Optimus Primal - Beast Wars - Toys

Toys

• Beast Wars Basic Optimus Primal (1996)

The very first Optimus Primal toy was a bat, packaged alongside an alligator version of Megatron. The pack-in comic book, however, indicated that this Primal and Megatron were in fact new incarnations of the original Optimus Prime and Megatron - before the Beast Wars animated series began and established its fiction. The figure was later redecorated in traditional Prime red-and-blue colours for a Japanese-exclusive release as "Convobat."

It was later repainted yet again, this time black and gray and named Onyx Primal.

Although not seen in the animated series in this form, the early commercials for Beast Wars featured computer generated fight scenes between this Optimus Primal and the alligator version of Megatron.

In a Toys "R" Us Christmas magazine, this figure is called Optimal Primus.

• Beast Wars Ultra Optimus Primal (1996)

Primal's original gorilla body, loaded with hidden weapons and special gimmicks. The toy features a set of spring-loaded cannons which flip up over its shoulders and fire rockets, spares of which can be stored in compartments behind the head, or loaded into the second double-barreled launcher, which flips out of the left forearm. The other forearms contains a compartment with a flail weapon, and features other melee weapons in the form of two curved swords, which store in its back. There is a switch on the figures back which activates the movement of his arms - depending on the position of a sliding switches on either arm, Primal can either beat his chest gorilla-style, or spin his forearms for combat with his weaponry. The figure was the largest individual Maximal toy released in the pre-transmetal era. Because the animators made changes to the model, it was not totally accurate to the animated series - in addition to a "battle mask" and the lack of his mouth-slit (leaving him with a face looking much more like the original Optimus Prime), the toy was much larger compared to the other Beast Wars figures than Primal was in the show. This toy was sold under the name Optimus Primal Black Jack in Europe.

A transparent "Clear Convoy" redeco of this figure was released in Japan in 1997, and a flaming red-and-orange redeco was released as part of Beast Wars II in 1998 to represent his "Burning Convoy" form from the animated film.

• Beast Wars Micro Optimus Primal (1997)

A small, non-transforming Optimus Primal toy that came with the Orcanoch Micro playset. This toy looked like a tiny version of Ultra Optimus Primal in robot mode.

• Beast Wars Transmetal Optimus Primal (1997)

Primal's new transmetal form, released in the "Mega" size class, reducing him in height from his earlier "Ultra" size, bringing him closer in scale to his fellow Maximals as seen in the animated series. Transmetal Primal wields two maces, which can fire from his hand-held missile launcher or store on his backpack. The animated series also featured an alternate transformation for the backpack, where the maces became cannons; it is possible to configure the toy into this form. The toy still transforms into a gorilla, and features a "transport mode" in the form of a hover-board that deploys from Primal's legs. This toy was sold as Optimus Primal Metal Gorilla in Europe.

Transmetal Optimus Primal was voted the 11th strangest Transformers Beast Wars figure by Topless Robots.

Transmetal Primal was later redecoed into the BotCon 1998 exclusive toy, Apelinq.

• Beast Wars Optimal Optimus (1998)

The only "Super" size-class Beast Wars figure, Optimal Optimus can transform from robot to transmetal gorilla, with the addition of land-vehicle and aircraft configurations. He features blast shields that can mount on his shoulders, or lock into his forearms, from which they can be "blasted" off with spring-loaded action, and is armed with a twin missile-launcher that lights up with the trigger mechanism is pulled back. This toy is often mistakenly believed to be part of the "Transmetal II" line, but the box states it is a "Transmetal".

The Optimal Optimus toy was chosen as a hot toy for young African American boys in Ebony Magazine from November 1998.

Optimal Optimus was later remolded and re-colored into Primal Prime, a character created from the battlesuit briefly used by the Predacons to control Primal's body. For this version of the toy, the electronic lights were reworked to be activated by the press of a button, rather than a pull of the launcher.

• Beast Machines Deluxe Optimus Primal (1999)

Due to the rush involved in the production of the Beast Machines animated series, the design used for Optimus Primal's animated avatar was based on an earlier concept for the toy, which underwent extensive revision further down the line. Consequently, this deluxe-sized Primal figure bears little resemblance to his animated counterpart, save in the design of the head. It becomes a gorilla through an unorthodox method of transformation and is armed with an energy-shuriken, which can store in Primal's hip, or be launched from the hand of his spring-loaded arm.

This figure was based on drawings by Hasbro designer Tim Bradley.

• Beast Machines McDonalds Optimus Primal (2000)

Given away with Happy Meals in 2000 was a small, simple, and only slightly more show accurate Optimus Primal toy.

• Beast Machines Blast Punch Optimus Primal (2001)

Despite the new qualifier added to his name, this toy of Optimus Primal continues to represent his one-and-only Beast Machines body, and is sculpted to much better resemble his animated self, although the coloration skews towards an abundance of orange. By cranking his forearm cover to charge the mechanism and pressing his spark crystal to release it, Primal's fist shoots forward in a "blast punch" action, also launching a spring-loaded missile. When Beast Machines was released in Japan as Beast Wars Returns in 2004, this was the figure they chose to release as the one and only Optimus Primal toy.

• Robots in Disguise Air Attack Optimus Primal (2002)

Originally intended for release during the Transtech toyline, this figure was aborted, then revived for the Transformers: Robots in Disguise line, which had proven popular beyond anticipation and required bolstering. Primal was added to the line with the "spiritual guide" fiction mentioned above included in his packaging bio to justify his presence. A practically perfect representation of his animated incarnation, the toy is brimming with electronics-related gimmicks - a press of his chest activates the electronics, then, pressing either his beast or robot head causes the toy to speak phrases lifted directly from the TV series, with Gary Chalk's voice. The figure can launch a disc from his stomach with an electronic blast, and has spring-loaded punching arm accompanied by a grunt. The primary feature of the toy, however, is his jets - by pressing a button on his back, the jets deploy with a constant electronic "flying" sound effect that alters in response to the way the toy is held, as if he were ascending or descending in flight. However, despite being the most "show-accurate" version of BM Primal, the figure is not particularly compatible with other toys of the Beast Machines line as the very large figure is grossly out of scale with his fellow Maximals.

• Universe Ultra Optimus Primal (2003)

A brown, green, burgundy and yellow recolor of Primal's original Beast Wars toy, representing his new body after his rebirth in the Transformers: Universe comics. Although the same size as the Beast Wars coloration of this mold, he was depicted as much larger in the comics, standing eye-to-eye with Depth Charge and Razorclaw, and slightly shorter than Alpha Trion (who may have been upgraded as a Maximal and therefore smaller than his original form, which stood as tall as Optimus Prime). Unlike all previous versions of Optimus Primal, this was sold as an Autobot, not a Maximal.

• Robot Masters Deluxe Beast Convoy (2004)

A newly-designed toy based on Primal's original gorilla body, this "Beast Convoy" figure features over-the-shoulder rocket launchers, two wrist cannons, and a pair of swords. It was later recolored into the "Burning Beast Convoy" color scheme, and again into a black color scheme, as "Black Beast Convoy," representing a virus-infected body, exclusive to Hobby Japan.

• Beast Wars Deluxe 10th Anniversary Optimus Primal (2006)

Representing Primal's new body after he is upgraded to rid himself of Unicron's taint, this toy was released as part of a series of figures commemorating the tenth anniversary of the Beast Wars line. Although the other figures in the series were simple recolorings of earlier figures designed to be more accurate to the cartoon, Primal and Megatron received entirely new sculpts with Jungle Planet Cyber Key gimmicks. Primal, specifically, comes with a hoverboard that transforms into a cannon when the key is inserted, and also comes with a small model of the Axalon. In the comics this toy is depicted as being as large as Universe Optimus Primal, despite only being a Deluxe sized figure.

This figure was quickly recolored in brown and cream and released in the Transformers: Cybertron toyline itself, presented as a new, Jungle Planet body for that universe's Optimus Prime. Oddly, this repaint was in the colors of Universe Optimus Primal.

This figure was based on drawings by Hasbro designer Tim Bradley.

• Beast Wars Ultra 10th Anniversary Optimus Primal (2006)

Japan's take on the tenth anniversary of the Beast Wars franchise saw them remold and recolor the original Primal and Megatron toys in a two pack with more show-accurate appearances after demands from the fans. Primal received a new head mold removing his "mutant face" and adding his mouth slit, and several other modifications to his paint applications. This version was released with a similar version of Megatron in a two-pack as a Toys R Us exclusive. Note that the two-pack version of Optimus is not the same as the one sold alone. The two-pack version is a slightly repainted version of the original Ultra Optimus Primal released in 1996. The same applies to Megatron in the two-pack.

• Titanium 3 inch Optimus Primal (2006)

A three-inch non-transforming die-cast representation of Primal's original gorilla body in robot mode, including a translucent Autobot-symbol display stand.

• Titanium 6 inch Optimal Optimus (2006)

A six-inch die-cast version of Optimal Optimus, this Triple Changer is able to transform from robot mode to land vehicle mode and jet mode, but strangely lacking in his transmetal gorilla mode. Some fans have likened this toy to Optimal Megatron, the form Megatron took in the Beast Machines finale, which was Optimal Optimus without the gorilla mode and with Megatron’s face.

• Timelines Voyager Optimus Primal (2006)

An exclusive toy available only at BotCon 2006, this incarnation of Primal is a retool of the Transformers: Cybertron Crumplezone figure, representing Primal in his original Cybertronian body before acquiring his gorilla mode. The figure transforms into a three-wheeled racing car, and, with the insertion of his "Golden Disk holder" key (a redecoed Cyber Key) into its port, its deploys two massive missile-firing cannons over his shoulders. This contradicts Transformers: The Ultimate Guide by Simon Furman, which notes that his original alternate was that of a Cybertronian Monster Truck. Because of this reference, many fans expected the Timelines Optimus Primal to be a remold of Cybertron Dirt Boss.

According to a post at the Transformers Collectors Club private message board this toy was originally supposed to be based on the Deluxe Cybertron Landmine toy, like Rhinox, but with a remolded head. When they found out from Hasbro they could use the Crumplezone mold, Fun Publications switch Optimus Primal to that mold instead.

• Transformers 3D Battle-Card Game Optimus Primal (2007)

Produced by Wizards of the Coast, wave 2 of their Transformers 3D Battle-Card Game included an Optimus Primal card.

• Knockoff Optimus Primals

A Non-Takara/Hasbro Chinese-made toy was sold under a variety of bootleg and knockoff toy lines like "Beast Tech Robot Fighters" and "Animism Defenders" line which is actually more accurate to the cartoon version than the Deluxe or Blast Punch versions are. It stands about the same size as the original Beast Wars gorilla Optimus Primal and came with black versions of that toy's swords.

A variety of other knockoff Optimus Primal toys have appeared over the years, including a scaled down version of his original gorilla form with white robot features (similar to Ultra Magnus), an enlarged version of his bat form in rainbow colors and a variety of smaller, cheaper versions of Optimal Optimus in a variety of colors.