The DC Characters ‘The Boys’ Main Superheroes Share Powers With
If something dominates the culture for long enough, there’s always going to be a desire as well as a need to deconstruct it. As more and more superhero media takes over our screens, we’re starting to see the deconstruction trend bleed over from their print stories. The most prominent recent example of deconstructionist superhero media is Amazon Prime’s The Boys. It uses the powers and iconography of some of DC’s biggest heroes.
Let’s take a look at what DC characters mirror these heroes with the help of Men’s Health, GameSpot, and CBR.
Homelander from ‘The Boys’
Draped in the colors of the American flag with the powers to fly, lift heavy things, and shoot lasers from his eyes, it should come as no surprise that Homelander is a stand-in for the comic book world’s original superhero, Superman. If Clark Kent is a man with unlimited abilities choosing to be good, Homelander is the inverse. He uses his powers to subjugate people under the guise of heroism.
A-Train
The Boys‘ resident speedster is based on the fastest man alive, the Flash. That said, his blue and silver costume is more reminiscent of Marvel’s Quicksilver. The show has given us a few close-ups of what happens when unlimited speed meets fleshy human bodies.
Queen Maeve
Queen Maeve’s Amazonian looks make her an obvious parallel to Wonder Woman, especially with her Grecian-inspired armor. That said, while Wonder Woman is a warrior for truth and justice, Maeve’s found herself on the path to reigning over the world.
Black Noir
Black Noir is clearly a take on Batman, dressed in all black and skulking around like a ninja as he silently beats enemies to a pulp. Devoid of Bruce Wayne’s compassion for others underneath his grim exterior, Black Noir is simply violence incarnate.
Starlight from ‘The Boys’
Starlight is a bit tricky in terms of tracking her to a single hero parallel. Her powers are reminiscent of Marvel’s Dazzler, though they’re used in much the same way as the second Doctor Light of DC with some potential nods to both in her outfit. Her personality is also similar to DC’s Stargirl, especially given her less corrupt nature and the fact she’s a genuinely good person among supervillains who play superheroes.
The Deep
The Sevens’ resident sex pest is an incredibly unsubtle dig at Aquaman. While some might have forgotten thanks to many comics and Jason Momoa‘s on-screen portrayal helping rehab his image, Aquaman in his orange and green fish scales was thought of as a joke for decades due to his main power is that he talks to fish, just like The Deep.
Translucent
While many might jump to Sue Storm the Invisible Woman as Translucent’s origin, things are a little more complicated. Translucent actually took the place of Jack From Jupiter, an alien member of The Seven in the comics. This, plus the powers of invincibility and having dense skin, point to Martian Manhunter being his parallel.
Stormfront from ‘The Boys’
Stormfront is another complicated example, as the character underwent some changes from page to screen. In the comics, Stormfront was a man with weather-control abilities like Marvel’s Storm of the X-Men. In the show, she has similar powers to Homelander and creates electricity, making her a dead ringer for DC’s Shazam. As for the name, it’s best not to get too deep into what inspired that, though it certainly is fitting.
Season 3 is just around the corner
Amazon’s adaption of Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s comic is set to go for at least one more season and a spinoff. While it’s hard to know what will happen next for the show, it’s a safe bet that there will be more bloodshed and tough moral questions as The Boys take on The Seven.
