The Boys has made many changes in the adaptation of the comic of the same name, with their decision to seemingly spare one major character his original fate setting him up for a more important role in the show’s final season. While The Boys follows the same broad strokes as the comic of the same name, the show has introduced plenty of wrinkles to the story. Background Supes like Stormfront and Soldier Boy were heavily reimagined, original characters like Ryan have become integral to the plot, and certain characters have gotten entirely different arcs from their comics counterparts.
This is perhaps most notable with the Seven and Homelanders supe army, who have been incredibly fleshed out compared to their original forms. Characters like the Deep barely resemble the version who appeared in the comics. The show has afforded some great moral complexity to a few of them, one of whom is still active but on the run by the end of season 4. This means he’s likely escaped his original fate from the comics, and could easily return in season 5 as a vital wildcard in The Boys‘ endgame.
A-Train Has Become The Boys’ Big Wildcard In Season 5
How A-Train Could Derail (Or Play Into) Homelander’s Plans
After three seasons of being a conflicted antagonist, A-Train’s redemption story in season 4 of The Boys set him up to become season 5’s best wildcard. As in the original comic series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, A-Train was a super speedster member of the Seven whose accidental murder of Hughie’s girlfriend Robin set him up to join the Boys. However, the show takes time to explore his conflicted morality and internal fears. Season 4 underscored A-Train’s moral dilemma by making him an unlikely ally to the Boys.
He worked with MM, saved Hughie, and risked his life to undermine Homelander’s agenda. After saving Butcher and Starlight, A-Train went on the run so he could avoid Homelander’s wraith. This leaves him capable of appearing in season 5 at any point, potentially continuing (or derailing) his redemption arc. He could become a key player in the resistance against Homelander, with his knowledge about Vought making him a dangerous source of information. He could also backslide in light of Homelander’s ascension, attempting to return to the fold and resuming villainous acts.
What Happened To A-Train In The Comics
A Grisly Fate For A One-Note Villain
It’s a far cry from the A-Train of The Boys comic, who was a far more one-note character. The aggressive speedster was a basic villainous Supe, whose predatory connection to Starlight was given to the Deep in the Prime Video show. Comics A-Train didn’t receive anywhere near his TV counterpart’s complexity and never betrayed the Seven. Notably, the relationship between A-Train and Hughie was far different between the original and the adaptation. In season 4, Hughie finally forgives A-Train for his past actions and the pair shake hands, with Hughie admitting he did it more for himself so he could past his hatred.
It’s a surprisingly mature and heartwarming moment, and very different from their last confrontation in the comic. In The Boys #63, Butcher captured A-Train and brought him to Hughie in a bid to reinvigorate him for the team. After listening to recordings of A-Train brushing off Robin’s death and making crude comments about Starlight, Hughie gave into his rage and punted his head off. It was a brutal conclusion of their feud in the comics, and one that seems highly unlikely to take place in the show, especially after the pair settled their feud in “Wisdom of the Ages.”
Why The Boys Season 5 Needs To Bring Back A-Train
A-Train’s Story Deserves Closure
A-Train is one of the big lingering threads of The Boys season 4, and his potential involvement in the show’s endgame seems like a foregone conclusion. His arc throughout The Boys has been consistent with the show’s overarching introspection on morality and power. Similar to Ryan, A-Train’s struggles to balance his sense of self with his role as a superhuman “hero” play into the overall themes of the show. Bringing the character back could allow the show to further explore redemption, which was a key theme of season 4.
A-Train’s story doesn’t feel concluded, and it plays too well into the show’s overall themes to be left unresolved. A-Train’s presence could be a key turning point in season 5, giving Starlight an important ally to rely upon now that Butcher has gone rogue and the rest of the Boys have been captured. A-Train has likely avoided his final fate in the comics at Hughie’s hands, but his true redemption could still result in his death if Homelander gets his hands on him. All of this makes A-Train one of the most compelling wildcards going into The Boys‘ final season.
He worked with MM, saved Hughie, and risked his life to undermine Homelander’s agenda. After saving Butcher and Starlight, A-Train went on the run so he could avoid Homelander’s wraith. This leaves him capable of appearing in season 5 at any point, potentially continuing (or derailing) his redemption arc. He could become a key player in the resistance against Homelander, with his knowledge about Vought making him a dangerous source of information. He could also backslide in light of Homelander’s ascension, attempting to return to the fold and resuming villainous acts.
What Happened To A-Train In The Comics
A Grisly Fate For A One-Note Villain
It’s a far cry from the A-Train of The Boys comic, who was a far more one-note character. The aggressive speedster was a basic villainous Supe, whose predatory connection to Starlight was given to the Deep in the Prime Video show. Comics A-Train didn’t receive anywhere near his TV counterpart’s complexity and never betrayed the Seven. Notably, the relationship between A-Train and Hughie was far different between the original and the adaptation. In season 4, Hughie finally forgives A-Train for his past actions and the pair shake hands, with Hughie admitting he did it more for himself so he could past his hatred.
It’s a surprisingly mature and heartwarming moment, and very different from their last confrontation in the comic. In The Boys #63, Butcher captured A-Train and brought him to Hughie in a bid to reinvigorate him for the team. After listening to recordings of A-Train brushing off Robin’s death and making crude comments about Starlight, Hughie gave into his rage and punted his head off. It was a brutal conclusion of their feud in the comics, and one that seems highly unlikely to take place in the show, especially after the pair settled their feud in “Wisdom of the Ages.”
