This article was originally published on worldtravelling.com and has been republished here with permission.
Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the showrunners, are back after the success of their adaptation of Garth Ennis’ Preacher. They adapted The Boys, another of the author’s best-known novels. Ennis and Darick Robertson’s The Boys, which reimagined superheroes as dangerously narcissistic celebrities with godlike abilities, revolutionized the superhero genre. The Boys step in to help with it. Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) and his team “spank the bastards” back into order when a hero steps out of line. Amazon’s newest series is a more reduced version of the original material while still maintaining the comics’ violent sense of humor and scathing wit. Fans of the original comics will surely be surprised by some of the significant alterations that arose from this.
Stormfront
One of the nastiest characters in The Boys universe and one of the ones who has undergone the largest modifications from the comics is Stormfront. The character, who was originally a man in the comics, was portrayed on television by Aya Cash. Team Payback, a collection of Nazi creatures akin to The Seven, was led by the Nazi Supe.
In the comics, Stormfront doesn’t have the same connection to Homelander or plot as she does in the television series. Despite having a relatively similar origin, her ultimate fate at the hands of Ryan is very different. Her exact past and identity are kept secret from the public. Stormfront’s primary talent is electrokinesis, and because of this, The Seven decided she should be a member of The Seven. Stormfront can make and manipulate lightning using charged particles, which she frequently employs in battle. Klara’s electrokinesis allows her to produce potent plasma blasts. She can fire these blasts from her hands and feet in the shape of purple lightning. People can be electrocuted and rendered helpless by her electrical discharges, which can cause agony or even put them to sleep.
Development Of Ryan
The way Ryan, the son of a Homelander, is developed in the program compared to the comics is another significant departure. In the comics, Ryan doesn’t even exist; Billy The Butcher violently ended his existence not long after he was born. He gradually grows in the program into a strong young boy with astonishing potential.
Ryan’s whole life is a complete contradiction to the comics, where he was killed at birth in a fit of rage from Butcher. There are several reasons the showrunners may have made this change. Firstly, it gives a whole new arc to the feud between Butcher and Homelander, adding a much more personal element to the rivalry and a sense of responsibility to Butcher’s character. Further to this, Butcher is someone we root for. It’s no secret he’s not the most morally sound character, but for the most part, he has good intentions. Still, it was quite necessary to make changes in the transition from paper to screen.
True Identity Of Black Noir
In the comic books, Black Noir’s true identity was a big mystery; it wasn’t until later that it was made clear that he was a clone of Homelander. This replica is a psychotic murderer who has committed some of the most terrible murders in comic books. This doesn’t seem to be the situation in the program.
The TV show hasn’t fully revealed Black Noir’s identity, but season two’s context clues imply he isn’t a Homelander clone. When he removes his mask to consume some sweets, that is when the biggest hint appears. Black Noir appears to be black and horribly scarred. The Seven’s superpowered ninja, Black Noir, is stoic, cunning, and mysterious. His mastery of the martial arts was the only thing that could compare to his superhuman strength and acute senses.
The Love Sausage
An intimidating Soviet Supe from the comics named The Love Sausage plays a bloody part in the demise of Stormfront in the comics. The version in the television program is very dissimilar. This prominent Russian character appears briefly in the TV show, almost as a cameo.
He shows up for the first time as a patient at Sage Grove Center. He looks horrifying and very different from the comics. In the comics, Love Sausage frequently joins forces with the other heroes as an ally and friend, and the pair work together to finally defeat Stormfront. He is a fan-favorite character in the comic. The Russian ex-superhero who occasionally helps The Boys whenever they visit his bar in Moscow. He is wildly charismatic, if not a little naive, about certain subjects.
Queen Maeve Risked Her Own Life To Save Starlight
As the comic’s story arc came to a close, Homelander finally figured out that both Maeve and Starlight were working for The Boys.
With a plan to exterminate them forever, Meave push Starlight out of the building, hoping she lands safely and be saved from Homelander. Then, she turns to attack Homelander, but her sword, surprisingly, turns out to be a metal prop. She is quickly overpowered and beheaded by Homelander. Despite all odds, Starlight finds a way to survive and owes her life to Queen Maeve.
Victoria Neuman
In contrast to the TV show, a lot of characters have alternate genders in comic books. One of them is Victoria Neuman, who took on the persona of Victor Neuman in the comic books. Vic The Veep, a politician who served as Vought Industries’ go-between, was the original.
The TV show handles it in a somewhat different way. Victoria is a congresswoman and appears to be a superhuman. Though this could just be her public cover while she secretly defends the interests of Vought and The Seven, she also plans to bring down the corporation. As for powers, Victoria Neuman seems to have psychic control over the speed and pressure at which molecules approach combustion. She has only been observed using her power on living things thus far. She has shown the capacity to ignite a single extremity or a whole body, but she seems to prefer to target her power on the skulls of her victims.
New Superheroes
The Boys incorporate unique superheroes into the mix to give fans something fresh. These newbies include Translucent, Mesmer, and Ezekiel, among others. Despite being new characters, they are based on well-known names.
While Translucent appears to be the show’s take on the alien-themed Jack From Jupiter, one of the original members of The Seven who also had impervious skin but wasn’t invisible, the televangelist Ezekiel is a gentler version of Oh Father. On the other hand, Mesmer is an entirely new character. With the help of his carbon metamaterial skin, which bends light and renders him bulletproof, Translucent is The Seven’s invisible superhero. Ezekiel has the ability to lengthen, shape-alter, and compress any area of his body. While his mass remains constant, he can enlarge or reduce following the situation. Mesmer is psychic in nature. Enabling him to detect the target’s thoughts, use them in battle, and build a powerful mental shield to shelter him from other entities.
TransOceanic Flight 37
The Homelander, who was unable to stop the hijacked Flight 37, utilizes the catastrophe he caused to forward the plans of Vought International to hire superheroes for the military. Even while this is already unethical, it was far worse in the comics. Maeve develops disillusionment and drinking problems due to that tragic event, although in the show, she already had those problems before the plane accident.
The Seven stopped a jet that was en route to the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. The jet crashes into the Brooklyn Bridge as a result of the heroes killing the terrorists but failing miserably to accomplish anything else. To ensure that the calamity never tarnishes its most valuable assets, Vought has taken every precaution to conceal this.
Compound V And The Boys
Billy Butcher and his soldiers, except for The Female, are powerless. Even though The Boys are adept at carrying out black ops missions and using weaponry, they can’t compete fairly with the heroes. They view the heroes as nearly unstoppable demons that they must destroy.
In contrast, The Boys can fight The Seven head-to-head in the comics because of the super-soldier serum Compound V. Frederick Vought developed Compound V, an alchemical super serum, for the Third Reich. The serum was designed to improve human physical and mental capabilities, and it was planned to be used by the Germans during World War II to produce super soldiers for Nazi Germany. The serum is still produced today by geneticists at Vought International to turn regular people into remarkable “heroes.”
Madelyn Stillwell
Despite being the strongest superheroes in the world, The Seven still report to their employer. In the comics, James Stillwell, a psychopathic business executive who only has Vought’s wellbeing in mind, serves as their supervisor. Madelyn Stillwell takes James’ place in the series as The Seven’s handler. She also had the responsibility of ensuring the company’s maximum power and profitability, which she does with merciless efficiency. Her goals, however, went beyond simply having superheroes battle crime on American streets; under a multi-billion dollar government contract, she wanted to integrate them into the military.
Madelyn is more vulnerable and human than her written counterpart, even losing her life due to the latter. She may prioritize Vought’s business, but she is not as monstrous as James, who ordered the X-Men of the comics to be massacred because they had grown too out of control and unprofitable.
Drummer Boy Was Starlight Ex-Boyfriend
Starlight shared a brief romantic relationship with Drummer Boy, the team leader, during her time at the Young Americans. The two had met at Capes for Christ, a Christian camp where they had a friendly relationship.
In the end, she discovered that he had cheated on her with Holy Mary, another member of the Young Americans. It was this that eventually led to her breaking up with Drummer Boy. It is interesting and ironic to state that Holy Mary was otherwise shown as an immaculate superheroine by the media.
A-Train And Popclaw
The relationship between the superheroes A-Train and Popclaw could be considered a counterpoint to Hughie and Starlight. When A-Train kills her to conceal his dependency on Compound V, this only makes matters worse. Like many young celebrities who start out on a meteoric rise, Popclaw’s fall from grace came fast and hard when she was photographed by paparazzi while partying high on illegal substances.
The two never even shared a panel together. Hence this connection was never depicted in the comics. Both of them are significantly more sympathetic than their original selves because everything about them was specifically created for the series. Eventually, after A-Train reveals that Stillwell agreed to let the two go public, she reveals information about The Boys to A-Train. Not wanting to take risks, Popclaw is murdered by A-Train through an overdose of illegal substances.
The Deep
Starlight was horrified to discover that The Deep, the meathead Aquaman of The Seven, was a nasty man who had assaulted her. The Deep uses this to mock her the day afterward. However, on advice from Queen Maeve, Starlight can move past it and ignore him. Starlight then informs him that she has since learned that the Deep has lied about his importance to the group, and he is, in fact, regarded as “a joke.”
Although the harassment occurs in the comics, The Deep wasn’t to blame. In the original story, three additional heroes (A-Train, Homelander, and Black Noir) forced Starlight to do things against her will; therefore, what happened to her was significantly worse. Ironically, of The Seven, the original Deep was the most experienced and business-savvy. His live-action portrayal is more like the original A-Train, who was equally arrogant and obtuse.
The Homelander
The Homelander, a privileged brat with god-like abilities and an endless list of vices, is The Boys’ interpretation of Superman. Even though he frequently acts impulsively and confirms people’s anxieties, everything he does is driven by his infantile need to be taken seriously. He is crafty and unpredictable in the series, making him more deadly than ever. Instead of throwing a fit, he now subtly manipulates and threatens people to get what he wants. Additionally, he has a relationship with Stillwell, which would never occur in the comics because he detested the business representative.
He presents himself as being amiable, modest, and truthful; the ideal Boy Scout; a national treasure; and a God-fearing patriot. But even superheroes have secrets, just like regular people. Homelander is regarded as the best superhero alive and the head of The Seven. He has the look of a movie star and the strength of a god. In addition to being able to fly, he also possesses superhuman strength and hearing, as well as the ability to see through practically anything (except zinc) using his x-ray vision before destroying it with his laser eyes.
Resemblances Of Starlight To Doctor Light And Shazam
It appears that The Seven, presently, reference the traditional DC’s Justice League superteam, with Homelander positioning as Superman, A-Train in the role of the Flash, and so on.
There are some stark similarities between Starlight and DC characters, though no clear comparison can be made. Compared to Kimiyo Hoshi, she is capable of projecting luminescent energy. Hoshi can absorb and radiate light energy under the name Doctor Light (based on a DC villain of the same name). Also similar to Mary Marvel’s (Shazam) yellow-and-white costume, Starlight’s yellow-and-white outfit was designed similarly.
The Female’s Origins
When the Female was a newborn, she inadvertently ingested some compound V and developed into the most dangerous of The Boys. Except for Frenchie, no one can read her mind, but they can always count on her to rip people’s faces off. She was a mafia hitwoman on the side.
In the meantime, the series offers her a completely new past. The Female grew up with her parents and brother on the Japanese seashore under the name Kimiko Miyashiro. The Shining Light Liberation Army militants broke into her home one night and killed her parents. Kimiko and her brother were taken captive by the troops, who made them spend many years fighting in the war-torn Philippines. She was actually a child soldier who had been administered Compound V by her fellow guerillas. She unintentionally resulted from Vought’s efforts to develop supervillains because the business gave the compound to terrorists to increase the fictitious demand for superheroes that only they can satiate.
Starlight
In the comic series, she is known by her superhero alias, Starlight. She has the power to fly and can release blinding light from her palms. Since Annie was born with special talents, she unintentionally rendered her parents and the attending physicians permanently blind. Her parents were compelled to relinquish custody of Annie to Vought because of the increasing cost of living caused by their handicap. She was reared by foster parents, and as a little girl, she participated in various superhero pageants.
The Seven welcome Starlight into their group in the first scene of The Boys. Although she is initially naive, she gradually adjusts and learns how to get around the shady side of the superhero industry. On the other hand, the series depicts her as being more proactive than in the illustrations. Even if the business pushes back, Starlight doesn’t hesitate long before taking a stance with the team and making an effort to defend her ideals and self-respect. This gains the respect of Queen Maeve, just like in the comics, who later gives in to her cynicism.
Wee Hughie Campbell
Hughie Campbell, a mild-mannered newbie who joins Butcher’s crew after A-Train accidently kills his lover Robin, is the center and soul of The Boys. Hughie is a well-intentioned but spineless youngster that Butcher manipulates into submission. Hughie was originally based on Simon Pegg, who now portrays his adoring father.
Hughie is more assertive in the series than he was before, much like his love interest Starlight. Even while it takes him eight episodes to overcome Butcher’s imposing personality, he does so far more quickly than in the comics, when it took him an eternity to release himself from the emotional control. Hughie was a fan of The Seven until the incident where A-Train killed his girlfriend Robin. He had memorabilia from the team, including A-Train, and posters on the wall of his bedroom. Because of his acquired teleportation abilities from V24, he was somewhat a spoof of the Marvel X-Men character Nightcrawler.
Becca Butcher
The fate of Butcher’s wife Becca represents the largest upheaval in The Boys. In the past, she passed away soon after giving birth to The Homelander’s child. The only thing keeping Butcher alive is her assault and murder at the hands of The Seven’s leader.
Evidently, Vought kept her super-powered child, as well as the fact that she survived, a secret. Given the implication that superheroes are naturally incapable of procreation, Homelander’s son may be the first superhero to be born outside of a research facility. Her existence also challenges everything Butcher held dear, leaving him and even the most ardent readers of the comics in the dark. Contrary to her husband’s vengeful and distrustful personality, Becca is very compassionate and caring, especially to her son. Throughout Season 2, Becca has done much to raise Ryan as a normal child, unlike Homelander, who only wants to train him to use his abilities.
Soldier Boy The Ally
Butcher is willing to assist Soldier Boy in getting his vengeance against his former superhero team, Payback, so long as Homelander is the next victim of Butcher’s supernatural abilities. The Boys agreed to assist Soldier Boy in finding Payback members to kill.
Because Soldier Boy is a pitiful and weak character who seeks the approval of other superheroes, the possibility of Soldier Boy being an ally to Butcher and Hughie isn’t explored in the comics. In Herogasm, Soldier Boy engages with Homelander in an effort to join The Seven. Soldier Boy is not as strong as Homelander, Stormfront, or any other supes. However, he is still relatively strong, similar to a super-soldier. He is a parody of Captain America.
Everyone Goes To Herogasm
Herogasm is a vice that no one is immune to. Even if they are not interested in substance-related activities, every hero goes. Everyone attends Herogasm, from A-list heroes like Homelander to Z-list heroes without names. It’s a sizable resort where all traces of their presence are removed. The Deep is found having relations with an octopus, The Deep actor Chace Crawford assured readers that “Scientifically it can’t actually happen… There’s not an orifice.”
In the comics, everyone participates in Herogasm, even Starlight and Queen Maeve. Maeve was taken hostage by Black Noir in season 3, episode 5, and she is currently in an unidentified location. Only C-list heroes and The Deep, one of The Seven, participate in the events as depicted in the television series.
“Imagine” By John Lennon
In the comic, Homelander holds a news conference where he informs everyone about the Marith’rai Battelite. All heroes and villains must get together to defeat this extraterrestrial race in space since they have arrived to invade Earth. This was a subterfuge that gave the heroes permission to indulge in a wild weekend.
In the Amazon Prime series, heroes and famous people mimic Gal Gadot and other famous people who sung “Imagine” by John Lennon in March 2020 in response to the lockdowns brought on by the Coronavirus and express how terrible the current villain attacks have become in a YouTube video. The original video was intended to be a show of support for those facing Covid-19, according to Gadot. She had captioned the picture, “We are in this together; we will get through it together.” In a recent interview, Gal Gadot reportedly stated that publishing the video at the time was not the appropriate course of action.
Homelander’s Mirror Conversation
At first glance, Homelander appears to be an evil Superman. Near the end of the comic’s run, there are significant revelations concerning Homelander’s character. Homelander’s spiral into insanity in the live-action series is a slow burn and something that has been gradually unraveling during season 3.
Homelander’s reflection begins to converse with him as the walls close in, and everyone seems to have left him. They converse, laugh, and sob. Homelander is more mentally unstable than originally thought, and his personality disorder enhances him more than it does in the comic. The circumstances of Homelander’s mirror scene appear to be a clear allusion to Marvel’s Green Goblin, the central adversary of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. This isn’t unusual for villain stories (2002). One Spider-Man sequence features Willem Dafoe’s character peering into a mirror as the Green Goblin slowly absorbs Norman Osborn, with Norman’s good half attempting to appeal to the malevolent influence of his Goblin counterpart.
Founded By Soldier Boy
Soldier Boy proclaims that Herogasm is “his thing,” as he started it with another superhero named Liberty during the inaugural annual celebration in 1952, as Butcher drives him to the location of the heroic party.
In the comic book version of Herogasm, the superhero treat was a yearly occasion created particularly by Vought-American to assist heroes in finding the most bizarre ways to cope with stress. The fact that Soldier Boy is actively involved in Herogasm shows how different the character is and how unaware his admirers are of where his character will go, according to Amazon Prime. The Boys: Herogasm is the fifth volume of the comic series. In this six-issue storyline, the titular characters end up at Herogasm, a Vought-sponsored superhero vacation and party for their superheroes. It gets pretty rough to the point of being borderline intolerable and hard to process in the comics.
The Herogasm House
At the modest soiree of the TNT twins, Tommy and Tessa, is where the famous event known as a Herogasm, in which heroes engage in mad and repulsive inappropriate activity, is held. These two appeared in Payback, although only in the television version and not the comic books. The yearly Herogasm celebration is held in this enormous estate.
The Herogasm island is waiting at Isla McFarlane, 1131 miles west of Costa Rica. The setting is very different from the one in the television program; it is a remote, tropical place that encompasses an entire island of heroes and innocent workers. The Boys’ comic book and television show universes are very distinct. Therefore, the gathering in the season three Herogasm episode differs from that in the Herogasm comic miniseries.
Frenchie And Kimiko’s Adventure
In the comic, The Frenchman and The Female are frequently pictured together. The Female, who acquired great power and strength by tumbling into a cauldron of Compound V waste, is a selective mute. As everyone in this situation is on the same page, they appear in the comic alongside Hughie, Mothers Milk, and Butcher.
In contrast, Mothers Milk departs the group in the Amazon Prime program after learning that they intend to work with Soldier Boy, the man who murdered his family. Frenchie and Kimiko don’t participate in Herogasm since they are also sidelined and because they are working on a different narrative featuring a dangerous mafia. Kimiko started working for the Albanian mafia as a hitman after Stormfront killed her brother Kenji. She needed to blow off some steam, so she asked Cherie to help her, and she got her the gig.
Soldier Boy v. Homelander: Dawn of Herogasm
Things are slightly different when Soldier Boy and Homelander first encounter one another during the comic’s version of Herogasm. Homelander exploits his position as The Seven’s commander by enticing Soldier Boy into being with him in the hopes that doing so will earn him a spot on the A-list superhero team.
Herogasm as it occurs on the program is very different from the comic when Soldier Boy and Homelander first meet. The struggle is incredibly exciting and tense. They have a well-choreographed fight, and both of their characters are out to kill the other. Additionally, it’s the first time we get to see Butcher face up against Homelander. This contrasts sharply with the general lack of tactical ability, panicking, and cowardice associated with most Supes and may be related to his time as a soldier during WWII before he became Soldier Boy. It also demonstrates that he has a much greater discipline and skill when using his powers in actual combat. Soldier Boy’s self-control shone through even in his fury as he defeated Butcher and the Boys when they attempted to stop him in Vought tower.
Everyone Dies
Soldier Boy hears a well-known song as he confronts TNT, the squad members he feels abandoned him in Russia and deceives him. The radio is playing this song, which causes him to have distressing flashbacks of his torture in Russia and sets off his explosive chest, destroying the Herogasm mansion and all of the residents—heroes and non-heroes alike.
Since The Boys are just there to blackmail more heroes, and for one target, not many people die in the comic book adaptation of Herogasm. Of course, a few people do pass away when they stand in The Boys’ way, but nothing as significant as the consequences of the show. The Boys’ third season is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
The Tone
It might surprise you to learn that The Boys in comic form is much darker and gratuitous than the Amazon series. In truth, DC Comics’ Wildstorm imprint was the place where The Boys was first released, but due to their concerns over the comic’s content, DC abruptly discontinued the book and gave its creators, Garth Ennis and Darrick Robertson, the freedom to publish it elsewhere.
The comic often depicts intimacy and violence in more explicit detail. Many of the prominent characters are treated darker in the comic. Billy, for instance, is depicted in the comic as being more menacing and unlikable to the point where he eventually equals Homelander in terms of villainy. Frenchie is less likable and more abrasive. Even Hughie is more of an antisocial conspiracy theorist than a friendly superhero nerd.
Hughie & Annie
The romance between Hughie and Annie is given a lot of attention in The Boys comic, much like in the Amazon series. Hughie does not, however, exploit that bond in the comic to control Annie and act against the Seven. At first, he is not even aware that he is dating a superhero. Billy begins to suspect if Hughie is actually a mole for Vought-American after learning about their relationship.
The fact that Hughie and Annie are both much more proactive in the show is another significant distinction. While it takes both characters much longer to become disillusioned and stand up for themselves in the original plot, they both confront their respective squads head-on in Season 1. However, their relationship progresses through the seasons favorably.
The Powers
Kimiko is the only one of The Boys with superhuman abilities in the Amazon series. They all have special abilities in the comic. Billy and his group regularly consume Compound V to make things equal with the Seven. Even his sense of smell appears to be superhuman.
The comic also explains how the term “Mother’s Milk” came to be. We find out that only MM has been a squad member since birth. His mother was employed by a Compound V-contaminated firm. MM was born with super-strength and a congenital condition that forces him to regularly consume his mother’s breast milk. We will have to wait and see if that peculiar origin tale transitions to the Amazon series.
The Simon Pegg Factor
Hughie was directly based on actor Simon Pegg when Ennis and Robertson were developing The Boys, particularly Pegg’s performance in the sitcom Spaced. Given that Hughie is Scottish in that version, the similarities are particularly striking in the comedy.
The Amazon series pays respect to its inspiration by casting Pegg as Hughie’s father, since Pegg is a touch too old to portray the role of a young, idealistic Hughie. Campbell is very protective of Hughie and strongly encourages him to accept the settlement from Vought and not push the matter any further. Along with Hughie’s mother, Daphne, Alexander Fergus Campbell dwells in Auchterladle, Scotland. Hughie considers the Campbells to be his true parents despite the fact that he was actually adopted and has never indicated a desire to find his birth parents.
Other Superhero Teams
The Seven is simply one of many superhero teams who operate all across the world, but the comic book’s focus is on the rivalry between The Boys and The Seven. Before engaging in combat with the Seven, The Boys essentially climb the ladder by practicing with teams like Teenage Kix and Payback. Although Stormfront made its debut in Season 2, it is unknown if these other teams will feature in later seasons of the program.
In Season 1, the Amazon series does offer a number of unique heroes of its own, such as the renegade mind reader Mesmer and spiritual leader Ezekiel. Popclaw, a member of the Teenage Kix, is also prominently featured in it, but in a nonexistent relationship with A-Train in the comic.
Mallory & Stillwell
The Amazon series adjusts the cast’s racial and cultural makeup. A-Train is now African American instead of white, and Hughie is now American rather than Scottish.
The two characters, Mallory and Stillwell, both of whom were originally male, have undergone the most significant modifications. The comic gives Mallory a backstory that describes him as a WWII veteran whose life was unnaturally prolonged by Compound V, a backstory that the program appears to be disregarding. As for Stillwell, the gender switch creates the possibility of an odd intimate interaction between her and Homelander. Another significant alteration is that Stillwell dies in the Season 1 finale. His only human moments are when he starts to relax around Jess Bradley and when he aided the Frenchman.
Where ‘s Terror?
In the comic, Billy Butcher is a larger-than-life character. In addition to having tremendous strength generated from Compound V, he also has a sidekick in the form of his devoted bulldog, Terror. Terror is notorious for doing terrible things like peeing on his master’s enemies.
Terror only occasionally makes an appearance in the series, save for a brief flashback cameo and a slightly lengthier appearance in Season 2. This is despite the fact that Terror has been in some of Amazon’s promotional material. According to show co-creator Eric Kripke, Terror’s absences essentially boiled down to the difficulty of working with dogs in addition to everything else going on with the show. In this iteration, Terror appears content to relax and take it easy
Lamplighter
With the debuts of Stormfront and Lamplighter in Season 2, the ranks of superheroes gain two more important members. Additionally, they diverge significantly from the original works in both instances.
Lamplighter is revealed to be the one who murdered Mallory’s family as a form of intimidation in both the comic and the TV series, but the latter also reveals that Lamplighter was tricked into thinking he was killing Mallory herself rather than bystanders. In the comic, he got killed by The Boys and then revived as a braindead zombie, although he is often treated much more compassionately in the Amazon series up to him taking his own life. Lamplighter being a hybrid of a jail warden and nurse gives the show a fresh perspective.
The CIA’s Role
Mallory’s gender was switched in the Amazon series, as we’ve already discussed, but it’s also important to note how different the CIA’s relationship with Butcher’s crew is. As a vital countermeasure to Vought’s expanding geopolitical domination, The Boys in the comic are fully supported and authorized by the CIA. The squad is depicted in the present day as a fully independent organization, which is true of the team’s initial iteration seen in numerous flashbacks. As a result, Butcher and his squad in Season 2 end up being wanted fugitives, which causes significant difficulties for them.
However, in this particular region, the comic and TV series will eventually start to converge more. Season 3 will see The Boys return to their previous status as a CIA-sponsored gang, according to showrunner Eric Kripke, who spoke to IGN. According to Kripke, “The Boys we will find after Season 3 will really be extremely identifiable to the ones in the comic book” because they are now officially supported by the CIA and have offices in the Flatiron building. It will be somewhat like the traditional Boys, but with a few twists and turns.
Crimson Countess
Crimson Countess, a new Super joining The Boys in season 3, will be portrayed by Laurie Holden. She collaborated with Soldier Boy since, in the comics, she is a member of Payback. The mantle was resurrected by Vought years after the original Crimson Countess had perished during her first mission. Her heat-related abilities have occasionally prompted comparisons to Scarlet Witch. However, Crimson Countess was a minor figure in the comics and was killed by Billy Butcher.
It is yet unknown what part Crimson Countess will play in season 3 of The Boys. Based on the program video that is currently available, she will be a member of the Payback team at the present. In Season 1, Starlight said that she believed Countess would be selected for The Seven’s available roster position. She has also appeared in the Vought Cinematic Universe in other Easter eggs. The comics portray a poor picture of her future with the show if her role forces her to compete with The Boys.
Supersonic/Drummer Boy
Drummer Boy, a comic book character, is being reimagined as Supersonic in season three of The Boys. Drummer Boy, who has been renamed Supersonic after undergoing considerable rehabilitation at one of Vought’s wellness facilities, will be portrayed by Miles Gaston Villanueva. In the comics, Drummer Boy and Starlight shared leadership of the Young Americans and had a romantic relationship that was not intimate.
They split up after Starlight discovered his infidelity with Holy Mary, another Young American member. Supersonic’s former relationship with Starlight has already been established in The Boys season 3, and there is a good likelihood that he’ll want to reignite it. Drummer Boy didn’t have any special talents in the comics, but Vought’s involvement allowed the program to create new ones like superspeed.
Gunpowder
Furthermore, Season 3 of The Boys will feature gunpowder. Although the character did make a brief appearance in season 1, Sean Patrick Flanery has been cast as Gunpowder to give him a suitable introduction. Gunpowder is a member of the Teenage Kix superteam, which is supported by the NRA. The Boys have previously exploited him as a supporter of the Second Amendment because his abilities are directly related to projectiles and weapons.
Gunpowder’s position in The Boys season 3 is still unknown, but he may have been a former Soldier Boy’s Payback or Teenage Kix member. Although he can survive all kinds of bullets and explosions, he does have limits, as Butcher’s heat vision is shown to be able to bisect his head despite having superhuman durability.
Blue Hawk
According to all reports, Blue Hawk is a brand-new character created for The Boys season 3, yet he could be a rebranded comic book hero like Supersonic. Regardless of his potential comic connection, Nick Wechsler is playing Blue Hawk. The Wolverine parody character Ground Hawk, who appears in comic books with hammers for hands and a blue helmet, maybe the inspiration for The Boys’ Blue Hawk. If that’s the case, Blue Hawk’s arrival might trigger the G-Men’s appearance, which would then aid in establishing The Boys’ college spinoff series.
Blue Hawk is strong enough to punch or toss a grown man across a room, thanks to Compound V’s strength-enhancing effects. He could crush a man against the curb with such power that the pavement below would be cracked. Due to his body’s ability to withstand his own superhuman strength, Blue Hawk has greater human durability than the ordinary person. The 70th annual Herogasm event was devastated by a terrible bomb, but he was strong enough to survive it. Later, he was still able to speak while being choked by A-Train.
Moonshadow
Another new Super character, Moonshadow, will also be unveiled in The Boys season 3. She appears to be an original character for the show and is situated in San Diego. Although she debuted in the September episode of Seven on 7 alongside Cameron Coleman, Moonshadow’s abilities are still unknown. According to reports, Moonshadow is a body-positive bombshell who is becoming more well-known as San Diego’s crime rate declines. After losing Stormfront, it’s probable that Vought would consider adding Moonshadow to The Seven to increase diversity on The Boys’ most well-known superhero squad.
Moonshadow does have a chance to become one of The Seven. She participates in a competition on the television program American Hero, but Homelander and Starlight finally decide she should not have won. She and Silver Kincaid were clearly upset when Deep won the top spot since they felt it was unjust given that he hadn’t even applied for the tournament until the final decision.