Powered Masters of Prime

How about another prototype Transformers design. This time its a concept for a reuse of the Powermaster Prime cab but with a new trailer which the caption says was to be similar to the Ultra Magnus toy just like in G1/Diaclone. pic.twitter.com/D7BtW4c2S0

— TFRaw.com Transformers Multimedia Archive (@walruslaw) December 5, 2019

It's been a while since I've talked PMOP. My absolute favorite Transformer toy of all the times. Probably because, well, at this point there's only so much I can say about him other than the occasional 'man I love this thing' post. TFRaw.com posted earlier on their Twitter a great look at early working designs for PMOP. It's a really cool concept drawing that I would like to see a toy of eventually. Basically the cab and trailer modes hearkened back to Ultra Magnus's design, which in turn transferred over to the super mode for Optimus.

This was a really nice throwback to Diaclone in which the Ultra Magnus/Powered Convoy toy was a upgrade to the Optimus Prime/Battle Convoy toy. Part of me wonders how much Takara was planning on eventually reusing the molds later on. Several Transformers molds got used in later assortments of Microman as well as their use in Brave, which in turn the first few years of Transformers toy molds came mostly from Diaclone and Microman. So I wonder if Takara designers had potential future uses of the mold in mind at the development stage. Mind you, at this point Transformers had only been going on for a few years, and was starting to wane in popularity. What's to say a designer wasn't considering/expecting for the line to revert back to Diaclone at some point?

I heart PMOP

Serious Business

When two become one.

He's going everywhere with me.

Holy crap Combiner Force. I mean, seriously guys, holy crap.

Let me explain myself, I like Combiner Force. A few months ago when the trademark became known, speculation began leading to much shrugging from me. I mean, it was just a name. Part of me assumed it was going on newer uses of Combiner Wars molds, the other part was just fine with seeing what would come to be.

Courtesy of BWTF

Then it happened, NYCC was starting up and news from it began to seep out on social media. I was at work and was taking a break and saw something wonderful. I saw what Combiner Force was.

Know that Amazon commercial where Gary Busey yells at his TV? I totally did that at my phablet.

Courtesy of BWTF



Basically, while some toys just interact with Mini-Cons in the way they have before, there's a new group of figures. I forget what they are exactly called in the two packs they're being released in. However I just can't get over the gimmick. Similar to Energon and Landcross, two Transformers can combine in several different ways. Unlike Energon and Landcross, a top is only a top. A bottom is only a bottom. And I'm only so mature, so pardon me while my inner 12 year old giggles after saying that.

Hehehehehehe.

Courtesy of BWTF

These little guys are pretty basic in design, making for a simple toy one can fiddle with mindlessly while watching TV. Which is what I'm going to do. Thanks to being part of the Robots in Disguise line, the figures have the cool RID visual style, which make these simple figures look a million times better. In fact they look like they could have been late Japanese G1 or Brave figures.

Courtesy of BWTF

Like all RID figures, they interact with the RID mobile game and can be scanned right on in. I wish I played that game more. It's pretty fun. The Combiner Force theme will play heavily into season 3 of RID which according to reports from NYCC will also feature a Deception combiner. That's pretty exciting, I love the RID cartoon. It's a super fun show that keeps getting better as it progresses.

Courtesy of BWTF

Just like I talked about in my PMOP post, these toys are getting that specific fan excitement in me really going. Just like my beloved Titans Return toys, I'm literally chomping at the bit to get these bots. It's a much played out and overused term, but it really is a good time to be a Transformers fan.

Or at least for me.

Many thanks go out to my super awesome friend Ben Yee for allowing me to use his pics from NYCC. If you're reading this, you probably already know about his site www.bwtf.com, and you should because it's literally one of the tent poles of the fandom and I'd highly suggest you follow his Facebook page. It's freaking great.

The God Bomber Gambit

I just adore a good cross section.

I've mentioned before how much I love Powermaster Optimus Prime. It's no mystery, and Robert Stack isn't going to narrate a reenactment. He might say 'open dammit', but that's non negotiable.

But one thing that took me completely by surprise was the whole Ginrai thing.

You see, in Japan, PMOP was another character named Ginrai. When he combined with his trailer, he became Super Ginrai. When I first learned of this in the mid 90's thanks to the internet becoming a part of my life, my mind was blown. But what really got me was God Bomber. Ginrai's little buddy that would also combine with him to form God Ginrai. I quickly accepted it and even learned to love it as part of my PMOP fandom. But the name always stuck out. I mean, without any prior knowledge, what mental image would a name like God Bomber bring?

This wasn't what popped in your mind, was it?

So later when the God Ginrai gift set was reissued, I was quick to jump on it. Then later when PMOP was reissued in the US, it was just a repackaged God Ginrai (of course I jumped for it too). Funnily enough, they renamed God Bomber as Apex Bomber. Apex Bomber became the Apex Armor for PMOP. Which felt like a better name to me.

When I hear the name God Bomber, I think some giant dude. Not a plucky little box guy. Apex Bomber is much more fitting. Actually, Apex really works. I bet his friends just call him that.

The Apex Bomber name has stuck around and been used occasionally. Seeing as Ginrai eventually became Victory Leo in Japanese TF fiction, I can't help but to wonder. What if Victory Leo got released over here? Would he still be called Victory Leo or something different? Would he be called Apex Lion?

Ew.

Looks like a problem with his timing belt.