The Boys is famous for taking beloved and iconic comic book characters and twisting them to fit the gritty narrative that supes are almost fated to be corrupted by their own god-tier power, and none are more powerful than the parodies of DC Comics’ greatest heroes.
From The Deep to Homelander, there is no shortage of The Boys characters who sport powers, abilities, and likenesses from classic DC superheroes. However, out of them all, only a couple handfuls stand above the rest as the most noteworthy. Here are the top 10 most powerful versions of DC superheroes in The Boys (ranked).
10 Jack From Jupiter (Martian Manhunter)
Out of the top 10 strongest DC parodies in The Boys, only one can stand out as the weakest among them, and that supe is Jack from Jupiter. A parody of Martian Manhunter, Jack from Jupiter isn’t actually an alien hero (though that’s what he claims to be as a member of the Seven), and is instead just another human mutated by Vought-American’s Compound V. First appearing in The Boys #1 by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, Jack from Jupiter has the power of near-invulnerability, and has superhuman strength (though nothing too terribly impressive). In The Boys #59, Butcher murders Jack from Jupiter by stabbing him repeatedly with little-to-no push back. Jack from Jupiter’s death proved his powers are pathetic, and his lack of training makes him terrible in a fight.
9 A-Train (Wally West’s The Flash)
A clear parody of Wally West’s Flash (with his hair exposed from the top of his mask and being the successor to another speedster), A-Train’s superpower is his super speed. His biggest claim-to-fame is that he killed Hughie’s girlfriend, Robin, by literally running through her. That mistake was the thing that inspired Hughie to kill A-Train in The Boys #63 after Butcher caught him and chained him up. A speedster who can be caught and killed by temporary supes like the Boys isn’t much of a speedster, even when factoring in the unmatched deadliness of the Boys themselves, making A-Train one of the weakest DC parodies among them.
8 Malchemical (Metamorpho)
Malchemical is shown to be reminiscent of DC Comics’ Metamorpho based on his similar aesthetic and superhuman abilities. Debuting in The Boys #42, Malchemical immediately puts his powers on display by taking charge of one of Vought-American’s lower-level superhero teams. Those powers include the ability to change his body into any element, which he uses to terrorize those who challenge him. In the end, Butcher is able to burn Malchemical alive when the supe was in his gaseous form, proving that Malchemical seemed way stronger than he actually turned out to be.
7 Starlike (Starfire)
A parody of DC’s Starfire, Starlike is a member of The Boys’ Team Titanic (which is, itself, a parody of Teen Titans), and her powers/character design is nearly identical to Starfire. Orange skin, energy projection powers, and a similar costume makes Starlike’s likeness to the iconic DC hero impossible to miss. Plus, Starlike is one of the more impressive supes in the series, as in The Boys #61, she is not only able to blast off Frenchie’s arm during a battle, but she also survives said battle, and doesn’t experience a grisly fate like some of the other supes on this list. While not Seven material, Starlike is definitely someone the Boys don’t want to mess with again.
6 Lamplighter (Green Lantern)
Lamplighter is a parody of DC’s Green Lantern, but pretty much in name only. Lamplighter has the ability to control fire, and he carries a torch (or lamp) with him at all times to draw his pyrokinetic attacks from. While little is known about Lamplighter, as he primarily exists in flashbacks or when he’s discovered as a reanimated zombie in The Boys #19, what is known is that Lamplighter was a founding member of the Seven, and as such, is inherently one of the more powerful supes in-canon. Original members of the Seven compared to those on other superhero teams (or fill-in members like A-Train) are described as a nuke to the other’s dynamite. So, while Lamplighter is barely shown in the books and is killed by Butcher and the Boys off-panel, the sheer strength of his power is implied by his station.
5 The Deep (Aquaman)
Another core member of the Seven, the Deep is The Boys’ mockery of Aquaman, which is most prominently shown in the character’s costume alone, as he looks more like a deep-sea diver wearing copper hat equipment than a royal champion of the sea. With the addition of flight, the Deep’s powers are virtually the same in the comics as they are in the Prime Video series, with none of the despicable traits exhibited by his live-action counterpart. For the most part, the Deep is a pretty good person who doesn’t go out of his way to hurt others. It’s for this reason that the Deep makes it till the end of the series (and even headlines a new superhero squad known as True in The Boys #72), as the Boys don’t have any specific reason to try to kill him. Though if they did, they’d have their hands full, as the Deep has proven to be a formidable supe.
4 Mister Marathon (Barry Allen’s The Flash)
Like A-Train, Mister Marathon is also a parody of DC Comics’ The Flash, except he’s more reminiscent of Barry Allen as opposed to A-Train’s Wally West. Like Barry with the Justice League, Mister Marathon was a founding member of the Seven, not just a fill-in replacement like A-Train. That’s why Mister marathon is so much higher on this list, as he’s a ‘nuke’ to A-Train’s ‘dynamite’ in terms of power – but that’s not all. Mister Marathon was killed by Homelander in The Boys #21 after convincing the leader of the Seven to stay on course and save a plane that was being hijacked by terrorists. While he only wanted to continue the mission for fear of being fired by Vought-American, Mister Marathon technically died being a hero, and he was killed by one of the strongest supes in his universe (which is a far cry better than A-Train’s demise).
3 Queen Maeve (Wonder Woman)
Queen Maeve is The Boys’ Wonder Woman parody who has flight and superhuman strength. Not only that, but Queen Maeve also carries a sword and wears elegant, royal-looking armor reminiscent of Wonder Woman. Queen Maeve is a core member of the Seven and one of the few supes in the comics with the power to stand up to the likes of Homelander, which she died doing in The Boys #63. Like Mister Marathon before her, there is no shame in being killed by one of the strongest supes in The Boys universe – even if he is just the second strongest.
2 Homelander (Superman)
Appearing in practically every issue of The Boys, Homelander might be the series’ most recognizable DC parody, as his powers, aesthetic, and position on the Seven relative to the Justice League is a clear mockery of Superman. While he has all the same powers as the classic Man of Steel, Homelander is the antithesis of everything Superman stands for. He’s a rapist, a murderer, and someone who uses his superior powers to intimidate those around him on a daily basis for no other reason than to maintain control (and a bit for his own enjoyment). However, even with his god-tier power, there’s still one supe who can – and has – put Homelander in the ground.
1 Black Noir (Batman)
The Boys’ answer to Batman, Black Noir originally came off as a silent ninja upon his debut in The Boys #1, who operated primarily with gadgets and sheer skill with no clear powers, just like the original Dark Knight. But, by the time fans realized who he really was in The Boys #65, it was clear this supe was a different animal entirely. Black Noir was unlike every other supe in The Boys as he was a clone of Homelander, who possessed super strength that made Homelander look pathetic. During their final showdown, Black Noir punched Homelander’s jaw clean off, and then proceeded to tear the supe apart with his bare hands until there was nothing left but one of Homelander’s arms and a bit of his torso. While the damage Homelander’s heat vision did result in Black Noir’s death as well (with Butcher there to deliver the final blow), Black Noir clearly proved to be stronger than the man who had been dubbed the strongest supe in The Boys, making him the true strongest in the series.
In more ways than one, The Boys has never pulled any punches in any way, shape or form, and that includes the series’ harsh criticisms of superheroes and the superhero genre as a whole. As clearly outlined here, this is especially true for those of DC, with these top 10 most powerful versions of DC Comics superheroes in The Boys being only a few of the plethora introduced throughout the series.
