Season three of The Boys has ended and boy, what a season it was. One of its most intriguing character developments was the notorious speedster, A-Train. Can’t stop it, you say? Well, it turns out you actually can, albeit temporarily. If you haven’t caught up with season three of The Boys, you might want to click away. As you can expect, things in the latest season got very, very real. A lot happened and the stage is set for another exciting conflict between the relentless vigilantes and the morally corrupt Supes. One of those Supes, however, could be on a different kind of path. Other than Queen Maeve, all the current members of The Seven seem to be irredeemable.
The rouge Starlight has quit the group and is currently working with the Boys to plot their next move. And after the Seven has lost one of their most valuable members, they are at a disadvantage. How many other members of the Seven will meet a bloody end at the hands of the Boys? Who else is still waiting for the Deep to get his long-awaited comeuppance? He’s one of those Supes who is probably past the whole opportunity of redeeming himself. His “wife” has turned against him and he is once again in hot water. No pun intended.
What about Homelander?
And as for Homelander himself, it looks like he has garnered a fiercely loyal group of followers, including his son, Ryan. Now this could get very interesting. With all the original members of the Seven either out of the group or dead, and yes, that is unfortunately Black Noir, that only leaves the reckless and unpredictable A-Train. Let’s not forget, this Supe is arguably who started the conflict that sparked the main story of the series. His careless act of accidentally running through Hughie’s former girlfriend Robin is how Billy Butcher found him. Poor Hughie has yet to have enacted his revenge against the cocky speedster. Although he has opted to save his life above letting him die, Hughie still holds a grudge.
There was an interesting moment between during the Herogasm episode, however. In a very unexpected moment of truce, Hughie once again confronted the speedster and demanded an apology once again. Unlike the first time, A-Train apologized in a manner that seemed genuinely remorseful. This caught us off guard and caught Hughie off guard even more. And we all remember what came afterwards. A-Train was attending the Herogasm event for the purpose of seeking vengeance against Blue Hawk, the brutal cop Supe who crippled his brother.
A-Train Gets his Revenge
In a somewhat justified fashion, A-Train did get his revenge by using the last of his speed to drag Blue Hawk’s face across concrete. The speedster almost died from this, but in a miraculous rescue attempt, Vought managed to recover his body and perform a heart transplant. He now has Blue Hawk’s heart in his body and he able to run like he used to. But unfortunately for him, his brother is aware of his murder of Blue Hawk and in disgust, turned his back on him.
This is a rather tragic end for A-Train’s arc in season three. He spent the last two seasons trying to get more Compound V and regain his place as a member of the Seven. After exposing Stormfront’s past as a Nazi, he managed to succeed. So he did the right thing in that event, but it was for the wrong reasons. His motivations were ultimately selfish, something his brother would finally call him out on. Even at his lowest, A-Train was still looking to earn favor with Homelander and remain in the Seven. This led to him revealing the conspiracy against them, which Homelander retaliated by brutally murdering Supersonic.
Justice was Delivered
So after everything he has done, A-Train did in a way deliver justice to his neighborhood by killing Blue Hawk. Was it overkill? Yeah, probably so, but then again, it’s hard to argue that Blue Hawk didn’t deserve it. To be fair, the speedster did attempt to pursue justice the right way, only to be denied by Ashley. Heck, even she called him out on his hypocrisy, something he couldn’t counter. All of his emotions got the best of him and he delivered on a hard brand of justice. But after this, A-Train has truly hit rock bottom by losing his family. They recognize the mask and what’s behind it.
So what happens now with the Seven’s speedster? His last appearance in season three was seemingly turning fully subservient to Homelander. So after being disowned by his family and now realizing his team and Vought will never take him seriously ever again, A-Train is officially at his lowest. He now has a new ticker, which will allow him to run fast again. He can either use his powers to go back to his old ways or he’ll use them to be the hero his fans think he is. And somewhere down the line of season four, the Boys can find themselves an unexpected ally.
So what’s A-Train going to do Next?
What’s interesting about the best redemption stories is that those seeking it need to have that opportunity ripped away from them. A-Train has failed to take advantage of that opportunity, as well as having the opportunity taken from him. This should be emphasized on in the next season, as it will remind him as to why he went on a darker path in the first place. This realization could spark the good inside him and he’ll finally have that chance to redeem himself. Heck, maybe he’ll finally make actual amends with Hughie. Out of all the other members of the Seven, A-Train could be the next one to deviate himself from the false “heroism” of that group and set on a better path.
What are your thoughts? Could the speedster be the one to find redemption or will he remain a fake hero? Boy, I can’t wait for season four. No pun intended.Billy Butcher
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