Red Scare

The Red Scare is a supervillain who appeared in both the original comic book series, The Tick by Ben Edlund, and the 1999 live action series of the same name, loosley based on the characters and plot of that series. His nature and story line are radically different depending on the medium.

Comic

In the 1988 comic book series, The Red Scare is a hired villain from Villains Inc, a sham villain mill that hires actors with above average physiques and abilities to stage an evil scheme and act as a foil to help upstart superheroes build a reputation. Because most of the superheroes in the City and Deertown are grossly incompotent, organizations such as Villains Inc are thriving ventures. A superhero called the Running Guy hires the Red Scare to give his career a jumpstart, but the Tick intervenes, not knowing that the Red Scare is not in fact a legitimate supervillain. He is relatively easily defeated, and the Running Guy is humiliated, and put out by the ordeal, as he does not qualify for a refund.

Live Action

In the live action version, the Red Scare is an advanced android assassin from the 1970's who is programed for the sole purpose of assassinating Jimmy Carter who was the President of the United States at the time that it was built. It is accidentally activated again, and unleashed in the United states, where it attempts to assassinate former president Carter. The Tick intervenes. The Red Scare begins malfuntioning because of advanced age and misuse. The Tick destroys the aging android in an elevator.