The Tick vs. The Idea Men

*Listen, ours is an epic tale! True friendship, heart-stopping danger, men and women in tights, makin' the rules and breakin' 'em! We are not two men, we are TEN men! Listen! It all started in Reno.*
— **Tick**

**"The Tick vs. The Idea Men"** is the premiere episode of the animated television series *The Tick.*

## Synopsis

Tick and Arthur recount their meeting, and their first supervillains: the Idea Men.

## Plot

The episode begins with the Tick and Arthur in an interview with an unseen interviewer, describing their relationship, as Tick interrupts Arthur to recount the beginning of their adventures: in Reno, Nevada, Tick decides to attend the National Super Institute's annual competition for the best cities to protect. Tick startles all by pushing a huge box to the stage, putting it on the stage, and it opens to reveal several deadly-looking things, and a seat. He explains that it is "the deadliest engine of destruction 1974 had to offer", and that he will survive it. He sits in it, starts it, and hit in the face with a tiny hammer. He is at first disappointed, but a warhead slowly lowers onto his head, and explodes, blowing up most of the building. The sign displaying each hero's selected cities then shows "The City". And, in the words of Tick, "the rest is history!"

On the bus ride to The City, Tick monologues out-loud about his anticipation for his new home, as we are then shown an office, where Arthur is working. His boss walks up to him, telling him that he is "free to explore other avenues of employment", due to his suit. Tick gets off at the bus stop, and takes the elevator up the first skyscraper he sees. At the top, he jumps from rooftop to rooftop, meanwhile Arthur is walking below, just as Tick falls, crashing into the street right in front of Arthur. He tells Arthur that he is a superhero, and invites him to lunch.

At lunch, a man questions Tick's superhero identity, because he doesn't suck blood. Tick threatens him with a straw, causing him to back off. They then hear an explosion, rushing off to investigate, as does the Caped Chameleon. Tick sees a group of men with masks exiting the bank, and jumps up and falls back down through the bank's skylight, prompting the men to point their guns at the duo, causing Arthur to faint.

In the bank, The men shout at Tick, their words are, however, indistinguishable, due to their masks, as the Caped Chameleon crawls along one of the walls, blending in, until he reaches the curtains, saying he "can't... do... plaid!" Tick then grabs a desk and throws it into them, making them drop the money. Before they're caught, the men escape on a blimp. A news report shows the footage of the scene, in which The City's mayor claims that he has reason to believe the "Idea Men" have something bigger planned. Arthur and Tick enter Arthur's apartment, and Tick is disappointed to hear that Arthur has no secret crime-fighting equipment. Flipping through TV channels, Tick finds a news report showing the Idea Men's latest caper: To plant a bomb in the dam, and charge an enormous ransom. Tick wakes up Arthur to stop the crime.

The next scene shows a montage of comedic superheroes attempting to save the day, to no avail.
Arthur and Tick are on a skyscraper, and a reluctant Arthur won't fly to the crime. Tick has no time and pushes Arthur off of the roof, who succeeds in flying. Tick races alongside across the rooftops, until they reach the park where the dam is located. There they encounter superhero exes Die Fledermaus and American Maid, who bicker on and on, despite Tick's intervention. A mysterious figure then emerges from the shadows elsewhere: Big Shot, gun-toting, psychotic anti-hero, who has no intention to *jail* the villains. A taxi cab arrives outside the dam, and Tick and Arthur get out, rushing to save the day, as the mayor is preparing to deliver the money, and Big Shot is running up on foot.

Inside, the Idea Men ceebrate their victory, as they have received the money, and they proceed to activate the bomb anyway. Tick runs up and knocks them all over, de-masking one and asking how to deactivate it, only they cannot, but Tick never deterred, thrusts his hands into the bomb. Big Shot then runs inside and fires his guns around. He is quickly defused by a quip from Tick, who discovers that his hands are stuck inside it, and runs up to the top of the dam, where it explodes, igniting the Idea Men's blimp, and saving the day. The heroes emerge victorious, and the episode ends with one of the earlier superheroes, Human Bullet, colliding with the dam, but having no effect other than falling into the water.

## Characters

### Main Characters

* Tick (first appearance)
* Arthur (first appearance)

### Other Characters

* Big Shot (first appearance)
* Sally Vacuum (first appearance)
* Mayor Blank (first appearance)
* Mr. Weiderspahn (first appearance)
* American Maid (first appearance)
* Die Fledermaus (first appearance)
* Captain Lemming (first appearance)
* Human Bullet (first appearance)
* Bi-Polar Bear (first appearance)
* Clark Oppenheimer (only appearance)
* Rubber Justice (only appearance)
* Earth Quaker (only appearance)
* Fiery Flame (only appearance)
* Blowfish Avenger (only appearance)
* Cab driver (only appearance)
* Jet Valkyrie (first appearance, cameo)
* Jet Viking (only appearance, cameo)
* Portuguese Man-O-War (only appearance, cameo)
* Torso Porcupine (only appearance, cameo)
* Black & Blue (only appearance, cameo)

## Locations

* Reno, Nevada (first appearance)
	+ National Super Institute (only appearance)
* Moon (first appearance, background)
* The City (first appearance)
	+ Arthur's apartment building (first appearance)
		- Arthur's apartment (first appearance)
	+ Ben's Diner (first appearance)
	+ City Dam (only appearance)
	+ Rive Droite Savings and Loan (first appearance)
	+ Weiderspahn and Wong (first appearance)

## Notes

* The episode was based on issue #1 of the original "The Tick" comic book.
	+ Clark Oppenheimer, the Superman parody, had a more prominent role in the comic book series, starring in the second issue.
* The judges of the superhero competition appear to be parodies of three members of the Marvel Comics superhero group, the Fantastic Four: Human Torch, The Thing, and Mr. Fantastic. Not present is Fantastic's wife, Invisible Woman.
* Both Human Bullet and Jet Valkyrie make cameos at the superhero competition.
* **Ending Lines**:
	+ **Arthur**: "I-I guess we saved the city."
	+ **Tick**: "For the moment, yes, my friend. But with luck our future holds still more dire threats, more perilous plots. Wherever villainy rears its great, big head, wherever evil sets its ill-smelling foot, you will find... the Tick!"
	+ **Arthur**: "Oh, and Arthur! His, uh, uh, sidekick!"
	+ **Tick**: "Good show! And yes, my sidekick, Arthur. Certainly a force to be reckoned with! And so, may evil beware! And may good dress warmly and eat plenty of fresh vegetables."
	+ According to the tie-in guidebook on the series, The Tick: Mighty Blue Justice, Jet Valkyrie brought her son, Jet Viking, to the convention.
* When Tick is leaping from rooftop to rooftop, Arthur can be briefly seen flying above him, despite the fact that Arthur is walking on the street in this scene, and only learns how to use his flying suit later in the episode.
* This episode was pulled from Hulu in 2022 for unknown reasons.