The Boys - An Amazon Prime adaptation of the Ennis comic series

[Decoy St. Chum]

Like think from Homelander's perspective thinking from the perspective of the public who he's currently enjoying a spike in popularity with. If she posted the video he could just cackle and kick over the sand castle. If he did that now... they'd just be kind of confused, she didn't have any proof or anything and she isn't more trusted; it's not like Vaught wouldn't have had a narrative for those corpses already in the pipe. She could just be a bitch girlfriend airing her soggy rag on instagram.
Proving her right means he loses, compared to losing first being out of his hands and just getting to enjoy revenge.

Yeah, it's a weird and stupid thing to do, but I guess that's what Starlight is. Predicting this now: the next episode will be FULL of MeToo allegories.

 

[LORD IMPERATOR]

She's also just kind of a retard. She seems to have forgotten that conversation she and Homelander had where he told her flat out that if she ruins his reputation, he will destroy the entire United States. Because her going on the air and saying 'Homelander actually evil, and did this' is dangerously close to pulling the rug out from under him.

Exactly. It's like these show-runners sometimes forget their own plot points. They're not as bad as the Game of Thrones showrunners yet, but they might get there, especially if they insist on pushing a certain political line instead of having these heroes battle it out in a way that makes sense for the plot. At this point, Starlight just started her own faction while Soldier Boy and Homelander are still out there. Soldier Boy will just keep steamrolling any supes that get in his way; Homelander is still powerful enough to make a difference and still has the Vought media empire to cover his tracks. I wouldn't be surprised if, in the next episode, he uses the media to cover up Starlight's confession. There's also Victoria Neuman, who has legal powers as a congresswoman and the power to explode Annie's head like it's nothing. And she made enemies with ALL THREE OF THEM. Any one of these three can squash her like a bug, and Starlight decided to pull a Germany circa 1941 and declare war with multiple superpowers at the same time.

It's also very strange that she's so unsympathetic to Hughie feeling helpless. Hughies entire history when dealing with supes has been tragedy born of powerlessness. His girlfriend was murdered right in front of him, and he couldn't do anything. His father turned on him because of how scared he was of supes, Translucent nearly casually killed him and he barely got through that. He has been hunted by the government, and by literal super humans for months on end. He found out that his best efforts to do good, were co-opted by a woman that blatantly murdered dozens of members of government. His new girlfriend has been repeatedly threatened with death by Homelander and he can't help her, she's being forced into a - fake - relationship with Homelander and he can't help her. Hughie feels entirely useless, and helpless in a world with walking demi-gods. Starlight isn't a moron, she knows this, and when he tells her that he just wants to save her, to help. She insults him, and implies he's a piece of shit for trying.

I never understood why Starlight keeps putting Hughie down. He's been a weak little twink for most of the show, and now, he can actually make a difference, but for some reason, that's a bad thing? Most superheroines I know wouldn't be that mad if their muggle boyfriends suddenly could fight alongside them. Just as people who played Mario games for a long while weren't mad that Princess Peach could suddenly fight in games like Super Mario Bros. 2 and Super Smash Brothers: Melee. But for some reason, men wanting to be useful in a fight is toxic masculinity? Hughie, ever since his first love's death at the hands of A-Train, has lived in fear of the supes, scared shitless that he can run into one and they can end his life in a moment's notice. Now, he can actually fight back, and of course the boy feels good about it and wants to do it again. He now has the strength to stand up against that which gave him nightmares.

It's especially weird when her main problem is 'HeS a MuRDerer!' because he killed Crimson Countess, and accidentally iced some people. Starlight has killed people, A-Train, Hughie, MM, Butcher, Kimiko, fucking everyone at this point has unlawfully killed people. But the one guy that can maybe killed Homelander is where she draws a line? Fuck off,.

Starlight works day to day with people who have innocent blood on their hands. A-Train, Homelander, heck, even Butcher and Kimiko. At this point, it makes no sense for her to suddenly go apeshit over Soldier Boy, since at this point, she works daily with people who are just as bad, if not worse than SB. If the threat of Homelander is ended, they all stand to gain from it. Annie's objections to using Soldier Boy, coupled with her tantrum against Hughie using V-24, makes her out to be rather narcissistic, especially when she pulled the rug out from Homelander and accused him of being evil. Didn't he promise a certain form of retaliation if she ever did that? Something that involves wiping out the United States government if she ever revealed the truth about him?

Wouldn't it be better for her to play Homelander and Soldier Boy against each other, if she really hates SB that much? Butter up Homelander, pretend to be on his side, get him and some other Vought supes to ambush Soldier Boy, and in the ensuing battle, slip away and wait as the big boys kill each other. She can then swoop in, kill the winner, and then take sole leadership of the Seven and Vought once Homelander and Soldier Boy are both dead. She can then go on Vought News in the next morning, shed some crocodile tears on live television, and make up some story about how a terrorist cell resurrected and brainwashed Soldier Boy, and how Homelander died a hero protecting the nation from him, giving his life to end the threat. Then she can run Vought the right way and bring wholesome people to run the Seven and lead the company.

I know it's not what they're going for, but Starlight is - like Homelander - the epitome of why superhumans are a problem. She cannot fathom how her operating on a level blatantly above Hughie makes him feel. He's not emasculated, he's terrified. Her world isn't the same as his, and by dint of loving her, he has to operate in it. He's so extremely vulnerable that someone like A-Train could jog past him and the force that generates would turn his bones to jelly. He can't be of any use as a normal human, because normal humans are worthless compared to superhumans. When he tried, a superhuman made it all pointless. She's failing at something as basic as relationship empathy. When my girlfriend is upset, or scared, or angry; I try and figure out why, and how I'd feel in the same situation. I don't roll my eyes and go 'wow, just wow. This is all you huh?'. Starlight is a terrible person. She's not strong, or brave, or particularly 'stunning'. She's a cunt, that's gotten so used to being powerful that she can't empathise with people that are powerless.

I suppose that's why Starlight as a supe just isn't as good as the show tries to make her. Her crusade against both Homelander and Soldier Boy feels selfish, especially when she adds in her distaste for Hughie being able to fight and help her make a difference. She's offended that he just saved her from getting atomized by Soldier Boy, and she acts like it's a big rift in their relationship that he can now punch close to her weight. It's rather........revealing concerning the way the characters are written. Starlight has gotten too comfy with being the Super in a relationship with a muggle, and when that muggle dared to become a supe, she saw that as a power imbalance and a problem.

Also: They're really ditching all of the Deeps possible character development huh. Wild. A-train fag dragging Blue Hawk was funny. Sex stuff was boring, and the shock value was pretty low.

The Deep is basically just a eunuch for Homelander now, especially after he was forced to eat Timothy. His wife seems to be in on the joke too, siding with Homelander against her own husband.

Soldier Boy seems an interesting character, but I get the feeling they're going to fuck it up and make him generic and one note by the end of it all. I did really like how confused he was that the US was in Afghanistan, where he seemed genuinely angry about people that he fought with and for are now the enemies of the US. The fact that it was mixed with a Cosby rape joke makes me think it was meant as more of a 'Lol, he's ignorant' thing than it was supposed to be a sad part of his character. The persona he has now really doesn't fit with the story of him murdering people that we're being told. It's actually pretty jarring.

He's basically there to be a boomer, but yes, it seems that they're going for the angle of "80's men have toxic masculinity" with the man even praising Bill Cosby and complaining about dads carrying their kids with what he calls "pussy-gear".

 

[LORD IMPERATOR]

It's kind what it feels like. Being superhuman, means everything gets exploded out. All your flaws became larger, as do all your good points. Starlight is pleasant, and cheery, and sweet. But she's also pretty fucking vapid, incredibly self centred, and thinks she can solve everything with just a casual chat and a declaration of 'No, that's WRONG!'. Her recording at the end of the episode would - in the world of the Boys presented up until this episode - cause Homelander to just say 'fuck it' and demolish American infrastructure and government. It won't, because otherwise the story would end. But that's what it should cause.

I dunno, how many good supes are there?
The Girl is sweet and everything but she's also a self-loathing murder tornado (justifiably yeah, but if she'd settled down in a provincial french cottage and stopped getting her blood quota you could kind of see her skinning the milkman one day; she herself seems to think so). And there's some arguable ones in the manga funnybooks iirc but they either don't count for the show or haven't been explored.
Maybe starlight really was always just a slow-burn Super White Girl, the most insidious form of evil.

The problem with supes in general, at least in this universe, is that, as Stan Edgar said, they're not good product. They're good for marketing to a certain extent, and they can defeat the odd criminals or terrorists rather handily, but they're unstable idiots that Vought has to clean up after every time they fuck up. Even an experienced fighter like Soldier Boy has enough issues and problems that his entire team sold him out to the Russians rather than keep on serving him. And Homelander is even worse; he's just a stronger version of Soldier Boy with none of the combat experience or professionalism of a career soldier, whose approach to fighting criminals has gone so downright apathetic that all he does is stand there and laser people. And these two are far from the only cases.

All of their mishaps and fuck-ups cost the company more than what they're worth. And when they shit the bed, Vought has to go into crisis mode, clean up their messes, and either silence or bribe the victims or the witnesses. Every time A-Train runs someone over because he's high, Vought has to pay that person's family or friends tens of thousands of dollars to buy their silence. Every time Homelander gets caught doing or saying something stupid, Vought has to pay God knows how many people to clean up that mess and rehabilitate John's image. Even taking away the human element, and looking at it from a pragmatic perspective, these heroes are a boat anchor around Vought's neck, and a good reason why the military won't accept supes.

I suppose this would be Stan Edgar's idea of what good product is:

Notice that both of these subjects are practically dead inside, save for their loyalty to the cause. No greed, no ego, no arrogance. They know enough to get the job done, and they don't stray from the path or have any crippling personality weaknesses that causes them to act like idiots. They do what they're told, whether it be good or evil. They feel nothing for bystanders and have no connections to anything else other than the people who made them. And unlike Vought's heroes, they don't have cults dedicated to them or movies made from them; they're not egotistical brats, they're just good soldiers who follow orders, and that's the end of that. Yes, they're both evil, but unlike Homelander and Starlight, they're not selfish, unstable cunts. Unlike Soldier Boy and "Super" Butcher, they're not OP frat-bros with a chip on their shoulder. They just do as they're told. The closest to this in the Vought lineup of heroes was Black Noir, but his crippling weakness caused by his peanut allergy drags him down.

And that's the difference between these two examples, and ALL of the supes in the Boys sans Black Noir; they're all egotistical, self-centered assholes who only see their version of what's right, and they walk into stupid situations because their power, fame, and pride blinds them to the inevitable fall. Yes, even Starlight. Her heart is in the right place, her brain isn't. Waging war against two or three immensely-powerful supes, each with a massive advantage of their own, at the same time, isn't just ill-advised; it's suicide, given her low power level when compared to Homelander, Victoria, or Soldier Boy. Someone smarter like Stan Edgar would've manipulated one or two sides from the sidelines, but Starlight obviously isn't smart.

 

[Power Glove]

Nice to see that even the writers are bored of frenchie and kimiko what with them only being in the episode for 5 minutes, completely disconnected from anything vaguely important to the plot.

As it should be. Then again, if those 5 minutes are gonna be a musical piece of her imagination, I can do without those.

 

[DDBCAE CBAADCBE]

She's also just kind of a retard. She seems to have forgotten that conversation she and Homelander had where he told her flat out that if she ruins his reputation, he will destroy the entire United States. Because her going on the air and saying 'Homelander actually evil, and did this' is dangerously close to pulling the rug out from under him.

It's also very strange that she's so unsympathetic to Hughie feeling helpless. Hughies entire history when dealing with supes has been tragedy born of powerlessness. His girlfriend was murdered right in front of him, and he couldn't do anything. His father turned on him because of how scared he was of supes, Translucent nearly casually killed him and he barely got through that. He has been hunted by the government, and by literal super humans for months on end. He found out that his best efforts to do good, were co-opted by a woman that blatantly murdered dozens of members of government. His new girlfriend has been repeatedly threatened with death by Homelander and he can't help her, she's being forced into a - fake - relationship with Homelander and he can't help her. Hughie feels entirely useless, and helpless in a world with walking demi-gods. Starlight isn't a moron, she knows this, and when he tells her that he just wants to save her, to help. She insults him, and implies he's a piece of shit for trying. It's especially weird when her main problem is 'HeS a MuRDerer!' because he killed Crimson Countess, and accidentally iced some people. Starlight has killed people, A-Train, Hughie, MM, Butcher, Kimiko, fucking everyone at this point has unlawfully killed people. But the one guy that can maybe killed Homelander is where she draws a line? Fuck off,.

I know it's not what they're going for, but Starlight is - like Homelander - the epitome of why superhumans are a problem. She cannot fathom how her operating on a level blatantly above Hughie makes him feel. He's not emasculated, he's terrified. Her world isn't the same as his, and by dint of loving her, he has to operate in it. He's so extremely vulnerable that someone like A-Train could jog past him and the force that generates would turn his bones to jelly. He can't be of any use as a normal human, because normal humans are worthless compared to superhumans. When he tried, a superhuman made it all pointless. She's failing at something as basic as relationship empathy. When my girlfriend is upset, or scared, or angry; I try and figure out why, and how I'd feel in the same situation. I don't roll my eyes and go 'wow, just wow. This is all you huh?'. Starlight is a terrible person. She's not strong, or brave, or particularly 'stunning'. She's a cunt, that's gotten so used to being powerful that she can't empathise with people that are powerless.

Also: They're really ditching all of the Deeps possible character development huh. Wild. A-train fag dragging Blue Hawk was funny. Sex stuff was boring, and the shock value was pretty low.

Soldier Boy seems an interesting character, but I get the feeling they're going to fuck it up and make him generic and one note by the end of it all. I did really like how confused he was that the US was in Afghanistan, where he seemed genuinely angry about people that he fought with and for are now the enemies of the US. The fact that it was mixed with a Cosby rape joke makes me think it was meant as more of a 'Lol, he's ignorant' thing than it was supposed to be a sad part of his character. The persona he has now really doesn't fit with the story of him murdering people that we're being told. It's actually pretty jarring.

Wouldn’t it be funny if it turned out MM is just a lying nigger.

 

[Liucage67]

One thing is that I like in the show is home lander monologues with himself bit that was taken from the comics.

You see in the tv show, homelander wants to be loved.

While in the comics, he wants all the the fame.

That’s the reason why he feels guilty and gets physically sick everytime he remembers all the atrocities he commit because he knows there won’t be any fame.

 

[LORD IMPERATOR]

One thing is that I like in the show is home lander monologues with himself bit that was taken from the comics.

You see in the tv show, homelander wants to be loved.

While in the comics, he wants all the the fame.

That’s the reason why he feels guilty and gets physically sick everytime he remembers all the atrocities he commit because he knows there won’t be any fame.

And then he gets totally fucking destroyed inside when he realizes that he became a monster by mistake:

Meaning that Homelander would have just been a decent man soaking in fame as a celebrity had he not been gaslit by his clone into being a monster so that the clone can get the all-clear to snap the original's neck.

It's actually kinda funny how this disproves the book's own philosophy about the supers being evil bastards; Homelander was just an OK guy before his clone gaslit him into becoming a murderer.

Obviously, the show decided to skip that and explain his evil nature by being raised in a lab instead, which is a better story.

 

[Decoy St. Chum]

>be raised in a lab
>be abused by scientists before getting out into the wider world
>become a deeply insecure child
>use your powers unethically to acquire approval and love from parental figures
>Be Anya Forger, pic unrelated

 

[Absurdity]

It might be cool if they have SB kill off Noir only for Vought to replace him with a clone of Homelander as a callback to the comics.

 

[DankSmoker]

I love that a-train fucking died and no one gives a fuck lol

It will be fun to see Ashley spin him into a George Floyd like icon.

 

[DeadwastePrime]

It might be cool if they have SB kill off Noir only for Vought to replace him with a clone of Homelander as a callback to the comics.

i could see that happening tbh

 

[Internet War Criminal]

If anything I think they will lionize the guy that A-Train killed and say that A-Train was a psycho or something.

 

[Kickster]

Homelander was just an OK guy before his clone gaslit him into becoming a murderer.

He really wasn't

 

[God of Nothing]

I love that a-train fucking died and no one gives a fuck lol

His apology to Huey was akin to a man apologizing for accidentally breaking another person's arm, not murdering their girlfriend while on drugs. The nigger victim shit is so annoying after the summer of love. I'm just glad he finally fucking died so we can focus on things that actually matter.

 

[X-Shaped Weeaboo]

That’s the reason why he feels guilty and gets physically sick everytime he remembers all the atrocities he commit because he knows there won’t be any fame.

Actually, it's because he doesn't remember committing these atrocities. Homerlander spends much of the comic grappling with the idea that he's already an evil douchebag so he might as well do the things he has proof of doing...except his memory doesn't recall any of those things. He never remembers doing any of the things we learn Black Noir framed him for, and that's the real reason why he gets sick and cries when along.

Homelander isn't actually as evil as he's trying to be and thus can't understand why he's unable to bring himself back to that unflinchingly evil without tremendous mental effort. He's a bad guy, but it's telling that he has to gaslight himself to do the straight vindictive murder he turns to later in the series. Even the plane fiasco, it's clear the whole thing wasn't malice but embarrassment and incompetence.

 

[LORD IMPERATOR]

>be raised in a lab
>be abused by scientists before getting out into the wider world
>become a deeply insecure child
>use your powers unethically to acquire approval and love from parental figures
>Be Anya Forger, pic unrelated
View attachment 3428058

Anya Forger and Homelander........now that would be a scary combo.

Actually, it's because he doesn't remember committing these atrocities. Homerlander spends much of the comic grappling with the idea that he's already an evil douchebag so he might as well do the things he has proof of doing...except his memory doesn't recall any of those things. He never remembers doing any of the things we learn Black Noir framed him for, and that's the real reason why he gets sick and cries when along.

Homelander isn't actually as evil as he's trying to be and thus can't understand why he's unable to bring himself back to that unflinchingly evil without tremendous mental effort. He's a bad guy, but it's telling that he has to gaslight himself to do the straight vindictive murder he turns to later in the series. Even the plane fiasco, it's clear the whole thing wasn't malice but embarrassment and incompetence.

My point exactly. When the truth came out by the end, Homelander was utterly flabbergasted, saying that he would have never done more evil if he wasn't already evil to begin with. He then blames Black Noir for ruining his life, which to be fair, Black Noir DID.

 

[Liucage67]

Actually, it's because he doesn't remember committing these atrocities. Homerlander spends much of the comic grappling with the idea that he's already an evil douchebag so he might as well do the things he has proof of doing...except his memory doesn't recall any of those things. He never remembers doing any of the things we learn Black Noir framed him for, and that's the real reason why he gets sick and cries when along.

Homelander isn't actually as evil as he's trying to be and thus can't understand why he's unable to bring himself back to that unflinchingly evil without tremendous mental effort. He's a bad guy, but it's telling that he has to gaslight himself to do the straight vindictive murder he turns to later in the series. Even the plane fiasco, it's clear the whole thing wasn't malice but embarrassment and incompetence.

I was referring when he killed those people in believe event and when he shot down the airplane.

Garth Ennis also stated that the homelander keep his worst impulses in check due to fame and to his lack of Intelligence.

Contrary to popular belief, homelander was always a bad guy even black noir gaslit him.

He threatened to kill queen Maeve and physically abused queen Maeve in their relationship.

He called the deep racial slurs


He also during the 9/11 was dick to the people there as well.

I just think comics homelander is very interesting character

 

[Gede labah]

As soon has Homelander spoke about cutting out his humanity like a cancer, I thought of Superman Vs The Elite where Superman does keyhole surgery through Manchester Black's eye. So now I want to see Homelander give himself a lobotomy through the mirror.

 

[LORD IMPERATOR]

As soon has Homelander spoke about cutting out his humanity like a cancer, I thought of Superman Vs The Elite where Superman does keyhole surgery through Manchester Black's eye. So now I want to see Homelander give himself a lobotomy through the mirror.

That'd be funny, but if the previews for the following episodes are to be trusted, they're more likely to have Homelander embrace his human supporters as a shield against Soldier Boy and Starlight.

 

[MG-34]

So can adults not take compund V (the not 24 hour version) and gain superpowers?