10 Comic Book Heroes Whose Origins Are A Mystery

4. The Tick

Rip Hunter
New England Comics Press

A square-jawed, dim-witted, and possibly clinically insane hero in blue with super-strength and nigh invulnerability is all readers know about the Ben Edlund-created superhero called The Tick. Created as the “mascot” of the New England Comics comic store newsletter in 1986, Edlund began creating short stories with his hero until the store financed a black and white comic in June 1988.

The Tick defends the generic-named "the City". He got his white costumed sidekick, Arthur, in 1989’s Tick # 4. Dressed in a moth outfit, the pudgy accountant was often mistaken for a bunny because of the long “ears” on his costume and because his wings were often folded down. Arthur tried to be the voice of restraint to the over-exuberant and dangerously child-like Tick.

The Tick’s adventures were a parody and a fun examination of standard superheroes. The Tick’s battle cry was the nonsensical “Spppooooonn!” while Arthur’s is “Not in the face!” One hero the Tick encounters is the Caped Wonder, who has the alter ego of reporter Clark Oppenheimer. The character has all the powers of Superman and looks down on the Tick as a lesser hero. Other heroes include Fish Boy, Mighty Agrippa, Paul the Samurai, The Sultan, and the Civic Minded Five.

Contributor
Contributor

John Wilson has been a comic book and pop culture fan his entire life. He has written for a number of websites on the subject over the years and is especially pleased to be at WhatCulture. John has written two comic books for Last Ember Press Studio and has recently self-published a children's book called "Blue." When not spending far too much time on the internet, John spends time with his lovely wife, Kim, their goofy dog, Tesla, and two very spoiled cats.