Created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson in their original comic book series, several characters in The Boys have undergone meaningful arcs of development since the first season came out on Prime Video back in 2019.
There were also engaging character arcs in the Gen V (2023-2025) spinoff, but through all of the interesting figures exclusive to this world, it's arguably Reggie "A-Train" Franklin whose development has been the most compelling to watch from The Boys franchise.
One of "The Seven" superheroes represented by Vought International, this character is deemed "The Fastest Man Alive" for his consistent, record-breaking speed. He also has superhuman strength and endurance, and while A-Train may be billed as someone who uses his powers for good, it's evident from episode 1 of The Boys that he was up to no good.
Played by Jessie T. Usher in the TV adaptation, A-Train was part of the "Teenage Kix" team of superheroes before the events of The Boys were ever kicked into gear. He was raised in a rather poor household, and only by his mother, leading Reggie to strive for superhero greatness in order to support his family, which also includes his older brother, Nathan.
Much more could be made about his backstory, but mostly worth noting would be a character in the show with whom he was in a relationship: Popclaw, another former member of the Teenage Kix team. She's killed by A-Train himself in episode 5 of the show's first season, while in the pilot, the character of the hour kicked the overall plot into gear by running through Hughie's girlfriend, Robin, leaving the woman in pieces that were strewn about the street.
That disturbing and indelible inciting incident convinced Hughie Campbell to take up arms against The Seven, leading him to join a resistance group called The Boys, who are backed by the CIA.
It becomes all the more obvious throughout the following episodes that A-Train harbors antagonistic intentions, but it's also revealed that he struggles with an addiction to Compound V, a chemical that temporarily enhances a superhero's ability, while also getting them high.
After enduring psychological abuse by Homelander for several consecutive seasons, A-Train joins the resistance that's led by Starlight and company. He's on a moral redemption arc after his many years of wrongdoing, and looks to officially right any wrongs by helping to bring down Homelander.
In the season 5 premiere of The Boys, it seems that A-Train has fully redeemed himself by saving Hughie's life when the latter was nearly killed by Homelander's heat vision abilities, and for as thrilling a moment that turned out to be, that wasn't quite the end of The Fastest Man Alive.
A mad dash ensues as Homelander chases down the man he called a friend, with A-Train just having turned in an unforgettable scene a la Quicksilver from X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014).
After completely slowing down time to save Hughie's life, A-Train sees the venom seething in Homelander's eyes, and he makes a final run for it as the villain chases in flight. Mirroring the series premiere when A-Train ran through Robin, a woman appears walking across the road while A-Train is fleeing from Homelander.
Ultimately giving his life to save the innocent bystander, A-Train slips out of the woman's way and trips over his feet, allowing Homelander to catch up and corner the fan-favorite speedster.
Monologuing about how Homelander would be nobody if he didn't have any powers, A-Train meets an unfortunate fate as the villain snaps his neck. It's a bitter scene, but one that's rendered sweet when considering the pair of lives he saves within the episode.
With some of the most emotional highs that the series has to offer, A-Train was at one point a character that viewers loved to hate. He turned into an empathetic and rather beloved figure once season 5 rolled around, making his death in the premiere one of the show's most heartbreaking. Good thing he righted his wrongs before things came to a head.
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