IDW's My Little Pony: FIENDship is Magic #2

Lost my rhythm for a while there. Sorry, real life stuff happened and then kept happening. Well, I probably have it under control now, at least. On to the thing I was trying to do months ago!

The second part of Fiendship is about Tirek.

I've got to admit, if there's any villain I wanted an origin story for, it would be him. With his outright bloodlust that easily eclipses every other villain for sheer maniacal evil, his ties to G1, and the bits and pieces scattered about like his relationship with his brother and his prior knowledge of Discord, there's plenty to build on.

So does all that mean IDW has an advantage? Or will they just be four-for-four on screwing up series villains? Let's jump in and find out.

The issue opens in the desert with a lanky centaur and a dwarfish... anthropomorphic manticore? I've heard them called gargoyles, so let's go with that.

And so we get the first big reveal of the issue. Tirek... is Dutch.

I would like to actually give major credit to Tony Fleecs and Heather Breckel, the artist and colorist for this issue, because the art is gorgeous here. The art isn't usually bad, but this just looks more crisp and vibrant than the usual styles.

Tirek tells Scorpan to go home if he's so anxious, and they arrive at a cave that looks like a giant skull, which is usually a sign of a place that sensible individuals would want to not go, and never stop not going.

So of course, Tirek proceeds inside and, er...

That... happens, I guess? This is Sendak the Lens Flare—I mean, Sendak the Elder. He's busy being a plastic night light at the moment, but notices that someone has entered, and abruptly stops. He says he didn't expect Tirek, his "prodigy", so soon, and that he can sense Tirek isn't alone. Tirek assures him that Scorpan is nothing more than a slight nuisance, but Sendak insists he must wait outside.

Tirek obliges, and commands Scorpan to stay outside. Scorpan is curious and wants to come in, and says there are rumors that Sendak has been in Equestria, and Tirek roughly silences him with his magic and tells him to stand guard and stop asking questions.

Back inside, Sendak has covered the cage with a sheet. Tirek tries to peek under it, asking if the rumors are true. For the effort, Sendak zaps his hand, but reluctantly admits that yes, he has been to Equestria. Tirek demands to see what he's brought back. Sendak isn't sure if Tirek is ready, but relents and uncovers it again. The two peer into the cage, discussing the creature inside and... oh, like we don't know what's in it, let's just get to the point.

Tirek's bitterness that his master won't let him be the one to gain ultimate power by draining the magic from a unicorn is interrupted by teatime. He and Scorpan travel back across the Netherlands and arrives at the castle, just in time to hear their father, King Vorak, declare that they're going to be punished.

Alright, now, I'm just gonna say it... Tirek's mom is hot.

Scorpan interrupts the conversation after Vorak expresses his concern, and later, Tirek asks why. Scorpan explains that he just couldn't bear to hear his father speaking ill of Tirek, and adds that they shouldn't be snooping, which Tirek dismisses. He says he'll show his father just how much he really thirsts for power... and on that ominous note, declares he's going to sleep.

Of course, Tirek is a liar. At midnight, he tosses fireworks out the window, distracting the guards below and enabling him to sneak out. He hurries back to Sendak's home, and finds the old centaur asleep and the cage... undisturbed. He uses magic to levitate Sendak, presumably so that if he wakes up he'll be unable to move.

Apparently deciding his master must not have a reason for not touching it, Tirek approaches the cage and removes the covering. He then tries to drain the unicorn, and... he can't. Bewildered by his failure, he tries again, and the effort wakes both the unicorn and Sendak, who separately protest, the unicorn demanding to be set free and Sendak shouting for Tirek to stop.

Then, for what can only be described as "perfectly logical reasons", the cage explodes. Sendak is trapped under rubble, and while he urges Tirek to do something before the unicorn escapes, Tirek simply flees back to the castle.

The next morning, Scorpan finds Tirek in his room. He seems surprised, having naturally assumed that something blowing up nearby was his brother's doing, but Tirek insists that he didn't leave the castle. At that moment, the two are summoned. Scorpan fears that the king will believe Tirek was responsible for the explosion, but Tirek says he doesn't care.

And there's Discord. Hey, two-for-one villainous origins!

Knowing that Scorpan won't call him out on the lie, Tirek tells Vorak that he was with Scorpan all night. Vorak doesn't believe him, but is prepared to wait. Instead of pressing things, he leaves to handle the diplomatic situation with Equestria, and places Tirek under heavy guard to keep him from leaving the castle until he returns.

Scorpan feels betrayed. As Tirek returns to his room, Scorpan asks why he lied... to Vorak, and to him. Tirek brushes him off and goes to stand dramatically on the balcony, as one does. He declares that he will do what Sendak couldn't.

Given how much a mess you made of this, I wouldn't count on it, Tirek.

Honestly, I kind of liked this issue. Tirek was extremely hatable, but then, he was a teenager, so that's to be expected. It was interesting to see how pushing back against the various factors in his life molded him into what he would later become.

I don't even really have much to say about it, really. He wasn't some pure little snowflake set on the wrong path by circumstances beyond his control, so that's a plus. There's still some ambiguity, though, of whether he did have any agency in the process. If his experiences with Sendak and Vorak had been different, would he have ended up nobler? Or was he just born a generically irredeemable monster, as seems to be the preferred option most of the time? I'd really like to say it's the former, but I can't with confidence.

Well, that's that. Next time, and I hope that won't be several months away, we'll have a look at... the most inconsequential villains in the entire series. Huh. Okay.

Comments

[djthomp]

I enjoyed this issue, it had been lots of interesting little details that raise as many more questions. Discord? That centaur/gargoyle kingdom?

For the next issue, least consequential villains...the sirens? Don't expect much, it was the worst issue of the run by a mile and that is coming from someone who tries probably too hard to give the comics room to do their own thing.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Welcome back, Jackie. And yes, I agree. Their mother's pretty hot. :D So next up... the Sirens, right?