Summary
One of the most shocking moments inThe Boyswas the big reveal that Butcher was the final antagonist – but surprisingly,the comic forshadowed this gutwrenching twist years before it actually happened.Butcher’s genocidal turn was difficult for readers to confront, but as it turns out, it was the inevitable, long-awaited endgame for his character.
The Boys#30 – written by Garth Ennis, with art by Darick Robertson – first hinted at Butcher’s gestating genocidal ideals. During a train ride home after a nearly botched mission,Butcher explains to Hughiein very clear terms that the Boys aren’t here to make the world better, they simply exist to prevent the world from getting any worse.
In retrospect, this moment isn’t just Butcher reminding Hughie what the Boys are for, it is actually Butcher alluding to just exactly how far he plans on taking his war against Supes.
The Boys Season 5 Must Deliver 1 Supe Showdown Teased Since The Very Beginning
The Boys season 4’s climactic ending brings with it several inevitabilities in the next run of episodes, including one very long-awaited battle.
Butcher’s Plan To Destroy All Supes Was Hinted At Early In “The Boys”
The Boys#30 – Written By Garth Ennis; Art By Darick Robertson; Color By Tony Aviña; Lettering By Simon Bowland
While talking to Hughie inThe Boys#30, he outright says that when it comes to cancer, it can be hard to decide when to stop cutting. Instead of just cutting out the “bad” Supes, he intends to cut them all out.
The most heartbreaking moment inThe Boysis when Butcher reveals his true genocidal plans and kills his friends and teammates.Mother’s Milk, Kimiko, Frenchie, the Legend, Love Sausage– Butcher kills every single one except for Hughie.Hughie is completely shocked that Butcherwould turn on them like this, and that he’d be unhinged enough to try and kill every Supe on the planet. Because of how compound V works, Butcher wouldn’t just be genociding the Supes, buthe’d also be killing a few million innocent people who had compound V in them, who didn’t have powers.
Hughie really should’ve seen this coming though, as Butcher rarely lied about his intentions. While talking to Hughie inThe Boys#30, he outright says that when it comes to cancer, it can be hard to decide when to stop cutting. Instead of just cutting out the “bad” Supes, he intends to cut them all out. While the Boys succeed in killing the Seven and decimating the number of Supes on the planet, they don’t actually make the world a better place. Vought continues being allowed to exploit Supes for profit, and if that isn’t profitable, they’ll just move onto something else.
Butcher called Hughie his failsafe; someone who was meant to stop him when no one else could. That’s likely why he had this conversation with him inThe Boys#30.
Hughie – And Readers – Shouldn’t Have Been Surprised
Butcher was always going to kill every Supe he possibly could, but there was a small piece of humanity still inside of him that knew genocide was a step too far. This is why he recruited Hughie into the Boys. Butcher called Hughie his failsafe; someone who was meant to stop him when no one else could. That’s likely why he had this conversation with him inThe Boys#30. Butcher was hinting to Hughie exactly how far he intended to go andwanted to see if Hughie would pick up on these plans.Thankfully forThe Boysuniverse, Hughie did eventually realize what was going on and prevented the biggest massacre the world would have ever seen.
The Boys
Cast
The Boys is a gritty and subversive take on the superhero genre, focusing on a group of vigilantes who confront powerful superheroes abusing their abilities, exploring themes of corruption and moral ambiguity in a world where heroes are not always what they seem.
