Nemesis Prime, the dark version of Optimus Prime, has never been a popular character. It shows in the toy pricing. As far as toys go, you could say it is a “consolation prize” for not being able to score the OG. Well, guess what? Your chance at scoring this “consolation prize” has come if you missed the Hot Wheels Collectors Hot Wheels Transformers Optimus Prime last May.
That’s right. The rare, transforming action figure in all its die-cast glory has returned—only this time, it is the corrupted, malevolent version that embodies everything Optimus stands against. It is essentially the same mold as last year’s red Optimus Prime, just in the familiar black and silver colorway, with purple accents and Decepticon logos. Like the OG, it is 1:64 scale and comes with attachable hands and an ion blaster.
Oh, and for those who don’t already know, this figure is based on the original G1 mold, which famously required you to attach the hands after transforming it from semi to bot mode. The official colorway is gloss black with teal accents. It has a matching gloss black die-cast chassis, translucent red windows, and rolls on custom Real Riders with silver VUM foil.
As before, it comes presented in a highly collectible box that I, if I ever decide to buy it, will never bear to unbox. This (morally) dark version of the Autobots’ leader, as tradition dictates, is slightly cheaper than the red version. It will retail for 65 bucks (versus 80 bucks for the G1 Optimus Prime) when it becomes available on September 16, 2025, at 09:00 AM PT.
Images: Mattel.
