Homelander, primary antagonist ofThe Boys, is well-known to be an analog for DC’sSuperman– but the character’s climactic final moments revealed that he has a surprising weakness, which is the complete opposite of the Man of Steel’s. In this way, Garth Ennis used the character’s final scene to recontextualize everything readers understood about him and his connection to comics' greatest hero.
The Boys#65 – written by Garth Ennis, with art by Russell Braun and more –revealed that, unlike Superman,Homelander’s strength seems to be significantly greater than his durability.This means that Homelander can be torn apart if he’s punched too hard, or if he punches something else too hard.
WhileThe Boysshowed at various points in its story that Homelander could withstand damage to a certain extent, his final fight with Black Noir made it clear how easily he succumbed to an equally-powered opponent.
Homelander’s Fight With Black Noir Exposed His Low Durability – And It Cost Him His Life
The Boys#65 – Written By Garth Ennis; Art By Russ Braun, John McCrea & Keith Burns; Color By Tony Avina; Lettering By Simon Bowland.
Almost everyone thinks that having super strength would be an incredible power, but without super durability, it’s just a terrifying accident waiting to happen. Having the muscle strength to punch through a cement wall doesn’t do any good if the bone durability can’t support that. It is clear Homelander does have enhanced durability to some degree – as evidenced by the fact regular humans get literally crushed against him when thrown at him – yet in a disturbing final twist,Homelander’s strength outweighs his durability by a lot.
Who would win in a fight: Homelander or Superman?
I think that Homelander and Superman would be a great matchup because they are both extremely powerful, however, Homelander would win. It is not even a question because Homelander would have no problem killing Superman, where as Superman does not like to kill - even if someone is a big threat. Even if you remove Superman’s morals from the equation, Homelander would have no issues with bringing all the kryponite he could find to the fight in order to weaken Superman and give himself the advantage. Homelander has no shame and nothing holding him back, therefore he would take Superman out without a blink of an eye.
When Homelander finally faces off against Black Noir, his greatest weakness is finally exposed. Black Noir is the only character inThe Boyswho has the physical strength to match Homelander, and the result is that the two literally tear each other apart. With a single punch, Black Noir tears Homelander’s jaw clean off. This is a major hit that exposes just how fragile Homelander actually is. Just a single blow from Black Noir very nearly kills him, which is in stark contrast tohow Superman’s powers work.
Superman’s Durability Is Even Greater Than His Strength
The Exact Opposite Of Homelander’s Problem
It is no secret to comic book fans that Superman is one of the most physically powerful characters in the entire DC Universe, and that’s been a bit of a problem for him in the past. The thing is, that, despite howphysically powerful Superman is, his durability is even greater. This has led to iconic moments, such asSuperman explaining how he feels like he lives in “a world of cardboard,” because the slightest over-exertion of his strength could obliterate everything around him, people included.
The Boys Showrunner Explains Why Homelander Could Easily Beat Superman
The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke believes Homelander could easily defeat DC’s Superman in a fight and he explains why in a recent interview.
Further proof of Superman’s durability being greater than his strength was during the iconicbattle between Superman and Doomsday. Doomsday is a character with physical strength equal to, if not higher, than Superman’s. During their several-hour-long battle, they continually traded physical blows against one another, but they never tore each other apart. Superman’s body managed to hold up against the incredibly powerful attacks he was taking. While Superman did die against Doomsday, his body was still in one piece, showing that his durability must be much greater than his physical strength.
Homelander May Be Modeled After Superman, But Their Durability Levels Prove How Different They Are
Homelander’s True Strength Destroys Him
Superman has thegreatest strength in DC’s Universe, and because of that, he has to be extremely careful about how he moves through that universe. With the slightest flick of his wrist, Superman could completely obliterate a human being. With one wrong sneeze, he could wipe out galaxies. It’s immensely important that Superman wields his power with the utmost restraint, lest he end up destroying the world he has sworn to protect. This perfectly encapsulates how Superman has the power to do whatever he wants, but he chooses to be kind and protective.
Homelander may be able to throw a punch, but he can’t take one like Superman can.
Homelander has thegreatest destructive strength inThe Boysfor the majority of the story. He’s more than capable of taking down every super he comes across, but when he finally faces off against someone with equal strength, he gets torn apart. This perfectly shows that Homelander is just a big fish in a small pond. He’s really not that powerful, andthe moment he faces someone who can stand up to him, he loses because his durability actually isn’t that great.The Boys’Homelander may be able to throw a punch, but he can’t take one likeSupermancan.
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.
Superman
The icon who launched the entire world of superheroes, the last son of Krypton escaped his dying world to crash land on Earth and be raised as Clark Kent. The world knows him better as Superman, the Man of Steel, the leader of the Justice League, and the most well-known hero in the DC Comics Universe. Blessed with the powers of a demigod, Kal-El of Krypton fights enemies both small and cosmic in his endless pursuit of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.
