Playmates Earthworm Jim Figures

If you’re a fan of video game toys, hang onto your seat- this is going to be one GROOVY update! Make sure you keep reading (yes, the whole way) as we’ve got some never-before-seen Earthworm Jim figures to show you, exclusive to The Toy Archives!

Earthworm Jim was originally a video game created by Shiny Entertainment in 1994. In 1995, the property was released as a television cartoon as well and after seeing the mass hysteria around their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figure lines and hoping to find their next big hit, Playmates Toys jumped on the rights to produce toys based on characters from the show. Playmates produced 8 figures (plus one exclusive mail-in offer and a couple of variations that we’ll cover later) and 1 vehicle for the line, and had planned a full second wave that was unfortunately cancelled before going into production.

The figures themselves are awesome representations of their television counterparts, with excellent detail, paint applications, and no shortage of accessories. Many of the figures featured an internal action mechanism as well- packing a ton of value into a small package! Earthworm Jim toys are definitely a fantastic (and affordable) line to collect! Let’s take a look at each of the Wave 1 Earthworm Jim figures…

The Good Guys

Earthworm Jim

Of course we can’t talk about Earthworm Jim figures without talking about…. Earthworm Jim! One of four versions of Jim in the first wave, this figure features his standard Super Suit and comes with his Big Bulk Plasma Blaster, Jim’s Really Big Crow Croakin’ Gun, and his trusty sidekick- Snott. Jim also has a built in action- he can fire his head with the press of a button on his back.

Here’s the text from his file card:

People of Earth, do not run in fear; do not run in your bare feet, either. I am your groovy superhero – Earthworm Jim! My superpowers are numerous. My strength is legendary. Why, I can even launch this huge heifer into the air with one hand – like so. “Moooo!” Perhaps I should tell you a little about myself. First and foremost, I’m a worm. Secondly, I am heavily armed. I know what you’re thinking: a heavily armed worm – isn’t that bad? You can count on me and my segments that I am a good worm. How did all this happen? Well, there’s this evil Queen Slug-for-a-Butt (hey, that’s her name) – who commissioned this Professor to build a super space suit so she could dominate the universe. Well, I was minding my own business (which is real easy for a worm to do), when this space suit accidentally falls from the sky and lands – WHOOMP! – right on me. Suddenly, by the Great Worm Spirit whose segments span the labyrinths of eternity – well, you can guess the rest of the story. Groovy, huh? The Queen’s got an evil bird named Psycrow after me, too. His sole goal is to get my super suit and return it to the Queen. But with my Big Bulk Plasma Blaster and Really BIG Crow Croakin’ Gun, I’ll not only save myself – I pledge to defend the defenseless, help the helpless and make Psycrow EAT DIRT at every turn. So rest assured that I – Earthworm Jim, together with my faithful servant, Snot and sidekick Peter Puppy, shall protect you all! Hey, and if my weapons are not at hand, I can use my head as a whip! Pretty groovy, huh? I have to go now and save Princess What’s-Her-Name – she’s my girl!

Earthworm Jim (Battle Damaged)

The next version of Jim still features his Super Suit, but with some added sculpt detail as a Battle Damaged version. In addition, this figure has some added functionality and can shoot his damaged chestplate off as a projectile. Playmates really went all out on this version, as his accessories all feature battle damage as well, including Battle Damaged Snott, Battle Damaged Big Crow Croakin’ Gun, and his Battle Damaged Hand Blaster Gun.

From Battle Damaged Earthworm Jim Figures file card:

By the worm of my chinny-chin-chin! I’ve been hit! Blasted in my prime! Quick, Snott, hand me my Batle Damaged Hand Blas – Oh, no, Snott! – you’ve been hit, too! Is there no justice?! Poor little Snott, those blast-happy villains can’t even pick on someone their own size. They’ll be sorry, though. Real sorry! They’re gonna EAT DIRT! Ugh! I’ve ben hit again! All the really cool stuff inside my nuclear-powered suit has been exposed – here, in front of everyone! Oh, the shame! Thank the worm of all creation, I can snap my Spring Action Battle Damage Chest Plate back on. GROOVY! Now to return the fire with my Battle Damaged BIG Crow Croakin’ Gun – BAM! Take that Psycrow, you future feather duster! Now for my Battle Damaged Hand Blaster Gun – BOOM! EAT DIRT Evil and Henchrat, you future feather duster users! Oh, no! My power is draining… need to re-charge soon or all is lost! Oh, Great Worm of Wonder, more vile villains have surrounded me and my faithful Snott. Will my super suit hold against this onslaught of evil? I think not, Snott. Our only hope is my ever present faithful pal Peter Puppy. Where is he anyway? Oh, Omnipresent Annelid, it is he, my little buddy with the means of our escape – a wobbly wheeled shopping cart! Off to our secret hideout for repairs! We will return another day to inflict hideously horrible revenge on you crusty cretins. But hark, is that a coo-oow? OOOMPH!

Earthworm Jim (Special Deep Sea Mission Suit)

The third iteration of Jim in Wave 1 was a wildly different one, featuring his Special Deep Sea Mission Suit! He comes fully stocked with accessories, including a Stick-it-to-’em Spear Blaster and Spear, Real Water Shooting Gun with Jetpack Water Storage and of course his trusty sidekick, Deep Sea Snott!

From the file card:

Fear not, my water licking lads! I, Earthworm Jim, have come to rescue you all! I have converted my super suit to allow me to traverse the great barrier below. Notice my watertight helmet and extra oxygen tanks – very stylish. By the Great Worm Provider! Is that Bob & #4 I see approaching with a giant mechanical bay shrimp? Why, yes, it is! Quickly, I must whip out my Stick-it-to-’em Spear Blaster and aim for the giant mechinaical shrimp’s eyes. Oh, Great Wiggling Worm, he has no eyes! The horror, oh, the horror! In mere moments, I will be a worm-stain on his mechanically sharpened shrimp teeth. He does have teeth, I can see that! Deep Sea Snott, my Spears please. Thanks, my snorting sleeve-wipe of a friend. Just a little to the left… there, got ’em! Now it’s blind shrimp cocktail for everyone! But before I dine, I must rid this underwater world of the evil that is Bob & #4. With my Real Water Shooting Gun with Jetpack Water Storage, I shall pre-soak them until they shrink into nothingess. I love this job! Equipped with my Special Mission Deep Sea Suit, I have once again defeated evil on its own turf – making the waterways safe for all fishes to eat, sleep and play! Oh, Amazing Annelid, who holds the sky above our heads, is that Professor Monkey-for-a-Head with a giant mechanical sea anemone? No, it’s just Deep Sea Snott with a case of the bends. See you all later, my water-wallowing weirdos! Whoa, over yonder breaking wave, is that a surfin’ cow I see? Cowwwamoooga!

Earthworm Jim (MCA Exclusive)

Last, but certainly not least, we have the MCA/Universal exclusive version of Jim. Available only as a mail-away offer, this Jim is rocking the same Super Suit but decorated in black and green instead of the traditional blue and white. He comes with the same accessories as the original Jim.

Princess What’s-Her-Name

Every hero needs a Princess! Earthworm Jim’s princess is… Princess What’s-Her-Name. No really, that’s her name. Your Earthworm Jim figures would be horribly lonely without their female counterpart! She come’s fully equipped with her Bug Launcher with Bug Discs, Really INTENSE Insectoid Gun, and her sidekick, Runt Zurb!

From her file card:

Zurb, my diary, please… Ah, here we are.

Adventure 74312. Today I saved the universe from my big fat facially-challenged sister, Queen Pulsating-Bloated-Festering-Sweaty-Pus-filled-Malformed-Slug-for-a-Butt. She’s got that scepter of power, but I’ve got goodness on my side – and I’m a purebred Insectickan. That means I have the strength of ten men. As I have vowed in the past, my sister will mistreat me no more. Today, that wench tried to bring horror to all decency again. I was just finishing chowing down while Earthworm Jim – he’s kind of my boyfriend – was battling my foul, seeping sister. She had summoned Psycrow and Professor Monkey-for-a-Head to put Jim in a worm lock. They were beginning to tickle his gums when I stepped in and launched a few Bug Discs with my Bug Launcher. Then my faithful servant and bodyguard, Zurb, started banging heads. Unforutantely, Zurb knocked Earthworm Jim unconscious, too. So I whipped out my Really INTENSE Insectoid Gun and let ’em have it – boy, what a mess! Just as I was searing the bad boys’ behinds, Earthworm Jim came out of his daze and said something heroic like, “I’ll save you, my festive polka of joy!” But then he passed out again. After I kicked some mutant butt and made the universe a safe place to walk at night, I went home to do my hair. So, dear diary, I’m still trying to bring an era of perfect peace to my home planet of Insecticka. Maybe I’ll have Earthworm Jim help me tomorrow. Oh merciful mandibles! Is that a cow?! SPLAT!

Peter Puppy

Peter Puppy features one of the best sculpts of the whole line, a slew of accessories, and is one all-around awesome figure. He comes with a Rabid Quick Fire Blaster, Side Arm Shield, The Amazing “Fetch” Club, and a version of himself as pre-monstrous Peter Puppy.

From his file card:

My name is Peter Puppy and I’m a professional sidekick. I graduated from the Sidekick Correspondence Institute, Class of ’95. This is my first job as a sidekick, so I’m a little nervous. But, I’ll tell you, being Earthworm Jim’s little fuzz buddy is a dream come true. It’s better than pro wrestling. Jim’s a cool boss and the benefits are pretty good – not to mention I get to fight the poodles of villainy and watch them sizzle in the oven of justice. As I was taught back at ol’ SCI, I have armed myself with the latest in sidekick technology. The Rabid Quick Fire Blaster is my weapon of choice when confronted by an unreasonable madman bent on world domination. It is also useful for rescuing my boss, Earthworm Jim, whenever he falls into a trap. Like the time Psycrow shorted Earthworm Jim’s super suit, and I came to the rescue with my Side Arm Shield. If it had been one second later, I would have been unemployed! I’ve been working on my own superpowers, but haven’t quite gotten it down yet. Whenever I get upset (or if Earthworm Jim steps on my tail) I turn into a stark raving stomp happy monstrous dog. Problem is, A simple tickle and I’ll burp back to normal. It can be a little scary, I admit. Actually, being able to transform into a monstrous dog helped Jim and I out of that dreadful situation with the killer furniture. But I digress. My motto is a simple one: protect and serve Earthworm Jim at all cost – even if it means getting crushed by a cow! Uh-oh, here comes one now!

The Bad Guys

Psycrow

One of the main evil doers of the series is Psycrow- an angry looking crow with a potbelly out to retrieve the Super Suit from Jim. As a figure, he definitely stands out in the line with nice bright colors, great detail, and a slew of accessories! His full accessory list includes his Super Spring-loaded Blaster Gun, Handheld Worm-guttin’ Gun, Cruisin’ Jet Pack, and Super Sonar Sensitive Antenna.

From Psycrow’s file card:

Welcome to Psycrow’s Most Wanted Super Suits. I’m your host, Psycrow – and this disgusting slimeball is my faithful co-host, Major Mucus. Say howdy to the people Major. “HUUUCKKKK!” Tonight’s episode focuses on that weenie worm, Earthworm Jim. I know, you’re thinking this is a rerun. But I assure you, it is not. It has been my mission since the beginning of this show to track down this super suit swiper and retrieve the Queen’s powerful suit. Together with your help, we can bring this so-called superhero of the downtrodden to justice. Throughout the show I’ll be patrolling the Universe with my Cruisin’ Jet Pack, armed with my Super Spring-loaded Blaster Gun. If you have any information on the whereabouts of Earthwrom Jim, call the worm tip line and within seconds, I’ll blast Jim with my Handheld Worm-guttin’ Gun. Your call could help bring this pilfering pain-in-the-beak to justice. Last week, the hot tip came from Professor Monkey-for-a-Head who saw ‘ole slimy toes Earthworm Jim dancing the night away with Princess What’s-Her-Name. Apparently Earthworm Jim was tuned in, too. And unfortuantely, he got away before I was able to lock in on him with my Super Sonar Sensitive Antenna – better luck this week Professor. Major Mucus will be manning the phones all night long, so keep those tips coming in. And now a word from our spons – look out! – its a cow! SPLAT!

Henchrat & Evil the Cat

Hailing from Planet Heck (which is full of Shadow Demons and rabid Lawyers), we’ve got Evil the Cat and his main henchman, Henchrat. While Evil the Cat is only as large as the sidekicks for the other figures, Playmates made up for it by including the much larger figure – Henchrat. The pair come with quite a number of accessories as well – Spring-loaded Cheese-squeeze Gun and Cheese Grenade, Double Cheese Shoulder Gun, and the Cut-the-Cheese Knife.

From the file card:

Let me out of here – now! Do you understand who you’re holding? I am Evil the Cat – from the Planet Heck. Darkness bows down to me. And now I command you to help me in my quest to bring the universe to its knees. Ah, but first, I must punish my foolish servant, Henchrat, for snacking on my acid furball collection again. Take that, you idiotic moron! “Me sorry, boss! Me not want to get in way of annihilating universe.” Shut up! Get out of my package, you mindless rodent lackey! What!? A blister seal? A minor setback. Listen to me, Henchrat, as soon as I figure this out, I want you to help me destroy that forsaken chunk of spacedust known as Earth. You will utilize the Spring-loaded Cheese-Squeeze Gun with Cheese Grenade. Remember to avoid Earthworm Jim – last time that annelid absorbed a cheese blast in his shorts. Curse those Elastic waist bands! This time, I won’t take a chance: we’ll equip you with the Double Cheese Shoulder Gun. Only Earthworm Jim holding a giant cracker could foil my plan! Perhaps I shall conjure up a perfectly loathsome spell to flush the universe down the evolutionary drain. Let’s see, where’s my book of incantations? Egads! Is that a cow? FWUMP! Another… minor… setback.

Bob & #4

Bob the Killer Goldfish is your stereotypical evil crime lord… He floats around in his bowl and has his minions do his bidding. His go-to minion is the cat, #4. The #4 figure is quite large himself, with Bob the Goldfish being very small, but able to be held in his #4’s hand. He unfortunately comes with less accessories than some of the other Earthworm Jim figures, armed with only his Extra Crispy Worm Searing Gun, and his Wicked Worm Slicing Sword.

On the file card:

Hello air suckers! It is I, Bob, the killer goldfish. Welcome to my watery world of La Planeta de Agua – wipe your feet, please. Here, I am master of all and slave to no one. It is here that I develop my plans of universal conquest and waterproof fish food. If you look to your left, you will see some of my more ingenious inventions, among them my famous Robo-Squid, Cyber-Tuna and Techno-Sturgeon. To my right is my new and improved catatonic cat servant, #4. I have made vast improvemetns over my previous models, #2 and #3. Please – don’t ask me about #1. It is a sad story. Now, pay close attention to #4’s arms and you will see that he is fitted with a Super Spring-gizmo Launching Arm: a very effective weapon in the fight against goodness and all those who dare to challenge the ways of villainy. I am, of course, speaking of that wormboy, Earthworm Jim and his infernal puppy, Peter. It was through my many encounters with those do-gooders that I developed my Extra Crispy Worm Searing Gun: one squeeze of the trigger and – voila! – one tasty toasted worm snack. But that is not all that I have here in my goodness – grinding arsenal of maniacal machinery. Please walk this way. Behold, the pride of my ancestors: the Wicked Worm Slicing Sword. One slice and Earthworm Jim will wiggle no more. This concludes the tour of La Planeta de Agua. Remember, up with villainy and down with daring do-gooders. Have a perfectly evil day. And beware of the falling cow. Moooo-ooomph!

The Prototypes

We’re quite happy to be able to share these with you! Many of these are never before seen- as this was a very recent find. We’re very thankful to the friends that brought us in and allowed us to purchase these! Below, you’ll see a few different types of prototypes from the Earthworm Jim Figures included in Playmates’ first wave, as well as one unproduced figure that never saw the light of day!

Clutch

(Unproduced)

Clutch was a proposed figure for the first wave that never made it to production.The really interesting thing about Clutch is the fact that he was never a part of the Earthworm Jim game or TV series. He was created, pitched, and presented by Playmates as an additional character for the line (and presumably would have been worked into the TV series in order to create awareness).

Wave 2

(Unproduced)

Playmates was well into the process of creating the Wave 2 figures- including figures like Evil Jim, Samurai Earthworm Jim, Professor Monkey-for-a-Head, The Hamstinator, Chuck and Fifi, and Queen Slug-for-a-Butt. Unfortunately we’ve only got the photo below from Toy Fair to show of these. If you’re interested in seeing more, check out the book Toys That Time Forgot by Blake Wright, as it features a ton of amazing content for unproduced toys from this (and many other) awesome lines!

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