WELCOME!It's your friendly neighborhood
megatronus here, and I'm honored to bring you a momentous, subjective, and totally non-scientific Top 5 'Black Convoy' toys list!
Before we get into the nitty gritty, a few disclaimers. First, many modern 'Black Convoy' toys are overseas or convention exclusives (or both!), and I apologize if some of my selections are inaccessible as a result. Second, the brief history below represents my own limited knowledge - if I'm wrong on the facts, I welcome your corrections. Finally, as with all Top 5 lists, this list is solely representative of the author's opinions and sensibilities. I invite you to disagree with my choices and post your own personal favorites in the thread below.
BACKGROUNDLet's dive into a brief history and taxonomy of black Optimus Prime repaints. From my amateur perspective, the
platonic ideal of 'Black Convoy' draws from 3 main sources:
History Lesson 1: 2001 C-307X Nucleon Quest Optimus PrimeReleased as a TRU exclusive in Japan circa 2001, this redeco of Takara's 1988 Super Ginrai was later recolored into Fire Guts Super Ginrai (2002) and Commemorative Series II Powermaster Optimus Prime (2003). Like his brethren, Nucleon Quest Optimus Prime is a good guy; his tech spec states he's merely Convoy in sexy black undergarments:
Tech Spec wrote:Abilities: In order for him to extract the super-energy "Nucleon" that exists in black holes, his entire structure is now protected by a phase modulation shield. He can now carry out activity in super-gravitic environments.
Despite remaining the same Prime we all know and love, this impressive 'Black Convoy' introduces details that would become hallmarks of 'Black Convoy' toys to come, notably the red chest and chrome/silver accents.
Nucleon Quest? Would could possibly go wrong???This character is a titan in the minds of many 'Black Convoy' collectors. He's not a Prime at all, but rather an entirely separate character in the vaulted
Robots In Disguise cartoon of the early aughts. A protoform corrupted with Decepticon programming scanned Optimus Prime, and the no-good copy-cat doppelgänger Scourge emerged, to great fanfare.
Despite his grim if unoriginal backstory (gasp! evil clone!) and distinct character model (he's not a straight RID Optimus redeco), Scourge is notable for his use of the G2 Optimus Prime mold - a figure ahead of its time. Plus, Scourge introduces prominent teals to the 'Black Convoy' equation.
Stand tall, not-quite-Prime. Stand tall.Nemesis Prime marries the simple black redeco concept a la Nucleon Quest Convoy and the evil doppelgänger aspects of Scourge (in fact, his Japanese name is 'Scourge'). Throw in a Unicronian origin (this is Transformers Armada after all) and behold! You have the makings of an epic destroyer.
Unlike RID Scourge, Armada Nemesis Prime is an entity of Unicron. But, like RID Scourge, Nemesis takes form by scanning Optimus Prime, the most respected of the Transformers, and becoming his duplicate. Plus, Nemesis can reconstruct himself - he's one bad mama jama.
Nemesis blends design cues from both Nucleon Convoy AND Scourge - we now have the teals and red chest in a single glorious repaint. Well, actually, multiple repaints; the Nemesis Prime character would see other black, red, and teal incarnations within his native Unicron Trilogy continuity (*cough*
Universe Nemesis Prime (2003) *cough*), grounding the Nemesis character into the fandom's collective consciousness.
Will you be my Nemesis?Did I say history? What I meant was complicated. The rest is complicated.
Post-Armada, a gaggle of 'Black Convoy' toys took on a muted teal and blue deco reminiscent of Scourge's infamous RID cartoon appearance. That's right, I'm looking at you,
Nightwatch Optimus Prime (2008),
Binaltech Nemesis Prime (2007) and
SDCC Nemesis Prime (2008). Interestingly, the two Nemesis bios introduce non-Unicronian origins by way of Dr. Arkeville and Straxus, respectively, further muddling the difference between the formerly distinctive Scourge and Nemesis Prime characters.
After this
blue period, out came
MP1B Masterpiece Optimus Prime Black Version (2009). This figure dons the Nemesis deco, but, like Nightwatch Prime, it's not evil. It's an, err,
Eldedroid. Or something.
Since MP1B, Nemesis-decoed Optimi have cropped up every now and then, including
TA-01 Optimus Prime Black Ver. (2010),
DOTM Jetwing Optimus Prime Black Ver. (2011), and AoE Black Knight Optimus Prime (2015). Good black Optimus Primes also occasionally assume a black, gold, and blue deco, as per
ROTF Optimus Prime Black Ver. (2009) and the more recent Elite Guard Optimus Prime (from the TF:Prime first edition voyager).
Nope. Not evil.But, yes! Even after all that
mishigas, evil 'Black Convoy' toys since 2009 have generally rolled up a Scourge-type evil clone backstory in a straight Nemesis-style repaint. There are exceptions (i.e.
Lawson exclusives), but black, red, and teal dominate the 'Black Convoy' scene - be it a Nemesis, Scourge, Dark Side, or even just a boring (but beautiful), run-of-the-mill black version of Optimus Prime.
THE LISTFinally, dear readers, we arrive at the main event - the list of Top 5 'Black Convoy' toys!
Behold! That long slog did not go to waste; it makes my explanation of inclusion criteria that much simpler. You see, for the purposes of this list, I will only consider 'Black Convoys' that check the following two boxes:
***Predominantly black, teal, and red color scheme
***Wicked...
looking - that is to say, they may be Autobot aligned, but I could reasonably fudge them for inclusion on a Nemesis shelf for their sheer bad-ass-ery.
To the list!
#5: AD-31B Movie Advanced Black Knight Optimus PrimeThe simplified style of Age of Extinction toys (a conversation best left for another day) gave us an underwhelming Leader Class Optimus Prime: smaller, lighter, and less complex. Takara jumped on what they clearly saw as an opportunity. They remolded Optimus's chest, gave him articulated wrists & hands, and designed a brand new head sculpt with an interchangeable face. In so doing, Takara saved this figure in the hearts and minds of many collectors.
Then, they painted him black.
Still an Autobot, sure. But now this is an Optimus worthy of "GIVE ME YOUR FACE!" Between the Takara upgrades, sharp deco, translucent red weapons, and a mean looking face, this figure quickly became one of my favorite 'Black Convoy' toys.
#4: Universe Nemesis PrimeA lot has been written about Beast Wars Neo Big Convoy - such is the fate of kibble-tastic shell-formers. But that does not change the fact that this Big Convoy redeco is a beast! Also, he plays an important role in the fiction: Armada Nemesis Prime underwent several iterations within the Unicron Trilogy continuity, and this, boys and girls, is one of them.
Not to mention that this Nemesis Prime - one of the first - is an incredibly fun toy. Between the viking-esque horns, massive gun, and blood red matrix, this surprisingly well articulated recycle of the older Beast Wares Neo figure is the perfect vessel for a bad as bones Nemesis.
Speaking of which, he gets major points for the PG13 blood on those horns, which look evil as all heck. You don't want to be caught out alone on the icy tundra, that's for sure.
#3: Transformers GO! Hunter Nemesis PrimeWhen Optimus received his life-saving upgrade at the outset of Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters, I knew we'd get a big beefy toy to match Prime's new on-screen chassis. What I didn't realize at the time was how awesome Optimus's new beefy template would make Nemesis.
In this age of 'big-bads' being physically bigger (and badder), having a brute of a Nemesis is wonderful. He looks tough, a look accentuated by his jagged chest spikes and Megatron-esque pylon shoulders. Nemesis's sword, which in his hands resembles more of a hatchet or machette, only enhances and rounds out this characterization. Then you have the great battle mask, a significant improvement over the original toy's Optimus face, which I can only describe, generously, as derpy. All together, this Nemesis just kills it, in the best way possible.
#2: Tokyo Toy Show United Black Optimus PrimeThis one's a Classic. Literally.
Coming some years off the heals of the previous reigning black Classics Prime, SDCC Nemesis Prime (see Blue Period, above), this figure updates this 'Black Convoy' with the more modern, distinctly Nemesis deco. The teals and reds pop, and the greys add some dimension to Prime's black palette.
One of the reasons I selected this figure is just how
well the Classics Prime mold has held up all these years. Especially in an environment where so many current lines (Combiner Wars, Titans Return) hark back to G1, the Classics sensibility of updating characters in new ways gives this 'Black Convoy' a sense of being more a Prime look-a-like than the genuine article, which suits this sinister, Decepticon-branded evil Prime just fine on my shelf.
#1: Tokyo Toy Show United Darkside Optimus PrimeWelcome to the dark side! For me, it was really no contest - I love this 'Black Convoy', a lovely and fantastically well done redeco of the War For Cybertron deluxe Optimus Prime figure.
The perennially-popular War For Cybertron design grants this Prime a uniquely organic look. From the panel lines on his battle mask, to the contours of his chest cavity, all the way down to his leg panels, this Prime exudes elegance. His flared out shoulders blend naturally with back wheel kibble, which fills out his form and complements his rather graceful stature. All this, combined with a sharp-as-a-knife metallic paint job, and this Darkside 'Black Convoy' packs an out-sized punch for a relatively small deluxe figure.
And yet, with all of these wonderful design cues, we still have a mean, dark, or perhaps downright evil expression. Through the prism of his organic lines, his glare screams of a singular focus and unbridled rage. Of all of the 'Black Convoys' on my list, I consider this one to be the most dangerous. #1, all the way.
Photo Credit: ThunderCougar @ DeviantArtYes, there were several 'Black Convoy' figures that didn't make the cut - they were lean, they were mean, but each had something that made me say, 'ehhh...' They are:
-Jetwing Optimus Prime, Black Version: this mold is awesome, this figure is awesome. You know what's not awesome? His lack of battle mask. Had to deduct some badass points for that.
-RID Scourge: yes, he's a progenitor of the 'Black Convoy' genre, and he has aged well - but still, he's a tad too old school for my tastes. I know he would easily make others' lists, just not mine.
-TFCC TFSS 1.0 -OR-
LG EX Scourge: the black versions of RTS Laser Prime figure are fierce, but in a scrappy way. I have a harder time finding this mold menacing, even if he checks off several boxes.
-TA01 Animated Optimus Prime, Black Version: this figure is very nearly the complete package, but his huge Autobot symbol really throws me off. His giant axe alone made this figure the hardest call.
-MP10B Black Convoy: this mold is a benchmark in design, and he even has the molded Decepticon symbol. My issue is his head sculpt; it's too neutral, too gentle. Not evil enough - my puppy dog looks meaner than MP10B.
Don't give me that look.That's my list! I hope you enjoyed it.
Did I miss your favorite 'Black Convoy'? Share it with us below, and stay tuned to Seibertron.com for all the latest Transformers news, and the best galleries around!
Awesome list megatronus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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...an epic looking figure...'nuff said! 
