Optimus Prime Super Modes
Over the years, it has become a recurring theme for the various incarnations of the Optimus Prime character across the numerous Transformers franchises not only to die, but also to assume some form of super mode. Typically, this is achieved either by Optimus's "standard" robot mode (which usually, but not exclusively, transforms into a truck cab) combining with his trailer, or with another Autobot.
By series
Pre-Transformers and Generation 1
Powered Convoy, the Diaclone toy that later ended up as 1986's Generation 1 Ultra Magnus, originally represented a "powered up" version of Battle Convoy, the Diaclone predecessor of 1984's Generation 1 Optimus Prime, which combined the standard robot mode formed from the truck's cab with the new car carrier trailer into a "super robot" mode. Some fans speculate that Hasbro had originally intended for Optimus to survive the events of The Transformers: The Movie and be upgraded into an improved form, which would have been represented by the former "Powered Convoy" toy. Ultimately, however, Optimus died in the movie, and the Transformers version of the "Powered Convoy" toy appeared as a different character, Ultra Magnus. However, both the cartoon nor the Marvel UK comics presented the "combined" mode as Ultra Magnus's "standard" mode and ignored the toy's "cab" robot mode (which wouldn't be explicitly featured until Dreamwave's War Within: The Dark Ages comic).
It is evident, however, that the basic concept of the Powered Convoy/Ultra Magnus toy inspired later Optimus Prime toys. The first one was the Powermaster Optimus Prime toy from 1988, a brand new mold that featured a transforming cab/Optimus Prime robot which could combine with the included trailer to form a larger Optimus Prime robot. An animatronic puppet version of Powermaster Optimus Prime's "super robot" mode appeared in the new opening and closing footage for season 5 of the Generation 1 cartoon, together with Tommy Kennedy). Powermaster Prime also appeared in the Marvel comics, originally both in his "standard" robot mode and the "super robot" mode, which he eventually used permanantly (whily gradually shrinking in size).
Takara's Japanese version of the Powermaster Optimus Prime toy, meanwhile, though originally designed as a new version of Convoy (Optimus Prime's Japanese name), was released as a different character named Ginrai. Ginrai's "standard" cab-robot combined with the trailer into Super Ginrai, the counterpart of Powermaster Optimus Prime's "super robot" mode. Furthermore, an additional trailer named Godbomber could be combined with Super Ginrai into God Ginrai. Ginrai in his various modes appeared in the Masterforce cartoon. 15 years later, in 2003, when Hasbro decided to release a reissue of Powermaster Optimus Prime as part of their Commemorative Series line of reissues, they decided to base it on the Japanese version of the toy, including the additional "Godbomber" trailer, now named "Apex Bomber". The combined mode was simply named "Powermaster Optimus Prime with Apex Armor".
