in S9, G4. A voice-controlled computer with a holographic display - even we would have been impressed by this - it is safe to speculate whether Twilight had smuggled technology from the pony-human Earth, but even that would have taken time. For the computer to function after a very unusually long time, possibly with magic instead of electricity. It reacted as soon as a pegasi got close enough.
We know how sluggish the ponies’ technological development is; when Celestia and Luna defeated Discord and resurrected Equestria they were by our standards in the Middle Ages, technologically in the 14th century, when Discord was unleashed, technology had reached the 1800-1920 period. The computer technology in Cloudsdale is something we would have developed in a decade or two, so it is in the 2030-2040 period. Logically, that would mean many centuries.
The state of Canterlot is not a little strange, I was expecting ruins - but dead magic is very impressively tough. “Dead” means that the magic did not come from living beings, and cannot be nullified or stolen as Tirek explained. So the pegasi had learned how to make their magic transfer these into clouds and solid material “death”, so they didn’t have to worry about these disappearing by themselves. We have learned that there is a difference between “living” magic that the Unity Crystals control - and “dead” magic that slips into the magical background of a magical world.
This then produces a possible scenario; even if Cloudsdale were to remain intact - the pegasi couldn’t stay there if they lost their magic and would then fall straight through the clouds. No wonder Sunny said; “- looks like everypony left in a hurry”.
High up in the atmosphere where it didn’t rain in a static world without global wind, things could be preserved for a very long time. Equus/Pony Earth is a static world that does not move, so that the atmosphere at higher altitudes will become completely stagnant, so that only local climatic phenomena can occur at much lower altitudes. This surprised both Zipp and Pipp, who did not expect a ghost town that seemed to have been abandoned yesterday.
We know there are automatic weather factories that may have taken over the weather factory in Cloudsdale’s role, which then means that the reactivity of the old machine will affect the entire world by upsetting the delicate balance. And if Cloudsdale crashes with Zephyr Heights - because it’s attracted to something - it could have serious repercussions. Zipp must therefore turn off the function.
It just doesn’t explain why the weather factory was turned on, or why Cloudsdale is drawn to Zephyr Heights. I personally think it is due to the many living pegasi who have active magic. It’s a conundrum - one that Zipp will face face to face. Because we now know from the G5 “bible” that Rainbow Dash is the founder of Zephyr Heights - and the weather factory - the pride of the pegasi - could be a natural place for her statue.
Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark in the first issue suggests that is where the drama will end.
So on to the story; according to the digital Flash Magnus, there were seven “great cities of Pegasi”. This is interesting, and it may have happened after the founding of Equestria because the pegasi had to migrate from their original home, which was up in the mountains. Then it can be said that these founded seven cities - and we know of at least a couple; Timbuktu in the G4 IDW comics and Las Pegasus in the G4 TV series. There must have been seven pegasi realms in Equestria in the pre-royal sisters era, and they were the “great” of all pegasi societies. I get a good idea of the pegasi’s militaristic nature, they probably fought each other and only cooperated against external enemies. Cloudsdale may have been the rallying point for all pegasi to come together in a common realm.
The pegasi were savages in the past, both before the great frost created by the windigos and during the beginning of Equestria, because if they live so high up in the hills, mountain ranges, aeries they will have little food within range. They therefore had to go far, often in dangerous circumstances, to find and gather food to take home. And they will of course come into conflict with other flying beings, especially gryphons who we know had an intensive past with the pegasi. It would not be surprising if they were robbers and pillagers - the first sky pirates in history - for them military organization and fighting means a survival strategy. This made them valuable allies for unicorns and earth ponies, who could provide them with valuables and food in exchange for protection.
When Equestria was founded, the three rulers chose a feudal model so that there were many realms that eventually began to merge, the old Equestria before Discord’s assault was a federation. Celestia and Luna centralize Equestria, among other things by forcing the unicorn aristocracy to Canterlot, where Cloudsdale then stayed close to. Possibly to balance the militaristic pegasi against the magical scholar unicorns. The royal sisters - then Celestia - “tamed” the pegasi, which in Flash Magnus’ time were quite independent.
And Cloudsdale was instrumental in the pacification of the pegasi, by giving them a peaceful source of pride - weather manipulation that they had developed into a work of art - which had already motivated the seven cities to band together and create a monument. In G4 it was seen that weather control was their pride and mission. It must have taken several centuries before the pegasi could become so peaceful that they could leave their work to the automatic weather factories - and then the weather factory in Cloudsdale could have become a museum.
Now Zipp is on her way to the pegasi’s pride and masterpiece, and she has already “met” two of the pegasi heroes.