After four seasons of The Boys, it’s pretty clear that Homelander isn’t going to change his sadistic and psychopathic ways anytime soon. Portrayed as the true American hero, Homelander is very far from typical superheroes such as Superman. He does whatever he wants, and he is not afraid to take lives. Regardless of your opinion about the superhero, Homelander has a unique aura. For the fans, here are 11 things you may have missed about this powerful villain.
1. Homelander Was Made from a Genetic Material of Stormfront
Homelander and the entire group of superheroes were engineered using a genetic template taken from Stormfront, a supe created during the Nazi era. She shared similar superpowers with Homelander, such as flight and superhuman strength.
Vought used Stormfront’s genetic material to make stronger and better superheroes. Cloning was common at Vought because Black Noir was made as Homelander’s clone in the comics. However, this script wasn’t followed in the Amazon Prime Series.
2. Homelander Received the Largest Injections of Compound V
Of all the superheroes made by Vought, Homelander received the largest share of Compound V. The goal was to create a leader for all the supes. To ensure he was strong enough, John, as he was known when he was young, received high doses of Compound V, which is why he is so strong.
In the series, Homelander is the only superhero who can transfer Compound V to his children. This is evident in the birth of Ryan.
3. He is Not Invincible
Anyone who has watched The Boys or read the comics can testify that Homelander isn’t as invincible as is often assumed. As a child, the authorities strapped him to a nuclear warhead to prevent him from escaping. This is one of the things that can hurt him.
In the series, Butcher and the boys recruit Soldier Boy and other superheroes to help kill Homelander. Though unsuccessful, it shows that there is a possibility. Not forgetting the scene where Homelander fails to lift the passenger plane, shows that he isn’t as strong as other supes like Superman, who literally pulled off similar scenes.
4. He Shares a Lot of Powers with Superman
Critics have discussed in depth the many similarities between Homelander and Superman. Both have super strength, can fly, and have superhuman senses. Homelander has X-ray vision that lets him see through walls and objects.
Interestingly, Homelander can’t see through Zinc like Superman can’t see through lead. This is portrayed when the boys send Translucent’s remains in a zinc box. He can also listen to conversations from far distances or when people are mumbling. Just like Superman, Homelander has laser vision. The only difference between these two superheroes is that Homelander is pure evil.
5. He Took Someone’s Life When He Was a Child
Though arrogant in his older life, Homelander was once a sweet young man who craved love and attention. However, when he was younger, he had not mastered his powers, and unfortunately, he took someone’s life. There is a deleted scene in The Boys where Homelander accidentally kills his tutor. In the scene, John grows closer to the tutor, and as he hugs her one day, he snaps her spine.
6. In the Comics, It was Homelander Who Sexually Assaulted Starlight
In the TV series, people detest the Deep from Season 1 when he sexually assaulted Starlight. However, in the comics, it is Homelander who performs this heinous act. He is the one who welcomes Starlight into the seven and provides her with this final test if she wants to become a member of the superhero community. It’s unclear why the showrunners didn’t follow the comic’s script. It isn’t the only thing that has been changed in the show, anyway.
7. In the Comics, Butcher’s Wife was R*ped by Black Noir
Another twist in this TV show is that in the comics, Butcher’s wife was r*ped by Black Noir. The fetus lasered itself out of Butcher’s wife, triggering the disdain between the boys and Homelander. In the comics, Homelander has no idea why Butcher dislikes him so much. However, in the Amazon Prime Series, it was Homelander who raped Butcher’s wife. Surprisingly, she lived with her son off the grid for years before passing away.
8. Homelander and the Seven are a Parody of DC’s Justice League
A closer look at The Seven shows that the two shows are a reenactment of DC’s Justice League. Homelander is the evil version of Superman, while Black Noir is the ninja version of Batman. Queen Maeve is the Wonder Woman version of Justice League, and A-train is an equivalent of the Flash. Finally, the Deep represents Aquaman.
9. Homelander Doesn’t Kill Butcher Because of Ryan
Homelander cares a great deal about his son Ryan. It is the reason he has refrained from killing Butcher in all those four seasons. According to Eric Kripke’s interview with the Lad Bible, Homelander worries about Ryan’s reactions if he kills Butcher. Therefore, he waits for him to die due to natural causes. This question has bothered fans for a while because, most of the time, the boys walk around without any superpowers and seem to survive catastrophic events.
10. Homelander is Obsessed with Baby Milk
From Season 1, it’s clear that Homelander has an obsession with baby milk. That is evident in the relationship he had with Madelyn Stillwell. In season four, Firecracker lactates for Homelander, bringing her closer to the superhero. This obsession with Baby Milk is Homelander’s way of feeling the motherly love he lacked when he was young.
11. Homelander Has Had a Unique Dating History
Throughout the show, Homelander has dated several women. According to him, Queen Maeve was his first and true love, but it wasn’t always reciprocated. Instead, Maeve feared and loathed Homelander. The leader of The Seven also had an affair with Madelyn Stillwell, who was both a “mother” and a romantic partner to Homelander. He also had an affair with the superhero called Doppelganger, who would turn to Madelyn. Others include Stormfront, Starlight and, at some point, Firecracker.