'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The idea of an evil Superman with all the Man of Steel's power and none of his empathy marked the fascinating premise of The Boys. The story of The Boys delves into an alternate America where superheroes are manufactured through the use of drugs (Compound V) and have become the faces of the country.
However, while these same heroes are only one part of the hyper-commercialized market, their celebrity status enables them to escape a whole host of crimes. The most powerful, most corrupt, and megalomaniacal among these so-called heroes is Homelander, who acts as a parody and a foil to the DC character Superman. Homelander's very existence poses the question - what if the very hero we appointed to protect us was racist, self-serving, and evil?
In the comics, the very company that created Homelander had a backup if he lost control through his clone, Black Noir, who eventually ended up killing him. However, in the Amazon Prime series based on the comics (of which Season 3 was released in 2022), Homelander is not only alive and well but also enjoys unlimited political and physical power as the head of Vought International.
How is Homelander's fate different from The Boys comics?
Homelander is the leader and the face of The Seven in The Boys, a group of superheroes who parallel the Justice League. In the comic books written by Garth Enicks and Darth Robertson, he was not killed by his arch nemesis Billy Butcher but rather by Black Noir, who is revealed to be a clone of Homelander.
However, in the Amazon Prime series, Black Noir has a different backstory and swiftly meets his end at the hand of Homelander.
Furthermore, a hero from the past, Soldier Boy (a parody of Captain America) returns to the modern day in The Boys, teaming up with Hughie and Billy Butcher (both of whom had gained superpowers upon consumption of Compound V) to land several hits on Homelander.
Soldier Boy's special weapon had the potential to remove Homelander's invulnerability, but before he could use it, Homelander made his exit.
Notably, the two meet again in the finale. However, before Soldier Boy can land a fatal hit on Homelander, Billy Butcher intervenes because his stepson (and Homelander's son who was born of rape) was caught in the crossfire.
The final section saw Butcher and Homelander team up against Soldier Boy and put an end to him. However, Homelander's son is believed to have the potential and the power to end his father's reign of terror once and for all.
What is the weakness of Homelander?
It's safe to say that Homelander in the Amazon Prime series has nearly no physical weaknesses as he possesses the power to fly at hyper speed, shoot laser beams, and dodge all forms of weaponry. However, the combined effort of three extremely powerful superheroes can surpass his near invulnerability.
The combined effort of Billy, Hughie, and Soldier Boy has shown this. It is also believed that certain characters from the spinoff show can beat Homelander in a fight as well.
Despite being physically close to being invincible, Homelander in The Boys has a weak psyche and a fragile ego and has been manipulated by many characters, including Stormfront in Season 2, who eventually became his close beloved.
Who survives at the end of The Boys?
When Season 3 of The Boys ended, almost every major character had survived, including Homelander, Billy Butcher, Hughie, Stormfront, and the rest of Butcher's vigilante squad. Queen Maeve had survived as well, though Homelander had blinded her in their final battle. The Deep and A-Train had made it out alive, too, but Black Noir had effectively met his end.
All 3 seasons of The Boys can be streamed on Amazon Prime. Additionally, the series has been renewed for Season 4, which is set to be released in 2024.
