Excited for "Gen V," but need a refresher on all
things supe? Pause your conversations with the mirror, slip on the tightest costume you can find,
and get ready for the only "Boys" recap you need. The superpowered world of "The Boys" has a few
key differences from the Marvel and DC universes. Instead of virtuous protectors of humanity who
save people because it's the right thing to do, superheroes here — or "supes" — are on the
payroll of the multi-billion dollar company Vought International. They take brand
deals, star in movies about themselves, and deal with the constant trappings of fame
by indulging in extremely unsavory vices. "If you knew half the s— they
get up to… f—ing diabolical." There's no superhero team more popular — and
more powerful — than "The Seven." With members such as the speedster A-Train, the silent but
deadly Black Noir, the sexually deviant Deep, and the psychopathic Homelander, this group is
as beloved by the public as they are menaces to society. Despite mimicking the likes of
Superman, Aquaman, The Flash, and Wonder Woman, The Seven are tarnished figures driven
by personal gain and nothing more. The biggest threat to the reign of The Seven
is the team referred to as "The Boys." Led by the foul-mouthed and hard-headed Billy
Butcher, these anti-heroes aren't afraid to get dirty to accomplish their goals. Hughie,
Mother's Milk, Frenchy, and Kimiko all have a history with Vought — and as their mission
progresses, they grapple with the ethical impacts of their actions and constantly
toe the line between justice and revenge. Whenever The Boys encounter
The Seven, blood is shed, lives are lost, and s— is
guaranteed to hit the fan. Homelander is the undisputed leader of The Seven,
and he'll make sure you know it. Draped in red, white, and blue and adorned with stars
and stripes, this sinister incarnation of Superman possesses superhuman strength,
invulnerability, flight, and heat vision. However, beneath the façade of an all-American hero
lies a deeply disturbed and manipulative individual with no moral compass. In one infamous
moment, victims of a botched airplane hijacking witness Homelander's cruel nature firsthand
before plummeting to their tragic deaths. "You stay back! All of you, stay back!
You stay the f— back or I'll laser you, god damn it! I'll laser every f—ing one of you!" Plagued by a god complex and a fragile ego,
Homelander's actions often derive from a lust for power, control, and acclaim rather
than a genuine commitment to humanity. He's a captivating antagonist with an evil charisma,
portrayed incredibly by actor Antony Starr. By the end of Season 3, Homelander has learned
that there's seemingly no line he cannot cross, setting him up to fly further
off the rails than ever before. One of Homelander's many victims
is a woman named Becca Butcher, who is sexually assaulted by the superhuman
and disappears not long after. Her husband, Billy Butcher, swears revenge
on Homelander and his allies, vowing to do whatever must be done to
settle the score. As the leader of The Boys, he hopes to take down Vought's super-powered
empire and put Homelander in the ground. However, Butcher is more similar to
Homelander than he'd like to admit: they both came from difficult childhoods,
and they share their cruel charisma and penchant for violence. That's why it's such
a shock for Butcher to learn that not only is his wife still alive, but that she gave
birth to Homelander's superpowered son. Billy possesses shrewd intelligence and impressive
resourcefulness, yet he frequently walks the fine line between good and evil to get things
done. Despite his somewhat ruthless demeanor, he also has an emotional side, especially
when it comes to his family — and that comes to include his teammates. Despite not being
a supe, Butcher has a power that Homelander never will: the ability to grow and mature,
becoming a better person in the process. If a war between corporate superhumans and
violent rebels isn't enough, "The Boys" gives the two sides their own "Romeo and Juliet" story.
Even though he's one of The Boys and she's in The Seven, the romance between Hughie Campbell
and Annie January never stops burning bright. Hughie is an ordinary guy with a mundane job, but everything changes when his girlfriend Robin
is vaporized by The Seven's resident speedster, A-Train. With some help from Billy Butcher, he
starts taking action — and when the two work together to take down The Seven member
Translucent, they find that they make a decent team. Despite his thirst for revenge,
Hughie serves as the series' moral compass, often grappling with the ethical
dilemmas posed by The Boys' actions. "We save everyone, even if they don't deserve
it. Especially if they don't deserve it." After the retirement of the pyrokinetic
Lamplighter, Annie is chosen to be the newest member of The Seven under the
superhero name Starlight. Naturally, she possesses the power to manipulate light.
At first, she's idealistic and optimistic, ready to become a true hero — but that all comes
crumbling down when The Deep exposes himself in front of her. It's only a matter of time before
she becomes fed up with Vought's corruption and exploitation — and a chance encounter with Hughie
leads her to start taking action from the inside. Together, Hughie and Annie play
a pivotal role in "The Boys," and their relationship makes for plenty
of exciting and dramatic moments. If you're a superhero in the world of "The Boys,"
you're under contract with Vought International. Vought is in the business of turning superpowers
into commodities: they exploit heroes for profit, molding their appearances, merchandise, and
actions to maximize financial and political gain. Vought's corruption extends into politics
and the military, where they deploy supes as weapons of mass destruction. Vought's
grip on the superhero market leads to a slew of sinister actions and cover-ups that The
Boys are determined to bring to the surface. Naturally, such a diabolical
company must have an unsavory origin. Vought International was originally
established by Nazi doctor Frederick Vought, who developed the super serum known as Compound
V and tested it on victims in a concentration camp during World War II. Of course, the public
believes that Supes are born, not created — so the release of this information would destroy
the very foundation of the superhero industry. Stan Edgar occupied the company's helm
as CEO until he was ousted by Homelander. Ashley Barrett is technically the one in
charge following the events of Season 3, but she's mostly just a puppet meant
to carry out Homelander's wishes. "The Boys: Season 1" follows Hughie after his
terrible encounter with A-Train. Devastated and seeking justice after Robin's death, he crosses
paths with Billy and joins in his mission to expose the corrupt and dangerous actions of
superheroes. The deeper Hughie and Billy dig, the more nefarious activities they uncover. From
reckless behavior causing civilian casualties to secret drug use and unethical experiments,
the Supes have a track record of unruly, even lethal, behavior. The Boys also uncover
Vought's control over media narratives, and their manipulation of supes' public images. Starlight, a genuinely good-hearted
supe, becomes disillusioned by the corporate exploitation and sexual
harassment she faces within The Seven. She begins a romantic relationship
with Hughie and saves him from A-Train, inadvertently kickstarting her own personal
quest to bring down the corrupt establishment. Standout moments include Billy using a
super-powered baby's laser eyes as a weapon, The Deep's bizarre relationship with a dolphin, and The Boys engaging in a brutal confrontation
with Translucent. The season concludes with the shocking revelation that Becca Butcher is
alive and has a son, along with the brutal murder of Vought's Senior Vice President
of Hero Management, Madelyn Stillwell. Like all good follow-ups, "The Boys:
Season 2" leans on the elements that made the first season a breakout
hit while also upping the ante. The central conflict revolves around Ryan,
Becca's son who was born after her assault by Homelander. Our heroes must fight to clear
their names while also battling Stormfront, a powerful new supe with a massive
fanbase and a hidden agenda. "People love what I have to say! They believe
in it! They just don't like the word 'Nazi.'" As the truth about Vought International's
actions becomes leaked to the press, tensions within The Seven escalate.
Homelander's unstable behavior grows increasingly dangerous as The Seven's Queen
Maeve is torn between her loyalty to Vought and her desire to do the right thing. Billy
and Hughie also grapple with their ideologies. The final episode of the season, "What I Know,"
sees Stormfront incapacitated after the Boys learn about her Nazi past. Billy attempts
to save Ryan and his wife from Homelander, but their showdown ends with her accidental
death at the hands of her son. Ryan ultimately chooses to go with Billy, and Maeve uses
recorded footage of Homelander threatening the passengers of the hijacked plane to keep
him in check for the time being. Another subplot sees Congresswoman Victoria Neuman
using hidden powers to assassinate prominent leaders by blowing up their heads.
Oh, and she's also Hughie's new boss. The third season of "The Boys" shakes things
up by introducing Soldier Boy, Vought's very first supe. A dark reflection of Captain America,
Soldier Boy was kidnapped by Russians and frozen, eventually being thawed out by The Boys to
combat Homelander. However, his time being experimented on has changed him — and he has a
bit of trouble adapting to the America of today. "Do you know what a GPS is? Or
Bluetooth, or, I mean, The Internet?" "You made those words up." Soldier Boy agrees to help The Boys, provided they help him get revenge on
his former teammates for selling him out. Meanwhile, Hughie and Billy get their
hands on some Temp V, which gives them superpowers for a short period each
time they use it — with unfortunate side effects. Hughie gains accelerated
healing and the ability to teleport, while Billy gains laser eyes and super strength.
Things come to a head at the Herogasm event, when The Boys crash a superhero sex party in
their attempt to help Soldier Boy with payback. Soldier Boy almost neutralizes Homelander,
but the villain escapes at the last second. Hughie's experimentation with Temp V draws the
ire of Starlight, leading to more discontent in their relationship. At the same time,
Homelander's brazen disregard for his public image renders him even more dangerous.
When Soldier Boy ends up out of control, Billy and The Boys have no choice but to
temporarily team up with Homelander to take him down. Following this final assault,
Starlight officially joins The Boys, who now have their sights set on Neuman as
their next target. The season ends on a gruesome cliffhanger as Homelander kills a protester on
national TV — and ends up getting cheers for it. Emboldened by his fans' support, there's
no telling what Homelander will do next. "The Boys" spinoff "Gen V" promises the same
over-the-top shenanigans that fans enjoy from the original show. Judging by the trailers,
the series will feature enough gory mayhem, sexual debauchery, and dark satirical humor
to make viewers' heads explode. "Gen V" will delve further into Vought International
and the impacts of Compound V as a new generation of supes vies for supremacy at the
Godolkin University School of Crimefighting. "Let me assure you that we see something in
you. Something you may not even see yourself, even if you do have x-ray vision." "Gen V" takes place after "The Boys" Season
3 and will likely introduce characters set to appear in "The Boys" Season 4. We've already
gotten a peek at one of the main characters: the blood-bending of Marie Moreau appears
in a database during Hughie and Starlight's mission to the Red River Institute
in Season 3. "Gen V" also features characters from "The Boys," including
A-Train, Ashley Barrett, and Adam Bourke. With such important characters making appearances
in "Gen V," it's guaranteed that the events of the show will have consequences that ripple
into Season 4 of "The Boys." Joining The Seven remains the ultimate goal for every character
in the spinoff series, so it makes sense that they would eventually cross paths with the likes
of Homelander — provided they survive college. At the end of "The Boys: Season 3," only three
supes remain in The Seven: Homelander, The Deep, and A-Train. The others either left or died —
often killed by Homelander. Starlight vacates her post to join Billy's Boys, while a powerless
Queen Maeve goes into hiding after her encounter with Soldier Boy. It'll be interesting to see
how the "Gen V" cast impacts "The Boys" Season 4, especially since Homelander and Billy are
still assembling their respective teams in preparation for their biggest showdown yet.
There are plenty of openings in their ranks; it's just a matter of discovering
the goals of these new supes.
