Homelander on New Krypton

Here’s a fun hypothetical scenario: how would Homelander from The Boys do on Planet New Krypton from DC Comics?

Read the whole thing before you comment.

The Boys universe (aspects of the original comics and the TV show) merged together and then again with DC Comics, specifically the Superman: New Krypton saga, that spanned 34 total issues from late 2008 to mid-2010. The Boys’ Earth would merge with DC’s Earth or there would two Earth in the same solar system is up to you. New Krypton shares the same orbit but is hidden behind the Sun, it is entirely imperceptible from Earth, making it the Counter-Earth trope. The population came from the bottled city of Kandor which was shrunk by Brainiac and kept aboard his ship for decades until Superman freed them and returned them to their original size. The Kandorians then used different alien technologies to terraform a new planet in Earth’s solar system. This meant that they all have the powers as Superman thanks to the yellow sun.

Kryptonian characters on the planet include Superman, Supergirl, Zor-El, Alura In-Ze, General Dru-Zod, Ursa, Non, Commander Gor, Vala, Jax-Ur, Chris Kent/Lor-Zod/Nightwing, and Thara Ak-Var/Flamebird.

How would the Kryptonians react to a human with extremely similar powers to what they gain under yellow sunlight?

Would Vought Internation and the US government tell them that he is coming or would surprise them?

Would Vought have the government send New Krypton a communication signal ahead of time to see if they get it? Homelander would go regardless of whether or not the Kryptonians said “no”.

If the government didn’t send a signal and Homelander surprised the Kryptonians, how would first contact go?

Important Note: This version of John Gilman combines different elements of the original comic version and the adaptation portrayed on the TV show:

-Appearance: Here, he’s 190 cm/6’3”, 106 kg/235 lbs. with your stereotypical muscular superhero build like in the comics instead of 180 cm/5’11”, 86 kg/190 lbs. with a thin build hidden by a padded suit with fake muscles like in the TV show. The blue-eyed blonde would still have Antony Starr’s face and voice.

-Age, Aging, and Experience: Like in the comics, Homelander is older and actually ages slowly in the comics, being in his late-fifties (likely 57) while appearing to be in his late-thirties to early-forties at the time of his death, whereas in the show, he ages like a normal person and was roughly 45 at the time of his death (Antony Starr was 42 when he filmed the series premiere in 2019 and 50 when he filmed the series finale in 2026). However, like in the TV show, Homelander started his superhero career for Vought at age 18, while in the comics, he was 25. In other words, he is 57 during this scenario after starting his career at age 18, meaning he’s a veteran superhero with almost four decades of experience. He also has V1 in his veins, meaning he’s immortal.

-Fighting Skills: Here, he’s a better technical fighter in hand-to-hand combat like in the TV show. In the comics, Unskilled, but Strong is played straight as Homelander relies purely on raw brute strength and overwhelming power. In the TV show, Unskilled, but Strong is downplayed as it’s implied that Vought gave him some actual combat training during his upbringing in the lab, which included fight a huge man as a child. He just never needed it because he was so powerful and later on people went out of their way to avoid direct combat against him.

--In the episode Herogasm (which was in June 2022), he goes up against the following individuals:

---Soldier Boy, a US Army soldier who received his powers at age 25 in 1944, had four decades of superhero until 1984 at age 65 (his aging completely halted) when he was imprisoned by the Soviets, and was Homelander’s predecessor as the world’s most powerful superhero. While Homelander was physically stronger and faster, Soldier Boy was able to close the gap with his honed combat technique.

---Billy Butcher, a former Royal Marine-turned-SAS soldier-turned-CIA officer enhanced by Temp V (giving him laser vision as well as enough strength, durability, and reflexes to go up against Homelander in a fight alongside Soldier Boy) who spent the last eleven years studying Homelander.

---Hughie Campbell, an ordinary civilian-turned-CIA operative enhanced by Temp V (giving him teleportation as well as enough strength, durability, and healing to help Soldier Boy and Butcher) who received from some training from Kimiko Miyashiro, a supe and former Shining Light Liberation Army soldier, since July 2019 and probably still a more experienced combatant than Homelander.

--In the season three finale (July 2022), he has two more fights:

---First, against Queen Maeve, who, while not as strong as him, was able to narrow the gap with her refined combat skills as she had been training specifically to fight him.

---Then, against Soldier Boy and Butcher (once again enhanced by Temp V).

--His last fight was in the series finale was against Butcher (now with a Compound V-given sentient tumor), Ryan (age 14 whose powers had grown stronger with age), and Kimiko.

--All these fights show that his fighting style makes him more of a brawler.

-Family: Like in the show, Homelander is still the son of Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy and father to Ryan Butcher, who is fourteen here like in the series finale. His relationship with Ryan is like how it was at the end of season three and the beginning of season four (when it was most positive), while his relationship with Soldier Boy was like how it was season five (when it was most positive). They would not come to New Krypton with him. Also, Black Noir is not a clone of Homelander here like in the comics (the whole plot of the comics got started BECAUSE Vought America decided to create Noir with having a contingency plan for him). However, he would still be an indirect clone of Stormfront, who is female here like in the show, but has powers that are the comics version and the TV show version put together (try not to think about the surprise incest thing here, it’s not relevant).

-Resources and Connections: Steven Calhoun and Ashley Barrett are the President and Vice President of the United States, while Sister Sage is the CEO of Vought International. Homelander himself is still leader of the Seven consists of Soldier Boy, Sister Sage, Oh Father, the Deep, Firecracker, and Aya Cash’s Stormfront (Earving the original Black Noir is out because of his relationship with Soldier Boy). Homelander would go to New Krypton to represent the US government and Earth itself on the planet, and Vought’s potential corporate interests in the planet and the inhabitants. Homelander is literally Vought’s only point of contact and Earth’s only human contact on New Krypton.

-Note that it would take a signal (such a communication transmission) traveling at the speed of light about 33 minutes to travel from Earth to a planet on the exact opposite side of the Sun. This sounds difficult in practice, but in theory, with the right technology, would it really be any different than sending an email and waiting for a reply?

-The very sound of Homelander’s voice and the knowledge that he’ll be back is enough keep President Calhoun and Vice President Barrett obedient.

-Superpower level: Homelander’s powers here are like the comics version and the TV show (whichever one is more powerful is the baseline) put together thanks to having both Stormfront and Soldier Boy’s genetic materials and being injected with Compound V while in utero. Then, he injected himself with V1 as an adult over thirty.

--Because of that, his powers include superhuman strength, superhuman speed, superhuman stamina, superhuman senses (which includes x-ray vision, superhuman hearing, and superhuman smell), invulnerability (which include vacuum adaptation, heat resistance, and a superhuman immune system that’s enhanced by V1), a healing factor, heat vision, flight, slowed aging (which is turned into immortality), and a sonic scream/superhuman voice, whichever version (comics or TV show) of each of these abilities are more powerful, which was enhanced by V1. And whichever version has been skill with and control of these abilities.

--This will be critical for him being able to fly through space under his own power to New Krypton. A team of experienced, professional astronomers and other scientists, led by Sister Sage, would calculate a travel plan and return trip that would allow Homelander to reach New Krypton and come back to Earth while flying at top speed (which has got be what? Mach 32? Mach 144?) in the shortest time possible (which would probably be two days). His invulnerability and healing factor would probably be fighting off different space radiations, which he would heal from upon entering New Krypton’s atmosphere. Once on New Krypton, he would probably stay there until the best time for the return trip, which would probably be six months to a year.

--There is a very slim of even Homelander surviving flying through space to New Krypton, but let’s just that through some dark miracle, he does. He may even have the kind of devil’s luck that allowed Adolf Hitler to survive forty-two assassination attempts.

-Intelligence, Sanity, and Personality: This version of Homelander is smarter and more intelligent like in the TV show, but is also braver and saner like he is in the comics. In the comics, Homelander went inside from Black Noir gaslighting him, while in the show, he is just naturally unhinged from his upbringing. He doesn’t go through Sanity Slippage and never Took a Level in Dumbass, thus continuing to engage in Pragmatic Villainy instead of Stupid Evil. He remains a Faux Affably Evil Stepford Smiler who fits the Dark Triad (narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism), but his crippling psychological weaknesses would be reduced or not present. He has some kind of positive relationship with both Ryan and Soldier Boy. He’s a cunning, ambitious, and strategic master manipulator. He also isn’t a coward like in the TV show and would be Defiant to the End like in the comics in a worst-case scenario.

--A major reason for him going to New Krypton in the first place is so that Earth can have a human representative among the Kryptonians. In other words, an ambassador from Earth, making Homelander an Abadassador and an Ass in Ambassador. In fact, the President and other politicians gambled on him dying during the journey or being killed by the Kryptonians, once Sister Sage and the other scientists eliminated or minimized all risks that are within their control (probably involve stopping at the International Space Station, waiting it to get into the right orbit, and then he probably slingshot around the sun). The Seven would make sure nobody from Earth got in Homelander’s way (all six would each have their own reasons).

--As why Homelander would go to New Krypton in the first place? He would be first shocked by the idea of an entire alien race having powers like him. Eventually, his curiosity would get the better of him and that he needed to see this place for himself (psychopaths are known be impulsive and think things through after all). Homelander’s own indomitable will allow him to persevere through the journey itself, even if any second thoughts occur to him the darkness and silence of space. Once he gets to New Krypton, he would experience the culture shock of going from Normal Fish in a Tiny Pond to Big Fish in a Bigger Ocean. I imagine Supergirl being the first Kryptonian he interacts with. You take the story from there.