The Tick: superhero? Vigilante? Stupid? Yes, these are terms that kind refer to the Tick. Kinda. The Tick's exploits have given hope The City's people and fear to its villains. But what kind of dreamworld does the Tick live in? Assuming the role of a comic-book hero, who takes sanity for granted.
When the Tick first arrived in The City, he astouned its inhabitants; superheroes and supervillains alike! Fresh from the National Superhero Institute Convention in Reno, the Big Blue Guy had nothing to offer but his love and protection.
The Tick soon met Arthur, his 'sidekick' and best friend. Arthur seems unsure at times of the Tick, and, to tell the truth so does this reporter.
Arthur wasn't the only one of his new super-friends. He soon met the mysterious Die Fledermaus and American Maid, who was The City's best superhero before the Tick. Here's American Maid's comments on the Tick: "The Tick is pretty much the best superhero around right now. I don't mind him 'taking my title' as such, as long as there's less crime to fight." Die Fledermaus says: "The Tick? Oh, yeah, I know him. Yep. So, when's this going to be on?"
Well, the Tick decided to make his first adventure in The City a big one. The gang of criminals called the Idea Men had been romping about The City in a Blimp, robbing banks and 
causing misery. The Tick had stopped them from robbing once, and the Idea Men felt the bitter taste of defeat (and flaming desks). But when the Idea Men started their biggest caper, a plot to destroy The City, they were thwarted by the Tick. And Arthur.
Soon, the Tick and Arthur were all over crime. They even stopped a nefarious plot by Chairface Chippendale, the King of Crime. Yes, the Tick certainly has stopped crim in its foul tracks. I'm Sally Vacuum. Now, back to Brian Pinhead.
The Tick: is he insane? The answer is: of course! Escaping from an asylum, he runs all the way to The City, where he assumes that it his 'destiny' to protect it from evil. There, the Tick explores, and 'protects,' ruining the lives of other as he does so.
One of his most famous confrontations is where he meets Oedipus, an aspiring ninja. There he gets wrapped up with things that are too big for him, things that penetrate the shield of innocence that thrived around the Tick. The Thorn of Oblivion. An ancient relic that, if destroyed, would destroy all ninja. In the search for the thorn, which Oedipus has, ninjas attack her house. Oedipus is stabbed, and nearly killed. The Tick rages, and attacks. He thinks it isn't real life. He thinks it's a dream. He thinks he's a real superhero. He thinks wrong.
It seemed that the world of the Tick, which he loved so well, was lashing out at him, savagely attacking him. But he is saved by Arthur, a moth, who has followed the exploits of the Tick. He gives the thorn to Tick, which gives him another purpose in life: to fight the nija who were the cause of his pain. Joined by Paul the Samurai and Arthur, the Tick fights Sagin the Wolf, lord of the ninjas. The thorn falls. Sagin jumps after it. But, he jumped in vain. It turns out the Thorn of Oblivion is a superstition.
Arthur, who mentally saved the Tick, becomes his sidekick. Yearning for a life outside The City (which is crowded by superheroes), the Tick and Arthur head for New York. On the way, they encounter new villains, such as the Chainsaw Vigilante, Barry, the Other Tick, among others. But, prepared for these attacks and adventures by his previous experiences, the Tick makes it through.
Yes, the Tick is not sane. But technically, he's going sane in a crazy world.
