MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

Kibble

2011-02-12T07:51:36Z

203.222.221.220:

[[Link title]][[Image:Kibblerhinox.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Rhinox photographed from behind, showcasing the several large pieces of rhinoceros hanging loosely from his body. (ew...)]]
'''Kibble''' is a feature of many Transformers, both in [[Toy|their toys]] and in their animation/comic designs. In its modern usage (see below for earlier meanings) it refers to pieces which have no clear purpose in one mode but are there only because they are part of another mode. In most cases, "kibble" is used to refer to pieces of the character's [[alternate mode]] which "hang" or stick out in their robot mode. Sometimes these pieces are there as a matter of aesthetics, and sometimes it's simply because there wasn't any place better to put the stuff.

Much less frequently, the word is used to refer to "robot parts" which are badly hidden in an altmode; This is most common in figures with aircraft altmodes, where whole limbs or compressed torsos were left exposed on the underside. In this case, the term ''undercarriage junk'' is more often used. During the [[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]] era, the term was also applied to any figure with robot mode limbs hanging from underneath the animal-mode shell.

Parts of one mode which are merely ''visible'' in other modes are not necessarily kibble. For example, an altmode part which is well-integrated into the robot's form—like the front of a car or truck that becomes a character's chest—is not kibble because it is an integral part of the robot's body, rather than being "tacked on".

When "kibble" entered the Transfan lexicon, it had a different meaning, and referred to a Transformer's accessories and detachable parts which had nowhere to go when not attached/worn/held. This meaning has almost, if not completely, disappeared from use.

==Examples of kibble==
[[Image:BWN-toy Break.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Penguins, after reaching a certain size, undergo a process that scientists have taken to calling "second-stage hatching".]]
Although it was most prominent during the [[Beast Era]] and ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'', kibble has been a part of Transformers from the very beginning. [[Prowl (G1)|G1 Prowl]], for example, has car doors that stick out behind his shoulders. The doors have no purpose in robot mode. They are not part of his actual body; they are just there, serving as decoration, but otherwise pointless. Those doors are kibble. In the robot modes of the G1 [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] toys, the jet's nosecone and tailfins are also kibble. The jet wings, despite being one of the Seekers' most prominent features, are kibble as well because they are not needed for the robot mode. In the old sense of the word, their fists can also be considered kibble since they are removed for jet mode yet do not store anywhere in said mode.

[[Image:Bigconvoy shell.jpg|right|250px|thumb|It really is two toys in one.]]
One of the most infamous examples of beast kibble on a robot mode is [[Big Convoy]] from ''[[Beast Wars Neo (franchise)|Beast Wars Neo]]''. Many of the Neo toys are kibble heavy, with "panels" of beast skin attached to the robot body by swiveling rods. This is also common in the ''Car Robots''/''Robots in Disguise'' line, most notably with the [[Autobot Brothers]] ([[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]], [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]], and [[X-Brawn]]).{{See|Shellformer}}

==Connotation==
[[Image:Kibbleprowl.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Prowl's car door "wings" are kibble, and so are his removable missiles and launchers.]]
Kibble is usually only brought up when it is being used derisively. Indeed, kibble often has a negative impact on a toy. It can restrict movement by getting in the way, it can make a toy unbalanced if it is too concentrated in one part of the body such as a "backpack", and it can simply make the robot look like a purely humanoid robot that has car or animal parts stuck to it, rather than being a robot ''composed of'' car or animal parts.

However, kibble serves an important purpose in Transformer design, often giving characters distinctive or interesting silhouettes. As mentioned above, the airplane wings on the Seekers' backs, as well as the doors on Prowl, are among their most memorable features. They look "cool" even if they are not integrated into the robot body. Thus, kibble is not an intrinsically bad thing. Most Transformers have it, and it may even be seen as an integral part of some characters' designs. Actually, if all kibble was removed from most Transformers (with the exception of shellformers), they would pretty much look like stick figures.

Some kibble can also serve a purpose in the fiction even if it has no purpose on the toy. For example [[Wreck-Gar (Animated)| Animated Wreck-Gar's]] backpack. On the toy it's just most of his garbage truck mode folded up on his back. However, on the show it holds a phenomenal amount of junk that Wreck-Gar can pull out and use, often for comedic effect.

==Other meanings / development of term==
[[Image:Kibblecombiner.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"Combiner kibble." These pieces have nowhere to go while Superion is broken up into his smaller components.]]
The word "kibble" was first applied to Transformers in February of 1996, when Lizard coined the term "combiner kibble" in a post to the newsgroup [[alt.toys.transformers]]. At that time, and for the next two years, the word kibble was used mainly to refer to detachable parts or accessories. It seems to have acquired its modern meaning sometime in 1998. A more detailed discussion follows:

In Google's archive of ATT, there are no recorded uses of the word "kibble" until the year 1996. In that year it was used only in reference to detachable parts and/or accessories, usually (but not always) in reference to pieces needed for [[combiner]]s to combine properly, such as [[Combiner#Terms_for_combiners|Scramble City]] style feet, heads and fists. The very first instance of the word comes from a post by Lizard which is missing from the archive, but appears quoted in other posts:

<blockquote>Now, if only there was a convenient place to store "Combiner Kibble" - all the hands, feet, chestplates, etc, that go into making a combiner... ([http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/ea0978924f203ee7?dmode=source&hl=en&output=gplain Quoted text in <3122E99A.19BB@texas.net>], Feb 1996)</blockquote>

Said Lizard when reflecting on this ten years later, "The word comes from, of course, pet food — I guess I felt the plethora of small pieces of Transformers detritus strongly resembled the little bits of cat food batted all over the kitchen." Lizard also used the word to refer to [[Megatron (G1)|G1 Megatron]]'s accessories in his [[BotCon 1996]] report. Three other fans referred to "combiner kibble" in the first half of 1996 after Lizard's use of the term, all of them either placing it in quotes or adding an emoticon, which emphasizes the newness of the term. Later in the year the word shows up about a dozen more times, always in reference to combiner pieces or other detachable parts.

The first archived use of the word kibble to refer to something ''other than'' detachable parts is a January 1997 review of [[Claw Jaw]], by Dave Richter. "In beast mode, he looks great from head on, but the abdomen (made out of robot legs and jointed squid kibble) doesn't look too solid if viewed from the side." ([http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/e087c89d29ba5c97?dmode=source&hl=en&output=gplain <32F023AC.397A@virginia.edu>], 29 Jan 1997) In March, Dave made a more explicitly modern use of the word in response to another fan. This post serves reasonably well as a definition:

<blockquote>''IMO, toys should look cool from any angle. You should be able to turn a BW or any figure around have it look as cool as it does in the front. The rear should not be a place for a toy designer to throw any excess pieces on the figure that are not needed in robot mode. There are much more better designs than that.'' 
I don't know, you've got to put the animal kibble somewhere. This is standard TF fare; look at all the T-rex bitz Grimlock has hanging off his back. BW has alot of junk hanging off the back of many of it's entries, but it doesn't overbalance them, so what does it matter? ([http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/376dcb3652135228?dmode=source&hl=en&output=gplain <33237FCB.656E@virginia.edu>], 9 Mar 1997)
</blockquote>
Still, through 1997 the "detachable parts" sense was more heavily used, with six uses to the modern meaning's three. In the previous year, 1996, the word was used to refer to detachable parts 16 times. In 1998 Dave Van Domelen began to use the word regularly in his posted toy reviews. He used it in both senses, but more often in the modern one. Overall, the word appeared in ATT 21 distinct times in 1998, with 13 of those being the new/current meaning. In 1999, usage exploded, with virtually all instances of the word being in its modern usage.

The original "detachable parts" meaning has essentially become archaic and all but unknown, most likely due to the toyline itself largely abandoning that form of construction. Indeed, it is very unusual for a modern Transformers toy ''not'' to integrate or at least store all of its parts in all modes. With regards to combiner kibble, combiner teams themselves have become rare, and the recent examples either have no kibble ([[Superion Maximus]]), or the kibble can ''itself'' combine into a separate vehicle ([[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]] [[Superion (Universe)|Superion]]) — it's still kibble, but it's kibble with play value!

By November 1999, the meaning was well enough entrenched in ATT that Straight-Edge gave this definition, from which the meaning has not drifted at all in the years since:

<blockquote>It means pieces of the alternate mode (Beast mode, vehicle mode) being not only visible, but actually hanging off the robot body. IE the Doors hanging off of Prowl's shoulders, and the Crab Legs/Claws on Rampage's robot mode. They are not part of an anthropomorphic robot, hence they are kibble. ([http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/0caa8c898d45586d?dmode=source&hl=en&output=gplain <19991109002603.08548.00002231@ng-fg1.aol.com>], 9 Nov 1999)</blockquote>
It can't be determined from the limited breadth of the Usenet archive how the word kibble shifted its meaning, but it seems reasonable to ''guess'' that the earliest uses in the modern sense were simply an extension of the idea of "parts that stick on". Kibble, as we discuss it today, is just that—parts that are "stuck on".

=="Faux-parts"==
There is a related phenomenon with no generally accepted name, in which a toy's robot mode has obvious elements of its alternate mode showing (usually in the chest area), which are ''not'' in fact part of its alt-mode. This usually happens when the toy is based on a pre-existing design with prominent elements of its alternate mode present in robot mode (usually an older toy), but due to budget, size or other reasons, the <strike>[[Trademark|transformation]]</strike> [[transformation|conversion]] could not be designed to reflect the existing design accordingly.

The original example of this is [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]], who had the front windshield and grill of a semi-cab on his chest...which had no relation at all to his actual semi-cab mode, as those parts ended up on his ''back''. The false truck windows on the chest also showed up on ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' Laser Optimus Prime and his redeco, ''[[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]], whose chests are on the underside of the truck in vehicle mode. Another example is the T-rex face on the chest of [[Megatron (BW)/toys|Transmetal Megatron]] from ''Beast Wars'', which is not the same part as his actual T-rex face. A particularly inelegant example would be the [[Legends Class]] toy for [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] from the 2007 ''[[Movie (toyline)|Movie]]'' line, who has a fake Pontiac Solstice front bumper for a chest that ends up on his ''roof'' in vehicle mode, while the actual car front ends up on the robot's ''legs''. Legends Class, Voyager Class and [[Fast Action Battlers]] [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys|Optimus Prime]] from the same line also featured fake "windows" on their robot mode chests, while the actual truck mode's windows ended up elsewhere in robot mode; and ''Movie'' Deluxe Class Jazz has fake "wheels" on the sides of his legs, while the ''actual'' wheels end up on the back of the legs.

Its use is even seen in ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]]'': [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] has a false roof on his chest. A more notable case is [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]: He has false ambulance sides on his shoulder kibble (kibble AND "faux-parts"). [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]], [[Swindle (Animated)|Swindle]], and [[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] create even more confusing examples. Their robot mode chests are designed to be evocative of their much wider alt-mode hoods, which become kibble themselves.

There are, of course, other examples of "Faux-parts". [[Sideways (ROTF)|Sideways]] has spinning arm blades that transform from his front wheels in the movie, but because of the way the Deluxe toy transforms, the spinning wheels on his arms are not actually his front wheels. In that regard, Sideways has ''six'' turning wheels shared by his altmode and robot mode. [[Dirge (ROTF)]] has a similar feature where his actual alt-mode cockpit ends up on his arm, while a second "cosmetic" cockpit appears on his robot-mode chest, thus giving him two cockpits simultaneously.

Masterpiece [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Rodimus Prime]] takes this in a different direction; the toy has two alt-modes that represents the upgrade from Hot Rod's vehicle mode to Rodimus'. One would assume that within the cartoon continuity, Rodimus' hood, front wheels, & windshield are homologous to Hot Rod's, like his robot mode is shown to be when he opens the Matrix in [[The Transformers: The Movie|The Transformers: The Movie]]. The toy uses a different hood & windshield for each mode, while the front set of wheels become the rear set for the other mode. The kibble of the unused mode is neatly hidden when in the other mode.

==Notes==
When asked about terms like "kibble" and "faux-parts" and the concepts they refer to in the [[Hasbro Q&A|Q&A]] [[Hasbro Q&A/March 2010|session for March 2010]], [[Hasbro]] confirmed using "many of the same terms that the fans do"—effectively, the names fans came up with provide Hasbro with easy ways to refer to these concepts when they come up as "desired or undesired results" during the design process.<ref name="hasbro0310">[http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=67971 Allspark.com's answers to the Hasbro Q&A session for March 2010]</ref>

==Footnotes==
<references/>

[[Category:Fan terminology]]
[[Category:Fandom]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Kibble

2011-02-12T07:50:28Z

203.222.221.220:

[[Image:Kibblerhinox.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Rhinox photographed from behind, showcasing the several large pieces of rhinoceros hanging loosely from his body. ew....]]
'''Kibble''' is a feature of many Transformers, both in [[Toy|their toys]] and in their animation/comic designs. In its modern usage (see below for earlier meanings) it refers to pieces which have no clear purpose in one mode but are there only because they are part of another mode. In most cases, "kibble" is used to refer to pieces of the character's [[alternate mode]] which "hang" or stick out in their robot mode. Sometimes these pieces are there as a matter of aesthetics, and sometimes it's simply because there wasn't any place better to put the stuff.

Much less frequently, the word is used to refer to "robot parts" which are badly hidden in an altmode; This is most common in figures with aircraft altmodes, where whole limbs or compressed torsos were left exposed on the underside. In this case, the term ''undercarriage junk'' is more often used. During the [[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]] era, the term was also applied to any figure with robot mode limbs hanging from underneath the animal-mode shell.

Parts of one mode which are merely ''visible'' in other modes are not necessarily kibble. For example, an altmode part which is well-integrated into the robot's form—like the front of a car or truck that becomes a character's chest—is not kibble because it is an integral part of the robot's body, rather than being "tacked on".

When "kibble" entered the Transfan lexicon, it had a different meaning, and referred to a Transformer's accessories and detachable parts which had nowhere to go when not attached/worn/held. This meaning has almost, if not completely, disappeared from use.

==Examples of kibble==
[[Image:BWN-toy Break.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Penguins, after reaching a certain size, undergo a process that scientists have taken to calling "second-stage hatching".]]
Although it was most prominent during the [[Beast Era]] and ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'', kibble has been a part of Transformers from the very beginning. [[Prowl (G1)|G1 Prowl]], for example, has car doors that stick out behind his shoulders. The doors have no purpose in robot mode. They are not part of his actual body; they are just there, serving as decoration, but otherwise pointless. Those doors are kibble. In the robot modes of the G1 [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] toys, the jet's nosecone and tailfins are also kibble. The jet wings, despite being one of the Seekers' most prominent features, are kibble as well because they are not needed for the robot mode. In the old sense of the word, their fists can also be considered kibble since they are removed for jet mode yet do not store anywhere in said mode.

[[Image:Bigconvoy shell.jpg|right|250px|thumb|It really is two toys in one.]]
One of the most infamous examples of beast kibble on a robot mode is [[Big Convoy]] from ''[[Beast Wars Neo (franchise)|Beast Wars Neo]]''. Many of the Neo toys are kibble heavy, with "panels" of beast skin attached to the robot body by swiveling rods. This is also common in the ''Car Robots''/''Robots in Disguise'' line, most notably with the [[Autobot Brothers]] ([[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]], [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]], and [[X-Brawn]]).{{See|Shellformer}}

==Connotation==
[[Image:Kibbleprowl.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Prowl's car door "wings" are kibble, and so are his removable missiles and launchers.]]
Kibble is usually only brought up when it is being used derisively. Indeed, kibble often has a negative impact on a toy. It can restrict movement by getting in the way, it can make a toy unbalanced if it is too concentrated in one part of the body such as a "backpack", and it can simply make the robot look like a purely humanoid robot that has car or animal parts stuck to it, rather than being a robot ''composed of'' car or animal parts.

However, kibble serves an important purpose in Transformer design, often giving characters distinctive or interesting silhouettes. As mentioned above, the airplane wings on the Seekers' backs, as well as the doors on Prowl, are among their most memorable features. They look "cool" even if they are not integrated into the robot body. Thus, kibble is not an intrinsically bad thing. Most Transformers have it, and it may even be seen as an integral part of some characters' designs. Actually, if all kibble was removed from most Transformers (with the exception of shellformers), they would pretty much look like stick figures.

Some kibble can also serve a purpose in the fiction even if it has no purpose on the toy. For example [[Wreck-Gar (Animated)| Animated Wreck-Gar's]] backpack. On the toy it's just most of his garbage truck mode folded up on his back. However, on the show it holds a phenomenal amount of junk that Wreck-Gar can pull out and use, often for comedic effect.

==Other meanings / development of term==
[[Image:Kibblecombiner.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"Combiner kibble." These pieces have nowhere to go while Superion is broken up into his smaller components.]]
The word "kibble" was first applied to Transformers in February of 1996, when Lizard coined the term "combiner kibble" in a post to the newsgroup [[alt.toys.transformers]]. At that time, and for the next two years, the word kibble was used mainly to refer to detachable parts or accessories. It seems to have acquired its modern meaning sometime in 1998. A more detailed discussion follows:

In Google's archive of ATT, there are no recorded uses of the word "kibble" until the year 1996. In that year it was used only in reference to detachable parts and/or accessories, usually (but not always) in reference to pieces needed for [[combiner]]s to combine properly, such as [[Combiner#Terms_for_combiners|Scramble City]] style feet, heads and fists. The very first instance of the word comes from a post by Lizard which is missing from the archive, but appears quoted in other posts:

<blockquote>Now, if only there was a convenient place to store "Combiner Kibble" - all the hands, feet, chestplates, etc, that go into making a combiner... ([http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/ea0978924f203ee7?dmode=source&hl=en&output=gplain Quoted text in <3122E99A.19BB@texas.net>], Feb 1996)</blockquote>

Said Lizard when reflecting on this ten years later, "The word comes from, of course, pet food — I guess I felt the plethora of small pieces of Transformers detritus strongly resembled the little bits of cat food batted all over the kitchen." Lizard also used the word to refer to [[Megatron (G1)|G1 Megatron]]'s accessories in his [[BotCon 1996]] report. Three other fans referred to "combiner kibble" in the first half of 1996 after Lizard's use of the term, all of them either placing it in quotes or adding an emoticon, which emphasizes the newness of the term. Later in the year the word shows up about a dozen more times, always in reference to combiner pieces or other detachable parts.

The first archived use of the word kibble to refer to something ''other than'' detachable parts is a January 1997 review of [[Claw Jaw]], by Dave Richter. "In beast mode, he looks great from head on, but the abdomen (made out of robot legs and jointed squid kibble) doesn't look too solid if viewed from the side." ([http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/e087c89d29ba5c97?dmode=source&hl=en&output=gplain <32F023AC.397A@virginia.edu>], 29 Jan 1997) In March, Dave made a more explicitly modern use of the word in response to another fan. This post serves reasonably well as a definition:

<blockquote>''IMO, toys should look cool from any angle. You should be able to turn a BW or any figure around have it look as cool as it does in the front. The rear should not be a place for a toy designer to throw any excess pieces on the figure that are not needed in robot mode. There are much more better designs than that.'' 
I don't know, you've got to put the animal kibble somewhere. This is standard TF fare; look at all the T-rex bitz Grimlock has hanging off his back. BW has alot of junk hanging off the back of many of it's entries, but it doesn't overbalance them, so what does it matter? ([http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/376dcb3652135228?dmode=source&hl=en&output=gplain <33237FCB.656E@virginia.edu>], 9 Mar 1997)
</blockquote>
Still, through 1997 the "detachable parts" sense was more heavily used, with six uses to the modern meaning's three. In the previous year, 1996, the word was used to refer to detachable parts 16 times. In 1998 Dave Van Domelen began to use the word regularly in his posted toy reviews. He used it in both senses, but more often in the modern one. Overall, the word appeared in ATT 21 distinct times in 1998, with 13 of those being the new/current meaning. In 1999, usage exploded, with virtually all instances of the word being in its modern usage.

The original "detachable parts" meaning has essentially become archaic and all but unknown, most likely due to the toyline itself largely abandoning that form of construction. Indeed, it is very unusual for a modern Transformers toy ''not'' to integrate or at least store all of its parts in all modes. With regards to combiner kibble, combiner teams themselves have become rare, and the recent examples either have no kibble ([[Superion Maximus]]), or the kibble can ''itself'' combine into a separate vehicle ([[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]] [[Superion (Universe)|Superion]]) — it's still kibble, but it's kibble with play value!

By November 1999, the meaning was well enough entrenched in ATT that Straight-Edge gave this definition, from which the meaning has not drifted at all in the years since:

<blockquote>It means pieces of the alternate mode (Beast mode, vehicle mode) being not only visible, but actually hanging off the robot body. IE the Doors hanging off of Prowl's shoulders, and the Crab Legs/Claws on Rampage's robot mode. They are not part of an anthropomorphic robot, hence they are kibble. ([http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/0caa8c898d45586d?dmode=source&hl=en&output=gplain <19991109002603.08548.00002231@ng-fg1.aol.com>], 9 Nov 1999)</blockquote>
It can't be determined from the limited breadth of the Usenet archive how the word kibble shifted its meaning, but it seems reasonable to ''guess'' that the earliest uses in the modern sense were simply an extension of the idea of "parts that stick on". Kibble, as we discuss it today, is just that—parts that are "stuck on".

=="Faux-parts"==
There is a related phenomenon with no generally accepted name, in which a toy's robot mode has obvious elements of its alternate mode showing (usually in the chest area), which are ''not'' in fact part of its alt-mode. This usually happens when the toy is based on a pre-existing design with prominent elements of its alternate mode present in robot mode (usually an older toy), but due to budget, size or other reasons, the <strike>[[Trademark|transformation]]</strike> [[transformation|conversion]] could not be designed to reflect the existing design accordingly.

The original example of this is [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]], who had the front windshield and grill of a semi-cab on his chest...which had no relation at all to his actual semi-cab mode, as those parts ended up on his ''back''. The false truck windows on the chest also showed up on ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' Laser Optimus Prime and his redeco, ''[[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]], whose chests are on the underside of the truck in vehicle mode. Another example is the T-rex face on the chest of [[Megatron (BW)/toys|Transmetal Megatron]] from ''Beast Wars'', which is not the same part as his actual T-rex face. A particularly inelegant example would be the [[Legends Class]] toy for [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] from the 2007 ''[[Movie (toyline)|Movie]]'' line, who has a fake Pontiac Solstice front bumper for a chest that ends up on his ''roof'' in vehicle mode, while the actual car front ends up on the robot's ''legs''. Legends Class, Voyager Class and [[Fast Action Battlers]] [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys|Optimus Prime]] from the same line also featured fake "windows" on their robot mode chests, while the actual truck mode's windows ended up elsewhere in robot mode; and ''Movie'' Deluxe Class Jazz has fake "wheels" on the sides of his legs, while the ''actual'' wheels end up on the back of the legs.

Its use is even seen in ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]]'': [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] has a false roof on his chest. A more notable case is [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]: He has false ambulance sides on his shoulder kibble (kibble AND "faux-parts"). [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]], [[Swindle (Animated)|Swindle]], and [[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] create even more confusing examples. Their robot mode chests are designed to be evocative of their much wider alt-mode hoods, which become kibble themselves.

There are, of course, other examples of "Faux-parts". [[Sideways (ROTF)|Sideways]] has spinning arm blades that transform from his front wheels in the movie, but because of the way the Deluxe toy transforms, the spinning wheels on his arms are not actually his front wheels. In that regard, Sideways has ''six'' turning wheels shared by his altmode and robot mode. [[Dirge (ROTF)]] has a similar feature where his actual alt-mode cockpit ends up on his arm, while a second "cosmetic" cockpit appears on his robot-mode chest, thus giving him two cockpits simultaneously.

Masterpiece [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Rodimus Prime]] takes this in a different direction; the toy has two alt-modes that represents the upgrade from Hot Rod's vehicle mode to Rodimus'. One would assume that within the cartoon continuity, Rodimus' hood, front wheels, & windshield are homologous to Hot Rod's, like his robot mode is shown to be when he opens the Matrix in [[The Transformers: The Movie|The Transformers: The Movie]]. The toy uses a different hood & windshield for each mode, while the front set of wheels become the rear set for the other mode. The kibble of the unused mode is neatly hidden when in the other mode.

==Notes==
When asked about terms like "kibble" and "faux-parts" and the concepts they refer to in the [[Hasbro Q&A|Q&A]] [[Hasbro Q&A/March 2010|session for March 2010]], [[Hasbro]] confirmed using "many of the same terms that the fans do"—effectively, the names fans came up with provide Hasbro with easy ways to refer to these concepts when they come up as "desired or undesired results" during the design process.<ref name="hasbro0310">[http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=67971 Allspark.com's answers to the Hasbro Q&A session for March 2010]</ref>

==Footnotes==
<references/>

[[Category:Fan terminology]]
[[Category:Fandom]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Hot Shot (Animated)

2010-12-25T11:31:10Z

203.222.221.220:

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Hot Shot}}
:''Hot Shot is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Hotshot Animated.jpg|thumb|right|250px|He's [[JaAm|Godjamned]] awesome, that's what he is.]]

'''Hot Shot''' is an Autobot under the command of [[Rodimus Prime (Animated)|Rodimus Prime]]. He is a young, inexperienced bot who lives for speed. His quick motion has led him to strive to live life in the fast lane. This usually lands him right in the middle of a battle, carelessly acting without thinking. This also usually lands him in [[Red Alert (Animated)|Red Alert]]'s repair bay far more often than the rest of his team. This annoys Red Alert to no end, but Hot Shot wishes she would just lighten up a little. It's not the end of the world or anything, right?

As a <s>pyromaniac</s> pyrotechnician, his arms can convert into welding torches specialized for construction and repair. But, when duty calls, these tools also come in handy for barbecuing a bunch of no-good Decepti-creeps (or himself or his teammates, accidentally).

The otherwise brilliant Rodimus believes Hot Shot has the potential to become a great leader. We all have our blind spots.

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
:'''Voice actor:''' [[Bill Fagerbakke]] (English), [[Kōsuke Okano]] (Japanese)

[[Image:Hotshotanimatedfire.jpg|thumb|left|Just like the old Hot Shot, but [[Hot Shot (RID)|probably not the one you were thinking of]].]]At [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]'s orders, Decepticons from hidden corners of the galaxy attacked [[Autobot]] [[space bridge]] terminals. One such terminal was guarded by [[Rodimus Prime (Animated)|Rodimus Prime]]'s team, which included Hot Shot. The terminal was under attack from Decepticons led by [[Strika (Animated)|Strika]], and despite Hot Shot's attempts to use his flamethrowers to vaporize her shots, one connected with his leg. He called for [[Red Alert (Animated)|Red Alert]], and after examining his busted leg, she told him it'd have to be amputated, but assured him that he'd receive a new one in 6-8 [[Units of time|solar cycles]]. But Spittor took out Red Alert, leaving Hot Shot in a state of shock as the rest of his team was disposed of. {{storylink|TransWarped}}

Hot Shot was soon back in working order and was there to celebrate the return of [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel "Magnus"]], who swore revenge on [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]]. {{storylink|Decepticon Air}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===Animated===
[[Image:Animatedtoy-HotShot.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Covet all you want, but some Hasbro intern probably had to smash this thing with a hammer.]]
*'''Hot Shot''' (Deluxe Class)
: There was going to be a Deluxe Hot Shot toy, but life kinda sucks, don't it? It would have been of Hot Shot's Earth form, rather than the Cybertronian form seen in the cartoon, and apparently would have had arm-mounted missile launchers representing his flame torches.
{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}
==Notes==
[[Image:HotShotAnimated-car.jpg|right|thumb|300px|You won't get a toy of this, either!]]
* Hot Shot was part of the original treatment for ''Animated'', taking the main-character role that would eventually go to [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]]. But, well, what with that [[Transformers (2007)|mega-blockbuster live-action movie]] with a [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] in a starring role....

* Sadly, Hot Shot's appearance in season three was written long before any of the writers got a chance to read the [[JaAm]] comic.<ref>[http://derrickjwyatt.blogspot.com/2008/11/and-my-other-desk-also-messy.html#c302580230653499383 Derrik J. Wyatt, replying to a comment on his blog.]</ref>

* ''Animated'' Hot Shot was designed by [[Irineo Maramba]], loosely based on head sketches by [[Derrick J. Wyatt]], with some help from [[Eric Siebenaler]].<ref>[http://derrickjwyatt.blogspot.com/2008/12/marty-isenberg-interview.html Marty Isenberg Interview comments section.]</ref> His design incorporates elements from all three versions of the [[Unicron Trilogy]] Hot Shot, but his flamethrowers are something he shares with the [[Hot Shot (RID)|one you weren't thinking of]].

* Hot Shot's vehicle mode was revealed in the ''[[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II]]'', as well as his relationship with his teammates as mentioned in the opening paragraph of this article.

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Animated Autobots]]
[[Category:Cartoon-only Transformers]]

Optimus Prime (Animated)

2010-10-21T08:33:15Z

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{{factions|autobot|hofsilver}}
{{Template:Disambig3|Optimus Prime}}{{suite}}

:''Optimus Prime is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:OptimusPrimeAnimated.JPG|right|thumb|300px|"Freedom... [[Megatron (BW)|Yeesss]]..."]]

A washout from the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]], '''Optimus Prime''' was reassigned to [[space bridge]] repair duty under the supervision of [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]. He 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. Recently, his crew has landed on [[Earth]], adopted jobs as semi-official superheroes and currently live in an abandoned Sumdac Systems warehouse.

Despite his humble "Bot Next Door" persona, he performs his job with a dedicated seriousness. He transforms into a red truck cab that can be fitted with many kinds of "[[trailer]]" attachments (most notably one that makes him look like a fire engine) and wields a kick-ass, rocket-propelled, extendable battle axe, as well as multiple arm mounted modifications, including grappler cables, fire extinguishers and bola-whip throwers. Despite his formidable abilities and skills, not everyone thought so highly of the young Prime. [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] sneers at Optimus's lowly repair job, and [[Supreme Commander]] [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] once held the young officer in low regard. More than anything, Prime wanted to be a hero. He's had the speeches, he had the moves...but what was he missing? Maybe [[Stan Bush|The Touch]]?

But since coming to Earth, Optimus has learned the truth about heroism. It's not about glory and destiny, it's about doing the right thing and going to your limit and beyond. Ratchet, for all his cynicism, knows that Prime is a hero, and after seeing him in action, Ultra Magnus himself admitted that Optimus has excellent leadership skills.

{{Quote|So, this is what it feels like to be a hero...|Optimus upon his death|"[[Transform and Roll Out]]"}}

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
{{Idw-tfa}}
:''Voice actor:'' [[David Kaye]] (English), [[Hiroki Takahashi]] (Japanese), [[Bernd Vollbrecht]] (German), [[Maciej Walentek]] (Polish), [[Marco Balzarotti]] (Italian), [[Alexandre Marconato]] (Portuguese)

''Optimus did his [[Autobot boot camp]] training under [[Kup (Animated)|Kup Minor]], who gave him the name "Optimus" because of his cheery, optimistic outlook. Sentinel and [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Elita-1]] were also in this training platoon. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2‎|AllSpark Almanac Volume 2‎}}''

''During his later training days at the [[Autobot Academy]], Optimus impressed Ultra Magnus with his performance in a computer simulated battle against [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]. Although Optimus "died" in the battle, causing his boisterous pal Sentinel to make a crack at his expense, Magnus pointed out that Optimus had just scored higher on the test than anyone in Academy history, and let Optimus know he had great hopes for him.'' {{storylink|The Arrival issue 5#Survival Skills|Survival Skills}}

[[Image:Alongcameaspiderthreefriends.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"Whoa-oh! Surprise hug from Mr. Freaky-Big!"]]

A thousand stellar cycles ago, Optimus and Elita-1 accompanied Sentinel on an unpermitted mission to [[Archa Seven|a forbidden organic planet]] in search of a lost [[Decepticon]] [[Twilight (Animated)|ship]] rumored to be carrying a huge payload of [[Energon (fuel)|energon]] [[energon cube|cubes]]. The mission was declared a wash when the trio discovered that the planet was infested with [[Archa Seven arachnid|giant spiders]], but the trio found that their retreat was not an easy one. Separated from Sentinel in the chaos of a spider attack, Optimus and Elita found the Decepticon ship and its coveted energon cubes, only to be surrounded by another swarm of spiders. Optimus had Elita download his grappler abilities so that they could bring a giant stalactite down on the creatures, causing the energon cubes to explode in the process. As they attempt to swing their way to safety, however, Elita's download timed out and she plummeted back down into the heart of the conflagration, just as Sentinel arrived to bear witness. Knowing that to go after her would mean death, Optimus held Sentinel back from pursuing Elita and forcibly dragged him back to the surface just before they were caught in the explosion. {{storylink|Along Came a Spider}}

Sentinel never forgave Optimus for making him leave Elita behind, and bore a grudge against him for the next thousand years, constantly belittling him and sniping at him. When the failed mission came to the attention of Ultra Magnus, the two were brought to a military tribunal. Sentinel gladly placed the blame for Elita-1's death at Optimus' feet, and gallantly, Optimus took the fall for leading the mission. He was discharged from the Academy, never to join the Elite Guard. Luckily for Optimus, Magnus thought that maybe the bot he once had such high hopes for still had some potential, and gave him the rank of "Prime" and his own ship...a rusted out junker filled with the incompetent young bots [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] and [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]], plus a crotchety old medic, [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]].

During one of their routine [[Space Bridge]] terminal repair missions, Optimus Prime's crew stumbled upon a bot named [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] who was trying to complete his [[Cyber-Ninja]] training. Unfortunately, an [[energon cube]] explosion destroyed his ship, so Optimus offered Prowl a place on his crew. The would-be cyber-ninja expressed frustration at the constant curveballs life had thrown at him thus far, and Optimus noted that he could easily relate to that sentiment.
{{storylink|Endgame, Part I}}

[[Image:Ani crew.JPG|left|thumb|300px|Call me Captainimus Prime!]]

Fifty years ago, Prime and his crew came across the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] while repairing a space bridge and brought the artifact aboard their ship. During transport, they were discovered by the [[Decepticon]]s, and [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] came after them. He proved too strong to take head on (in spite of [[Starscream (Animated)|his subordinate]] planting a bomb on his chassis), but when [[Teletran-1]] 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.

[[Image:Sariprime.jpg|right|120px|thumb|Insert what where?!]]

Over the next several weeks, the Autobots got to learn human culture and customs, doing their best to prevent disasters and save lives. Eventually, Starscream came for the AllSpark, 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 AllSpark-influenced [[AllSpark Key|key]]. Later, the Autobots helped rebuild parts of Detroit that were destroyed in their battle with Starscream. {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out}}

Unfortunately for Optimus, he had gained a reputation outside of Earth's atmosphere—not as a hero, but as the slayer of Megatron. The Decepticon [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] placed a large bounty on his head, and pretty soon, [[Lockdown (Animated)|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. {{storylink|The Thrill of the Hunt}}

[[Image:TFA ep9 Optimus and Blackarachnia rooftop.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Optimus Prime is all left feet, but that's still not as many as Blackarachnia.]]

During the Autobots' first [[Halloween]] on Earth, the Decepticon [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] ambushed [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] and [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] and kidnapped Sari. When Optimus Prime tried to fight Blackarachnia, 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 AllSpark 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. {{storylink|Along Came a Spider}}

When Decepticon energy signals were detected near the city, the Autobots quickly realized that their options were limited. Bulkhead mentioned that the [[Dinobot (Animated)|Dinobots]] might help, forcing [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] to reveal how the two moved them to [[Dinobot Island (Animated)|Dinobot Island]]. Prime's reaction was...displeased, to say the least. Ranting that all he had to command were insubordinate malfunctions, Prime also concluded that the Key was no longer safe with Sari, and he ordered Ratchet to take it from her. As Sari ran off crying, Bumblebee mouthed off that their situation was an indication that Prime was unfit for command.

[[Image:Megatron Rising Optimus rant.JPG|right|170px|thumb|[[wikipedia:Red_Forman|Dumbasses]]!]]

Heading to Dinobot Island, Prime did not get off to a good start with [[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]], mostly because Grimlock considered him lunch. After Prowl smoothed things over, Prime tried to convince them to help the Autobots fight the Decepticons, but Grimlock was uninterested. Receiving word from Ratchet that the Key had been stolen, Prime ordered Ratchet to guard the AllSpark while the Autobots headed back for the mainland. Prime himself also began to wonder if he was fit for command, seeing as all his decisions had blown up in his face. When Bumblebee contacted the Autobots to inform them that Starscream was at [[Sumdac Tower]], he refused Prime's order to hold back and went to attack the Decepticon on his own. Prime dryly noted that the day just kept getting better and better.

Then everything pretty much went to Hell when Megatron burst out of Sumdac Tower, to the shock and horror of just about everyone. {{storylink|Megatron Rising - Part 1}}

Quickly regaining their composure, the Autobots attacked. Megatron beat the [[Slag (slang)|slag]] out of them. Though Optimus fared slightly better, Megatron still brought him down fairly quickly. They were only able to escape when Megatron punished Starscream for his betrayal. Taking refuge within Sumdac Tower, [[Isaac Sumdac|Professor Sumdac]] explained his role in Megatron's revival and helped repair the Autobots with residual key energy. After Bumblebee called Prime to answer for his earlier assessment of them, Prime admitted he was wrong and asked them for forgiveness. When Ratchet and Sari showed up with Teletran-1, the Autobots took flight, hoping to lure the Decepticons away from Earth to prevent human casualties. Unfortunately, the Decepticons shot down the vessel and caused it to crash on Dinobot Island.

[[Image:Megatron Rising Optimus Megatron Key shove.JPG|left|200px|thumb|"Now, light our darkest hour!"]]

As the Autobots took on the Decepticons, Optimus faced down Megatron, which went as well as the first time. When Megatron got into the Autobots' ship, he took the AllSpark and placed the powerful artifact within him, using it as a weapon against Prime. However, Megatron had dropped the key, and Sari threw it to Prime. The Autobot officer used the key to send a surge of energy through the AllSpark, causing it to disperse while still in Megatron. With the threat passed, Prime apologized to Sari and returned the key, saying it was too important to be trusted with an Autobot. {{storylink|Megatron Rising - Part 2}}

After the battle with the Decepticons, the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] arrived to take the AllSpark back to Cybertron. Optimus explained that the AllSpark had been dispersed and that the Decepticons had been defeated. Sentinel Prime accused Optimus of lying and took every chance he could to belittle his former friend, but [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] decided to investigate their claims. Optimus took them to Dinobot Island, but the Autobots did not make a good impression on the Dinobots. Before they could investigate, they received a message from Ratchet, saying that [[police drone]]s had gone haywire at a Sumdac Systems manufacturing plant. Optimus managed to get Sari inside and shut off the assembly line, but the key was stuck in the console. Before Optimus could help, Sentinel pushed him aside and promised to see Optimus charged for high treason. Tired of Sentinel's slag, Optimus finally stuck up for himself and told Sentinel where to shove it, destroying the console the key was stuck in and revealing an AllSpark fragment. Ultra Magnus accepted the shard as proof of Optimus Prime's claims. Though Sentinel still refused to believe him, Magnus said that Optimus Prime displayed many qualities that Sentinel himself could use. {{storylink|The Elite Guard}}

[[Image:Returnofheadmaster optimuslaughs.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Ha ''Ha!'' [[Decapitation]].]]

When Sentinel and Optimus were at a press conference with [[Augustus Edsel|Mayor Edsel]], they received a call about a Decepticon sighting in old Detroit. After Sentinel mangled the roads en route, he told Optimus to split up and search on his own. Hours later, Optimus received a communication to from Sentinel to dismiss the police and come to Sentinel's location alone—and not to laugh when he got there. What Optimus found was Sentinel Prime's severed head, with his [[Structure|body]] having been stolen by the [[Headmaster (Animated)|Headmaster]]. He promised to help Sentinel find his body without letting Ultra Magnus or the other Autobots know, but not before taking a moment or two to enjoy the situation.

Heading for Sumdac Tower, Optimus confronted [[Porter C. Powell]], who denied knowing where Masterson was and told him the Autobots were no longer welcome at the facility. Optimus left, but immediately tapped in on Powell and Masterson's phone conversation, letting Optimus track Masterson to the docks. After encountering mini-Headmasters in the form of [[Tutor Bot]] and [[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]], Optimus was able to get aboard the ship before it sailed away. Finding the Headmaster with Sentinel Prime's body, Optimus Prime proceeded to beat the living slag out of his attacker, much to Sentinel's discomfort. Finally defeating the mad scientist, Optimus reattached Sentinel's head to his body, but Masterson walked away due to legal technicalities. When Ultra Magnus asked them about it the next day, Optimus covered for Sentinel, saying that Sentinel had volunteered to use himself as bait to capture Masterson, and Magnus praised their bravery. In an awkward moment, Sentinel thanked Optimus for all he'd done, and the two shook hands amicably. {{storylink|The Return of the Headmaster}}

[[Image:Sentinel vs Optimus%2C with Jazz in the middle.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Jay Leno VS. Bruce Campbell, Battle of [[chin]]s.]]

When word of Decepticon attacks came after learning that Megatron was still alive, Ultra Magnus decided that Optimus and his Autobots would be needed elsewhere repairing damaged space bridges. The Elite Guard also wanted Optimus to...leave out that whole destruction of the AllSpark and Megatron's survival thing for the time being. When they detected an AllSpark shard energy signature in a human train, the Elite Guard went to retrieve it. Detecting Starscream, Optimus realized it was a trap and was forced to place stasis cuffs on Sentinel Prime to leave the Elite Guard's ship. Meeting up with his crew, he helped them remove the shard and save the humans. Magnus and Sentinel, who by now had broken out of his cuffs, were about to rip Optimus a new one for insubordination, assault, and the lack of evidence over the Decepticons—at which point Starscream's body crashed mere meters away from them, having been offlined by Megatron (again). When Starscream knocked out Ultra Magnus, Optimus took command (much to Sentinel's displeasure). He managed to place the stasis-cuffs on Starscream, and Ultra Magnus decided that Optimus Prime and his team would be allowed to stay on Earth, locate the remaining AllSpark shards, and arrest the remaining Decepticons. {{storylink|Mission Accomplished}}

Later on, when Bulkhead brought [[Scrapper (Animated)|Scrapper]] and [[Mixmaster (Animated)|Mixmaster]] back to Autobot headquarters, Optimus was not impressed with their antics and demanded that they leave. Optimus warned Bulkhead that the duo were not worth spending time with and that they were not capable of learning the ways of an Autobot. After the Constructicons were 'persuaded' by Megatron that their talents would be better utilized in the Decepticon ranks, Prime was furious and despite Bulkhead's insistence that they were his friends, Optimus questioned that they didn't know any better.

Unfortunately, he was proved right when Mixmaster and Scrapper showed up and demanded that they hand over the AllSpark fragments, to which Prime naturally refused. A struggle ensued (in which Ratchet and Bumblebee insisted Prime was 'their dipstick') and Mixmaster held Bumblebee hostage and demands the AllSpark. Prime tried to stall for time and Bulkhead handed over the fragments, to Prime's dismay. Bulkhead then 'had one for the road' and his scheme came to light. With the fragments retrieved, Optimus consoled a distraught Bulkhead and assured him that as long as the Constructicons (now having lost their memory due to the explosion caused by the tainted oil) were not wearing Decepticon badges, they still had a choice. {{storylink|Rise of the Constructicons}}

[[Image:Animated Black Friday Prime Meltdown.jpg|right|175px|thumb|At the end of this day, one shall stand, one shall melt.]]

After learning that the Dinobots helped Meltdown escape, Prime took Prowl and Bumblebee to investigate Dinobot Island. There, he learned that Blackarachnia was manipulating the Dinobots, and had struck a deal with Meltdown to remove her organic half. However, Meltdown needed a genetic modifier. Blackarachnia, having poisoned Prowl and Bumblebee with her venom, told Prime to help Grimlock get the modifier in exchange for the antivenom that would save his Autobots. Though Prime tried to convince Grimlock of Blackarachnia's evil intentions, Grimlock would hear none of it. Returning to the mainland, Prime revoked his "protector of humanity" title long enough for Grimlock to "convince" [[Porter C. Powell]] to tell them where the modifier was. When Powell realized it was valuable, Prime was tempted to let Grimlock finish him off, but decided the Autobots didn't have time. Returning to Dinobot Island, Meltdown turned the tables on them, revealing that he planned to remove Blackarachnia's organic half, and sicced [[Fusion creature|his experiments]] on Prime and Grimlock. With the other Dinobots help, they sent the mutants packing. Prime then removed the modifier before Meltdown could finish his experiments, and exposure to the modifier caused Meltdown to break apart. Blackarachnia urged Optimus to come closer, but Grimlock's jealousy caused him to attack, allowing Blackarachnia to flee. When Prime went to Prowl and Bumblebee, he found the anti-venom, and saved their sparks. Although Powell tried to have Prime arrested, Fanzone refused to do anything about it. Because she left the anti-venom, however, Optimus Prime was hopeful that somewhere beneath the anger and betrayal of Blackarachnia, there was still something left of Elita-1. {{storylink|Black Friday (episode)|Black Friday}}

When Bulkhead was kidnapped by Megatron, Bumblebee brought home [[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]], an Elite Guard intelligence agent who had been assigned to monitor the Decepticons and investigate Optimus Prime's crew (good odds on [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|the one]] who gave Blurr his orders). When Blurr revealed where the Decepticons were, and that they were building a space bridge with Isaac Sumdac's help, Prime ordered Ratchet and Sari to get the ship back online, while he and the others went to rescue Bulkhead and stop the Decepticons. Before he left, he admitted that he wasn't sure if Professor Sumdac was willingly cooperating with the Decepticons, but promised Sari that he would bring him home alive. Heading to the mines, they were ambushed by Blitzwing and Lugnut, who were incapacitated by Blurr. Reaching the control room, the Autobots were incapaciated by the [[Constructicon (Animated)|Constructicons]]. Fortunately, the Decepticons were too busy with the sudden arrival of Starscream and [[Starscream clone (Animated)|his clones]] to immediately kill them. {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part I}}

Managing to free himself, Optimus found himself in the odd position of fighting side by side with Megatron. But the battle went against the Autobots, with Blurr and a pair of clones sucked into the space bridge and the other Autobots incapacitated. In typical Decepticon fashion, Megatron used Prime as a human shield against the clones. After the battle, Megatron decided to use Prime as a test to see if the space bridge worked, where Prime would eliminated by [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] if it did. Fortunately, Prowl managed to get free from his stasis cuffs and shatter Optimus Prime's, allowing him to grapple Megatron. However, the power cut out, forcing Megatron to use the severed head of Starscream to further power the bridge, causing an overload. Prime managed to slap stasis cuffs on Megatron, taking him into the bridge, but the Autobots were nearly sucked in when [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] arrived and sacrificed himself to save them. As the bridge self-destructed, the Autobots managed to escape before the mountain came down on top of them. Though mourning the losses of Omega and Blurr, Megatron's plot was foiled, and the Autobots could breathe a collective sigh of relief.

Sighs of relief which turned to gasps of shock and horror when Sari noticed that the skin of her arm had been torn...revealing robotic circuitry underneath! {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}

Leaving the mine, Optimus carried Sari and Isaac with him as the Professor explained what he knew of Sari's origins: years ago, Sumdac found a body of liquid metal, which he touched, and Sari emerged. Remembering all too well the horror story of human manufacturing, Optimus pointed out several flaws in Isaac's story. Optimus provided the necessary muscle to prevent Porter C. Powell and Henry Masterson from trying anything funny when Isaac returned to Sumdac Tower and fired the two, and was on hand to witness Sari activated some sort of weapons system to eject them. Horrified, Sari decided she was better off with her "fellow machines", and Optimus promised to keep her safe until she was ready to talk. Realizing that she wasn't going to talk, Optimus tricked Sari into going to [[Burger Bot]], alerting Sumdac that they were heading there. Unfortunately, the Headmaster had found his Headmaster unit and Starscream's body, and attacked the trio. After a short battle, Optimus tricked Masterson into transforming, saying that a "n00b" like him couldn't do it. The attack managed to reconcile Isaac and Sari, and Optimus took them home, where Prowl revealed his theory that Sari was a protoform merged with Sumdac's DNA.

Later, Ratchet turned up with an unconscious Bulkhead and claims of a missing Bumblebee. Bulkhead theorized that Bumblebee had activated the [[plasmadynamic thruster]], sending him across the universe, and used a homing beacon generator to bring him home. Unfortunately, Bumblebee was swallowed by a [[Rock Lord|rock-like alien]]. As the Autobots tried to figure out how to stop the creature without harming Bumblebee, Sari used the Key to upgrade herself into a more powerful mech. She defeated the monster, but overloaded and was unable to control her movements, seriously injuring Bumblebee. The Autobots were able to remove the Key, only to discover Sari kept going and the Key had been drained. Ratchet was forced to deactivate Sari with his EMP generator.

Returning to the plant, Optimus informed Isaac of Sari's condition, deciding that this family was done keeping secrets from each other. Unfortunately, Megatron arrived, commanding Omega Supreme. Optimus and the others led Megatron out of the city, where he and Prowl boarded Omega, removing Megatron's influence. Unfortunately, Starscream took over Omega Supreme, and decided to conquer Cybertron. Optimus latched aboard the departing vessel, and shoved the plasmadynamic thruster into Omega, sending him warping across the galaxy randomly, ending the threats of Megatron and Starscream for a while. {{storylink|TransWarped}}

After reprimanding Bumblebee for playing video games while on monitor duty, Optimus led the Autobots out on a search mission when they detected a Cybertronian energy signature. While Optimus was away, he received an emergency call from Bumblebee, revealing that Wasp was at the plant. By the time the Autobots returned, Wasp had switched places with Bumblebee. Unable to convince his teammates of the ruse, Bumblebee fled, and just as Optimus and his remaining Autobots gave chase, Sentinel Prime and Jazz cut them off. Sentinel was unwilling to listen to Optimus's claims that Wasp was innocent and Longarm Prime was the real traitor, and he took off for Wasp. Optimus had their group split up to try and find Wasp first, ordering Ratchet to come with him while Bulkhead and Prowl went to check another section of the city. While searching, Optimus and Ratchet discovered two Cybertronian fliers and assumed they were Decepticons. Only after fighting with the pair did they learn that [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] and [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] were Elite Guard members who had been upgraded with flight protocols duplicated from Starscream.

As Optimus, Ratchet, and Jazz watched Sentinel flail about on the wet roads, still ignoring pleas to warn Cybertron about Longarm, Optimus asked how Jazz was able to stand the obnoxious Prime, and was surprised to learn that the Elite Guard ninja ignored "only half" of what Sentinel said. When the jet twins reported to Sentinel that Bulkhead and Prowl were working with Wasp, Sentinel ordered all of Optimus's crew arrested, despite Optimus putting it as simply as possible: Wasp wasn't a double agent, so Bulkhead and Prowl couldn't be his fellow double agents. Once they reached the others, Optimus had to deal with Sentinel's insistence on arresting them all to let Ultra Magnus sort them out, despite Prowl and Bulkhead now believing that Wasp and Bumblebee had switched places. Overruling Sentinel's demands, Optimus had everyone return to the plant, as that's where Wasp had to be if 'Bee's story was true. By the time they returned, Wasp had read up on Bumblebee's files and so was able to relate a number of 'Bee's adventures to prove he was the real deal. When Bulkhead had Bumblebee and Wasp play ''[[Ninja Gladiator]]'' to see who the real one was, Prime had no better suggestion. Wasp choked and escaped, and Jazz finally realized that Optimus had been telling the truth about Longarm being a double agent. An oblivious Sentinel asked why they hadn't told him this in the first place, and Optimus sighed in exasperation. {{storylink|Where Is Thy Sting?}}

With the Elite Guard remaining on Earth, the Autobots began a search for the rest of Megatron's Decepticons. During one search, Optimus saw an unfamiliar shadow with a strange helmet. Following it, Optimus, Prowl, and Jazz discovered Sentinel Prime had captured [[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]] without making a sound. Despite his notorious ego, Sentinel refused to elaborate on the capture, and even bolted the clone's mouth shut when he started to talk. Returning to the Elite Guard ship, Optimus discovered that Sentinel had also captured Blitzwing and Swindle, as well, and was equally vague on the details. After helping Prowl investigate the mysterious helmeted figure, Optimus returned to the ship where he, Jazz, and Prowl were shocked to discover that Sentinel had captured Lugnut. Now convinced that Sentinel was lying to them, Optimus and the others eventually followed him to [[Tigatron Stadium]], where they discovered a stasis-cuffed Sentinel, the [[Ramjet (Animated)|Liar Starscream]], Lockdown (wearing the mysterious helmet), and that Sentinel had been having Lockdown capture the Decepticons in exchange for parts of the Elite Guard ship. After a battle, the clone was captured, but Lockdown escaped. Returning to the Elite Guard ship, the Autobots made contact with Cybertron, learning that Shockwave had attacked Ultra Magnus and stolen the [[Magnus Hammer]] in the process. Optimus decided not to inform Cybertron Command of Sentinel's misconduct, but instead gave Prowl all the credit for the captures. Sentinel expressed annoyance that he didn't get any credit for the captures, and Optimus told his former friend that when the smoke cleared, there would be a reckoning between the two Primes. {{storylink|Five Servos of Doom}}

[[Image:PredaconsRising-BASentinelOptimus.jpg|left|thumb|300px|I can totally see her vagina from here.]]

However, Sentinel remained on Earth, convinced that Wasp knew something about the attack on Ultra Magnus. Efforts to locate Wasp were hampered by Sentinel's refusal to recognize Optimus's authority on Earth, claiming he was the ''primer'' Prime. However, things came to a head when the Dinobot Swoop captured Wasp and took him to Dinobot Island. Realizing that Blackarachnia might be involved, Optimus tried to warn Sentinel about her, but he refused to listen, as usual. Reaching the island, Optimus found Blackarachnia draining Sentinel of his powers, and offered himself in Sentinel's place. Blackarachnia didn't care; as far as she was concerned, she had every right to slag them both for abandoning her. She also revealed that she had made Wasp into the technorganic Waspinator in the hopes that if she could change him back, she could change back into Elita-1. However, Waspinator heard this, and tried to attack Blackarachnia. Reaching critical mass, Blackarachnia wrapped herself and Waspinator into a cocoon to contain the transwarp explosion. The Autobots were barely able to avoid the blast radius, which appeared to destroy most of Dinobot Island. Optimus concluded that Blackarachnia sacrificed herself to save them, but Sentinel thought that she sacrificed Waspinator to escape. Although Sentinel did not press the issue, Optimus could see that he was deeply hurt by what he had experienced.

A short time later, the Elite Guard were preparing to leave, and Optimus Prime's crew were seeing them off. Optimus actually defended Sentinel when the twins poked fun at him, saying that for all his flaws, Sentinel was a good bot at spark. Sentinel later came out to talk to Optimus privately, and Optimus apologized, both for not telling Sentinel about Elita's survival, and for not letting Sentinel go back to try and rescue her. In turn, Sentinel apologized for coming up with the idea to go to the planet, but admitted that the time was past for apologies. Optimus ended the conversation on a lighter note, saying that Cybertron needed a leader, and for better or worse, Sentinel Prime was that leader. Sentinel agreed, and the two Primes finally appeared to bury the hatchet. {{storylink|Predacons Rising}}

Optimus Prime's mood soon soured as the [[Christmas]] season rolled in, and the latest must-have product from Porter C. Powell was advertised all over the city—the all-singing, all-dancing [[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave]]! After following a lone Soundwave and almost getting decapitated by a train, he decided he was obsessing over nothing and rejoined the other Autobots for some [[oilnog]]... not realizing it had been spiked by another Soundwave, forcing Optimus and the others into taking an early [[Stasis lock|stasis nap]].

[[Image:TFAni Human Error Part 1 Optimus Human.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Worst. Hangover. ''Ever!'']]

As Optimus woke up the next morning, he discovered, to his horror, that he and the others had inexplicably become human. Despite his hopes, Ratchet could find no rational explanation for their transformation. Deciding the best course of action was to head to Sumdac Tower, the Auto''men'' set off into the city. A quick stop at the Burger Bot turned to them fleeing from an attacking Decepticon armada, followed by Optimus and Prowl saving a woman and [[Gary|her son]] from a burning building, to (badly) fighting off an attacking Starscream and finally—perhaps worst of all—having to take public transportation to Sumdac Tower. However, no sooner had they arrived at their destination then they witnessed the tower blasted to ruins... by a Megatron-controlled Cybertron!

But just as the Autobots seemed on the brink of destruction, Optimus came to a realization—none of what they had experienced was real, but a virtual reality simulation! They took out the Decepticons together with superhuman feats, Optimus destroying Megatron himself with a well aimed axe into his cannon. As the dust settled and the Decepticons disappeared, they "imagined" themselves into their real forms once again. But as soon as they had made the transformation, a giant Soundwave scooped them up into the sky, blasting them all with energy.

In the real world, Optimus and his crew were all prisoners of the real Soundwave in the basement of the Autobot hideout, as part of the sonic warrior's plan to reprogram them into being Decepticons. As their captor started to accelerate the reprogramming, Optimus opened his eyes to reveal them glowing red... {{storylink|Human Error, Part I}}

[[Image:PrimeReadyToRock.jpg|thumb|left|200px| "I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!"]]

A wire from an attack Sari had made on Soundwave disrupted the connection, but after a failed escape attempt by Prowl, Soundwave reverted all the Autobots to their human forms and used his toy replica drones scattered around Detroit to begin hypnotising the human population.

Looking for a way to interface with Soundwave to escape and locating it in the form of his vehicle mode, Optimus gave the order to pursue the Decepticon utilizing the conveniently placed vehicles on which their own alternate modes were based. Unfortunately, Optimus didn't know how to drive extremely well. He still was able to pursue Soundwave, albeit with the fire hose out of control.

When Optimus and his group finally cornered Soundwave, it was revealed to be a trap: Hundreds of Soundwave's vehicle modes surrounded the Automen, and when the Autobots attempted to escape, their vehicles' seat belts wrapped around them as Soundwave began to reprogram them again.

Controlling the reprogrammed Autobots like puppets, Soundwave used them in a battle with Sari and the [[Substitute Autobot]]s, whom at first they soundly defeated. When Sari ordered the Substitute Autobots to attack all the Autobots at once, however, Soundwave began having trouble multitasking, until he decided to use just Optimus against them. Optimus soundly defeated the Substitute Autobots again and was about to kill Sari when the freed Prowl used his shuriken to blast Ratbat out of Soundwave's hands, liberating the rest of the Autobots. Optimus then grabbed Laserbeak, forced him into guitar mode, and engaged in a brief (''epic'') Battle of the Bands scenario before using Laserbeak to slice Soundwave and Ratbat in half, destroying the Decepticon's control over the citizens of Detroit. He and Sari then exchanged mutual new appreciation of each other's daily difficulties, Sari better understanding the stresses of command, Optimus now realizing the rigors of being human. {{storylink|Human Error, Part II}}

[[Image:TFAni Decepticon Air Swindle Optimus Hand.jpg|thumb||180px|right|"GIVE ME YOUR FACE!"]]
Optimus later congratulated Professor Sumdac and Bulkhead for completing a space bridge terminal in record time, and he was amazed when Sari single-handedly and expertly recalibrated the transwarp sequencers. However, he soon received a message from Sentinel Prime, who had accidentally freed several Decepticon prisoners on the Elite Guard ship, which decrypted to "Broken Lance", the coded distress call Sentinel used to use in their Academy days. Using the space bridge terminal to get to the ship, Optimus promptly emerged from Swindle's chest, having arrived in the pocket dimension which Swindle used to hold all his stock. Taking an elevator to the ship's energon storage chamber, Optimus slightly destabilized some energon cubes by perforating them with his axe, then put them in the elevator car and sliced the cables, so it exploded near the bottom just as the Decepticons pried open the doors. Slightly charred from the backblast, Optimus entered one of the service ducts and worked his way back to the brig area, grumbling as he did so.

Soon after, Prime freed his fellow Autobots and told Jazz to rewire the decontamination unit on the bridge as a freezing chamber to trap the Decepticons. At the same time, taking a cue from Sentinel's coded transmission, he made his Autobot symbol blink in [[Cybertronian optical code|Cybertronian Optical Code]] to tell Jazz that the decontamination chamber would be the only part of the bridge ''not'' to get frozen. After convincing the Elite Guard to surrender to the Decepticons (but not before using Sentinel as a slingshot against Lugnut), he endured Blitzwing locking them in the decontamination chamber and gloating all the while—until Blitzwing pressed the button and all the Decepticons on the bridge were frozen. Sentinel offered Optimus the Elite Guard spot that would be left when Sentinel became Magnus, but Prime declined, saying that he still had plenty to do on Earth. Optimus then returned to Earth on the Elite Guard's ship, and he and Sentinel traded salutes before they went their separate ways.
{{storylink|Decepticon Air}}

[[Image:EndGamePart1-Autobotscantfly.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Optimus cannot fly!! What is [[To sell toys|happening?]]]]
When Bulkhead detected Omega Supreme on the Moon, Ratchet tried to convince Optimus to use the [[Magnus Hammer]] against Megatron to rescue Omega and Arcee. Optimus felt unworthy due to his discharge from the [[Autobot Academy]] and ban from the Elite Guard, and instead requested that Ratchet build him a modification to [[#Wingblade|let him fly]]. As part of a counter to Ratchet's protest that "Autobots don't fly", Prowl volunteered his boosters to use as a basis for Optimus's mods. When Ratchet ran into trouble on the jetpack, Sari used her Allspark powers to find the problem, and Ratchet soon had an attachable winged jetpack for Optimus to test out. Optimus loved the new ability to fly, shouting "Yessssss!" as he slipped the surly bonds of Earth, but he was shot down by [[Slipstream (Animated)|Slipstream]]. With a jetpack that didn't even give him an advantage over a Starscream clone, and with Megatron's [[Lugnut Supreme]]s fast approaching, Optimus decided he no longer had a choice and picked up the Magnus Hammer, ready to stand up in this [[darkest hour]]. {{storylink|Endgame, Part I}}

Though hesitant about taking to the air given his previous performance, Optimus took to the skies with Prowl to drive the Lugnut Supremes away from Sumdac Tower while Ratchet, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Sari went to the Moon to sever Megatron's access to Omega Supreme. After a little trouble, Optimus was able to use the Magnus Hammer to cause a tornado that threw the clones to Dinobot Island, damaging one and rendering the other two unable to fly. However, they were still online and resumed their march to Sumdac Tower. Optimus instructed Prowl and Jazz to enter the clones and remove their AllSpark fragments while he himself fought Megatron. Unfortunately, when Omega was severed from the clones, it activated their hidden function as ''Starscream'' clones, complete with bombs capable of destroying everything within one hundred square miles. Omega returned in time to destroy one clone, and Prowl and Jazz used processor-over-matter to assemble stray AllSpark fragments and power a shield strong enough to contain the remaining clone. Meanwhile, Optimus and Megatron continued to duke it out, eventually being encased in the shield with the third clone. As the final clone's bomb began to detonate, a flash of light removed Optimus from the blast. He was found minutes later by the Autobots, and they were triumphant until they saw the price of victory: Prowl had merged his spark with the AllSpark fragments to save them all. As Optimus ran toward his fallen comrade, Megatron appeared and blasted the Autobot captain. Ratchet tossed the Magnus Hammer to Optimus, who beat the Decepticon leader down. Megatron goaded Optimus to finish it, but Optimus instead destroyed Megatron's fusion cannon, saying that killing him would be too easy. Instead, Optimus Prime and his crew, along with Sari and Omega Supreme, returned to Cybertron with Megatron, Shockwave, and Lugnut as prisoners, before cheering crowds (and a not-so-cheery Sentinel Prime) who hailed them as heroes. {{storylink|Endgame, Part II}}

===Toy bios===
Optimus Prime prefers to fight fairly and in the open. At the same time, he knows bad guys ''don't'', so he utilizes his "night mode" to sneak up on them without being seen. Good lesson, there. {{storylink|Optimus Prime (Animated)/toys#BumperBattlerNightwatch|Nightwatch Optimus Prime}} When the Autobots were preparing for an all-out assault on the Decepticons, Optimus ordered everyone to get their armor upgraded. Ratchet helped him install armor so strong that it can take fusion blasts with ease. {{storylink|Optimus Prime (Animated)/toys#ActivatorArmorUp|Armor Up Optimus Prime}}

===''Be the Hero'' books===
{{Note|As the following stories are [[multipath adventure]]s, details will vary depending on the path taken. See individual pages for information on alternate paths.}}
====''Prime Suspect''====
After saving a [[You|human child]] from being run over by an out-of-control truck, Optimus found that he was being pursued by [[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]] and a squad of police. Some investigation turned up the fact that he was accused of breaking into [[HomeTech]]'s laboratory, and they had him doing so on security tape. Rendezvousing at the laboratory, Prime got [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]] and the kid from earlier to go in and look for the footage. Though ultimately unsuccessful, a clue was found that led the Autobots to HomeTech's main warehouse. Within, Prime encountered the Decepticon who had framed him, [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]], and the two battled at length until the other Autobots helped him taken Blitzwing down. With the deception exposed, Prime was confident his name was cleared. {{storylink|Prime Suspect}}
====''Quest for the AllSpark''====
Optimus and [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] came up with a surefire plan when [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] took over [[Detroit]]'s robot workforce in an attempt to get his hands on the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]]. The Autobots made false AllSparks and went to hide them around the city. Prime was intercepted by the clearance 'bot [[Crush-A]], and called in the rest of the Autobots, ultimately defeating their foe. {{storylink|Quest for the AllSpark}}
====''Web of Deception''====
When the Autobots' ship on the bottom of [[Lake Erie]] was struck by [[Sparkseeker]] torpedoes, Optimus was knocked offline and abducted by [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]]. He found himself strapped to an explosive device alongside one of the giant spiders from [[Archa Seven]]. Fortunately Ratchet was able to track him down and rescue him before the bomb could be triggered. {{storylink|Web of Deception}}
====''Time-Quake''====
Optimus and the other Autobots scoured Detroit, searching for the source of some strange temporal anomalies that had begun plaguing the city. Eventually they were able to track down the time machine that was responsible for the disturbances, and Optimus led his team in apprehending the culprit. {{storylink|Time-Quake}}

===Titan Magazines===
[[Image:SPROK%21.JPG|left|200px|thumb|No Country for Old Toys.]]
Optimus was swiftly overpowered by Starscream and [[Starscream clone (Animated)|his army of clones]], as were all the Autobots. The Dinobots arrived to save the day in return for lodgings during a rainy spell, leaving Optimus to ask Ratchet desperately for the weather forecast ''every day'' (the forecast being rain, rain, rain...). {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 17#Dino-MIGHT!|Dino-MIGHT!}}

Later, Detroit was hit by severe earthquakes, and Optimus led the Autobots in a rescue operation, personally holding up a collapsing bridge all by himself. These earthquakes turned out to be the work of the supervillain [[Quake-Maker]]. Optimus fought him but was easily beaten up—but forget Optimus, because the ''awesome'' Elite Guard operative [[Afterburn]] arrived, swiftly taking control of the Autobots and taking the villain down. Optimus was left a bit upset that Afterburn was so much better than him. {{storylink|Animated Comic issue 1|Burnout}}

He was apparently so upset that he didn't bother turning up afterwards, letting Afterburn dominate things. Prime's big contribution was to give everyone the day off. {{storylink|Animated Comic issue 3|Crossroads!}}

Later on, he ran afoul of the angry and impressively moustached [[General Macadam]], who was throwing a fit over Swoop buzzing a [[United States Air Force|USAF jet]]. Optimus gave the Dinobot a grilling over this...realising too late that Swoop, having been booted from Dinobot Island, had come for a job. Later on, Prime was ''very'' amused when Macadam angrily asked for help stopping the hijacked [[Wraith-X]], and had Bumblebee bring in Swoop for it.

There was no time to celebrate, though, as ''Megatron'' assaulted their headquaters! {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 23|Divebomb}} It turned out Afterburn, whom Megatron slaughtered, was a Decepticon infiltrator—and a sparkless drone one, at that—and he'd given their location away! Optimus and the gang held off a full Decepticon assault. In the aftermath, Optimus tried to boost Bumblebee's spirits by telling him he'd been a true hero in fighting Megatron, and that Afterburn hadn't been a ''real'' Transformer, so his death was no biggie. It was quite dodgy how easily Optimus wrote the guy off, to be frank... {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 24|Megatron's Revenge}}

Optimus later went to watch a race at [[Crazy Coyote Canyon]] to find the "King of Speed", and he permitted Bulkhead to join in if he wanted. He probably regretted this when Bulkhead won and Prime had to carry him in a victor's lap... {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 25|The Race}}

{{-}}

===''The Cool'' comic===

To protect the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]], Optimus Prime lead his crew of Autobots to the [[Earth]] city of [[Detroit]]. The Decepticons [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]], [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] and [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] followed and attacked. Prime rescued [[Sari Sumdac]] from an explosion, protecting her with his body, then pitted himself against Starscream. {{storylink|The Cool issue 1|The Cool #1}}

Starscream succeeded in seizing the AllSpark, but Prime refused to let him keep it. Driving off a ramp and attacking him in the sky, Prime opened the AllSpark, dispersing its energy, killing himself in the process. Luckily, Sari's [[AllSpark Key|key]], was able to revive him. {{storylink|The Cool issue 2|The Cool #2}}

Prime then lead the Autobots in defense of [[Dinobot Island (Animated)|Dinobot Island]], but was unable to counter [[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave]]'s sonic attacks and [[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]]'s aerial bombardments. The [[Dinobot (Animated)|Dinobot]]s arrived and drove the villains off, but then attempted to drive the Autobots off, too! Prime and [[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]] sorted their issues out and parted on good terms. {{storylink|The Cool issue 3|The Cool #3}}

[[Image:TheCoolMegatronChokesPrime01.jpg|thumb|300px|right|]]

Back in Detroit, Prime was attacked by Blackarachnia, who demanded to know why he abandoned her to die years ago. Prime explained that he and [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel]] immediately formed a rescue party but could not locate her Freeing himself from her webbing, Prime vowed to help her restore her body no matter what. Their touching moment was interrupted by an attack from [[Blackout (Animated)|Blackout]], which buried Prime in rubble. By the time the other Autobots could free him, Blackarachnia had already retreated with the other Decepticons, asking never to be called "Elita-1" again. Prime screamed furiously at this. {{storylink|The Cool issue 4|The Cool #4}}

Optimus was present outside [[Sumdac Systems]] headquarters to greet the revived Megatron, who politely remembered Prime's name. Megatron made short work of Prime, slamming him to the ground by the throat and blasting away the Autobots with his [[fusion cannon]]. Refusing to give up, Prime drew his axe and clashed with Megatron's swords. Later, Prime survived the battle to greet [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Elite Guard]], who were demanding an explanation for why he and his crew had yet to return to Cybertron. {{storylink|The Cool issue 5|The Cool #5}}

Optimus Prime later joined Prowl in a battle against [[Clone number 2716057|Clone #2716057]]. Though Prowl defeated the clone, Optimus berated him for being "too flashy" about it; destroying an entire park in the process. Prime then escorted the clone to a warehouse where [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] was meeting with Megatron. Optimus demanded Megatron hand-over ''his'' clone, but sang a differen't tune after it was revealed that the clones were packed with explosives. Prowl managed to send the explosives flying into the sky, and Prime complimented him on his quick thinking. {{storylink|The Cool issue 6|The Cool #6}}

Some time after that, Prime managed to find the location of the near-complete Decepticon [[Space Bridge]] and launched a surprise attack. After kicking [[Mixmaster (Animated)|Mixmaster]] in the stomach, Prime once again clashed melee weapons with Megatron. The foes were forced to fight together, however, when Starscream arrived with his [[Starscream clone (Animated)|Clone Army]]. The pair fought well side-by-side until [[Slipstream (Animated)|Slipstream]] fired a shot at Megatron's head. The Decepticon leader blocked the shot by using Prime as a living shield, injuring the Autobot near-fatally. {{storylink|The Cool issue 7|The Cool #7}}

{{-}}

==Toys==
{{main|Optimus Prime (Animated)/toys}}

==Merchandise==
:''Main article: [[Optimus Prime (Animated)/toys#Merchandise]]''

==Notes==
*The twin cylinder-shaped protrusions connected to Optimus's small antennae are inspired by the head design of the [[Transformers (2007)|2007 movie]] rendition of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]], as opposed to the [[Optimus Prime (G1)|traditional]] single cylinder.
*Optimus Prime features design elements from two different incarnations of [[Optimus Primal]]. The "skin" color of his face (and to a lesser extent, the presence of a retractable faceplate) is taken from Primal's first [[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]] body, while the way his lips are drawn is inspired by Primal's [[Beast Machines (franchise)|Beast Machines]] body. [[Derrick J. Wyatt]] thought since Prime is more of an inexperienced leader, he wanted to infuse some elements from Primal's design, who had a similar role in his series. <ref>[http://community.livejournal.com/tf_animated/271043.html#cutid1 Derrick Wyatt Q&A at the tf_animated livejournal community]</ref>
*Optimus was killed off after only [[Transform and Roll Out|one episode]] (three if you want to get technical) ''and'' revived 1 minute and 15 seconds later. That's gotta be [[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|a new record]].
*At the end of "Transform and Roll Out", Prime's spark is contained in the same place ordinarily reserved for the [[Matrix (disambiguation)|Matrix]] in other continuities.
*Despite nominally being a fire truck, Prime's alt mode features a detachable cab that can mount a number of different trailers, such as [[Headmaster (episode)|a lookalike of Generation 1 Optimus's trailer]] and a [[The Elite Guard|dump truck]]. Presumably, this would make his alt mode not a fire truck, but a semi-truck ''outfitted'' as a fire truck. Score one for the old fans!
*Like his Generation 1 counterpart, this Optimus's trailer almost invariably disappears COMPLETELY when he transforms, assuming it's there to begin with. This even happens when it isn't his trailer, such as in "[[Garbage In, Garbage Out]]". Even Prime himself is just as confused as to where it goes, as evidenced by "[[Career Day]]". [[Subspace]] shunting? [[Unicron Singularity]]? Or...something more?
*Optimus Prime's bio on his Happy Meal toy at McDonald's says he is a '''FIRE TRUCK CAB'''.
*To date, none of Optimus' toys come with his trademark 'grappler launcher' weapons.
*According to the packaging call-outs for Cybertron Mode, DVD two-pack and Voyager Optimus Prime, his weapon is an "Ion-Axe" (or "Ion Axe"). However, on Roll Out Command Optimus Prime, Optimus's weapon is an "Ultra-Axe". The ''[[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac|AllSpark Almanac]]'' labels it a [[Solitarium]] weapon. The Japanese dub not only embraced the term "Ultra-Axe", but also added the "Ultra-" prefix to Prime's net (now the "Ultra-Net"), grappling hook (the "Ultra-Anchor"), and... jumping ability ("Ultra-Jump").
*[[TakaraTomy]] marketing director, [[Masahiko Yamazaki]], has claimed that the Japanese version of ''Transformers Animated'' takes place within the continuity of the [[Live-action film series|live-action film franchise]], thus making ''Animated'' Optimus Prime the same character as Movie [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]]. Some of Yamazaki's other statements regarding this have been contradicted (primarily regarding [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]]), so take with a grain of salt.
*A round of punny Japanese. During the "next episode" preview at the end of "[[Transform and Roll Out|A New Chapter! Transformers]]", Bumblebee complains that the name "Oputimasu Puraimu" (as the natives pronounce it) is too long and difficult to remember. His renaming suggestions include: "[[Convoy]]", "Oputi", "Opura", and "Pupu". Obviously, Optimus rejects all of them, saying that "Oputi" is more suited for a cute dog, "Opura" just sounds weird, and "Pupu", while cute, would be hard not to laugh at.

==External links==
* [http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/CybModeOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm Optimus Prime at TFU.info]

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Animated characters]]
[[Category:Autobots]]
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