When it comes to television, The Boys is a whole other caliber of superhero show. A satirical sting that knocks on the world’s obsession with superheroes, the Amazon Prime series is a benchmark in a genre that has become increasingly crowded. Part of that reason is due to Homelander, who is masterfully played by Anthony Starr. The leader of The Seven is the perfect example of what would happen if Clark Kent wasn’t the mild, mannered nice guy portrayed in the comics.
Up until episode four, it’s clear that Homelander isn’t the kind of superhero the public feels he is. His failed relationship with Queen Maeve hinted that there were a few screws loose with The Seven leader. The fact that his origin story centers around him chained in a laboratory explains why he hardly cares for humanity. That came to a halt in Season 1, Episode 4, when he thwarts a terrorist attack on an airplane alongside Queen Maeve. While they were successful, the events that followed are crucial and greatly impact The Boys going further.
It Showcased Why Superheroes Are More Dangerous Than Ordinary Criminals
In the first couple of episodes, The Boys highlights just how dangerous superheroes can be. A train accidentally kills Robin while he was high on drugs. The Deep sexually assaults women. Translucent is a pervert. Bottom line, there’s no sense of morality in these heroes because their bad deeds are covered up by Vought International. This is especially true for Homelander — a man experimented on against his will.
His true morals come into play during one iconic scene. Homelander was raised without love or true guidance. That’s why he could care less about saving anyone from that plane. Needless to say, he has no compassion for human life and emphasized that superheroes aren’t the ultimate safety net.
The Scene Reveals How Public Perception Is More Important Than Innocent Lives
The Boys is a sharp commentary on the chaos our world be in if these supernatural beings were loose in modern society. Any sense of a moral compass doesn’t exist in most of The Seven It’s mostly because they know there are no consequences to their actions. Even Queen Maeve is just as much a criminal as Homelander.
Superheroes are usually portrayed as courageous beings who are willing to sacrifice their lives for innocent bystanders. Logically, there was no way she was going to beat Homelander. But the act of letting him dictate the situation showed where her morals stood.
Sure, she shows empathy over the death of the citizens on the airplane. But public perception and their general image were far more important. How can these upstanding citizens be role models when they don’t follow the rules themselves? They can’t, and Homelander and Queen Maeve allowing the death of 140 passengers shows just how cynical these perfect heroes can be.
There’s A Reason Why Homelander Is Such A Despicable Human Being
Homelander isn’t a villain just because he’s bad. He’s layered, and that has influenced his overall actions. The anti-hero was tortured and imprisoned as a child. So he never had the chance to understand what it was like to be normal. Basically, he kills bad guys because violence is all he knows.
He’s fine with everyone on the plane dying because he doesn’t understand the ramification of their deaths. Homelander is the most fascinating character in the superhero genre because he’s treated as a human being. This scene officially solidified him as the anti-hero of The Boys and brought the themes of the series to a full circle.
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