The Tick vs. The Breadmaster

*Sure thing, buddy! Some guy calling himself the Breadmster said he planted a loaf of bred in the building, and it's set to go off at noon.*
— **Stuart**

**"The Tick vs. The Breadmaster"** is an episode of the animated television series *The Tick.*

## Synopsis

After a series of bakery bombings, Tick and Arthur discover the source is a disgruntled baking genius, and must save the city from his biggest plan yet.

## Plot

Tick and Arthur are taking a break from patrolling to buy groceries for dinner, where they meet their friend and store owner, Stuart, who gets a call from someone called the Breadmaster, who has planted a "loaf of bread" in the store set to go off at noon, and it just so happens to be noon. It goes off, expanding to an enormous size, destroying everything in it's path. Tick tries to stop it, but is sucked inside and narrowly saved by Arthur. Tick tastes the bread, and a distraught Stuart informs them that he didn't have "bread insurance."

We then see the Breadmaster warning the Whitebread Baking Company that he will be targeting them next, for he is ashamed with the poor quality of their bread. Tick and Arthur just happen to be patrolling when they come across another giant loaf where the Whitebread Baking Co. should be. Tick determines that it's the same person after tasting it. They go to the City Baking College to see if they can find any answers. The dean tells them about a student with the talents needed to create the bread bombs, who was expelled. They receive a call from the Breadmaster warning them. His henchman, Buttery Pat, plants the loaf by squeezing through the vents.

Someone runs up and says that he found a ticking loaf of bread, and Tick has only one minute to defuse it. He fails, but manages to squeeze it down small enough to eat it. And due to his nigh-invulnerability, he survives. Pat informs Breadmaster of Tick's victory, so he threatens increase the volume of his bombings if the city doesn't him massive amounts of baking ingredients. He is picking them up when he reaches the last ingredient, sugar, and is ambushed by Tick and Arthur. They stop him from getting the sugar but he gets away with the rest. Arthur noticed he dropped a recipe for a giant soufflé. The determine he must be making it in the Municipal Swimming Pool, and go there to catch him.

They manage to catch he and Pat, but his self-baking soufflé is on the rise. Arthur devises a plan to use Human Bullet's cannon to burst the soufflé. They tell Bullet to use three times the explosive charges, which would be enough to kill a normal man, but not the Tick! Tick is fired from the cannon, lighting on fire from the sheer speed, he collides with the soufflé, causing it to explode and create a shower of crumbs. Tick and Arthur are enjoying their triumph, and Ticks tastes the soufflé, noting that it could use some sugar.

## Characters

### Main Characters

* Tick
* Arthur

### Supporting Characters

* Dean (City Baking College) (only appearance)
	+ City Baking College employee (only appearance)

### Antagonists

* Breadmaster (first appearance)
	+ Buttery Pat (first appearance)

### Other Characters

* Stuart (only appearance)
* Milkie (only appearance)
* Sally Vacuum
* Mayor Blank

## Locations

* The City
	+ Stuart's Food Castle (only appearance)
	+ City Baking College (only appearance)
	+ Whitebread Baking Company (only appearance)
	+ Municipal Swimming Pool (only appearance)
	+ 1910 Baking Co. (only appearance)

## Notes

* This episode is not based on an issue of the comic.
* **Ending Lines**:
	+ **Arthur**: Well, it looks like you've diverted yet another threat to The City, Tick."
	+ **Tick**: "Yes, and The City looks... almost peaceful. Under a freshly-fallen blanket of soufflé. But, let us not forget the lesson that we can learn from this, Arthur! That man was not meant to tamper with the four basic food groups! Huh, could use a little sugar."