How critical was the first death of Optimus Prime?

[liegeprime]

Dude it's pronounced "Freedmun" - it a Franco-Germanic surname meaning "man of peace." So naturally a perfect name for a person writing stories about warring alien robots.
http://inogolo.com/pronunciation/Friedman

I know, Gok, but couldn't pass it up coz after reading the interview, I watched something on youtube about how to make a good tempura and somehow his Surnames spelling was so coincidental. But I do know how his surname is pronounced - it's the spelling I'm having a go at being funny at.... unsuccessfully I guess coz it seems to have flown passed you... Im being an-10-year-old-bully-in-school-playing-with-someone's-surname-mindset- at that time okaaay?

[Paulbot]

The death of Optimus Prime showed Transformers was an ensemble concept. Most of the other cartoons at the time had one star. You couldn't kill off He-Man, Astroboy, Inspector Gadget, Marshall Bravestarr, etc. Transformers could go on without Prime. Battles could have big stakes. The status quo could change signiciantly. There could be new Autobots to takeover (and new Decepticons to battle). This wasn't something you saw in many US cartoons at the time. It made Transformers something different, a bit more special.

And although they backtracked a bit too quickly it was possible for Transformers to go on without Optimus Prime toys or appearances. (Something I wish new series would attempt too)

I looked at Prime's death at the time and actually thought... all that equipment they have around and there's a guy there (Perceptor) who supposedly has fixed a whole lot of really broken stuff before and now he can't even fix a side cut on Prime.... what a weak death IMO. He was barely even damaged, no torn off limbs or anything sputtering and leaking and yet a side cut kills him... weak.

Of course on rewatching you know it's more than a cut. First there's the barrage of weapon fire at his chest weakening the armour, then Megatron is pretty committed to hitting the same part of the body. First the spear, the cut to the same area, which exposes internal organs, and then Megatron shoots him in the same spot (twice). Whatever Cybertronian organs are there must be crucial.

[liegeprime]

Of course on rewatching you know it's more than a cut. First there's the barrage of weapon fire at his chest weakening the armour, then Megatron is pretty committed to hitting the same part of the body. First the spear, the cut to the same area, which exposes internal organs, and then Megatron shoots him in the same spot (twice). Whatever Cybertronian organs are there must be crucial.

It's something to look at then when fighting alien robotic life - blast them where the left kidney should be in human equivalent, that'll get them!! Even the strongest fall when blasted in the left kidney area

[Deonasis]

[FONT="Century Gothic"][SIZE="3"]As a child watching the movie, I was more frustrated with Hot Rod. Megatron has absolutely no qualms in slaughtering a shuttle full of Autobots, yet he just casually tosses Hot Rod aside.

I love that they killed Optimus (and that he later came back). I think that Megatron letting this Hot Rod kid live with the pain that he aided Optimus's death is a fine piece of cruelty and shows how little Megatron thought of Hot Rod's ability (pretty big in-movie mistake) and how focused he was to finally seize the opportunity and kill Optimus Prime.

It was genius writing that paved the way for a doubting leader (which was handled badly in post-movie episodes).

Damn i love this movie

[GoktimusPrime]

Optimus Prime's deaths in the G1 comics were also pretty traumatic. The first time was when Prime allowed himself to be killed because - wait for it - Megatron had beaten him in a LAN game. Even though Megatron was exposed for having code-hacked the game and won by cheating. It's similar premise to "Heavy Metal War," only that in the G1 cartoon the penalty was exile, not death - and Optimus Prime agreed that Megatron's cheating voided the agreement. Whereas G1 comic Optimus Prime adamantly insisted on keeping his word and maintaining his honour, and that Megatron's hacking changes nothing. Snap. As much as I generally prefer the G1 comics over the cartoon, this wasn't one of the comics' more shining moments. Although Optimus Prime's second death in the comics, going Kamikaze into Unicron's maw while opening the Matrix, was pretty damn epic (arguably the most epic demise of Optimus Prime evah) . . . but of course, being bathed in Matrix energy during the explosion actually kept Optimus Prime alive (although shredded), allowing him to crash back on Cybertron and die a slow and painful death! It would've been more humane him to have just properly blown up and died from the explosion. Then of course Prime used his dying breath to whisper something to Prowl that he did not want to hear! Oh... if only he had a table to flip! Then Prime's death in G2 was just downright gruesome, with Optimus allowing the Swarm to consume him.

Prime's death in TFTM at least looked like a 'peaceful passing,' whereas his comic deaths were just painfully agonising!

[Paulbot]

Do you think they'd have let Marvel do a big death scene for Prime if he wasn't dying in the movie? I dont think so. It wasn't like they used his absence to sell Rodimus Prime or Ultra Magnus. Until #24 only Sunstreaker had been "killed off" and that was just an "unrepairable" state. (and I'm just talking toy characters in US Marvel of course, Marvel UK had a bit more loose Hasbro control). The big death in the movie was surely a driving point to do something similar in the books.

[GoktimusPrime]

I never said otherwise.

[Paulbot]

Sorry, I meant that just as a general "do you think?" question to you and anybody, then gave my answer as part of my answer to the thread's overarching question. (what happens when you write on the train)

[liegeprime]

Well if they'll just keep bringing him back, the stunt (dying) is getting lame now. Although in the latest comics version (IDW) Prime has yet to kick the bucket. Although, there's been a whole other cast of characters that have been welcomed back to the Matrix.... other than O. Prime. Do you think the writers of IDW noticed that the Prime death is getting overused and somewhat, somehow am avoiding it coz of how it has diminished the nobility of the act? I mean every single time Prime will die... it's just getting so predictable now.. even TF Prime - he had to sacrifice. Thank goodness that wasn't the case in TF Animated.

But yeah, each time he dies it just gets lamer and lamer... now for the death of Prime in the comics - gruesome as it is (except the floppy disc one) NOW THAT is WHAT DEATH should be! Grand, viscious, truly epic and the more gruesome it is the more noble I guess since if you (Prime) knew that it will that painful, horrific and downright ugly and yet he still goes thru it, because it MUST be the only recourse.... then that is a noble sacrifice.

I still can't get my head around that a cut in the side even if it is a focal point just doesn't emphasized it at all. Coz you've seen him get blown, hacked into pieces and even more in all the other cartoon episodes and yet a small cut and he goes - pass the Matrix?!?! meh, lame.... mebbe a few more sparks and explosions and some short circuit scenes would've helped.

[Megatron]

I still can't get my head around that a cut in the side even if it is a focal point just doesn't emphasized it at all. Coz you've seen him get blown, hacked into pieces and even more in all the other cartoon episodes and yet a small cut and he goes - pass the Matrix?!?! meh, lame.... mebbe a few more sparks and explosions and some short circuit scenes would've helped.

They should've gotten Bay to direct the movie.