Warning: SPOILERS ahead for The Boys season 4, episode 8.
Summary
After dropping hints throughout its eight-episode run,The Boysseason 4 finally confirms that Butcher is a Supe during its finale — andhis powers are both impressive and disturbing.The Boysseason 4 opens with Butcher dying of cancer, the result of overusing Temp V during season 3. However, as his symptoms progress, it becomes clear that something else is going on withThe Boys' former leader. His encounter with Ezekiel inThe Boysseason 4, episode 4is the first major clue that Butcher has unrealized powers, but it’s far from the only hint the show drops.
In the same episode that he kills Ezekiel, Butcher admits to taking Compound V after his diagnosis at theend ofThe Boysseason 3. He initially believes it didn’t do anything, but the truth starts to unravel once he inexplicably rips Ezekiel to pieces.The Boysseason 4’s big Joe Kessler twistfurther hints that Butcher is a Supe, and that’s not to mention the more subtle teases that appear when the team heads to Victoria Neuman’s lab.The whole season builds to the twist that Butcher is a Supe, and a few scenes allude to his shocking power.
Why Butcher’s “Devil” In The Boys Season 4 Looks Like Joe Kessler
Kessler represents the darker parts of Butcher in The Boys season 4, while Becca symbolizes his humanity — but why does he see Kessler specifically?
Billy Butcher Now Possesses Tumorous Tentacles In The Boys
Theses Have Been Moving Around Inside Him Throughout Season 4
After Ryan kills Grace inThe Boysseason 4 finale, Butcher chooses the side of himself that identifies with his visions of Kessler over the humanity that Becca represents. With his unapologetic hatred of Supes fully reignited,Butcher interrupts The Boys' deal with Neuman and reveals his own surprising ability: tumorous tentacles. Butcher’s Supe power sees disturbing blue tentacles shooting out from his chest, and they’re numerous enough to kill Neuman while threatening every other person in the room.
Butcher’s Supe power sees disturbing blue tentacles shooting out from his chest, and they’re numerous enough to kill Neuman while threatening every other person in the room.
The tentacles are what we’ve seen moving through Butcher’s bodythroughoutThe Boysseason 4. While they initially look like veins, it quickly becomes obvious there’s something else inside him.The Boysseason 4’s finale twist explains what it is. It also makes sense of Butcher’s confrontation with Ezekiel, as viewers can now understand how he managed to kill the Supe so brutally. Even Butcher’s interactions with the rabbit in Neuman’s lab make more sense after this revelation.The Boysseason 4, episode 5 does indeed hintat Butcher’s tentacles through its dying rabbit.
Is Butcher A Permanent Supe Now?
The Boys Makes His Powers Seem Permanent
The Boysseason 4, episode 8 doesn’t offer many details about Butcher’s new powers, butit does seem like he’s a permanent Supe now. There’s clearly a connection between Butcher embracing his dark side and the manifestation of his powers. As he fully turns to Kessler at the end of the fourth season, Butcher seems capable of accessing his newfound abilities whenever he wants to. He also doesn’t appear to be dying as quickly, a surefire sign that he’s a permanent Supe. WhileHomelander proves that Supes age, their bodies are far more resilient than those of ordinary humans.
OnlyThe Boysseason 5 can answer if Butcher will stay this way, but season 4’s ending suggests this is the case.
This is why Butcher is no longer on his deathbed as season 4 comes to a close, and he’s in good spirits as he drives off during the final scene. He may still have cancer, but being a Supe will likely expand his lifespan long enough to take on Homelander. It’s hard to say how Compound V affects Butcher’s body, as his powers are also impacted by his Temp V use. OnlyThe Boysseason 5can confirm if Butcher will stay this way, but season 4’s ending suggests this is the case.
There are questions about whether Butcher’s powers will stick around if he turns on Kessler.It’s possible Butcher could lose control of his tumorous tentaclesif he embraceshis visions of Beccaand the humanity they represent. But with Butcher pushing further into villain territory heading intoThe Boysseason 5, he may not need to worry about that. Butcher’s already lost hope when it comes to Ryan, so it will be difficult to get him back on board with the promise he made Becca.
Butcher’s Powers Were Partly Caused By His Temp V Usage In The Boys Season 3
While Compound V appears to have made Butcher a full-fledged Supe,his power seems to be influenced by his use of Temp V throughoutThe Boysseason 3. This is why his tumorous tentacles resemble those exhibited by the dying rabbit from Neuman’s lab.The Boysseason 4, episode 5 makes a point of showing what the rabbit was injected with before killing it off. Its tentacles emerge because it’s given Temp V, just like Butcher. That’s why the Amazon show draws a connection between Karl Urban’s character and the animal.
Unlike the rabbit, Butcher doesn’t die from this effect of Temp V. This is probably the Compound V working, meshing with the other substance to grant Butcher powers that are both grotesque and permanent. The powers themselves are less flashy than the ones Compound V often grants, andthat’s probably because of how detrimental Temp V is to the body. When Butcher was healthy and took Temp V, he attained laser vision like Homelander. Now that Temp V is killing him, his power is more representative of that.
How Strong Butcher’s Tentacles Actually Are
They Can Rip Supes Like Neuman & Ezekiel To Pieces
Butcher’s tentacles may be grotesque inThe Boysseason 4, butthe finale proves that they’re also a huge asset in the fight against Homelander. The Boys struggle to kill Supes throughout the series, as their strongest enemies seem invincible. Bullets don’t kill Neuman, and villains like The Deep and Black Noir don’t stay down after being beaten. The fact that Butcher’s tentacles are strong enough to rip Neuman in half duringThe Boysseason 4 finale speaks volumes about their strength. They’re an effective weapon, even against incredibly powerful Supes.
The fact that Butcher’s tentacles are strong enough to rip Neuman in half duringThe Boysseason 4 finale speaks volumes about their strength.
Whether Butcher’s tumorous tentacles can take on the strongest Supes is another story. Homelander and Soldier Boy are sure to test the limits of his abilities. Such characters would probably put up a fight, though Butcher has proven he can hold his own against them in the past. And armed with a vial of the deadly Supe virus, Butcher certainly has a bigger arsenal heading intoThe Boysseason 5. Hopefully, it will help him stop the madness Homelander is unleashing — though Butcher’s revenge could prove just as extreme and deadly.
The Boys
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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.
