The Most Messed Up Moments In The Comic Book Version Of ‘The Boys’
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The gritty and explosive The Boys series on screen often pushes the envelope with its shocking content, but it merely skims the surface of the outrageous and twisted events that unfold within the comic-book version of The Boys. Crafted for a mature audience, the pages of this particular series are filled with moments that can unsettle even the most hardcore comic book junkies.
Readers expecting traditional caped heroics are instead met with a dark and subversive take on the superhero genre, where characters like Homelander and Butcher engage in acts that are nothing short of nightmarish. It's a stark reminder that The Boys comic book is far from a light read, and certainly not suitable for the kiddie pool of comic fans.
Intrigued by the idea of superheroes harboring secrets that would make anyone's skin crawl? Or perhaps the macabre spectacle of a pizza garnished in a manner far beyond any conventional topping interests you? The Boys leaves no stone unturned in its quest to shock, awe, and challenge the very limits of what comic book storytelling can entail.
The list that follows has been compiled for those who dare to explore the darkest corners of The Boys's universe. It's an editorial journey through some of the most jarring and messed-up moments ever depicted in the comics, curated with a discerning eye for the gruesomely unforgettable. Be warned, these entries are not for the faint of heart, and they certainly qualify as NSFW. Proceed at your own peril, and prepare to have your perception of superheroes turned on its head.
- 15,125 VOTES
Homelander, A-Train, And Black Noir Assault Starlight To Welcome Her To 'The Seven'
Photo: Dynamite EntertainmentIf the scene of The Deep coercing Starlight into an abhorrent sexual favor during the first season of Amazon Studios' The Boys got you angry, then you need to strap in, because they toned it down from the comic book.
In The Boys #3, Homelander, A-Train, and Black Noir approach Starlight during her first day on the job with a pants-less proposition. When Starlight understandably freaks out and exclaims, "Oh God. You're going to force yourselves on me," a smiling Homelander grossly explains, "Christ, no. Nobody's forcing anyone to do anything. No, it's all a question of how badly you want to join The Seven." It's a scene that makes skin crawl and sets the tone for the rest of the series.
- 23,184 VOTES
Butcher's Wife Perished When Her Superpowered Offspring Killed Her From Inside Her Womb
Photo: Dynamite EntertainmentIn another change from the Amazon show, Butcher's wife is actually deceased in the comic books. Which wouldn't be that much of a shocker - dead wives are a far-too-common trope in all facets of media, after all - if not for the way that she passed.
It turns out that Butcher's wife was assaulted by Seven member Black Noir, which ended up with her getting pregnant. This "super-fetus," as Butcher labels it in The Boys #6, ended up killing her from the inside out before she was able to deliver it. If that wasn't twisted and tragic enough, after the fetus crawled its way out of his wife, Butcher beat it to death with a lampstand.
- 32,385 VOTES
The Seven Bail On A Mid-Air Hostage Situation After Wiping Out Most Of The Passengers
Photo: Dynamite EntertainmentJust when you think The Seven are gonna get around to doing some actual, you know, superhero work, they end up screwing absolutely everything up. You see, the superheroes of The Boys are not like the superheroes of Marvel or DC: they don't train, they don't much care about anyone but themselves, and they are extremely cocky.
So, in The Boys #21, when they are tasked with saving a plane full of civilians from hijackers, they end up accidentally taking out everyone on board. It is a gruesome sight watching this group of superheroes blunder their way through the situation, accidentally slaying civilian after civilian before bailing on the pilot-less plane.
- 42,138 VOTES
A Man's Face Is Used As A Pizza Topping To Send A Message
Photo: Dynamite EntertainmentIn The Boys #11, during the first issue of the "Glorious Five Year Plan" story arc, our not-so-lovable heroes find themselves in the frigid winter of Russia. There is a bit in there about how "bad" the members of Russian Organized Crime are - Butcher calls them a "buncha bloody savages" and that "they plays for keeps" before a pizza gets delivered with the face of the delivery guy on it.
The reason isn't exactly clear. It certainly gets your attention, but readers are more likely left feeling bad for that innocent guy's family.
- 52,746 VOTES
Vought-American Tries To Rebrand Starlight With A Less-Than-Wholesome Image
Photo: Dynamite EntertainmentAfter getting her suit cut into a more sultry shape - a change that is mirrored in the first season of the Amazon Studios television show - Starlight is almost forced into yet another costume change that is much, much more revealing.
In The Boys #32, the marketing geniuses at Vought-American decide to come up with a backstory about Starlight surviving a sexual assault which makes her "go all sort of dark and, and... you know. Sexual." Starlight takes severe offense to this and refuses to go along with it.
- 61,774 VOTES
Blarney C*ck Has A Pet Hamster That Lived Inside Him
Photo: Dynamite EntertainmentIn The Boys comic series, Hughie and his crew target a group of heroes called the Teenage Kix before working their way up to the Seven. When they slay the Teenage Kix member Blarney C*ck, they discover the hero has a pet hamster that he kept inside him. Not in a "weird super power" way, either.
After Hughie accidentally eliminates Blarney C*ck in The Boys #6, he takes the hamster home to take care of it. It's a testament to Hughie's pure soul, but even still, there are some things that are hard to forget.
- 71,535 VOTES
Kessler (AKA Monkey) Gets His Nickname After A Run-In With Two Green Primates
Photo: Dynamite EntertainmentKessler is a CIA analyst who is reluctantly allied with the Boys on many occasions. Butcher, being the loving guy that he is, has a nickname for the government man: Monkey. How did he get that name?
Well, in The Boys #56, we get an origin story that would make most people regret asking that question. At some point in the past, Kessler had both of his ears penetrated by a pair of small, green monkeys. In general, Kessler is a messed up corner of The Boys world. He has a fetish for paraplegic women, which comes up a little too often in the series.
- 81,521 VOTES
Tek Knight Has A Fist-Sized Tumor That Gives Him An Insatiable Sex Drive
Photo: Dynamite EntertainmentIf you ever wanted to see a running joke about a superhero who can't stop himself from penetrating anything from fruit to a coffee cup, The Boys certainly has you covered. Seriously, there is a multiple-issue arc about the hero Tek Knight not being able to keep it in his pants.
He even tries to get it on with his butler's ear during The Boys #8 which, understandably, causes the man to quit. The butler then goes on to sell the hero's dirty secret to a tabloid for a small fortune.
- 91,239 VOTES
Hughie Goes Undercover In The G-Wiz, Who Live Up To Their Name
Photo: Dynamite EntertainmentG-Wiz is an offshoot of the G-Men, like X-Force or X-Factor are offshoots of the X-Men. And at one point in The Boys, Hughie goes undercover in their bizarre group of misfits, and things are weirder than you'd expect.
In The Boys #27, the members of G-Wiz celebrate St. Patrick's Day at a bar and run into an especially drunk man on the floor in the bathroom. The members of G-Wiz take the opportunity to urinate all over the guy, who seems to be enjoying it. Hughie, though, is pretty appalled by the whole thing.
- 101,476 VOTES
Butcher Takes Out A Crime Lord By Putting A Bomb In Her Intimate Accessory
Photo: Dynamite EntertainmentButcher is heartlessly severe when it comes to getting his way, but some of his methods just cross a line. In The Boys #14, Butcher ends up taking out the cold-hearted kingpin Little Nina with a hidden explosive. The part that pushes this elimination over the top is that he hid the device in her electric massager.
While the comic doesn't explicitly show when the device goes off, just the suggestion of the worst-case scenario sticks with you.
- 111,149 VOTES
Butcher Goes To Town On Payback With Construction Supplies
Photo: Dynamite EntertainmentBilly Butcher is an aggressive guy by nature. He likes to eliminate superheroes. And in The Boys #33, he gets to go absolutely wild on superhero team Payback at a construction site. While the rest of the Boys are indisposed, Butcher not only fights off an entire superhero team with just his savage wits, but he also takes out several members before chasing the rest of the team off.
A pickaxe to the head and shovel to the neck seem almost gentle compared to other methods he dreams up in the series.
- 121,015 VOTES
Frenchie Mercilessly Takes Out A Car Full Of Bad Guys
Photo: Dynamite EntertainmentThe Boys seriously ramps up the gore from time to time, and though the Amazon series certainly has its bloody moments, it cannot stack up to the depravity of the comic book series.
In The Boys #12, the reader gets to see Frenchie go completely off his rocker and butcher some bad guys in their fancy car. By the time he is done, there is a headless body sitting next to a man who has an assault rifle shoved down his throat. Not exactly an everyday kind of sight.
- 131,011 VOTES
Hughie Burns The Body Of Blarney C*ck In A Drum Of Oil After Killing Him A Second Time
Photo: Dynamite EntertainmentHere is a question that you won't regularly come across on your average, 9-to-5 workday: how do you get rid of something that keeps coming back to life?
Continuing the series's trend of wanton, bonkers mayhem, Hughie has to eliminate Blarney C*ck a second time after the character comes back from the grave in The Boys #18. But in order to make sure he stays that way, he drops the superhero into a drum of oil and lights it on fire.
