Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Maximal Lio Convoy OR Leo Prime

Lio helped me celebrate our nation's birthday (see my post HERE) so he gets to have his own entry :)

Lio Convoy is a Maximal from the Beast Era portion of the Generation 1 continuity family. He is also known as Leo Prime.

Taking place in "the seventh month of Space Year 1999", we learn that while Optimus Primal and Megatron fight their Beast War on planet Energoa, another Beast War has erupted on a strange planet, where a Maximal space patrol has had a run-in with platoon of Predacons who are in search of "The King of Angolmois". Leo Prime is a Maximal commander, who leads The Pack.

Beast Wars II Lio Convoy (Leo Prime) toy produced by Takara Japan in 1998. Jared (my eldest son, now 16) had been collecting Beast Wars toys from a very young age when the animated TV series was being shown on the television and this is just one of those that he has outgrown. We still keep it for sentimental reasons.


Lio Convoy transforms into an organic white lion articulated at the legs and head. The button on top of his head opens his beast-mode jaw.



Close-up of the Lion, king of the jungle. The phrase is a misnomer because lions don't live in the jungle, they live out on the Savannah. But you gotta admit it is quite a majestic animal.





In this beast mode, one can activate flip-out blades in each foreleg and spring-loaded missile launchers hidden in his mane.


A total of four launchers can be activated (toy comes with six missiles)


The lion's mane can also open up and spin around via a push-lever gear mechanism as part of its spinning attack.


In the transformed robot mode, Lio Convoy's chest design and colors closely resemble Generation 1 Optimus Prime. Lio Convoy has the Maximal symbol on his chest.





Close-up of Japan Takara Beast War Maximal Lio Convoy (Leo Prime) with Maximal symbol on his chest


Maximal Lio Convoy (Leo Prime) has a non-removable Energon Matrix sculpted into his chest, underneath his left chest panel (which also has a heat-sensitive Maximal rubsign)



All of his flip-out beast mode weapons can be used in robot mode, and his missile launchers can be removed and held in either of his hands.


2 comments:

Dan said...

Such an awesome toy. I was lucky to get one from a friend who imported one, but didn't want his son to destroy it. I forgot, I need to include him on my Prime shelf. Nice pictures too.

alex teo said...

thanks Dan :)