With a few notable exceptions, superheroes in The Boys are made, not born; a mysterious super-serum called Compound V turns ordinary humans into superpowered individuals. Developed by Frederick Vought, a former Nazi scientist, Compound V transforms Vought International into a global powerhouse, ushering in a new era of corporate megalomania.
It's nigh impossible to predict the outcome of a Compound V experiment, implying the involvement of currently undiscovered genetic factors. People react to the chemical in different ways and develop radically different abilities. Some Supes are ridiculously overpowered, whereas others may not even be able to control their powers.
10 The Deep Uses Aquatic Telepathy To Marshall Whales And Sharks To Fight On His Behalf
The Deep isn't a very complicated character in The Boys. On the contrary, he is practically unable to appreciate emotional nuances or interpret conversational subtext. At the same time, The Deep comprehends the innermost thoughts of every sea animal in existence via a technique called Aquatic Telepathy.
Engaging him in combat around open water is extremely risky, as he can marshall platoons of whales and sharks to fight on his behalf. The problem, however, is that The Deep doesn't know how to utilize his powers properly.
9 Homelander's X-Ray & Telescopic Vision Allow For An Impressive Surveillance Range
Homelander has an array of exotic superpowers such as X-Ray Vision, a Superman classic. His eyesight penetrates nearly every material known to society, including the human anatomy. Unlike Superman, who cannot see through lead, Homelander's X-Ray Vision is blocked by zinc.
The Boys capitalize on this shortcoming by storing Translucent's carcass inside a zinc-lined container. Homelander can also view distant objects by means of his Telescopic Vision, effectively converting his eyes into biological binoculars.
8 Cindy's Telekinesis Is Capable Of Destroying Supe-Proof Doors
Cindy only appears in the TV adaptation of the comic book series, explaining why there's very little information about her. As a patient at Sage Grove, she is presumably one of Vought's experimental subjects.
Cindy's power manifests as telekinesis, and on a surprisingly advanced scale. Not only is she capable of destroying Supe-proof doors, but she can also cause human bodies to implode. Although Stormfront knocks her out, Cindy survives the encounter and promptly vanishes from the story.
7 Starlight's Electrical Energy Can Be Repurposed As Light, Heat, As Well As Concussive Blasts
Starlight explains her ability in simple terms: "Electricity goes in, blast comes out." She charges her powers by absorbing electrical energy from the environment, which she then unleashes as photonic blasts.
In theory, light attacks sound neither potent nor practical, but Starlight can repurpose her energy reservoir into pure heat and concussive force. Starlight's Light Generation technique is more than enough to take down weaker Supes, as well as temporarily overwhelm characters like Stormfront and Black Noir.
6 Stormfront's Plasma Blasts Can Technically Demolish Skyscrapers
Stormfront is arguably the first Supe in Vought history, having received her Compound V injection long before World War II. Despite living for a century, she exhibits zero signs of biological aging and seems to have retained the bulk of her strength and combat prowess.
Stormfront's special ability, known as Plasma Manipulation, allows her to generate spectacular blasts of electrokinetic energy. Her accomplishments prove that she can technically demolish skyscrapers with a single attack. Further, Stormfront uses her powers to levitate and fly around.
5 Translucent's Carbon Skin Makes Him Invulnerable To External Attacks
Translucent mentions that his "skin turns into this carbon metamaterial that bends the light, like an invisibility cloak." However, his modified epidermis simultaneously becomes impenetrable, preventing attacks from affecting him.
Translucent is largely unfazed by chainsaws, car crashes, and even bullets "coated in the same carbon metamaterial as his skin." It's unlikely that he would escape unscathed from Homelander's Laser Eyes, but most Supes wouldn't be able to make a dent in Translucent.
4 Victoria Neuman's Head-Popping Is Presumably Capable Of Killing Starlight
Victoria Neuman is the mysterious head-popper revealed in The Boys' Season 2 finale. Although her end-game remains ambiguous, she is clearly one of the more dangerous Supes in the story. Victoria's ability is a highly specialized and incredibly effective form of telekinesis.
She blasts open people's heads with nothing more than her psychic powers; both her targets and allies are completely clueless about her Supe identity. Victoria goes so far as to threaten Starlight, claiming that the latter would lose if they decided to fight.
3 Ryan Butcher's Laser Eyes Attack Incinerates And Dismembers Stormfront
Several characters in The Boys have demonstrated the Laser Eyes ability — Homelander, Billy Butcher, the iconic Laser Baby, and Ryan Butcher. Based on their fight in "Herogasm," Homelander and Billy are evenly matched; the Laser Baby doesn't count for obvious reasons.
Among all of them, Ryan's version appears to be the strongest, at least when considering the outcome. Despite having limited control over his Heat Vision, Ryan's laser blast manages to incinerate and dismember Stormfront. Unfortunately, the attack accidentally ends up killing his mother, Becca.
2 Homelander's Supersonic Flight Is Far Faster Than A-Train's Peak Speed
A-Train calls himself "the world's fastest man," but his powers have drastically waned over time. During his Golden Age, he was said to achieve velocity up to 1,000 miles per hour, breaking the sound barrier. That said, Homelander can outpace A-Train's peak speed without even trying, albeit only during flight.
Homelander's top velocity is approximately the same as the F-16 Fighting Falcon, which moves at speeds exceeding 1,500 mph. In addition, Frenchie's CCTV network records Homelander's cruising flight speed at around 1,200 mph.
1 Soldier Boy's Radiation Disempowerment Can Eradicate A Supe's Powers
Before his Russian misadventure, Soldier Boy was renowned as the most powerful Supe in the world. He returns to America with vastly enhanced abilities, notably Radiation Generation. Soldier Boy basically becomes an unstable nuclear reactor without an emergency shutdown switch.
His Radiation Blasts are catastrophically destructive, but they're not a fraction as dangerous as Radiation Disempowerment. Supes struck by Soldier Boy's energy attacks essentially lose their powers, which is why the Boys pit him against Homelander.