That Metallica-themed Optimus Prime you've always wanted is now on eBay

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By ( Metal Hammer ) last updated

You heard us right. You can now celebrate Cliff Burton's legacy with a one-off Metallica-themed Autobot Commander Master of Puppets Prime Transformer

Metallica Optimus Prime
(Image credit: Simon Smith)

In this week's edition of People Are Doing Stuff On The Internet We Had No Idea About But It Seems Real Popular, we've discovered a community of makers who build one-off custom models based on the Transformers franchise. Not only that, but they painstakingly fashion the packaging to go with the models, creating fantastically detailed, almost mind-boggling results.

Leading the charge this week is modeller Simon Smith, who has lovingly combined metal titans Metallica with a Transformers G1 Optimus Prime in order to create the Cliff Burton-celebrating "Autobot Commander Master of Puppets Prime."

"I received a request sometime last year from a collector on Instagram for a new Metallica Optimus Prime to be made," posts Smith on Facebook. "I wanted to base this off of the album cover and pay respects to Cliff Burton at the same time so we have a blend of the two ideas.

"The box layout is pretty epic. There is no doubt who this piece is based on and the top flap with the three crosses really drives home the feel from the album.

"Making this piece I listened to Master of Puppets over and over again and it really got to me that we had lost such a passionate musician like Cliff Burton. Cliff was one of the major forces that propelled Metallica's music in the early years to another level."

Smith has now put the model on eBay, where you can witness his creation in all its monstrous glory. At the time of writing, the highest bid is US$521.

Metallica Optimus Prime transformer

(Image credit: Simon Smith)
Fraser Lewry
Fraser Lewry
Online Editor, Classic Rock

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.