Apex Bomber

This article is about Powermaster Optimus Prime's drone partner. For Ginrai's drone from Super-God Masterforce, see Godbomber.

Apex Bomber is an Autobot drone from the Generation 1 continuity family.

The Heroic Apex Bomber What Bombs at the Apex

Apex Bomber is Powermaster Optimus Prime's drone buddy. He is non-cognitive, but he responds to Prime's orders and can be commanded to "perform combat functions," whatever that may mean. His standard alt-mode is just an extra trailer for Prime to tow around. But when Prime is in super robot mode, Apex Bomber can merge with him as Apex Armor.

He has been referred to as a "roller drone," which might mean that he is what became of Roller after Prime's Powermaster upgrade (see Trivia below).

Toys

Generation 1

• Powermaster Optimus Prime with Apex Armor (2003)

When Hasbro re-released Optimus Prime's Powermaster toy in the Commemorative Series, it was simply a repackaging of Takara's earlier God Ginrai re-release, including Godbomber, which had only been sold in the Japanese market. In adapting the toy's presentation for an English-speaking audience, Hasbro was adding a whole new element to Prime's fiction, as Ginrai and Godbomber had nothing to do with Convoy. Thus did Godbomber become "Apex Bomber," which merged with Prime as "Apex Armor."

• More info on Apex Bomber at TFU.info

Trivia

• While the phrase "roller drone" seems to be a clear reference to Roller, there is no corroborating evidence for this connection because Apex Bomber has never appeared in any storylines. Roller was still present when Optimus became a Powermaster in the Marvel Generation 1 comic as a small cart-shaped device stored in the trailer, and of course the concept of Apex Armor did not exist at the time. Later, in the Generation 2 comic, Optimus resembled his first Earth-based body again, and Roller was featured again in cart form. The contemporary toy bios likewise ignored the issue, so make of this "Apex" retcon what you will.