By When we last left The Boys, leader of the pack Billy Butcher was given a revelation that turned his world upside down, even for a guy who hunts superheroes. Hughie was back in the good graces of Starlight as A-Train flatlined in front of them, and The Deep was reducing his drag with a buzzed head after an incredibly awkward Ohio hookup. Homelander was going insane, Queen Maeve was having an existential crisis, and Black Noir was… well he’s just Black Noir.
The Boys returns for its second season next month, and if the new trailer is anything to go by it’s set to kick things into a new gear. Season one had a dolphin fly through a windshield. Big deal. Season two has a boat flying through a whale. Season one revealed that Homelander has been secretly cultivating supervillains as a psychotic means to ensure job security and cultural relevance. Remember Naqib, the self-exploding supe-terrorist? Well he’s back along with a slew of others set to push the boundaries of the already grisly show.
Among the newcomers is, most notably, Stormfront. Presumably a replacement for the trimmed-down Seven, Stormfront is seen pushing pro-supe rallies and giving Homelander a nervous tick of uncertainty. Is she coming for his crown as King of the Supes and fan favorite? Does she have another motive entirely? Is she replacing Madelyn as Homelander’s weird crush? The tension between the two can be cut with a laser. Other new additions include a supe with the ability to turn skulls into a pulp like a messier version of Vader’s force choke, and another who uses a supersonic wave ability to knock over cars and comic book stands.
That darkness is a huge part of what made the first eight episodes a hit among viewers. In a world where superhero fans have been force-fed righteous do-gooders (even Deadpool had his hero moment), the unsuspecting twist and gore and general megalomaniacal attitude of each supe were what kept fans talking long after the season finale was left dangling from a cliff. With their faces public for all to see, Butcher and the Boys have a bigger task on their hands than even they could imagine, and something tells me they enjoy the role of underdog.
The Boys season two premieres on Amazon on September 4th.
