Running Guy
Context
The Tick was a popular parody super-hero, first seen in 1988. His “you’ve hit the jackpot, tiger” moment was getting his own animated series from 1994 to 1996.
The Running Guy was one of the not-heroes in the book. Back during the Tick’s peak in the 1990s, we took these here notes about him.
History
Jeff was an account controller at CityFirst International. But he wanted to be a superhero. He had a superhero name, a superhero costume, and even a superpower (he’s faster than ten fast men !).
His friend and co-worker, Jack, tried to talk him out of it, but Jeff was determined to make a name for himself as the City’s newest superhero.
What the Running Guy didn’t have was a villain to fight. He paid Mort Spivey of Villains, Inc., a cool five thousand bucks to stage a superfight with the Red Scare. The Running Guy, waiting for a TV news crew, was late to the fight and the Tick wound up fighting the Red Scare.
The Running Guy arrived on the scene a few minutes later, furious that the Tick was fighting “his” supervillain.
Description
The Running Guy is a thin, fit young man in his early 20s. His costume looks a lot like a bicycle racer’s gear : a green-and-white tunic, purple shorts, running shoes and a green-and-white bicycle helmet. His face is partially concealed by a green mask.
The front of the Running Guy’s tunic bears his logo, which he often has to explain to people : “Is it a shooting star or a chicken claw ?” “No, it’s a palm tree bent by hurricane-force winds. You know, as if… as if I had just run by really fast and WHOOSH, and the wind just… just bends the palm tree… you know ?”
DC Universe History
The Running Guy can be dropped into the DC Universe pretty much unchanged. If you’re bringing him in without the rest of the “Tick Universe” characters, he can still be a comic-relief “wannabe” superhero.
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
The Running Guy
| Dex: 05 | Str: 02 | Bod: 02 | Motivation: Thrill of Adventure |
| Int: 04 | Wil: 04 | Min: 03 | Occupation: Account Controller |
| Inf: 04 | Aur: 02 | Spi: 04 | Resources: 05 |
| Init: 015 | HP: 010 |
Powers:
Running: 07
Advantages:
Buddy (Jack, last name unknown), Lightning Reflexes.
Connections:
The Tick (Low), Villains, Inc. (Low).
Drawbacks:
SIA: Becoming a famous superhero, MIH: The Tick, Minor Rage, Secret Identity (Jeff, last name unrevealed), Unluck.
Source of Character: The Tick #6 (New England Comics).