Warning: This article contains spoilers from the original The Boys comic book series, as well as potential hints about the final season of the show.
How Homelander Was Killed in The Boys Comics
In the comics, Homelander does die — and the scene of his death is one of the most shocking moments in the fictional universe. Homelander is not killed by Billy Butcher — the most powerful superhero is taken down by Black Noir.
Here’s how it happens, step by step:
- Black Noir wasn’t who he seemed to be.In the comics, Black Noir is actually a clone of Homelander, created as a means of controlling him. It is Noir who commits the brutal acts throughout the story, which are then attributed to Homelander. This slowly drives the real Homelander insane, as he believes he’s losing his memory of these atrocities.
- Noir kills Homelander. Eventually, Homelander loses control. Black Noir attacks him at the White House, in front of soldiers and government agents. In a brutal battle, he tears Homelander to pieces.
- Butcher then kills Noir.Under the influence of Compound V, Butcher finishes off the disfigured and wounded clone, bringing the arc of both main antagonists to a close.
What About in the Show? Will Homelander Die There?
In the series, Homelander is still alive, but the storyline has diverged significantly from the comics, including Black Noir’s background. In the show, he was one of Soldier Boy’s former teammates and has already been taken out of the game.
However, the creators have hinted that Homelander’s reckoning will come eventually — the only question is who will deliver it: Butcher, Ryan, Soldier Boy, or someone else?
Can Homelander Be Killed?
He’s not invincible, and with enough force — or by using his own power against him — he can be destroyed. The show touches on this too: for example, V-24 gives regular people temporary superpowers strong enough to challenge Supes. Butcher and Soldier Boy nearly managed to defeat him together.
The series has already taken a very different path from the comics. There’s no evil clone — and all of Homelander’s madness is entirely his own doing. By the end of the penultimate season, he’s completely lost his mind, essentially taken over the country, and declared humanity to be beneath him.
