Storobia Archive
"Freedom is the right of all sentient beings"
The most complete account we have of the history of Optimus Prime is from the animated series. Here he is said to have started as a dock robot by the name of Orion Pax. Orion was recruited by Megatron but then betrayed by him in a warehouse attack that let both Orion and his girlfriend Ariel seriously injured. They were both rebuilt by the Aerialbots, Orion as Optimus Prime and Ariel as Elita One.
Optimus Prime can transform himself into a truck. The exact model varies, however it is composed of three parts:
The truck's cab becomes the robot Prime himself. This version of Optimus is equipped with a laser rifle and carries his Matrix of Leadership.
The truck's trailer becomes the Combat Deck. This is a remote controlled battle unit armed with a variety of weapons.
The Combat Deck can then if desired spawn the third component: the Roller. This is a small remote controlled unit that can be used for reconaissance and information gathering.
The Roller is in effect an extension of Optimus Prime himself. This gives him a great strategic advantage in combat. The disadvantage is that damage to any one of his three units is felt by the others.
The original first generation (G1) version of Optimus Prime remains popular, however there have been various other models available to buy in toy stores including the Powermaster, Combat Hero and the 20th anniversary version released in Japan as the Masterpiece Convoy.
To mark the upcoming release of the 2007 Transformers live action movie, you'll be able to buy more cool stuff including an Optimus Prime voice changer helmet for kids.