The Boys: Butcher’s Powers in Comics and TV show Explained

In Short

• The Boys Comics does feature Butcher with superpowers.
• In The Boys Comics, Butcher took a government recreation of Compound V, which gave him superstrength, enhanced agility, and endurance.
• In the show, he got his powers from a tumor he developed after abusing Temp V.

The Boys is set to release its final season in 2026, and while we look forward to the upcoming show, details are rather scarce. A rather interesting plot point we witnessed in season 4 was Butcher losing the last strand keeping him sane and going ahead with a homicidal plan using his new powers. However, now the big question is, did Butcher have any powers in The Boys comic books, and if he did, were they any different from the ones we see in the show? Let’s take a look.

Does Butcher have any Powers in The Boys Comics?

Initially, Butcher did not have any powers, but later in the comic book, he injected himself and his dog Terror with a government recreation of Compound V and got superpowers. So yes, Butcher did have powers in The Boys comics. However, these powers were not as strong as the ones he now has in the show.

The recreated Compound V was not as strong as the original one to give him powers as strong as other supes. Even though not as strong, the serum gave Butcher powers like superhuman strength, durability, enhanced speed, and endurance.

Even with powers, he was nowhere close to being as strong as Homelander or some of the other supes we have seen. However, paired with his tactical expertise, indomitable will, and his team, he becomes a formidable foe for any supe that crosses his path.

Butcher’s Powers in The Boys TV Show Explained

If you have followed The Boys religiously, you must be aware that in Season 4, Butcher started taking Temp V to get temporary superpowers. However, at some point, he started abusing it, and in Season 5, it is revealed that the Temp V has given him cancer. Now, later, it turns out that this tumor was not normal but a sentient, V’d up tumor that was projecting itself as Joe Kessler, Butcher’s old friend. Joe wanted to go with the plan of killing all Supes, and if Butcher agrees to do so, Joe would restore him to full health, giving him powers.

Initially, Butcher refused to do so and chose death over genocide. However, when he saw Ryan kill Grace, something snapped within Butcher, and he agreed with Joe’s plan. As he did so, the tumor restored his health and gave Butcher superpowers similar to those of Marvel’s Venom, using which, the first thing he did was to kill Victoria Neuman. He could project tentacles from his body, which are incredibly powerful.

As of now, all we know is that Butcher is out to execute the plan of killing all the supes using the supe-killing virus. So, let’s wait and see what happens next in The Boys Season 5, and as we have some more information on the topic, we will be back with updates.

Ultimately, Butcher having powers is not the real twist. The real question is what those powers cost him. In the comics, the price was small compared to the results. In the show, the cost appears to be his humanity. That is what makes the final season so unpredictable and so hard to look away from.

Tags:

The Boys

Billy Butcher

The Boys Comics

The Boys TV Show

Compound V

Temp V

Amazon Prime Series

Superhero Shows

Comic vs TV Adaptation