Transformers are alien robots hailing from the planet Cybertron. They are divided into two factions: heroic Autobots and evil Decepticons. Autobots and Decepticons have been locked in an apocalyptic civil war for millennia. The line was launched in the United States in 1984 with an accompanying animated television series, it followed in Europe later that same year. Many of the Hasbro-distributed toys were actually rebranded versions of the existing Japanese ‘Microman’ and ‘Diaclone’ toylines made by Takara. The combination of vehicle and robot, and the often complicated series of movements required to change between the two modes, meant Transformers were extremely popular children’s toys during the mid-1980s.

Grapple is an Autobot with an unusual vocation: he is an architect. According to the television series, the buildings he designed on Cybertron before the war were widely admired. However, Grapple’s creations were also prone to being destroyed by enemy action, much to the dismay of the artistically-inclined robot. The mould for this toy was derived from Takara’s ‘Diaclone’ range, which were originally supposed to represent piloted transforming vehicles, rather than sentient robots. It was retooled as a fire engine and also used for the Autobot character Inferno.