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#6
Generation 1 Powermaster Optimus Prime (1988) – More Power!
Voting Percentage: 24%
Average Ranking: 8.0
I was a little bit surprised to see this guy up here, especially so high above the original 1984 Optimus Prime toy. But thinking about it, it really shouldn’t have been. Sure, the 1984 Optimus Prime is an icon and all, but by the time the toyline had been around a few years he had vanished from the shelves. Enter Powermaster Optimus Prime, the very first time an existing character had gotten a completely new toy (not counting Hot Rod / Rodimus Prime, who came out simultaneously). And speaking from a German perspective, in 1989 – which was also the year we first got to see the G1 cartoon in German language – this guy was EVERYWHERE. In every store, in every comic, just everywhere. And he still is, as odds are that browsing any given country’s ebay listings for Transformers will produce at least one of this guy (most of the auctions calling him the original Optimus at that).
For many people Powermaster Optimus Prime was THE Optimus Prime of their childhood. Myself included. Not only was he an extremely fun toy, given his ability to link up with his trailer to form a huge super robot (okay, said super robot was basically a brick, but then again, most G1 Transformers were), but this super mode finally gave us kids an Autobot leader big enough to go one on one with the likes of Galvatron, Shockwave, Sixshot, and (later on) Overlord and G2 Megatron. The concept of Optimus Prime linking up with his trailer for a larger super mode has also endured throughout the franchise, as RID Prime, Armada Prime, Cybertron Prime, and even some versions of Movie Prime have taken up that gimmick.
Powermaster Optimus Prime has sailed into the top 10 (and past the 1984 original) on a wave of nostalgia, quite the number of votes and a pretty high average ranking as well. Meaning he fully deserves to be here.
Honorable Mention: The Japanese version of Powermaster Optimus Prime was Super Ginrai, who could combine with his add-on robot God Bomber (called Apex Bomber in the US reissue) into the even larger God Ginrai (aka Optimus Prime with Apex Armor). God Ginrai came in at number 74. The combined vote for Ginrai and PM Prime would have placed him at number 4.
Voter Comments:
- You had two Primes in one! - Marco
- My absolute favorite toy as a kid.- Gaja
- The one I had as a kid, so to me this will always be G1 Prime. - Warcry
- My first Prime and a cool bot to this day. - Leowulone
- My first Optimus and endless fun. Loved having Hi-Q for scale and his enormous guns are wonderful. - Terome
- My first Optimus Prime, thus number one (a definite sentimental vote) - Black Zarak
- Was always a lot of fun. - Exatron
- Everything I miss about today’s figures in one awesome toy. - MK (on God Ginrai)
