This is how mercilessly Homelander’s story ends in the comics (and he is not the only final boss)

Amazon’s superhero satire The Boys is heading towards an epic finale after the massive Season 4 cliffhanger. However, it will be a while before we find out who survives the showdown between Homelander (Antony Starr) and Billy Butcher (Karl Urban). Season 5 won’t be coming to Prime Video until 2026.

With the finale approaching in two years, many fans are naturally asking themselves the question: How did the story in the comic book actually end? Even though The Boys series differs greatly from the graphic novel in some ways, some basic elements of the story remain the same. A look at the comic ending might provide some clues.

In this article you will find a clear and short summary of how the story of The Boys ends in the comics for the most important characters. Warning, spoilers follow:

The Boys: How does the Amazon series’ comic book origins end?

The comic book created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson ended in 2012 after a total of 72 main issues. In 2020, a miniseries was finally released, which concluded the bitter superhero story with an epilogue. How will it end for Homelander, Butcher, Hughie and Co.? Here’s the summary:

Homelander moves into the White House

At the end of season 4, the series’ Homelander and the comic’s Homelander are in a very similar situation, but their character development is completely different. In the original, the Supe sets off a coup to seize power over the USA. In the process, he kills Queen Maeve, among others.

Homelander and his loyal Supe followers besiege the White Houseafter the president is killed. Billy Butcher, on the other hand, leads the US military to attack the superhero army. But then there is a huge twist that we will never see in the Amazon adaptation.

Black Noir is the evil mastermind of the story

The whole conflict between the Boys and the Seven was secretly orchestrated by one person: Black Noir, who always hid behind a mask, reveals himself as Homelander clone.

He was created to kill the superhero in an emergency. That never happened. Black Noir turned himself into a psychopath and committed numerous horrific acts disguised as Homelander. For example, it was not Homelander, but actually his doppelganger, who once raped Butcher’s wife.

At the end there is a fight in which Homelander killed However, Black Noir is so badly wounded that Butcher manages to take down the Supe himself. The Deep and Starlight are the only surviving members of the Seven at this point, as they had previously fled.

With the murderous comic finale in mind, The Boys could finally overcome its allergy to death. Even if the Black Noir twist cannot be implemented in the series adaptation, a modified version would be possible. Will it be Homelander’s son Ryan who kills his father in the end instead?

Billy Butcher is the final boss of The Boys

After Homelander and Black Noir’s death, the plot of The Boys comics is not over yet. Billy Butcher unexpectedly becomes the final boss of the story. Similar to the Amazon series, he wants to release a virus that will destroy all beings in the world that carry Compound-V. Now the Boys members against their leader place.

During the final confrontation between Butcher and his crew, MM, Frenchie and Kimiko (known in the comics as The Female) lose their lives. Hughie is the only survivor the gang and ultimately has to kill his mentor. A genocide of all Supes can be prevented.

Hughie is the last “Boy”

With a final epilogue called Dear Becky The Boys looks at a future in which there are virtually no superheroes left. In the Battle of Washington DC 10 years ago, most of the Supes lost their lives and after this incident, the public has had enough of them.

This has also caused drastic damage to Vought’s image. Even after a rebranding, the company no longer has any power. Without Vought, the remaining people with superpowers can no longer achieve the popularity they once had. To ensure that history never repeats itself, Hughie, who is now married to Annie, keeps a close eye on the last Supes. Just like the Boys once did.

Will The Boys Season 5 end like the comics?

Since the series and the comic differ drastically in many ways, it is unlikely that we will see a direct adaptation of the ending. Showrunner Eric Kripke confirmed this in an interview with Variety:

So the ending I have in mind is – certainly in part – inspired by that. But it is not the ending from the comics.

Some important events, such as Homelander’s super army, a possible final confrontation in front of the White House, as well as Billy Butcher’s master plan and villain development, will certainly be seen in one form or another in Season 5. After all, the Amazon series has already set the stage for this.

However, everything is still open when it comes to gruesome deaths and the final outcome of the story. For example, characters like Ryan, Firecracker, Sister Sage and Soldier Boys as Homelander’s father only play a role in the series version. So it remains exciting to see how much the end of the series will differ from the original.