One-Trick Pony

« My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron #2 »
"A Real Mother"
Publisher	IDW Publishing
Published in	The Magic of Cybertron #2
First published	May 26, 2021
Cover date	April 2021
Written by	Sam Maggs
Art by	Trish Forstner
Colors by	Luis Antonio Delgado
Letters by	Neil Uyetake
Editor	Megan Brown and David Mariotte

It's an Old West showdown like no other when Applejack encounters a rogue Decepticon in the Cybertronian wilderness.

Synopsis

Somewhere in the Cybertronian wilderness, Applejack wanders the rust deserts in in search of a way home, but finds her way barred by the reclusive Decepticon Wildwheel, self-appointed protector of the region. Applejack warns him that she's just passing through and wants no trouble... but as the tension mounts, the two wind up facing off in a classic cowboy duel that pits Applejack's lasso versus Wildwheel's laser whip.

As the pair face off, each waiting for the other to make the first move, a third voice suddenly breaks the tension to praise the glory of King Sombra... which prompts both combatants to attack the source of the noise and successfully bring down the mind-controlled Quickstrike. Applejack compliments Wildwheel on his roping skill, and the Decepticon returns the compliment... only to hurl the whip at her again! Applejack assumes the worst—but she's shocked to discover that the Decepticon was instead aiming at the brainwashed Skids sneaking up behind her. Applejack can't believe that Wildwheel would save her, but the Decepticon explains that these brainwashed Cybertronians are clearly more of a threat to Cybertron than any pony. Wildwheel suggests a team-up, and Applejack gladly accepts his offer.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons	Others
Skids (4)	Wildwheel (2) Quickstrike (3)	Applejack (1)

Quotes

"I'm wanderin' an uncharted territory. A cowpony blazing a trail home in an unforgiving land. But like Pinkie always says... follow the sun, trusty steed, and you'll be just fine. 'Course, I don't even know if this is the same sun as back home. Probably not, right? Hang on, how does space work? Aw, never mind."

—Applejack loses her train of thought

"So, you're telling me it's a planet... of all magic?"
"Oh, yeah. You're gonna love it. I have a friend who can make us matching hats!"

—Wildwheel and Applejack

Notes

Transformers references

• Though the story does not directly state where this story is set, the red sandy landscape and Applejack's mention of "rust storms" suggest it's set in a version of the Rust Sea that's appeared several times in Transformers fiction—though sometimes it's a literal "sea" of rust particles, its depiction in the Fall of Cybertron video game and IDW's first Transformers continuity depicted it as a desert wasteland traversable on foot (or hoof).
• Wildwheel is directly based on the character of the same name from the Cyberverse cartoon—his roll call blurb even incorporates a truncated version of his Cyberverse backstory by noting that he's an Autobot-turned-Decepticon. This version of the character wields a laser whip, however, instead of the Cyberverse character's revolvers.
• The two Sombra-controlled baddies in this issue were likely chosen for their connections to Wildwheel's cowboy motif; though you'll probably recall Quickstrike's Yosemite Sam-esque characterization in Beast Wars, you might not remember that Skids got into an Old West showdown with Megatron in his spotlight Marvel issue.

Errors

• This story seems to have been written without proper knowledge of the first instalment in issue #1—Applejack's opening monologue has her mention that she doesn't know where she is or how she got here, when "The Magic of Cybertron" showed her voluntarily following Twilight Sparkle through the spacebridge portal to Cybertron. Her desire to return home to Equestria is a bit odd, as three of her best friends are still under King Sombra's mind control and being used to conquer the planet.
• The final "To be continued" is again misspelt as "contunued".