Chainsaw Vigilante

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The Chainsaw Vigilante (real name Henry Hearst) is a character who first appeared in Ben Edlund's The Tick (issue #9) making several reappearances before having his own spin-off series written by Zander Cannon. He typically operates out of the Deertown-Hobleville area, although he is sometimes seen in the City. His trademark 'costume' is comprised of biker boots and leather trousers with a leather jacket that has the legend "Kick yourself" emblazed on the back and an upside-down smiley badge (or button) on the left lapel, topped off with a square (slightly demented) smiley mask and a single lock of hair, and of course a chainsaw. He is a skilled fighter with the chainsaw; he can make smooth and precise motions akin to a martial artist. He has never killed anyone with it, shallow cuts are typically sufficient to drive away any would-be heroes.

Not a superhero or villain per se, CV devotes his time to keeping superheroes busy so that they don't disrupt the lives of ordinary people, although some villains have 'heard the voice of reason' and have small nicks to prove it.

In Zander Cannon's spin-off series, it is strongly implied that Henry is the son of Steven Hearst, an actor who became famous in the role of television superhero The Man with Seven Hearts. Steven was a socialist who used the show to promote his agenda, and was eventually exposed as a "Communist brainwasher" by The Sultan, the first and most famous superhero in The Tick's world. Hearst fled America, occasionally returning to foment socialist uprisings (the Seven Hearts Revolutions) throughout the 1960s. It is likely that Henry Hearst's hatred of superheroism stems from his father's persecution and exile at The Sultan's hands.