Gripper (G1)

This article is about the Autobot Motorvator. For the Micromaster mini-rig, see Gripper (ROC).

Gripper is an Autobot from the toyline portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

Some time, Rock, when the team is up against it, when things are wrong and the breaks are beating the boys, ask them to go in there with all they've got and win just one for the Gripper.

Leader of the Motorvator assault force, Gripper is a mighty robot characterized by courage and pure strength. He has a penchant for off-roading, as his mega-grip tires and super reinforced vehicular armor are well suited to rough terrain. His dual function Energon figure supplies him with wide-sweep radar and a sonic scanner. He wields a crack calibre laser-blazer broadsword. Which sounds totally awesome.

Fiction

IDW Generation 1 continuity

Gripper was front and center among the Transformers who defended Cybertron from Shockwave's attacking Ammonite army. Black Planet

Gripper later gave a testimony on the D.J.D. during Megatron's trial, having lost a number of close friends within the Decepticons to them. Words Hang in the Air

Toys

Generation 1

• Gripper (Motorvator, 1991)
  • Accessories: Energon figure, sword

Gripper is a redeco of the Brainmaster Blacker, transforming into a Baja buggy. His incredibly simplistic transformation for his size is due to the gimmick in his torso: placing his smaller Energon figure into the open chest cavity then closing the plate pushes the inner core of the small robot up, forming the larger robot's face. The Energon figure can also "pilot" Gripper in vehicle mode.

Like the other Motorvators, Gripper lacks the Combiner kibble needed to form a Motorvator version of Road Caesar (in Gripper's case, the shield/chestplate and blaster/robot face).

Gripper was released in Europe, Australia and New Zealand in 1991, and was also released in European packaging in Japan, much like the later USA Editions.

• More information on Gripper at TFU.info

Notes

Foreign names

• Italian: Phantom