Welcome, Primates! Today we have a special treat for everyone: SDCC 2018 Power of the Primes Throne of Primes! SDCC is known for their amazing boxes and this year did not disappoint. The Throne of Primes includes a lot in a single box. This set includes a leader class Optimal Optimus Power of the Primes figure redecoed in Optimus Primal’s familiar black and silver deco along with four exclusive Titan Master figures. The four exclusive Titan Masters are none other than Nexus Prime, Amalgamous Prime, Prima Prime, and the legendary 13th Prime. Plus, Primal comes with the Scepter of Sparks (holds four Titan Masters), his crown, and…the Throne! 
The Throne is an amazing accessory unto itself. Primal can sit and look majestic, but it has some storage capabilities too. The “Halo of the Primes” display actually holds all 12 of the Prime Titan Masters. The display spins allowing for four Titan Masters to be shown at any time. Why is that important? Because when you first open the box, you go…where is Prima?!? Spin the wheel and make a deal (with Hasbro)! The Prima figure is hidden on the Halo, which only gives you a mild heart attack thinking you’ll have to try and return it. You’ll need to be careful as you insert or remove the Primes. The Halo is similar to the normal plastic Transformers packing. You “pop” the figures in and our of the plastic, which can wear fairly quickly. The Throne itself has images of all the potential next Primes in the vote: Starsaber, Deathsauraus (Unknown Evil), Hound, Arcee, Shockwave, Megatron, Ultra Magnus, and Thunderwing. The images are more like cave drawings surrounding Primal on his throne going with the beast motif. The Throne is made from cardboard and plastic, but is surprisingly sturdy like most of the SDCC boxes. Optimal Optimus sits comfortable on the throne with no issues.
The Scepter of the Spark and crown are nice accessories for the figure. The Scepter can separate in the middle to accommodate four Titan Masters. The TMs fit in nicely using two small pegs similar to the pegs on the TMs sold in single packs. They fit snug (almost too snug in some cases) into the Scepter. The crown fits perfectly onto Primal’s head with no fear of it wobbling off. A nice red Maximal symbol adorns the center of the crown with a few small red, blue, and green accents. Grimlock is jelly.
For the TM Primes completist, this set is a must have. It includes three of the named Primes, Nexus Prime, Amalgamous Prime, and Prima Prime, along with the legendary 13th Prime. Who is the 13th Prime you ask? Let’s go to TFWiki.com to get a better idea:
The thirteenth Prime
Though the twelve aforementioned members of the Thirteen have generally been consistent since their introduction, the thirteenth of their number—always in some way unique and special—has his nature vary between continuities, though he tends to have some connection to Optimus Prime.
§ Optimus Prime—In the Aligned continuity family, the Thirteenth was Optimus Prime, the mediator of the Primes, who united the Thirteen by being the first among them to raise an arm in greeting. He would subsequently be reincarnated as Orion Pax.
§ The Arisen—In the IDW Generation 1 continuity, the name of the mysterious thirteenth member of the group was not recorded in history, being only known as “the Arisen”; the Mistress of Flame believes he is Optimus Prime.
§ In the “Power of the Primes“, the Prime Master of the “legendary Thirteenth Prime” transforms into the core of the Matrix of Leadership, allowing whoever bears the Matrix to take up his mantle.[4]
I haven’t had a chance to get Evolution Optimal Optimus yet (which I believe is true for the masses), so this was my first experience with the mold. The Optimus Primal colors on Optimal’s body work very well. The color scheme looks nice and makes him look much more like a giant, beastly gorilla as opposed to an orange, blue, and yellow Transformer sitting on a jungle throne. For those of you with the original Optimal Optimus, this is a nice upgrade on the body. We lose an alt mode (“car”), but the proportions are much more in line with the body. The Evolution gimmick is not as integrated into the overall body as Optimus or Rodimus, but this allows for the surfboarding monkey, which is always a crowd pleaser. Primal mainly holds the Optimal Optimus head on his back. The combination sees Primal connect to Optimal as basically a back pack. As previously mentioned, this also allows you to remove Primal and turn him into the monkey’s surfboard. The transformations are not overly complex, which makes this a fun toy for the adult BW ’96 collectors along with the new kiddo Power of the Prime collectors.
The one thing I will warn the masses about is the box. I’m almost 100% sure I opened it wrong and removed too many pieces. The box is well put together and holds Optimal and his Throne of Primes well. There are a lot of tabs, tape, and plastic that makes it a bit confusing on what to cut to free the beast. I stumbled through it and enjoy how it comes out immensely. That said, I did mention to John Warden after my interview at SDCC 2018 (shameless plug) that it would be great if we could have instructions like an unboxing video done by the Hasbro team. That would allow us to keep the box in good shape and not destroy it…like some big goof I know did.
Throne of Primes is available now on HasbroToyShop.com (while supplies last). He’s also set for release in the Takara Power of the Primes line set for release later this year.
I’ll leave you with a final thought…Primal sitting on this thrown decked out in the crown and scepter brings to mind King Louie from the Jungle Book, but, ya know…transformable.
‘Till All are One.
Kaye
Info from HasbroToyShop.com:
Item will be available for purchase on 8/13. Limit of 2 per household
Item is excluded from any promotions.
Phone orders are not accept for this item
It’s not everyday that a robot who turns into a gorilla and rides a hoverboard becomes the leader of the Autobots. But that’s exactly what happened when Optimus Primal won the first-ever Fan Vote Prime poll. When Optimus Primal becomes a Prime, he evolves to Optimal Optimus. Celebrate the fans’ choice and the epic conclusion of the Prime Wars Trilogy with this figure that uses converting Evolution Armor to evolve from a 5.5-inch scale Optimus Primal figure to a 9-inch scale Optimal Optimus figure.
This convention edition offering is packed with special features:
4 Convention exclusive Prime Master figures: Nexus Prime, Amalgamous Prime, Prima Prime, and the legendary 13th Prime.
A Scepter of Sparks accessory: holds 4 Prime Master figures.
Halo of Primus display: holds 12 Prime Master figures. Use it to create an epic display of Prime Master power. Additional figures sold separately/subject to availability.
• Includes Leader Class Optimal Optimus figure, 4 Prime Master figures, Scepter of Sparks accessory, and instructions. Special Edition packaging that fans can only get in this version.
• Transformers: Generations Convention Exclusive Figure
• Leader Class Optimal Optimus figure features premium deco and comes in special edition throne packaging
• Comes with 4 Convention exclusive Prime Master figures, a hoverboard accessory, and a Scepter of Sparks accessory
• The 4 Prime Master figures can fit inside the Scepter of Sparks accessory
• Store Prime Master figures in the Halo of the Primus above the throne — there’s room for 12 Prime Master figures in all
• Figure scale: 9 inches
• Ages 8 and up
• WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD – Small parts. Not for children under 3 years.
