Optimus Prime (Animated)


 * Optimus Prime is an Autobot in the Transformers Animated continuity family.



Optimus Prime is a relatively naive and idealistic young leader, prone to long-winded "inspirational" speeches, who leads a small and inexperienced Autobot space bridge maintenance team under the supervision of Ratchet. Despite his humble "Bot Next Door" persona, he performs his job with a dedicated seriousness. He transforms into a fire engine and wields a kick-ass, rocket-powered, extendable battle axe, as well as wrist-mounted grappler cables.

Sentinel Prime sneers at Optimus's lowly repair job. More than anything, Prime wishes to be a hero. He's got the speeches, he's got the moves...but what is he missing? Maybe The Touch?

"So, this is what it feels like to be a hero..."

- Optimus upon his death

Transformers Animated cartoon

 * Voice actor: David Kaye (English), Bernd Vollbrecht (German)

On a mission, Optimus and Elita 1 accompanied Sentinel Prime to a forbidden organic planet in search of a lost Decepticon ship rumored to be rich in Energon. After finding the planet to be infested with giant spiders, the trio finally decided to leave, but their retreat was not easy. Though Optimus and Elita found the Decepticon ship and its coveted energon cubes, they were forced to escape when spiders surrounded them. However, Elita was left behind, presumed destroyed in an energon explosion. Sentinel Prime was furious and blamed Optimus for her death.

Some time after this dark moment, Prime either abandoned or flunked the Autobot Academy and eventually found himself leading a small space bridge repair crew a thousand stellar cycles later. Prime and his crew came across the All Spark while repairing a Space Bridge and brought the artifact aboard their ship. During transport, they were discovered by the Decepticons, and Megatron came after them. He proved too strong to take head on (in spite of his subordinate planting a bomb on his chassis), but when the Autobot ship neared Earth, Prime knocked Megatron overboard. The Autobots stayed in stasis for the next 50 years until they were accidentally awakened by an apparent intruder. Optimus and the Autobots took on Earth vehicles as alternate modes in an attempt to assimilate with what they believed to be the local dominant culture. Prime and his team were able to dispatch a bio-mechanical insectoid that was attacking Detroit. They were hailed as heroes for it.

Over the next several weeks, the Autobots got to learn human culture and and customs, doing their best to prevent disasters and save lives. Eventually, Starscream came for the All Spark, and Optimus found that the schemer could pack quite a punch. The Autobot officer was still able to keep Starscream from getting the artifact, though at the cost of his life. However, he was quickly revived by Sari Sumdac and her All Spark-influenced key. Later, the Autobots helped rebuild parts of Detroit that were destroyed in their battle with Starscream.

Unfortunately for Optimus, he had gained a reputation outside of Earth's atmosphere&mdash;not as a hero, but as the slayer of Megatron. The Decepticon Blitzwing placed a large bounty on his head, and pretty soon, Lockdown came to collect. He captured Prime and stole his axe and grapplers. Fortunately, Ratchet saved him, finally getting the old bot to open up more.

During the Autobots' first Halloween on Earth, the Decepticon Blackarachnia showed up and kidnapped Sari. When Optimus Prime tried to fight her, she dodged all his moves, as she had trained with him. Prime was shocked to learn that Blackarachnia was his old Autobot Academy classmate Elita-1, who hadn't died but been mutated while fighting off the giant arachnids those many years ago. Blackarachnia tried to use Sari's All Spark key to remove the organic aspects from her biology, but the key began to drain the life from everything organic around and nearly killed Blackarachnia herself. Prime removed the key, saving Blackarachnia and the organics. Still calling her Elita, Prime tried to convince her to return to the Autobots so they could try and help her. She repaid that kindness by injecting him with venom and telling him that she would never trust him again. Prime was left to reflect on the friend he'd failed not once, but twice.

Transformers Animated

 * Cybertron Mode Optimus Prime (Deluxe, 2008)


 * Based on his pre-Earth Cybertronian look, the first version of Animated Optimus Prime transforms into a half-track Cybertronic truck loosely based on the Mitsubishi Fuso Hybrid concept truck. As a half-track, instead of rear wheels, he has molded, caterpillar-linked tracks with smaller wheels inside for rolling along smooth surfaces. Prime's axe weapon is stored by partially folding the axe at the grey hinge near the handle peg, then placing the handle peg in a hole on the back of the cab (actually his two fists' holes, thus helping them holding in position) with the blade facing down and a grey peg facing up, acting as a "fifth wheel" (known as a trailer hitch among fans), should one find a suitable trailer to attach onto it.


 * He has a superb range of articulation, as is the standard with Animated toys, due to the extensive use of ball joints and universal hinge joints. As stated above, the hitch assembly becomes his axe, which can be wielded with one blade (for the rocket-boosted look) or have the single blade split to form a double-bladed axe. The truck roof is mounted on his left arm as a shield or can be separated in two and be attached to the axe to become giant energon blades.


 * Optimus Prime vs. Megatron: The Battle Begins (Deluxe class figure multi-pack, 2008)


 * The Deluxe-class Earth Mode Optimus Prime has a very similar engineering design to to the Deluxe-class Cybertron Mode Optimus Prime figure. He has a battle-damaged deco and comes with a Deluxe-class Cybertron Mode Megatron figure as well as a DVD featuring the first episode of Transformers Animated. He has a distinctively more Generation 1 look than other Animated Primes, given the addition of smokestacks (a detail absent from the animation model) and lack of black beneath the silver stripes.


 * Optimus Prime (Activators, 2008)


 * Optimus Prime (Voyager, 2008)


 * Based on his Earth look, a futuristic fire truck. His rear portion transforms into a giant extinguisher, which can really squirt water, and wings, which transform into a giant, opened-up energon axe. The toy features a mouthplate which can slide up to cover his face, or retract down below. He also has an Automorph feature: pressing a button on his... butt... flips down and rotates his... crotch... into the proper position for robot mode. Please, Hasbro, no more features in those areas.


 * Roll-Out Command Optimus Prime (Supreme, 2008)


 * This toy will feature sound clips from the TV show. Rolling the toy forward in vehicle mode causes the torso to spin, slowly unfolding it into robot mode. He also has some butt kibble. Hasbro, what did we just get through telling you?

Trivia

 * Optimus was killed off after only one episode (three if you want to get technical) and revived 1 minute and 15 seconds later. That's gotta be a new record.
 * The placement of Optimus' Cybertronian vehicle mode front wheels is similar in location to those on Optronix.
 * The twin cylinder shaped protrusions connected to Optimus' small antennae are inspired by the head design of the movie rendition of Optimus Prime, as opposed to the traditional single cylinder.