X-Force Media Network: Issue #123

Thoughts: With the "'Nuff Said" theme running through all of Marvel Comics in December 2001 (although this issue was running a little late), the creative staff has a huge challenge of conveying the entire story without dialogue or captions.

So, could it be more appropriate to have a tale featuring our favourite mascot with indecipherable speech?

As seen in other Marvel Comics running the 'Nuff Said theme, most of them have been short reads with relatively mixed results. As it is, this story is at best a throwaway, although we do get the opportunity to take a peek inside Doop's head -- literally!

Short summary: After demonstrating that sometimes even superheroes get acne, Doop does what moms and dermantologists have told us NEVER to do to that pimple occupying his forehead and pops it.

However, moms and dermatologists have never told us that it would cause us to make the space time continuum to grind to a halt and have all of our friends and loved ones to get sucked into our heads through the hole left by the said pimple...

From the beginning, it has become clear that there is a little more to Doop than he lets on. While being the resident videographer, he also has demonstrated the ability to show up when least expected, as well as shown the ability to manipulate time and reality, as he was the only one unaffected when Lacuna jumped out of time to alter reality in the previous issue.

None of that will prepare you for what happens when Doop tries to remove a zit on his forehead. While successfully emptying out the contents, he inadvertently leaves a big void, which the members of X-Force promptly get sucked into. So, it's up to our little mascot to go and rescue them.

Don't forget to bring a towel.

Over the course of one second, Doop literally goes into his own head, and through it we see some of the most bizarre visuals ever seen in this book (rivaled by X-Men #121, which is also a 'Nuff Said issue). With evil versions of Doop attacking him and his teammates, Doop is at his best -- even if he did inadvertently cause it (although readers are left wondering if this happens often, especially since popping zits is something we have all done, despite the advice from mothers and dermatologists).

Despite the grotesque nature of the visuals and the fact that not a heck of a whole lot happens (save for the fact that the annoying pimple on Doop's forehead is gone), this issue is actually sort of cute. You can't help but smile when Guy smiles even though Doop inadvertently just ripped off his head during a slightly botched rescue attempt.