Few TV shows returning in 2023 are as eagerly awaited as season 4 of The Boys. After the thrilling Season 3 conclusion, which saw Homelander (Antony Starr) travel down one of his darkest roads yet, there’s no telling what kind of lunacy will occur in the coming seasons.
In one of the series ‘ most frightening moments, Homelander kills his most devoted buddy, Black Noir (Nathan Mitchell), for not telling him that Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) is indeed his father. While the plot is compelling, Black Noir’s appearance and backstory significantly differ from the original comic books.
Black Noir was formerly a superhero named Earving who was a part of the group Payback, Vought’s first team that predated The Seven, according to Season 3 of The Boys. While Black Noir was regarded as one of the gang’s most essential members due to his Cold War experience, the group was damaged by Soldier Boy.
Soldier Boy brutally abuses and assaults Black Noir, while Stan Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito) forbids him from removing his mask, believing that a black superhero would not be financially feasible. Even though Payback defeats Soldier Boy, he cruelly disfigures and wounds Black Noir, making it impossible for him to remove his mask again.
The showrunners of The Boys made various adjustments to the show that were not in the comics to make the series unique and deliver surprises to original readers.
While Black Noir’s genesis story in the comics is intriguing in its own right, viewers who have just watched the show may be unaware of it. Here’s everything you need to know about the main distinctions between the two.
The Comics vs. TV Series
In the original comics, the Vought-American Corporation constructs Black Noir as a genetic clone of Homelander, the only team member capable of matching his strength. While Black Noir is cruel and works closely with Homelander, it is indicated that Homelander is the more brutal of the two, as Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) believes he is responsible for raping his wife Becca (Shantel VanSanten) and giving birth to the first superhuman child.
When The Boys discover horrifying photographic evidence of Homelander viciously murdering, raping, and abusing men, women, and children in the act of violent cannibalism and necrophilia, his theory appears to be proven accurate. Billy is more determined than ever to bring Homelander to justice.
However, Homelander suffers a mental breakdown after discovering the images because he has no recall of the crimes and suspects cognitive identity confusion. Frenchie (Tomer Capone) eventually confronts him and finds Homelander has been talking to himself and has been unable to digest what he’s witnessed; he conceals this information from Butcher.
Unfortunately, this does not improve Homelander’s mindset, as he believes that even if he is cursed for these bad crimes, he must not allow any more distracting thoughts into his mind to continue on his journey.
