The Boys have made quite a splash in both the comic book world and among streaming content, especially after Amazon Prime Video churned incredibly season after season of the show. And yet, there’s so much to uncover about the characters we think we know completely.
Take Billy Butcher, for instance. The hard-drinking, foul-mouthed, fueled-by-vengeance leader of the misfit gang trying to eliminate all corrupt Supes from the world. On the surface, his motives are crystal clear. But even the tough guy has layers.
Adapted from Garth Ennis’ globally hit graphic novels of the same name, The Boys takes place in an over-the-top world where superheroes have replaced traditional celebrities. They appear in the media, are the face of the economy, and are operated by a massive corporation known as Vought International. Butcher is the cynical head of a small crew of individuals on a mission to take down the Supes.
From the moment we meet him, Butcher’s crass language and aggressive methods define him. He seems like an open book violent, vengeful and devoid of sympathy. As the series digs on, fans learn more about his past, his personal demons and obsessions. While fans believe that they know all there is to know about Butcher through both page and screen, what they don’t realize is there are untold secrets embedded in both mediums.
6Butcher Is a Spoof of The Punisher
To many fans of the show, Butcher may seem like a unique and outrageous character. Perhaps it is because of the diabolical acts of violence he gleefully commits, or the hilariously profane language he uses. Either way, it is impossible to overlook the fact that Billy Butcher resembles The Punisher in so many ways. A gun-toting vigilante himself, The Punisher was also on a quest for vengeance against those who murdered his wife.
Look closer, and you will realize that Garth Ennis has put a clever spin to the character. Where Frank Castle fights to bring justice, Butcher couldn’t care less about the laws or doing what’s right. He kills simply because it satisfies his hatred. Both the heroes have a warped view on justice and vigilantism, but it is Butcher who has absolutely no noble motives. His lack of restraint makes him a compelling, twisted, and satirical counterpart to Marvel’s The Punisher.
5There Are Two Short Films About the Character
After the comic book series was adapted from streaming and The Boys’popularity grew tremendously, two short films were released in the years 2020 and 2022 respectively, with each of them offering audiences a nuanced look at Karl Urban’s character, Billy Butcher, outside of his usual rampage on the Supes.
The first short film, titled Butcher: A Short Film, is set between the first and second seasons. After being framed for the murder of Madelyn Stillwell in season one finale, Butcher was on the run. He meets an old friend named Jock and seeks help from him. But when Jock calls the police on him, Butcher beats him to death.
The second short film, titled Mr. Butcher, is set between the third and fourth seasons. This time around, The Boys are more popular and have had several victories. Butcher is seen visiting an elementary school as a guest speaker, where he warns children about Supes. He circulates the message about their evil and corrupt deeds and encourages fear in the students.
4Butcher Might Be a Cannibal
A random hit-or-miss assumption (and an ongoing debate) of comic book fans is that Billy Butcher might be a cannibal. This is in reference to a scene in the comics, when Butcher confronts Jonah Vogelbaum, the creator of Compound V, about several matters. Vogelbaum is a character based on Marvel Comics’ Abraham Erskine, the scientist who invented the Super-Soldier serum for Captain America during the Second World War.
Their conversation gets heated in a matter of seconds and Billy kills him. While walking out of Vogelbaum’s estate, Billy is seen thick mass of something on the ground. The scene may have a couple of implications, one of the not-so-subtle ones being Butcher bit off a piece of Jonah while murdering him. Did he develop a taste for human flesh in all the violence he enacted over the years? We’re not sure. But it is fitting because his pet bulldog, Terror, takes after him as well.
3Butcher’s Dog Terror Might Have Traces of Compound V in Him
Terror, who has only ever been seen in the series on one occasion or two, was actually a recurring character in the comics. Butcher got him sometime between working for Mallory and recruiting Hughie.
He is no ordinary dog; he is a vicious bulldog trained to sexually violate things on command. He also has an acquired taste for flesh. From peeing on Homelander’s legs to biting off Crimson Countess’ arm, Terror has committed acts that qualify him less as Butcher’s pet and more as a member of The Boys.
Also worth pointing out is the fact that Terror might be carrying a bit of Compound V in him. It hasn’t been mentioned obliquely in the comics, but considering the fact that Garth Ennis created him as a sidekick to Butcher, the chances are quite high.
Additionally, Butcher is protective of Terror to the point where he will put an end to anyone who harms or threatens to harm him. The TV show is yet to showcase the full extent of Terror’s potential and how vital he is to Butcher’s narrative as an extension of himself.
2Butcher’s Past With Becca Is Much Darker in the Comics
In the TV series, Billy Butcher and Becca Butcher have always been married. They shared a beautiful and harmless life until one day, any chance of a future was robbed out of Butcher’s bare hands. But in the comics, the story goes differently.
It was a couple of nights after Butcher was discharged from the Royal Marines that he was riding a subway train, sitting next to a woman with a broken arm and a battered face. The woman, chuckling quietly, remarked how Butcher looked like a panda with his two black eyes.
The two struck up a conversation, Butcher learned that the woman’s name was Becky Saunders and Becky learned of his relationship with his abusive father. Instantly charmed by her kind eyes and warm presence, Butcher told her she was the most beautiful woman he had ever met. Their chance encounter led them to getting married. On their week-long trip to Miami, Billy and Becky meet The Seven, which is where Becky was sexually assaulted by a member of the team.
Soon after their return to London, Becky finds herself pregnant with a super-powered child, who, much like in the television series, is responsible for her death. Except, the manner of her death is different. The fetus cuts its way out of Becca and Butcher wakes up in the middle of the night to find it with its laser-emitting eyes hovering over her body. He acts on instinct and murders it with a desk lamp.
The Prime Video series hasn’t expanded on Billy and Becca’s relationship much. Even though there are similarities on the surface, Bacca’s son, Ryan, is a key member of the series. Not only does he land the first blow on his own father (Homelander) to protect his mother, but he also begins to realize his potential and eventually decides to follow in his father’s footsteps after being betrayed by Butcher.
That said, the differences in Butcher and Becca’s past extend beyond their meet-cute, and Becca’s infant baby, with Billy still working for the CIA in the show, as opposed to Becky pulling her away from the same in the comics for a quieter, more domestic life.
1Butcher Is The Boys Creator Garth Ennis’ Favorite Character
Garth Ennis is the Irish-American comics writer best known for the Preacher series and his nine-year-long involvement in Marvel Comics’ Punisher franchise. Despite his constant indulgence in the works, he was disappointed with the state of superheroes in the late 2000s, thinking the comic books were portraying them as ridiculous and deviant and amoral. When he created The Boys, it was meant as a satire. Ennis wanted to lay focus on the anti-hero sentiment of the superhero genre.
Billy Butcher appeals to Garth Ennis because he feels the most true-to-life and gritty. Unlike many other comic book heroes who seem otherworldly with their powers and durability, Butcher was visceral and driven by genuine flaws and frustrations. A parody of Marvel’s The Punisher, Butcher is traumatized by his childhood and discontent with his life. Fans somewhat relate to him because they see all the messy human emotions portrayed through him.
Moreover, Ennis has made sure that Butcher is rich and complex. While he may seem a monster to his enemies, his friends know that there is a tortured soul underneath the rough exterior.
Back when he was working with DC Comics and Marvel Comics, Ennis had said that the only superheroes he likes are Superman, Wonder Woman, and The Punisher, with a particular fondness towards characters like Nick Fury. The fact that Billy Butcher is a psychologically real human who shamelessly delights in violence and is against Supes of any kind makes him an obvious favorite.
