Critical analysis of the superhero genre in comics is nothing new, with the likes of Watchmen famously diving into the genre to see just how things would go horribly wrong if real-world repercussions were applied to comic book logic. While Watchmen took a more serious approach to superhero satire, The Boys takes a far more comedic, though bloody, insight into how people who should be our heroes would act in reality.
Adapted to television in 2019, the series follows the general premise of the comics while taking some liberties with its narrative, though following most of the main story beats and the overall satire and parody of its own genre.
10 Costumes
For the majority of superheroes, their costume serves two purposes: to protect their identity or to amplify their powers. While it might not have been the case when they were designed by the character, these costumes are generally iconic and very easily recognizable by the audience.
The Boys takes this costume recognition and runs with the corporate influence side of the heroes, making them more about selling a brand rather than serving any practical functions, with Starlight receiving a new, much more revealing version of her costume shortly after joining The Seven.
9 Superhero Worship
For many heroes in comics, the general public will praise them at every turn, grateful for the services they provide for their respective cities in spite of vigilantism laws that may mean they are technically criminals. Like with the heroes' costumes, the general public takes this appreciation and puts a marketable spin on it, making each hero something of a fictional character in the eyes of the public and something to purchase rather than someone to look up to.
8 Hero and Villain Power Origins
In the case of many comic heroes, the main superhero and their arch-rival will often have their superpowers come from the same source. Both Zod and Superman draw their power from a combination of the sun and their Kryptonian physiology, Iron Man and Iron Monger both use a type of armored suit, and both the villains and heroes in The Boys draw their power from Compound V.
Towards the end of season one, Compound V even finds its way overseas thanks to the intervention of Homelander, which results in not only more superpowered people, but terrorists with superpowers, forcing the government to allow The Seven to engage in activities that were otherwise outside of their jurisdiction.
7 Stupid Powers
There are plenty of superheroes in comics with powers that should have been somewhat interesting, but just end up being stupid and useless compared to the standards of super strength and telekinesis. The one hero who exemplifies this in The Boys is The Deep, a transparent parody of Aquaman that makes his powers look even more ridiculous.
On the flip side, Translucent's useful though not usually great superpower to turn invisible is given the added bonus of making him incredibly hard to kill, as his skin is virtually impenetrable. Of course, he mostly uses this power to spy on women in the ladies room, but his short time on screen showed just how good the power can be when put in the hands of the right person.
6 Anti-Superhero Groups
Whenever there is a group of heroes who want to save the world, there will inevitably be someone, or a group of people, who will oppose them. This isn't such a farfetched idea, as many countries have laws that prevent people from enacting vigilante justice, though, in comics, these anti-hero groups are normally the villains.
The titular Boys takes this anti-superhero ideal and gives it a realistic spin, knowing full well what some people will do when given even a little bit of power and making sure that someone is there to keep those with power in check.
5 Villainous Corporations
It's almost impossible to have a superhero without a villainous corporation of some kind, as having endless amounts of money and resources at their disposal is the only way some villains are able to match the innate powers of a superhero.
The corporation in The Boys, on the other hand, is villainous not because they are trying to rid the world of heroes, but because of the lengths they will go to in keeping heroes at the forefront of people's minds and in the spotlight long enough to make money from them.
4 The Obsessed Anti-Hero
Anti-heroes are often hard to get behind, as they tend to embody the extreme end of justice in their respective story. The Punisher, while he has done some good in his career, is also highly unstable and violent, making him one of the worst people in the world to fight crime regularly. Billy Butcher takes on a similar role, though there is an argument to say he is even worse than the heroes he fights against.
In the TV series, in particular, he is laser-focused on taking down Vought International for their role in the disappearance of his wife, often ignoring basic human decency if it means he will get even a one-word answer from someone.
3 Murder Of A Loved One
So many superheroes have begun their careers because of the death of a loved one. Spider-Man and Batman's origins famously have them losing either Uncle Ben or both of their parents as a result of violent crime, which sparks something inside them to do good in the world.
The same happens in the pilot episode for Hughie, whose girlfriend is disintegrated in front of him by A-Train and began Hughie's quest for vengeance against the heroes the rest of the world worships.
2 Secret Identities
Although not as common as other superhero tropes, having the heroes and villains be close to one another when not in costume is something that occurs fairly regularly in comics. Spider-Man has done this multiple times, particularly with the Osborns, but The Boys adds a romantic side to the relationship, with Hughie and Starlight being romantically involved for most of their interactions, despite Hughie knowing about her identity as a hero and his role in taking down Vought International.
1 Low Civilian Casualties
Although it has been addressed in more recent years, particularly in the Civil War storylines, the low civilian casualty rates when superheroes engage in city-wide destruction is something that makes absolutely no sense when even a small amount of realism is added to the mix.
This is addressed rather harshly in the first season of The Boys, where Queen Maeve and Homelander try to save a plane from terrorists, though the rescue goes horribly wrong and results in the death of everyone on board the plane.