Amazon Prime’s “The Boys” raised the bar in superhero media. Not only is it the most mature superhero show since Marvel’s “Daredevil,” but it’s the purest deconstruction of superheroes that we’ve seen in a while. Doing so, it presents the most terrifying villain in TV history: Homelander.
In the universe of “The Boys,” superheroes are integral to the economy. The mega corporation Vought International controls them by creating marketing plans, merchandise, and movie franchises, while also manufacturing a superhero drug called “Compound V.” Thus, saving the day is a secondary objective.
The Seven are a septet of Earth’s mightiest heroes. It’s a flipped version of the Justice League where The Flash (A-Train) is a junkie, Wonder Woman (Queen Maeve) is an alcoholic, Aquaman (The Deep) is an insecure pig, Martian Manhunter and Green Lantern (Translucent and Starlight) are expendable, and Batman (Black Noir) takes the role of a guard dog. Therefore, you can predict that Superman is the worst one—that’s where Homelander comes in.
Homelander is the face of Vought and The Seven, being the world’s strongest superhero physically but not mentally. Unlike popular superheroes with a healthy upbringing, Homelander was artificially conceived in a cold laboratory with no parents to raise him. As a cover-up, every story he tells about his life is fabricated to give the public someone to feel safe under.
His powers are similar to Superman’s. He can fly at high speed, making him hard to outrun; his X-ray vision makes him hard to hide from; his super strength turns his punches lethal, killing more than rendering them unconscious; his heat-vision can burn through almost anything and even causes a plane crash; and his heightened senses allow him to hear the quietest of sounds, including fingers dialing “911” on a phone.
His enhanced durability makes these even more dangerous, though. His skin is bulletproof and can take a beating from an average Joe. The only thing that can trump deadly threats is one that you can’t possibly get rid of.
He does have weaknesses, though, but they don’t come in the form of a green rock. Throughout “The Boys,” they subtly reveal themselves, but they don’t guarantee his downfall. His biggest “kryptonite” is his reputation being at stake. For example, Homelander was recorded killing a supe-terrorist with his heat-vision, but the lasers pierced through them and accidentally killed an innocent person. This was considered a war crime, and we can visibly see him struggle to resist killing his protesters.
On the contrary, his physical weaknesses are hard to pin down. Besides his inability to see through zinc and his sensitivity to ear-piercing sounds, the two concrete things we learn are in season three. People with super strength from Compound V can leave bruises and cause nosebleeds. Soldier-Boy is also the only known supe able to instantly kill Homelander, as one of his powers is a high-powered chest beam that fries Compound V in a person’s body, and possibly the body itself. Although, this method of extermination was just made difficult since Soldier-Boy was placed in cryo-stasis at the end of season three.
Homelander’s ego also satirizes celebrities and authorities simultaneously. With his cultural standing and powers, these go hand in hand with symbolizing popular figures that believe they’re above everyone just because they have more followers or a handgun. He constantly views himself and other supes as gods and goddesses, even telling someone, “No God. The only man in the sky is me,” before forcing her to follow through with committing suicide.
As a reminder, Homelander is still human. We get to watch him evolve into a psychopath, but we also glance at his past and his present. In season one, Homelander’s two-faced personality is on full display; season two shows us his vulnerability but also his obligation to raise his son Ryan like a real boy and not a lab rat; and season three exposes his true self, ending with him carelessly slaughtering someone in public for throwing something at his son.
None of these characteristics erase the fact that Antony Starr’s performance as Homelander is worth an Emmy nomination. He is unpredictable as a character—in one scene, he may be smiling for cameras, but in another, he releases explosive anger. There’s a wavering sense of fear that follows Homelander everywhere he goes, and that’s a sign of a successful portrayal.
All of it ends up creating the most memorable and dangerous villain TV has ever been graced with. Homelander may bear a clean, white smile and the American flag for a cape, but the last thing he wants on Earth is peace. He’s violent, monstrous, narcissistic, and can be practically anywhere at any time.