Armored Weapons Platform

The Armored Weapons Platform is a kick-ass piece of hardware from the live-action film series continuity family.

Optimus Prime's trailer can convert into an Armored Weapons Platform and stores the wearable, flight-capable Omega Combat Armor.

It's kinda awesome.

Fiction

Dark of the Moon film

Optimus Prime took his trailer with him on an investigative mission to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. When Shockwave and his Driller attacked, the trailer transformed into a weapons bay from which Prime retrieved an Energon Sword and a shield.

"Wreckers! Get the wire cutters!"

Optimus later took the trailer with him for the Autobots' staged exile from Earth, and then to the city of Chicago, which had been fortified by the Decepticons. As they rolled into the city, the Driller attacked once more, separating Prime from the trailer. Eventually, he was able to reach it, and equipped himself with the jetpack and large weapons stored inside. With the additional power granted by his jetpack, he punched through the Driller that was assaulting Sam, Carly, Epps, and his soldiers, killing it. Enraged by the destruction of his pet, Shockwave shot at Optimus from the street and Optimus fell through a nearby unfinished building, with him and his jetpack getting caught up in the wires of a construction crane. The Wreckers eventually freed him.

Optimus wants his own dismembered head assistant.

Later, Optimus flew into battle against Shockwave and several Decepticons, producing guns and a sword before he discarded his jetpack. Dark of the Moon

Games

Transformers: Dark of the Moon - The Game

(Xbox 360/PS3)

Optimus Prime took his trailer with him on the assault of the Decepticon base in Siberia. When he eventually found Megatron, Prime used the trailer to smash his opponent. The trailer then transformed into a weapons bay, from which Optimus retrieved a chainsaw, a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher, and four Energon Armor Field Generators. After the Field Generators were destroyed, this equipment then transformed into a flight pack. Dark of the Moon

Cyberverse Battle Builder

Optimus joined his Autobot troops in combating the Autobots on battlefields on Earth, the Earth's Moon and on Cybertron. Sometimes he was armed with the Armored Weapons Platform. Cyberverse Battle Builder

Toys

Dark of the Moon

Cyberverse

• Optimus Prime / Armored Weapons Platform (Cyberverse Action Set, 2011)

• Series: 1
• Number: 004
• Japanese ID number: CV12
• Accessories: Missile, missile launcher, NEST
• Known designers: Joe Kyde (Hasbro)

This flameless redeco of Cyberverse Optimus Prime comes with a clip on trailer, sporting movie-style Autobot emblems, that can transform into a “Battle Base”/Strike Base and an “Assault Vehicle”/Mechanical Exosuit. Several Mech Tech ports are available on the trailer, and the removable missile launcher has handles for it to be held by smaller Cyberverse figures as well as a 5 mm post for it to attach to larger figures.

The Battle Base stock photos and instructions oddly do not match. The stock photos show a different configuration, with the trailer panels facing forward and not being connected to the sides of the "turret". Also, the cannon itself is connected upside-down onto the turret base's hinge instead of being pegged right-side up onto the base's peg-hole, and the base of the turret is lowered enough that Optimus has to kneel to man the cannon. The picture seen to the right depicts the configuration of the instructions.

Thanks to the fortuitous position of the base connectors on the trailer sides, said panels can connect for a pair of makeshift wings for the base if so desired.

Like other action sets, Optimus Prime comes with a cardboard backdrop. In his case, it's the human-sized AllSpark containment room in Diego Garcia, with three soldiers guarding said sacred treasure. With Optimus being dwarfed by the soldiers, it should not be necessary to mention that this is extremely out-of-scale.

Almost Generation 2!

• Battle in the Moonlight (Cyberverse multi-pack, 2011)

• Accessories: Missile

This Walmart exclusive set features a color-swapped redeco of Optimus Prime, with his trailer in dark "night sky" themed colors. The trailer itself has starry night stickers running down the sides and red paint applications running along the top trailer edges.

The set also includes redecoes of Ratchet and Crankcase, as well as a large, badly photoshopped diorama featuring a photo of a daytime city with a night backdrop and a ruined Dodge Neon on the right side, complete with Dodge insignia.

Not only does the stock photography show the trailer with an intentional defacement mark that does not appear on the retail release, the Battle Base is still depicted with the alternate configuration. Oops.

Voyager Class toys

Shockwave will be surprised if he finds out that the trailer is completely empty during his theft.

• Optimus Prime / MechTech Trailer (MechTech Voyager, May 14, 2011)

• Japanese ID number: DA03
• Accessories: MechTech Ion Blaster/Energy Blade, MechTech trailer

This retool of Hasbro's Voyager Optimus Prime toy includes his 'MechTech Trailer', which opens up much like the Generation 1 Optimus Prime toy's trailer (as well as being able to stand up to harken back to the Generation 1 Combat Deck's upright mode), and features a working landing gear. The trailer features storage for many MechTech weapons inside and out and can transport up to two Deluxe class Autobots. The circular panels that cover the ports are gravity-dependent...however, they may fail to work due to their looseness. The trailer can also be flipped upside down to form some battle base. In an homage to one of the G1 Combat Deck's stickers, the floor of the trailer sports a molded arrow right before the exit ramp.

Unlike most MechTech ports included in the trailer, The sideways ports are slightly smaller, and because they are painted, most of the weapons can be a little tight when attached to said ports. It's worse for the ones with painted hilts (notably the included Ion blaster), as they are prone to chipping if rotated when attached.

He won't even find anything in this gold mine, either!

• Tritanium Optimus Prime (MechTech Voyager, 2011)

• Accessories: MechTech Ion Blaster/Energy Blade, MechTech trailer

This gold vacuum metallized version of Voyager class Dark of the Moon Optimus Prime, including his MechTech Trailer, is a prize in TakaraTomy's Dark of the Moon Lucky Draw campaign. To go into the entry for this toy, one needs to have entered all three Dark of the Moon campaigns (beginning on May 14 2011). This toy is limited to 100 pieces.

Good luck mounting the 5 mm-compatible handles on the MechTech ports, as said ports are insanely tight due to being chromed.

Ultimate

• Ultimate Optimus Prime (MechTech Ultimate, 2011)

• Japanese ID number:
• Accessories: Trailer/Omega Combat Armor, MechTech Ultimax Super Cannon

Coming with a different Voyager-sized Optimus Prime, this version of the trailer transforms into the colossal Omega Combat Armor, featuring nearly two feet of limb extensions, armor, and wings for Optimus to combine with. The armor remains completely integrated (except for the Ultimax Super Cannon) during transformation, with no partsforming, although this, along with stability concerns, renders the final power-up robot mode somewhat limited in articulation - the whole shebang has seven points of articulation (head, shoulders, hips, and ankles) excluding the wings, and the hips and ankles can only move laterally. The trailer on its own has twelve 5 mm ports, while transforming it into the armor adds six 5 mm ports of dubious utility around the feet, retains the eight from the trailer (on the backs of the wings), and has its own pair of 5 mm fist holes.

• Ultimate Optimus Prime (MechTech Ultimate, 2011)

• Accessories: Trailer/Omega Combat Armor, MechTech Ultimax Super Cannon

Available exclusively at Hasbro Toy Shop and their booth at San Diego Comic-Con 2011, this version of Ultimate Optimus Prime is presented in vehicle mode, packaged into a large, foil-embossed bubble packaging (similar to late Alternators packaging) styled after Optimus Prime's trailer, with an additional foil-embossed sleeve styled after the hood of Optimus Prime's truck. Exclusive to this release is a set of stickers one can apply to the trailer. The toy itself is otherwise identical to the regular retail release.

Let's see what you can see... This article is in need of images. Specifics: Stickers

• Ultimate Optimus Prime (MechTech Ultimate, 2012)

• Accessories: Trailer/Omega Combat Armor, MechTech Ultimax Super Cannon

This red redeco of Ultimate Optimus Prime comes with a similarly redecoed red trailer with a golden Chinese dragon on it. The toy was released as a "Year of the Dragon" Special Edition in 2012, since the Chinese Zodiac sign for that year is the Dragon.

Chronicle

Evolution takes place!!! Oh... wait...

• G1 Optimus Prime & Movie Optimus Prime (multi-pack, 2011)

• ID number: CH01
• Accessories: Laser rifle, trailer

This e-Hobby two-pack of a reissue of the original Generation 1 Optimus Prime figure and the Deluxe-Class Dark of the Moon Optimus Prime figure comes with a new deluxe-scaled trailer based on the one towed by Prime in Dark of the Moon not available with any other figure.

The trailer is compatible with both figures, and sports 5 mm post-holes that will hold (among many other things) G1 Prime's laser rifle and the MechTech weapon Movie Prime is armed with. The door also folds down to become a ramp, and the inside of the trailer is big enough for several Legion or Commander Cyberverse toys, or one smaller-end Deluxe figure. Two C joint bars also run along the bottom of both sides. In its base are three hidden ports designed to accommodate the three Japanese-exclusive Prime "Foodstrap" toys available from McDonald's, which can only be accessed by removing the screws from the bottom of the trailer section, flipping said pieces, and then reassembling the trailer.

Movie Trilogy Series

• Optimus Prime (2012)

• Accessories: Trailer

The trailer was reissued again for this release of Optimus Prime with several changes for the trailer: The red-and-white Autobot symbol from the front end of the trailer is slightly moved from the right, and an additional red insignia is tampographed at the right side of the trailer. The wheels' rims were unpainted.

Studio Series

Wait, you bought the 3rd Party trailer already?

• Optimus Prime (Leader Class, 2019)

• ID number: 44
• Japanese name: Jetwing Optimus Prime
• Japanese ID number: SS-39
• Japanese release date: August 31, 2019

This Optimus Prime comes with a trailer that converts into his weapons platform and combat armor. He also comes with his Ion Blaster, two cannons, an energon axe, a shield, and an energon sword.

In weapons platform mode, the trailer relies on a pair of curved frames to maintain its shape. Like the Cyberverse (2011) Action set, the trailer is completely incapable of carrying vehicles.

Merchandise

Prime 1 Studio

• Optimus Prime (202?)
  • Movie: Dark of the Moon
  • ID number: MMTFM-??

First revealed as a grey prototype in 2024, this planned version of Prime 1 Studio Museum Masterline Optimus Prime is set to come with an impressive recreation of his Armored Weapons Platform.

This item is currently scheduled for release, but is not yet available at mass retail.

Notes

• Initially, Hasbro's toy designers did not know the purpose of the trailer in the film, so they created a trailer that opened up to reveal a rotating cannon that Optimus would sit in. Once it was revealed to become a jetpack, the designers had to rush to redesign the toy, which would become Ultimate Optimus Prime. Takara's take became Jetwing Optimus Prime, though it is currently unknown if theirs was also a last minute change.^[1]
• Despite Optimus requiring the jet pack to fly in Dark of the Moon, he possessed boosters on his feet in Age of Extinction and The Last Knight that allow him to fly unaided.

References