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Gen V season 2 episode 7, released on October 15, 2025, on Prime Video, confirms that Thomas Godolkin is the real force behind Cipher. The episode reveals that Cipher was never a single supe but a helpless human puppet controlled remotely by Godolkin through powerful mind manipulation.
This twist exposes Godolkin not as a victim but as the main antagonist of Gen V season 2, setting up a major threat for the season finale and a larger crossover with The Boys universe. Episode 7 ends with Godolkin fully healed and now free to carry out his extremist plan to “cull the weak” supes from society.
What happened in Gen V season 2 episode 7?
One of the main storylines in Gen V season 2 has been the mystery surrounding Cipher. At the start of the season, Cipher looked like a scary super assassin who was going for Godolkin students and controlling events at Godolkin University.
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But episode 7 proves that Cipher was not a super at all. Cipher was really Doug, a regular person who didn't have any Compound V in his system. Doug was a vessel—he was physically alive but psychologically controlled by Thomas Godolkin, who started Godolkin University. Godolkin used Doug as a "meat puppet" to carry out his goals through long-range mental control.
Godolkin controlled Cipher from a distance with deadly accuracy and brutality, even though he was burned and bedridden underground. Marie was confused because her ability to perceive blood composition had not shown any signs of Compound V in Cipher's veins before.
Episode 7 makes it clear why: Godolkin was always in charge of Cipher from a distance; hence, Cipher never had any powers of his own. When Polarity faces Cipher and is ready to kill him, Cipher uses Doug's voice to tell him the truth: he was simply being controlled. Godolkin was the true Cipher the whole time.
Why did Godolkin control Cipher and fake his disappearance?
Throughout Gen V season 2, there were hints that Godolkin would live, but his reasons were not evident until episode 7. Godolkin tricked Marie and her pals into rescuing him by pretending to be a victim locked up in a vault. He didn't want to live; he wanted to change.
Godolkin said that Marie could heal people in ways that no one else could because she could control blood. He planned Cipher's attacks to push Marie to her limits, which made her use her powers. Godolkin's protracted plan to make sure Marie would heal him involved Cipher's violence and mysterious intentions.
When she was done, Godolkin took back control of his body and showed what he really believed: super dominance. He intends to get rid of what he calls "weak" supers and construct a new civilization where only the strongest ones live.
Cipher's actions were just the first step in his larger strategy for controlled chaos. Godolkin doesn't need Cipher or secrecy anymore by the end of episode 7. He has come back to life and is ready to lead his radical group in public.
What does Godolkin’s return mean for Gen V season 2 and The Boys season 5?
The power structure in Gen V season 2 alters when Godolkin comes back. Homelander and Billy Butcher were the two worst threats in The Boys universe before episode 7. After the unveiling, Godolkin becomes a new enemy with more power. He can influence minds without touching them. He can tell several supes what to do at the same time. His grip doesn't become weaker with distance. He plans and thinks about how to do things.
In episode 7, he makes a pupil named Hample kill himself, which indicates that he can give orders that kill people right away. His return changes the balance of power. If he works with Sister Sage, he could have an impact outside of God U.
This also connects Gen V season 2 to The Boys season 5. Godolkin's goals are at odds with those of both Homelander and Butcher. If Godolkin gains more adherents, he could take over elite supes and change the way Vought is run. A three-way fight could start if Homelander thinks he is a threat. Marie and her friends are the only ones who know he is back, and he may have already put mental triggers in them to keep control.
Gen V season 2 episode 7 delivers a main twist in the season by confirming that Thomas Godolkin is Cipher. He used Doug as a human shield, orchestrated chaos from the shadows, and manipulated Marie into healing him.
