HCC788 - Cobra MAGGOT and WORMS - COBRA MONTH vintage G. I. Joe toy review! HD S02E28

[@MrX-qf4ro]

As a kid, I just could not make this driver into a nobody army builder or an artillery driver. To me, he was a general for Cobra, which really worked. I had him as a brilliant tactician as a general or high ranking colonel as Serpentor remade Cobra from a guerilla terrorist organization into a more conventionally-oriented Cobra army. I gave him a Libyan or Saudi Arabian background, as I thought his uniform reminded me a bit of Colonel Gaddaffi. And, personally, I really like the mustard gloves and ascott. He was really a very cool looking Cobra at a time when Cobra transforming from a guerrilla and terrorist force to a more conventional military. I have him in the top tier of Cobra figures.

[@mrspeigel3593]

I also have a lot more love for this than most people seem to,.

[@christianhafer9819]

@@mrspeigel3593 It's an excellent figure. One of the best drivers, for sure. The design is spectacular. The helmet is great, colors are great. Top tier all the way.

[@nicholaswhitehead8842]

Got this bad boy the other day. Absolutely love it. One of my favourite all time sets

[@christianhafer9819]

I'm looking forward to picking it up myself. I do have a complete W.O.R.M.S., and he's a top tier figure for sure. I love the colors. The medals, the helmet. Great design.

[@jamesschulziii9098]

Also, I picked this up back in late 2017 around Christmas time. It was so cold here in Michigan (18 degrees) and even though I waited, I went to move the cannon and heard that dry old plastic cracking noise. I did the book....lol

[@jeanchapleau]

Everything a vintage toy review should be: thorough, clear and funny. Great job!

[@HCC788]

Thank you!

[@1980Triumph]

Loved this toy and figure as a kid, just everything about it. Always thought WORMS were high officials in Cobra due to the outfit....shame he was nothing but an army builder.

[@timothy790110]

Hes not an army builder if you cant buy him individually.

[@timothy790110]

At the time

[@MiKeMiDNiTe-77]

The Maggot is legend hours of fun in this vehicle plus as a display piece non GI Joe fans will be like woah 👍😀

[@jamesschulziii9098]

I have three worms yet I still have an incomplete maggot without a radar dish but I have a full crew for my long range self propelled artillery vehicle. It is a strange yet very well detailed cobra specialty vehicle however I'm not sure exactly what type of shell ,if any, that main cannon shoots but since GIJoe had the HAL so I could see it being a lazer to some kids.

[@tracer497]

As a kid I went with the Headmaster Hardhead to be the nobile section of the Maggot for the Joe team. Then i was surprised that the Night Blaster came out. I wonder if the original plan was to release the Maggot with Major Bludd and thats why the "dress uniform" with the medals were designed.

[@jmsberetta]

Nice review, I think the maggot is a good long range attack vehicle

[@delvis7842]

Great review! Thanks for sharing! Seems line it could be a F.O.B. with artillery capabilities.

[@ganimed1976]

In my opinion the color scheme of the worms figure is very nice and well balanced. The colors are matching good together imho. Nice review btw ;)

[@christianhafer9819]

W.O.R.M.S. is a top tier figure, for sure. Love the design.

[@unclejames6365]

It seems like the very large shells under the engine cover are for the big RAP Rocket Assisted Projectile cannon. They aren't on a feed or a belt (I'm guessing) but are handed up to the cannon loading specialist.

[@franzyland]

My cannon section is still posted in my Cobra base from the 80"s, in my back yard. I cut a hole in a half 5 gallon bucket that looks like a Quonset hut. The cannon is set inside the hole as a turreted artillery piece. It is still standing guard after all these years. I walk by it every day when I walk my dog. I would have saved it years ago, but it is too far gone

[@JoeMotionVideos82]

I broke the clip on mine as well. I had it since my childhood, after all of these years.....damn.

[@theloudamerican2193]

no, the weapon description is correct, the sticker is incorrect. the large gun is modeled after the bofors 40mm auto cannon .

[@ryanfoley8035]

I have 1 but the Canon has the radar put on backwards and super glued and I missing worms antenna

[@nealg6810]

That was some great editing. Plus, what can be more dignified being called a WORM? Also I love when you said Lowly. If you read Richard Scarry books as a kid, there is a worm named Lowly. Ha.

[@5foldunderstanding547]

That design's based on the Transformer's #Warlord multiple Alt Modes transformation(s) Or Vice versa. Taken From or for the UK comics possibly.

[@lonesquiff6551]

Thank you for pointing out the resemblance to the Rocketeer. That was exactly what came to mind when I first saw a W.O.R.M.S. As soon as you pointed out the glove notches I thought "Kinda like Wolverine" and then 2 seconds later you did too I had to lol. I cannot stand these names though. It makes me wonder if they were trying to tap into the Garbage Pail Kids market.

[@affoster79]

The Maggot and the Cobra Mamba were the two best Cobra vehicles to come out in 1987.

[@hector1011]

affoster79 The Cobra Wolf was pretty nice too. The Sea Ray was nice as well, but some people didn't like it.

[@christianhafer9819]

@@hector1011 I liked them all. I gave them all except the Maggot. Soon.

[@zorpoxthedestroyer]

Great review Commander!.

[@nicolasbuist141]

i use to have that toy as a kid i was so sad when i got the driver leg broke at the knee first time i bend it on xmas night wonder if it was a flaw in the plastic that was commun

[@joeblaster8770]

I always called the W.O.R.M.S tank vipers elite.

[@hector1011]

Thanks for the review. I always like the Maggot. It was a nice mobile artillery unit (not a tank). I do think it's sad that cobra never really had a proper tank ( I don't consider the HISS a proper tank). I do wish they re-released this vehicle with the proper Cobra colors for the vehicle and driver.

[@HCC788]

sonic360 They had the C.A.T. in 1985, which was a remold of the MOBAT. That was a Sears exclusive though, so I don't know if you would consider that to be a real Cobra vehicle. I kind of don't. I'm uncertain how the retailer exclusives should be treated. But that was the closest Cobra got to a traditional tank.

[@Thor13332]

sonic360 I agree. They did release a Hiss II that was larger with a bigger gun and more figure capacity but the main problem imo is that it's profile was to tall. The main gun could not be lowered enough to pose a hit on a mobat or mauler on display. To this day they have never given cobra a real old school turreted tank.

[@HCC788]

That's interesting. I have seen plenty of photos of the HISS II, but I don't have one. I'll get to a review eventually. I'd like to see how it stacks up against the other tanks in the line.

[@Thor13332]

It's worth interviewing. The tank's guns are red but I believe it came out around the same time as the Maggot so that was what Hasbro was trending towards. It actually has seat restraints for the drivers. Neat design with a few flaws.

[@hector1011]

HoodedCobraCommander788 The C.A.T. was a nice re-color/re-deco of the MOBAT, but not an original Cobra tank. Limited release exclusives don't really count for me either. I always wanted sort of like a modern cobra version of a Tiger Tank :)

[@ALIEN-DUDE]

I like how the figure looks a bit like the rocketeer

[@mrvideogarcia5027]

The antenna is no issue I 3D printed like 10 for my worms painted them and perfect .. thank god for 3D printing I even created the radar dishes …

[@bigtrajik1]

Great review man keep them up

[@HCC788]

bigtrajik1 Thank you!

[@dmore454]

As a kid, I'd take the machine gun turret out of the center hole of the Cobra Moray and swap in the large turret from this vehicle, and it actually fit. Makes for kind of a neat fast attack battleship combo

[@ralang999]

holy shit that is brilliant!

[@Bice404]

Even if you had 4 crew members how could four guys lift of the canon to get to the ARV? Or did they call in the Cobra crane or something every time they had to use it?

[@nicholaswhitehead8842]

It is a toy.... toys just like movies don't have to make sense. They are meant for entertainment purposes only

[@christianhafer9819]

@@nicholaswhitehead8842 People do take some of these toys seriously. Ridiculous.

[@mikewilson858]

I like this vehicle. It’s a useful piece of military equipment. The names fit the unglamorous down and dirty job of shelling people from long range. To add to the discussion on Cobra’s tanks, I agree with Sonic that a Cobra tank inspired by the old German, or even WWII Russian(take a look at the K2) tanks would work great. HISS 2, RAGE, and DEMON are way over engineered with to many small guns. Cobra desperately needed a heavy single big gun tank.

[@affoster79]

Ah yes the wolf and sea ray were both awesome vehicles too.

[@Bice404]

Here is an idea for a v2 of the Maggot. What if you could do it a bit like the human centepide and connect Maggots to eachother? :P Say you buy one maggot and then another and the design is such that you can connect them to either the front or back making it a longer maggot so to speak. This version should have lots of guns and stuff on the sides of it. With a really long Maggot v2 you could like circle your enemies or something!?

[@HCC788]

Bice404 Put that in an email to Hasbro and see what they say.

[@dirus3142]

The Cobra sonic fighter Viper has a color scheme that matches the Maggot driver Worms. Would make a good figure for the gunner in the back section of the vehicle.

[@TheDarthvalen]

Nice

[@HCC788]

TheDarthvalen Thank you!

[@silenig]

I don't know why they chose this stupid name, "Maggot", but I like the design. In its full form (as seen in 0:38), the vehicle looks like a WWII tank destroyer (e.g. Nashorn) split in two

[@tracer497]

Maybe the round went from the front section and traveled through the "hitch", carried upward to the top section and fired through the artillery "gun".

[@ryanbwags]

I did the broken parts yell! I was restoring a Vintage Kenner Y-wing and dropped it with the engine struts attached. Broke 3 of the damn things. it's ok, I found a deal for 4 more so now I have extra. stupid engine struts.

[@roguishpaladin]

Did your Y-Wing yell, "Loosen up!" as it fell to the ground?

[@mystics1ay3r17]

Incase anyone is wondering why it turns green, when plastic comes in contact with UV light, it yellows. Since the plastic is blue, the yellowing mixes with the blue and so it turns green. I’m not sure how well it works on colored plastics, but any white plastic that turns yellow can generally be fixed by soaking it in hydrogen peroxide under UV light. Idk the exact science it, but the peroxide dissolves the discoloration and is activated by the UV light. It’s how I fixed the yellowing on my transformers G1 Red Alert. I recommend disassembling the toy as much as you can before you try it though. The peroxide will also dissolve the protective coating on screws and any chrome that has been vac metalized

[@cobraisland2594]

I was one of the kids who my mom bought me Maggot and Worms

[@chrismayer3919]

I'll give you odds the GI JOE Mean Dog is the Maggot's counterpart!

[@christianhafer9819]

Cool vehicle.

[@theloudamerican2193]

I disagree with your opinion on the labeling for the anti tank portion of this vehicle. The larger gun with the radar WOULD be the 40mm cannon. It is very reminiscent of the bofors 40mm anti aircraft cannon.

[@chrismayer3919]

I thought the broken-parts yell was; FUS-RO-DAH!!!

[@nathanbarger3449]

Unfortunately a lot of the Joe vehicles didn't have proper protection from the driver being shot by a sniper.

[@RagsLighthouses]

So a worms operator doesnt have to be smart, but he has to be a diesel mechanic

[@jeremysnead9233]

That should have been a G.I. Joe Vehicle. The havock should had replace the HISS.

[@HCC788]

I could see that. It would have worked.

[@jeremysnead9233]

+HoodedCobraCommander788 cobra should have had the the ICBM carrier. the Joe's had 2 giant play sets in the previous year and received 2 more plus the mean dog in the following year .

[@christianhafer9819]

@@jeremysnead9233 The Mean Dog is cool.

[@KyriakosVafiadis]

the team of four is such an annoying thing... you had to buy four complete sets? I never had this vehicle but in YOJOE I read that the W.O.R.M.S. was only packaged exclusively with the Maggot

[@HCC788]

Kyriakos Vafiadis Right. I doubt many kids bought 4 Maggots to have one complete crew. And even if they did... what do you do with three extra Maggots? If you hunt around Ebay you can get incomplete WORMS fairly cheaply.

[@roguishpaladin]

I don't know how, but I ended up with a W.O.R.M.S. without having the Maggot back in the 80s. I always thought the helmet popping off was neat.

[@monicagalvez5172]

me too

[@HCC788]

+Monica Galvez Well, I'm glad we're in agreement.

[@timothy790110]

I had this as a kid and i had no idea the worms even had an antenna on his helmet.

[@parkerlangstaff]

LAZER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@tonyjackson8505]

I think the names do work against the whole toy. I would have called the toy the Anaconda and driver Sidewinder

[@gaulergolf]

Great job. I always hated this vehicle and driver. I don't know where they went wrong, but 1987 definitely was the start of a different direction in vehicle design and I definitely wasn't a fan. The persuader and backstop being particularly atrocious. And the cobra mamba had a cool design, but the color choices were bad. Purple??? I guess I first noticed it with the bright orange missiles on the havoc which were a knock on an otherwise cool vehicle. I think most of the character designs are solid right through 1990 though (with the exception of raptor, captain gridiron and deep six version 2)

[@HCC788]

kero wack I was out of G. I. Joe by 1990, so I never saw those figures. After the movie and Cobra-La, I was out. But looking at the figures that came out after I stopped collecting, some of them were really good. I would have liked them-- *some* of them. But my last experience with G. I. Joe was a weird phase with wacky vehicles and colors.

[@gaulergolf]

Yeah. Figures like bullhorn and ambush are so good, but flying general hawk basically sucks. Not to mention ninja scarlett. ....

[@shermanvermin76]

I hate these vehicle drivers too. 1987 was the year vehicle drivers began going downhill (mostly because it was the year Sunbow apparently lost the rights to the show, hence these new Hasbro releases only made it to the 3 3/4 toyline, and not the cartoon, post-movie, even though, by this point, they were *supposed* to have).

[@shermanvermin76]

Yes, Bullhorn, Ambush (has an auburn moustache), Raptor, Captain Grid-Iron and Deep-Six (version 2, which is carded and wears a more realistic diving suit) [although I do additionally like the 1984 Deep-Six, which is sold boxed, and wears an enlarged white diving suit] *are* all good figures, but *I* don't dislike the flying General Hawk figure (from early 1991, which wears a green flight suit, and whose hair is now a sandy colour, and is renamed 'General Hawk') [I do like the 1986 Hawk figure, which has black hair and wears a brown bomber jacket, seen in season 2 of the 80s Sunbow G.I. Joe cartoon, and is merely called 'Hawk'], although I do concur that ninja Scarlett sucks (Hasbro should only have done the *one* version of her - from 1982).

[@christianhafer9819]

@@shermanvermin76 You're nuts! '87 had spectacular drivers. W.O.R.M.S., Sea Slug, Ice Viper, Gyro-Viper, Steam Roller, Payload. Lay off the booze, or whatever you're smoking, my man.

[@samfrito]

Great review of my least favorite of the Cobra line of the time. I kind of refused to buy this because of the name, but I also felt sorry for the driver. He sat there like an unprotected jack in the box waiting to get blasted. When you compare this to the GI Joe Persuader it just seemed like a larger toy that did more things wrong than right. I love the color scheme, but not many kids really respond well to long range artillery. This thing did both, but maybe neither side really hit the nail as much as the thumb. I might get one now, but I believe it would be a vehicle I got on the cheap, and just for customizing fun. Hasbro must have let go of the brighter designers by this time, because Cobra-la was right around the corner, wasn't it? Thanks for an awesome Cobra month. Here's to putting the Rage into next one!

[@HCC788]

sam torres Cobra-La was the same year-- 1987. By that time, i believe Ron Rudat had moved on, and a new generation of designers had taken over. A new generation that was using a lot of cocaine, apparently. There were some figures from that later era that I would have liked if I had stuck around, but some of the designs got pretty far out there. Maybe by next Cobra Month I'll have the Rage completed and ready to review. Cheers!

[@samfrito]

HoodedCobraCommander788 Nothing says success like too much powder, and believe me, the world of the 88 toy line was laced with uncut madness. Still, the Maggot (sucks to have to tell people you drive a Maggot at work) deserves some love for being a "treaded" vehicle, as opposed to the jet powered pogo springed distinction. Looking forward to that next Cobra month. Hope it hits around Thanksgiving. I think Cobra should use a ancient Chinese calendar and scrap several of the less notable months.

[@christianhafer9819]

@@samfrito This is an awesome toy. And the figure is one of the best drivers in the line. You're nuts.

[@samfrito]

@@christianhafer9819 nuts is being kind, but I am still not a huge fan of the Maggot, but I like the color scheme a little more than the Mamba.

[@christianhafer9819]

@@samfrito Well, I hope you're not begrudging the Mamba!! That is easily one of the best vehicles in the entire line! The two removable pods, the intertwining rotars, the bombs, missiles. It's a spectacular vehicle. Color and all. I love the Gyro-Viper as well.

[@mattconnolly169]

I hate the driver's hatch it looks like the homeplate on a baseball diamond

[@christianhafer9819]

Not a baseball fan? Lol.

[@christianhafer9819]

This is a top tier figure and vehicle all the way! You must have a delicate constitution if the names Maggot and W.O.R.M.S turns your stomach, or makes you queasy or whatever ridiculous thing you said. W.O.R.M.S is one of the best designed figures in the line, driver or otherwise. I love his mustard gloves and scarf and the brown is most excellent. The Maggot is FAR superior to the Hiss Tank. Lol. That's a bare bones nothing vehicle. The Maggot has way more play features and is superior in every conceivable way. And the Hiss II Tank is way better than the original Hiss Tank too. Lol. Are you nuts? You can fit way more figures on it, and in it. It's a troop carrying vehicle, has more weapons, artillery. It's a beautiful piece. You just have a hard on for early lame vehicles. The Maggot and it's driver are spectacular.

[@bubblewrappedmemories]

I understand and appreciate your review....as always!However, and barring any semantics and other correct observations regarding the limitations of the so called W.O.R.M.S., I must disagree with your view on the knee pads. I think they are fine and a nice color break for the over all "turd-like" upper figure.The lack of over the knee extensions of the pads never bothered me as a kid ( but yes.... I agree, it is cool to have over the knee pads because those would actually work?) as a grown up (and given the atrocities of what would become G.I. JOE) I think this figure is OK for what it was....So maybe we agree overall?

[@christianhafer9819]

The figure IA excellent. Top tier all the way. Great design, colors are awesome, love the helmet. Great stuff.

[@redvitaminblue]

I had to drink a bottle of pepto bismol while watching this review. Eeeyuck. I don't know how you made it through without throwing up a little. Even the voice over guy for the toy commercial can be heard dry heaving. The vehicle and driver names just do not fit the Cobra aesthetic, despite it being a fascinating vehicle/battle station/play set.