Hugh Hefner's been called lots of things during his tenure as the prince of Playboy. Superheroic crime-fighter isn't one of them.
At least until now.
America's most famous swinger is teaming up with comic-book legend Stan Lee to create Hef's Superbunnies, an adult-themed cartoon for MTV, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The series will follow a silk-pajama-wearing superhero (sound like anyone you know?) as he thumps criminals with the help of his lovely sidekicks--a bevy of specially trained buxom Bunnies.
Aside from providing his animated alter ego's name and likeness, Hef may also give voice to the cartoon.
The project came about after Lee, an old pal of Hefner, pitched a 'toon set in the Playboy universe and Hef reportedly sparked to the idea. MTV execs then commissioned a pilot and the comic-book mastermind best known for dreaming up Spider-Man, the Hulk and the Fantastic Four immediately set to work on it, per the Reporter.
Lee's new shingle, Pow! Entertainment, will coproduce Superbunnies with Playboy's Alta Loma Entertainment division.
MTV refused to comment on the project, but Hef says the series will give him a chance to show off a side few have seen.
"Stan and I go back a long ways, and he simply felt it was time for me to reveal my secret identity," Hefner tells the Reporter. "You all know me as the editor-in-chief and publisher of Playboy. But late at night when everyone assumes I'm in the grotto living the good life, I'm out there with the Superbunnies fighting evildoers."
We're not quite sure what powers the Superbunnies have, but here's one vote for exploding breast implants. And who knows what mysterious forces Hef can summon once he pops his magic Viagara pill? As for home base, we're thinking it will be more Playboy Mansion than Hall of Justice.
"This project is going to be a lot of fun," Hefner says. "It's going to be more than just an action show. It's going to be very satirical with a lot of cutting-edge aspects to it."
Hefner, who calls Lee one of his heroes, says that he's been a comic-book aficionado ever since he began reading Superman comics when he was a child in the 1930s and '40s.
He eventually struck up a friendship with Lee in the late '50s and '60s, during the latter's heyday with Marvel.
Hef's infatuation with comics has influenced his Playboy editorial content, everything from the famous bunny logo to the mag's adult-themed comic-strip panels--not to mention some of the cartoonish models over the years.
As for Lee, this isn't the first time the comics guru has busted out a gaggle full of sexy superheroes.
His last grown-up 'toon, Stripperella, featuring the voice (and shape) of former Playboy centerfold Pamela Anderson, failed to find an audience and was not renewed after finishing out its run on Spike TV earlier this year.
Lee has several other projects in the works, including Nick Ratchet, a big-screen superhero character for Pierce Brosnan, and Who Wants to Be a Superhero?, a reality show where contestants pitch their real-life superhero ideas to a panel of judges.
If all goes well, Superbunnies will debut on MTV sometime next year.