Thursday 16 May 2013

BIRTHDAY BLOG 2013- PART ONE CYBERTRON OPTIMUS PRIME 2005

It was my Birthday recently and I was lucky enough to receive several Transformer Figures to add to my collection. This is the first of these.

Cybertron Optimus Prime is a figure seen by many to be one of the best Optimus Primes released. He is known as Galaxy Convoy in the Galaxy force line. Obviously this is the Hasbro version
Optimus Prime character wise is pretty much the same as in every series being the leader of the Autobots and being the courageous battle hardened warrior and so forth.


Optimus prime fights Megatron and other Decepticons dozens of times seeming it is a fifty episode series.



When the destruction of Unicron results in the formation of a massive black hole, Cybertron is threatened, and its population is evacuated to Earth, taking the forms of local vehicles and machinery to hide from humanity. As this occurs, Optimus Prime's elite team of Autobot warriors are approached by the ancient Transformer Vector Prime, who has emerged from his resting place outside of time to inform them of the legendary Cyber Planet Keys, ancient artifacts of power which can stop the black hole and save the universe. Lost due to an accident during an attempt to create a cross-universal space bridge network, the Cyber Planet Keys now reside on four worlds somewhere in the universe—unfortunately, Vector Prime's map showing their location is stolen by Decepticon leader Megatron, and both forces relocate to Earth as the race to find them begins.
On Earth, the Autobots befriend three human children named Coby, Bud and Lori, who aid them in locating the Omega Lock, the control device for the Cyber Planet Keys' power. With new "Cyber Key Powers" awakened in them, the Transformers battle on many fronts, searching for the Lock on Earth while Hot Shot and Red Alert head for Velocitron, the "Speed Planet", resting place of the first key. As Hot Shot competes in the planet's grand racing championship to win the key from planet leader Override, the Lock is located on Earth in the bulk of the crashed Transformer spaceship the Atlantis. Soon after, Autobot Overhaul heads for the next world, Jungle Planet, where the power of its Cyber Planet Key re formats him into Leobreaker. Megatron ingratiates himself with Jungle Planet ruler Scourge, while at the same time, his scheming lieutenant Starscream teams up with the mysterious Sideways, working towards his own goals.
Ultimately, the Autobots succeed in acquiring the Keys of both Velocitron and Jungle Planet, at which point the existence of Earth's own Cyber Planet Key is revealed. Starscream makes his power play and overthrows Megatron, stealing the Omega Lock and all three keys from the Autobots and using them to grow in size and power. Their forces bolstered by the ancient Autobots from Earth and the arrival of Wing Saber, who combines with Optimus Prime, the Autobots fight their way through a vengeful Megatron and defeat Starscream - but the battle is not without casualties, as Hot Shot, Red Alert and Scattorshot are gravely wounded and rebuilt into the even more powerful Cybertron Defense Team.
Returning to Cybertron, the Autobots use the Omega Lock and Cyber Planet Keys, which awaken the spirit of their deity and creator, Primus and transform Cybertron itself into the god's body. After a battle in which Starscream taps the power of Primus and grows to planetary size—only to be defeated by Primus himself—the location of the fourth and final key is determined as Gigantion, the Giant Planet. Bested by Gigantion's leader Metroplex, Megatron taps into the power of Gigantion's Cyber Planet Key to become Galvatron. Sideways, now joined by the equally mysterious Soundwave, reveals himself to be an inhabitant of Planet X, a world destroyed by the Gigantions, upon whom he and Soundwave seek revenge. Galvatron blasts them and Starscream into another dimension and finally acquires the Lock and Keys for himself, intending to use their power to accelerate the universal degeneration caused by the black hole and remake the cosmos in his own image. Vector Prime sacrifices his life to get the Autobots back to Cybertron, and the five planet leaders confront Galvatron within the black hole and defeat him. With all the Cyber Planet Keys now in his possession, Primus uses their power to finally seal the black hole, ending its threat.
As the planet's various civilisations attempt to return to life as normal, Galvatron attacks the Autobots for one final time. Without any troops to call his own, Galvatron engages Optimus Prime in a one-on-one duel, and is finally destroyed for good. With this final victory, Optimus Prime begins a new space bridge initiative, and the Transformers set sail for the four corners of the universe, and new adventures.



BIO; Optimus Prime is a leader in the best sense of the word, taking part in every mission and never sending his team into any situation he would not go himself. Dedicated to the protection of all life and the preservation of freedom fro all sentient beings. He serves as a role model for his fellow Autobtos. It is through his keen intelligence, even hand, steady nerves and endless compassion that the Auotbots continue to frustrate the Deceptiocns evil plans again and again

TECHSPEC; Strength 10, Intelligence 10, Speed 9.5, Endurance 10, Rank 10, Courage 10, Fireblast 10, Skill 10

 
Fire engine front view
 
 
Fire engine side view
 
 
Cyber key mode
 
 
Vehicle flight mode
 
 
Truck cab front
 
 
Truck cab side
 
 
Robot mode
 
 
Open matrix compartment
 
 
Holding matrix of leadership
 
 
Cyber key super mode
 
 
 
 
Super mode
 
 
Base mode
 
 
 
 
Once again Optimus Prime is a fire engine. Slightly reminiscent of RID but with more of a Cybertronian vibe.
He has giant water cannons which both have a Cyber key gimmick in. The one on the left deploys two extra missile launchers. The one on the right splits open the cannon barrel to some sort of charged up cannon blast or something. It is hard to operate this gimmick as you have to ram the key in there.
He has lights and sounds in  the right hand cannon.
When the cannon is closed and you press the button he makes a laser shooting noise and the end of the cannon lights up red
Then when you deploy the gimmick he makes a power up noise.
When the button is pressed again when the barrel is open it makes another weapon firing noise. maybe some sort of heavy duty cannon noise.
He shoots three missiles from the left hand cannon.
and he rolls OK but sadly not all the wheels touch the ground and the wing pieces sit along the side and do not peg in anywhere.
He does have side windows made up from his chest panels but I forgot to flip these out for the photos.
I prefer the chest panels in even if these cover the ports you plug these into. I think they look out of place.
His robot head is clearly visible from the top of the cab and so are his robot hands on the front bumper but his hands could pass for a secondary grill or something.
He has also got two other cannons that flip out if you want them.
Overall it is a nice mode with details. It is a shame that he does not hold together just that little bit better.
 
There is a flight mode which you can do in truck mode where you fold the entire trailer out to form wings. It is OK and pretty large and he does use it quite a bit in the cartoon. It has some issues staying together and the wings drop with the weight of the cannons.
 
You can take the trailer off and leave him with just a truck cab mode which is reminiscent of his G1 sami truck self.
The truck cab is good but the truck bed is way too long to be realistic so it does look a little silly. His feet stick out like sore thumbs and help clip the truck to the trailer.
The front of the cab has a tough look and looks like a Prime. He and looks like he is ready for battle.
He does have spring suspension in the back wheels but I don't know why the others don't.
His robot mode is where this figure really starts to shine. He looks very buff and powerful. It really works for him.
I do see a couple of omages to Star convoy from G1 mostly in the face. He has the same silver panel on his forehead.
He does have a mouth plate gimmick. You can mess around and do what you like. The mouth plate up in robot mode makes him look more like Star Convoy.
He has pretty good articulation and you can get him into some pretty good poses.
You can pull the end of the cannon off the trailer and it becomes his rifle in robot mode.
You can also open up his chest and he has the matrix of leadership and it can be removed and he can hold it but somewhat awkwardly.
It is an grey matrix with the cetre painted orange but only on one side which is a little cheap
Just like Master Piece Rodimus he has a weird circle thing molded behind his matrix. Not sure whether or not if this is his spark or something.
 
As for his trailer in this mode. You can form a base mode but that is just  literally folding the wings out and making sure the guns are deployed and that it is. It is really not that much at all. I think you can make a fan mode which is better
I think it looks more like a mobile artillery platform than a base
His transformation is easy but interesting enough not to be dull
He has a head reveal where a lever on his back slides his head out of his chest
 
His transformation to super mode is just like the cartoon.
you dis attach part of the trailer to form super leg extensions. This helps stabilise him in super mode.
The rest of the trailer  just forms a giant wing jet pack which attached to his back by a harness.
 
The water cannons become giant cannons for the super mode.
 
You flip out some super antennae extensions and flip up his mouth plate to complete his super mode
 
This is one of the only Optimus Prime super modes which is really good.
He looks very powerful and looks ready for battle with his giant cannons.
 
He does have leg cannons which can fold down as secondary thrusters
 
You can access all the cyber key gimmicks and electronics.
 
This mode is amazing and it is almost worth buying this figure just for this mode. Who would not want a giant Optimus Prime with giant wings and cannon's. He dominates any shelf you put him on.
You can also combine him with Leo breaker/Lidajack to form Savage claw mode which is the same as super mode but with giant  claw arm.
He also combines with Wing saver/sonic bomber to form sonic wing mode which is a completely different flight mode.
 
I can't recommend this figure enough. if you are a fan of the Cybertron/Galaxy force series then this figure is a must have.  If you love oversized Optimus Primes then he is a must have.
 
Get it if you can. He might cost quite a bit though
 
 If you can't get hold of this version then there is also Galaxy convoy from the Tekara Galaxy force line. He also got an exclusive re issue in the Universe 2.0 line which was a two pack in with a re issue of Crumplezone,
He was re painted only once later on in the Cybertron line when they painted him a darker shade of red and I think the blue was replaced by black to make him more menacing.