A Giant Robot and the 1986 Transformers Movie Taught Me About the Cold Inevitability of Death

Optimus Prime passed away on August 8, 1986. It was 30 full years ago today, when Transformers: The Movie debuted, that the heroic robot sacrificed his own life to defeat the evil Megatron. But an event that was tragic for Prime's fellow Autobots turned out to be completely traumatic for me and god knows how many other kids.