28. THE TICK (The Tick)

Ben Edlund was just 18 – the bastard – when he came up with The Tick, a character that may be, quite simply, the funniest superhero spoof of all time. Blessed with a fantastic supporting cast of outlandishly-named nemeses – Chairface Chippendale, take a bow – and self-involved allies, from Die Fledermaus in the comics to Batmanuel in the tragically short-lived live-action TV show, The Tick is a lovable lunk, given to overly dramatic declarations on behalf of justice. He doesn't know his own strength, which is prodigious and, indeed, fails to grasp even the most rudimentary basics of social interaction. Edlund's The Tick – his involvement runs through the comics, the animated series and the TV show – is characterised by sharply observed gags and a gift for hilarious hyperbole.

Trademarks: A blue costume with giant movable antennae, The Tick is, to quote the TV show, "the sterling silver ladle of justice, pouring his creamy foam over the freshly-picked strawberries of crime". His strength is mighty, his IQ is double figures. Low double figures. Catchphrase: "SPOON!"

On Screen: In the animated series, he's voiced by Townsend Coleman. In Fox's utterly brilliant live-action show (nine episodes! Nine episodes!), he was played to perfection by the deep-voiced and pretty vacant Patrick Warburton. Peter Serafinowicz played him for two seasons on Amazon Prime between 2016 and 2019.

Did You Know?: The actor who plays Batmanuel, Nestor Carbonell, shows up in The Dark Knight as the Mayor of Gotham. That's Batmanuel – in a Batman movie. Gotta love that.

Buy Tick: The Naked City now on Amazon