The Boys season 4 trailer has introduced a new member of The Seven, and it proves that this supe squad is a lot weaker than it once was. The trailer teases that Homelander is on trial, following his callous murder of a protestor in the season 3 finale, and Billy Butcher and his band of anti-supe vigilantes will continue their vengeful crusade. So far, Butcher’s warpath has been so successful, and so many supes have either been killed or renounced The Seven, that Vought keeps scrambling to make up the team’s numbers. The latest addition to the team makes them a lot weaker.
In The Boys universe, The Seven is essentially the Avengers or the Justice League: a team of the world’s most elite superheroes, who assemble to take down the biggest threats and the most powerful enemies. But the team has lost so many members throughout the series – Translucent was killed by The Boys; Queen Maeve turned her back on The Seven – that Vought is scraping the bottom of the barrel for new supes. With its latest member, The Seven has shown that it’s currently nowhere near as elite and powerful as it was at the beginning of the series.
Firecracker Makes The Seven Weaker In The Boys Season 4
The trailer for The Boys season 4 has offered an early look at Firecracker, the new supe joining the line-up of The Seven following all the team’s losses in season 3, and it’s not very promising. The character is played by Valorie Curry, best known for her roles in Veronica Mars, The Following, and The Tick. The air horn announcing her arrival, the politically charged “Truthbomb with Firecracker” poster, the holster and ammo belt on her costume, and her ability to effortlessly play to Homelander’s crowd all suggest that she’s been picked for The Seven because she agrees with Homelander’s politics and will toe the line.
Firecracker seems to have a lot in common with Gunpowder from season 3. Along with Gunpowder and Soldier Boy, Firecracker is one of the few supes to carry a firearm into battle. This is a sign that her powers aren’t all that; a truly powerful supe like Homelander doesn’t need a gun for protection. It seems like she’s been recruited for The Seven because she’ll support Homelander’s controversial views, not because she’s actually powerful enough. With a not-so-powerful supe on the roster whose primary goal is to stroke Homelander’s ego, The Seven will be a lot weaker.
The Seven Is Already A Lot Less Powerful Than It Used To Be
Even without having Firecracker in the line-up, The Seven is already a lot less powerful than it used to be. Homelander remains the most powerful supe on The Seven, and he’s practically powerful enough to do the job of the entire team on his own (like that old joke about how Superman doesn’t need the rest of the Justice League), but he has no backup. Since Homelander murdered the real Black Noir in cold blood, the Black Noir seen fighting with The Seven is just an actor in a suit at this point, with none of the superpowers that made Black Noir such a formidable foe before his death.
The members of the original line-up that do remain are among the least powerful. The Deep is still on the roster, but he’s pretty useless in any conflict that takes place on land. Much like Aquaman in the Justice League, The Deep is a laughingstock who is constantly mocked for his inability to help out in most superhero battles (but even more so here, because The Boys is a satirical exaggeration of popular superhero media). With an actor playing Black Noir and The Deep being The Deep, The Seven really isn’t what it used to be – which is good news for The Boys.
The Boys Season 4’s OTHER New Seven Member May Fix The Team’s Power Problem
Firecracker isn’t the only new supe joining The Seven in The Boys season 4. The trailer also offered a glimpse at Sister Sage, played by Susan Heyward, albeit not as prominently as Firecracker. Sister Sage might actually be a more competent supe, and a real asset to The Seven, not just a pawn in Homelander’s political game. Sister Sage has got a little more mystery about her, and her speech about democracies falling confirms that she’s smart and tactical. She doesn’t line up with Homelander’s politics at all; she might be trying to affect a positive change from the inside.
