#38: Grapple (1985)

How could you not love Grapple? He's an artist, a master builder, an architect of the highest calibre. He's a 'bot who hates war, it impedes his integrity as an artist, after all. All he wants to do is build, and build well. Even if that means striking deals with distinctly dodgy types. But that says more about his naive nature than anything else.

Grapple was very lucky to receive a whole G1 episode pretty much all to himself in "The Master Builder". Sure, Hoist was there as well, but let's face it, Grapple was the main attraction here. What we get with this episode is a glimpse into Grapple's psyche, we really see what makes him tick. We also get to see that Optimus Prime is a complete douche sometimes, but I think we already knew that. I feel sorry for Grapple in many ways, it can't be easy for him, to be an architect in the middle of a war. I guess I always saw why he would suffer from depression, seeing the buildings he helps to create get obliterated. Poor guy.

Grapple's alt mode is the same as Inferno's, the Mitsubishi Fuso. As a kid, I always did wonder why those two didn't look like British or American trucks, and right there is your answer. They weren't, they were based off Japanese ones. Very exotic. Very cool, too. He's not so much a repaint as a retool, coming with different attachments and a different head. The crane arm is obviously different too. I have to report here that I always preferred Grapple to Inferno, cranes are cooler than Fire Trucks in my humble opinion. Plus, the orange was always a nicer colour to my mind. A bit more neony. That always gives me a happy.

Grapple then, is quite a serious character for the Transformers universe. A guy who suffers from depression due to the destruction that war causes. He even gets an episode to himself, where they follow to the letter what his Tech Spec bio tells us. Let's face it, the cartoon got it right here. The comic barely mentions him at all, it has to be noted. Although he is a current member of the Lost Light crew. Come on Rocherts, let's be having you...