As post-pandemic workplaces continue to evolve, I still opted to work in the office. So, I still have a dedicated workstation that I can put stuff on. Including robots, among the actual work essentials.
I’ve recently been doing catch ups on some third-party Optimus Prime figures I missed previously. Following Perfect Effect’s Jetforce Revive Commander, I finally picked up MakeToys’ Thunder Manus & Divine Armor set from the Cross Dimension line. To those unfamiliar, this is their take on the classic Powermaster Optimus Prime concept, and this figure is one chunky piece of robot goodness.
What I really liked about this figure is how it scales Striker Manus, which is the Cross Dimension version of the vanilla Optimus Prime. Now I use the term ‘scale’ loosely here as they don’t really scale correctly but they do size up nicely when displayed side by side. My main caveat with Powermaster Optimus Prime is how it’s supposed to be much, much larger thanks to how it transforms, and how such a figure would stick out like a sore thumb in my collection.
With Thunder Manus, they made the robot mode scale subtly at the expense of a proportionally much smaller vehicle mode. But since I rarely display my Optimus Prime figures in their vehicle modes, I have no issues with this compromise.
And in case I forgot to mention, I really like how this guy looks. The proportions are very much super robot-esque with the smaller torso and larger legs. Especially when compared to Titans Return Powermaster Optimus Prime that looks a little too bulky for me. And let’s not forget about the details as this guy has an abundance of them. Even the panels that fold from vehicle mode have sculpted details that show mechanics in robot mode.
The set also includes parts for the Divine Armor which is their version of the Apex or Godbomber Armor. These parts just form the armor while they can combine into another trailer that can hitch to the main trailer, it doesn’t have a robot mode, which is fine with me. I’m really just after Powermaster Optimus Prime and all the nuances of that design.
