The Tick is the first episode of The Tick released on Amazon Video on August 19, 2016.
Synopsis[]
In a world where superheroes have been real for decades, an accountant with mental health issues and zero powers comes to realize his city is owned by a global super villain long thought dead. As he struggles to uncover this conspiracy, he falls in league with a strange blue superhero, who may or may not be a figment of his own imagination...
Plot[]
In 1908, the Tunguska event heralds the arrival of the first superhero on Earth – Superian. Over a hundred years later, Superian is only one of a number of super powered individuals.
Enter Arthur Everest going about his normal day, shopping in a local store. He witnesses the owner pay protection money to members of the Pyramid Gang while Whoopi Goldberg interviews Superian on television. She questions him on the theory that his nemesis, The Terror, is still alive.
At home, Arthur calls his sister, Dot to thank her for everything she has done for him over the past few years. She asks him if he is being obsessive again – he replies in the negative while standing in front of a large wall covering in clippings that he believes proves The Terror is still alive. Arthur heads out to the warehouse district to investigate.
Arthur spies on Miss Lint and her gang unloading contraband, including a bullet-proof supersuit. After making a noise that the gang hear, Arthur makes to leave but meets The Tick who encourages him not to give up. The Tick wants to take the criminals out immediately, but Arthur tells him not to – they are only henchmen, and he wants to use them to find out who they are working for. During their conversation, the police show up and arrest Arthur for trespassing while The Tick disappears.
Fifteen years ago, a young Arthur is enjoying ice cream with his father, playing with a Flag 5 toy. As his father goes to refill the parking meter, the Flag 5's aircraft crashes on top of him.
In the police station, Arthur tries to convince Dr. Creek that he was actually birdwatching, and not engaged in illegal surveillance. Looking into his record, Dr. Creek finds a long list of such incidents on Arthur's record until she finds one that makes her call him "the little boy from the photograph."
After watching his father die, young Arthur witnessed The Terror's henchmen kill the Flag 5 after his weaponized syphilis destroyed their eyes. Noticing Arthur, The Terror steals his ice cream. A photograph of the event ends up on the cover of Time Magazine.
Under the circumstances, the Doctor allows Arthur to be released into Dot's custody. The Tick appears and promises to get Arthur out, but Arthur tells him that he is being released and there is no need for that. As Dot arrives and asks who he is talking to, Arthur finds that The Tick is gone.
Dot drives Arthur back to his apartment where she tells him that she knows that he is still looking for The Terror. Dot is worried by her brother's actions since he has a history of seeing and hearing things that are not there. Assuring his sister that he is fine, Arthur goes into his apartment and takes his medication. Going to bed, he remembers hearing The Tick talking to him as a child.
At the warehouse, The Tick effortlessly takes out all of Miss Lint's henchmen despite being outnumbered and them being heavily armed. The resulting gunfire triggers an explosion that levels the warehouse.
When Arthur wakes up, he finds The Tick in bed next to him. The Tick attempts to recruit Arthur as his sidekick after finding Arthur's "crime wall." The Tick produces a case with the bullet-proof supersuit that he took from Miss Lint's warehouse and gives it to Arthur to put on.
Miss Lint inspects the ruins of the warehouse, and learns that a big blue superhero was responsible. Her henchman believes he is in league with Arthur.
As Arthur puts on the suit, Miss Lint's gang breaks into his apartment and start firing at him.
Cast[]
- Peter Serafinowicz as The Tick
- Griffin Newman as Arthur Everest
- Valorie Curry as Dot Everest
- Brendan Hines as Superian
- Jackie Earle Haley as The Terror
- Yara Martinez as Miss Lint
- Kyle Catlett as Young Arthur
- Joanna P. Adler as Dr. Creek
- Malachi Weir as Thug #2
- Christian Navarro as Sidekick
- Devin Ratray as Tinfoil Kevin
- Kahlil Ashanti as Goat
- Whoopi Goldberg as Whoopi Goldberg
- Richie Moriarty as Thomas Everest
- Andrew Dolan as Officer Dietz
- Sonam Kunlingtse as Herder
- Henry Yuk as Shaman
- Berto Colon as Thug #1
- Siraj Huda as Cab Driver
- Keet Davis as Thug #4
- Brett Berg as Thug
- Roger Brenner as FDNYT/EMT
- Marko Caka as Parent
- Jon Cenatiempo as Thug #3
- Katrina E. Perkins as Prostitute