Power of the Primes (franchise)

***Power of the Primes*** is a 2017-2018 multimedia branding used by Hasbro, expected to encompass *Transformers* toys, comics, and other merchandise. Capping off the *Prime Wars Trilogy*, *Power of the Primes* follows the *Combiner Wars* and *Titans Return* sublines and, unlike its predecessors, doesn't spotlight any one particular gimmick, instead featuring a plethora of reverse-compatible play features based off the previous two installments of the toyline, while highlighting Primes featured across the *Transformers* mythos.

Contents
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* 1 Toys
* 2 Cartoon
* 3 Notes
	+ 3.1 Foreign names
* 4 References

## Toys

*Main article: Power of the Primes (toyline)*
Following the conclusion of the *Generations* toyline's *Titans Return* subline imprint, the *Generations* line was refreshed with *Power of the Primes* branding, and featured a line-wide gimmick: "Prime Masters", small Titan Master-type figures that represent the sparks of the Primes. Unlike Titan Masters, Prime Masters are available only in their own pricepoint, where they are packaged with Pretender-style Decoy Armor, but can interact in some way with all larger assortments. Legends Class figures retain the ability to seat a small figure in alt-mode, whilst the Deluxe and Voyager Class pricepoints see the return of *Combiner Wars*-style Combiners. The combination joints remain unchanged, whilst the hand/foot system is tweaked: all Deluxes now include a hand, and all Voyagers a pair of feet. These accessories also facilitate the Prime Master integration for those size classes: Deluxes can use their hand as chest armor, into which a Prime Master spark mode can slot, and Voyagers can use their feet as forearm bucklers, which similarly fit a Prime Master. All Voyager Class figures also include an Enigma of Combination, shaped like a Prime Master spark mode, that can fit onto their combined mode chest. Finally, Leader Class figures feature an "Evolution" gimmick, wherein each toy includes a Deluxe-sized character who can "evolve" into a Prime by combining with additional armor. Each Leader includes a uniquely-colored Matrix of Leadership, the central crystal of which can be removed and replaced with a Prime Master.

## Cartoon

*Main article: Transformers: Power of the Primes (cartoon)*
Picking up where the two previous series left off, the *Power of the Primes* cartoon premiered on May 1, 2018 and ran for ten episodes until July 3, 2018, bringing the trilogy to a close.

## Notes

* A survey commenced on January 23, 2017, to choose the next Transformer to be made a Prime in the story. Fans initially had to choose the leader of three personality factions, with the highlighted winners going to the second round:
	+ Honor: Arcee, **Ultra Magnus**, Hound
	+ Order: Shockwave, Megatron, **Star Saber**
	+ Chaos: Thunderwing, **Optimus Primal**, **Unknown Evil** (wild card)

* Optimus Primal won the final round, resulting in the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con exclusive *Throne of the Primes* Optimus Primal toy. A redeco of his *Power of the Primes* Leader-class Evolution figure, it also pays homage to his victory in the poll by featuring the faces of the other participants on its included cardboard throne.

* *Power of the Primes* did not have a tie-in "event storyline" comic from IDW Publishing, as tentative plans for such an event were scrapped. However, by coincidence, John Barber wrote an overarching storyline in *The Transformers* vol. 2 and *Optimus Prime* featuring Onyx Prime, and also guest starring Alpha Trion, Liege Maximo, and Optimus Primal. So there you go.

### Foreign names

* *Mandarin*: **Biànxíngjīngāng Lǐngxiùzhànzhēng Lǐngxiùjí Xìliè** (China, 变形金刚领袖战争领袖级系列, "Transformers: Prime Wars Prime Series")
* *Portuguese*: **Poder dos Primes** (Brazil, "Power of Primes")
* *Spanish*: **Poder de los Primes** (Latin America, "Power of the Primes")

## References

1. ↑ Hasbro announcement (copied via Tumblr)
2. ↑ [1]
3. ↑ [2]
4. ↑ Toy News: SDCC 2018 Optimus Primal CONFIRMED, bwtf.com, 2 July 2018
5. ↑ Tweet by @TheJohnBarber, 2018/03/01

Categories:

* Franchises
* Generation 1 franchises
* Power of the Primes