The Boys’ Irony: While Butcher Hates Supes, Homelander Is Their Real Worst Nightmare

Summary:

• Butcher's hatred for supes is deeply personal due to a tragic event involving Homelander.
• But surprisingly, his nemesis is apparently better at taking out supes.
• Homelander's unchecked ego, need for control, and god complex lead to the deaths of many supes.

The Boys is a series which has given us a whole new perspective on superheroes. Billy Butcher, portrayed by Karl Urban, one of the show’s main characters, isn’t exactly a fan of the supes. Okay, that’s putting it lightly. He loathes them.

While Butcher has reasons to hate supes and motivation to get rid of them for good, the ironic twist is: Homelander, top one most hated supes according to Butcher himself, is actually responsible for taking out more supes than Butcher ever did.

What’s Butcher's Beef with the Supes?

First off, let’s address why Butcher has this burning hatred for the Supes. It’s deeply personal. A supe, — Homelander, specifically, — is responsible for a tragic event in his life. This drives him to lead a vendetta against them, assembling a ragtag team called The Boys to expose and bring down the heroes.

He's got anger, motivation, and a no-nonsense attitude that makes him the perfect anti-hero to root for. Butcher’s approach is often brutal, and he’s not one to shy away from getting his hands dirty. But when it comes to a supe kill count, well, he's not the top scorer.

The Superhero Who Isn't So Heroic

Enter Homelander: the face of the Seven, with his emblematic American flag cape, super strength, flight ability, and those laser eyes. He's the kind of superhero you'd expect to save kittens from trees. Except, he doesn't.

Here’s where the irony seeps in. While Butcher is openly antagonistic towards supes, it's Homelander who, either directly or indirectly, has been responsible for the deaths of many of them.

His unchecked ego, his need for control, and let’s not forget that little issue of his god complex, often result in disaster. And more often than not, other supes find themselves in the crosshairs of his unpredictable behavior.

How Many Supes Did Homelander Kill?

Let’s do a rundown of every supe murdered by Homelander.

1. The Blind Spot

The Blind Spot is a supe with Daredevil- like abilities who was auditioning for the Seven. Homelander, unimpressed by his abilities and wanting to make a point about weaknesses, brutally attacks him, severely injuring the poor guy.

It was never confirmed whether he died, but it is pretty much implied. After what Homelander did to him, he either died or was murdered if survived.

2. Black Noir

Homelander turns on his fellow Seven member, Black Noir, during season 3. Initially, they team up to tackle Soldier Boy, but the alliance shatters when Homelander discovers Soldier Boy is his father. The revelation leads to a gruesome end for Black Noir.

3. Doppelganger

In a bid to comfort Homelander, Doppelganger transformed into Madelyn Stillwell, Homelander's former love interest. But then Doppelganger decided to morph into Homelander himself. It was a bizarre moment, to say the least.

Homelander, apparently feeling disgusted, decided he didn't need another version of himself running around and ended Doppelganger's life.

4. Termite

Termite, a supe with the ability to shrink down to a minuscule size. But being tiny can be a disadvantage. Especially when you're around someone as unpredictable as Homelander. Termite found himself under Homelander's boot at Herogasm.

5. Supersonic

Winning a contest to join the Seven was a dream come true for Supersonic. He was on top of the world, ready to make a difference.

But, Supersonic tried to help Starlight, which put him on Homelander's radar. And as we've seen time and time again, getting on Homelander's bad side is never a good idea.