Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Action Figure Review: Mole Rat [Stage 2] from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 


   I'm over halfway through the last series of G.I. Joe: Classified Series releases (only the Night-Viper remains) and many international fans already have the latest series in hand with Airtight and Overkill. Hey, I'm not the fastest and I'm OK with that. Today I'm checking out a "repaint" from the most recent series, though it's a figure that offers a bit more than the original release did: The Cobra Mole Rat. The Mole Rat was originally released in 2023 as a Walmart exclusive and he was one of the highlights of that year for me. Hasbro has included a Mole Rat [Stage 2] in this series and he's just as impressive as the first figure. Sure, the body is mostly a repaint, but there are some cool new deco designs and a brand new portrait, now giving this troop builder three different head sculpts. I know repaints used to be the bane of many collectors' existences back in the day but it's hard to get too worked up about them in the Classified Series since figures are no longer sold in waves or cases by any e-tailers I'm aware of (in the past you often had to purchase full cases to guarantee a set), they're rarely included with multipacks (ala the 25th Anniversary Joe line and so many multipacks from the late 1990s through the mid 2000s), and Hasbro's Joe team seems to put some solid though into these. The Mole Rat isn't a cheap figure these days, either, so the Stage 2 variant is a pretty welcome addition. What happens when you leave a Mole Rat infected by Dark Energon to fester? He really starts to mutate, turning into something that seems even beyond a zombie. Let's check this spooky fellow out after the break...




The Facts:

Height: 6 3/8ths inches

Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, boot swivels, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, balljointed drop down hips, balljointed waist, balljointed mid-torso, swivel/hinge shoulders w/ ball sockets, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, ball jointed neck base, and a barbell jointed head.

Accessories: 3 swappable portraits, backpack, Dark Energon container, 3 piece drill weapon, and scanner.

Non-Scalper Price: $28 dollars





Comparison:

* On the left is the Mole Rat [Stage 2] while the original Mole Rat is on the right. What's different? The color scheme on the Stage 2 figure is much brighter and a third swappable portrait is included. I actually kind of like the bright suit better as it seems like someone working in a hazardous environment would need to stand out a bit more just for safety. Hey Cobra ain't going to be meeting OSHA standards anytime soon, but they certainly don't want to just waste troops without some sort of benefit. Becoming a zombie-like creature? Good waste. Having a Mole Rat get run over by a forklift? Bad waste. 



The Positives:


* The Cobra Mole Rats likely spend their time digging underground or sloshing through hazardous places, so they're equipped with fairly heavy-duty outfits. The Mole Rat is wearing something that looks like a CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear) suit with multiple layers underneath. This suit is much brighter than the previous figure with teal and neon green, making it much more highly visible in dangerous and low visibility environments. There's a harness for toting extra gear and plenty of cords, monitors, and cables for monitoring hostile environment and keeping the trooper protected. Their main job seems to be mining Dark Energon, though the Classified Series hasn't delved into that too much. 





* This portrait is the same as the original Mole Rat but it still features the very cool gasmask. The purple lenses are even brighter here, almost as if they're glowing from the Dark Energon. There is a tube on the Mole Rat's chest that plugs into the front of the gasmask, connecting it to the device on the front of the suit. The backpack seems to be an oxygen filtration system, so I'm not sure what the device on the front it for. The gasmask isn't removable but it is sculpted to look like it's fitted snugly over a CBRN hood. 







* Here's a closer look at the harness. The Mole Rat has four large pouches, a device with a black and orange readout of some sort and buttons (maybe a monitor of some sort?), and some nonremovable wires that run from the front right shoulder to the rear right shoulder. Perhaps communications equipment or something connected to the Mole Rat's vitals?






* The Mole Rat's second portrait is also reused from the original figure but it might be better than that release. What happens when a trooper is exposed to Dark Energon? Apparently they start growing tumor-like crystals out of their head and become a zombie. I love the details here like those milky eyes, bared teeth, and that pockmarked purplish skin. It's really grotesque and I absolutely love it! I always assumed that we would have seen more zombies by now (like the 30th Anniversary Zombie Vipers), but this is as close as we've gotten.
* What is this?! The third portrait is new to this figure and shows an almost completely skeletal head with massive Dark Energon crystals growing all over it. Is this what the "Stage 2" refers to in the Mole Rat's name? First they become more zombie like when exposed to Dark Energon and then they start becoming overgrown with crystal? Maybe. This portrait also looks cool just strewn on the ground, like it's the remains of some former finder of Dark Energon. I'm quite thrilled Hasbro delivered a third head for this "rerelease" of the figure.









* (The accessories are the same between the two figures and I don't really feel any different about them from the previous figure, so I'm really just copying and pasting here!) The backpack looks to have multiple filtration cartridges and has a long tube that connects to the left side of the Mole Rat's gasmask. I presume the bottom cartridge is the one in use while the ones above it are spares. Or maybe just extra filtration units. 








* The Mole Rat might be wearing a pretty bulky hazmat suit but his articulation is still pretty good. He's not as nimble as some figures but most of the articulation is the same, just a bit more restricted. He's a sturdy, fun figure and he interacts nicely with his various accessories. If you've got him wearing his gasmask the head is pretty restrictive due to the various tubes and hoses, but that's to be expected. Safety first! He also looks great holding the gun with both hands. He's just a lot of fun. 





* Hasbro called this a "drill trigger" on the Hasbro Pulse page for the original Mole Rat. It's a device that the Mole Rat uses which links up with the rifle attachment or the drill attachment. It's pretty cool looking on its own and seems like it could make a good close quarters weapon or a tool of some sort. Kind of like Duke's Sigma 6 pistols. 









* To help mine Dark Energon just place the drill attachment on the barrel and you've got either a useful tool or a very nasty melee weapon. 





* The tool also turns into a firearm with the addition of the battle attachment. It's a pretty cool looking carbine with a forward grip. I'm just a huge fan of this weapon. It looks so cool with the Mole Rat.









* This canister is for carrying mined Dark Energon. The handle rotates and there's some Dark Energon inside, too. Well, the side is painted to look like a window, so you can see what's inside. It's darker than the glow of the previous Mole Rat's container.





* This is also a really cool Geiger counter! It doesn't have any paint applications but it looks great and definitely has a bit of an old school feel to it. I love it! Little accessories like this are always just really fun. 







* The backpack has a slot in the side for holding the rifle barrel attachment while the canister of Dark Energon can can hang down from the bottom of the backpack. 












   You know what? I think I actually like this guy more than the original figure. Yes, he's three dollars more than the original figure was when it first came out but I think that additional portrait is well worth the new price. It's incredible. This guy's color scheme is just really cool, too. He reminds me of one of the creatures from the old "Area 51" arcade cabinet. This guy is an Epic figure and is absolutely a favorite for me. I know this series had four "new" figures but this guy might take the cake for me. Crazy, right? We'll see how the Night Viper fares soon, though. Maybe he's crazy impressive...



If you're looking for more of the Cobra Mole Rats, check out my review of the original Classified Series Mole Rat.

For more G.I. Joe: Classified Series reviews check out the following:
Destro  
Flint  








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