MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

GoBots

2011-12-08T10:21:53Z

70.17.200.51: /* Influence on the Transformers brand */

{{disambig3|GoBots}}

[[Image:TonkaGoBotsLogo.jpg|250px|thumb|Note: not actually robots. Also, very occasionally [http://www.toyarchive.com/Gobots/Zod.html not actually vehicles].]]

In a dimension beyond the records of even the [[Transcendent Technomorph]]s two factions of metallic beings, one friendly and one evil, fight an ancient war on a ravaged technological world. After untold years of battle that war has spilled over onto Earth, where the combatants alter their bodies to take on disguises of land and air vehicles and continue their conflict among us!

Yet these seemingly mechanical beings are not [[Autobot]]s or [[Decepticon]]s. They're not even robots, but cyborgs: Guardians and Renegades from the shattered planet [[Gobotron]]. They are the '''GoBots'''.

{{note|Strange as it seems, these beings of metal and flesh may be their universe's counterparts to the Transformers as, according to an edition of [[Ask Vector Prime]] in ''[[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2]]'', their home planet Gobotron is the aspect of the omnipresent [[Primus]] for their very distant portion of the multiverse.}}

==Fiction==
[[Image:Witheredhopeinterrogated.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Bandai is ''very'' unhappy.]]

A [[Cataclysm (event)|Cataclysm]] began to threaten the very existence of the GoBots' universe. [[Doctor B]] discovered the [[Classics (2006)|source]] of the Cataclysm. With the devastation reaching a critical stage, the normally antagonistic Guardians and Renegades combined forces with Earth to send a [[GoBots (G1)|team]] out into the multiverse to locate the cause and, if possible, reverse the damage.

This team was held up in the city of [[Axiom Nexus]]. The GoBots were told that [[On the Edge of Extinction!|several events]] in [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|one particular]] [[universal stream]] caused a splintering. One of the newly-created universes was replacing the GoBots' home universe. Eventually, the team arrived at their original destination, Earth of the universe that was destroying their own home.

Soon after, a larger force of GoBots would follow. {{storylink|Withered Hope}}

[[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]] decided he'd rather try to get revenge on the universe responsible for the disaster, but it went tits up for him. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

{{stub}}
{{-}}

==Toyline==
The '''[[Tonka]]''' '''''GoBots''''' were the main competition for [[Hasbro]]'s ''Transformers'' in the 1980s. Notably, their launch actually preceded that of the ''Transformers'' own, although they ultimately proved not to have the same level of lasting popularity.

Premiering in [[1984]], Tonka's ''GoBots'' toys were mostly small, similar in size to ''Transformers''' [[Mini Vehicle|Mini Vehicles]], although they were generally more complex than similarly-sized Transformers. After the line's initial success, a series of larger ''Super GoBots'' toys was also released, featuring both new characters and larger versions of some pre-existing toys. Tonka also released a number of supporting toys such as spaceships, bases, the monster "Zod", and later a set of combining "Power Suits" which ''GoBots'' figures could be placed into.

In [[1991]], [[Hasbro]] bought Tonka and its subsidiaries (including [[Kenner]]), and at that time acquired all of Tonka's intellectual property, including jurisdiction over GoBots-related names and trademarks. The rights relating to the toys that made up the GoBots line, however, are still owned by Bandai, who had merely licensed them to Tonka for ''GoBots''.

===Pre-GoBots===
''GoBots'' got its start as a Japanese toyline called ''Machine Robo'', which was created by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-competitor [[Bandai]]'s spinoff company '''Popy''', shortly before Popy was re-absorbed into Bandai proper. ''Machine Robo'' toys were initially marketed in the United States under the name ''Machine Men'' by Bandai themselves, but the line didn't see widespread success until Tonka adapted the toyline into ''GoBots'' and created a new animated series for the brand, as well as an array of supporting merchandise such as coloring books, stickers, and even an official GoBots magazine.

{{note|For Transformers fans, this situation is similar to how some [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1 Transformer]] molds were released by Takara in the [[Diakron]] toyline before their partnership with [[Hasbro]] began.}}

===International===
Besides distributing them in the United States as ''Machine Men'', Bandai also sold the ''Machine Robo'' toys in other non-Asian countries before their partnership with Tonka began. Bandai appeared to retain the international marketing rights to the series following the change to ''GoBots'', and so adapted their international toylines when the line was rebranded.

In [[Europe]], where the toyline began as ''Robo Machine'', the packaging changed over a period of time to reflect Tonka's developments, eventually touting itself as ''Challenge of the GoBots: a Robo Machine product''. In [[Australia]], however, the toyline began with the ''Machine Men'' title, which it evidently retained even after the rebranding in the United States.

==Cartoon==
[[Image:ShootingStarGoBotsAd.jpg|left|200px|thumb|This was printed in an issue of [[Shooting Star!|the Marvel ''Transformers'' comic]]. Proving the old adage that, if you can't '''beat''' 'em — subvert their publications to your own ends!]]

The cartoon, called ''Challenge of the GoBots'', was produced in the United States by Hanna-Barbera (and [[Wang Film Productions]] in Taiwan). It aired in some markets outside the US (such as Australia) with the title ''Challenge of the Machine Men''.

The cartoon focused on the interstellar struggle between the friendly [[Guardian (GoBots)|Guardian]] GoBots, led by [[Leader-1 (GoBots)|Leader-1]], and their enemies, the [[Renegade]] GoBots, commanded by [[Cy-Kill (GoBots)|Cy-Kill]].

In addition to the leaders, the main GoBot cast included Turbo (a rough-and-tumble Guardian), [[Scooter (GoBots)|Scooter]] (a cowardly young Guardian), [[Crasher (G1)|Crasher]] (a cackling Renegade madwoman), and Cop-Tur (a dumb, thuggish Renegade). The series was rounded out with human allies and enemies, along with various GoBot guest stars and other aliens.

Despite the tagline "Mighty Robots, Mighty Vehicles" the background material for the cartoon established (most notably in the episode ''Sentinel'' and the multi-part ''GoBotron Saga'') that the GoBots are not true robots, but rather alien ''cyborgs''. The GoBots began as a race of alien humans, who, after a great catastrophe, had to put their brains into "GoBot forms" to survive.

The GoBots appeared in one theatrically released film, ''Challenge Of The GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords'', where they met the Rock Lords, voiced by television and movie icons such as Margot Kidder, Roddy Mcdowell, and Telly Savalas. Rock Lords was a short-lived spinoff toy line Tonka was launching involving alien humanoids that transformed into different sorts of rocks. (Yes, rocks. No, they must not have seen ''[[wikipedia:It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown|It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown]]''.)

[[Image:SentinelCrasherBrain.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Crasher's organic brain, from the episode "Sentinel". You can tell she's a girl by the large nagging and shoe shopping regions.]]

In [[France]], both the American ''GoBots'' cartoon and the Japanese ''Machine Robo: The Revenge of Chronos'' series were aired. The latter was renamed ''Revenge of the GoBots'' and was dubbed as a sequel to the American series. The show took place in the future, and the voice actors from the French dub of ''Challenge of the GoBots'' returned to voice their roles (or as many equivalents as were applicable) in ''Revenge of the GoBots''.

This makes France the only country to combine the American and Japanese GoBots shows into one story. We salute them.

{{-}}

==Influence on the ''Transformers'' brand==
{{bigquote|This is a universe of nigh-infinite possibilities, so perhaps...|[[Unicron]] reflects on the possibility of GoBots in Transformers|[[The End|TF Armada #18]] (letters page)}}

Though the Tonka toyline was idle for many years, following Hasbro's acquisition of Tonka, Kenner and the ''GoBots'' intellectual property, the GoBots universe has slowly but steadily bled into mainstream Transformers in a wide variety of ways:

* Hasbro first put the newly acquired [[trademark]] to use on the ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Color Changer]] figure [[Gobots (G2)|Gobots]] in 1993, then again (albeit in hyphenated form) on a ''Generation 2'' subline titled [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bots]] in 1995.

* The ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Mini-Con]] [[Leader-1 (Armada)|Leader-1]], who was under the control of [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] and shares his name with the [[Leader-1 (GoBots)|leader of the heroic Guardian GoBots]].

* At one point, [[Unicron]]'s Mini-Con [[Dead End (Armada)|Dead End]] was going to be called "Gobotron", in reference to the home planet of the GoBots. The idea, however, was ultimately discarded.

* Unexpectedly, the first direct usage of the GoBots characters in Transformers came not from [[Hasbro]], but [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]. As part of their [[e-Hobby]] line of collector toys, six [[Redeco|redecoed]] [[Mini Vehicle|Mini Vehicles]] were released as the "Dimensional Exploration/Experimentation Team [[G1 GoBots]]". The included [[bio]] alludes to concepts and technology from Tonka ''GoBots'' fiction, with the toys themselves representing various GoBot characters. (The [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] redeco was even drawn on the bio card as a blatantly female mechanoid, the female GoBot [[Small Foot]].) However, the individual character names given in online solicitations were dropped just prior to release, which made their official status somewhat blurry.

* Several GoBots appear in the background in a number of [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] Transformers comics as visual jokes.

* In the ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers: The Art of War]]'' [[The Art of War issue 5|issue 5]], [[Cobra Commander]] refers to the Autobots as "glorified GoBots".

* [[BotCon 2007]] followed up on the earlier e-Hobby use of the GoBots and continued the story begun there, specifically naming the white [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] [[redeco]] "[[Bug Bite (G1)|Bugbite]]", thus solidifying the connection that was always implied. ''That'' storyline was then followed up in the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] online-exclusive text story "[[Withered Hope]]", which firmly cemented the G1 GoBots as their GoBot-universe counterparts and further elaborated upon the scenario presented in the [[Games of Deception|BotCon 2007 comic]].

* In [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]'', [[Cy-Kill (G1)|Cy-Kill]] is Megatron's first opponent in the [[Forge]]. He gets a cover appearance and dialogue before being defeated and killed. Further, a robot that is clearly his fellow Renegade [[Crasher (G1)|Crasher]] is part of [[Clench (G1)|Clench]]'s inner circle/gladiatorial team, and later fights alongside Megatron.

* In IDW's ''[[The Ascending issue 2|Beast Wars: The Ascending]]'', the GoBot monster Pincher is shown as a murdered [[Angolmois]] junkie.

* In the ''[[Shattered Glass (fiction)|Shattered Glass]]'' alternate universe, Renegade GoBot Fitor and Guardian GoBot Leader-1 (the latter in Cy-Kill's color scheme) are among the evil Autobot forces. What looks like Cy-Kill's claw is seen amongst the cheering throngs joining the evil Autobots too. Heroic Renegade [[Crasher (SG)|Crasher]] is described as [[Blurr (SG)|Blurr]]'s cousin in Blurr's tech spec, and even appears (with earthquake-like powers) in "[[Dungeons & Dinobots]]".

* The [[Transformers (2007)|movie toyline]] Wal-Mart [[exclusive]] figure [[Fracture (Movie)|Fracture]] is a very clear [[homage]] to Crasher in appearance, powers, and personality profile. According to the [[Hasbro]]'s designer panel at [[BotCon 2008]], Fracture ''is'' Crasher. She would have even been named "Crasher," had it been available as a trademark.

* In "[[Transcendent: Part 5]]", the two [[Axiom Nexus]] guards who die at Alpha Trion's hands are designed after Cy-Kill and Scooter. (The fan reaction to [[Cy-Kill (TransTech)|Cy-Kill]] and [[Scooter (TransTech)|Scooter]]'s deaths resulted in [[Pete Sinclair]] stating that this would be the [[Transcendent:_Part_5#References|last GoBot death scene in Fan Club works]].)

*The canceled movie toyline [[Target]] exclusive figure [[Backtrack (Movie)|Backtrack]] was designed as an homage to the Guardian Night Ranger, and even sported Night Ranger's "MR 37" designation number on his license plate.

* [[Dion|Elite Guard Dion]]'s [[Micromaster]] partner is [[Cop-Tur (Timelines)|Cop-Tur]].

* ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (franchise)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Deadlift]] is an homage to Spoons, bearing Spoons' "MR-34" designation number.

==External links==
*[http://counter-x.net/gobots/index.html Counter-X GoBots coverage]
*[http://www.tfu.info/Gobots/index.htm TFU.info GoBots coverage]

[[Category:External properties]]
[[Category:Franchises]]
[[Category:Non-Transformers toylines]]

GoBots

2011-12-08T10:17:42Z

70.17.200.51: /* Influence on the Transformers brand */

{{disambig3|GoBots}}

[[Image:TonkaGoBotsLogo.jpg|250px|thumb|Note: not actually robots. Also, very occasionally [http://www.toyarchive.com/Gobots/Zod.html not actually vehicles].]]

In a dimension beyond the records of even the [[Transcendent Technomorph]]s two factions of metallic beings, one friendly and one evil, fight an ancient war on a ravaged technological world. After untold years of battle that war has spilled over onto Earth, where the combatants alter their bodies to take on disguises of land and air vehicles and continue their conflict among us!

Yet these seemingly mechanical beings are not [[Autobot]]s or [[Decepticon]]s. They're not even robots, but cyborgs: Guardians and Renegades from the shattered planet [[Gobotron]]. They are the '''GoBots'''.

{{note|Strange as it seems, these beings of metal and flesh may be their universe's counterparts to the Transformers as, according to an edition of [[Ask Vector Prime]] in ''[[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2]]'', their home planet Gobotron is the aspect of the omnipresent [[Primus]] for their very distant portion of the multiverse.}}

==Fiction==
[[Image:Witheredhopeinterrogated.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Bandai is ''very'' unhappy.]]

A [[Cataclysm (event)|Cataclysm]] began to threaten the very existence of the GoBots' universe. [[Doctor B]] discovered the [[Classics (2006)|source]] of the Cataclysm. With the devastation reaching a critical stage, the normally antagonistic Guardians and Renegades combined forces with Earth to send a [[GoBots (G1)|team]] out into the multiverse to locate the cause and, if possible, reverse the damage.

This team was held up in the city of [[Axiom Nexus]]. The GoBots were told that [[On the Edge of Extinction!|several events]] in [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|one particular]] [[universal stream]] caused a splintering. One of the newly-created universes was replacing the GoBots' home universe. Eventually, the team arrived at their original destination, Earth of the universe that was destroying their own home.

Soon after, a larger force of GoBots would follow. {{storylink|Withered Hope}}

[[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]] decided he'd rather try to get revenge on the universe responsible for the disaster, but it went tits up for him. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

{{stub}}
{{-}}

==Toyline==
The '''[[Tonka]]''' '''''GoBots''''' were the main competition for [[Hasbro]]'s ''Transformers'' in the 1980s. Notably, their launch actually preceded that of the ''Transformers'' own, although they ultimately proved not to have the same level of lasting popularity.

Premiering in [[1984]], Tonka's ''GoBots'' toys were mostly small, similar in size to ''Transformers''' [[Mini Vehicle|Mini Vehicles]], although they were generally more complex than similarly-sized Transformers. After the line's initial success, a series of larger ''Super GoBots'' toys was also released, featuring both new characters and larger versions of some pre-existing toys. Tonka also released a number of supporting toys such as spaceships, bases, the monster "Zod", and later a set of combining "Power Suits" which ''GoBots'' figures could be placed into.

In [[1991]], [[Hasbro]] bought Tonka and its subsidiaries (including [[Kenner]]), and at that time acquired all of Tonka's intellectual property, including jurisdiction over GoBots-related names and trademarks. The rights relating to the toys that made up the GoBots line, however, are still owned by Bandai, who had merely licensed them to Tonka for ''GoBots''.

===Pre-GoBots===
''GoBots'' got its start as a Japanese toyline called ''Machine Robo'', which was created by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-competitor [[Bandai]]'s spinoff company '''Popy''', shortly before Popy was re-absorbed into Bandai proper. ''Machine Robo'' toys were initially marketed in the United States under the name ''Machine Men'' by Bandai themselves, but the line didn't see widespread success until Tonka adapted the toyline into ''GoBots'' and created a new animated series for the brand, as well as an array of supporting merchandise such as coloring books, stickers, and even an official GoBots magazine.

{{note|For Transformers fans, this situation is similar to how some [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1 Transformer]] molds were released by Takara in the [[Diakron]] toyline before their partnership with [[Hasbro]] began.}}

===International===
Besides distributing them in the United States as ''Machine Men'', Bandai also sold the ''Machine Robo'' toys in other non-Asian countries before their partnership with Tonka began. Bandai appeared to retain the international marketing rights to the series following the change to ''GoBots'', and so adapted their international toylines when the line was rebranded.

In [[Europe]], where the toyline began as ''Robo Machine'', the packaging changed over a period of time to reflect Tonka's developments, eventually touting itself as ''Challenge of the GoBots: a Robo Machine product''. In [[Australia]], however, the toyline began with the ''Machine Men'' title, which it evidently retained even after the rebranding in the United States.

==Cartoon==
[[Image:ShootingStarGoBotsAd.jpg|left|200px|thumb|This was printed in an issue of [[Shooting Star!|the Marvel ''Transformers'' comic]]. Proving the old adage that, if you can't '''beat''' 'em — subvert their publications to your own ends!]]

The cartoon, called ''Challenge of the GoBots'', was produced in the United States by Hanna-Barbera (and [[Wang Film Productions]] in Taiwan). It aired in some markets outside the US (such as Australia) with the title ''Challenge of the Machine Men''.

The cartoon focused on the interstellar struggle between the friendly [[Guardian (GoBots)|Guardian]] GoBots, led by [[Leader-1 (GoBots)|Leader-1]], and their enemies, the [[Renegade]] GoBots, commanded by [[Cy-Kill (GoBots)|Cy-Kill]].

In addition to the leaders, the main GoBot cast included Turbo (a rough-and-tumble Guardian), [[Scooter (GoBots)|Scooter]] (a cowardly young Guardian), [[Crasher (G1)|Crasher]] (a cackling Renegade madwoman), and Cop-Tur (a dumb, thuggish Renegade). The series was rounded out with human allies and enemies, along with various GoBot guest stars and other aliens.

Despite the tagline "Mighty Robots, Mighty Vehicles" the background material for the cartoon established (most notably in the episode ''Sentinel'' and the multi-part ''GoBotron Saga'') that the GoBots are not true robots, but rather alien ''cyborgs''. The GoBots began as a race of alien humans, who, after a great catastrophe, had to put their brains into "GoBot forms" to survive.

The GoBots appeared in one theatrically released film, ''Challenge Of The GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords'', where they met the Rock Lords, voiced by television and movie icons such as Margot Kidder, Roddy Mcdowell, and Telly Savalas. Rock Lords was a short-lived spinoff toy line Tonka was launching involving alien humanoids that transformed into different sorts of rocks. (Yes, rocks. No, they must not have seen ''[[wikipedia:It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown|It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown]]''.)

[[Image:SentinelCrasherBrain.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Crasher's organic brain, from the episode "Sentinel". You can tell she's a girl by the large nagging and shoe shopping regions.]]

In [[France]], both the American ''GoBots'' cartoon and the Japanese ''Machine Robo: The Revenge of Chronos'' series were aired. The latter was renamed ''Revenge of the GoBots'' and was dubbed as a sequel to the American series. The show took place in the future, and the voice actors from the French dub of ''Challenge of the GoBots'' returned to voice their roles (or as many equivalents as were applicable) in ''Revenge of the GoBots''.

This makes France the only country to combine the American and Japanese GoBots shows into one story. We salute them.

{{-}}

==Influence on the ''Transformers'' brand==
{{bigquote|This is a universe of nigh-infinite possibilities, so perhaps...|[[Unicron]] reflects on the possibility of GoBots in Transformers|[[The End|TF Armada #18]] (letters page)}}

Though the Tonka toyline was idle for many years, following Hasbro's acquisition of Tonka, Kenner and the ''GoBots'' intellectual property, the GoBots universe has slowly but steadily bled into mainstream Transformers in a wide variety of ways:

* Hasbro first put the newly acquired [[trademark]] to use on the ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Color Changer]] figure [[Gobots (G2)|Gobots]] in 1993, then again (albeit in hyphenated form) on a ''Generation 2'' subline titled [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bots]] in 1995.

* The ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Mini-Con]] [[Leader-1 (Armada)|Leader-1]], who was under the control of [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] and shares his name with the [[Leader-1 (GoBots)|leader of the heroic Guardian GoBots]].

* At one point, [[Unicron]]'s Mini-Con [[Dead End (Armada)|Dead End]] was going to be called "Gobotron", in reference to the home planet of the GoBots. The idea, however, was ultimately discarded.

* Unexpectedly, the first direct usage of the GoBots characters in Transformers came not from [[Hasbro]], but [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]. As part of their [[e-Hobby]] line of collector toys, six [[Redeco|redecoed]] [[Mini Vehicle|Mini Vehicles]] were released as the "Dimensional Exploration/Experimentation Team [[G1 GoBots]]". The included [[bio]] alludes to concepts and technology from Tonka ''GoBots'' fiction, with the toys themselves representing various GoBot characters. (The [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] redeco was even drawn on the bio card as a blatantly female mechanoid, the female GoBot [[Small Foot]].) However, the individual character names given in online solicitations were dropped just prior to release, which made their official status somewhat blurry.

* Several GoBots appear in the background in a number of [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] Transformers comics as visual jokes.

* In the ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers: The Art of War]]'' [[The Art of War issue 5|issue 5]], [[Cobra Commander]] refers to the Autobots as "glorified GoBots".

* [[BotCon 2007]] followed up on the earlier e-Hobby use of the GoBots and continued the story begun there, specifically naming the white [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] [[redeco]] "[[Bug Bite (G1)|Bugbite]]", thus solidifying the connection that was always implied. ''That'' storyline was then followed up in the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] online-exclusive text story "[[Withered Hope]]", which firmly cemented the G1 GoBots as their GoBot-universe counterparts and further elaborated upon the scenario presented in the [[Games of Deception|BotCon 2007 comic]].

* In [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]'', [[Cy-Kill (G1)|Cy-Kill]] is Megatron's first opponent in the [[Forge]]. He gets a cover appearance and dialogue before being defeated and killed. Further, a robot that is clearly his fellow Renegade [[Crasher (G1)|Crasher]] is part of [[Clench (G1)|Clench]]'s inner circle/gladiatorial team, and later fights alongside Megatron.

* In IDW's ''[[The Ascending issue 2|Beast Wars: The Ascending]]'', the GoBot monster Pincher is shown as a murdered [[Angolmois]] junkie.

* In the ''[[Shattered Glass (fiction)|Shattered Glass]]'' alternate universe, Renegade GoBot Fitor and Guardian GoBot Leader-1 (the latter in Cy-Kill's color scheme) are among the evil Autobot forces. What looks like Cy-Kill's claw is seen amongst the cheering throngs joining the evil Autobots too. Heroic Renegade [[Crasher (SG)|Crasher]] is described as [[Blurr (SG)|Blurr]]'s cousin in Blurr's tech spec, and even appears (with earthquake-like powers) in "[[Dungeons & Dinobots]]".

* The [[Transformers (2007)|movie toyline]] Wal-Mart [[exclusive]] figure [[Fracture (Movie)|Fracture]] is a very clear [[homage]] to Crasher in appearance, powers, and personality profile. According to the [[Hasbro]]'s designer panel at [[BotCon 2008]], Fracture ''is'' Crasher. She would have even been named "Crasher," had it been available as a trademark.

* In "[[Transcendent: Part 5]]", the two [[Axiom Nexus]] guards who die at Alpha Trion's hands are designed after Cy-Kill and Scooter. The fan reaction to [[Cy-Kill (TransTech)|Cy-Kill]] and [[Scooter (TransTech)|Scooter]]'s deaths resulted in [[Pete Sinclair]] stating that this would be the last GoBot death scene in Fan Club works.<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=53396&view=findpost&p=1078308 Pete Sinclair declares a moratorium on the killing of GoBots in a post on The Allspark.]</ref>

*The canceled movie toyline [[Target]] exclusive figure [[Backtrack (Movie)|Backtrack]] was designed as an homage to the Guardian Night Ranger, and even sported Night Ranger's "MR 37" designation number on his license plate.

* [[Dion|Elite Guard Dion]]'s [[Micromaster]] partner is [[Cop-Tur (Timelines)|Cop-Tur]].

* ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (franchise)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Deadlift]] is an homage to Spoons, bearing Spoons' "MR-34" designation number.

==External links==
*[http://counter-x.net/gobots/index.html Counter-X GoBots coverage]
*[http://www.tfu.info/Gobots/index.htm TFU.info GoBots coverage]

[[Category:External properties]]
[[Category:Franchises]]
[[Category:Non-Transformers toylines]]

GoBots

2011-12-08T10:15:19Z

70.17.200.51: /* Influence on the Transformers brand */

{{disambig3|GoBots}}

[[Image:TonkaGoBotsLogo.jpg|250px|thumb|Note: not actually robots. Also, very occasionally [http://www.toyarchive.com/Gobots/Zod.html not actually vehicles].]]

In a dimension beyond the records of even the [[Transcendent Technomorph]]s two factions of metallic beings, one friendly and one evil, fight an ancient war on a ravaged technological world. After untold years of battle that war has spilled over onto Earth, where the combatants alter their bodies to take on disguises of land and air vehicles and continue their conflict among us!

Yet these seemingly mechanical beings are not [[Autobot]]s or [[Decepticon]]s. They're not even robots, but cyborgs: Guardians and Renegades from the shattered planet [[Gobotron]]. They are the '''GoBots'''.

{{note|Strange as it seems, these beings of metal and flesh may be their universe's counterparts to the Transformers as, according to an edition of [[Ask Vector Prime]] in ''[[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2]]'', their home planet Gobotron is the aspect of the omnipresent [[Primus]] for their very distant portion of the multiverse.}}

==Fiction==
[[Image:Witheredhopeinterrogated.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Bandai is ''very'' unhappy.]]

A [[Cataclysm (event)|Cataclysm]] began to threaten the very existence of the GoBots' universe. [[Doctor B]] discovered the [[Classics (2006)|source]] of the Cataclysm. With the devastation reaching a critical stage, the normally antagonistic Guardians and Renegades combined forces with Earth to send a [[GoBots (G1)|team]] out into the multiverse to locate the cause and, if possible, reverse the damage.

This team was held up in the city of [[Axiom Nexus]]. The GoBots were told that [[On the Edge of Extinction!|several events]] in [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|one particular]] [[universal stream]] caused a splintering. One of the newly-created universes was replacing the GoBots' home universe. Eventually, the team arrived at their original destination, Earth of the universe that was destroying their own home.

Soon after, a larger force of GoBots would follow. {{storylink|Withered Hope}}

[[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]] decided he'd rather try to get revenge on the universe responsible for the disaster, but it went tits up for him. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

{{stub}}
{{-}}

==Toyline==
The '''[[Tonka]]''' '''''GoBots''''' were the main competition for [[Hasbro]]'s ''Transformers'' in the 1980s. Notably, their launch actually preceded that of the ''Transformers'' own, although they ultimately proved not to have the same level of lasting popularity.

Premiering in [[1984]], Tonka's ''GoBots'' toys were mostly small, similar in size to ''Transformers''' [[Mini Vehicle|Mini Vehicles]], although they were generally more complex than similarly-sized Transformers. After the line's initial success, a series of larger ''Super GoBots'' toys was also released, featuring both new characters and larger versions of some pre-existing toys. Tonka also released a number of supporting toys such as spaceships, bases, the monster "Zod", and later a set of combining "Power Suits" which ''GoBots'' figures could be placed into.

In [[1991]], [[Hasbro]] bought Tonka and its subsidiaries (including [[Kenner]]), and at that time acquired all of Tonka's intellectual property, including jurisdiction over GoBots-related names and trademarks. The rights relating to the toys that made up the GoBots line, however, are still owned by Bandai, who had merely licensed them to Tonka for ''GoBots''.

===Pre-GoBots===
''GoBots'' got its start as a Japanese toyline called ''Machine Robo'', which was created by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-competitor [[Bandai]]'s spinoff company '''Popy''', shortly before Popy was re-absorbed into Bandai proper. ''Machine Robo'' toys were initially marketed in the United States under the name ''Machine Men'' by Bandai themselves, but the line didn't see widespread success until Tonka adapted the toyline into ''GoBots'' and created a new animated series for the brand, as well as an array of supporting merchandise such as coloring books, stickers, and even an official GoBots magazine.

{{note|For Transformers fans, this situation is similar to how some [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1 Transformer]] molds were released by Takara in the [[Diakron]] toyline before their partnership with [[Hasbro]] began.}}

===International===
Besides distributing them in the United States as ''Machine Men'', Bandai also sold the ''Machine Robo'' toys in other non-Asian countries before their partnership with Tonka began. Bandai appeared to retain the international marketing rights to the series following the change to ''GoBots'', and so adapted their international toylines when the line was rebranded.

In [[Europe]], where the toyline began as ''Robo Machine'', the packaging changed over a period of time to reflect Tonka's developments, eventually touting itself as ''Challenge of the GoBots: a Robo Machine product''. In [[Australia]], however, the toyline began with the ''Machine Men'' title, which it evidently retained even after the rebranding in the United States.

==Cartoon==
[[Image:ShootingStarGoBotsAd.jpg|left|200px|thumb|This was printed in an issue of [[Shooting Star!|the Marvel ''Transformers'' comic]]. Proving the old adage that, if you can't '''beat''' 'em — subvert their publications to your own ends!]]

The cartoon, called ''Challenge of the GoBots'', was produced in the United States by Hanna-Barbera (and [[Wang Film Productions]] in Taiwan). It aired in some markets outside the US (such as Australia) with the title ''Challenge of the Machine Men''.

The cartoon focused on the interstellar struggle between the friendly [[Guardian (GoBots)|Guardian]] GoBots, led by [[Leader-1 (GoBots)|Leader-1]], and their enemies, the [[Renegade]] GoBots, commanded by [[Cy-Kill (GoBots)|Cy-Kill]].

In addition to the leaders, the main GoBot cast included Turbo (a rough-and-tumble Guardian), [[Scooter (GoBots)|Scooter]] (a cowardly young Guardian), [[Crasher (G1)|Crasher]] (a cackling Renegade madwoman), and Cop-Tur (a dumb, thuggish Renegade). The series was rounded out with human allies and enemies, along with various GoBot guest stars and other aliens.

Despite the tagline "Mighty Robots, Mighty Vehicles" the background material for the cartoon established (most notably in the episode ''Sentinel'' and the multi-part ''GoBotron Saga'') that the GoBots are not true robots, but rather alien ''cyborgs''. The GoBots began as a race of alien humans, who, after a great catastrophe, had to put their brains into "GoBot forms" to survive.

The GoBots appeared in one theatrically released film, ''Challenge Of The GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords'', where they met the Rock Lords, voiced by television and movie icons such as Margot Kidder, Roddy Mcdowell, and Telly Savalas. Rock Lords was a short-lived spinoff toy line Tonka was launching involving alien humanoids that transformed into different sorts of rocks. (Yes, rocks. No, they must not have seen ''[[wikipedia:It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown|It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown]]''.)

[[Image:SentinelCrasherBrain.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Crasher's organic brain, from the episode "Sentinel". You can tell she's a girl by the large nagging and shoe shopping regions.]]

In [[France]], both the American ''GoBots'' cartoon and the Japanese ''Machine Robo: The Revenge of Chronos'' series were aired. The latter was renamed ''Revenge of the GoBots'' and was dubbed as a sequel to the American series. The show took place in the future, and the voice actors from the French dub of ''Challenge of the GoBots'' returned to voice their roles (or as many equivalents as were applicable) in ''Revenge of the GoBots''.

This makes France the only country to combine the American and Japanese GoBots shows into one story. We salute them.

{{-}}

==Influence on the ''Transformers'' brand==
{{bigquote|This is a universe of nigh-infinite possibilities, so perhaps...|[[Unicron]] reflects on the possibility of GoBots in Transformers|[[The End|TF Armada #18]] (letters page)}}

Though the Tonka toyline was idle for many years, following Hasbro's acquisition of Tonka, Kenner and the ''GoBots'' intellectual property, the GoBots universe has slowly but steadily bled into mainstream Transformers in a wide variety of ways:

* Hasbro first put the newly acquired [[trademark]] to use on the ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Color Changer]] figure [[Gobots (G2)|Gobots]] in 1993, then again (albeit in hyphenated form) on a ''Generation 2'' subline titled [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bots]] in 1995.

* The ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Mini-Con]] [[Leader-1 (Armada)|Leader-1]], who was under the control of [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] and shares his name with the [[Leader-1 (GoBots)|leader of the heroic Guardian GoBots]].

* At one point, [[Unicron]]'s Mini-Con [[Dead End (Armada)|Dead End]] was going to be called "Gobotron", in reference to the home planet of the GoBots. The idea, however, was ultimately discarded.

* Unexpectedly, the first direct usage of the GoBots characters in Transformers came not from [[Hasbro]], but [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]. As part of their [[e-Hobby]] line of collector toys, six [[Redeco|redecoed]] [[Mini Vehicle|Mini Vehicles]] were released as the "Dimensional Exploration/Experimentation Team [[G1 GoBots]]". The included [[bio]] alludes to concepts and technology from Tonka ''GoBots'' fiction, with the toys themselves representing various GoBot characters. (The [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] redeco was even drawn on the bio card as a blatantly female mechanoid, the female GoBot [[Small Foot]].) However, the individual character names given in online solicitations were dropped just prior to release, which made their official status somewhat blurry.

* Several GoBots appear in the background in a number of [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] Transformers comics as visual jokes.

* In the ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers: The Art of War]]'' [[The Art of War issue 5|issue 5]], [[Cobra Commander]] refers to the Autobots as "glorified GoBots".

* [[BotCon 2007]] followed up on the earlier e-Hobby use of the GoBots and continued the story begun there, specifically naming the white [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] [[redeco]] "[[Bug Bite (G1)|Bugbite]]", thus solidifying the connection that was always implied. ''That'' storyline was then followed up in the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] online-exclusive text story "[[Withered Hope]]", which firmly cemented the G1 GoBots as their GoBot-universe counterparts and further elaborated upon the scenario presented in the [[Games of Deception|BotCon 2007 comic]].

* In [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]'', [[Cy-Kill (G1)|Cy-Kill]] is Megatron's first opponent in the [[Forge]]. He gets a cover appearance and dialogue before being defeated and killed. Further, a robot that is clearly his fellow Renegade [[Crasher (G1)|Crasher]] is part of [[Clench (G1)|Clench]]'s inner circle/gladiatorial team, and later fights alongside Megatron.

* In IDW's ''[[The Ascending issue 2|Beast Wars: The Ascending]]'', the GoBot monster Pincher is shown as a murdered [[Angolmois]] junkie.

* In the ''[[Shattered Glass (fiction)|Shattered Glass]]'' alternate universe, Renegade GoBot Fitor and Guardian GoBot Leader-1 (the latter in Cy-Kill's color scheme) are among the evil Autobot forces. What looks like Cy-Kill's claw is seen amongst the cheering throngs joining the evil Autobots too. Heroic Renegade [[Crasher (SG)|Crasher]] is described as [[Blurr (SG)|Blurr]]'s cousin in Blurr's tech spec, and even appears (with earthquake-like powers) in "[[Dungeons & Dinobots]]".

* The [[Transformers (2007)|movie toyline]] Wal-Mart [[exclusive]] figure [[Fracture (Movie)|Fracture]] is a very clear [[homage]] to Crasher in appearance, powers, and personality profile. According to the [[Hasbro]]'s designer panel at [[BotCon 2008]], Fracture ''is'' Crasher. She would have even been named "Crasher," had it been available as a trademark.

* In "[[Transcendent: Part 5]]", the two [[Axiom Nexus]] guards who die at Alpha Trion's hands are designed after Cy-Kill and Scooter. (The fan reaction to [[Cy-Kill (TransTech)|Cy-Kill]] and [[Scooter (TransTech)|Scooter]]'s deaths resulted in [[Pete Sinclair]] stating that this would be the last GoBot death scene in Fan Club works.)<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=53396&view=findpost&p=1078308 Pete Sinclair declares a moratorium on the killing of GoBots in a post on The Allspark.]</ref>

*The canceled movie toyline [[Target]] exclusive figure [[Backtrack (Movie)|Backtrack]] was designed as an homage to the Guardian Night Ranger, and even sported Night Ranger's "MR 37" designation number on his license plate.

* [[Dion|Elite Guard Dion]]'s [[Micromaster]] partner is [[Cop-Tur (Timelines)|Cop-Tur]].

* ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (franchise)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Deadlift]] is an homage to Spoons, bearing Spoons' "MR-34" designation number.

==External links==
*[http://counter-x.net/gobots/index.html Counter-X GoBots coverage]
*[http://www.tfu.info/Gobots/index.htm TFU.info GoBots coverage]

[[Category:External properties]]
[[Category:Franchises]]
[[Category:Non-Transformers toylines]]

Category talk:GoBots

2011-12-08T10:07:17Z

70.17.200.51:

Is there a list somewhere (preferably on this wiki) of all the characters from Tonka's GoBots series who...

...inspired Transformers characters (http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Cop-Tur_%28G1%29 for example)?

...became Transformers characters by retcon (http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Fracture_%28Movie%29#Notes and http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Crasher_%28SG%29 ,sort of)?

...were used as Easter eggs/crowd fillers/army builders in Transformers artwork (http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Cy-Kill_%28G1%29 and http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Leader-1_%28SG%29 , kinda)?

Notice that none of the examples i gave come from http://tfwiki.net/wiki/G1_GoBots (which is part of the list that i'm requesting, only i'm asking for a list of a broader category) and none of the examples i gave are listed on any of the following pages:

http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Category:GoBots

http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Category:Guardians

http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Category:Renegades

(Those were my first/best guesses where to find the kind of list i'm asking about, and they don't have that kind of list.)

[[Special:Contributions/70.17.201.185|70.17.201.185]] 03:14, 2 December 2011 (EST)
:[[GoBots (franchise)#Influence on the Transformers brand]]. --[[User:Detour|Detour]] 03:24, 2 December 2011 (EST)

::Thanks, that's just about exactly what i wanted... except for the part where it says "Several GoBots appear in the background in a number of Dreamwave Transformers comics as visual jokes"--i was hoping for something more detailed, like the list you linked to has for IDW, SG, etc. This is much more than i had, though, so thanks a lot!

Talk:Enemy (G1)

2011-12-08T07:09:28Z

70.17.200.51: /* Encore pic caption */ new section

I may be mistaken, but I think there's a picture of the Enemy voice changer in one of Doug Dlin's Cybertronian guides. Maybe in the G2 volume as an appendix? I'm certain I've seen it.--[[User:MCRG|MCRG]] 06:48, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

Oh snap! PRODUCT VARIANT! ENEMY ALSO HAD A SILVER FACE!
: Is it a variant, or is the product in the article's photo merely yellowed or the victim of bad lighting? Honest question. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 07:17, 2 February 2007 (UTC)
http://www.emopanda.com/tmp/161.JPG
::Good question, that's awfully gold-looking for a lighting problem... -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 14:10, 2 February 2007 (UTC)
:::I think it's just lighting. It looks like he's sitting in a blue backdrop that's being lit red, turning it slightly purple. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 16:39, 2 February 2007 (UTC)
Also, there was a TF AM radio that, while not labeled as Enemy, I hae always taken to represent him.
http://www.emopanda.com/tmp/DSC01003.JPG

Yes, it's a unpainted cassette-bot hard-mounted to a radio. I'm not making this up.
::I actually assumed that was the Enemy you were talking about the whole time.--[[User:MCRG|MCRG]] 07:24, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

...those are his Microchange colors, aren't they? -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 07:04, 2 February 2007 (UTC)
:One of them. There were three versions of Micross, red (Enemy), blue (Frenzy), and black (Rumble, came with CassetteMan/Soundwave).--[[User:MCRG|MCRG]] 07:24, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

Interesting! I didn't realize there was a Decepticon counterpart to [[Freedom Fighter]]! Enemy really gets around. --[[User:Steve-o|Steve-o]] 14:36, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

:You know what we need? A "Heads" category. --[[User:Andrusi|Andrusi]] 02:53, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
:: I had considered a "things that are only heads" category, but despite being a category full of Enemy, Unicron, and BW Megs, it would also be full of all the Headmaster partners, which would make it less hilarious. And so eh.--[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 03:00, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
::You think you're joking, but we were totally talking about this earlier. Possibly even partially seriously. There's enough of them! --[[User:Suki Brits|Suki Brits]] 02:59, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
:::We could make it a ''disembodied'' heads category. Then only the sold-separately Headmaster heads would qualify. --[[User:Andrusi|Andrusi]] 03:26, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
::::And Megabolt and BM Megs. And Cerebros/Grand/Cerebros. -hx
:::::And Under-3. Seriously. There's a lot of missing bodies out there. --[[User:MCRG|MCRG]] 07:02, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
::::::What about Transformers who got their heads cut off? That'd be a pretty big-ass list. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 07:20, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
:::::::Was it temporary? That probably shouldn't count. And Optimus need not be in every category.--[[User:MCRG|MCRG]] 08:29, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
::::::::Well, there's quite a few who got their heads cut off not-temporarily. Furman beheads people like they're freakin' dandilions. (Especially if he gets to have the bad guy throw the disembodied head back at the head's friends.) Let's see, there's Straxus, there's that Emirate guy in TWWv1, there's Blurr from that alternate post-Time Wars future, and in non-Furman territory, I think the last time we see Octane in DW continuity is when Slag's dragging his head around. The problem with the category is, if we leave out only-heads were were ever not only-heads, we eliminate Enemy himself, since he (sorta) has that AM Radio thing and he showed up in TWWv1. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 16:37, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
:::::::::So we set it up that it's only people that at one point or another transformed into heads. All the dudes that got decapitated don't count, just people who actively become heads or exist solely as big ol' heads. Optimus was just a head for a while, but he didn't turn INTO one, he just got stuck as one. It's a fine line, but the category is too awesome and funny to pass up. Enemy gets a pass because one of his forms was a giant, head shaped, device. Ditto for Freedom Fighter, and presumably Time Warrior. (I dunno how we'd handle Unicron, but given that he spent an entire SEASON as a big head and eventually had a toy released that represented his evil, ambulatory, noggin, I'd say he gets by. Now those BM battle chariot dudes, fuck them.) -hx
::::::::::That sounds like "Headmasters plus 4 other guys." Kinda a uselessly redundant category. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 18:30, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
::::::::::: [[Seafood Louis|Yes, how silly.]] -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 22:18, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
::::::::::::That page is only a nuisance to itself. We're talking about stuffing 30 characters' pages with a joke category. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 01:55, 8 February 2007 (UTC)
:::::::::::::All right, I think I've figured this one out. Category: Disembodied Heads contains heads that do not have bodies that go with them. Disqualifies Headmaster partners and people who merely got beheaded, but still brings in a not insignificant number of entries. This still leaves Enemy iffy, but I say he qualifies because we don't know that any of his non-disembodied-head appearances were actually him. --[[User:Andrusi|Andrusi]] 04:07, 8 February 2007 (UTC)
::::::::::::::Would you disqualify the Headmaster Warriors?--[[User:MCRG|MCRG]] 07:32, 8 February 2007 (UTC)
:::::::::::::::I would not disqualify them, since we saw the HEadmaster Teens in the 'toon. Straxus counts, right? -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 17:25, 8 February 2007 (UTC)
::::::::::::::::The Headmaster Warriors aren't associated with any specific bodies, so they count. Straxus is borderline, I suppose. --[[User:Andrusi|Andrusi]] 17:36, 8 February 2007 (UTC)

Isn't he supposed to have Neo-Zeon markings to be 3x faster?

This page gives me a headache.

== Encore pic caption ==

"Annoyingly enough, by the criteria of FIBRIR/FIRRIB, I'm actually blue."

This caption amuses me... but only works if robot colors are the only criteria for RIRFIB/RIBFIR, when i think cassette mode colors also have something to say about the issue.

Optimus Primal (BW)/toys

2011-12-08T05:52:08Z

70.17.200.51: /* Notes */

{{suite}}
[[Image:Optimus_Primal_toys.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Monkey see, Monkey f**k you up!]]
'''[[Optimus Primal]]''' has had a barrel full of toys. None of them [[Optimus Minor|monkeys]]!

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
[[Image:BWtoy-Primalbat.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Cheetor. ''Cheetor.'' I'm Batman.]]
* '''Optimus Primal vs Megatron!''' (Basic versus two-pack, 1996)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-6'''
**''Accessories:'' Two swords
:The first Optimus Primal was a Basic size class blue bat which could autotransform into a robot by pulling the tail. Two swords were removable from under its wings for use as weaponry in robot mode. It was packaged along with an alligator version of Megatron and a ''Beast Wars'' mini-comic.

:Whether this toy can be considered the Optimus Primal character is a matter of debate. Released before the animated series began, which established Optimus Primal as a separate entity from Optimus Prime, the accompanying profiles and mini-comic seem to assume that the Beast Wars are a progression of the same characters from the Autobot/Decepticon war. Whether the animated series's [[retcon]] affected this set of toys is probably a matter of personal preference. It can be interpreted as representing one of the more interesting micro-continuities.

:The ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'' has asserted that, in [[Beast Wars timeline (IDW)|IDW's version of the ''Beast Wars'' continuity]], Primal's bat form was suggested by the ''Axalon'''s computer as a potential alt-mode, but he rejected it in favour of the more powerful gorilla without ever actually reformatting into it. Thus, this [[micro-continuity]] posits bat-mode Primal as an essentially theoretical alt-form that never actually came to be.

:This mold was also used to make the [[#CDROM|Optimus Prime-recolored Convobat]] (who may or may not be a separate character to either Prime or Primal), and [[Onyx Primal]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1996/Maximal/OptimusPrimalBat/optimusprimal.htm More information on Optimus Primal (bat) at tfu.info]''

{{-}}

[[Image:Optimusprimaltoyultraape.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Yes, missiles come out of his butt.]]
* '''Optimus Primal''' (Ultra, 1996/1997/1998)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-1'''
**''Accessories:'' Two swords, four missiles, flail
: The second Optimus Primal toy was an ape in the Ultra size class. Though the transformation from primate to humanoid was a relatively simplistic one, the toy compensated with more than a fair share of weaponry and action features. A compartment on his right forearm opened to reveal a skull-shaped mace he could hold in his fist. His left forearm could open into a double-barreled missile launcher. On his back were two spring-loaded missile launchers which auto-flipped over each shoulder. By pulling a lever in the center of his back, both arms would either spin at the bicep or bend in and out at the elbow, depending on the placement of notch-buttons located on either bicep. This gimmick was shown to be an effort to simulate a gorilla beating its chest while Optimus was in beast mode, but could also be used in robot mode, making him swing his weapons wildly before himself. And finally, like many first-year ''Beast Wars'' toys, a battle mask/"[[mutant head]]" could be deployed over his robot head.

:[[Image:Prizeprimals.jpg|left|300px|thumb|Brass monkeys.]]

:Takara released the toy as part of their ''Beast Wars'' line in July of 1997, nearly identical to the Hasbro version. The missiles for the Takara version are thinner and simpler than the original Hasbro version, and would be used in all subsequent releases of the mold.

:This mold was [[redeco]]ed into ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' Optimus Primal and [[Beast Wars Telemocha]] DX Convoy, and [[retool]]ed into ''Beast Wars Reborn''/''Beast Wars Tenth Anniversary'' versus pack Optimus Primal. Takara also created multiple special variants, including all-gold (from ''Tele-V Magazine'', only ten awarded), red and gray (''Tele-V'' again, but only twenty pieces for lucky draw), and blue-fur (a ''Comics Bom Bom'' design-contest prize, only thirty awarded).
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1996/Maximal/OptimusPrimal/optimusprimal.htm More information on Optimus Primal (gorilla) at tfu.info]''

{{-}}

* '''Special Convoy Real Gray Type''' (Ultra, 1998)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-1'''
**''Accessories:'' Two swords, four missiles, flail
:In January of 1998{{fact}}, Takara released a redeco of the Ultra Optimus Primal toy as '''Special Convoy Real Gray Type''' (スペシャルコンボイ — リアルグレータイプ), changing the black to dark gray and the blue to metallic blue, although the packaging was the same as the original release save for a sticker on the front of the box. According to the sticker, this limited figure was meant to celebrate the "20,000,000 Unit Breakthrough Commemoration"—apparently commemorating ''20 million'' units of Beast Wars toys sold. Whether this was supposed to represent 20 million worldwide or just in Japan is unclear.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1996/Maximal/OptimusPrimal/optimusprimal.htm More information on Special Convoy Real Gray Type at tfu.info (scroll down)]''

{{-}}

* '''Special Convoy Skeleton Type''' (Ultra, 1998?)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-1'''
**''Accessories:'' Two swords, four missiles, flail
: A Toys 'R' Us retail [[exclusive]] redeco of the Ultra figure, '''Special Convoy Skeleton Type''' (スペシャルコンボイ — スケルトンタイプ) was colorless-clear and black with silver paint detailing. The packaging was the same as the general release except for a sticker on the front of the box.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Cybertron/ClearConvoy/clearconvoy.htm More information on Special Convoy Skeleton Type at tfu.info]''

{{-}}

[[Image:BW-toy OptimusPrimalCDROM.jpg|right|300px|thumb|From Nightwing to Flame<strike>bird</strike>bat.]]
*'''Amazon Showdown''' (multipack)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''VS-S1'''
**''Accessories:'' Two swords
: Available only in a special CD-ROM two-pack with a [[Megatron (BW)/toys|purple redeco of "Megalligator"]], this version of Optimus Primal (maybe) retains its previous gimmickry. his back features a silver Maximal [[faction symbol]] plus "C-ROM", as in "Cybertron", get it? Huh? And Megatron has the "D-ROM"? See what they did there?

: Just what character this toy represents is up for debate. The toy's [[bio]] claims he used to turn into a tractor-trailer (indicating [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]), but considering the timeframe of when they were written and the whole lack of a stance on who Primal "was" before the show and bla bla bla... it's just easier to file this under the same iffiness as the original toy bios set on modern [[Earth]] and leave it at that.

: This mold was also used to make [[Onyx Primal]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Cybertron/ConvoyBat/convoybat.htm More information on Convobat at TFU.info]''

* '''Burning Convoy''' (Ultra)
**''Accessories:'' Two swords, four missiles, flail
:[[Spontaneous recoloration|Clear-red]] redeco of Primal, with gold "flame" markings also included. Was released as a limited edition figure to promote the ''Beast Wars Special'' movie alongside the Flash Lio Convoy toy.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Cybertron/BurningConvoy/burningconvoy.htm More information on Burning Convoy at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

[[Image:BWMicroversetoy-Primal.jpg|right|100px|thumb|Seamunky?]]
*'''Orcanoch''' (MicroVerse, 1997)
: Part of the short-lived ''[[MicroVerse]]'' toyline (from before [[Hasbro|Hasbro's]] acquisition of rival Galoob and their micro-toy empire), [[Orcanoch]] transforms into a Maximal base. It came with tiny, non-transforming versions of Optimus Primal and [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]. These figures were designed to sit in the various mini-vehicles and control modules of the MicroVerse playsets.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Maximal/Orcanoch/orcanoch.htm More information on Orcanoch (including Optimus Primal figure) at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

[[Image:BWtoy-PrimalTM.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Check out those abs!]]
* '''Optimus Primal''' (Mega Transmetal, 1998)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-40'''
**''Accessories:'' Gun, two clubs/missiles
: [[Transmetal]] Optimus Primal is a mechanical gorilla that transforms into a partially organic robot. Like all Transmetals, it featured chromed plastic and a third vehicle-inspired mode. In Primal's case, his gorilla mode could transform into a gorilla on a hoverboard. Two maces were stored on his back and could double as missiles for his hip-holstered blaster.

: [[Takara|Takara's]] version of the toy exchanged the brown plastic for translucent maroon, he also featured additional paint on his waist and different eye color among other changes. The figure was also available in a set with Transmetal Megatron.

: This mold was used to make [[Apelinq]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Maximal/OptimusPrimal/optimusprimal.htm More information on Transmetal Optimus Primal at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

[[Image:BWtoy-OpOp.jpg|right|300px|thumb|It's really about two modes, not four, if you're honest.]]
* '''Optimal Optimus''' (Super Transmetal, 1998)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-47'''
**''Accessories:'' One gun, four missiles, six break-away armor plates
: Transmetal Optimal Optimus was the first toy in the Super size class, featuring electronics and four transformations: robot, ape, jet, and armored transport. When a back section of the cannon module was pulled, the eyes and shoulder-mounted missile launchers lit up and the launchers fired. It came with four missiles, two of which stored on its legs. Its forearms featured blast-away armor plates that could also be pegged to its upper arms.

:Optimal Optimus's on-package [[bio]] states that he has Cybertronian "air guardian" technology and twin scramjet modules. [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]'s function was Air Guardian, and his Tech Specs said he had these same scramjet modules.

: This mold was used to make [[Primal Prime]], and was the model for [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s (non-toy) "Optimal" body, seen in "[[Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future]]".

: The Japanese version featured a more yellow shade of orange, different painted details, and notably black tires instead of purple.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Maximal/OptimalOptimus/optimaloptimus.htm More information on Optimal Optimus at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Beast Machines===
[[Image:BM-toy OpPrimalDx.jpg|right|300px|thumb|I am the exact opposite of show-accurate.]]
*'''Optimus Primal''' (Deluxe, 2000)
**''Accessories'': Energy shuriken
: The first ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' Optimus Primal is a dark bronze and translucent blue technorganic gorilla that transforms into a technorganic robot. His right robot-mode arm is spring-loaded to throw the shuriken that stores in his left leg (the ape mode's left shoulder). Like all ''Beast Machines'' toys, he has a hidden "[[spark crystal]]" that displays his faction allegiance; Primal's is in his chest, revealed with the spring-loaded "flexing" motion that also moves his beast-mode face up for snarling while posing. His robot-mode head also features a changing expression via sliding brow/skullcap.

:Official [[Hasbro]] stock photography of this toy shows a differently-molded shuriken, lacking the "energy flame" effect.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/OptimusPrimal/optimusprimal.htm More information on Beast Machines Optimus Primal (Deluxe) at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

[[Image:BMtoy-PrimalMcD.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Robot hate the monkey.]]
*'''Optimus Primal''' (Happy Meal toy, 2000)
: McDonald's ''Beast Machines'' Optimus Primal is an incredibly simple toy that transforms from a technorganic robot to technorganic ape. Its sculpted detail is based directly that of the television show's model for Primal. It uses translucent plastic for the body, and, like the other McDonald's ''Beast Machines'' toys, there's a sculpted spark crystal on the toy's surface; on Optimus Primal, it is placed on the stomach. Additionally, there are two organic flaps on the toy's back, and in robot mode, nobody's entirely sure exactly what to do with them. Are they rotated all the way down to make his booster jets? Are they rotated out to the sides to make the backs of his shoulder pads? Are they rotated back to where they go in gorilla mode, once you get his heads swapped? We may never know.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/McOptimusPrimal/optimusprimal.htm More information on Beast Machines Optimus Primal (McDonald's) at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

[[Image:BMtoy-PrimalMega.jpg|right|300px|thumb|They will fight eternally!]]
*'''Blast Punch Optimus Primal''' (Mega, 2001)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''BR-01'''
**''Accessories'': Missile
:One of the last toys released in the ''Beast Machines'' line (under the "Battle for the Spark" rebranding), "Blast Punch" Optimus Primal transforms into a technorganic gorilla more like the show model, though with a considerably brighter color scheme. His main [[gimmick]] is his left arm, which contains a hidden missile launcher.Pushing down on his shoulder armor "winds" the mechanism in his gauntlet. Pushing the spark crystal on his bicep spins his gauntlet around, simultaneously triggering the spring-loaded missile launcher and activating his spring-loaded ramming "blast punch" action, extending his fist forward nearly a full inch. He also has hidden jet thrusters under a panel on his back. In beast mode, a small button on the top of his head pushes his upper face up in a "snarling" action.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2001/Maximal/BlastPunchOptimusPrimal/optimusprimal.htm More information on Blast Punch Optimus Primal at TFU.info]''

*'''Optimus Primal''' (Jollibee Kids Meal, 2009)
**''Accessories:'' Pen Keeper
: Optimus Primal was available as one of three figures in a Jollibee promotion. The toy is a greatly simplified version of his ''Beast Machines'' Deluxe toy.

===Robots in Disguise===
[[Image:RIDtoy-Suprimal.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Monkey versus robot!]]
* '''Air Attack Optimus Primal''' (Supreme, 2002)
**''Accessories'': Disc

:Intended for release in the ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' toyline, Air Attack Optimus Primal was eventually released as a [[Toys"R"Us|ToysЯUs]] [[exclusive]] as part of the ''Robots in Disguise'' toyline. Positively oozing light-and-sound gimmicks in both modes, Optimus Primal does ''all'' sorts'a crazy crap, all of which is first activated by pressing his chest plate. Doing so "turns on" his electronics with a metallic shrieking noise, and the toy proceeds to hum constantly while the chest glows with a red LED. The electronics will eventually "turn off" if the toy is left idle, but you don't want to do that! You want to push his head (in either mode), which activates glowing lights in his eyes and actual speech samples of [[Garry Chalk]] from the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon (making Primal the first English-speaking ''Transformers'' toy to have speech clips performed by his actual cartoon voice actor). On top of that, the toy also features a pressure-launching disc-shooter in its robot-mode stomach (accompanied by blasting sound effect), and a geared right arm with a spring-loaded punch action (and suitably pained electronic grunt). The ''big'' feature—the one that gives the toy its name—is his jetpack, which pops out (with translucent blue jet flames trailing behind) at the push of a button. This puts the toy into "flight mode", and it constantly produces the sound of whooshing jets, which then rises and falls depending on how the figure is held. Tilt him upwards, and the pitch rises as he ascends! Tilt him down, and ''zoom!''

:Also, he has a butt on his head.

:The toy's packaging features both an Autobot and Maximal insignia. The Maximal symbol used, however, is the one used during the "Beast Wars" rather then the one from "Beast Machines" this toy was meant to be part of.

: This toy was released in Japan on [[August 8]], 2002 as a ToysЯUs-exclusive "[[USA Edition]]".

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Maximal/SupremeOptimusPrimal/optimusprimal.htm More information on Air Attack Optimus Primal at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Universe===
[[Image:Universe2003toy-Primal.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Kinda looks like Don Rickles, don't you think?]]
*'''Optimus Primal''' (Ultra, 2003)
**''Accessories:'' Two swords, four missiles, flail
:A redeco of the original Ultra Class Optimus Primal mold, with a color scheme that reflects the "infected" look several other toys were sporting in this line, reflecting the events taking place in-fiction. He retains all weapons and gimmicks of the previous releases of this mold, but with a reworked system for his arm mechanism, making his crazy arm swinging much more controlled.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Autobot/OptimusPrimal/optimusprimal.htm More information on Universe Optimus Primal at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Robot Masters===
[[Image:RMtoy-Primal.jpg|right|300px|thumb|There he is, my littler guy.]]
*'''Beast Convoy''' (2004)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RM-11'''
**''Accessories:'' Two swords, sword connector, missile launcher, missile

:Primarily based upon the original Ultra-class Optimus Primal figure, ''Robot Masters'' Beast Convoy uses a new, a more [[show accuracy|show accurate]] mold, while using the original Ultra-class toy's color scheme.

:The mouthplate featured an engraved mouth, although it is painted silver like the rest of the face, and lacks the Mutant Head from the original figure.

:Both forearms contain small, non-firing cannons in them (and thus a skull mace is not included), which can be revealed by flipping up the panels on his arms. Similarly, the missile launchers from the Ultra-class version of the toy have been replaced by non-firing cannons based more closely on the ones from the TV show.

:Beast Convoy features new, open-palmed hands, thus preventing him from holding both of his swords in the same hand, but a small connector-piece is included to connect the swords together, allowing Beast Convoy to hold the lower sword with the upper sword connected.

:Like [[Megatron (BW)/toys|Beast Megatron]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|G1 Convoy]], Beast Convoy comes with a generic, blue plastic missile launcher which can fit in his palm.

:This figure was later recolored as [[Robot Masters]] Burning Beast Convoy, Beast Convoy Limited Black Version, and later [[Beast Wars Telemocha]] Convoy.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Cybertron/BeastConvoy/beastconvoy.htm More information on Beast Convoy at TFU.info]''

{{-}}



* '''Burning Beast Convoy''' (2004)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RM-21'''
**''Accessories:'' Two swords
:A recolor of ''Beast Convoy'', this toy uses the "Burning Convoy" color scheme from the ''Beast Wars II'' movie from where he partnered with Lio Convoy, turning them into Burning Convoy and Flash Lio Convoy respectively.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Cybertron/BurningConvoy/burningconvoy.htm More information on Burning Beast Convoy at TFU.info]''

*'''Beast Convoy Limited Black Version''' (2005)
**''Accessories:'' Two swords, sword connector, missile launcher, missile, Boost Hammer

: Available only via mail order through ''Hobby Japan'' magazine, the "Limited Black Version" of Beast Convoy is just that: a straight [[black repaint]] of the Beast Convoy toy. He comes with all his original accessories, appropriately redecoed, as well as a gold-chromed version of the "Boost Hammer" [[Solitarium]] weapon that came with [[Wrecker Hook (RM)|Wrecker Hook]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Cybertron/HHBeastConvoy/beastconvoy.htm More information on Beast Convoy Limited Black Version at TFU.info]''

===Beast Wars 10th Anniversary===
[[Image:Optimusprimalbwx.jpg|right|300px|thumb|''Surf monkey/ that funky monkey'']]
* '''Optimus Primal''' (2006)
**''Accessories:'' Surfboard, assault blade, missile, Jungle Planet Key
: Beast Wars 10th Anniversary (BWX) Optimus Primal is a new toy design based loosely on his original ultra ape action figure and pulling some elements from other figures, including a transformation very similar to the Playskool Go-Bot [[Gorillabot]], which itself was a nod to Optimus Primal's Beast Machines form. Similar to his Transmetal form, BWX Optimus Primal also comes with a hoverboard that fires a missile when a [[Cyber Planet Key]] is inserted.

:[[Image:PrimalXsword.jpg|left|100px|thumb|Opposable thumbs!]]

: The board also features a spring-loaded extending "assault blade" (or "ass lt blade" as the directions call it). Though it is not intended to be removed, the blade can be popped off and held in Primal's hand thanks to his posable thumbs.

: He is also packaged with a mini-comic-sized reprinting of [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Gathering|The Gathering]]'' #1, a small [[Axalon (BW)|''Axalon'']] ship figurine, and a [[Jungle Planet (Cybertron)|Jungle Planet]] style Cyber Planet Key without a [[Cyber Key Code]] stamped on it.

:This mold was [[Redeco|redecoed]] and released as ''[[Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]]. The sculpt for both BWX leader toys were intentionally designed to blend in with the Jungle Planet aesthetic, "in case" they didn't get a Beast Wars Anniversary release (according to [[Aaron Archer|Aaron Archer's]] statements at [[BotCon 2005]]).
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Maximal/OptimusPrimal/optimusprimal.htm More information on 10th Anniversary Optimus Primal at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

* '''Optimus Primal vs Megatron''' (Toys "R" Us, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Two swords, four missiles, flail
:Identical to the ''Beast Wars Reborn'' set as detailed below, but in new packaging with a DVD of the ''Beast Wars'' episode "[[Possession]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Maximal/TRUOptimusPrimal/optimusprimal.htm More information on Optimus Primal (Toys "R" Us Exclusive) at TFU.info]''

===Beast Wars Reborn===
[[Image:BWReborntoy-Primal.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The eighth Optimus of the world... PRIMAL!]]
* '''Convoy vs Megatron''' (2006)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BWR-01'''
**''Accessories:'' Two swords, four missiles, flail

:[[Image:Optimusprimaltoybwrebornheads.jpg|left|100px|thumb|Staring contest—go!]]

: This release is a [[retool]] of the original 1996 Ultra toy, with new beast and robot heads, plus a new robot chest piece sculpted to match the television series's portrayal. The color scheme was also altered to be show-accurate, changing the black to dark gray, much of the light gray to medium gray with hints of bronze, primary red to crimson, and blue to a more dull steel blue. All of the toy's previous [[gimmick]]s are retained with the sole exception of the "mutant head."

:This figure came packaged with a similarly-remolded [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] and a [[Golden Disk (disambiguation)|Golden Disk]] CD-ROM that contains control art for a number of ''Beast Wars'' toys.

{{-}}

{{anchor|LaserOptimusPrime}}
===Generation 2===
[[Image:LaserPrime reissue.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Argh TFwiki headache.]]
* '''Battle Convoy''' (Reissue, 2006)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TRF-13'''
**''Accessories:'' Laser rifle, sword, 5 discs, 3 air power missiles, ripple rocket launcher, 10 rockets

{{repurposed|Optimus Primal}}

: In 1993, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Laser Optimus Prime]] was a new-mold [[Generation 2 (toyline)|''Generation 2'' toy]] that transformed into mid-1990s Western Star 4964EX, pulling a grey and black fuel tank trailer. On the sides of the trailer is a humourous sticker depicting Laser Optimus Prime using a flamethrower to burn down a forest, with the words "Optimus Prime Octane" over the image.

:In robot mode, like Combat Hero Prime, the bottom of the truck became his familiar windowed chest based upon the original Optimus Prime toy. His main gimmick was light up LED headlights, and a [[lightpipe]] in the bottom of his right fist, illuminated by an LED in his right forearm, that would illuminate his clear sword or his double-barreled rifle if they were used in that hand. All three LEDs were activated simultaneously by pressing the sunroof-like depression on the roof of the truck.

:The trailer unfolds to form a battle station bristling with many firing weapons. Primarily, it can fire an air-powered missile launcher, a ripple rocket launcher with 5 missiles that can be launched individually (this turret can also be mounted in Laser Prime's hand) and a 'disc launcher', that fired several blue plastic discs adorned with the ''Generation 2'' Autobot sigil. This disc launcher is the only weapon that can be used in vehicle mode.

:This mold was redecoed in 2000 as ''[[Car Robots]]'' [[Scourge (RID)|Black Convoy]], and slightly retooled as Scourge. After Scourge, the next use of this mold was planned to be ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Toxitron (Universe)|Toxitron]], which ended up being canceled. The slightly retooled version of this mold was released in 2006 in Japan as reissue Battle Convoy, which was the name of this toy during the Japanese ''Generation 2''. The reissue used the ''[[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' modified tooling, with a slightly modified deco using silver vacuum-metalized plastic on his chest and trailer sides along with additional paint applications and G2 symbols. The mold was also redecoed to create a new G2 version of Ultra Magnus as an [[E-Hobby]] exclusive (unusual in that the character was killed in the course of Japan's G1 fiction).

:Within the ''[[Beast Wars Reborn]]'' text story, the reissued Laser Prime toy was [[repurposing|repurposed]] as a temporary form for Optimus Primal.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1995/Autobot/OptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Laser Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Timelines===
[[Image:Timelinestoy-PrimalDoFP.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Trukk munky?]]
* '''Dawn of Future's Past''' (Boxset, BotCon 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Two missiles, Maximal [[Golden Disk]] key
:A [[redeco]] and [[retool]] of ''[[Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]], ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'' Optimus Primal transforms into a three-wheeled Cybertronic race car with huge turbine thrusters. These thrusters each contain a spring-loaded missile launcher,and can be swung forward in both vehicle and robot mode by plugging a [[Cyber Planet Key]] into his key-jack. This also activates electronic sound effects. He has a new head that replicates Optimus Primal's first [[character model]].

:Available only in a multi pack with the ''Axalon'' versions of [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], and [[Rattrap]], as well as the ''[[Darksyde]]'' version of [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]].
:Some consider this toy somewhat of an injoke, because when fans initially saw pics of Crumplezone, they criticised it for looking like a monkey.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Maximal/BCOptimusPrimal/optimusprimal.htm More information on Axalon Optimus Primal at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Titanium Series===
[[Image:TitaniumSeries-Primal3inch.jpg|right|150px|thumb|This Primal wasn't built—it was ''poured!'']]
* '''Optimus Primal''' (3" Robot Master figurine, 2006)
**''Accessories'': Stand
:This 3-inch die-cast and plastic figurine of Optimus Primal features him in his ''Beast Wars'' season 1 appearance, with swords drawn in an action pose. He came with an [[Autobot]] figure stand, weirdly enough.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Maximal/TitOptimusPrimal/optimusprimal.htm More information on Titanium Series Optimus Primal at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

[[Image:Titanium Optimal Optimus.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Ready? And... Faceplant!]]
* '''Optimal Optimus''' (6" Transformable figure, 2006)
**''Accessories'': Stand with nameplate
:For undetermined reasons, this incarnation of Optimal Optimus does not include the beast mode. This does have precedent in the fiction: When [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] built a copy of that body for himself at the end of ''[[Beast Machines (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'', his version didn't have a beast mode either.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Maximal/TitOptimalOptimus/optimusprimal.htm More information on Titanium Series Optimal Optimus at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Binaltech===
[[Image:BTBlackConvoy toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|There! He's a trukk! Ya happy now?]]
* '''Black Convoy''' (2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BT-17'''
**''Accessories:'' Engine/blaster
{{Repurposed|Optimus Primal}}
: Black Convoy is the first ''Binaltech'' release since [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] in early 2006, and was available exclusively in Japan at the winter Wonder Festival in 2007. His plastic colours are different from Nemesis Prime's, with grey plastic replacing the black on his shins, waist, shoulders and forearms. In addition, Nemesis Prime's windows are tinted red, but Black Convoy's windows are completely clear. His paint deco is based upon ''Kiss Players'' Convoy's, arranged in the same patterns but using teal, and he has vacuum-metallized wheels and front grill. The paint deco on his head is meant to evoke that of Car Robots [[Scourge (RID)|Black Convoy]]. Perhaps the most important differences are that he has die-cast metal parts, and most of his truck body panels are coated in gloss black paint.

: Perhaps due to cost-cutting, this toy was released in the large bubble-on-a-tray packaging also used in the ''Alternators'' line. However, he came with no character or packaging art.

: The ''[[Alternity (franchise)|Alternity]]'' fiction [[Repurposing|repurposes]] this figure as a new body for Optimus Primal, based on how Primal's disembodied spark had previously taken possession of Nemesis' body earlier in the ''[[Story of Binaltech|Binaltech]]'' story.
{{-}}

===Beast Wars Telemocha Series===
[[Image:BWTelemocha Convoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Anyone else feel like we're going in circles?]]
*'''Convoy''' (2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TM-01'''
**''Accessories:'' Two swords
:''[[Beast Wars Telemocha]]'' Convoy is an extensive redeco of the ''Robot Masters'' Beast Convoy figure in a similar style to the ''Beast Wars Reborn'' retool of the Ultra-class figure.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Cybertron/Convoy/convoy.htm More information on Telemocha Convoy at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

[[Image:BWTelemochaDXPrimal.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Seriously, we're getting dizzy!]]
*'''DX Convoy''' (2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TM-SP'''
**''Accessories:'' Two swords, four missiles, flail
:An extensive show-accurate redeco of the original Ultra-class Optimus Primal mold ''without'' the recently remolded head and chestplate. Oh [[TakaraTomy]], you so crazy.

{{-}}

===United===
*'''Optimus Primal''' (Deluxe, February 2012)
**''ID number:'' '''UN-30'''
**''Accessories:'' Surfboard, assault blade, missile, Jungle Planet Key
{{comingsoontoy}}

==Merchandise==
*'''Beast Wars Transformers Slide Puzzle''' (1996)
:Released to advertise Beast War's airing in Japan, a small, hand-held slide-puzzle depicting Optimus Primal in robot mode, brandishing a sword, one arm cannon deployed, and looking very dynamic.
{{-}}
[[Image:Optimusprimalmutatingcard.jpg|thumb|300px|right]]
* '''Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game''' (1997)
:Optimus Primal was one of the 24 beast warriors to receive a battle card representation for the Beast Wars [[Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game|card game]].
{{-}}
* '''Beast Wars Transformers Sneakers''' (1997)
: A pair of red, black and white sneakers, with the Beast Wars logo printed on the sole, a photo of Primal's beast mode head on the toe, and the name "OPTIMUS PRIMAL" repeated around the shoe's lateral.

===Beast Wars Gum===
[[Image:Bwgum primal.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Convoy''' (candy toy, 1997)
**''ID number:'' '''1'''
**''Accessories:'' Mace, two swords
:A snap together model kit of Optimus Primal was available as part of [[Kabaya]]'s ''[[Beast Wars Gum]]'' line of [[candy toy]]s. Based on his original Ultra-class gorilla toy, the kit was sculpted from purple and black plastic with some sparse stickers for details, and could transform from robot to beast mode by being broken down into its component parts, then rebuilt into a new mode. It came with a stick of gum.
{{-}}

===Beast Wars Ramune===
* '''Convoy''' (1997)
: A nontransformable figurine of bat-body Primal, sculpted in a sword-wielding action pose across a blue base. Figure is painted.

* '''Convoy''' (candy toy, 1997)

: A tiny plastic Convoy figurine in his gorilla body and molded onto an irregularly-shaped stand was released by Kabaya. Labeled toy 1 of 6, the other characters in his wave were Dinobot, Rattrap, Megatron, Cheetor, and Rhinox. As always, terrible candy is included.

===Hyper Beast Wars Choco===
* '''Transmetal Convoy''' (1999, Standard Kit)
: Another small transformable figure was based on his first Transmetal body. It was multicolored and also came with gum.

===Metallic Beast Ramune===
* '''Transmetal Convoy''' (1999, Standard Kit)
: A second, but non-transformable figure of Transmetal Optimus Primal was made in clear plastic, blue, and gray. Gum!
{{-}}

===Metal Monument===
[[Image:Metalmonumentconvoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Hungh!]]
* '''Metal Monument Convoy''' (TAKARA, 1999)

: As the name suggests, the product is a [[die-cast]] statue of Optimus Primal. The head is convertible/removable in order to change the normal one with the battle mask/mutant head. The [[box art]] and the design of the product are both done by [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]].

{{-}}

===3D Battle-Card Game===
*'''Optimus Primal''' (2007)
[[Image:3DBattleCard-OptimusPrimal.jpg|right|300px|thumb|All your favorite 3D action!]]
: A 52-point "rare" character in the [[3D Battle-Card Game|3D Battle-Card Game's]] "Energon Wars" expansion, Optimus Primal "transforms" into a black ape. He uses the same parts layout as [[Cheetor (BW)/toys|Cheetor]], [[Ravage (G1)/toys|Ravage]] and [[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]], although the figure's beast mode is assembled differently. Optimus Primal is nominally the leader of the Autobots in the set. The surface of the figure uses images of the original Ultra ape toy.

{{-}}

===Robot Heroes===
====Beast Wars series====
[[Image:Robotheroestarantulasprimal.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Primal mocks Tarantulas's inability to display jazz hands.]]
*'''Optimus Primal''' / '''Predacon Tarantulas''' (2008)
: Part of the second wave of ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' [[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]], this PVC figurine of Optimus Primal's original gorilla body has articulation in the shoulders and neck. He was available only in a "Beast Wars Series" two-pack with [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (amusingly enough, the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] he also came with in the ''[[MicroVerse]]'' [[Orcanoch]] playset).
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Maximal/RHOprimusPrimal/optimusprimal.htm More information on Robot Heroes Optimus Primal at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

====Beast Machines series====
[[Image:Robot_heroes_primal_jetstorm.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The next Bio-Force Ape? Only time will tell.]]
*'''Optimus Primal vs. Jetstorm''' (2009)
{{canceledtoy}}

==Notes==
* The design of Optimus Primal's bat form is an [[homage]] to [[Batman]], an action figure license also held at the time by [[Kenner]].<ref>Page 78, Toy database section in ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]''</ref>

* Primal's gorilla mode, paired against [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s t-rex mode, was inspired by the showdown in the film ''[[King Kong (movie)|King Kong]]''.<ref>[http://obscuretf.com/hhk/BC04interviews.html Botcon 2004 Interview with Vinnie D'Alleva], p2</ref>

* According to the control art of Optimus Primal's toy, his chest originally seemed to be a kind of launcher instead of being an homage to the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]].<ref>Page 50, Toy database section in ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]''</ref>

* Amusingly, Optimal Optimus's [[Titanium Series|''Titanium'']] toy is denoted as an [[Autobot]] both on his stand and on his shoulder, even though Optimal is a [[Maximal]].

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:3D Battle-Cards]]
[[Category:Beast Machines Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars 10th Anniversary]]
[[category:Beast Wars Telemocha Series]]
[[Category:Contest prizes]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Fast food exclusives]]
[[Category:Mail order exclusives]]
[[Category:Repurposed toys]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Robot Masters Autobots]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise Autobots]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Toys "R" Us exclusives]]
[[Category:Transformers with multiple modes]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:Transmetals]]
[[Category:United characters]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Universe Autobots]]

Optimus Primal (BW)

2011-12-08T05:51:35Z

70.17.200.51: /* Notes */

{{factions|maximal|maximalbm|autobot|protector}}
{{disambig3|Optimus}}
{{disambig3|Primal}}{{suite}}
:''Optimus Primal is a [[Maximal]] from the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]]. He is also sometimes known as '''Optimal Optimus'''.''

[[Image:Optimusprimalbw.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Next one of you says "[[trukk not munky]]" gets it in the FACE.]]
Young and untested, '''Optimus Primal''' was a mere captain of an exploration ship when he and his crew were diverted off-course to pursue a stolen Predacon ship under the leadership of some crook named [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]. The rest, they say, is (literally) history.

Though he does have a penchant for stuffy speeches, Optimus Primal is much more down-to-cybertron than his legendary [[Optimus Prime (G1)|namesake]]. He is committed to the Maximal codes of honor and moral judgment, but he does view them with some irreverence, and is not above finding loopholes or administering unorthodox solutions if necessary. ("Sometimes, crazy works," he says.) He is eternally loyal to his friends and respectful to his enemies. He is brave and selfless in battle. However, he is so committed to helping others that he can withdraw into a deep depression when he feels he has let them down. This is the only time he is self-absorbed.

Optimus Primal is extraordinary for not only being able to distinguish himself, despite living in the shadow of Optimus Prime, but he may even have surpassed the greatest of the Autobots, seeing as he [[Optimal Situation|saved the life of his namesake]] and ushered in a new [[technorganic]] [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. It is possible Optimus Primal is the greatest Cybertronian hero who has ever lived.

{{quote|Come on, let's hear it, the usual destiny and honor speech.|Megatron|"[[Nemesis Part 2]]"}}
{{quote|Speech this!|Optimus as he punches Megatron in the face|"[[Nemesis Part 2]]"}}

==Fiction==
===First wave toy bios===
[[Image:BatPrimal-2packcomic.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Function: Megatron's lunch]]
Under the eerie shadows of a full moon Optimus Primal, a gigantic bat, [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], a swift-stalking cheetah, and [[Razorbeast]], a fearsome wild boar, hunt purposely through the depths of a jungle. Soon Optimus detects the thermal emissions and fusion activity from a building, which mean they've found their target. His motion sensors register what appears to be a harmless [[Earth]] creature below.

Before Optimus realizes his mistake the alligator lashes out with as smashing swipe of its tail, knocking Optimus into the swampy waters. The beast transforms and [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] towers above him. The building ahead is the Predacons' genetics lab and he'll never let Optimus reach the secrets inside. He orders his troops to attack and everyone transforms to robot mode. The gigantic arthropods Tarantulas and Waspinator engage Razorbeast and Cheetor respectively while Optimus and Megatron face off.

Optimus brags that the Maximal "[[bio-genetic morphing process]] has allowed us to create the perfect fusion of organic musculature and Transformers technology!" Megatron responds that his side did all that too, so nan-neh, but used the DNA of Earth's most vicious predators. When Optimus notes that the Maximals seem to be getting the upper hand, Megatron immediately detonates the lab and escapes, vowing to return with new forms and new plans when the Maximals least expect it. The Beast Wars have just begun! {{storylink|Optimus Primal vs Megatron!|Optimus Primal vs Megatron!}}
Optimus believes, as his namesake did, that freedom is the right of all sentient beings... When it doesn't clash with the greater good. His goal is to vanquish the Predacons from the planet Earth, a task he recognizes will not be done easily. {{storylink|Optimus Primal/toys#Beast Wars|Optimus Primal bio (Basic class)}}
Optimus eventually re-engineers his body, from a fruit bat to a gigantic gorilla, alluded to be comparable in size to King Kong. His strength has been most notably increased by this process, and he possesses "mega blast missile," produced from his shoulder mounted canons. {{storylink|Optimus Primal/toys#Beast Wars|Optimus Primal bio (Ultra class)}}

{{note|This comic, along with the on-package [[Bio|bios]] of the first wave of Beast Wars toys, predate the development of the Beast Wars cartoon and its backstory. Instead they seem to present the characters as a direct continuation of the previous Autobot/Decepticon conflict, with Optimus Primal actually being a new form of Optimus Prime and Megatron being his Generation 1 counterpart, and their battles taking place on present day, [[human]]-inhabited Earth, rather than in the distant past. Once the cartoon launched, the toyline adjusted itself to match that continuity instead, relegating this one to an aborted [[micro-continuity]].}}

===Cartoon continuity===
====Dawn of Future's Past====
{{note|This fiction takes place before "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]".}}
[[Image:Optimusprimalbwtimelines.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Pre-fur Primal, Maximal nobody.]]
Optimus Primal is a veteran of the last [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], one waged between the Maximals and the Predacons. He is a distinguished graduate of the [[Maximal Military Academy]], where he was a diligent student of the accomplishments of past generations, both militaristic and scientific.<ref>Optimus Primal's profile in the Diamond Comics-exclusive edition of [[Dawn of Future's Past]].</ref>

Captain of the ship ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'', Optimus Primal and his crew had been stuck on a space station for weeks while awaiting [[Rampage (BW)|additional cargo]]. Finally, they were leaving and ready to return to embarking on their mission of exploration, but the [[Maximal Defense Command Center]] had a different idea. The [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]] had been stolen by [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] and a group of rogue [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]], and Optimus Primal's ship was closest to intercept.

They closed in on Megatron's stolen ship, the ''[[Darksyde]]'', but suddenly the ''Axalon'' came under attack by a [[Buzzsaw and Laserbeak's ship|second Predacon ship]]. The odds were evened again by the arrival of another Maximal ship, the ''[[Chromia 10]]'', which was crewed by its [[Airazor (BW)|Maximal owner]] and [[Tigatron|Unit 2]], a member of the [[Maximal Command Security Force]]. Both of these ships were ultimately destroyed, but Primal ordered the Maximals on board the ''Chromia 10'' be [[Spark core transfer|downloaded]] into [[blank]] [[Stasis pod|stasis pods]] to save their lives. The ''Axalon'' subsequently resumed its pursuit of the ''Darksyde''.

Via transmission, Megatron taunted Optimus Primal and his crew. The ''Darksyde'' opened a [[transwarp]] portal and jumped through. The ''Axalon'' followed. {{storylink|Dawn of Future's Past}}

====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Garry Chalk]] (English), [[Takehito Koyasu]] (Japanese), [[Guilherme Lopes]] (Portuguese), [[Ben Hecker]] (German), [[Pascal Renwick]] (French), [[Riccardo Lombardo]] (Italian), [[Mario Sauret]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Juan Luis Rovira]] (Castilian Spanish)

[[Image:BeastWarsPt1 Primal in CR chamber.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Suddenly I have a lot more body hair.]]
Optimus Primal was the captain of the exploration ship ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]''. Pursuing the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] criminal [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], who had stolen the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]] and a [[transwarp]]-capable [[Darksyde|ship]], the ''Axalon'' passed though a transwarp portal to a strange world. During the ensuing space battle, both ships were damaged and Primal ordered the [[stasis pod]]s carrying the rest of the crew to be ejected into orbit before the ''Axalon'' crashed.

The planet was rich with raw [[Energon (fuel)|energon]] — so much so that prolonged exposure would short out their bodies, so the Maximals and Predacons were forced to take organic forms from the local creatures. Primal took the form of a silverback gorilla. Primal remarked that his new form was "interesting" upon exit from the [[CR chamber]]. During their first skirmish with the Predacons, Optimus ordered [[Rattrap]] to retrieve the pinned-down [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]]. Rattrap refused, resulting in Optimus having to rescue Cheetor himself — as he later said, he wouldn't give someone an order he wouldn't be able to carry out himself.

On their return to base, Optimus was challenged to a duel by the estranged Predacon [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] for leadership of the Maximals. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}} When talking sense to Dinobot didn't work, Optimus engaged him in combat. The other Predacons took this as an opportunity to attack, and Optimus risked his own life to save Dinobot from falling to his death. Dinobot repaid the favor during a later battle atop a mountain, by deflecting a missile fired at Primal by Megatron. Although the huge energon cache on the mountaintop exploded, everyone survived, and Optimus announced the start of the "[[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]]". {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 2)}}

[[Image:TheWeb Optimus and Dinobot.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"Blame Rattrap?" "Blame Rattrap".]]
Optimus's men would often try his patience, such as when Cheetor's impulsive actions lead to an experimental comlink being destroyed. When the young Maximal left base in secret to try to put things right, the other Maximals covered for him when Primal asked where he was. {{storylink|The Web}} This perhaps led to Optimus scrubbing another of Cheetor's missions to install monitoring devices, though again the cat went out anyway. When lightning struck one of the devices, setting up a two-way teleport between the Maximal and Predacon bases, Dinobot was able to persuade Optimus to send a bomb through, though Primal insisted on setting the timer to give the Predacons enough time to get to safety. Cheetor, meanwhile, had discovered that a common energon vein ran beneath both bases — an explosion at one would destroy both — and quickly got rid of the bomb. Optimus later lectured him on obeying orders, but Cheetor didn't seem too concerned. {{storylink|Equal Measures}}

After a battle at the [[Standing Stones]] resulted in an alien signal being broadcast into space, an [[Vok probe|alien probe]] absorbed Primal's form. Optimus was still functional and aware, and able to contact the Axalon to cut off the Maximals squabbling over selecting a new leader, nominating Rattrap to be in charge. An attempt by [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] to build a device to free Primal failed, but [[Waspinator]] inadvertently caused the probe to expel the Maximal leader. Optimus later commended Rattrap on his leadership. {{storylink|Chain of Command}}

[[Image:Fallen Comrades Dinobot Optimus core.jpg|thumb|left|200px|What? Shiny blue gorilla? Never happen.]]
[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]]'s discovery of a [[flying mountain]] laced with high-energy energon resulted in Optimus facing the super-powered Predacon in combat, and almost lost before Terrorsaur had to recharge. As Rattrap's bombs destroyed the mountain, Optimus leapt to safety with the rat on his back. {{storylink|Power Surge}} When the first stasis pod crashed to the ground, Optimus set out first, being the Maximal's only flier, but no sooner had he left the ''Axalon'' than he was ambushed and badly damaged by Waspinator and Terrorsaur. Ensconced in a CR Chamber, Optimus's [[core consciousness]] was accessed by Dinobot, who took Primal's advice to set up a laser link. Dinobot was disabled by a Predacon attack, but Optimus himself was able to use the laser to link to the pod and command it to reformat the [[protoform]] inside. Repaired, Primal flew to the battlefield and greeted the new Maximal, [[Tigatron]]. {{storylink|Fallen Comrades}}

[[Image:BetterMousetrap Optimus in flight.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"Oh crap, we're almost done with the episode, and I just realized my fly's undone.]]
After a particularly nasty ambush, during which Primal was shot down and the Predacons escaped with another stasis pod, Optimus hit on a new plan — faking Rattrap's defection in order to find out how the Predacons had been constantly warned of their plans in advance. Later, Optimus explained the plan to the other Maximals, who'd been left in the dark. {{storylink|Double Jeopardy}} After the unveiling of Rhinox's [[Sentinel (BW)|new defense system]], Optimus and Tigatron went hunting for some Predacons it had detected. While chasing Waspinator, Primal became aware something was up back at base, and returned to find that a "malfunction" had caused the defense system to chase the Maximals out. As it later appeared that Rattrap's attempt to disarm the system had resulted in his death, the Maximals eulogized him, but it turned out he was still alive after all. {{storylink|A Better Mousetrap}}

Out on a specimen-gathering mission with Dinobot, Optimus took the opportunity to give the ex-Predacon a lesson in not underestimating flora. Unfortunately they were soon attacked by [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]], who managed to attach a [[Cyberbee]] to Optimus before being driven off. The Cyberbee injected Optimus with a virus intended to turn him into a coward, but resulted in the opposite effect, turning him berserk with rage. Rhinox quickly determined that removing it would kill Optimus and cause it to explode, removing that option from consideration. Optimus ordered himself locked up, as he was a danger to himself and everyone around him. With time to think, he came up with a plan to take the Predacons by surprise, persuading Cheetor to release him. Unfortunately he then flipped out, leaving the ''Axalon'' and making a bee-line for the Predacon base. After ripping through the rest of the Predacons, he confronted Megatron, who attempted to bargain but ended up instead with the Cyberbee stuck to his back. Cheetor was able to administer the anti-viral to Optimus in time to save him, and Megatron and Scorponok were caught at ground zero during the Cyberbee explosion. {{storylink|Gorilla Warfare}}

[[Image:Victory Optimus jetpack rescue.jpg|thumb|left|230px|His chiropractor just bought a new car.]]
During an attempt to contact a passing Maximal [[temporal probe]], Optimus was locked in his beast mode by [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]'s [[transformation lock lens]] and almost killed by Megatron, but Rhinox saved his life. As Optimus was poised to enter the code to signal the transwarp probe, the Predacons finally succeeded in destroying the communications array, dashing the Maximals' hopes for a rescue. {{storylink|The Probe}} After a spycam planted in the Predacon base showed the results of an apparently disastrous mutiny had wiped out the Predacons, the Maximals salvaged a [[transwarp cell]] from the ''Darksyde''. Although the Axalon was made ready to launch, Dinobot, who had elected to stay behind, stumbled on the concealed Predacons. The launch unable to be aborted, Optimus ordered the Maximals take off with or without him, and went to rescue Dinobot. As it turned out, Optimus was unable to get aboard before take off, being shot from the entry port by one of Scorponok's missiles. The ''Axalon'' was subsequently sent crashing again when Megatron trashed the controls. Optimus used his jetpack to slow the plummeting ship and allow it to land relatively safely. {{storylink|Victory (episode)|Victory}}

After another Predacon defeat, Rhinox was kidnapped by Tarantulas and turned into a Predacon by Megatron's [[Transmuter (BW)|Transmuter]]. Though the other Maximals wanted to rescue their friend, Optimus had them hold back, knowing that Rhinox would wreak havoc in the Predacon ranks. He only gave the order to attack once Megatron discovered that Rhinox had been undermining the Predacon cause. During the ensuing battle within the ''Darksyde'', he managed to slice off one of Megatron's arms. {{storylink|Dark Designs}} A [[Clone One|fake Dinobot]] sent Optimus out on a wild goose chase to find Rattrap. By the time the Maximals got back, the real Dinobot had eaten the fake one, much to their disgust. {{storylink|Double Dinobot}} Rhinox and Cheetor brought [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] online, they took her back to base to meet Optimus and the others. {{storylink|The Spark}}

[[Image:Call of the Wild Optimus Megatron.jpg|right|thumb|270px|Megatron was forced to ask Terrorsaur to take up the mantle of Badass.]]
Optimus headed out to rescue Tigatron, after the Maximal was ambushed while radioing base, only to find Tigatron had gone missing. The Maximals soon received a Cyberbee, reprogrammed with a message from Tigatron showing the [[Brigadoon|flying island]] he'd found. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 1}} Optimus headed for the island with Rattrap on his back, the pair scuffling with Terrorsaur and Waspinator on the way. On the island, the Maximals desperately tried to head off [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], but were unable to prevent her from taking over the island's control center. Fortunately Tigatron's destruction of the island's power source saved both the ''Axalon'' and the Maximals. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 2}}

Optimus was running a strategic simulation when a [[magna pulse]] triggered by Tarantulas knocked out the ''Axalon''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s power systems. He headed out to warn the others and was in time to save Tigatron from [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] by blasting the new Predacon to pieces. {{storylink|Spider's Game}} Another gambit saw the Predacons stealing the [[rectifier coil]] from the Maximal base, effectively trapping the Maximals in their beast modes. Overcome by bestial instincts, the Maximals wandered off into the jungle, and it was only through Tigatron's intervention that they were able to delete the blocks separating their robot and beast psyches. {{storylink|Call of the Wild}}

[[Image:Possession Optimus thoughtful.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Little do they know that I killed Colonel Mustard.]]
After a group of Maximals were blinded by an energon explosion and treked most of the way back to the base, Optimus arrived shortly after they'd fought off Terrorsaur and Waspinator, and gone into status lock. He was able to take them back to base for repairs. {{storylink|Dark Voyage}} During a storm, the ''Axalon'' was badly damaged, leaving it open to attack, and attack the Predacons did. With the aid of a [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]-possessed Waspinator, they drove the Maximals out into the jungle. As Starscream was left in charge of the ''Axalon'', the Maximals surrendered as part of a plan to retake the base. Optimus easily escaped his bonds and recovered the Maximals' weapons, before defeating Starscream in combat and allowing Blackarachnia to deliver the ''coup de grâce''. {{storylink|Possession}}

Rattrap and Dinobot's habitual bickering finally came to a head when it resulted in Rhinox being hit with a new Predacon weapon, an [[energon discharge virus]]. Optimus sent the pair out to find an antidote, hoping that they would learn to work together. When this didn't get immediate results, he announced a frontal attack, and the Maximals arrived at Tarantulas's lab in time to help Dinobot and Rattrap recover the antidote. {{storylink|The Low Road}} [[Snowstalker]]'s death as the result of a battle motivated Tigatron to abandon the Maximal cause. Optimus lectured him that while they were on the planet, they had a duty to protect it from the Predacons. Dinobot and Optimus were subsequently defeated by the team of Terrorsaur, Waspinator and Inferno, leading Tigatron to lend a hand and rejoin the Maximal team. {{storylink|Law of the Jungle}}

When [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] discovered evidence of the [[Vok]]'s imminent arrival, Megatron called a truce, to which Primal reluctantly agreed. Curious as to what was up, Optimus had Tigatron invade the Predacon base and find out what Megatron knew, and they discovered that the aliens behind the strange anomalies were on their way. {{storylink|Before the Storm}} While investigating a [[Bio-Dome|newly-created Vok installation]], Primal was tortured and captured by the aliens, who spoke to him in the form of [[Unicron]], and told him of their plans to "sterilize" the planet. He was barely able to escape before the construct sent a signal to the moon, triggering an activation sequence. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 1}}

[[Image:Other Voices 2 Optimus pod.jpg|thumb|right|225px|"Oh, bother."]]
Returning to the ''Axalon'', Primal found that Tarantulas and Blackarachnia has turned a stasis pod into an escape ship in order to flee the doomed planet. As the planet's second moon was converted into a [[Planet Buster]], Primal took the ship to do battle with the superweapon, against the objections of his crew. Primal planned to detonate the ship's [[transwarp cell]] when in range of the weapon, after ejecting to safety. The plan worked — with the exception of the "ejecting" part. Megatron remotely seized control of the vessel, overriding Primal's ejection commands. The Predacon commander taunted Primal as he futilely beat his fists against the pod, until the detonation obliterated the pod, the Planet Buster, and Primal, reducing them all to so much space junk. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}

[[Image:ComingoftheFuzors2 Optimus surfingmonkeymode.jpg|left|270px|thumb|Funky Kong.]]
Rhinox used a device to guide his core consciousness through the [[Allspark|Matrix]], retrieving Optimus Primal's spark and implanting it into a [[blank]] protoform. Reborn with a new [[Transmetal]] body, Optimus came to the aid of his troops as they were on the verge of defeat. [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]], a newly online [[Fuzor]], took the opportunity to apply for the Maximal ranks by taking out Megatron just as the Predacon leader was about to destroy Optimus. Once the greetings were done, Optimus turned to Rattrap and requested the rodent remove his stuff from the commander's quarters. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}

Optimus would later submit himself to a battery of tests, as Rhinox attempted to find out the limitations of the new Transmetal forms. {{storylink|Tangled Web}} After an attempt by Dinobot to switch sides back to the Preds, Optimus accepted his apology and left the final decision of whether Dinobot would stay with them to Rattrap, who agreed to let him stay. {{storylink|Maximal, No More}} When Rhinox worked out that another alien site was located in an area Tigatron and Airazor were patrolling, Optimus set out to warn them, but was too late to prevent them being apparently shot into space. The plants in the area subsequently grew into another [[Metal Hunter|alien construct]], which blasted everyone present. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 1)}} Though the Transmetals recovered quickly, Megatron was able to use the [[Golden Disk (Vok)|Golden Disk]] to take control of the construct, taking Optimus as a prisoner. Rattrap managed to get on board and free Optimus, allowing the Maximal leader to engage Megatron in a violent combat while Rattrap sabotaged the ship. Everyone was able to get clear before the ship exploded, and Optimus resolved that they would get Airazor and Tigatron back somehow. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 2)}}

[[Image:BadSpark Optimus robot mode.jpg|right|220px|thumb|Transmetal Rippedimus Primal.]]
After the discovery of a stasis pod containing [[Rampage (BW)|Protoform X]], Optimus explained the background of the Maximal experiment to Cheetor. The pair were damaged however, when a fight with the Predacons ignited an energon deposit beneath the pod, and had to return to base. Repairs were made, and the pair were able to return to the field in time to rescue Blackarachnia and Silverbolt from Protoform X. {{storylink|Bad Spark}} Optimus and all of the Maximals mourned the loss of Dinobot, after he was killed defending a valley of [[Protohuman]]s from the Predacons. {{storylink|Code of Hero}} The discovery of a [[Transmutate (character)|strangely-mutated Transformer]] was tainted when it was subsequently destroyed in a fight between Silverbolt and Rampage. {{storylink|Transmutate (episode)|Transmutate}}

The wavefront finally reached Cybertron and help arrived, but in the unexpected form of the rebuilt [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], who had come to arrest Megatron for his crimes against the [[Pax Cybertronia]]. Despite Rattrap's misgivings, Optimus agreed to assist Ravage, and after storming the ''Darksyde'', they captured Megatron. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} Primal was forced to chastise new recruit [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] for his dangerous relationship with Blackarachnia, sending Cheetor out to retrieve the arachnid. After Silverbolt decked Cheetor and went out in his stead, Optimus and Cheetor went to fetch some energon from one of Tarantulas's stashes, only to be ambushed by Inferno. The fight effectively ended when Inferno ignited the energon, blowing himself and the cave up. On their way back to the ''Axalon'', Optimus and Cheetor received some unpleasant news — Ravage had changed sides and teamed up with Megatron. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}}

[[Image:OptimusPrimal OpSit Matrixspark.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Continuity error!]]
The Predacons began an assault on the Maximal base, with Primal and Cheetor pinned down outside. The assault failed, thanks mainly to the efforts of Rattrap, and the Maximals set off in pursuit of Megatron. As it turned out, Megatron had found the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], current resting place of the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s and, despite their efforts, Megatron was able to gain entry and blast [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. As Megatron gloated, a [[time storm]] raged, threatening to erase the Maximals from existence. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}}

[[Image:OptimalSituation Optimus flying in robot mode.jpg|thumb|right|250px|He'd walk through hot coals for you.]]
As a desperate gambit, Optimus Primal took Optimus Prime's [[spark]] into himself to protect it while repairs were effected on his body. The presence of the extra spark caused Primal's body to mutate and grow larger, gaining new jet and ground vehicle modes along with his gorilla form. Megatron sardonically dubbed him "Optimal Optimus" (ironically, no one else ever used that name). Despite the new power, he was unable to stop the Predacons from trashing the ''Axalon''. Optimus Prime's spark was returned to its rightful home, preserving history, but Primal retained his new form. With Megatron now desperate to end the war at any cost, Primal was forced to move his Maximals into the volcano where the Ark's hull lay. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}}

[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] arrived on the planet in search of Rampage, encountering Cheetor. By the time Optimus reached their positions, Rampage had thoroughly beaten the new arrival, and Optimus took him back to base for repairs. Depth Charge rebuffed Primal's offer to let him join the Maximals, making it clear he wasn't impressed with the mess Optimus had made of things. {{storylink|Deep Metal}} Primal came up with a new plan to salvage Sentinel from the wreck of the ''Axalon'' by sending Rattrap down in a [[subaquatic stealth vessel]]. Depth Charge's interference resulted in the Predacon's gaining Sentinel instead, and Primal chewed him out, and Depth Charge said he'd consider the offer to join the Maximals. {{storylink|Changing of the Guard}}

After [[Chak]] and [[Una]] were separated from their tribe, Optimus assigned Cheetor and Blackarachnia, by now part of the Maximal ranks, to return them. Optimus and Silverbolt provided reinforcement when the group ran into a squad of [[cyber raptor]]s engineered by Megatron, however Tarantulas's new [[cyber venom]] disabled the Maximal leader for the duration of the battle. He did prove to have a lovely singing voice when Rattrap contacted him though. {{storylink|Cutting Edge}} Optimus was injured again during another battle to save a stasis pod, and was forced to return to base. Cheetor, despite Optimus's orders to wait for backup, went it alone, and was apparently destroyed while retrieving a [[Transmetal driver]] from Megatron's cloning machine. Anguished, Optimus blamed himself for Cheetor's death.

[[Image:FeralScream2 Optimus gorillamode.jpg|thumb|left|260px|Oh riiiight...''Beast'' Wars. Now I get it.]]
Cheetor, however, was not dead, and stumbled back to base. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 1}} After Cheetor was apparently spirited away by a savage feline monster during the night, Primal demanded the truth as to what happened from Depth Charge. Cheetor again returned to base, claiming that he'd destroyed the monster, but Optimus, suspecting the truth, insisted on viewing the remains. Cheetor was finally forced to admit that the monster was himself — the surge from the Transmetal driver had altered his form. Cheetor's new beast form turned out to be feral, and it was only through Optimus's coaxing that he was able to tame it. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 2}}

Optimus and Rhinox discussed the possibility of removing Blackarachnia's Predacon shell program, causing her to flee when she overheard them talking. When they caught up to her, Primal explained that the decision to remove the shell program would always be her's to make. {{storylink|Proving Grounds}} After Una was kidnapped by Waspinator, Optimus instructed Cheetor to return to base for repair, and sent Rattrap and Depth Charge to mount a rescue. {{storylink|Go with the Flow}} Blackarachia attempted to use the Transmetal driver to upgrade herself, but only ended up beginning the degradation of her shell program. While Rhinox worked to separate the Predacon shell program, Optimus and the rest of the Maximals defended the Ark from a Predacon attack, but to no avail — the power was interrupted and Blackarachnia apparently killed. Luckily she was resurrected as a Transmetal and Primal later pointed out that out that her immediately rushing out to save Silverbolt wasn't a very Maximal thing to do. {{storylink|Crossing the Rubicon}}

[[Image:MasterBlaster Optimus jetmode.jpg|thumb|right|230px|The huge fists really spoil his aerodynamics.]]
Drawn out of the Maximal base by Waspinator, Optimus was hit by a dart fired by Tarantulas, which burrowed inside him and allowed [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] to take control. Primal was forced to watch helplessly as his body was used to subjugate the Maximals and allow Megatron to take the original [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s spark. Blackarachnia was able to free Optimus from Quickstrike's control, and the Maximal leader subsequently fought at length with the newly-upgraded Megatron. The rest of the Maximals were release from their imprisonment in time to help him drive the Predacon off. {{storylink|Master Blaster}}

The tide was finally turned when the Vok resurrected and combined Airazor and Tigatron into the mighty [[Tigerhawk]], who obliterated the Predacon base. Optimus immediately traveled to the site, concerned that the destruction of the original Megatron's spark would endanger history, but while attempting to reason with Tigerhawk, the Vok emissary plunged him into the ground before being captured by Tarantulas. Following Tarantulas's destruction, Tigerhawk accepted Optimus's offer to rejoin the Maximals. {{storylink|Other Victories}}

[[Image:Nemesis1 Optimus unhappyface.jpg|thumb|left|200px|I am Jack's "Oh Crap" face.]]
Pursuing Megatron, Optimus discovered what Tarantulas had found — the ancient Decepticon warship, the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. He and Tigerhawk headed for the ship's location by air, encountering a massive explosion caused by Depth Charge terminating Rampage. Optimus believed that the ''Nemesis'' had been dealt with, until the ship itself rose out of the ocean. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}} At Tigerhawk's instruction, Primal left him to face the ''Nemesis'' alone, and returned to the Ark to start a new plan to try to get the ship online. The Maximals were unable to do so before the ''Nemesis'' arrived and turned a tractor beam on the Ark, so Primal himself flew up to the ship, pulling off his own wing and jamming it in the gears of the ship's pulverizer so that he could get aboard. He began duking it out with Megatron on the bridge of the Nemesis, despite the knowledge he was no match for two Megatrons.

{{quote|'And there came a hero who said, "Hurt not the earth, nor the trees, nor the seas, nor the very fabric of time." But the hero would not prevail.'}}
{{quote|Finish the quote, Megatron. 'Nor would he surrender!'|Megatron and Optimus Primal|"Nemesis Part 2"}}

By continuing the hopeless battle, Optimus managed to buy the Maximals the time they needed, and Rhinox took out Megatron by flying a borrowed Autobot shuttle through the bridge of the ''Nemesis''. As the ship began its descent, Optimus reached out to [[Dinobot II|Dinobot]], who had regained some measure of his old self, but the warrior insisted on satisfying honor by going down with the ship, and so Optimus left before the ship crashed.

With the captured Predacon leader strapped to the roof of the Autobot shuttle, the Maximals at last headed home. Leaving the planet and memorializing his fallen comrades, Optimus Primal declared that the Beast Wars were over. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}
{{--}}

====''Beast Wars II'' toy catalog====
[[Image:PrimalLioConvoyCatalog01.jpg|left|150px|thumb|"And what's that, Lio Convoy? Your toy is now out in '''all major retailers''' and buying it will make children be '''seen as cool''' by their peers? Boy, who ''wouldn't'' want to '''buy your toy'''?"]]

Back on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Optimus Primal observed a warrior named [[Lio Convoy]] advance through the ranks of the Maximal Space Patrol. Respecting him for his strength and courage (though feeling he was a bit too straight-forward), Primal dynamically named him as his successor. Shaking hands, Lio Convoy swore not to let Primal down.

{{storylink|Catalog#Beast Wars II|The next stage of battle advances to the Second War... ...Beast Wars, Transform!}}
{{-}}

====''Beast Wars Diorama Story''====
Some time after Starscream fled from prehistorical Earth, Optimus Primal and a group of Maximals, including [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], and a time-displaced [[Cohrada]], battled a contingent of [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] comprising [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], [[Waspinator]], [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], [[Archadis]], and [[Wolfang (Predacon)|Wolfang]] in a forest. After all the Transformers transformed into robot mode, Megatron attacked Optimus Primal with the jaws of his T-rex head-hand. Primal blocked the attack with his dual Cyber Blades and then fought Megatron off with his Mega Blasters. {{storylink|Beast Wars Diorama Story|Convoy Chapter}} Though Primal blocked his "Tyranno Fang" attack, Megatron was able to counter by shooting a "Laser Buster" from the mouth of his T-rex head-hand. {{storylink|Beast Wars Diorama Story|Megatron Chapter}}

Some time into the battle, a warp opened, bringing with it [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]], [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]], [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]], [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]], and [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]], who were all from another [[Movie (franchise)|universe]]. [[Tigatron]] and [[Gimlet]] also joined the battle, and the Autobots and Maximals teamed up against the combined Predacon and Decepticon forces. Primal and Prime punched Starscream at the same time and then shook hands to commemorate their accomplishment of teamwork. The Maximals and Ratchet looked upon with approval. {{storylink|Beast Wars Diorama Story|Tigatron Chapter}} [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] later appeared and battled Optimus Primal during the next infraction. As the battled raged, the [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] from the other universe came in through the warp. {{storylink|Beast Wars Diorama Story|Gimlet Chapter}}

Megatron brought along [[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]], and the two Megatrons combined their troops into a fearsome force against the Autobots and Maximals. Optimus Primal battled the Predacon Megatron and then Blackout in the ensuing skirmish. The Maximals' savior came in the form of [[Motorarm (BWII)|Motorarm]], who then went on to battle [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]. Primal battled Megatron and Blackout again, and the two factions then took formation against each other with the intention of combining their energies to attack the opposing side. With Motorarm leading the charge, the Maximals and the Autobots attacked first. {{storylink|Beast Wars Diorama Story|Motorarm Chapter}}

====''Beast Wars II'' cartoon====
{{note|This fiction takes place during the first season of [[Beast Wars (cartoon)]]}}
[[Image:Burningconvoy.jpg|right|150px|thumb|All these compliments are making me blush.]]

:''Voice actor:'' [[Takehito Koyasu]] (Japanese),

In order to counter the threat of [[Majin Zarak]], the injured [[Magnaboss II|Magnaboss]] activated an alien teleport gate and transported Optimus Primal from [[Earth|Energoa]] to [[Gaea]]. Upon arriving, Primal helped the injured Maximal to his feet and immediately issued a challenge to the Predacon [[Emperor of Destruction]], [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]]: "You think you've won, but we won't be defeated. Let us settle this. Come to point B-2."

As the enraged Galvatron headed to point B-2 to meet the challenge, Optimus Primal found what was left of the soundly defeated [[Lio Convoy]], buried beneath tons of rock and debris after a crushing battle with Majin Zarak. Communicating to him via cyberspace, Primal encouraged his companion to muster up the burning justice needed to dig himself out and face Majin Zarak down a second time. Spurred by the words of the strange glowing stranger, Lio Convoy broke free from his tomb to be greeted by Magnaboss, who had dug out the other injured Maximals who had also been defeated.

Optimus Primal then made his grand, melodramatic entrance from atop a cliff with the sun to his back, bathing him in a holy glow. The Maximals stood in awe, regarding him as a "legendary commander". Joining forces with Lio Convoy, the pair of [[Supreme Commander]]s then went about developing a strategy to defeat Majin Zarak.

Point B-2 happened to be a narrow canyon, making Zarak's massive, bulky body useless in battle. In addition to that, [[Diver (BWII)|Diver]] and [[Scuba]] did some research and learned that their foe had a third eye where all its nerve endings were clustered; a good hit in the eye would destroy the behemoth for good.

[[Image:BWIIMovieMonkeyRidesLion.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"The fiery ape shall ride a glowing lion" was by far the most misunderstood passage in the ''[[Covenant of Primus]]''.]]

As Majin Zarak sprang to sentience and ejected Galvatron, Optimus Primal and Lio Convoy held hands, synchronized their [[Energon Matrix|Energon Matrices]] and transformed themselves into Flash Lio Convoy and Burning Convoy. Transforming to monkey mode, Burning Convoy jumped onto Flash Lio Convoy's lion-mode's back and rode his buddy up to Majin Zarak's face. Leaping off his back, he then transformed back to robot mode and landed a mighty robot punch into Zarak's third eye. Weakened by the blow, Zarak was rendered immobile. Burning Convoy and Flash Lio Convoy then hovered together and with the power of their twin Energon Matrices unleashed the "Double Matrix Blaster". The absurdly powerful attack blew straight through Zarak's head, causing the monster to explode and die.

With the battle won, Optimus Primal returned to the alien teleport gate and asked to be sent home. The Maximals didn't want him to leave, but he insisted that he still had a Beast War on Energoa to win. He then assured them that they were all such good soldiers, they didn't need his help to win their war. As Primal went through the gate, the Maximals then destroyed the device behind him so that its power could never be used to destroy the universe or burden it with trite crossovers ever again. {{storylink|Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!}}

{{-}}

====Transformers Legends====
{{note|This takes place after "[[Other Voices, Part 2]]", and also after "[[End of the Line]]".}}
Following the explosion of the Planet Buster, Optimus Primal found himself in [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]], where he encountered [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], an [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] from a [[Unicron Trilogy|different universe]], and a future version of himself. The four of them were able to overcome the alternate Prime's doubts about his leadership, before they all returned to the time streams from whence they came. Optimus Primal repeated the whole thing again much later, after his destruction facing Megatron in the [[Council Citadel]] on Cybertron. {{storylink|Prime Spark}}
{{note|This takes place after "[[Master Blaster]]"}}
While angsting over the way the Predacons had used him to access the Ark, Primal failed to notice [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] flying overhead to deliver a device to the Maximal base. He was alerted a short time later when the device whipped up tensions in the Maximal ranks, causing them to fight amongst themselves. Primal fell prey to it for a brief period of time, however his recent experiences with mind control enabled him to overcome it, and he was able to free his fellow Maximals from its grip before leading them in fighting off Megatron. {{storylink|A Meeting of Minds}}
{{-}}

====Optimal Optimus toy bio====
His transformation into Optimal Optimus is attributed to exposure to a nebulous entity rather then housing Optimus Prime's spark in his own body. {{storylink|Optimus Primal/toys#Beast Wars|Optimal Optimus toy bio}}
{{-}}
====IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics====
Though the Axalon's onboard computers original suggested that Optimus take on a bat as an alt-mode, he knew that such a form would be insufficient to combat Megatron. Optimus Primal chose the more powerful Gorilla form instead. {{Storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook}}
{{note|This fiction takes sometime between [[Deep Metal]] and [[Changing of the Guard]].}}

Optimus somehow felt the presence of Razorbeast, Optimus Minor and Snarl as they sneaked into the Ark, even though they were [[Chronal phase|chronically displaced]]. Optimus explained to Rhinox and Cheetor that he felt something familiar, yet wrong... Unable to feel the presence as Optimus did, Rhinox convinced him that he was simply "chasing ghosts." {{storylink|The Gathering issue 3|The Gathering #3}}
{{-}}

====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Garry Chalk]] (English), [[Takehito Koyasu]] (Japanese), [[Guilherme Briggs]] (Portuguese), [[Alfonso Ramirez]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Juan Carballido]] (Castilian Spanish), [[Tilo Schmitz]] (German), [[Simone Mori]] (Italian)

[[Image:Reformatting Primal technorganic beast mode.jpg|left|250px|thumb|See this, this is what a gorilla looks like.]]
Seemingly minutes after the shuttle departed for transwarp space, Optimus Primal suddenly found himself back in his original, organic gorilla body and thrust into a dangerous situation on an eerily deserted [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], unfamiliar with how he arrived there and pursued by an army of [[Tank Drone]]s. Unable to transform, he was forced to flee in his ape mode and began experiencing visions, which lead him one-by-one to Rattrap, Cheetor, and Blackarachnia, before leading them to a chamber deep within Cybertron — the access point for the powerful and legendary [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]]. As the other three Maximals watched, Primal entered into the bowels of the computer, within which he was granted visions he could not yet comprehend, including the prophetic statement that "the seeds of the future lie buried in the past." [[Reformatting|Reformatted]] by the Oracle, Primal emerged in a new, [[technorganic]] beast mode and urged the other dying Maximals to complete their "reformatting" as well. Shortly after this was achieved, the group was attacked by an underground army of Cycle Drones. During the ensuing fight, Primal plunged into a deep pit, but as he fell, was able to master the "art" of transformation and regain his robot mode. Flying out, Primal grabbed the nearest drone and demanded answers, but lost his concentration, causing him to revert to beast mode. {{storylink|The Reformatting}}

[[Image:MasteroftheHouse resolute Primal.jpg|right|250px|thumb|[[Isaac Sumdac|"Must destroy the techno-organic".]]]]
Primal began to teach the three other Maximals the lost art of transformation, which was mastered by achieving an inner calmness and finding their spiritual centers. Though Cheetor and Blackarachnia were successful right off the bat, Rattrap was unable to transform at all. The search for answers lead them to the [[Council Citadel]], where Optimus encountered the mastermind behind the empty Cybertron—Megatron! Megatron claimed he had united Cybertron into one unified machine controlled by his mind, and purged his beast form from himself, however the combination of the Maximals besting his [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]] drones and Optimus's goading increased Megatron's rage until he involuntarily transformed into his dragon mode. Recovering quickly, Megatron gloated that he had done away with the millions of [[Transformer]]s inhabiting the planet, and Optimus demanded to know what he'd done with them all. Primal had to be dragged physically from the Citadel by the other Maximals, yelling Megatron's name as he went. Later, Optimus told the others that he blamed his own failure to stop Megatron for the downfall of Cybertron. {{storylink|Master of the House}}

[[Image:FiresofthePast Optimus runs.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Dull heroic running!]]
Investigation of the [[Cybertron Archives]] revealed that they'd been erased clean. Optimus was so furious, he singlehandedly trashed an entire phalanx of tank drones, and later lectured his troops for their poor performance in combat. When Rattrap and Blackarachnia risked their own lives consulting the logs on the shuttle they arrived in, only to be attacked by Megatron's new [[Vehicon general]]s, Optimus came to their aid with Cheetor, but was even more furious at the loss of the ship and the fact they'd endangered themselves. {{storylink|Fires of the Past}} With the memories of Silverbolt and Rhinox reawakened, Optimus promised to find their lost friends. Sensing a [[spark]], Optimus led his men on a search, only for them all to be captured when Rattrap used a transformation enhancer to transform, alerting the Vehicons to their location. Taken to the Citadel, the Maximals were able to break free. Primal reached out to [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]]'s spark, turning the Vehicon general to their side so that he helped them escape the building. Unfortunately he didn't remain their ally for long, as Megatron was subsequently able to erase his memory and lock Optimus out. Optimus told the others that he had sensed something... familiar about the Vehicon's spark. {{storylink|Mercenary Pursuits}}

[[Image:ForbiddenFruit Optimus takes a bite.jpg|right|260px|thumb| But I wanted bananas! Oh well, these'll do.]]
The Maximals discovered that someone had survived Megatron's planet-wide purge, a Maximal named [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] who seemed to suffer from the same transformation lock virus that the Maximals had upon arrival. Nightscream led them to an underground tree he had been living off. Optimus told the other Maximals they should eat the fruit, but the fruit caused their beast instincts to overtake them. Complicating things, [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] picked this moment to attack. The Maximals snapped out of it when Cheetor destroyed the tree. Following the battle, Primal showed a new talent granted by the Oracle, reformatting Nightscream into a new, technorganic body. Optimus was critically weakened by the effort and requested the over-eager Cheetor to take command in his absence. {{storylink|Forbidden Fruit}}

During his rest, the other Maximals managed to drive Rattrap to Megatron's side. Optimus later convinced Rattrap to rejoin his friends, and reminded the others not to underestimate their comrade's strength in the face of adversity. {{storylink|The Weak Component}} The hunt for what happened to the inhabitants of Cybertron took another step when the Maximals discovered the empty shells of hundreds of Transformers, their sparks torn out. Inevitably Vehicon drones arrived and a battle began. The other Maximals became separated from Blackarachnia and were forced to search for her, even as it became obvious that the factory they were in was on the verge of exploding. After the found her, Optimus froze at the sight of the desparked bodies, anguished at all he'd allowed Megatron to do, and Cheetor was forced to take command from him in order to mount a retreat. As they fled, Blackarachnia revealed that the Vehicon Generals contained the sparks of their missing comrades. {{storylink|Revelations Part I: Discovery}}

[[Image:Revelations2 Optimus waves arms.jpg|left|280px|thumb|What? Apes throw poop, it's an instinct.]]
Optimus became increasingly withdrawn, demanding the other Maximals leave him alone and spending all of his time with the Oracle, experiencing visions. {{storylink|Revelations Part II: Descent}} Confused by what the Oracle was showing him, he nonetheless persevered, and was rewarded with a meeting with Rhinox in a vision. Unfortunately their talk did not go well, Rhinox siding with Megaton's ideal of a technological Cybertron and openly hostile to the idea of reintroducing the organic. Optimus awoke and rejoined his fellow Maximals, who had awakened Rhinox's spark within Tankor, only to find the same thing Optimus had — their old friend had changed. Primal confided to the others that he had realised the true mission which the Oracle intended for them to carry out: to make Cybertron wholly organic once more. {{storylink|Revelations Part III: Apocalypse}}

While they were in search of the fruit tree Nightscream had originally lead them to, the Maximals were attacked by the Vehicons and Nightwing kidnapped. During the rescue, Nightscream discovered a cave lined with fossils, and Primal realised this proved that Cybertron was once organic. {{storylink|Survivor}} Optimus and Cheetor would continue to butt heads over what course of action they should take. The discovery of a [[organic goo|green goo]] from Cybertron's core which caused plants to spontaneously sprout appeared to justify Optimus's opinion they should concentrate on restoring the organic to the planet. When a subsequent attack by Tankor left Nightscream in a [[technomatter]] state, more disagreement over the proper course of action ensued. They eventually stole a mole drone at great risk, and Optimus was able to guide it downwards, unleashing a torrent of green goo which cured everyone. Following the victory, Cheetor told Optimus that he refused to be treated like a kid any more, but grudgingly accepted Optimus's leadership. {{storylink|The Key}}

[[Image:Catalyst Optimus eulogizes Rhinox.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Think this will pass for mistletoe?]]
Believing Tankor to be dead, the Maximals were finally able to hold a memorial for Rhinox. Tankor, however, still functioned and plotted to have Megatron use the [[Key to Vector Sigma]] to purge all organic life from Cybertron. Hoping to force Megatron's hand, Tankor surreptitiously provided Rattrap with a catalyst to increase the plant growth, and Optimus and the other Maximals subsequently had to rescue Rattrap from the marauding vines. Though Optimus turned down Cheetor's suggestion that they use the rapidly-growing vines as a weapon, Cheetor went ahead and tried it anyway, almost spelling doom when the plan backfired. Quick work by Optimus saved the orchard, and he scolded Cheetor before breaking the news that he believed the Oracle had been tampered with. {{storylink|The Catalyst}}

[[Image:EndofLine technomattered Optimus.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Evil evil MONKEY!]]
Despite the apparent tampering, Optimus continued to follow the Oracle's visions, leading the Maximals to the [[plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]], capable of wiping out everything technological on the planet. The Oracle had bestowed on Optimus the power to open the chamber, however Cheetor managed to talk him out of opening the chamber outright, and the Maximals set about finding a way to deactivate the Keys instead. Rattrap, hacking into Megatron's computer, was disabled by Tankor. Optimus sensed something was wrong and rushed in to confront Megatron directly. As the pair fought, Megatron revealed the defeat of the other Maximals, but Optimus wouldn't yield, attempting to reformat his opponent. Tankor arrived in time to use a Key to turn Optimus into technomatter, lecturing the Maximal on sporting behavior, only to be promptly captured by Megatron, who took the opportunity to gloat over Optimus. In desperation, the Maximal leader finally opened the Plasma Energy Chamber. At the same time, Megatron ordered his Tank drones to fire the Key, the energies released creating a planetwide storm. Optimus's body began to crumble before his eyes. {{storylink|End of the Line}}

[[Image:Fallout Optimus in Oracle.jpg|right|260px|thumb| Watch out! He'll start throwing barrels!]]
Though his body was destroyed, Primal's spirit was transported into the Matrix, the Transformers' afterlife. As he and Megatron fought in the void, he pondered if this was his destiny, to fight his nemesis for eternity. Before him, he saw the faces of his comrades, the Maximals, berate him for his poor leadership and near-genocidal behavior. He then found himself back on prehistoric Earth, where a red-eyed copy of Primal attacked him, scolding him for his fanatical behavior. Floating in space, he saw the collective sparks of Cybertron.

Meanwhile, the other Maximals journeyed downwards once more, speaking to Optimus via the Oracle. Primal refused to lead the Maximals, asking only for their forgiveness, but they merely told him there was nothing to forgive — without his guidance, they'd never have made it this far. Preparing to become one with the Allspark, Optimus realized his mistake: his mission was not to create an organic Cybertron, but to restore the balance between the technological and the organic. As he chose life and was returned to the other Maximals, the Oracle congratulated him for passing his greatest test. A forest of technorganic trees sprang up in the chamber around the Maximals, as the Oracle vanished.

[[Image:SavageNoble Optimus contacts Megatron.jpg|thumb|left|230px| Okay, why did you come to ME for guidance?]]
Believing their next task was to find the missing sparks, the Maximals headed for the Council Citadel, only for a [[Grand Mal|giant head]] with the likeness of Megatron to hove into view. {{storylink|Fallout}} When the giant head failed to do anything, Optimus attempted to contact Megatron's spark directly, but received only confused images which didn't even come from a sentient mind. Meanwhile the other Maximals had discovered two more beings roaming the city — an intelligent and sensitive wolf named [[Noble]] and a bestial dragon dubbed [[Savage]]. With Primal's help, they trapped Savage, only to discover that Savage and Noble were one and the same — a Transformer with two beast modes. Optimus vowed to do all he could to help their new friend. {{storylink|Savage Noble}}

Optimus ordered Noble and Nightscream remain outside the Council Citadel while he and the others ventured inside to look for clues to the lost sparks. His orders were, of course, disregarded, and it soon transpired that Noble was actually Megatron, attempting to access his control harness. After using a spark extractor on himself, Megatron took control of giant floating head, reactivating the drone armies and forcing the Maximals underground. {{storylink|Prometheus Unbound}} While rescuing Nightscream, who'd gone to try and find Noble, Optimus and Cheetor were pulled up to the floating head with a tractor beam. Megatron demanded information on the Oracle, attempting to take it from them by force, but they were rescued by Silverbolt, who has been reformatted from Jetstorm by Blackarachnia. {{storylink|In Darkest Knight}}

[[Image:WolfintheFold Optimus and Silverbolt.jpg|thumb|right|200px| I know it's hard not being a badass wolf anymore...]]
Though the Maximals were happy to have Silverbolt back, Optimus was reminded of the loss of Rhinox. Their introspection was interrupted by an attack — Megatron unleashed a variation of the [[Hate Plague]] on them, infecting all of the Maximals but Optimus, who was scooped up by the Megatron's floating head. Inside, Optimus and Megatron argued at length on the topic of free will versus the harmony of one mind. Seeing his Maximals furiously infighting, Optimus returned to them to try to quell their anger, only to be infected himself. Still, with his help, the Maximals were able to overcome the effects of the virus. Despite their success through teamwork, Primal believed that the virus had only magnified existing tensions in the group. {{storylink|A Wolf in the Fold}}

Down in the [[technorganic orchard]], the plants were faring poorly and beginning to wither. Worried, Primal wondered if the orchard was to be in vain. When an extraterrestrial shuttle crashed into Cybertron, Optimus led the Maximals toward the site. Discovering organic matter inside, the team was attacked by a strange plant-creature which headed for the orchard. Following it there, Optimus reformatted the creature into a techno-organic plant. The plant introduced itself as [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]], a fellow Maximal scientist, and revealed that the only problem the orchard had was incorrect lighting. {{storylink|Home Soil}}

[[Image:Sparkwar1 Optimus attacks.jpg|thumb|left|270px]]
Optimus's depression about their inability to locate the missing sparks was interrupted by a vision, cluing him in to the fact that something was amiss. In fact, Megatron had taken two of the sparks and created two new Vehicon generals, [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]], who subsequently almost bested the Maximals in combat. The timely intervention of Botanica allowed the Maximals to escape, but Optimus vowed not to let Megatron violate any more sparks. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike}} Another vision lead Optimus to believe the sparks were being moved. He and Nightscream ventured deep underground to the lost great city of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. There Optimus encountered a giant hologram of Optimus Prime, however it turned out to be a trick on the part of Megatron, who forcibly extracted the Oracle access codes from Primal. As Primal later revealed, he had allowed it to happen so that he could access Megatron's systems and find out the location of the missing sparks. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search}}

The Maximals infiltrated the Megatron's giant head, finally finding the lost sparks. They found themselves bound by metal tentacles as Megatron's spark began consuming their prize. Horrified, Optimus implored the sparks to resist, but to no avail. When Megatron killed Noble, Nightscream was moved to turn his sonic attack on Megatron, stopping their foe as he was on the verge of ripping the sparks from the Maximals' bodies. Megatron thus defeated, Rattrap managed to switch the plummeting Grand Mal to manual control, allowing Optimus to halt its descent. The Maximals later held a memorial for Noble and Primal gave a eulogy. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege}}

[[Image:BMEndgame2_Optimus_spark_power.jpg|right|thumb|250px| Barrier burst!]]
The Maximals celebrated Megatron's defeat, with Optimus assuring the others he could confirm Megatron was definitely dead through virtue of the link to the Oracle which the two shared. However Megatron was not dead, existing as a free-floating spark and though Primal initially welcomed Obsidian and Strika to the Maximal team, they abandoned the cause when Megatron turned up, trapped in a [[Diagnostic Drone]] thanks to Rattrap's handiwork. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}

[[Image:Optimalmegatronoptimusprimal.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"Yesss, I've skinned you and I'm wearing your head as a hat."]]
In control of the Grand Mal and the sparks within, the Maximals failed to convince Optimus they should give the sparks new bodies. He was worried it would leave the spark vulnerable to recapture by Megatron, and they needed to reformat Cybertron first. With Megatron back in control of the drone armies, the Maximals soon found themselves under siege in the giant head anyway. Rattrap's gamble to save Botanica's life backfired, leaving them vulnerable to the drones, who managed to penetrate the head's shields. Despite the best efforts of the Maximals, the ship plunged to the ground. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. I: The Downward Spiral}} Down, but not out, the Maximals began preparing their defenses for the impending Vehicon assault. The shields did not hold long, and the Maximals found themselves fighting against hordes of drones. Outnumbered, the Maximals used spark power bestowed on them by the Oracle to decimate the drones, until Megatron took the Oracle from them. Finally, Optimus was confronted by Megatron in a new form — a replica of Primal's own "Optimal Optimus" body — while the other Maximals had their sparks ripped from their bodies. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. II: When Legends Fall}}

Enraged, Optimus struck out at Megatron, and their battle raged across the city. As the moved from location to location, Optimus found the bodies of his Maximal friends, and found the technorganic orchard ravaged. Returning above ground, Megatron unveiled a huge throne, drawing all of the sparks into himself, despite Primal's protests. Megatron began to reformat Cybertron's core using the Key to Vector Sigma, but Optimus managed to distract him long enough to throw him off balance. Together, the two enemies plunged into the heart of Cybertron and ushered in the reformatting that returned the deactivated population to life and gave birth to the new, technorganic Cybertron. As the surviving Maximals looked out over their new home, Primal and the Oracle spoke to [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], and Primal departed with the words "Transform, and Transcend", as his Spark joined the Matrix. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}}
{{--}}

====''Robots in Disguise'' toy bio====
When a spirit guide was needed to counsel an [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] of [[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|the past]], Optimus Primal rose to the task. {{storylink|Optimus Primal/toys#Robots in Disguise|Air Attack Optimus Primal toy bio}}
{{-}}
====''Universe'' comic====
[[Image:Csoptimusprimalu2.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Look, up in the sky! It's... an ape?]]
:''Voice actor:'' [[Garry Chalk]] (English, script reading)

As the denizens of post-Vehicon [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] just began to settle into their peaceful, [[technorganic]] world that Optimus Primal had given his life to create, [[Unicron]] unexpectedly struck from afar. He teleported several [[Transformer]]s into himself, a handful of the countless victims across the [[multiverse]] whom he pitted against each other in order to harvest their [[energon radiation]] and, eventually, [[spark]]s. Decimated in some unknown battle and trapped between dimensions, Unicron sought to revitalize himself in this fashion.

Deep within Cybertron, [[Primus]] and [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] summoned Optimus Primal back from the dead and sent him on a raid to free Unicron's captives. {{storylink|Abduction|Abduction}} Once inside the Chaos-Bringer, he found allies in the form of a [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and even a [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] from variant timelines. {{storylink|OTFCC Live-Action Drama|OTFCC Live-Action Drama}} But he also found himself discolored by sinister [[Unicron virus|radiation]] that threatened not only his body, but also his spark. Nevertheless, he was quite successful in his mission, battling Unicron's [[Minion of Unicron|Minions]] until he had freed dozens of abductees. Then, still within Unicron, he sent them back to their home dimensions by the power of prayer.

Returning to Cybertron, Primal was glad for his victory, but he wondered if his own resurrection could bring about Megatron's return as well. {{storylink|Escape (issue)|Escape}} More pressingly, Primal was unable to convince the [[Maximal High Council]] that any of this was actually ''happening,'' so he ended up turning to the dead for new troops. Primus gave him a selection of fallen warriors to choose from, and he picked [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] and [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]]. They were to launch more raids within Unicron while an orbital defense platform was being constructed above Cybertron. But Depth Charge refused to take part in more violence, so Alpha Trion took a cue from Unicron and transported [[Omega Prime]] into their dimension to fight in his place. {{storylink|Homecoming (issue)|Homecoming}}

{{note|The tale of the Universe war was halted here for a time, as [[Hasbro]] had revoked [[3H Productions|3H]]'s license to the ''Transformers'' property. But the story would be continued in [[Fun Publications]]' [[Balancing Act|''Cybertron'' comic'']]''.}}

====''Cybertron'' comic====
[[Image:Primal_FPUnivBio.jpg|thumb|left|175px|"Did I say ''Matrix'' of Purification? I meant Fist."]]

Optimus Primal took Omega Prime and others on raids within Unicron's internal "prison cities," freeing more captives. Primal then embarked on an even more proactive venture, leading teams to other dimensions in anticipation of Unicron's strikes and setting up defensive measures before the Chaos-Bringer could gather more victims. Despite gaining more followers in this process, Primal and other veterans were being worn down by Unicron's corruptive influence. Certainly those who had been abducted and reformatted by Unicron were affected, but some (such as Primal himself) who had been exposed to Unicron's nanotech virus and its accompanying radiation were also suffering. In order to avert madness and death, Primus [[Reformatting|reformatted]] Primal and several of his comrades. Not only was his [[Optimus Primal/toys#Beast Wars 10th Anniversary|new form]] immune to the virus and radiation, but it also possessed the [[Matrix of Purification]], which could heal others of Unicronian corruption.

[[Image:Optimusprimaluniverseend.jpg|right|200px|thumb|It's 11:00pm. Do you know where your Beast Wars cast is?]]

Months passed as the competing armies grew, their battles raging on a level comparable to the [[Cybertronian Civil Wars|Great Wars]]. Cybertron itself remained stable, but only for a time. The planet fell victim to a massive invasion, later called "the [[Culling]]," in which Unicron's Minions swept across the globe in a killing frenzy, the sparks of their victims feeding the Chaos-Bringer. Primal's army fended the invaders off, but in the chaotic aftermath, Primal's earlier fears were realized as [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] returned to lead the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s back to glory. He initially fought Primal, but he eventually called a truce to better face their common foe. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 9|Beast Wars 10th Anniversary Optimus Primal's bio}}

Continued raids saved many more captives and brought the Minions to near-defeat. Then as one raiding party including Primal and Omega Prime battled their way out, Unicron suddenly began to disappear. The raiders rapidly teleported away, but Omega Prime did not materialize with the rest. He was pulled in mid-teleport by [[Over-Run (Armada)|Over-Run]] into the Cybertron of the [[Unicron Singularity]], which had been the cause of the Unicron-war Unicron's disappearance. Presumably Optimus Primal made it back to his own dimension safely, but this is unconfirmed. {{storylink|Revelations Part 1}} {{storylink|Revelations Part 2}}
{{-}}

====''Beast Wars Reborn''====

{{note|This story takes place after the events of Beast Machines.}}
[[Image:BeastWarsRebornMegatronArtwork1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Rebirth control.]]
Both Megatron and Optimus Primal awoke inside a bizarre temple-like spaceship which was hurtling through space. Neither had any memory of who they were or how they got there, only of their own names and a feeling of discomfort between one another. The pair went about investigating the ship in search of answers. While Megatron's memory was lost, his personality remained mostly intact: he was more concerned with seizing control of the ship before Primal did in order to gain the upper hand.

They eventually found a data log and discovered that their sparks had been taken and they were reborn into new bodies (unbeknownst to them, bodies identical to their original forms). However, their memories were intentionally not uploaded into their new bodies. While searching the log they discovered that the ship's main power source was a [[Golden Disk]] lodged within a giant pillar. Megatron immediately raced to obtain the Disk and Primal followed him. The closer they got to the disk, the more the ship attempted to thwart their advance by manipulating its atmospheric conditions.

Once they reached the chamber, the ship's environment suddenly morphed to that of a decaying planet littered with the corpses of robots. The corpses came to life and began shambling toward them, intent on eating their sparks. They made short work of the zombies, leaving Megatron to obtain the Golden Disk and Primal with a feeling that he shouldn't entirely trust Megatron. This was confirmed quite quickly when Megatron discovered a part of the ship capable of turning anything—or anyone—into pure [[antimatter]] and announced his intention to use it as a weapon. (Also, Primal somehow got the body of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|his predecessor]] after Megatron started fiddling with the ship's computer.) As the two of them prepared to start fighting, a strange Transformer interrupted them, causing the entire ship to shut itself off (and giving Primal his old body back in the process). This Transformer introduced himself as [[Soundblaster (Cybertron)|Soundblaster]], announcing that the ship's power over space and time was his own—and that he wished to pass it to Megatron.

From another dimension beyond time and space, [[Primus]] recognized that something was amiss and sent [[Vector Prime]] to meet Primal and Megatron within the spaceship. {{storylink|The Mysterious Temple in Space}} He arrived just in time to confront Soundblaster. Referring to him by his true name of Logos Prime, Vector Prime questioned the Ancient's motives, only for Soundblaster to repeat his intention of passing his powers to Megatron. {{storylink|Master of the Game}} {{Storylink|Planetfall (BWR)|Planetfall}} {{Storylink|Miraculous Reformat}}
{{Charstubfiction}}

====''Story of Binaltech''====

At some point in time, Optimus Primal became a member of the [[Protector]]s, servants of the [[Alternity]], a race of hyper-evolved Autobots from 900,000 years in the future who had installed themselves as the guardians of space and time. When disruption to the space-time continuum caused by Ravage threatened the existence of the [[universal stream]] that was the Alternity's point of origin, they dispatched Primal to see to its, and hence their own, preservation.

Optimus Primal's spark emerged in the designated universe in 2007, in [[Doctor Arkeville]]'s laboratory, where he immediately possessed a black [[Binaltech]] body frame created by the doctor in the image of Optimus Prime. Primal proceeded to teleport to [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], where the Autobots had tried to undo the changes Ravage had wrought upon history with [[Operation: Distant Thunder]]. As the existence of the altered timeline was necessary for the Alternity to come into being, Primal used his powers over time and space to both restore the original reality while simultaneously preserving the altered timeline as its own distinct parallel universe, known as Primax 903.0 Beta, or the "BT World". In the wake of this great event, Primal met up with Optimus Prime's Autobots, and was able to drop a few cryptic hints about the future that awaited them before the personality data Arkeville had programmed into the black Prime body shell finally asserted itself, forcing Primal's spark out of the body. {{storylink|Binal Time}}

Some time later, at the same time as the Autobots were trying to shut down the rogue Binaltech projects happening around the world, they also began a series of experiments under Primal's direction that would eventually lead to their evolution into the Alternity. Chief among these was the [[Timaeus Project]], which would generate the [[Alternium]] the Alternity's bodies were compposed of. While [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] was participating in that project, the Autobots prepared to transfer Primal's spark into a Binaltech body to restore him to mobility. Unfortunately, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] remotely took control of the [[Autosoldier]] frame before Primal's spark could be downloaded into it, and the Autosoldiers began to run amok inside [[Autobot City]]. Arcee attempted to come to Primal's aid, but when she exited the Timaeus Project's high-speed racetrack without initiating proper slowdown procedures, her body was crushed by the kinetic energy. In her unconscious state, Primal spoke directly to her spark, telling her to forget about him and to instead protect the project and its scientists, so vital were they were to the future. Reluctantly, Arcee did so, allowing the Shockwave-controlled Autosoldiers to make off with Primal's spark. {{storylink|Unfinished Business, Part 3}}

The Autobots regrouped and went after Shockwave's agents, tracking Nemesis Prime and the Decepticons to Australia. Optimus Prime faced off against Nemesis Prime. but Prime found himself outmatched by Nemesis Prime's power, augmented by a synthetic Matrix he had created. During the battle, Arcee liberated Primal from the Decepticons, and he then meerged his spark with Optimus Prime—something Prime [[Optimal Situation|had vague memories of experiencing previously]]. The power resulting from this fusion enabled Optimus Prime to deflect Nemesis Prime's attack, ultimately destroying the clone. {{storylink|Unfinished Business, Part 4}}

{{note|Optimus Primal was not named in the ''Binaltech'' story, but his identity (implicit in the final ''Binaltech'' chapter) would later be confirmed by the ''[[Alternity (franchise)|Alternity]]'' fiction.}}

====''Alternity''====

Following the Decepticons' defeat in Australia, the alien [[Quintesson]]s placed a [[quadrant lock]] on Earth's [[solar system]] in order to trap the powerful Binaltech Autobots. This lock left Primal unable to leave the dimension, and he remained on Earth for the next 900,000 years, watching as the Autobots steadily evolved into the Alternity and then broke the lock. During this time, Primal was finally given a new Binaltech body, a replica of Nemesis Prime's form.

When the Alternity became aware of the [[Planicron]]s, a race of two-dimensional beings who were attempting to become higher-dimensional life-forms, they concluded that the gateway through which they needed to pass in order to evolve themselves was located somewhere on the BT World. Primal and Grimlock met the Alternity envoys who arrived on the planet, and informed them that they had located the doorway: it was the circuit diagram for the [[Critias Gate]], a super-dimensional reactor the Autobots had been experimenting with at the same time as the Timaeus Project. With a little help from [[Vector Prime]], the gate was set up and the Planicrons passed through it, evolving into higher-dimensional begins and taking the Alternity's place as the defenders of time and space. {{storylink|Alternation}}

===''Robot Masters''===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Yūto Kazama]] (Japanese)

Optimus Primal chased Megatron in yet another time warp into the Generation 1 era. There, he met and joined forces with [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. Together, their special attack was a massive energon tornado called Double Convoy Tornado. {{storylink|Fight! The Group of the Strongest Commanders!|Fight! The Group of the Strongest Commanders!}}

The Double Convoy Tornado would come to be countered by [[Megatron (BW)|Beast Megatron]]'s and [[Megatron (G1)|Rebirth Megatron]]'s Double Megatron Tornado, but emerge victorious with the addition of Lio Convoy's Lio Typhoon Arrow, creating Triple Convoy Tornado Link attack. {{storylink|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters (episode)|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters}}

He also had a temporary virus-induced Black Body form.

{{note|Since both were known as simply "Convoy" in their respective Japanese series, Optimus Prime was designated "G1 Convoy" while Optimus Primal was designated "Beast Convoy".}}
{{-}}
===Manga continuity===
====''Beast Wars II'' manga====
Many years ago, before [[Lio Convoy]] became "Lio Convoy", Optimus Primal was a sitting member of the [[Convoy Council]] and personally awarded him his [[Energon Matrix]] and [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy]] rank.

Years following that, during a battle with [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] on planet [[Gaea]], Lio Convoy's Energon Matrix was damaged by his foe and corrupted with [[Angolmois]] energy. The chaotic energy caused Lio Convoy to grow to enormous size and go berserk. To stop him from destroying everyone and everything, [[Apache]] and [[Scuba]] used an ancient Gaean computer to summon Optimus Primal across time and space.

Primal observed the danger and immediately recognized the problem. Stretching out his glowing hand, Primal pressed his palm against Lio Convoy's Energon Matrix, repairing it. This act disspelled the Angolomois corruption, returning Lio Convoy to normal size and sanity. The deed done, Primal faded away, returning to wherever he had come from. {{storylink|Free the Captured Matrix!}}

Before Lio Convoy and his team set out to the artificial planet [[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]], Optimus Primal showed up in the Maximals' base on Gaea via holographic communication. He warned Lio Convoy would die due to overexposure to the [[Angolmois]] energy if he went to the planet. {{storylink|All Hands, Make a Special Attack on the Evil Planet!}}

====''Beast Wars Metals'' comic====
[[Image:DevilGorilla-sk.jpg|right|300px|thumb|It's on like a reanimated cyborg Donkey Kong!]]
Following the [[Quantum surge]], Primal was left dead. Within [[Transwarp]] space, he found himself being dragged into the afterlife by a horde of monsters. Suddenly, [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] arrived and attempted to return him to life. Primal at first refused, saying he wished to move on. Rhinox then smacked some sense into him, reminding him of his duty to his Maximals. Brought back to his senses, Primal left Transwarp space, his spark being blasted from a laser cannon of Rhinox's design.

Over at the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] base, the ''[[Hindenburg]]'', [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] had recovered Primal's sparkless, rampaging body and imprisoned it in shackles. Using a voodoo ceremony of [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]'s design, Megatron intended to turn Primal's body into a Predacon slave. Before he could apply his mutant blood and finish the ceremony, Primal's spark reunited with his body and upgraded into a [[Transmetal]].

None too pleased, Primal proceeded to make short work of Tarantulas, [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and Megatron's army of drones. He then defeated Megatron and escaped the ''Hindenburg'', rescuing an injured [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] in the process. {{storylink|Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!|Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!}}

In another adventure, he fed his head to Rampage. (Don't worry, he had a spare; the head that was eaten had a bomb in its mouth, anyway.) Later, he ate Optimus Prime's spark in order to become Optimal Optimus.
{{-}}

===''Universe'' CD-ROM===
[[Image:UnivCDROM Autobots.jpg|left|180px|thumb|"Pardon me, just passing through."]]
On some alternate Cybertron, that universe's Optimus Primal was leading the Autobots [[Snarl (BM)|Snarl]], [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]], and [[Striker]] against [[Reptilion|Reptillion]], [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]], [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]], [[Razorclaw (Universe)|Razorclaw]], and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] in the most intense day of fighting that year. Just as the combatants were really starting to beat the slag out of each other, they were interrupted by a mysterious spaceship that swooped down, sucked the [[Decepticon]]s up on beams of light, and flew away. Primal and his troops were left dumbfounded, unaware that the ship had been a tool of [[Unicron]] in his quest to build [[Minion of Unicron|an army]] for a [[Universe war|grand war]]. {{storylink|Universe CD-ROM|Universe CD-ROM}}

{{note|This comic shows no signs of being intended to mesh with any other ''[[Universe (2003 franchise)|Universe]]'' fiction. Given that ''Universe'' is entirely ABOUT alternate dimensions, it could still be a side note to the [[Universe war|greater storyline]]... but no matter how you look at it, there's no way that this Primal can be the same Primal in the main ''Universe'' comic.}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. Transformers'' comics continuity===
[[Image:Historyofcybertron.jpg|right|150px|thumb|]]
When [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]] plugged himself into [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'s deactivated head to download information on the history of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], he skimmed past some facts on Optimus Primal. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 1}}
{{-}}

===''Timelines''===
On a [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] where the Autobots and Decepticons had grown too decrepit to carry on the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], they constructed proxy armies in the form of the [[Maximal]]s and Predacons. Increasingly questioning the orders of her Autobot masters, the breaking point with [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] came with the death of her colleagues Silverbolt and Rhinox. She conspired with [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] and together they killed their commander, Optimus Primal, who refused to turn against the Autobots. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 25|"TransTech" Blackarachnia's bio in Club magazine #25}}
{{-}}

==Games==
===''Beast Wars: Transformers'' video game===
{{note|This game takes place during the first season of ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]''.}}
{{Note|Optimus Primal is a playable character in the Maximal mode of this game, for both rescue missions and normal gameplay.}}
{{Note|Due to the nature of this game, a player may select various individual characters to perform the feats required in every level, and complete the game's narrative. Thus, any playable Maximal can fill the role of protagonist in Maximal Mode, and any playable Predacon can fill the role of protagonist in Predacon Mode. As such, each character's page only lists said character's actions when they fill the role of antagonist during gameplay. To view the various feats Optimus Primal can accomplish throughout gameplay in Maximal Mode, it is told on the pages of the [[Megatron (BW)|several]] [[Scorponok (BW)|Predacons]] [[Tarantulas (BW)|included]] [[Blackarachnia (BW)|as]] [[Inferno (BW)|opponents]] in this game, as well as the game's main antagonists, the [[Skriix]], wherein Optimus Primal fills the role of the nameless Maximal. To view the plot as a whole view the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (video game)]] page.}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Beast Wars: Transmetals'' video game===
{{note|This game takes place in an alternate version of the second season of the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]] cartoon.}}[[Image:N64_Optimus_Primal.jpg|frame|right|Back in 1999, you thought these graphics were awesome! ADMIT IT!]]
:''Voice actor:'' [[Garry Chalk]] (English), ??? (Japanese)

The Beast Wars seemed over, but the captured Megatron had prepared for such a situation and was able to send a message to his past self via transwarp, causing history to be altered! These rewritten Beast Wars came to an end when Optimus lead a final strike against the Predacon forces. The battle was hard-fought, resulting in tragic casualties on both sides, but ended with Megatron’s capture.

After Megatron was secured to the outside of an Autobot escape shuttle, the remaining Maximals were on their way to return to Cybertron. Unfortunately, the captured Megatron had prepared for such a situation and was able to send a message to his past self via transwarp, causing history to be altered! These rewritten Beast Wars came to an end when Optimus... {{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (N64)}}

{{note|Each character possessed an alternate ending, displayed if the N64 version of the game was beaten with said character. Each character has only their own ending listed on their pages; see the other characters' pages for Optimus's fate in those outcomes.}}
{{-}}

===''Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Warriors' Strongest Decisive Battle'' video game===
Optimus Primal became involved in a series of disputes when a super-powerful [[Energon crystal]] was discovered on [[Earth]]. He partook in a series of one-on-one battles, his goal to become the last warrior standing, allowing him to take possession of the crystal.

Optimus could also partake in various other tasks, such as a mission to break a boulder to reveal an energon crystal hidden within before sundown, using a block in a mission to defend himself against various incoming projectiles, and missions to run across a pit-riddled field, sometimes involving hideously large bacteria he had to fend off.

His old nemesis, [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], was the final bot opposing him at the end of his quest. Overcoming his Predacon foe, he used the power of the crystal to finally defeat the Predacons, saving the universe! {{storylink|Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Warriors' Strongest Decisive Battle}}
{{note|Each character possessed an alternate ending, displayed if the game was beaten with said character. Each character has only their own ending listed on their pages, see the other characters' pages for Optimus Primal's fate in those outcomes.}}
{{-}}

===Transformers Battle Universe===
At the edge of time, when the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] needed a new host, Optimus Primal was among several warriors (and [[Optimus Prime|Optimuses]]) summoned from the multiverse to battle for control of the prize. {{storylink|Transformers Battle Universe}}

==Toys==
[[Image:Optimus Primal toys.jpg|right|250px|thumb|There's a lot more where these came from!]]
{{main|Optimus Primal/toys}}

==Merchandise==
{{main|Optimus Primal/toys#Merchandise}}

{{-}}

==Notes==
* The design of Optimus Primal's bat form is an [[homage]] to [[Batman]], an action figure license also held at the time by [[Kenner]].<ref>Page 78, Toy database section in ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]''</ref>

* Primal's gorilla mode, paired against [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s t-rex mode, was inspired by the showdown in ''[[King Kong]]''.<ref>[http://obscuretf.com/hhk/BC04interviews.html Botcon 2004 Interview with Vinnie D'Alleva], p2</ref>

* Indeed, gorilla Primal's original tech specs (which belong to the [[micro-continuity]] that takes place on modern-day Earth) seems to strongly imply that Primal is a building-scaling ape of Kong-like stature. As speculated in the ''Beast Wars'' volume of the ''[[Cybertronian: The Unofficial Transformers Recognition Guide|Cybertronian]]'' action figure guide, this may have been intended to explain why he is [[Scale|in the same scale]] as Megatron, a Tyrannosaurus Rex. This would also make somewhat greater sense in the context of the toyline itself, wherein the leader characters were of a much larger "Ultra" size-class than their minions, unlike their eventually much smaller depictions in [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|the CG cartoon]].

* According to a guide book published in conjunction with the ''[[Beast Wars II (franchise)|Beast Wars II]]'' [[Beast Wars Special Super Lifeform Transformers|theatrical film]], Optimus Primal's original body had the following technical specifications. The veracity of these numbers in relation to anything actually featuring Primal, of course, is questionable.

:Height: 2.8m (9.19 feet).
:Weight: 2 tons.
:Running Speed: 60km (37.28 mph, beast mode), 50km (31.07 mph, robot mode).
:Airspeed: Mach 7.
:Maximum Power Output: 1,000,000 horsepower.

:The same height and weight specs were previously featured on [http://www18.tok2.com/home/jackhama/transformers/bwtcard_1/img/001.jpg Primal's Japanese trading card].

* In ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (manga)|Beast Wars II]]'' manga, [[Tasmania Kid]] calls Optimus Primal "'''Mr. Gorilla'''" (ゴリさん, ''Gori san'') and Optimus likes the nickname. <ref>Page 11, "[[All Hands, Make a Special Attack on the Evil Planet!]]"</ref>

[[Image:OptimusPrimalBMconcept.jpg|right|250px|thumb]]

* Early concept artwork for the ''Beast Machines'' toyline depict Optimus's new body as having a white/silver, black and red color scheme.

* According to his ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[bio]], Optimus Primal is from "the future", suggesting the events of Robots in Disguise are somehow part of the [[Beast Era]]'s past.

* According to his bio in the end of the comic "[[Dawn of Future's Past]]", Optimus Primal graduated near the top of his class at the Maximal Military Academy.

* In his Transmetal form, Optimus Primal's spark chamber is on a hinge in his chest to swing down to the opening in his abdomen. In his Optimal Optimus form, he stored Prime's spark in his vehicle mode [[cockpit]].

* "Powered Convoy", Optimal Optimus's Japanese name, is Ultra Magnus's [[pre-Transformer]] name in the [[Diaclone]] toyline.

* According to the control art of Optimus Primal's toy, his chest originally seemed to be a kind of launcher instead of being an homage to the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]].<ref>Page 50, Toy database section in ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]''</ref>

* According to the diagram of Optimus Primal on the catalog packed with "TM-SP DX Convoy", his spark chamber is [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-shaped. ''[[Optimal Situation#Continuity errors|Oh lord]].''

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Convoy''' (コンボイ ''Konboi''), '''Convobat''' (bat, コンボバット ''Konbobatto''), '''Metals Convoy''' (Transmetal, メタルスコンボイ ''Metarusu Konboi''), '''Powered Convoy''' (Optimal Optimus, パワードコンボイ ''Pawādo Konboi''), '''Beast Convoy''' (''Robot Masters'', ビーストコンボイ ''Bīsuto Konboi''), '''Yvonco''' (イボンコ, ''Ibonko'')<ref>This joke name is first seen in the intro part from Japanese dub version of the episode "[[Fallout]]". "Yvonco" (イボンコ) is the reverse of "Convoy" (コンボイ).</ref>
*''Cantonese:'' '''Odim''' (Hong Kong, 奧狄武 ''Ou Dik Mou'')
*''European:'' '''Black Jack'''
*''Italian:'' '''Black Jack''', '''Metal Gorilla''' (''Transmetal'' toy), '''Optimus Primal''' (Optimal Optimus toy)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Jīn-gāng Wáng''' (Taiwan, 金剛王, "King King Kong")
*''Polish:'' '''Optimus Naczelny''' ("Optimus Primal")
*''Russian:'' '''King Kong''' (first ''Beast Wars'' dub), '''Optimus Comandeer''' (second ''Beast Wars'' dub, "Optimus the Commander")
*''Spanish:'' '''Optimus Primitivo''' (America, "Optimus Primal")

==Reference==
<references />

[[Category:Alternators characters]]
[[Category:Alternity characters]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Beast Machines Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars II Maximals]]
[[category:Beast Wars Telemocha Series]]
[[Category:Children of Primus]]
[[Category:Dimension hoppers]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Maximal leaders]]
[[Category:Robot Masters Autobots]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise Autobots]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:Transmetals]]
[[Category:Universe Autobots]]