Friendship is Card Games: Friendship in Disguise #1 & #2 · 12:35pm Sep 13th, 2020
Surprised? I’d say the comics never stopped being a thing, but given the entire industry’s virus-engendered hiatus, that’s exactly what happened. But they started being a thing again as of last month, so here we are.
And we return to IDW with a crossover that… Well, I can’t say that no one was asking for it. There are at least 76 stories on the site featuring Cybertronians, including one of mine. It’s as natural a combination as either of its components with G.I. Joe, all part of Hasbro’s big, happy, toyetic family. So, let’s see what I can get out of bringing in a member of the awkward, nerdy, coastal branch of that family.
Issue #1
Funnily enough, the comics’ format resembles Pony Life: Two stories per installment.
The roll call for each franchise is a much appreciated touch. There’s even a bit of metacommentary to be found. Rarity and Rainbow Dash get occupations (fashionista and speedster repectively,) but all of the Transformers are simply described by their faction. In a war spanning star systems and millions of years, there’s no room for personal passions. Also Optimus is described as leader of the Autobot, but Megatron is the warlord of the Decepticons. It’s amazing how much you can pack into just a few words.
Transformation is Magic
I do appreciate how each setting is established using the other franchise’s font. Lovely touch.
Quibble Pants showing up as a reminder not to take this too seriously is also a nice touch. The mare who looks like a slightly more yellow Pear Butter in the second panel helps underscore this. MST3K Mantra is definitely in effect here.
Quibble complaining about a comic then immediately asking for a mint in-bag copy is so on-point it hurts.
And the warning about not overthinking continuity immediately applies, since Chrysalis has unreformed changeling servants, and it’s not at all clear what she means by her “most recent imprisonment.” That could range from her getting trapped in a castle by the giant Pinkie suit in the very first comic arc to getting petrified in “The Ending of the End.” (She is a queen. Given time, there’s no reason to think she couldn’t replenish the hive’s numbers.)
I actually like Chrysalis’s plan for once. Summoning an outside context problem is a very clever way to put your opponent on the back foot, especially if you’re so arrogant or desperate that you don’t think or care that it could go terribly awry. Plus, Chrysalis summoning fellow shapeshifters is a brilliant in-universe way to bring Cybertronians to Equestria. (To say nothing of the other things she could’ve brought in. Shoggoths, werewolves, Alex Mercer…)
There’s something truly special in seeing the word “Cybertron” in pink, with a heart in the O. The proportions between characters feel a bit wonky, but I'm given to understand that that's typical for Transformers media.
A faulty spacebridge works quite well for the other half of bridging universes. Nice application of Clarke’s Third Law.
The comedic timing with Grimlock’s entrance is fantastic.
Ooh, nice touch with Twilight quickly dispelling such a dramatic ritual. It appears to be as much dragging changeling out of position as unravelling the spell itself, but it’s still nice to see her perform casual feats of arcane might.
… Okay, word of warning to anyone thinking of buying the Kindle version of these issues: The two-page spreads come out the size of postage stamps and don’t allow zooming. The grand entrance is very dramatic, but it would be a lot more so if I didn’t have to squint to read the guard’s dialogue. I suppose this is what I get for buying the $2 version. 
“A surprisingly colorful doom” is a great way to describe Equestria, truth be told. Also, either Twilight could see Optimus and Bumblebee talking to one another from miles away, or she inferred that the summonings were alive from Megatron. Hard to tell what I’m supposed to conclude from how the panels are sequenced.
I do love how characters from each franchise speak using a different typeface. Great use of typography in this crossover.
Yeah, the Wonderbolts really don’t know how to deal with a minotauroid the size of a barn casually hovering.
We get it, Optimus. You’re willing to nobly sacrifice yourself.
Always nice to see heroes meet up and bond without a misunderstanding-induced fight scene.
Yeah, motor vehicle alt-forms will not be helpful when it comes to blending in in Equestria. They can’t all be Apple Bloom. And even Bumblebee’s a little big for the mirror.
There is something truly wonderful about Chrysalis riding a tank. And I don’t just mean the “Drive me closer! I want to stab them with my horn!” factor. That image alone justifies this crossover.
Shine Like a Diamond
Starscream demanding that Manehattan’s fashionistas clothe him in glory is equally perfect. Also, nice to see Rarity’s employees, including Plaid Stripes and Coco Pommel.
Also, good to see Rarity trying to charm Starscream into a state of complacency. She knows she can’t take down the giant golem by force—she’s not Rainbow Dash, after all—but guile is definitely a viable weapon for her. Of course, this is Starscream we’re talking about, the bot who wrote the data file on backstabbing viziers. This may well have been the mindset that led to Rarity becoming Nightmare Moon’s majordomo.
All told, Arcee’s flying kick is definitely the better option.
But yeah, if Rarity was in Manehattan when Chrysalis’s ritual scattered giant robots across the world, I can hardly blame her for being both terrified and confused when Starscream came in blasting and demanding a cape.
“I’m no expert, but we may even be from a different dimension than you.”
“Ah. Simple as that?”
I legitimately can’t tell how sarcastic Rarity’s being here. Being friends with Twilight can do that.
i don’t know much about Arcee personally, but this is some lovely character interaction. Also interesting to see Rarity explicitly refer to fighting demigods. I’m guessing she means Discord, but I have to wonder who else might qualify. (Granted, she also talks about facing hydras when she was nowhere to be seen during that bit of “Feeling Pinkie Keen,” so I suppose we may need to take this with a grain of salt.)
Very interesting to see Rarity replicate her human counterpart’s abilities, down to the shape of the shield. To say nothing of the thing being powerful enough to block Cybertronian-sized shots.
Some lovely stuff in the art gallery in the back of the issue, both some very incongruous frolicking and a wholesome nerd-out between two librarians.
Issue #2
Fun fact: In this issue’s roll call, Pinkie is simply described as “party planner and baker extraordinaire.” At no point does the comic claim she is an earth pony or any other entity comprehensible to mortal man.
Inspiring
Oh. Oh my. Somehow the spacebridge malfunction dragged Spike into the Transformers universe. Though the fact that he’s composing a letter to Twilight raises the question of whether his message fire can travel to other planes of existence.
Also, Spike has wings and is described as Twilight’ “royal advisor,” so it looks like the comic is going on the premise that Chrysalis broke out of petrification. This leads to the question of whether anypony’s going to get Celestia and Luna out of retirement so they can go punch giant robots. I imagine at least one of them will be up for it.
… Huh. Celestia, Cadence, Twilight Velvet… I’m only just realizing that Twilight Sparkle was raised by a succession of closet adrenaline junkies. This may explain a lot. (Of course, given the younger Twilight’s foalhood surges, if anyone raising her wasn’t already a thrill seeker, they’d probably need to learn how to be one in short order.)
Also, there's definitely a joke about Spike in the Ark somewhere in here...
Spike being the Scootaloo to Grimlock’s Rainbow Dash makes a ludicrous amount of sense. Let's not forget where some legends of dragons came from.
Yeah, they may all have earthmoving alt-forms, but the Constructicons are hardly, well, constructive.
Good to see Spike also knows when he’s outclassed. Dragons are mighty beasts of legend, but T. rex vs. dump trucks is still a fight he won’t be ready for any time this century.
Do not taunt a Combiner team. That rarely ends well.
Thank goodness the Ark had printed books available.
I’m with Grimlock. Spike cramming a written language and a programming language (however different the two may be for Cybertronians) in short order is very impressive indeed. And I do appreciate how Grimlock would like some orcish language studies.
“Grimlock will always be Grimlock. Spike full of potential.”
Again, it’s the tragic eternal struggle of Transformers contrasted against Friendship is Magic’s theme of mutual support and growth. Am I reading too much into this? Maybe. Do I appreciate the message I find? Absolutely.
They Eat Ponies, Don’t They?
Um… no? No they don't?
Also, I don’t see cameras, but this definitely looks like a TV set. Did we drift into a G4-styled Pony Life? Maybe Hello Pinkie Pie? (I know, I know, Quibble’s warning applies, but I can’t let this sort of anachronism go unmentioned.)
Also, Best Pony’s in the audience and Cherry Berry appear to be a producer. Didn’t expect a jump from airships to airwaves, but here we are.
Huh. An Autobot barely bigger than a pony. Also a PR campaign trying to get Equestria to welcome the friendlier extraplanar immigrants. Gauge is, based on a quick look at TF Wiki, the youngest Transformer, which explains her small stature.
I do like how Pinkie’s cupcakes fall into a Mane Six palette. All that’s missing is a Fluttershy one. Also, she probably did whip those up from the raw ingredients in a matter of moments (or a single panel transition. Same difference.
Why would ponies wear underwear?
… Actually, don’t answer that question. Unless the answer is “This is actually human Pinkie.” I’ll just go with that.
Dare I ask about the other ingredients of an iron filing casserole?
Ah, Shockwave. Time for science. Specifically magic-to-Energon conversion, which makes sense as a field of interest… though directly processing equine biomatter feels like a rather radical step. I suppose when there’s so little data available to him on magic extraction and storage outside of pony tissue, this is the most expeditious method, but still.
Hmm. Shockwave raiding the Canterlot Archives for local data on the phenomenon primitively referred to as "magic." There's an idea...
“Science demands you keep still!”
Oh, Shockwave. Twilight could share some horror stories there.
There are few image less menacing than an immense, pitiless, cyclopean robot… with a spork and a spatula for hands.
And today’s lesson is “Sentimentality can outwit smarts as long as it’s supplemented by tearing your opponent’s hands off.”
I do like the progression from Gauge not understanding a thing Pinkie says to the two of them barely needing to exchange a word in their strategizing, but the pacing on this one feels very rushed.
Yeah, that particular recipe exchange was never going to end well. Well, Pinkie might appreciate the casserole given her family’s cooking, but there’s a big difference between rock and metal, as any geologist, music aficionado, or Pokémon trainer can tell you.
So, two good stories, one where I feel I was missing something, and one that feels more slapped together than anything. All told, this has certainly been interesting thus far, though not the best IDW has had to offer. Still, I’m looking forward to the other half of the mini-series.
Now onto the cards… which actually have some precedent thanks to HasCon. Let’s roll them out.
Autobot Ambassador 1W
Artifact Creature — Autobot
Whenever a Pony, Pegasus, or Unicorn enters the battlefield under your control, Autobot Ambassador gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
The Autobots sent their youngest, not yet scarred by eons of war, to act as envoys to their strange new allies.
2/2
Pointless Conflict 2W
Instant
Prevent all damage that would be dealt to creatures this turn.
Draw a card.
The Autobot-Decepticon war has raged for million of years. For much of that time, it has been unclear what victory might bring, or if it was even possible.
Cast-Iron Slammer 3W
Creature — Pony Warrior
Blocking creatures you control have first strike.
“A good pan is well-seasoned, well-balanced, and well-suited for smacking any monsters that wander into the kitchen.”
3/2
Twilight’s Honor Guard 3W
Creature — Pegasus Soldier
Flying
Whenever an opponent casts a spell, if it has a single target, change it to Twilight’s Honor Guard if able.
“We’re not here to protect the princess. We’re here to keep you from wasting her time.”
2/4
Stage Left U
Instant
As an additional cost to cast this card, return a land you control to its owner’s hand.
Return target nonland permanent to its owner’s hand.
“Well, where did it go?”
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
Frantic Study 2U
Sorcery
If you have fewer than seven cards in hand, draw cards equal to the difference. At the beginning of the next end step, discard a card for each card drawn this way.
After years of helping Twilight hit the books, Spike was more than ready.
Sapphire Umbra 2U
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature you control
Enchanted creature gets +0/+3 and has hexproof.
Totem armor (If enchanted creature would be destroyed, instead remove all damage from it and destroy this Aura.)
Script Hatchling 4U
Creature — Dragon
Flying
When Script Hatchling enters the battlefield, you may exile an instant or sorcery card with converted mana cost 4 or less from your hand encoded on it. If that card doesn’t have cipher, it gains cipher. (Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, you may cast a copy of the encoded card without paying its mana cost.)
3/2
To the Four Winds 4UU
Instant
Choose artifact, creature, enchantment, or planeswalker. Return all permanents of the chosen type to their owners’ hands.
Chrysalis’s ritual flung Cybertronians across the face of Ungula.
Newbrood Pitling 1B
Creature — Shapeshifter Pilot
Protection from white
Whenever Newbrood Pitling crews a Vehicle, that Vehicle gains protection from white until end of turn.
Ever adaptable, the changelings quickly developed an understanding of their strange new allies.
2/1
Newbrood Spitecaster 2B
Creature — Shapeshifter Warlock
Instant and sorcery spells you cast cost 1 less to cast.
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, you lose 1 life.
Chrysalis bred the Newbrood for one purpose: Getting revenge by any means necessary.
2/2
Chrysalis’s Clutch 3B
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may exile a creature card from your graveyard. If you do, create a token that’s a copy of that creature, except it’s 1/1.
“The princess isn’t the only one with friends.”
Beckoning Breach 3BB
Sorcery
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for 1 or one mana of that creature's color.)
Choose a card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand.
Dark wishes bear surreal fruit.
Manehattan Tyrant 4BB
Artifact Creature — Decepticon
When Manehattan Tyrant enters the battlefield, create three 1/1 blue Unicorn creature tokens.
B, Sacrifice a Unicorn: Tap Manehattan Tyrant. It gains indestructible until end of turn.
6/3
Repurposed Backblast 1R
Instant
Repurposed Backblast deals damage to target creature equal to twice the number of artifact cards in your graveyard.
“The Ark won’t fly any time soon, but the engines still work.”
—Spike
Strafing Run 2R
Sorcery
Strafing Run deals X damage to each creature without flying, where X is the number of creatures you control with flying.
“You can never tell if Starscream’s running away or getting reinforcements.”
—Arcee, Autobot warrior
Succinct Expression 2G
Sorcery
Target creature you control deals damage equal to its power to target creature you don’t control. Scry 2.
When “Bah-weep-granah-weep-nini-bong” doesn’t work, try a punch to the face.
Incompatible Tastes 3G
Enchantment
Each creature can’t be the target of spells that don’t share a color with it.
“So much for my Energon-frosted cupcake idea.”
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
Vicious Constructicon 4
Artifact Creature — Decepticon Combiner
3, Sacrifice another Combiner: Put three +1/+1 counters on Vicious Constructicon.
“Is there any other kind?”
—Bumblebee, Autobot scout
3/3
The Matrix of Leadership 4
Legendary Artifact — Equipment
Equipped creature has “X1, T: Creatures you control get +X/+X until end of turn.”
Fateful hour — As long as you have 5 or less life, equipped creature has “T, Sacrifice The Matrix of Leadership: You gain 10 life. When you do, exile up to one target nonland permanent.”
Equip 3
Faulty Spacebridge 5
Artifact
When Faulty Spacebridge enters the battlefield, exile all creatures until Faulty Spacebridge leaves the battlefield.
At the beginning of each player’s end step, that player chooses a card at random exiled with Faulty Spacebridge, then puts it onto the battlefield under their control.
The Sapphire Skull UB
Legendary Artifact
T: Choose one —
• Target opponent exiles the top card of their library.
• Exile target card from an opponent’s graveyard.
3UB: You may cast a nonland card exiled with The Sapphire Skull without paying its mana cost.
Dynamic Entry RG
Instant
The next creature spell you cast this turn can be cast as though it had flash. That spell can’t be countered. When you cast that spell, it deals damage equal to its power to any target.
Giant robots are rarely subtle.
Tray of Cupcakes (gw)(gw)
Sorcery
Put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control.
“Did I bring enough for everyone? Who do you think you’re talking to?”
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
Grimlock, Ark Guardian 1RGW
Legendary Artifact Creature — Autobot
Vigilance
Whenever a permanent you control becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, Grimlock, Ark Guardian gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
10G: Transform Grimlock. This ability costs X less to activate, where X is Grimlock’s power.
4/4
Grimlock, Strongest Dinobot
(RGW) Legendary Artifact Creature — Dinosaur
Hexproof, trample, vigilance, indestructible
At the beginning of each end step, if Grimlock, Strongest Dinobot’s power is 11 or less, transform it.
“You no welcome here.”
8/8
Biofuel Extractor 3BR
Artifact Creature — Decepticon
Whenever a nonartifact creature dies, put a charge counter on Biofuel Extractor.
Remove a charge counter from Biofuel Extractor: Add C.
Anything can be converted to Energon with enough processing.
3/3
Megatron, Eternal Warlord 4BR
Legendary Artifact Creature — Decepticon
Other Decepticons and Vehicles you control get +1/+0 and have menace.
At the beginning of each end step, you may pay BR. When you do, return to your hand target artifact or creature card in your graveyard that was put there this turn.
2BR: Transform Megatron, Eternal Warlord.
5/5
Megatron, Siege Mode
(BR) Legendary Artifact — Vehicle
First strike, menace, trample
2BR: Transform Megatron, Siege Mode.
Crew 4 (Tap any number of creatures you control with total power 4 or more: This Vehicle becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.)
8/8
It may interest you to know there's an ever so slight crossover element with Dungeons and Dragons, as well. The voice for Arcee in Transformers: Prime had a two-ep cameo on Critical Role... and it was glorious. Not the best set of episodes due to previous railroading, imo, but she was by and far the best part of it. She doesn't get the sass across in that, but you can feel it when she brings out the momma bear vibe.
... I still want a pre-Princesses Equestrian DnD sourcebook. Got the Eberron one for my birthday, at least, so expect some artificer trickery soon.
Wait, why is Newbrood Spitecaster not a Warlock? I mean, I don't blame you, they're a recent addition, but still.
…zoanoids, the Thing, the T-1000, the skrulls, the changelings (Star Trek: Deep Space 9), Clayface…
The writers clearly know that Pinks does not abide by anything so mundane as finite definitions imposed by physical reality.
5354513
If you imagine pre-Exodus earth ponies as dwarves, unicorns as elves, and pegasi as orcs (and fudge their respective life spans,) the story of Hearth's Warming still makes perfect sense.
5354517
Because I forgot the creature type existed and the Zendikar Rising spoiler season did not help, what with its emphasis on four specific creature types. Still, the Spitecasters are hardly the sort you'd want in your adventuring party. Adjustment made.
5354520
... Tetsuo Shima, X Parasites, Shang Tsung, Double Trouble, the changelings (World of Darkness,) Experiment Kraj...
Stupid Complicated Game Alert: Faulty Spacebridge has each player choose randomly from among all creatures exiled with it, not just their own. They'll even keep the creatures they randomly stole if the Spacebridge goes away. More hilariously, manifested instants and sorceries are permanently exiled, unable to be returned by either the end step trigger or the "until" clause. Manifested noncreature permanent cards, on the other hand, come back as their actual selves.
Stupid Complicated Game Alert: Grimlock's "Strongest Dinobot" form will keep the boosts that his "Ark Guardian" form received from its triggered ability, so you should never pay more than 2G to transform him. More interestingly, his transformation back is an "intervening if" clause, so you can boost his power in response to the trigger to prevent it from actually happening... but your opponent has to be a bit quicker on the draw if they want to reduce his power, as it won't trigger at all unless the condition is met.
Also earth benders
Oh, an addendum to the Fault Spacebridge SCGA: the manifest interaction is even nastier than I already implied. The trigger chooses a random card, but if it's an instant or sorcery nothing else happens. The trigger is wasted, and the card is still in exile so there's nothing stopping it from being randomly chosen the next six times.
5354536
Except Toph, but she's the greatest earth bender ever.
It happens.
5354521
All those shapeshifter ideas...now THERE'S some inspiration for a mega crossover. Someone call GMBlackjack
I love that Pinkie Pie has a page on the Transformers wiki. Why wouldn't she? Why wouldn't she have a page on the Doctor Who wiki or the Star Trek wiki or the Harry Potter wiki, for that matter?
Hmm. I didn't find this on the Android Kindle reader app. I could zoom in just fine (and indeed needed to for some of the two-page spreads).
Yeah, I hadn't heard of Gauge either. The rest of the Transformers they chose are mostly familiar from my 30-year-old comics, but it makes sense they'd want to find a number of female Transformers, and they're mostly going to have to go more modern to find those.
I also thought the Pinkie/Gauge/Shockwave episode was rather ridiculous. I mean, obviously with Shockwave wielding cooking utensils it was meant to be, but even given that. The Spike/Grimlock one was lovely though. A beautiful friendship was born.
On the cards, Chrysalis’s Clutch is delightful, but mainly just because it's a watered down Offspring's Revenge and that's a delightful card. I guess this one can get blue, green or artifact creatures. (Or Eldrazi, yikes. A 1/1 with Annihilator 2 is still scary.)
That's just like... what he does tho