Optimus Prime (RID)


 * Optimus Prime is the Autobot leader from the Robots in Disguise continuity.



Optimus Prime battles for truth, justice, and the Autobot way against a foe who usually refuses to leave his recliner. Fortunately, his troops have their own bevy of personality disorders, ensuring a commercially viable program length and steady sales. Well, in America.

Japanese Name: Fire Convoy

Robots in Disguise
Voice actor: Neil Kaplan (US), Satoshi Hashimoto (Japan)

Optimus Prime was created, along with Ultra Magnus, by Alpha Trion. The two of them were raised together, and thus, saw each other as brothers. However, this relationship was torn apart after the Cybertron Civil Wars, whereupon the Matrix chose Optimus Prime to command the Autobots in stopping the Predacon leader Megatron from ravaging the universe in his quest for energy. Ultra Magnus left Cybertron that same day, bitter and spiteful of his brother.

Prime soon struck up command on Earth, where he took the form of a fire truck. Operating out of a secret base in Metro City, he and his fellow Autobots were more than ready to face Megatron and his Predacons. The conflict began when Megatron appeared in New York, attempting to kidnap the famous scientist Doctor Onishi. Optimus struck up a friendship with Onishi's son, Koji, and despite not being able to save the boy's father, vowed that he would help rescue him.

In the events that followed, Prime was forced to deal with the Predacons' many energy-grabbing schemes, either personally, or indirectly by way of helping T-AI coordinate the movement of his troops by way of the Global Space Bridge.

However, Prime soon found another threat, in the form of the Decepticons - namely, one named Scourge. Scourge was a corrupted Autobot protoform, who, in addition to being infused with Megatron's evil, scanned Optimus Prime and a tanker truck at the same time, resulting in his looking like a twisted clone of the Autobot leader. Prime hoped that Scourge and his fellow Decepticons would one day be restored to their true Autobot selves, but after the Decepticons themselves tried to use this to trick him, he decided he should not allow this to cloud his judgement.

Matters escalated when Ultra Magnus appeared on Earth, making his desire to take the Matrix from Optimus Prime known to his "brother." Optimus refused to fight Magnus, and was thus, mercilessly fired upon, until Side Burn, Prowl, and X-Brawn arrived to carry him away. Prime took refuge on a deserted island, but the Decepticons, Megatron, and Magnus both tracked him there. In the midst of the battle, Magnus forcibly activated their ability to combine into Omega Prime, intending to use it to drain Prime of his energy so he could take the Matrix, but Optimus managed to take control and use their combination to stop the Decepticons. This fusion apparently resulted in both Autobots sharing the Matrix's power, which led to Magnus's attitude softening towards his brother.

Eventually, it was revealed that Megatron's true purpose on Earth was to take control of the massive Autobot, Fortress Maximus. These events led to Megatron becoming the more powerful Galvatron, who eventually devastated the Autobot forces. In his final battle with the evil leader, Prime and Magnus combined into Omega Prime to face Galvatron at the Earth's core. They were seemingly no match for him, until Fortress Maximus sent them his power, which energized the Matrix, forming the giant weapon, the Matrix Blade. Galvatron was defeated, and with that, the Autobots' mission on Earth was finished, and Prime resolved to return to Cybertron - but not before "one last look around" with Koji and the rest of his team.

Robots in Disguise

 * Super Fire Convoy (2000)
 * Japanese ID number: C-001


 * RID Optimus Prime transforms into a Japanese Hino Brandlier fire truck. Harkening back to Generation 1 toys, he features chromed wheels with rubber tires. The forward section of his truck detaches to become his standard robot mode. His 'trailer' can be reconfigured into a sort of battle station. The station can then be disassembled and attached around the robot to form his Super Mode. He can combine with Ultra Magnus to form Omega Prime.


 * The original Japanese Car Robots release differs from the US version in that it has a darker, metallic-flake plastic, and has no Autobot symbols tampo-printed on the shoulder pads. Obviously, the voice clips used for the Japanese toy are also different. Additionally, the US version has the unfortunately tendency for its rubber tires to split down its molding connection. Furthermore, Fire Convoy's missles are of a different mold on the Japanese toy, and he is able to fire (if by "Fire" you mean "have-them-fling-up-into-the-air-and-fall-to-the-ground-instantly") all of his missiles at once if the special trigger for his ladder missiles are hit, along with the ability to fire one missile at a time. The US version only allows for one missile to be fired at a time when they are activated.


 * Clear Super Fire Convoy (2000)
 * Released in a Toys R' Us Japanese-exclusive "God Fire Convoy" gift set with Clear God Magnus. The gift set also contained an exclusive God Sword item to be used for God Fire Convoy.

Lucky Draw prize version of Super Fire Convoy. Aside from being..well, black, the chromed chest plate is now gold with red "windows", and the sirens on his back are now clear.
 * Black Super Fire Convoy (2000)
 * Optimus Prime (Supreme, 2001)


 * Optimus Prime (Basic, 2002)


 * This was a smaller, simplified version of RID Optimus Prime made for the Spy Changer/Basic class in the Robots In Disguise toyline. It has no standard robot mode and parts do not detach. Oddly, all promotional images of this figure depicted it colored in orange.

Universe

 * Optimus Prime (Supreme, 2003)


 * The Universe release of RID Optimus Prime basically swapped out all of his red plastic for a yellow-orange colour.


 * Optimus Prime with Prowl (Basic, 2003)


 * Spy Changer Optimus Prime was redecoed to match the larger universe release. He comes with a Spychanger Prowl painted to resemble Red Alert.

Cybertron

 * Optimus Prime & Ultra Magnus (Multi-pack, 2006)

Titanium Series

 * Optimus Prime (6" Cybertron Heroes, 2006)

This is a six-inch tall die-cast metal version of RID Optimus Prime. As it is much simplified, it only transforms into Super Mode and does not have his smaller standard robot mode, nor do parts detach.

Trivia

 * For this incarnation of Optimus, voice actor Neil Kaplan very specifically impersonated the voice of the original Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen.


 * Cybertron "Multi-Pack" Optimus Prime's tech spec bio seems to indicate he's Unicron Trilogy Optimus Prime.  However, his (and Magnus') deco was later used in the Fun Publications Cybertron fan club magazine comic as Robots in Disguise Optimus Prime having traveled to the Unicron Trilogy universe.


 * Persistent net rumors abound about early or supplemental Japanese material establishing Optimus and his Autobots being part of a "Dimensional Patrol" that follows the Predacons either back in time or from another universe. This is not supported in-show and no solid evidence supporting it has ever surfaced elsewhere.... except in the 3H supplemental materials, which established the "Dimensional Patrol" as a post-cartoon organization.