For the television series, see The Boys (TV series). For the comics, see The Boys (Comic Series).
The Boys are the titular main protagonists in the Dynamite Entertainment adult comic book. They were a government-sponsored group of superhuman watchdogs tasked with policing, monitoring, and potentially stopping corrupt superheroes. It's their job to keep Supes in line, by any means necessary.
The Boys had the aim of taking down The Seven and accordingly, Vought-American. They succeeded in their goal, but shortly after, Billy Butcher, the leader of the group, murdered his own colleagues before being killed at the hands of Wee Hughie.
History[]
The original incarnation of The Boys was created and led by Greg Mallory, an American military officer with first-hand knowledge of the reckless endangerment and cost-cutting tactics of Vought-American, the company that manufactures Compound V (the real source of superpowers created for the Nazi regime). He personally witnessed Vought's disastrous first attempt at implementing superheroes into the army during World War 2, where the Avenging Squad (Vought's first superhero team) was so untrained and clueless when it came to combat that it cost him the lives of everyone in his battalion just through incompetence during the Battle of the Bulge. Motivated to do something about this, he eventually created the team The Boys to police superheroes with help from the original scientist, Jonah Vogelbaum (who invented Compound V) to empower the Boys and put them on equal footing with Supes.
The modern incarnation of the Boys is led by Billy Butcher and is tasked with not only keeping tabs on the superhumans of the world, but also killing them if required. It's a multicultural task force that is backed by the CIA. They often use methods such as blackmail to keep control over minor superhero delinquents, as well as beatings, mutilations, and even killing. The team is made up of:
- Billy Butcher, An ultra-violent Englishman and ex-Royal Marine, whose wife, Becca, was raped and thereby indirectly killed by a Supe. After his wife's death, he was in custody and offered a deal from a British intelligence agent: lie about Becca’s cause of death or be framed for her murder, Butcher responded by gouging the man’s eyes out. Mallory convinced the government to put out the story where Butcher is innocent and recruits Butcher.
- Mother's Milk, a New Yorker whose mother was accidentally exposed to Compound V through workplace contamination, which caused both of her sons to be born with Compound V-altered DNA. His brother would die when his powers manifested while he was wearing a football helmet, crushing his skull. This caused his father to wage a lengthy legal battle against Vought, the stress of which cost him his life. While serving in the US Army Rangers as a way to provide for his mother and his new family, he participated in boxing, where he accidentally killed his opponent when his powers unexpectedly kicked in. While in military prison, he was aproached by Butcher and Mallory, who recruited him to The Boys.
- The Female, a Japanese girl whose mother worked as a secretary at a company attempting to create a copy of Compound V, where she brought her to work and kept in a basket under her desk. After wandering off into a lab, she consumed an entire bucket of the experimental drug, and immediately ate the face of the lead scientist. Hoping to recover the deceased scientist's work, the corporation abducted her and kept her for research, which has led her to be emotionally disturbed, selectively mute and addicted to violence. Once the company realized they couldn't recover anything, she believed she would be put down and escaped. After slaughtering mercenaries in the sewers, she was knocked out by The Boys using a gas grenade.
- The Frenchman, who's French, crazy, and the only one able to touch the Female without incurring serious bodily harm.
- Wee Hughie, a Scotsman whose girlfriend, Robin Mawhinney, was killed when A-Train threw a villain through her, leaving him holding her severed arms.