Many people have been dazzled by the edgy and unexpected way “The Boys” handles the superhero theme.
Even though Amazon Prime Video’s series are very popular, many fans want to know where the material comes from: Darick Robertson and Garth Ennis created an original comic. Comics take the story of Billy Butcher and The Boys a step further, adding more extremity and definitively completing the tale. Buckle your seat belts, because the ending is a rollercoaster.
1. The World Portrayed in “The Boys” Comics A Bleaker Landscape
At the very beginning, it’s best to realize that the comics are much darker and more violent than the TV show. The TV show is violent, but the comics go even further, looking at the negative sides of wealth or power with little restraint.
The core premise remains: What if, instead of just being imperfect, superheroes had horrible sides too? In the world of the comics, Vought-American is much more malicious and all-encompassing regarding the creation of Supes.
Similarly, the members of The Boys have become tougher, often going to extremes. Disliking Superman has more to do with more than just giving people justice.
Billy Butcher sees the line between work and obsession blurred in his search for revenge. This understanding helps readers see what the comic series is working towards in the end.
2. How Both the Homelander and Black Noir Hide Their Real Personalities
Homelander and Black Noir’s story is one of the most surprising and important themes in the comics. On the show, Homelander acts as a pure psychopath.
Still, as the plot in the comics goes on, it turns out that he is just a part of something much bigger and far worse.
The Comic Book Homelander
Growing Derangement: In the comics, Homelander starts to unravel, just as he does in The Boys TV series. He will have times of unconsciousness and see frightening pictures of crimes he has no memory of committing, making him doubt his sanity.
The White House Coup: Homelander is determined by his psychotic thoughts and wish for power, so he leads a group of Supes to assault the White House and kill the President.
At this point, everything is in chaos and devastation, revealing just how much power the Nefarious has.
The Revelation: While Butcher confronts Homelander, it becomes clear that Homelander did not sexually assault Becca, as he had forgotten the events.
The Black Noir Twist
In a stunning moment, we learn that Black Noir is actually a clone of Homelander. We’re not picking you off the shelf here; Vought made him to be an even scarier and crazier version of Homelander, using him as a backup plan. His only mission is to take down Homelander should he start acting in a dangerous way.
However, Noir grew impatient. Disguised as Homelander, he carried out those terrible actions and sent him pictures, leaving clues and evidence so that Homelander would become even more unstable and do what Noir wanted him to do: kill him.
As a result, Black Noir is now the key villain, with Vought clearly showing that stability is so important to them that they chose to sacrifice their top asset for it.
Homelander fights Black Noir, but Noir is eventually able to split Homelander open. Butcher kills Black Noir by breaking his skull with a crowbar, despite his heavy wounds.
3. The ultimate fate of The Seven and other Supes
The defeat of Homelander and Black Noir changes the series dramatically. Most members of The Seven are either gone or have gone into hiding.
Homelander: He was killed by his clone, Black Noir, as part of a pre-planned public spectacle by Vought.
Black Noir: After killing Homelander, Butcher then killed Black Noir. It was revealed that Black Noir was actually a rogue clone of Homelander.
Queen Maeve: In earlier novels, she was tragically defeated and killed by Homelander.
A-Train: Hughie Campbell was responsible for A-Train’s death.
Hughie Campbell: He went on an intense rampage, culminating in him nearly kicking off A-Train’s head while Butcher held A-Train down.
The Deep: He went into hiding. He was one of the few main characters to survive, but he wasn’t influential by the story’s end.
Starlight (Annie January): She survived and married Hughie Campbell, finding some peace amidst significant hardship.
A large number of Supes who followed Homelander are killed by the US military, as they have designed weapons just to destroy Supes. It means a huge change in power, as the military takes over again.
4. Billy Butcher’s Turn to Being Completely Evil
Since Homelander has disappeared and Vought seems to be out of the picture, many would expect Billy Butcher to return a hero. And that’s where the story takes a terrifying change from the superhero norm. Supes isn’t the enemy just because of his feelings towards Becca. It’s an all-consuming ideology.
The “Supe Genocide” Plan: However, Butcher’s determination to wipe out all Supes drives him to hatch an appalling plan.
He finds a highly contagious variant of Compound V that can kill people with any amount of the drug in their system, whether they have superpowers or have just eaten or drunk something with Compound V. As a result, vast numbers of innocent people might be killed.
Betrayal of The Boys: Later, the villains discover from the captured heroes that Butcher plans to commit genocide, and they make an effort to stop him.
To avoid anyone stopping him, Butcher ruthlessly destroys everyone who tries to stop him. At this point, Butcher steps from being an antihero to a murderous villain.
Mother’s Milk: Butcher throws a grenade in M.M.’s face and follows it with suffocation.
Frenchie and Kimiko: They plant explosives in the hideout, and both are killed as a result.
5. Hughie Campbell: The Last Boy Standing
As the main moral force in The Boys, Hughie Campbell is forced to face a now-corrupted Stanley. This is the most painful discovery and shock for Hughie, because Butcher had always seemed like a role model to him.
The Final Showdown: Hughie challenges Butcher while standing high at the top of the Empire State Building. Butcher, even after he lost a hand, is still a tough opponent.
Hughie’s Difficult Choice: Hughie takes on Butcher to interrupt his cruel plan. After that, Butcher tells Hughie to kill him, explaining that he will spend the rest of his life in prison if he doesn’t carry out his plans.
After hesitating for a short time, Hughie performs Butcher’s request and stabs him in the chest, killing him and putting an end to his violent behavior.
6. The Aftermath: A Sprinkle of Happiness in the Midst of Sadness
The ending of the comics is weary, suggesting that things do not end as luckily as some may want.
A World Without Supes (Mostly): Butcher couldn’t finish his goal, but everything on Earth forever changed as a result.
With Superman’s death, most people lose trust in superheroes, and the survivors now spend much of their lives out of the limelight or without their powers.
Hughie and Starlight: With the passing years, Hughie (Starlight) and Annie once again build their friendship. After getting married, they go to Scotland, where Hughie grew up, to enjoy a peaceful life away from the superhero world.
In the end, there is a sense that in this universe, it is still possible to have some normality and love.
The Legacy: As a result of this narrative, it’s easy to see how power unchecked can be terrible and how jealousy and hate are also not far behind.
Conclusion: A Different Beast Entirely
The final act of the comic series leaves a strong, unswerving, and look-at-the-sky feeling. It stresses that if you are fighting monstrous Supes, you might end up doing monstrous things yourself.
In its own way, the show added Ryan, Butcher’s son, and replaced the Black Noir plot with a new one, hinting that the future may not be as cynical for its characters, though it will continue to be hard.
Those dedicated to the realism of Garth Ennis’ writing and Darick Robertson’s art will find the story ends on a stark and unforgettable message about the way both power and vengeance can destroy a person.
It is a story that invites readers to consider the consequences of acting in a similar way to those who hurt them.