Daily Archives: April 13, 2017

Diac and Optimus Prime – Transformers Generations – Titans Return (Voyager Class)

So, we already got a really good looking Leader Class Optimus Prime in the Titans Return line, so why did we get a second one? Well, that is probably because Hasbro decided to make Megatron a Voyager Class figure this time around. It is not very Autobot-like to be the bigger guy and pick a fight. So, they gave us Optimus in the smaller scale so he can fight Megatron with Doomshot.

Optimus is a triple changer this time around. Robot, fuel tanker truck, and jet. This is a case where a triple changer cannot work well three times. You can get one good mode, or maybe two good modes, but you are going to be hard pressed to get all three modes that work really well. Especially when the modes are distinct, and not a battle station of some sort like we have found with a lot of the Leader Class figures. Just like how Megatron was made using what will become Blitzwing, They used Octane to make Optimus Prime. It makes a lot more sense if you look at who is coming second in this line to understand that Hasbro is trying to cut costs by using the same base body a couple of times. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t.

Optimus Prime starts in his robot mode. He has some mighty big shoulders. He is feeling his inner Ultra Magnus on this one. This design is based on the Laser Optimus Prime from the 1995 Generation 2 line, where he also had some big shoulders.

He comes with a blaster (that can of course hold a Titan Master) as well as a neon green sword.

It is hard to not compare this version of Optimus to the Powermaster version, since they are coming out in the same series, and they came out pretty close together. Even with the big shoulders, this version of Prime is a LOT shorter than the Powermaster, and a whole lot less robust to boot.

This Optimus comes with Diac. Diac is named for the Diaclone, which were the predecessors to the Transformers. I love that Hasbro is paying homage to the pre-Transformers line that eventually created the world of Transformers we know today. Back then there were some mish-mashed figures that were out of scale from one another since they were from different lines, brought together. But here we are so many years later under one umbrella of greatness.

Looking at Optimus’ back, it is clear this is no robot to truck transformation we are going to see. There is something more going on, and it looks like it is going to be a plane.

Yup, it was a plane. Not a great plane, but a plane nonetheless. What we end up with is a strange concoction of parts that do form a plane of some sort. Is it supposed to be a fighter jet, a passenger jet, or something inbetween? It is hard to tell.

The wings are extremely short on this plane. That is where we start to get into the trouble areas of having triple changers. The wings have to fold away in another mode, so they have to stay within a certain size, causing some visual troubles. On top of that, there is a ton of greeble on the back half of the plane, making it look extremely heavy back there, and not very aerodynamic.

Moving to the back of the plane, it is powered by just one little jet. It would be hard to move a brick like this, much less with such a small engine. Oh well, can’t win them all.

There is a cockpit way back there that allows Diac to fly the plane. It is too bad the cockpit at the front doesn’t work for that purpose, but with the way the nose is made, there is no room.

There are two ways the weapons can be attached, First is near the nose of the plane. The gun fits in one side, and the sword on the other. Yet more ways to kill the aerodynamics of the plane.

The other option is to mount the two weapons together on the top of the plane and allow Diac to get a little air as well. This looks a bit better, than the side mounting alternative.

Onto the truck. Optimus has been a lot of trucks in his time. Back in 1995, Laser Optimus Prime was reimagined as a tanker truck, and this became one of the fan favorite designs of all time. In that version, the robot and the trailer were detachable, so Optimus could be a robot and have a battle station. This time around, it is all one unit. Unfortunately that means there is no bending between the truck and the trailer, so he is one solid unit.

The truck features a chrome tanker, a very nice nod to the Laser version. No flame throwing Prime on the side though. Fear not, if you want the flaming Prime version, it is coming out in a Toys R Us Exclusive 5-pack with Optimus being black and listed as Laser Optimus Prime. Once again, Diac rides in the same cockpit, this time flipping around in the seat to face the other direction.

The weapons mount on the sides in this mode as well.


Overall, not the greatest triple changer we have. When we look at Megatron, you will see a triple changer that works well, and looks right. There were just too many differences shoved into this guy to work properly. They were making Megatron a triple changer, and they wanted to do the same for Optimus. They found a figure they could use (Octane) to create Laser Optimus as well as Octane, and have at least 3 versions of the figure being used (Optimus, Laser Optimus, and Octane), to help cut costs. This is not my favorite Optimus, and he will probably live life on the shelf as a robot. Powermaster Optimus Prime will be my main Titans Return guy.


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