@FanOfMostEverything  
Can’t help thinking that a poneverse which supports such vaguely-equinoid species as Changelings, Sirens & Breezies oughta have room for a comparatively mundane mammal-mishmash, even if it started as a glamour. Come to think of it, Twiley might have a question or two for her fiancee after accidentally chiropterizing Fluttershy…assuming she didn’t pick up that line of eldritch tampering from Lulu in the first place.

@gorkspewdium  
A curious question indeed. It possible that the bat look is a cosmetic enchantment, part of the Night Guard uniform. It’s not nearly as interesting as having a fourth tribe, but it does sidestep the question. That, or perhaps Luna was isolated from the bat ponies. Or, as some stories have it, she created them.

@FanOfMostEverything  
Which raises the question of (a) just when & where batpones entered the picture, and (b) whether the ones working directly under Lulu are biting back their share of bitterness re: their ancestors’ nocturnal revels evidently not proving enough for her.

@JP  
Imagining that just started a whole new set of smiles. Well done.

I’m imagining Twilight being in an incredibly affectionate and clingy mood, and she keeps rolling around and nuzzling Luna, nudging herself against her, and burrowing in her wavy mane. All while Luna does her best to focus at the comic. Spike’s too excited to notice.

Well, Nightmare Moon didn’t really seem to have followers in canon. Luna may be speaking from experience.
 
“I never had minions. The whole reason I went crazy was because I didn’t have minions. And don’t get me started on the cults. They call themselves cults, but they’re basically fan clubs where everypony wears a robe.”

I like how Luna seems to have no problem with “minions” per se, just with them following a deranged leader. She still has a lot of her old-school habits.

so cuute

@Background Human  
She should ask her bat ponies that question.

“Who would follow an obviously very mentally disturbed pony?”
 
That’s a good question, Nightmare Moon. Let’s ask you.

@Background Pony #07FB
 
True. That’s very nice.

I know DC has made a stab at explaining that a couple of times. The most common realistic answer seems to be that the utterly insane can actually be quite captivating in their various obsessions and delusions. Real-world psychopaths get followers too.
 
The other thing that gets mentioned is that the villains usually have a few early successes before the heroes crack the code and bust them. So you get henchmen on a merry-go-round, signing up hoping to ride along on a bigger score than you can get elsewhere, then hop off with the payout before the next bunch climbs on. Each bunch hopes they’re not the ones the heroes bust, and each one is a bit more desperate than the last because they know the heroes are getting closer.

@Casual Brony  
The Power Girl comics are good fun.

I imagine a former CEO of a hair product corporation still has quite the income and can afford to pay minions even while spending exorbitant amounts of money on evil schemes and doomsday devices.

Switch over to Power Girl for some better hammy plots.

It’s nice to see a Ask! Tumblr artist remember to include Spike in the story of Twilight’s life after whatever shipping pair they feature begins. Thank you, Silfoe.

Hey, ponies keep trusting alicorns, don’t they?
 
Jokes aside, there always be minions as long there are the dumb, desperate, and the downtrodden.
 
 
Or they’re equally crazy.

The common tropes are a bit odd period, really. You just gotta learn to roll with ’em.