Yea nuke frames only really work when you have a tight confined space like specific Defense, Interception, and Onslaught missions with high enemy density. But when you consider something like Eidolons or the spiders, or other high-end boss types (ie, Sortie Kela with enhancement just a while ago), they can't really bring much to bear. Ability to either tank (tho with Kela this is pretty much just Wukong and Valkyr since enhanced Kela has attacks that can overwhelm any regular damage mitigation) or buff or heal possess much greater utility in them. Like, a real problem with Eidolons and Spidolon 1 is that only a few frames are actually useful for them. And it's arguable even fewer are optimal for Spidolon 1 because of its knocks and procs, and the way it gates damage and how much damage it actually needs to take, so ability to tank and immunity to procs and knocks are in overdrive need; maining Nezha nowadays on a certain level I appreciate that but it does highlight an overall problem with most powers just not working when they'd otherwise break encounters.
the new transvestite frame is pretty imposing, easily slapping 33k aoe per shot with its base skill.
Not exactly new, Equinox has always had Maim for its day form. The thing with Maim tho is that it requires more set-up to use than say Quake or WoF, since it needs enemies being killed in range while it's active to store up damage. It's not exactly spammable outside of situations where it'd be kind of redundant to use it since everything's dying around you to begin with. Though it is more team-oriented since I think it doesn't care who or how enemies in range die, so it's cool.
That's really the thing with nuke frames, they only do a thing that's already redundant in almost every context (except as mentioned Saryn and Onslaught). And I don't just see why you'd want to play a nukeframe anyway, since it's just that same thing with Ash way back in the day when Bladestorm was the lazy mode. You just aren't even really playing if all you intend to do is sit your ass down and perma-Quake or hide behind WoF, or just mooch off your team for Maim.