The Awesome Spider-Dash: Origins

by Flufux

Luna's Shadow

Minisode
Luna's Shadow

While you would have to had been living under a rock your whole life to not know who Celestia was at this point, her younger sister Luna was relatively unknown. That was not to say that she wasn't famous, she just wasn't as famous as Celestia.

While Celestia was the one who the company was named after, it was Luna's idea to start CelestiaCorp in the first place, and by all accounts was its true founder. In general, Luna was actually a slightly better businesswoman, had a greater understanding of finances, as well as a keen ability to judge other people's motives and agendas, and most of time was far more intimidating than her sister if she needed to be.

So why wasn't the company called 'LunaCorp' then? Well, simply put, Luna just didn't have her sister’s charm or cheerful personality, or even the same amount of motherly wisdom, and she was definitively not anywhere near as comfortable at being in the spotlight. Plus, Luna's hair-trigger temper made her a poor candidate when it came to negotiations or public appearances. Beyond that, Celestia was also capable of inspiring people in a way that her sister never could...and that was something Luna secretly hated.

It had always been this way. Ever since they were kids had Celestia been the centre of attention. She got asked out by all the cute boys, made friends with all the popular girls, and managed to impress everyone around her with her radiance and beauty. She was like a sun, providing light and warmth to anyone who set their eyes on her...while casting a shadow, intentionally or not, over her little sister.

That shadow did not earn Luna any favours. Unlike Celestia, she was rarely approached by anyone, as either a friend or flirt. She was just...in the background. Everyone knew her as just Celestia's sister, and not as her own person.

However, instead of suffering in the shadows Celestia unknowingly cast over her, she embraced them and made them her own. She became a part of the night, and sought friends and a name for herself in the dark places, where the light never touched.

It was there she saw a different side of Canterlot. For while the city was advertised as being a successful metropolis where everyone lived in prosperity and was welcome to all...the truth was a lot different. Luna saw first hand how much the people suffered at the bottom of the food chain, how the criminal underworld ruled the city with an iron fist, and how much of what she had been told was a lie.

Betrayal, loneliness, depression and desperation, she had experienced it all. She had suffered greatly, and was forced to compromise to get her way more often than not. Yet, despite it all, she had managed to survive everything the world had thus far been able to throw at her. And not only that, but she had also succeeded in becoming one of the most influential people in all of Canterlot, owning nearly half of the most successful science corporation in the world.

The founding of CelestiaCorp was not without a great cost however. The money needed to start the company came, in fact, from Celestia and Luna's parents. More specifically, from the inheritance the sisters gained after their passing.

Their parents were, for lack of a better word, loaded, having been big investors in the now-buried research company called 'Starswirl Laboratories'...and when they died, the considerable funds that they had earned went straight to their daughters.

Luna considered herself lucky though for scoring the greatest inheritance their parents had, at least in her own opinion...and that was the old and expensive apartment she now lived in.

Located on the top floor of a 40-story building, the old flat had a pretty good view of the Canterlot City skyline. In fact, if one looked out through the kitchen window, you could easily spot the CelestiaCorp logo.

The apartment itself had a very classy feel to it, and one could even smell how old it was as soon as you stepped through the door.

Luna's choice of decor however made the whole place feel a bit less warm than it should have. The walls were decorated with many, many masks of all shapes and sizes, all handpicked from many different cultures, with some dating back centuries, or possibly even a millennia or two. In addition, there were quite a lot of paintings around the place depicting things like moons, stars and other wonders in the depths of space. Also, she didn't have too much lighting in the apartment, only a few faintly glowing blueish lamps, a couple of candles and a lit fireplace.

Now what could someone like Luna be doing to pass the time in this old and dark apartment?

Why, play on her X-Box of course!

Lazily draped over her couch and equipped with a headset, Luna had the look of a killer in her eyes as she concentrated on the giant luxurious flat-screen in front of her.

Being single and living alone, Luna didn't feel the greatest need for looking all that presentable at the moment. Instead of her well-brushed and wavy state she usually kept her lavender hair in, what she had on her head right now was a bit more messy and unkempt. Also, while she usually came to work in her black suit or her purple blouse, she was now wearing little more than her underwear and a dark blue bathrobe.

She had been playing against this one opponent going by the username 'ButtonMashPotato1' in 'Halo 2 Anniversary' for over two hours now, and Luna was on the verge of driving her opponent mad.

Just about every move 'ButtonMashPotato1' tried...ultimately failed. He tried to strike Luna's character in the back with an energy sword, but didn't expect Luna to immediately turn around and shoot his character in the face with a shotgun, he tried to snipe her from afar, but Luna managed to snipe him first, he even tried to gun her down with two submachine guns at close range, but then Luna just threw a plasma grenade at him, got out of the way and let it explode.

After hearing the overly dramatic announcer voice say "Killing Spree!" as in to pour salt in 'ButtonMashPotato1's wounds, Luna cheerfully boasted, "HA, HA, the fun has been tripled!"

A high-pitched and immature male voice came through Luna's headset. "Yeah, fun for you maybe."

"Of course, thy worthy opponent!" Luna responded in a ridiculous version of Shakespearean English. "We rather enjoy this relentless stream of victories over thee."

"But do you have to talk like that? I can barely understand what you're saying."

"Does thou not likest us to speak in thee accent? We humbly think it brings a certain charm to thy game."

"...you're only talking like that to annoy me, aren't you?"

"Guilty, guilty, and oh so very guilty!"

"I hate you."

Luna giggled a little at that, "Hahaha, that was only to test how true your belief of victory was. After all, with how good you put yourself out to be, I was actually expecting a challenge."

"Oh, I'll give you a challenge alright..." 'ButtonMashPotato1' warned dangerously.

"Well, it's about time in that case. Now please, give me your best sho-"

Ding-Dong!

She was interrupted by the distinct sound of someone ringing her doorbell.

Luna wasn't expecting any visitors today, especially not in her own home. Most likely it was probably just some salesperson thinking they could persuade her at the door with some brand new product that she had no interest whatsoever in having. However, since Luna couldn't be sure of that until she went over and checked, she unfortunately had to end her little gaming session with 'ButtonMashPotato1'.

"My apologies, but I'm afraid that challenge will have to wait until next time," Luna said with a sigh.

"What?! But I was just about to beat you!"

"I am sorry, but ‘tis someone ringing at my door at this moment. I must answer it."

"Nooooooooo!"

After pressing a few buttons, Luna terminated the match, even though there were still five minutes left of it. Since it was online, she couldn't just pause the game and continue later...not unless she somehow had the ability to stop time...which she did not. Still, even though video games were fun, the real world was unfortunately a bit more important at the moment.

With a brisk pace in her step, Luna approached the door and checked the identity of her visitor through a monitor she had installed in it. Of course, being a person in a high position of power, Luna made sure that her apartment had all the security it could need, which included door cameras and hidden safe rooms. She was sure she also had a loaded gun stacked away somewhere, but she had forgotten exactly where.

When Luna saw just who her mysterious visitor was though, she immediately wished she remembered where that gun was...not that such a weapon would be able to even scratch the literally bullet-proof skin of the person she was looking at...but it would be immensely satisfying.

'Out of all the people in the world who could have paid me a visit today, it just had to be her.' Luna thought with a groan.

Despite how much she really didn't want the woman waiting outside her door to come anywhere near her private sanctuary, she knew she had no choice but to let her in...especially considering who Luna knew that the woman was working for.

Besides, she was admittedly a bit curious about what could possibly bring someone like her here in the first place.

With a sigh, Luna reluctantly unlocked and opened the door to 'greet' her new guest.

Standing on the other end of the open doorway with a harsh scowl ever-present on her face was a middle-aged woman dressed in a dark blue suit and skirt. Her curly violet hair was tightly organised into a bun that gave her a certain professional aura while the small red glasses resting on her nose made her at the same time look a bit more frail and old than she actually was. Also, despite the fact that she was of Afro-British ethnicity, her skin was extremely pale and even had a strange teal-like tone to it.

This was Abacus Cinch, a well-known and respectable businesswoman who owned many, if not all, of Canterlot's law firms. Her reputation as a devoted servant of the people, as well as a firm believer in truth and justice, made her quite popular among the Canterlot elite, and was well sought after in those circles.

However, Luna knew that all of that, including her name, was merely a front.

The woman currently standing before her was, in fact, one of the most powerful crime lords in the criminal underworld, second only to the Kingpin himself. In those circles, she was known by another name entirely...one that terrified nearly everyone who heard it...

With a snarl, Luna uttered that name.

"Tombstone."

In a condescending and sarcastic voice with a noticeable English accent, Tombstone replied, "Miss Luna, always a pleasure. Though...may I remind you that you are to refer to me as 'Miss Cinch' whenever possible."

Not having the patience for any false pleasantries, Luna went straight to the point. "What are you doing in my home, Miss Cinch?"

"I am here to discuss a certain...issue that has come up as of late," Cinch answered cryptically. "However, all those stairs I had to climb to get here has left me a bit exhausted, so I'd prefer if we could talk about this matter inside your apartment instead of out here. I'm sure you understand."

It didn't even take a full second before Luna answered with a blunt "No."

Seeing Cinch's perplexed look, she clarified, "This is my home, and it is reserved for me, my friends, and my family. You are neither. And if this is about business, then you can take it to my office at working hours just like everybody else."

Cinch got a dangerous glint in her eyes and coldly clarified, "...That wasn't a request."

Luna met her glare with one of her own, but she stayed silent while she did so.

'Hmmm...so Mister Storm decided to send Abacus 'Tombstone' Cinch of all people to ask me a few questions...even though he could have just given me a call for that. Or alternatively...she's here to kill me where there are no witnesses to implicate him. Still strange that he would send Tombstone for something like that, given how many mercenaries, serial killers and assassins he has in his pocket who are far more suitable to his wetwork and far less valuable to him than Cinch is in the long run. Plus, she wouldn't be caught dead carrying out hits like a common thug, even if Rex told her to. Maybe this is just another one of his foolish attempts to show his respect to me? If so, then I am not amused.'

Curious about her intentions, Luna eventually agreed. "Very well, then," she said, stepping aside to let her new 'guest' come in.

Cinch entered the apartment without saying a word to her reluctant host. Then, she spared a moment to take in the peculiar intricacies of Luna's flat...and she raised an eyebrow.

"Of course. Another dimly lit place to do business in..." Cinch commented under her breath.

Luna heard the comment though, and when she walked back over to the couch she had been lounging on before the unwelcome interruption, she quipped, "I have seen your office, Abacus. You have no right to complain."

"Yes...well, at least I have an excuse to avoid the sun. Albinism can be such a bother."

Having already slouched down on the couch, Luna urged, "Cut to the chase! Why did Rex send you?"

Cinch's calm demeanour vanished in an instant at the mention of that name, and she grabbed Luna by the hem of her bathrobe, pulled her close and warned, "We do not use his name! Say it again, and the consequences will be most dire for you!"

Luna said nothing. Instead, she just rolled her eyes and sighed.

Cinch grunted and let go of her, letting Luna fall back on the couch with an annoyed expression on her face.

Having gotten her message across though, Cinch decided to take a seat at the nearest available chair. While she did so, she once again resumed her stoic and unflappable disposition, turning as cold and lifeless as the type of stone she got her nickname from...metaphorically speaking, that is.

However, in her hubris, Cinch didn't notice that the chair she was just about to sit on was already occupied until after its occupant began to screech at her...thus making the normally very professional businesswoman jump with a panicked screech of her own.

She didn't have time to compose herself when whatever it was she just sat on jumped out of the chair, climbed up on the couch and perched itself on Luna's shoulder.

Cinch's first instinct would be that the creature was a cat or possibly a small dog, given its general size and the fact that it lived in Luna's apartment. However, that idea flew out the window as soon as she spotted the slightly rat-like tail it seemed to possess. It was also way too big to be a common house rat for that matter. Only once she saw the animal in the relatively lit place on its owner's shoulder, then she could identify it.

"A possum!?" she snarled in disgust.

Luna was desperately trying to keep herself from keeling over from laughter at the apparently unflappable Tombstone's less than dignified reaction to meeting her little pet marsupial.

"Hahehehehhahahahahha! Oh, oh, did little Tibbles scare you too much, O-mighty Tombstone? hehe!" Luna taunted in a mocking tone that Cinch did not appreciate in the slightest.

She then scratched the possum a little under his chin to make him calm down while she proceeded to do the same. "In all seriousness though, is it really fitting for someone of your reputation to show fear of a small furry mammal like my dear Tiberius?"

In an attempt to spare whatever dignity she had left, Cinch clarified, "It is not fear. I simply have a few...allergies."

"Of course you do..." Luna muttered with a smug grin.

Cinch then pulled up another chair, made sure this time that no other animals were sitting on it, then took a seat and gave her host a calculating look.

She stayed silent for a while...then she asked, "Tell me, Luna...what exactly does the name...'Nightmare Goblin'...mean to you?"

To Luna's credit, the only visible reaction she showed was a small frown and a moment of silence while she processed the question. Eventually, she replied, "Not much aside from the fact that it sounds a lot like an 'Ogres and Oubliettes' monster. However, if you are referring to an incident near the docks recently involving a mad bomber in a goblin costume, as well as the unfortunate deaths of two innocent dockworkers, the hospitalisation of a third, a staggering loss of eight-thousand dollars worth of technology, oh, and then there were those two goons who died there as well...then I would say that it is deeply troubling for me, my sister and our company."

"I'm sure it is..." Cinch mused with a certain amount of sarcasm in her tone. "However, I do feel compelled to ask if you have something more to tell us about this mysterious attacker?"

Luna sighed, then sat up a bit, letting Tiberius curl up in her lap. "I only know what I have been told. I wasn't there...if that was what you were implying."

"Luna, don't you think it's a remarkable coincidence that the same shipment that you tipped us off on was the same exact one that this 'Goblin' attacked? Furthermore, we have also determined that she was using a considerable amount of CelestiaCorp technology. Do you honestly expect me to believe that you had absolutely nothing to do with this?"

"In case you didn't know, CelestiaCorp was raided a couple of weeks ago, and several of our high-tech weapons, including a glider and a couple of smart bombs, were stolen," Luna explained while starting to sound a bit frustrated. "And...as a result of that theft, I have lost the payment and terms of our agreement, as well as the expensive technology in the container that was destroyed, and all our research into the tech-flight gliders have been shelved indefinitely. Now please tell me just what I could possibly hope to gain from any of that?"

Tombstone considered it for a moment while she took the time to clean her glasses with a napkin. Her logical mind suggested that Luna was likely telling the truth, given that her logic was sound and she showed no obvious signs of lying...

...However...there was one little detail left that still brought that into question.

"...There is one other thing. While the official records speak truthfully about what the survivor, Amethyst Star, recounted, she was not our only witness. The mercenary we call 'the Shocker', also survived, and told us a few things about the incident. The most interesting by far being that this 'Goblin' person referred to the Kingpin...by name."

That made Luna's eyes widen in surprise for a second.

So far, she had remained stone-faced, nonchalant or unflappable since the goblin was mentioned, but that one moment of weakness broke that façade just long enough for the ever-perceptive Cinch to notice.

Glad to have found a weak spot in Luna's tough exterior, Tombstone pressed on a bit more, "...And, as you so disrespectfully just demonstrated, you are one of the few people alive who are privy to that information. So...how do you suppose she learned of that name?"

"I, uh...I don't know how she..." Luna stuttered, now on the verge of starting to panic. Her eyes darted back and forward, and a small drop of sweat had begun to form on her forehead. "...I mean...there must be...a..."

Then, all of a sudden, she calmed down...and looked Cinch straight in the eyes without blinking.

Something in Luna's attitude changed right then and there. It wasn't particularly obvious, but there suddenly was a certain glint in her eyes she just didn't have a second ago. The tone of her voice even changed a little...while the tiniest hint of a smile graced her lips. "Hehe...heha...hahahah...Your arguments would have been funny if they weren't so...pathetic."

"I beg your pardon?!" Cinch questioned in a perplexed tone, obviously confused by Luna's response and rapid change in demeanour.

Luna casually leaned back, any sign of anxiety or distress was no longer noticeable. Instead, she was confident, relaxed, and strangely enough...a bit happy for whatever reason.

Her new attitude was also reflected in her choice of words. "My dear old Tombstone, you are just too adorable when you act like you're in control. Of course, being the control freak that you are, you have to have your delusions about being in control of the criminal network you're managing, right?"

Cinch gave Luna an angry scowl, "What is the meaning of this?! I asked you a question, and you will answer it!"

"No. Hehe...no, I won't be answering any questions from you. I don't talk with walking sock puppets."

Tombstone's face turned red with anger. "WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!"

"That's what you are, aren't you?" Luna answered mockingly, not intimidated in the least by the older woman's temper. "You know as well as I that our mutual 'friend' doesn't really have friends...or even equal partners. He only associates with three kinds of people: enemies, slaves and unwitting pawns. So tell me, Cinch, where does that leave you?"

"He is my employer. I only work for him because it benefits myself!"

"So...unwitting pawn then? Figures." Luna noted with a pleased sigh.

Cinch slammed her fist down on the armrest of the chair she was sitting on hard enough to audibly crack it. "Enough of this nonsense! Answer my question or there will be consequences!"

"Hahahaha-hahahahaaa! As if you could do anything to me!" Luna boasted, now sporting possibly the most psychotic smirk Cinch had ever seen on the normally more stoic woman. "So what if it seems as though I'm in league with this crazy masked terrorist? Which, for the record, I'm not. You have no evidence against me, so you cannot take it to the police. And if you or your master decides to take care of me the old fashioned way, I have...well, let's call it 'life insurance'."

At the mention of that, Cinch calmed down a little. "...And what exactly is this 'life insurance'?"

"Evidence," Luna began while she put Tiberius on the seat next to her and stood up. "...evidence that that will expose Mister Storm's name and accompanying face to the light. While that obviously wouldn't stop him, it would make him very...let's just call it...'upset'. More than that, the same evidence will put you, Toomy, behind bars for the rest of your days."

"How so?" she scoffed.

Luna took a few steps towards her. "I have records of what really happened at Starswirl Laboratories...records that mention you by name back when you served as a puppet for Tirek and the Canterlot Maggia...including your involvement in the abductions and unsanctioned experiments on people like Sombra, Adagio Dazzle, Fizzlepop Berrytwist, Aria Blaze, Scorpan, Sonata Dusk, my sister and ME!"

Luna was practically seething with rage by the time she finished that sentence, and even Cinch was taken back by the force of her words...though the stoic businesswoman made as much of an effort as possible to not show that.

"Now, if something were to 'happen' to me, I have arranged to have all of that information be leaked to the public...which is why he cannot hurt me without a very good reason."

Cinch thought about that for moment, then pointed out, "If you do indeed have such incriminating evidence, why haven't you already leaked it? Surely, that would have saved you a lot of trouble."

"Of course, I could...but then where would that leave me? That's right, it would be to sign my own death warrant! Not even I am reckless enough to pick a fight with the Kingpin, and he knows it. Whoever this goblin is that you're looking for, it is clearly someone a lot dumber or more insane than I am."

Having heard all that she needed to hear, Cinch stood up and stared Luna face to face. "For your own sake, Luna, I hope you are correct about that."

She gently pushed Luna aside and took a few steps towards the door out, but then stopped midway and said, "However, if I discover that you are indeed involved with the Goblin, then the Kingpin will have to remind you of what happens to those who disrespect him."

With a smile forming on her face, Luna replied, "In that case, tell him if he truly wants to get rid of me, he will have to come do it himself."

Without another word, Cinch snorted and then walked out of Luna's apartment, the armoured front door closing behind her.

Tombstone may not have tolerated being disrespected, but Luna was a very personal issue for the Kingpin, and the very last thing she could possibly want right now would be to incur his wrath. With no evidence as of yet, it would probably be a good idea to hold off on any actions right now.

However, after she had left, Luna ended up staring at the closed door for over a minute without really doing anything.

Then...she began to giggle...

"Mhmhmhmhehe..."

...then the giggle turned into a chuckle...

"...hehehheheheh-hahaahahahahahah..."

...and then the chuckle turned into a full-blown laugh.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-HAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!"

She just couldn't contain herself...nor could she stop her laugh from turning even more crazed and irrational.

"HAHAHAAAAHHAHAHAH-HAHAHAHAHA-HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Not only was her voice turning more and more mad, but also her eyes as well.

It was often said that a person's eyes were the windows to their soul. And if that was true, then it would become clear by now given how her pupils started to become slit like a cat's and turn as focused and predatory as a tiger stalking its prey...that it was not Luna's soul that was looking through her hysterical eyes.

It was someone else...something else...

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAHAHAHAHA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAAA!"

"Having fun, are you?" A voice suddenly asked her.

The madly cackling 'Luna' calmed her laughter down a tad and turned to look at her nearest reflection, which turned out to be a big, full-body mirror standing just outside her bedroom.

However, her reflection did not have her crazed eyes or maniacal smile, but instead had Luna's regular eyes, and instead of a smile, the reflection reserved a stern and unamused glare. Her arms were even crossed for added effect.

The Luna outside the mirror sounded very happy with herself when she gleefully answered, "Most definitively! But not nearly as much as when I got under the skin of that stuck-up control freak. That was a privilege!"

Her reflection rolled her eyes.

"My dear sweet little Luna, don't be so glum. Even you had to have enjoyed that."

"I do not enjoy having my body hijacked, Nightmare!" Luna, now trapped outside her own body, shouted from the mirror.

The Nightmare Goblin, now in control, gave her other half an irritated look. "Nor do I enjoy having my own existence reduced to being nothing but a bad dream! Besides...you were sweating up a storm when Cinch was interrogating you, and I had protect myself just as much as I had to protect you."

Luna snorted, "Please, with the way you were acting, you might as well have just confessed to what you did right then and there! At least then nobody other than you and me had to die."

"Oh, are you still hung up over those poor little dockworkers we blew up?" the Goblin asked in a patronising way. "You know as well as I that Rex won't fear someone who isn't afraid to get her hands a little dirty. Sacrifices will have to be made."

"THOSE. WEREN'T. SACRIFICES! Those were living breathing people who did not deserve to be punished for my personal vendetta! But I suppose a psychopath like you wouldn't know that, would you?"

"My sweet deluded Luna...who is it that succeeds in the business world these days? Is it the friendly and naive little do-gooders who humbly asks permission before doing anything...or is it the ruthless and efficient psychopaths who are prepared to go to any lengths to achieve their goals? Now, I don't know about you, but I think you need a little psychopath inside you to survive in this cruel and unforgiving world."

"I NEVER needed you!"

"Yes you do! If it wasn't for me, CelestiaCorp, the company you built out of your own sweat and blood, would have fallen into the hands of that power-hungry man-child Rex Storm or someone worse! I am the one thing keeping those wolves from taking the things you love away from us!"

"Be that as it may, it still doesn't change the fact that you have turned me into a murderer!"

"Aww...but that is why you have me around to love you...why I am around to do the things your morally-poisoned mind would never think of doing. I'm the you without all that guilt and mercy holding me back. Face it, Luna, you need me...and I need you."

Luna could only look at her hated shadow with contempt.

"One day, Nightmare...one day I will find a way to get rid of you...even if it is the last thing I do."

"Haahahahahahaha! Well then...good luck! Hahahahahahahhaahha-HAHAHAHAHAAAAA!"

Author's Note:

And we have some more of our main villain here!

Now, me being a huge fan of the various goblins that appear in various Spider-Man media, there was no doubt that some version of the character was going to appear here. But why did I choose Nightmare Moon for the role?

At the time, it seemed like the best fit all things considered.

While Discord seemed to be a good match...there's something that just feels wrong with casting him as the goblin. Now, Discord may be a villain, but I have a hard time seeing him outright kill people who get in his way the way Green Goblin does. Not only is he not all that evil, but even if he was, I figure Discord would rather use creepy mind games on people and toy with them rather than throw exploding pumpkins all over the place. A bit more like Batman's Joker rather than the Goblin.

With the benefit of hindsight, I now realise that the Storm King from the MLP movie would have been an excellent candidate for the role of Norman Osborn/Goblin, given that he has a similar form of humour but seemingly more comfortable with killing people than Discord was. However, by the time I saw that movie, I had already started writing this thing.

Now, as for Nightmare Moon...she fit quite well with the whole split personality thing present in some Goblin adaptations...and also how she seemed more than willing to kill ponies if they ended up in her way (think of how she gave her own sister no quarter). She also had the Halloween-theme going for her...given that she basically created the holiday in Equestria...and she definitively got the laugh.

Plus, with Luna in this position, it gives me an opportunity to write a more tragic and deeper villain than if I had gone for the other choices.

---

Oh, and speaking of villains, since I apparently have nothing better to do with my time, I have ended up writing a list of my top ten favourite Spider-man villains and my top ten favourite My Little Pony villains for your amusement.

However...since I don't want to completely overwhelm you here and now will I only add the MLP villains in this chapter...while the Spidey villains will probably end up in the author notes for the next chapter.

One thing I will make clear on this list though is that it is only about who I think was the best villain. This means that despite how much I love Sunset Shimmer after her reformation, the fact that I didn't like her when she was a villain means she isn't on this list. I will judge reformed villains on how they were reformed, but not anything they did after the reformation that wasn't evil or antagonistic.

Honourable Mentions: Nightmare Moon (A really great idea for an antagonist...but completely wasted by casting her as the starter villain and having her be defeated for good in the second ever episode of the show) the Windigoes (haunting evil ice spirits that feed on hatred? Hell yes!), the Pony of Shadows (That animation...that voice...and that design...just...wow, just wow. However, the fact that he mostly just stands there monologing during his way too limited screentime makes him a bit underwhelming to be honest), Wallflower Blush (Finally, an EG villain who doesn't transform into a raging she-demon, but instead has the interesting ability to wipe memories off of people. Also, she's really adorable), The Flim Flam Brothers (I don't know how much these guys qualify as villains, but I love them all the same. Their songs are just so catchy).

10: Lord Tirek (G1 and G4)

To be honest, this old centaur isn't really my cup of tea...but he is cool enough to at least get a spot on this list...even if it's just at number ten.

Now why do I like this guy? Well first, he was the very first villain in My Little Pony, like...ever...and was by far the most intimidating bad guy back in G1, with his menacing voice and surprisingly dark dialogue. Then in G4, he had one of the best introduction scenes of any villain in the show. Plus, the way he managed to beat the much more powerful Discord with nothing but his silver tongue was very impressive.

However...when he starts to gain more and more power, he basically becomes another character, and that character is not nearly as frightening or entertaining for that matter. He loses his creepy voice and instead start shouting at everything like a spoiled child, and unlike, say the Storm King, he isn't even remotely funny when he does it. Plus, by the end, he becomes so powerful that the plot needed to dial the usual deus ex machima up to eleven just in order to believably defeat him.

...Though I will admit that Dragonball-like fight with him and Twilight was pretty sweet. Also, the fact that he became a lot more funny in season 8 and 9, especially with his surprisingly good comedic chemistry with Cozy Glow, did make me like him a bit more than I originally thought. At least enough to take Nightmare Moon's spot on this list while she only got an honourable mention.

9: Midnight Sparkle and Daybreaker

Yes, I know these villains are barely related to each other at all, but given their in-story similarities and the fact that I like them both for essentially the same reason, I decided that they could share a spot.

First, what makes these two so awesome? Well, they're the evil demented versions of Twilight Sparkle and Princess Celestia respectively who managed to become extremely memorable despite their limited screentime.

While 'Friendship Games' had a relatively low-stakes conflict, the surprise appearance of Midnight Sparkle at the end and her battle with Sunset Shimmer was clearly the best scene in that entire movie. And even though I have a lot of issues with Legend of Everfree (mostly centred around Timber Spruce and the rather underwhelming main villain), I loved the story arc of Twilight learning to overcome Midnight's influence and the constant threat of turning into her again.

As for Daybreaker...well, after Nightmare Moon had repeatedly failed to live up to her fearsome reputation and Celestia's power had been nerfed to the point of comedy...in this one episode, they turned all that around with the surprise appearance of Daybreaker. A dark reflection of what Celestia could become if she ever used her full potential magical might. Despite only appearing in a dream, she was easily more intimidating than both Nightmare Moon, which she utterly humiliated without much difficulty, and even the Pony of Shadows, who was the actual villain of the season.

Despite only appearing relatively briefly, just hearing Tara Strong and Nicole Oliver go all egomaniac was beyond entertaining.

8: Starlight Glimmer

After seeing more and more menacing and obviously evil monsters put in as villains, it was a nice change of pace to have a completely different antagonist for season 5, and Starlight Glimmer certainly delivered.

The concept of a creepy cult lead by someone completely devoted to a certain extreme mindset is nothing new, but the theme fit surprisingly well for Friendship is Magic. Starlight surprised me a bit by how complex a character she was, and also how incredibly crafty she could be...especially in the finale.

While her backstory could use some work, I do like the scene where Twilight convinces her to give up her evil plans and turn over a new leaf. Also, it's good to see a villain for once not be defeated by a sudden blast of magical rainbow-lasers.

Plus, she's the main antagonist of two of my favourite two-parters in the whole series. That got to give her some points as well.

7: Commander Tempest Shadow

Ah, yes...the edgy OC...that...actually works? Huh? Well, I'll be damned.

Now here's someone who's read the 'how to be badass' book (if there is one). Let's see, badass armour, really cool and intimidating voice, can kick ass even with a noticeable handicap, and to top it all off, she's a great singer.

She's also a well-rounded character with a decent backstory and motivation, and her inevitable turn to good was very believable (at least more than Luna and Sunset's).

However, I'm not as crazy about her as a lot of other people are. One of the main reasons why is because the movie focused so much on her that the Storm King (we'll get to him later) didn't get nearly as much screentime as a result...and I was waaaay more excited for him personally.

Also, it is worth mentioning that while she may have had most of the focus in the movie, Tempest was ultimately just a pawn for the Storm King, and only was in on the whole invasion because she thought he could give her what she wanted, and in the end, everything that made her a threat (minions, airships, overpowered green orbs) came from him.

Mind you, that doesn’t weaken her character in the least...but this is a favourite villain list, not best character list, so that fact does remove a few points from her.

6: Queen Chrysalis and the Changelings

Initially, my opinion of Chrysalis and her army of minions were very similar to Nightmare Moon...in that while being a very cool concept, they were ultimately wasted potential in their debut.

The Changelings were a whole race of shapeshifters who fed on love, and saw ponies as little more than a food source and were lead by a tyrannical queen who would stop at nothing to make sure she and her children would reign supreme.

Too bad the season 2 finale focused more on wedding drama, with a certain bride who just so happened to be one of these creatures...oh, and then there was an invasion that lasted for about...five minutes give or take before getting blasted off Team Rocket style.

However, they did eventually return in season 6, and when they did, they proved just how dangerous and sneaky they could be, having captured and replaced almost everyone of importance right under everyone's noses, leaving only a small group of reformed villains around to stop them.

Not only that, but Chrysalis also showed just how evil she was by deliberately keeping her subjects from achieving their true forms in order to esure her dominion of them, and also how freaking creepy she could be with that exorcist-style neck-twist.

Though she may have lost a great deal of her dignity in her next two appearances, that also made her rather funny and endearing...at least until she eventually established herself as the de facto leader of the villain trio at the end of the series and firmly managed to regain her competence and intimidation factor.

All in all, I think her design, her sinister schemes and her smug arrogance makes her a very lovable/despicable villain who always makes me excited whenever she shows up.

5: King Sombra

While there are probably a lot of villains who are more three-dimensional or sympathetic, King Sombra has always been a favourite of mine just because of how shamelessly evil he is.

I mean the first thing we know about the guy is that 'he had a heart as black as night' and that he straight up enslaved a whole empire and treated its citizens as domestic animals...and he only gets worse from there.

Next we see him torment his enemies with their worst fears, brainwash innocent ponies (even children) to use as blunt weapons in his selfish war against the rest of Equestria just because he feels entitled to rule it. The sheer amount of dread the crystal ponies have at his mere appearance is enough to tell you what a monster the Crystal King is.

The fact that such a heinous character made his way into a show called 'My Little Pony' is impressive in and of itself. Plus, he has a really cool design and a plethora of dark magic spells that helps to make him stand out among the other villains, and his voice is pretty damn awesome...that is, well, both of them actually...for different respective reasons (Big Jim's deep baritone in season 3 made him dark and intimidating for the very few lines he had while Alvin Sanders' performance in season 9 instead made him deliciously hammy and entertaining).

Not to mention did he have a very good backstory in the comics (that is if Hasbro considers it canon. Otherwise, this fan animation works as a decent backstory for him as well).

4: Discord/Grogar

Favourite character in the entire show, and the only reason he isn't number one is because his days as a villain seem to be getting more and more distant...the whole Grogar thing notwithstanding.

He's hilarious, clever, charismatic and surprisingly menacing. He has the powers of a god, yet he acts like a young brat in an old mismatched dragon's body. His motivations are refreshingly simple: he only wants to have his fun regardless of what anypony else thinks. Plus, he fits the Trickster archetype to a tee, and those are without a doubt my favourite characters in all of fiction.

He was the first really good villain the show had, and pretty much set the bar for everyone who were going to show up after him.

Also, his stint as Grogar did present him as a very interesting anti-villain even though we didn't know it at the time, and it did genuinely surprise me that it was him all along. Though as Grogar he may have been rather bland, but he did successfully unite three of the most dangerous villains in Equestria and had a rather catchy theme tune when in that disguise. Do I wish that we had seen the real Grogar in the show instead? Yes. Did I want the real Grogar to be the final villain of the show instead of the villain trio? HECK NO! So I guess it worked out I guess.

More than that, I doubt there is anything I can honestly say about Discord that hasn't been said a million times before...so let's just move on.

3: The Storm King

Let's just get one thing out of the way: I freaking LOVE the Storm King! After we've had so many bad guys who's personality seems to consist almost entirely of villain cliches, this big yeti-satyr creature just completely knocked that out of the water with his completely bonkers personality and charismatic performance.

He's like if Gengis Khan had the personality of Hades from Disney's Hercules. The fact that he invaded and ransacked entire countries without showing a shred of remorse while acting like a goofball the whole time is exactly what I wanted to see in a MLP villain. Also, the fact that he could switch from affable and hilarious to murderous and dead serious at the drop of a hat made him one of the few villains aside from Aku from Samurai Jack to be able to be both funny and intimidating at the same time.

Plus he uses freaking airships! No way that's not awesome!

I also really like his yeti minions for whatever reason. They're just the perfect blend of threatening/goofy for the movie...kinda like the man himself. My heart still goes out for that one Storm Guard that Fluttershy made friends with near the end.

However, the one thing that is preventing me from putting the Storm King any higher on the list (seriously, I was temped to make him number one) would be his relatively little screentime in the movie proper (especially compared to the spotlight-stealing Tempest Shadow). While he definitively owned every single moment he was on screen, and got a lot of good scenes in the prequel comic, I just wished I could have seen more of him on the big screen.

2: Cozy Glow

Now here's someone I didn't expect to see on this list when I first made it. Who knew one of the darkest and most unsettling villains in the show would be a cute little filly who also just so happened to be a ruthless psychopath bent on world domination? Well, I sure didn't.

For some reason, I've always had a soft spot for characters who managed to be both creepy and cute at the same time, and Cozy Glow more than qualify for that. Plus, she's also among the smartest and most convincing manipulators in the show's history, and despite the fact that she had no magical power or physical strength to speak of (at least at first), she still managed to be a threat on par with the other villains of the show.

She also completely stole the show in the villain alliance in season 9, having excellent chemistry with both Tirek and Chrysalis, even to the point that their team-up easily overshadowed anything Grogar was about...so much so that I was actually rooting for the three of them to successfully overthrow him.

All in all, this little monster was just the kind of villain that I didn't know I wanted but I loved that we got. All hail the Empress of Friendship!

1: The Sirens/The Dazzlings

What made Rainbow Rocks so awesome? How did it take the cliche storm that was Equestria Girls and turned it into one of the best things FiM has ever given us? The answer is, of course, Sunset Shimmer, buuuuut...then there are also these three.

Adagio, the deliciously evil mastermind who always seems to know what to do to make everything go her way, Sonata, the ditzy wannabe villain who never disappoint in making the others facepalm, and finally Aria, who never misses an opportunity to belittle Sonata, leading to some pretty amusing banter. Together, they form the most entertaining yet also dangerous group of villains in the show, and nothing would give me more pleasure than to see them make a return sooner or later.

Out of the three of them, Adagio is definitively my favourite, with her constant evil grin that is creepy as hell, her completely outrageous and fabulous fluffy hair, and also the entertainingly sarcastic voice she uses when she speaks. The fact that her plan was almost flawless and only lost because of Sunset's last minute contribution at the end makes her even better.

While I'm not big on waifus, and think the concept is really silly, Adagio is making me see the appeal a bit...if she wasn't completely evil and would probably want to turn me into a mind slave or something.

Anyway, this is my list of favourite MLP villains. Hope you enjoyed it, and if you think differently, then by all means continue doing so. This is just my personal opinions.

Comments

[ElCazadorDeHistorias]

Ah! Loved Luna in this chapter!

[Flufux]

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Yeah...though she's a really hard character to write given that this version isn't a princess, can't enter people's dreams, haven't been imprisoned on the moon for a thousand years...and I have to make her feel in character. Though, given what I had to work with, the result ended up pretty decent, if I do say so myself.

[AwesomeDash]

Hi I just so happened to bump into your story on Sunday and I’ve got to say that I have never been so intrigued in a story as much as I am in this one. I never really payed much attention to Spider-Man but after reading your story I was downright obsessed with learning everything about Spidey and his villains. And the fact that Rainbow Dash is Spider-Man (or should I say Spider-Girl) makes this whole story 200% cooler. But I noticed that you haven’t updated it since April so I was just wondering if you had any chapters coming up soon. I don’t want to rush (and you’ll probably not read this) but it would be such a shame to see such an amazing story go to waste. Plus I really want to see Dash fight her first villain. So if you have the time can you please reply. That’d be great and very appreciated

[Flufux]

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Actually, the newest chapter I uploaded was in June...though that was a revised version of the very first three chapters, and I'm woking on the next one as we speak now that I don't have to worry about my old chapters. Also, thank you so much for your comment. It means a lot to me that you hold it in so high regard. (Heh, why am I not surprised 'AwesomeDash' likes a story called the 'The Awesome Spider-Dash'?)

Anyway, while I can warn you right now that I may take my time now and again between updates, I have no intention of giving up on this story anytime soon. Now, I'm going to be working on a minisode where Rainbow has to deal with her recent tragedy, and after that it's finally time for the villains to show up!

[AwesomeDash]

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Thanks for replying I barely saw your comment right now. It’s nice to hear that you’re working on the story, I was worried for a second Take all the time that you need to finish the next chapter. Keep up the great work