Location/Base of Operations: Underground tunnels of Halfworld
Known Members: None named, though at least two are known
to exist.
Affiliations: Blackjack O'Hare, Lylla, Rocket Raccoon,
Wal Russ (actually, they're affiliated with anyone willing to sit on them
and allow them to transport their passengers around Halfworld's caverns
and tunnels).
First Appearance: Rocket Raccoon#3 (July, 1985)
Powers/Abilities: None known, though they can somehow "hear"
high-pitched whistles despite the fact they have no visible ears, or ear-like
patches (like some reptiles have) to detect sound with.
Traits: The Wild Worms are gigantic (seemingly) invertebrates
resembling Terran earthworms, but with visible mouths. They have no eyes
(species that lives their whole lives underground usually don't have them
because they have no use for them in a lightless environment) but do have
"whiskers" on either side of their mouths to tell them where the tunnel
walls are in relation to their heads. Presumably they can feel vibrations
from the ground through their bodies (which isn't the same thing as being
able to hear someone whistling through the air). They produce slime
from their bodies, presumably to eat and digest the dirt they burrow through.
The Worms wear saddles over their pleasure centers, which when someone
sits on them gives the worms a wild thrill. It is unrevealed if the
Worms are in any way sentient.
History: The history of the Wild Worms is currently unrevealed,
though apparently they have been giving passengers rides through the tunnels
of Halfworld for years.
(Rocket Raccoon#3) - On board his ship the Rakk 'n' Ruin, Rocket
Raccoon and Co. (Wal Russ, Lylla the otter, and Blackjack O'Hare) were
attacked by the combined forces of toy moguls Judson Jakes and Lord Dyvyne.
To escape, O'Hare directed Rocket to a specific crater in Halfworld's badlands,
and had everyone drop down it under cover of a self-destructing Rakk 'n'
Ruin. Once in the crater, O'Hare whistled loudly, and summoned two
nearby Wild Worms to take them away from their approaching attackers.
The Worms eventually arrived at an underground elevator shaft located in
a garbage dump on the robots' side of Halfworld, and left their passengers
there to continue their quest to stop the toy war between Jakes and Dyvyne.
Comments: Created by Bill Mantlo (writer), Mike Mignola
(penciler), and Al Gordon (inks).
I'm not enough of a science/biology whiz to guess whether the Wild Worms
should be classified as invertebrates (in which case they have a LOT of
silicon -- or some similar metal -- in their bodies to support their weight
and not get squished by gravity overtime they moved), or vertebras (they
could have a skeletal structure similar to snakes, I guess). Anyone
out there with the requisite training willing to take a guess at this problem? Profile by Elf with a Gun. Clarifications:
No known connection to
images: Appearances:
First Posted: 08/12/2007 Any Additions/Corrections? please let
me know.
Non-Marvel
Copyright info
Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!
I'm no zoologist, but you're reasoning is sound.
Smaller animals can survive without bones b/c they don't need a lot of strength
to support their bodies. The Wild Worms would either have to have some sort of
internal support structure or be composed of stronger materials.
Earthworms are Annelids. --Snood
Rocket Raccoon#3, p6, pan5 (main image)
Rocket Raccoon#3, p7, pan1 (head shot)
Rocket Raccoon#3 (July, 1985) - by Bill Mantlo (writer), Mike Mignola
(penciler), Al Gordon (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Last updated: 08/19/2007
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