Ultra Magnus

[monstergrotusque]

Sometimes, I like to imagine that Ultra Magnus is in the war room discussing strategy with the other Autobot commanders when he suddenly becomes bored with the whole process. Using all the stealth and cunning in his personal skill set, he pops opens the butt flap on his armor and sneaks out the back.

I further like to think that once free of the pressures of leadership, Ultra Magnus takes a moment to reflect on what this Cybertronian civil war is all about. I figure maybe he goes where ever Prime's much neglected trailer goes when he's in robot mode. Unbeknownst to anyone, he pulls Prime's trailer around and around, enjoying the simplicity of a trailer that doesn't expect so much out of him. Having renewed his spark however briefly, he crawls back in the trap door of his armor, adjourns the meeting, and returns to the battlefield with a reinvigorated sense of purpose.

 

Perhaps I have too much time to daydream....

 

Frikin hilarious!!:D

[Jason X]

Sometimes, I like to imagine that Ultra Magnus is in the war room discussing strategy with the other Autobot commanders when he suddenly becomes bored with the whole process. Using all the stealth and cunning in his personal skill set, he pops opens the butt flap on his armor and sneaks out the back.

I further like to think that once free of the pressures of leadership, Ultra Magnus takes a moment to reflect on what this Cybertronian civil war is all about. I figure maybe he goes where ever Prime's much neglected trailer goes when he's in robot mode. Unbeknownst to anyone, he pulls Prime's trailer around and around, enjoying the simplicity of a trailer that doesn't expect so much out of him. Having renewed his spark however briefly, he crawls back in the trap door of his armor, adjourns the meeting, and returns to the battlefield with a reinvigorated sense of purpose.

 

Perhaps I have too much time to daydream....

 

Frikin hilarious!!:D

 

Thanks Bro!

[Starscream4life69]

I never understood why people insist on calling Ultra Magnus just Magnus when he's without his armor.

 

We don't call Optimus Prime just Optimus when he's not combined with his trailer. If I remember correctly then we hardly saw G1 powermaster Optimus Prime in his non-combined mode. But even so, there's no name change with Optimus Prime when he combines (or discombines) with his trailer In any of the incarnations (G1, RiD, Armada, Energon, Cybertron) so why should Ultra Magnus be any different?

 

 

It's so just a basic design robot used by several TF's (like so many other designs: seekers, casettes, the lamborghini's) and UM at one time for some reason got a new trailer and the ability to combine with this.

 

:agree

[Liege Evilmus]

I never understood why people insist on calling Ultra Magnus just Magnus when he's without his armor.

 

We don't call Optimus Prime just Optimus when he's not combined with his trailer. If I remember correctly then we hardly saw G1 powermaster Optimus Prime in his non-combined mode. But even so, there's no name change with Optimus Prime when he combines (or discombines) with his trailer In any of the incarnations (G1, RiD, Armada, Energon, Cybertron) so why should Ultra Magnus be any different?

 

 

It's so just a basic design robot used by several TF's (like so many other designs: seekers, casettes, the lamborghini's) and UM at one time for some reason got a new trailer and the ability to combine with this.

 

:agree

 

Cause Prime is a leadership title. "Magnus" didn't become one till Animated "Prime" is a rank, the trailer or combination has no influence there, thats why he's just in "super mode" when he combines with his trailer.

 

I'll go one step further and say in the Japan import shows that when he does combine with another character, there is a name change or mode upgrade.

 

So really the comparison is nill between Optimus and Magnus there.

 

As for me at least, calling a plain white optimus simply Magnus is a way to justify the 50% homagewhile maybe giving a real boring character some development and depth.

 

As for it being just another repaint, well, it isn't outside the cab. We all know the diaclone history of the figure itself so no need for all that, but a fun fact about G1. After the line was established as something that could stand on it's own(1986) Hasbro stopped repainting figures until the micromasters came along. Beyond that a figure that was reissued was retooled not redecoed.

 

It's just one of those things that makes Ultra Magnus unique as it was a rare retool as well as a repaint, and proof that Hasbro can make some awesome figures without having to whore out repainted versions of every little thing :P

[Rawhide]

I never understood why people insist on calling Ultra Magnus just Magnus when he's without his armor.

 

We don't call Optimus Prime just Optimus when he's not combined with his trailer. If I remember correctly then we hardly saw G1 powermaster Optimus Prime in his non-combined mode. But even so, there's no name change with Optimus Prime when he combines (or discombines) with his trailer In any of the incarnations (G1, RiD, Armada, Energon, Cybertron) so why should Ultra Magnus be any different?

 

 

It's so just a basic design robot used by several TF's (like so many other designs: seekers, casettes, the lamborghini's) and UM at one time for some reason got a new trailer and the ability to combine with this.

 

Cause Prime is a leadership title. "Magnus" didn't become one till Animated "Prime" is a rank, the trailer or combination has no influence there, thats why he's just in "super mode" when he combines with his trailer.

 

I'll go one step further and say in the Japan import shows that when he does combine with another character, there is a name change or mode upgrade.

 

So really the comparison is nill between Optimus and Magnus there.

 

 

It's true that Prime is a leadership title, but my point was that there was no name change when Optimus is in his smaller mode or combined with his trailer (when he has that ability). It's not suddenly Ultra Optimus (Prime).

 

Well, at least in the western TF's there's no name change when Optimus combines. Japan no doubt subscribes a name to Optimus his combination, but they even give a name to a punch or a kick when it's used to floor an enemy.

[Liege Evilmus]

but there is, it's refered to as supermode or Apex mode

 

Then lets see there was

Omega Prime

Jet Convoy(later Jet Prime)

Ironicly Ultra Magnus

Powerlinx Prime (Wing Saber in either mode)

Omega Optimus Supreme

Savage Claw Mode

Sonic Wing Mode

Power Up Convoy

 

Theres plenty of name changes. The fact is though, his name is Optimus, his title is Prime cause he's the leader. Having a trailer attached doesn't make him more in command, he's still a Prime.

[Rawhide]

but there is, it's refered to as supermode

That's not a name, but a description. Same as "powerlinx" in Armada or "super(mode)" in RiD and the car brother in RiD didn't merge with nothing but were still refered to as super X-Brawn/Sideburn/Prowl.

 

or Apex mode

1) That's not Prime, but Ginrai ;)

2) The apex mode is a combination of Ginrai (PM Optimus Prime) and the Godbomber thingy. Granted, it's a lifeless bomber thingy.

3) It's Japanese version, not western: Japanese even have a name for a kick or a strike.

4) Again, not a name but a description

 

Then lets see there was:

 

Omega Prime

Jet Convoy(later Jet Prime)

Ironicly Ultra Magnus

Powerlinx Prime (Wing Saber in either mode)

Omega Optimus Supreme

Savage Claw Mode

Sonic Wing Mode

Power Up Convoy

 

 

Omega Prime

- RiD Optimus merged with Ultra Magnus

 

Jet Convoy(later Jet Prime)

- A Optimus merged with Jetfire (and Overload)

 

Ironicly Ultra Magnus

- To all knowledge, Ultra Magnus is actually his name and not an indication whether or not he's combined with his trailer: the majority of the Ultra MAgnus figures can't even combine with their trailer.

 

Powerlinx Prime (Wing Saber in either mode)

- A.k.a. Armada Final Battle Optimus Prime, naming independent of combined mode or not.

- E Optimus combined with Wing Saber

 

Omega Optimus Supreme

- E Optimus merged with Omega Supreme

 

Savage Claw Mode

- C Optimus merged with Leobreaker

 

Sonic Wing Mode

- C Optimus merged with Wing Saber

 

 

Power Up Convoy

- No idea who/what this is... (But is does sound like a description and not a name.)

 

All the suggestion above (that I can place) are not a name change because he's combined with his trailer, but either an upgrade version (independent whether or not he combined with his trailer) or a combination with another sentient TF. (And we don't refer to scrapper as Scrapper (single bot) and Scrapper-Devastator (combined mode).)

 

The fact is though, his name is Optimus, his title is Prime cause he's the leader. Having a trailer attached doesn't make him more in command, he's still a Prime.

Not discussing that. Just the fan difference of naming differating between Magnus and Ultra Magnus depending on whether or not he's combined, and not doing the same for Optimus.

[Tripredacus]

This may explain why he is called Ultra Magnus in the first place. With exception to the Beast Wars character, the Diaclone name for UM is Powered Convoy. Probably be too confusing. If it could be before its time, Powered Convoy (Ultra Magnus) could have been a Convoy/Prime upgrade, but he's actually just a separate guy instead.

[Liege Evilmus]

but there is, it's refered to as supermode

That's not a name, but a description. Same as "powerlinx" in Armada or "super(mode)" in RiD and the car brother in RiD didn't merge with nothing but were still refered to as super X-Brawn/Sideburn/Prowl.

 

or Apex mode

1) That's not Prime, but Ginrai ;)

2) The apex mode is a combination of Ginrai (PM Optimus Prime) and the Godbomber thingy. Granted, it's a lifeless bomber thingy.

3) It's Japanese version, not western: Japanese even have a name for a kick or a strike.

4) Again, not a name but a description

 

Then lets see there was:

 

Omega Prime

Jet Convoy(later Jet Prime)

Ironicly Ultra Magnus

Powerlinx Prime (Wing Saber in either mode)

Omega Optimus Supreme

Savage Claw Mode

Sonic Wing Mode

Power Up Convoy

 

 

Omega Prime

- RiD Optimus merged with Ultra Magnus

 

Jet Convoy(later Jet Prime)

- A Optimus merged with Jetfire (and Overload)

 

Ironicly Ultra Magnus

- To all knowledge, Ultra Magnus is actually his name and not an indication whether or not he's combined with his trailer: the majority of the Ultra MAgnus figures can't even combine with their trailer.

 

Powerlinx Prime (Wing Saber in either mode)

- A.k.a. Armada Final Battle Optimus Prime, naming independent of combined mode or not.

- E Optimus combined with Wing Saber

 

Omega Optimus Supreme

- E Optimus merged with Omega Supreme

 

Savage Claw Mode

- C Optimus merged with Leobreaker

 

Sonic Wing Mode

- C Optimus merged with Wing Saber

 

 

Power Up Convoy

- No idea who/what this is... (But is does sound like a description and not a name.)

 

All the suggestion above (that I can place) are not a name change because he's combined with his trailer, but either an upgrade version (independent whether or not he combined with his trailer) or a combination with another sentient TF. (And we don't refer to scrapper as Scrapper (single bot) and Scrapper-Devastator (combined mode).)

 

The fact is though, his name is Optimus, his title is Prime cause he's the leader. Having a trailer attached doesn't make him more in command, he's still a Prime.

Not discussing that. Just the fan difference of naming differating between Magnus and Ultra Magnus depending on whether or not he's combined, and not doing the same for Optimus.

 

 

Again it's a fan thing to help justify getting a white prime called Ultra Magnus that isn't the full deal.

 

Think of it this way. if all your getting is half the figure, why not use just half the name :P

 

Alot of figure homages are expected to tie in tightly to their source, and yes, UM was a white Prime. He was also always depicted though as combined with his trailer.

When you get a modern repaint and theres no trailer let alone combination, there aint nothin Ultra about that. if anything it seems more like a screw, so, we just call him Magnus to justify not only the figure, but the missing parts as well.

 

A good character to relate this to would be Star Saber from Victory. It's a 3 stage robot. The first 2 stages, the brainmaster and combined brainmaster are only refered to as Saber. He isn't considered Star Saber until he's combined with his booster rockets.

 

Thats the same outlook most have on Ultra Magnus.

 

----------------------------------------------

 

Now as for the names, Apex is used in the comics as well as on the PowerMaster Prime reissue. It's an American thing. In Japan concerning Ginria, his super mode was God Ginrai, and the Apex Bomber was called God Bomber.

 

In armada, Opyimus and Jetfire started out as JetConvoy but the name was changed in the following episode. Optimus, Jetfire, and Overload were refered to as Ultra Mangnus.

[Raider Magnus]

Yeah I was a Magnus Fan from the day I saw the toy in the Sunday Paper toy ads- Zayre was the store I believe.

Even on first viewing the movie at the theatre I could see that the only reason the Matrix reponded to Roddy and not to Magnus was because when Optimus had (forgive me) primed it for it to bond with the next leader, Roddy had to touch the danged thing first. Seeing how it upgraded his weak @$ and made him somewhat more impressive, it's always made me wonder what it would have done for Magnus if he'd been teh first to touch it as originally intended.

 

That plus, I figure we'd have a season three with Magnus Prime somberly and humbly kicking Deciptibutt from here to the the Magellanic Clouds.

 

Wow, Zayre's huh? That's sweet! Nobody I ever talk to even remembers that store but I loved it when I was a kid. That and Venture. Two great stores!

 

Also, a Magnus helmed Autobots in season 3 would've been something to see.

 

Holy shit I didn't think anyone remembered Zayers or Venture, Oddly enough add Hills and those where like the greatest place to get toys when I was a kid.

Heck yeah, Zayre

At Zayre, I got 3 Dinobots for the price of one because the guy that stickered them did it wrong at 5.99 when they were supposed to be 15.99

Went in with my allowance to buy just Grimlock, walked out with Grimlock, Slag and Snarl - and a BIG grin.

Went back later that week to see if I could get Sludge and Swoop but they'd already corrected the pricetags.