Castle Grayskull

Castle Grayskull was the type of 80s toy you always really really wanted, but in reality only the boy next door would get it for Christmas. So, every day after school you'd have to lug all your He-Man figures over to play. It was also huge - and the kind of slimy colours that any gore-seeking little boy went crazy for! Luckily, mum approved , too, since it was much more compact than the 7.5ft-long GI Joe USS Flag toy. It also had plastic spikes all over the floor of the castle, meaning you could attach your toy figures easily and neatly at the end of a play session.

Castle Grayskull was said to be located on the fictional planet of Eternia. It featured in the television animation of Masters Of The Universe in the 80s. Inside, it was believed the secrets to conquering the whole of Eternia were kept, which meant the castle was constantly being ambushed by the likes of Skeletor and Snake Men. Luckily, guarding these much-coveted secrets was The Sorceress and He-Man and his mates. Originally, as we discover in the 2002 film remake of He-Man, King Grayskull lived here - he was an ancestor of King Adam and died defending his castle. All of his powers went into King Adam's sword upon his death, giving He-Man the powers we all came to respect him for.

During the television show we find out that the secrets are kept within a room that contains The Guardian, plus two doors - one leading to the secrets and another leading to ultimate destruction. But the castle homed a lot more besides that, which we got a first glimpse at when Skeletor eventually forced his way into the castle in the 1987 film. Inside you'd find various caverns, including a Throne Room, the Hall of He-Man, a Travel Corridor (where various portals lead to other places in Eternia, like Snake Mountain), a laboratory, a room for practising spells and a bedroom for The Sorceress. Perhaps the most impressive feature fo the plastic-moulded toy castle - well, certainly when you're seven years old - is the main door to the castle. This acts like a drawbridge and is shaped like a moster's mouth - surely that should be enough to ward of the enemy, you'd think. If it wasn't, below the drawbridge is an abyss that's dark and barren - basically very uninviting - which He-Man says leads to the centre of Eternia.

During the TV show's remake in 2002, Castle Grayskull was made more complex and boasted never-before-seen rooms such as the Crystal Chamber (where Prince Adam/He-Man's sword was originally kept, so the story goes). As a result, a newer toy version of the castle was released, but it never topped the popularity of the original format.