The good guys can’t catch a break in The Boys, as against all odds, Homelander always ends up with whatever he wants. For the past four seasons, America’s greatest superhero has punished, humiliated, and killed countless people, yet despite all efforts, he manages to grasp whatever he desires, including the notorious V1. The only thing that could grant him immortality, both The Boys and Homelander went on a hunt for the original Vought formula in season 5.
Unfortunately, all of Butcher’s efforts and Sage’s meticulous planning went in vain when, against all common sense, Soldier Boy himself handed the supe V1, making him essentially unstoppable. The Boys season 5, episode 6 ended with terror filling the skies and Butcher literally asking the gang to run because he knows that they have lost.
However, regardless of the god Homelander thinks he has become, there are still several ways he can be taken down for good. From Soldier Boy’s radiation blast to Ryan frying his father like he did Stormfront, all is not lost for the world. There are a few supes out there with powers who can challenge Homelander’s godhood in the finale.
Soldier Boy remains the obvious choice
At this point in the series, it isn’t about whether Soldier Boy can defeat Homelander but whether he wants to. He had countless opportunities to burn that V out of Homelander’s body, but he preferred to have a familial connection of sorts with him. Even with V1 in his veins, Soldier Boy’s radiation blast is the best prospect for defeating Homelander, just as he had done for Bombsight and Quinn.
With the magic potion out of his veins, anyone can do the final act, but it all boils down to the question of whether Soldier Boy will do it on his own accord or will Butcher find a way to force his hand.
Ryan Butcher has already taken care of a V1 supe
Despite his limited screen time in season 5, we can’t overlook Ryan’s role in the grand battle against Homelander. Of course, his father beat him to a pulp in their first confrontation, but Ryan hadn’t thought it through. He literally made Homelander bleed, and don’t forget how he decimated Stormfront when he had just discovered his powers.
It’s safe to say Ryan’s powers have evolved significantly, and he stands a good chance of dethroning his father. Let’s also not forget that Ryan is the only natural-born supe who didn’t have Compound V injected into his veins. He has great potential to rival Homelander and maybe even end him.
Marie Moreau was set up as Homelander’s equal in Gen V
Despite her glaring absence in season 5, Marie Moreau could still be the boys’ trump card against Homelander. Her development in Gen V set her up as the ultimate supe who can single-handedly blow supes up as powerful as Godolkin. With her blood manipulation powers, she has a strong chance of extracting the V1 out of Homelander’s body if she wants to.
However, with no sign of her in season 5, it seems that Marie is not in Butcher’s books as a backup; otherwise, he would have used her already. Fortunately, Marie may still have something to offer against Homelander as she appears in episode 7’s teaser alongside Jordan. At the end of the day, she may not be able to kill Homelander, but she can definitely give the boys the opening they need.
Harper can literally copy anyone’s powers
There’s a supe who can copy anyone’s powers for two minutes, and Butcher is still looking at options? It’s hard to tell whether Harper’s inclusion in the broader The Boys universe was entertainment or if it had something to do with the main plot. She’s definitely someone Butcher and the gang can look towards as a last resort.
If he can’t get Soldier Boy to blast Homelander, then they can potentially have Harper copy the former’s powers and use them on the latter to fry away his V1. Even if not to copy Soldier Boy's powers, she can be handy in almost any fight.
Queen Maeve is a long shot, but it’s possible
Queen Maeve disappeared after season 3, when she was exposed to Soldier Boy’s radiation blast. However, despite being away from the scene, fans can’t help but think she might somehow be involved in taking down Homelander.
Fan theories suggest that the person Sage is texting might be Maeve, giving her direction and insight on how to deal with Homelander, as she was the only one who ever knew how to fight him. It’s possible Sage somehow perfected the V1 formula and gave it to Maeve to level the playing field. Homelander’s death at her hands would be poetic justice.
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