scenario_killer,

Have you checked to make sure that your rotation axis are set properly for each joint in the chain? Also what type fo ik are you using, SC or RP? You also don't need to set sticky in creation, you can set it later if your character needs it.

What view are we looking at here, if you could maybe get a few other views up too. Oh and I'd check what your IK Blend value is after you created the IK handle. Just a few things to check and suggestions.