 The Thirteen Nexus Prime
Combiner of Combiners
Transformers Age of the Primes Voyager Class
Item No.: Asst. G0473 No. G2001
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Includes: Enigma of Combination, 2 blaster wings
Action Feature: Converts from robot to things made of robot parts
Retail: $42.99
Availability: March 2026
Other: More Parts to Follow
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The Thirteen Nexus Prime is another glorious freak. Someone at Hasbro said "let's make a guy who can combine with another combiner" and is sort of, kind of, hiding what it is we may expect. The first one had a different name and was made out of fan club exclusive bits, and this one riffs on that one. They kept the colors, the colors, and to some extent the combined mode robot head. There were some unique interpretations of "eyes" and "mouth," but they got the basic gist down.
A combined mode was shown off on Instagram and it seems... OK it's a little weird. But they're still cooking it, and we're told more limbs and parts specifically for Mr. Nexus are on the way later. But how is this guy? If you need instant gratification, that is sold separately.
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The robot mode seems like some sort of 2023-2026 chic. The DNA of the design feels like it could have come from the Energon or Cybertron lines, with a fairly boxy robot that turns into what could loosely be called a space ship. The combiner torso mode is not featured on the box or instructions, so I am going to have to wait and see if it's any good. What I do know now is that the robot mode reminds me of a lot of Voyager-class toys from 20 years ago with decent deep cuts showing off robot detail. The head has a golden face mask and a swell silver face plate, plus a really incredible metallic sheen on the helmet. This same paint was used on the wings and part of the jet mode, too, but the red plastic parts lack this magical shine. A pity, it's real nice. The robot has the expected articulation, with tilting ankles plus swivel wrists. The wrists even have little blasters on them, which is a fun extra. He has little golden points on his chest, arms, and legs, which I assume are meant to remind us of some sort of combination hardpoints from previous lines. Aside from that, he's a pretty straightforward modern robot. If a toy like this were made 20 years ago, I assume he'd have something like 4 joints and basically be like Armada Overload or Scavenger. I've been enjoying fussing with him, despite having absolutely zero attachment to the character. I blame the bright colors.
His wing blasters have some jointed bits letting them fold down. The standard 5mm pegs fit in his fists or in his other ports as needed. But the real nifty accessory is the Enigma of Combination! It looks sort of like an elongated Matrix of Leadership with Nexus Prime's symbol in the gold circle. It can store in his back, or be held in his hands. It's a neat artifact, and will probably have a special place in collections of such objects - there's not much you can do with it, though.
You'll probably want the instructions, only because the alt mode is imaginative. You've got a good robot, and what seems to be a good combiner torso, and a space ship that's a contorted box with wings on the side and a cockpit. I needed help because there's not much of a reference image in my head, and because it does require some specific level of contortion to get it right. It's not a painful experience, but it does require a level of specificity.
I almost wonder if the jet mode was an extreme afterthought, only because it looks like a robot contorted with a jet cockpit on the front and wings on the sides. A lot of planes have a jet backpack with a robot wadded up underneath - this one makes no such effort. I find it refreshing. At $43 I wish it had a more cohesive vehicle mode, but I can also admit that The Thirteen exist to be robot action figures. It is not an impressive vehicle, but it ticks a box and I had fun messing around with it. I assume this toy's fate is to be the core of a bigger robot in most adult collections, so I'm not going to knock it too much.
There are some toys that I buy because of the future. Someday, he'll have limbs. He might even have a lower torso of his own. I'm buying this on faith that there will be a bigger, wackier robot that will cost me too much money to put together. As a stand-alone robot it's charming and I like the head sculpt a lot, but I may never see its vehicle mode again. Right now, I'd recommend this to people building out the Thirteen, and people who plan on getting all combiners everywhere. I find it charming and I'm glad I got it, only because I really enjoy the pre-movie, post-Beast toys Hasbro designed for kids in America. I don't have a problem if they want to give us more new brightly-colored bots, and I hope the payoff of the eventual complete combined mode with the new parts looks great. And that Hasbro will rerun this guy when people realize what they missed.
--Adam Pawlus
Additional Images
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