The Stuff is an amorphous organism that appears in the 1985 B-movie of the same name. Possibly a form of intelligent bacterium, it appears as a thick, pure-white fluidic substance with the consistency of yoghurt or marshmallow fluff. In the film, the Stuff is sold as a dessert all over America, but possesses parasitic, mind-altering properties.
History[]
The Stuff is first discovered by a railroad worker who happens upon it on a snowy winter's night. The worker tells it apart from the snow by its creamy appearance and texture, then tastes the substance after dipping his finger in it. Delighted by the sweet taste of the Stuff, the worker calls his colleagues over to try it and comes upon the idea of selling it.
Some time after its discovery, the Stuff has become a national craze. It is marketed as a delicious, non-fattening dessert, and its popularity is so great that no one seems to question what is in it or how it is produced. The Stuff proves to be so popular that the ice cream industry begins to suffer because of it, leading to a group of ice cream companies hiring former FBI agent David "Mo" Rutherford to investigate the Stuff.
Accompanied by advertising executive Nicole and disgraced junk food mogul Charles "Chocolate Chip Charlie" Hobbs, Rutherford's investigations reveal that the Stuff is actually a living organism extracted from within the earth. The Stuff is also parasitic, altering the minds and bodies of those that consume it, hence why the public are so hopelessly addicted to it. Rutherford finds the source of the Stuff in a quarry where the company that distributes it are siphoning it out of the ground to sell across the country, with plans to distribute it worldwide in the name of ending world hunger.
Enlisting the aid of Colonel Malcolm Spears and his right-wing militia, Rutherford leads an attack on the Stuff factory and buries the quarry. However, they are not able to completely destroy the Stuff as the factory workers have also consumed it, and during the attack the workers all killed themselves and the Stuff exited their bodies and escaped. Using one of the radio stations he owns, Col. Spears broadcasts a message to all Americans warning them about the Stuff. In the days that follow, consumers cease buying the Stuff and retailers stop selling it. Remaining stockpiles of the Stuff are destroyed in public burnings, leading to massive civil unrest as those already possessed by the Stuff try to stop others from destroying it.
Eventually, the Stuff is completely removed from the open market. However, the ice cream companies that originally wanted the Stuff gone managed to acquire some of it and use it to produce a new dessert called "The Taste" which is made from 88% dairy product and 12% Stuff. While the Taste is as addictive as the Stuff, it has no other effects. Rutherford later confronts the ice cream executives that had originally hired him, demanding that they not distribute the Taste and threatens to kill them. To complete this revenge, he forces the executives, at gunpoint, to eat several containers of the Stuff.
Afterwards, although the Stuff has been removed from all stores and supermarkets, it becomes available on the black market as a narcotic as smugglers continue to sell and distribute it illegally.
Properties[]
The Stuff originates from deep underground and may possibly be some kind of fungal or bacterial superorganism. In its natural state, it is a mass of amorphous white goo with the consistency of yoghurt, but it can move about on its own and alter its consistency to a degree, adhering to surfaces. In the film, it is shown attempting to suffocate victims by enveloping their mouths and cutting off their air supply.
When consumed, the Stuff invades all parts of the consumer's body. The host becomes addicted to the Stuff and will always want more, but will also take action to distribute the Stuff and get others to consume it as well. Over time, hosts will stop eating any other forms of food and solely consume the Stuff.
The Stuff has notable physical effects as well. Those who have eaten the Stuff over long periods become stronger to a degree and more energetic, no longer requiring rest after physical activity. Stuff hosts, also known as "Stuffies", become slaves to the will of the Stuff and will do anything to ensure its survival and its spread, including attacking those that learn of its true nature. If the Stuff is threatened, it will exit its host via the mouth or any other orifice. Since long-term hosts' internal anatomy has been almost completely transmuted into Stuff, when the Stuff vacates a host, all that remains is a distorted, hollow shell.
The Stuff is confirmed to be vulnerable to fire and can be destroyed via immolation. Any other potential weaknesses are not explored in the film.