The following contains spoilers for The Boys Season 4 Episode 4, “Wisdom of the Ages,” now streaming on Prime Video
Summary
The Boysquietly referenced one of the most gruesome moments from the original comics, remixing Ryan’s birth into something that fits within the show’s continuity. WhileThe Boysis an adaptation of the Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s comic of the same name and utilizes a similar gruesome take on the superhero genre, the two stories are ultimately very different. This has perhaps best been exemplified by the focus onRyan in Prime Video’sThe Boys.
The son of Homelander and Becca Butcher, Ryan’s growth and potential fate as either the counter to Homelander or his heir apparent has made him one ofThe Boysmost compelling characters.It’s also incredibly different from the character’s much briefer role in the comics, to the point where the character didn’t even have a name. Instead, a major element of the comics' version of Ryan has been instead introduced into the backstory of the show in a very different (and perfectly fitting) place.
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How Prime Video’sThe BoysMixed Homelander & Ryan’s Origins
The fourth episode ofThe Boysseason 4, “Wisdom of the Ages,“delves more into Homelander’s backstory and gives him a major aspect of Ryan’s comic origin. A large portion of the episode is focused on Homelander returning to the lab where he was raised so he can take revenge on some of the workers who contributed to the abuse he suffered as a child. Barbara, a lead scientist involved in Homelander’s early years, explains that everyone there has been scared of him his entire life. She even describes his birth, revealing that it was a truly horrifying event.
Having already developed his powers while in the womb,the future Homelander ripped his way out of his mother. Although the scene isn’t shown, the description of it highlights how grisly the event was. However, the imagery was actually present in the comics, only for the child that would have been Ryan instead of Homelander. This extended to Becca sharing the same fate as Homelander’s mother, dying almost instantly from the wound. This gives one of the comic’s most graphic moments a representation in the show, even as it changes everything else about the moment.
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How Amazon’s The Boys Rewrote Ryan Butcher’s Origin Story
Ryan Was Never A Major Character In The Comics Version OfThe Boys
In the originalThe Boyscomics, Ryan never lived long enough to even get a name. After killing Becky Butcher by bursting out of her body, the super powered infant attacked her husband, Butcher. However, Butcher was able to repel the attack and ended up using a lamp to kill it. As a result, Ryan isn’t in the comic at all. This highlights how the show and the comic are ultimately two very different stories. As a result of this change, Becky didn’t survive to reunite with Butcher years later as she did inThe Boysseason 2.
The decision to reference the baby’s comic origins by giving it to Homelanderis actually a clever way to reference one ofThe Boysbiggest changes from the comics. It fits in perfectly with the show’s version of Homelander, explaining why the scientists working on him feared him from birth. It plays into the overarching exploration of Homelander seeing humanity as beneath him, seemingly extending to his first moments of life. It’s a clever way forThe Boysto reference a sequence that was otherwise cut, and fit it neatly into their own approach to the same story.
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.
