Premiering last year on Amazon Prime, The Boys quickly became a hit among fans of the superhero genre. Based on the comic book of the same name, the series depicts a superhero team run by a corporation. One of the show's breakout characters ended up being The Seven’s leader, Homelander, played by Antony Starr. A parody of Superman and Captain America, he publicly represents America’s values while privately doing what’s best Vought International.
Like most comic book adaptations, The Boys changes some things from its source material. With Homelander such a prominent character, it should be no surprise his character saw some deviations from his comic counterpart.
The main things that stayed consistent about Homelander between mediums were his powers and backstory. Like the source material, he has the abilities of Superman and is a product of Vought’s testing of Compound V in the womb, being raised in a lab to be its ultimate weapon. Vought worked to build his mind into something they can control and will do anything they want with him. He’s loyal to the conglomerate as its the only influence he received growing up -- something that ends when he discovers the trust is broken.
While the show provides a Homelander that’s evil from the start, the comic version tries to be good at times but ends up causing destruction and death. His descent into madness is gradual as Vought ensures he faces no consequences for his actions. This prevents the normal growth and development someone experiences, further separating him from people. He only understands humans on a surface level which is enough to keep up the public image Vought wants from him.
In the comics, Vought always kept safeguards in place in case they needed to control Homelander or take him down, often keeping a nuclear bomb next to him as a child. This kind of activity completely severed his attachment to humanity resulting in him actively killing people for the betterment of supers.
Homelander’s relationship with his own humanity appears to be central to the TV series as well. One major change the show has is making Madelyn Stillwell, Vought’s Senior VP of Hero Management, a woman who has a close, seemingly caring relationship with Homelander. Like the comics, this trust is broken but it's in a very different way. Homelander kills Stillwell when he finds out she hid his own child from him, an act that is sure to leave an impact on his mind.
Homelander’s relationship with his own humanity is an integral part of his character. In the comics, it’s a part of him he tried to maintain and turned against everyone when he couldn’t. The irony for Vought is if they trusted him to stay on their side, he might not have been bent on ruling over everyone. He ultimately abandons humanity because he feels they abandoned him. His powers give a feeling of superiority over non-supers, especially since he knows no one can beat him. This leads to him treating supers as their own superior race similar to how X-Men’s Magneto views his fellow mutants as the next step of evolution.
While the show may lead him further down this path, it’s unclear what their next step is. The Season 2 trailer gives the impression that Homelander may try to raise his newly discovered son. The fulfillment of being a parent may be what keeps him from going completely over the edge. Additionally, Billy Butcher may no longer try to kill him at the revelation his wife is alive. Without that fanning his flames, Homelander may stay level-headed enough to prevent total destruction…for now.
Amazon Prime's The Boys stars Karl Urban as Billy Butcher, Jack Quaid as Hughie, Laz Alonso as Mother's Milk, Tomer Kapon as Frenchie, Karen Fukuhara as the Female, Erin Moriarty as Annie January, Chace Crawford as the Deep, Antony Starr as Homelander and Simon Pegg as Hughie's dad. A Season 2 premiere date has not yet been announced.