The Tick vs. Proto Clown restored my faith in The Tick series. I didn't really like episodes 9-11 ( The Tick vs. Brainchild, The Tick vs. Pineapple Pokopo, and The Tick vs. The Mole Men) much at all, but this episode made up for them.

The basic premise of this episode is that Bud, a clowning engineer, has created a superclown, Proto Clown. Proto Clown is huge and angry (it turns out that he hates it when people laugh at him) and he rampages through The City in an orgy or destruction. The heroes of the City can't stop him, and are fleeing the City when The Tick, and Arthur return from Wheatland. Tick battles Proto Clown but Proto Clown hits him with a bus and knocks him into orbit.

Tick goes on a voyage of discovery in his own mind.

Tick's Defense Mechanisms

From here, The Tick goes on a voyage of mental self-discovery. The entire sequence inside The Tick's mind qualifies as a "Tickism"; from his visit to his Pleasure Center to his encounter with his Defense Mechanisms; the entire trip is hilarious.

Eventually, Proto Clown corners the heroes and speaks to Bud, who calms him down but accidentally presses the honking nose and the heroes all crack up. Just when they were all going to be smashed, Tick falls through the roof and knocks the clown out.

The only reason this episode didn't get 5 stars is that it didn't have the Evil Midnight Bomber (what Bombs at Midnight!)

This episode features these Superheroes:
The Tick, Arthur, Four-Legged Man, Feral Boy, Jungle Janet, Captain Mucilage, The Carpeted Man, Die Fledermaus, American Maid, and Sewer Urchin

This episode features these Supervillains:
Proto Clown