LOS ANGELES, Jan. 19, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Extreme makeovers aren't just for superstars anymore. They're for superheroes, too.
Zen Intergalactic Ninja, the extraterrestrial who's been invading comic shops since 1987, is about to go under the knife for a nip/tuck treatment of galactic proportions.
In 'Zen: Bounty Hunter' No. 1 -- to be released this month by SSS Comics (www.ssscomics.com) -- the alien hero goes where no E.T. has gone before. For the past 17 years, Zen has only had one facial feature: a pair of large, almond-shaped eyes. That's the way he's been portrayed in the comics, a line of action figures and a pair of well-received videogames.
"Zen wakes up to find he's sprouted a nose and a mouth," says writer/creator Steve Stern. "It's all logically explained, and it gives Zen a whole new look."
Stern says there were two reasons for the makeover. "The fans really wanted it -- and so did actors who over the years have been interested in portraying Zen on the screen. They felt he needed to look more human."
Zen is in development with producer Richard G. Murphy, whose credits include 'Timecop' and 'Universal Soldier: The Return.' Zen's new look, he says, is creating a buzz in tinseltown.
"With all the plastic surgery going on here in LA," Stern added, "it was easy to give Zen a makeover."