origins of optimus

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excaliber

origins of optimus

Post by excaliber »

someone tell me if this is anywhere near being correct. optimus was originally called orion packs. but was severely damaged, and was rebuilt to the new body and name of optimus prime. i wanna say that i saw this in a cartoon episode many long years ago. can anyone confirm this????? i need help to settle an longtime arguement with a childhood friend!!!
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Post by Rhymus »

Are you sure you want to jeopardize a friendship that has lasted so long?

Okay, here's the scoop: You are correct, but alternate explanations are also true.

i believe it was in Season 2 of the American Generation 1 cartoon that the episode "War Dawn" explained how Orion Pax (note the spelling--although, as i recall, he did move packs of stuff around that factory where he worked) was mortally damaged and rebuilt into Optimus Prime. (i would have put a spoiler warning, but you knew all that already, excaliber, and anybody who's read this far already read what i said in your post.)

Okay, now here i might need a big giant honkin' SPOILER WARNING. But, this is really barely a spoiler. Dreamwave comics' War Within series was kind of a prequel to G1. In that continuity, Optimus Prime used to be an archivist named Optronix. i have not had a chance to read many of the comics from that series, but i do not believe he become Prime because he was rebuilt after being damaged; rather, the Matrix chose him to make him the new Prime.

Transformers: The Ultimate Guide recounts the Dreamwave explanation, but mentioned "Orion Pax" as Optronix's nickname. In addition, The Ultimate Guide does point out that there are a number of inconsistencies in Transformers continuity.

It also points out, as i will, that while some such inconsistencies are accidental, others are intentional. The anime Transformers: Robots in Disguise (called Car Robots in Japan) starts an entirely new continuity; another continuity consists of (also anime) Transformers: Armada and Transformers: Energon--i think Transformers: Universe is also part of that storyline. Several newer TF series also exist, and i think there are some tie-ins and some new alternate TF realities, but i'm having trouble keeping up with them and which is what. (For that matter, i only saw about three episodes of Car Robots in Disguise, and all the shows since then have been on cable, which i ain't got.)

The bottom line: Your explanation for the origin of Optimus Prime is correct, and furthermore it is the first official explanation. But it is no longer the only correct or official explanation.
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Post by Time Traveller »

optronix the archivist is the comic continuity's origin story. in ultimate guide, simon furman must've realized that though the comic story was thicker and cooler, and written by him, more people are familiar with the cartoon line. so he tried to bridge the explanations in his book. orion pax and optronix are not really related.
as for the continuities,
cartoon G1, beast wars, and almost beast machines are linked.
comic g1, g2 and the new dreamwave stuff are linked.
car robots is alone.
armada, energon, cybertron, and universe (i believe) are linked.
binaltech (alternators) fits in with any continuity containing G1, but better in the comic continuity, since it ends in the 90's, where as the cartoon story extended into the 21st century, and binaltech never happened.
also, the scott ciencin/david cian novel series fits best in the comic g1 line.

oh, and though BW and G1 (cartoon) are linked, Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal are not the same guy at all. Nor are Megatron the T-rex and Megatron the gun. Meg the rex named himself after a famed leader of old (meg the gun). interestingly confusing, eh?

also, check out wikipedia.org for more info... their articles on TF's are actually pretty reliable!
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