Power of the Primes Optimus Prime

Wave one of the Power of the Primes Leader Class figures has arrived at Junkion HQ.

The Card

My version came with a card for the Onyx Prime combination.

The Truck

The cab is a great disappointment, with weird proportions and awkward kibble.

The trailer is a bit better, although the front and top look more like what one would expect from a Powermaster version than a classic G1 Optimus. The stickers are as awful as expected,  misaligned, ripped and peeling right out of the box – they actually seem to be getting worse with every release.

The Evolved Robot

From the front, a nice version of Optimus Prime. The illusion is broken by the large pair of legs sticking out of his back. Also, the double opening windshields for the Matrix Chamber are just plain weird.

The Devolved (?) Robot

As a representation of Orion Pax as seen in the G1 cartoon this succeeds fairly well. However, like the evolved mode, the illusion is broken by the entire front of the truck cab jutting out from his back. On that point, if taking possession of the Matrix is the first step for Orion to evolve into a Prime, he’s going to need a friend since there’s no way he’ll be able to reach.

The Matrix

The Matrix of Leadership continues the “nice from the front” design philosophy which appears to be the central theme with this figure.

The back exposes the hollowness of the central unit which, at the very least, should allow for some light piping effects.

The Conclusion

The evolving Prime concept is an interesting one but not one that has translated well into an actual physical form, at least with this release.