The Energon Pub

[vanisingh96]

I was browsing youtube in my boredom and decided to watch a G1 toy review for Ultra Magnus and obviously the Optimus Prime torso left me a little perplexed. Is this the result of a Japanese continuity piece or was it a cost saving measure to just mold optimus prime bodies and paint them white?

I'm very curious about the history surrounding the toy.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

Welcome to the boards

First of, the first two to three years of Transformers toys (or before the movie) came from pre-existing lines, mostly Diaclone (which has a reboot line running right now) and Microman.

Ultra Magnus came from the Diaclone line where he was a piloted mech called Powered Convoy. He was meant as "upgrade" of some sort of Battle Convoy, the Diaclone release of Optimus Prime. The truck was kept (mostly) the same, and a new trailer was designed to make a bigger robot. Cost cutting? I wouldn't think so, just reusing whatever works.

YouTube should have plenty of commercials for the Diaclone and Microman lines, well worth looking for just for sheer historical value.

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

The Powered Convoy commercial is a thing of beauty

[Emerje]

I really hope we get a new Powered Convoy in the modern Diaclone line based on Battle Convoy V-MAX. Or maybe I should say that once I have mine in hand in two weeks, but I have no reason to think it wont be as good as I think it'll be.

Emerje