Rodimus prime....what went wrong?

[GALVY]

ive just watched the g1 movie (for about the 300th time) and noticed that optimus and megs were portrayed slightly different than the g1 cartoon series. prime a bit more serious leader, and megs a bit more evil (the way he blasts prime and the way he talks to unicron are two that stand out. then when he becomes galvatron he becomes more badass.

so why did rodimus prime become so lame in both the g1 cartoon and comics? he looked hard as nails when he chucked galvatron through unicrons hide. i understand wanting to give him some insecurities about becoming leader and primes shadow and all that. but he could have become a huge fan favourite if they had kept a bit more of hotrod in him.

i like rodimus to some extent but to make him appear so weak sometimes was just daft. he has the wisdom of the matrix for crying out loud.

[KingGrimlock]

I've never been a huge fan of season 3 as I feel that any character development that happens, the arc completing in 'Burden Hardest to Bear', is undone instantly by the return of Optimus. Sure he should be insecure but it doesn't need to run for the entire frigging season!

[minion]

I like Rodimus Prime. Sure he isn't as bad ass as Optimus, but if he was the same and just v.2 of Optimus then he'd still be seen as inferior. I liked that they at least tried to do something different with the self doubting personality, even if it didn't come off as well as it could have. I feel that the G1 Ultra Magnus in the Marvel comics run had a much better version of this kind of personality, always doubting that he could beat Galvatron.
The Dark Awakening episode is one of my favourite G1 cartoon episodes, if only to see Rodimus (or Hot Rod) step up to the plate a bit (plus zombie Op' rules). That episode was also the only time I ever liked Hot Rod. He was a tool in the movie, but had he been given time to grow into the leader role like Cheetor in BW/BM I may have warmed to him.

[GALVY]

i just have a strange image of rodimus and daniel having xmas dinner and daniel saying lets pull a cracker. daniel would pull and win the toy and joke inside while rodimus would sit there saying stuff like " optimus would have pulled harder and won" or "maybe i dont desrve to win that purple paper crown".

ahhh, here comes my medication.... :lol:

[thegreatdestroyer]

cartoon writers were tools for season 3. If I cause Unicron to explode, threw Galvy helluva far into space and reclaimed Cybertron like he does in the movie I'd be the smuggest leader in history. Everything about Hotrod's personality says that's what should have happened and then I may have liked him but instead we got Insecure Prime with his lame mobile home transformation and crap toy. No wonder they had to bring Prime back..

[minion]

thegreatdestroyer Wrote:Insecure Prime with his lame mobile home transformation and **** toy.

But give it wings and you've almost got Eagle 5!

[Gruff]

GALVY Wrote:i just have a strange image of rodimus and daniel having xmas dinner and daniel saying lets pull a cracker. daniel would pull and win the toy and joke inside while rodimus would sit there saying stuff like " optimus would have pulled harder and won" or "maybe i dont desrve to win that purple paper crown".

ahhh, here comes my medication.... :lol:

That deserves an award for best post EVER!

Anyhow, look at it this way, Optimus Prime commanded the Autobot army for almost 8 million years! Rodimus turns up and has some seriously big boots to fill, in the cartoon yes they retake Cybertron but the Decepticons then re-establish themselves on Earth, take Chaar and launch several succesful mini invasions of Cybertron. In the comics the Decepticons are battled into a stalemate on Cybertron and barely contained on Earth. Not to mention he loses Galvatron in Earths past an needs Optimus Prime to help stop a disaster destroying space and time! Oh and there was that time when the Quintessons captured Autobot City and strung up all the de-activated Autobots.

Rodimus didnt get it easy in his tenure as commander so do you blame him for being so self doubting?

[GALVY]

[quote="GruffRodimus didnt get it easy in his tenure as commander so do you blame him for being so self doubting?[/quote]

yeah, magnus didnt seem to have many problems taking charge. and he never opened the matrix to get bigger and badder. lets face it, in all formats, rodimus was very weak as a charactor compared to galvatron who is his main opposite. they should have kept magnus in charge. then we could have some hotrod vs cyclonus and scourge fun.

[Mirage]

No, but Magnus tried and failed to open the matrix remember.

[minion]

Plus I do like the change up from Op being far more bad ass than Megatron (we know G1 Op would school megs in a straight fight) to having Rodmius being the underdog in S3 even with the Matrix upgrade behind him.

[Smellyferret]

I think Rodimus was doomed from the moment he got a name that sounds like an item ladys may use to 'relax themselves' with!

[GALVY]

Smellyferret Wrote:I think Rodimus was doomed from the moment he got a name that sounds like an item ladys may use to 'relax themselves' with!

im thankfull he wasnt called maximus on that note :lol: :lol: :roll: :roll:

[Gruff]

Smellyferret Wrote:I think Rodimus was doomed from the moment he got a name that sounds like an item ladys may use to 'relax themselves' with!

*snigger*

minion Wrote:Plus I do like the change up from Op being far more bad ass than Megatron (we know G1 Op would school megs in a straight fight) to having Rodmius being the underdog in S3 even with the Matrix upgrade behind him.

You know I dont recall Rodimus Prime being the underdog at all to Galvatron in S3, off the top of my head he beats him soundly in The Movie, Starscreams Ghost, Big Broadcast Of 2006 and Nightmare Planet. Thats just off the top of my head mind. He also called his bluff and punked him out (so to speak) in The Ultimate Weapon.

The only time I can remember Galvatron beating Rodimus is in Time Wars, and even then Galvatron only lost to Optimus Prie because his mind caved in and then he got eatn by a rift in time and space.
But hey, go back to Wanted: Dead or Alive and Rodimus sticks it to Galvatron big time as well then.

[GALVY]

Gruff Wrote:The only time I can remember Galvatron beating Rodimus is in Time Wars, and even then Galvatron only lost to Optimus Prie because his mind caved in and then he got eatn by a rift in time and space.
But hey, go back to Wanted: Dead or Alive and Rodimus sticks it to Galvatron big time as well then.

did you notice galvatron was always alone when rodimus and chums came out on top? deaths head is an awsome charactor and galvatron soundly kicked his tail. yet deaths head coulda killed r prime except for cyclonus and scourge getting a sly shot off. my argument is they should have kept some of hot rods , um, unpredictability. the way IDW are taking the hotrod/rodimus prime angle is gonna be interesting. rather than an upgrade by the matrix its pure advancement like a teenager becoming an adult with responsibility. :geek: