Created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, Windstorm and Dynamite Entertainment’s beloved comic series The Boys had 72 issues published between 2006 and 2012. One of the primary reasons for the widespread appeal of the series was its outlandish cast of diverse superhero characters, many of which have been translated to the screen in the TV adaptation of The Boys in 2019.
While many of the storylines of the main characters in the comics have been used to inspire plots of the TV show, a few standouts from the comics have yet to appear in the small-screen adaptation.
Love Sausage
While there are a lot of very unlikable supes in the universe of The Boys, Love Sausage is one of the few who seems like a good guy. This large and boisterous Russian superhero is an ally of the Boys and helps them on some of their missions.
It is easy to like Love Sausage as he is a powerful yet gentle supe who despises the corporate superheroes in the world. He also forms a charming friendship with Hughie, taking him under his large wing.
Auntie Sis
There are several superteams from The Boys comics that have yet to be introduced in the show. One of them is the low-powered yet wholesome Super Duper filled with a lot of innocent younger supes with their unofficial leader, Auntie Sis.
Though she doesn’t see herself as the team’s leader, Auntie Sis is very protective and caring of her young teammates. She is aware of the more villainous supes that are out there and wants to protect them from any such influences and dangers.
The Legend
The Legend was one of the new characters introduced in The Boys’ season 3, though he is very different from his more heroic comic book counterpart. In the comics, Legend was a comic book mogul who helped produce propaganda about Vought’s supes.
However, when the supes caused a disaster battling in Vietnam (which also killed Legend’s son), he began working to bring Vought down. He secretly passes along information to the Boys, helping in their mission. He also has a romantic relationship with Queen Maeve, which makes for an unexpected pairing.
Stillwell
Madelyn Stillwell was a notable character in season 1 of The Boys as one of the top Vought executives who is ultimately killed by Homelander. However, the comic book version of Stillwell is a much more intimidating and significant part of the story.
James Stillwell is a Vought executive whose reputation makes him more terrifying and sadistic than even Homelander. He barely ever shows emotion and will face off with the out-of-control supes, putting them in their place.
Starlight
Though the television version of Starlight is a more compelling and well-rounded character, she is still a terrific part of the comics. Many of the sad things that happen to Starlight in the series happen in the comics as well, yet she still maintains that strong heroic persona.
Though her relationship is not quite as charming and she doesn’t take a stand quite as quickly as in the show, comic book Starlight is proof that not all supes are bad people, and she is a hero worth cheering for.
Tek Knight
One of the best and most memorable characters in The Boys is Tek Knight, a character loosely based on a Batman/Iron Man hybrid. As the leader of the supergroup known as Payback, Tek Night is one of the few characters devoid of superpowers. Instead, he relies on advanced technological gadgetry.
This hilarious character is defined by his strange sexual peccadilloes, which are said to stem from a large brain tumor. Tek once tried to save earth from a meteor while hallucinating, unaware that the falling object was a common wheelbarrow.
Soldier Boy
Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) was introduced as one of the new superheroes on The Boys season 3 and lived up to his comic book counterpart. The Payback-affiliated Supe is a direct spoof of Captain America and wants nothing more than to be part of The Seven.
As the polite All-American who never curses, Soldier Boy is constantly beaten up by Billy Butcher in the comics, including one time when the latter bites Soldier Boy’s nose off. The character’s defining trait is pure cowardice, which is hilarious given his aspirations as a superhero.
The Female
Also known as The Female of the Species, The Female is one of The Boys’ later recruits who has resonated as much as any among avid comic readers. As a silent assassin who protects the Boys along with The Frenchman, The Female has one of the most interesting backstories.
After falling into a vat of Compound V toxic waste as a baby, The Female formed superhuman powers along with an unquenchable thirst to kill, leading to some of the most gruesome deaths in The Boys. Once she offed the scientist who discovered her, The Female was held captive while her blood was examined for the human side effects of Compound V. In conjunction with The Boys, The Female also has secret ties to the mafia.
Mother’s Milk
As one of the original members of The Boys who appeared in the second comic book, Mother’s Milk is easily one of the best characters on paper. The aggressive and militaristic supe is the only of his kind to be born with Compound V in his blood.
Armed with a pugilistic prowess as a former boxer, Mother’s Milk derives his name from being dependent on the substance to function optimally. Seeing such a hulking paragon of masculinity needing to drink breast milk is the source of several hilarious gags in the comics.
The Frenchman
Along with his best friend The Female, the aforementioned Frenchman serves as the mighty muscle of The Boys. Armed with a keen sense of smell, hot temper, and ruthless barbarity, Frenchie also shows his loyalty and kindhearted nature in private.
As one of the main characters and original members of The Boys, Frenchie also has a wealth of storylines and cool subplots for fans of the comic to indulge in. Part of what makes him such a standout is his mysterious past, which he alludes to in extremely outlandish stories that always sound like tall tales.
Billy Butcher
If for no other reason than his dramatic character arc, Billy Butcher is the quintessence of what The Boys represents. Modeled after Marvel’s The Punisher, Butcher begins as a main member of The Boys before defecting to become their chief enemy in the biggest betrayal in The Boys comics.
As such, no character goes through more in the comics than Butcher. The stories explore his traumatic past in the Marines, the time he attempted to kill his own father, the grief of losing his brother Lenny and wife Becky, and much more. Without Billy and Wee, there would be no series to speak of.
Wee Hughie
As the number one protagonist in The Boys, Scottish supe Wee Hughie, A.K.A. Hughie Campbell, is a critical focal point of the comic series. Patterned after Simon Pegg, Hughie is a brilliant conspiracy theorist who uses his whip smart intellect to analyze key intel. He joined the team when his girlfriend Robin was tragically killed by A-Train.
After being injected with Compound V by Billy during their first assignment, Hughie also gained superhuman power and durability that allowed him to decapitate an enemy with a single blow.
Homelander
As the primary foe of The Boys and leader of the villainous Seven, John Homelander is easily one of the best characters the comics have to offer. Despite his Hollywood looks and polite, All-American demeanor, Homelander is The Boys‘ most powerful supe.
Equipped with the ability to fly, use X-ray and heat vision, as well as a sonic scream, Homelander gained his powers when Vaught-American began experimenting on his blood with Compound V before birth. In addition to his unmatched superpowers, he makes the decisions and orders his minions what to do.
Black Noir
While Homelander is the leader, the most odious member of The Seven is Black Noir, the sinister cipher responsible for violating Billy’s wife Becky and Hughie’s girlfriend Starlight. The stoic and speechless assassin is even more powerful than Homelander and was created by Vought-American to be his clone.
Black Noir’s unspeakable actions directly inspire several issues of the comics, as Billy and Hughie mount one violent revenge campaign after another against him.
Queen Maeve
Behind Homelander and Black Noir, Queen Maeve ranks third-in-command among The Seven. As such, she’s one of the best characters to get to know and love or hate in the comics.
Also injected with Compound V while in the womb, Maeve was born with superpowers akin to that of Homelander. Still, she has one of the most human backstories as a woman who becomes dependent on alcohol after a failed 9/11 rescue attempt. Her complicated character also shows sympathy for Starlight even though she opposes Hughie.
