(PRLEAP.COM) Zen Intergalactic Ninja has been around since 1987, as the title character of his own independent comic-book, the star of two videogames and a line of action figures.

In his comic, Zen has come close to being sliced open on the operating table by rabid U.S. government alien hunters, but he’s always avoided the knife.

Now his creators have had the blue-skinned E.T. undergo surgery of a different kind: plastic surgery, to make him more attractive to the Hollywood community.

For the past 18 years, Zen has only had one facial feature: a pair of large, almond-shaped eyes. But now he also has a nose and a mouth.

“Zen wakes up to find he’s sprouted some new orifices,” says writer/creator Steve Stern, “and anyone can witness the transformation for free by visiting www.ssscomics.com. It’s all logically explained—in comic-book terms, naturally.”

Artist Dan Cote, who created Zen’s look, said 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’s new incarnation has already attracted attention in Tinseltown. The E.T. is already in development for film and television by a major agency that packages comic-book properties for film and television.

“With all the plastic surgery going on here in LA," Stern added, "it was easy to give Zen a makeover."