Not just from a movie or show stand point, but looking at the figures, if you look at the size of G1 Ultra Magnus compared to Galvaton, they match up almost perfectly. Rodimus Prime on the other hand, was like a midget next to Galvatron. Wasn't the reason they originally chose the Convoy and Megatron figures was because of their relative size comparison? WTF was Hasbro thinking? I remember seeing a still of Galvatron vs Magnus with Prime and megatron in the background on top of who appeared to be Metroplex.

 

Ultra Magnus was a perfect follow up to Optimus Prime. I mean, he was technically a white Prime. I think it could have made the death of Optimus Prime easier to swallow if his replacement was so similar. Instead, we ended up with a whiny Winnebago with red flames who came up to the waist of his main enemy.

 

Rodimus Prime would have been better off matched up against Scourge.

It was mostly to make cash off of the kids. Rodimus started kid friendly as Hot Rod. I always wish they would have started off with Magnus as just a white Prime and then gain his armor at the end as he gained leadership.

It was mostly to make cash off of the kids. Rodimus started kid friendly as Hot Rod. I always wish they would have started off with Magnus as just a white Prime and then gain his armor at the end as he gained leadership.

Yeah I can see that. it just seems like the character of Rodimus Prime backfired tremendously in Hasbro's face. they probably could have avoided the embarrassment of resurrecting Prime by having Magnus take the mantle instead.

Well I bet that if Magnus was chosen they wouldn't have brought Prime back because it worked out well. Transformers would've probably lost alot of fans and money by doing so though. So in hindsight sure we got a sucky replacement, but OP was brought back.

IT was because Magnus was so similar that he was rejected. And, from a story-telling stand point, it also made more sense for Hot Rod to become the leader. It's more heroic that way. It's a mythological theme. Magnus was already a veteran, and experienced soldier and commander. Hot Rod was the young inexperienced kid. The traditional hero's journey follows the young, inexperienced kid being forced to rise up in the face of great adversity to fulfill a great destiny. Characters like Magnus and Kup fill the mentor roles to the young hero. By casting the young, inexperienced kid in the role of the hero, it allows the audience to relate to the hero better since he is the "everyman", and to see the "everyman" rise to the challenge and be the hero instead of someone who is already great, gives us the feeling that maybe we could be that hero and thus we experience those achievements vicariously through him.

Tramp, I was using the original G1 toys size compared to Galvatron. I was never really trying to use Ultra Magnus' cartoon characterization to answer the question. I have a feeling they were originally meant to match up against each other. Somewhere someone at Hasbro came up with the "young hero crap."

 

Toys aside, Ultra Magnus was not that much similar to Prime. No one was bored with Prime. Hasbro just wanted to change things and it failed. If it made sense for Hot Rod to be leader, why did they bring Prime back?

 

I think the shows writing was one of the reasons Rodimus failed so badly. I think if the characterization of Magnus was similar to Prime (Courageous, Strong, Confident, Caring) he could have been well received by the fans.

They brought Optimus back because of fan outcry—outcry of the kids, outcry of the parents. Not so much because Rodimus was a bad character, but because Optimus had become so iconic and such a role model and father figure to children that his death had caused a lot of trauma to these kids, which is something Hasbro had not expected. Rodimus was never really given the chance to become a great leader because everyone wanted Optimus back.

 

As for Magnus, he really isn't all that similar to Prime. He's a consumate soldier who does not like command. He's very uncomfortable in that role. Magnus was a good field commander, but he personally felt inadequate in that role. Optimus wore the mantle of command very comfortably. He was a statesman, a military commander, a skilled orator, a negotiator, a mediator. Magnus was a good soldier and NCO; the Command Sergeant Major to Prime's "General". Rodimus was meant to fill Optimus' shoes, something that would have been nearly impossible for anyone to fill in the eyes of kids and parents alike.

If you go off the bios on the boxes of these figures, Ultra Magnus was city commander for Metroplex and Galvatron was city commander for Trypticon. Go fig :shrug

If you go off the bios on the boxes of these figures, Ultra Magnus was city commander for Metroplex and Galvatron was city commander for Trypticon. Go fig :shrug

This makes sense. I have the purple Takara Reissue Galvatron and I have an Original Ultra Magnus, but don't have the original box/bios. I remember reading somewhere that he was "city Commander." I guess commanding a city doesn't pull much weight in Hasbro's eyes to be leader of the Autobots.

It's like if Magnus was a mayor while Prime was president.