American Maid
Encyclopedia
American Maid is a fictional
superhero
from the animated series, The Tick. Voiced
by Kay Lenz
, she is largely a parody
of both Captain America
and Wonder Woman
.
American Maid is quite noble in character, and unlike most of the "good" characters featured in the series, she is actually relatively effective as a superhero. Having no superpowers
, she relies on her Olympic
-level trained acrobatic
skills. Her only weapons are her stiletto
high-heels and her tiara
, both of which she can fling with great accuracy and effectiveness and which can boomerang
back to her. But she is also adept at improvising everyday items such as chairs and plates in taking down enemies. American Maid has made many more appearances on the series than any other female character. She is often heard yelling the recurring line, "You'll never get away with this, [current villain]!"
At first, she saw The Tick and his sidekick
, Arthur
, as little more than a bungling impediment to her crime-fighting crusade, but she reluctantly teamed up with the pair to take down the super-villain and magnate, Chairface Chippendale
. She eventually came to trust them and would team up with them again. In contrast to The Tick's rather direct way of dealing with evil, American Maid prefers a clandestine approach, at least at first, and has been known to go undercover as a caterer and a tourist to get close to rival super-villains and their schemes. She was romantically involved with another recurring character, Die Fledermaus
, at some point before the series storyline began which ended badly (apparently she disliked his fear of commitment and lack of courage and he couldn't handle her quirks - he even point blankly called her a "jingoist" and a "clean freak"). She has also been revealed to be an operative
(at least part-time) for the US government and had the former alias
of Jeanine Smith during a mission with the Tick and Arthur to rescue Yank, a monkey made temporarily smart by cosmic rays, and subsequently kidnapped by the evil ruler Pineapple Pokopo.
The character Captain Liberty
, from the live-action version of The Tick, was loosely based on American Maid.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
from the animated series, The Tick. Voiced
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
by Kay Lenz
Kay Lenz
Kay Ann Lenz is an American actress.A former child performer, Lenz has worked primarily in television and has won two Emmy Awards.-Background:...
, she is largely a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of both Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
and Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
.
American Maid is quite noble in character, and unlike most of the "good" characters featured in the series, she is actually relatively effective as a superhero. Having no superpowers
Superpower (ability)
Superpower is a popular culture term for a fictional superhuman ability. When a character possesses multiple such abilities, the terms super powers or simply powers are used...
, she relies on her Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
-level trained acrobatic
Acrobatics
Acrobatics is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility and motor coordination. It can be found in many of the performing arts, as well as many sports...
skills. Her only weapons are her stiletto
Stiletto
A stiletto is a knife or dagger with a long slender blade and needle-like point, intended primarily as a stabbing weapon. The stiletto blade's narrow cross-section and acuminated tip reduces friction upon entry, allowing the blade to penetrate deeply...
high-heels and her tiara
Tiara
A tiara is a form of crown. There are two possible types of crown that this word can refer to.Traditionally, the word "tiara" refers to a high crown, often with the shape of a cylinder narrowed at its top, made of fabric or leather, and richly ornamented. It was used by the kings and emperors of...
, both of which she can fling with great accuracy and effectiveness and which can boomerang
Boomerang
A boomerang is a flying tool with a curved shape used as a weapon or for sport.-Description:A boomerang is usually thought of as a wooden device, although historically boomerang-like devices have also been made from bones. Modern boomerangs used for sport are often made from carbon fibre-reinforced...
back to her. But she is also adept at improvising everyday items such as chairs and plates in taking down enemies. American Maid has made many more appearances on the series than any other female character. She is often heard yelling the recurring line, "You'll never get away with this, [current villain]!"
At first, she saw The Tick and his sidekick
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
, Arthur
Arthur (The Tick)
Arthur is a fictional character, a vigilante in the Tick comic book series, animated series, and live action series. He serves as The Tick's sidekick.-Overview:...
, as little more than a bungling impediment to her crime-fighting crusade, but she reluctantly teamed up with the pair to take down the super-villain and magnate, Chairface Chippendale
Chairface Chippendale
Chairface Chippendale is a character from The Tick comics and TV series. He was voiced by Tony Jay.-Biography:Chairface Chippendale is a tuxedo-clad, suave supervillain from the Tick Universe who has a small wooden chair for a head...
. She eventually came to trust them and would team up with them again. In contrast to The Tick's rather direct way of dealing with evil, American Maid prefers a clandestine approach, at least at first, and has been known to go undercover as a caterer and a tourist to get close to rival super-villains and their schemes. She was romantically involved with another recurring character, Die Fledermaus
Die Fledermaus (The Tick)
Die Fledermaus is a fictional superhero in the animated television series, The Tick. Voiced by Cam Clarke, he fights crime in a place simply called The City....
, at some point before the series storyline began which ended badly (apparently she disliked his fear of commitment and lack of courage and he couldn't handle her quirks - he even point blankly called her a "jingoist" and a "clean freak"). She has also been revealed to be an operative
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
(at least part-time) for the US government and had the former alias
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of Jeanine Smith during a mission with the Tick and Arthur to rescue Yank, a monkey made temporarily smart by cosmic rays, and subsequently kidnapped by the evil ruler Pineapple Pokopo.
The character Captain Liberty
Captain Liberty
Captain Liberty is one of the main characters in The Tick live action show, played by Liz Vassey. She is apparently a parody of mainstream superheroes like Captain America and Wonder Woman, much like American Maid from the animated series. However, unlike American Maid, Captain Liberty is just as...
, from the live-action version of The Tick, was loosely based on American Maid.