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The Boys (2019-; Eric Kripke) is not a normal superhero show. Any expectations held by fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the DC Extended Universe are thoroughly dashed and subverted. The show, at times, feels as if it is a rebuttal to the popularity of superhero media with no punches pulled within the writing. The basic premise of the show centers around the titular group and their mission to take down The Seven (a group of super ‘heroes’) and Vought (the company that produces them). Homelander (Antony Starr) plays the role of lead antagonist for the show’s first two seasons. He’s star-spangled, caped, and handsome- a quintessential Superman clone. Except he holds dark desires and a whopping dose of narcissism. This tweak to the classic boy scout character that is a beloved cultural icon makes Homelander a terrifying villain and one of the show’s most compelling characters.
Power And Fear In The Boys (2019-)
Superhumans have always been a complicated concept. The idea that there are beings so extraordinary that they can level an entire skyscraper with a punch is terrifying, yet they are edified in media, placed on fictional pedestals. Pursuing a level beyond what humans are already capable of is a bone-chilling thought; with great power comes great fear. Moreover, while superhumans have the ability to save us, they also have the distinct ability to destroy us.
The Boys. 2019-Present. Amazon Prime Video.
These abilities can inspire fear in the public. A good example of this could be Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021; Malcolm Spellman). Baron Helmut Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) has a staunch anti-superhuman mindset. In the episode “The Whole World is Watching,” he delivers a poignant line, stating that “the desire to become superhuman cannot be separated from supremacist ideas” (( “The Whole World is Watching.” The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, season 1, episode 4, Marvel, 9 Apr. 2021, Disney+ )). Supremacist ideas intertwined with public fear can reinforce the belief that bad supermen are destined to be created. So what makes a character like Superman likable? The answer might be two-fold. One- he’s on ‘our’ side. Superman will protect the lives and values of those he has allied himself with. Answer two- he is a vessel for the audience’s own power trip. The audience craves that same sense of supremacy, that same edge over everyone else.
These same cravings are the driving factor behind Homelander’s actions. His desire to be above everyone else stems from his god complex. He sees himself as a class above all other humans. While Superman protects the lives of his allies, Homelander only serves himself. His actions are focused on improving his social image, making sure that the world approves of him. Homelander feeds both off of his own self-gratification and the public’s perception. As time goes on throughout The Boys, his actions to maintain his public perception grows more and more heinous. He fearmongers the public into xenophobia, which in turn causes them to celebrate him more deeply. This bastardized concept of heroism riffs off of the patriotism Americans in the real world associate with characters like Superman. Often superhero media creates an ‘us vs. them’ dichotomy. The Boys takes that trope and runs with it, criticizing and parodying the divisive nature of superhumans.
Aside from the philosophical issues with superhumans, there is the question of consequence as well. Take Man of Steel (2013; Zack Snyder), for example. During Superman’s (Henry Cavill) fight with General Zod (Michael Shannon), Metropolis is nearly destroyed. Despite the massive loss of life, Superman is still seen by many as a hero. While his actions are put under scrutiny, he is still one of the good guys. The Boys takes a different approach. Members of The Seven, such as Homelander, have their actions constantly put under the microscope, both by the US government and the show’s protagonists. Like Superman, they are rarely vilified by the larger public, but instead of being saved by their strong justified values, their misdoings are covered up by bureaucratic red tape. This is yet another example of how The Boys takes a concept from mainstream comic book media and flips it on its head. The immense power the superhumans of the series hold isn’t just in their physical strength but also in their political power. In both a literal and metaphorical way, the superhumans are untouchable.
The Intrigue Of Bad Supermen
The Boys is not the first series to tackle the question ‘what if Superman was evil?’ Many other comics, movies, and television shows have explored the possibility of an evil hero. Perhaps the most intriguing is DC and NetherRealm Studios multimedia Injustice: Gods Among Us series, which spans both comic books and video games. The series imagines a broken Superman who tragically loses Lois Lane and his child to a freak manipulation by the Joker. After this, he creates a fascist regime, dominating Earth and crowning himself High Councilor. He rules with a brutal iron fist, stopping at nothing to quash Batman’s rising rebellion. The brutality of Superman’s sheer power, when unbarred by morality, is jarring.
The recurrence of this concept is interesting. While a series like Injustice is an attempt to spice up the commonality of DC’s usual storylines, The Boys feels like a commentary on questioning popularity and authority. Both spins make the concept intriguing enough to hold the corner in comic book media. For decades we have seen the same story played out, over and over again. Superman, the boy scout from Kansas (Krypton too), holds to his morals and saves the day — all the while keeping an everyman attitude that everyone can root for. The story feels rudimentary. It is basic, repetitive, and dry. The repetition of a morally upright superhero creates a routine drag of storytelling. When inspected further, it is perhaps even unrealistic. Now, sure, comics are all unrealistic, but the amount of suspension of disbelief needed to believe that Superman would be an all-time goody-two-shoes feels tiring in its own right.
To subvert the banality of comic storylines, both onscreen and in print, creators have set their sight on creating ‘bad supermen.’ With iterations of the trope like Homelander and Injustice Superman being met with critical acclaim, it is safe to say that fans enjoy their expectations being flipped. While not necessarily dominating the comic zeitgeist, it has still enjoyed a decent amount of success. The intrigue lies in the breaking of tradition.
Authority, Bad Supermen, And The Boys
In the case of The Boys, questioning that image of a perfect superhuman is front and center. In the real world, society is facing a high point in the public’s questioning of authority. Politicians, police, and the military have all been under fevered scrutiny as information on atrocities has come into the spotlight. At the same time, comic-inspired media dominates the box office and streaming numbers reaching a peak of interest within the public eye.
The Boys seeks to take advantage of both of those elements. Crafting a character like Homelander parodies the worshipping of superheroes but also questions ‘what happens below the surface level?’ Questioning authority is one of the core tenants of the series’ storytelling, and a lot of that centers around Homelander’s slow degradation as it is revealed to the audience. The Boys laser focuses on dissecting the ‘us vs. them’ dichotomy, wherein instead of some foreign superpower being the villain, it is the supermen we look up to.