30 years ago, every kid who was lucky enough to see Transformers: The Movie in theatres must have had something stuck in their eye when Optimus Prime died. But if the Autobots had had access to a 3D printer, maybe Optimus wouldn’t have had to die before passing the Matrix of Leadership on to Hot Rod — they could have just 3D-printed a perfect duplicate like Bob Clagett did.
Does this truly excellent replica prop actually imbue leadership skills onto anyone in possession of it? Probably not. Will it allow the bearer to lead the Autobots to victory against the Decepticons? Again, unlikely, given it’s made from extruded plastic with some simple electronics inside to make it glow as if filled with Optimus Prime’s soul. But is that going to stop anyone who grew up playing with Transformers toys from wanting one and quietly singing “you’ve got the power!” under their breaths while they imagine themselves hoisting it into the air over their heads? Definitely not.
[I Like to Make Stuff via Core77]