The Boys season 4 hints at Billy Butcher being a Supe, and episode 5 may feature a disturbing clue about the power he obtained by taking Compound V. Butcher tells Hughie that he injected himself with Vought’s drug after his cancer diagnosis, but he believes it didn’t do anything. Of course, his encounter with Ezekiel in The Boys season 4, episode 4 all but confirms that he’s wrong. There’s no way he could rip a Supe to pieces without some sort of ability. Since Butcher blacks out, it’s difficult to say what power the drug might have given him.
Butcher’s powers in The Boys comics include all the usual staples of being a Supe: super strength, speed, and endurance. However, he doesn’t exhibit any of these in The Boys season 4 — except when he faces off against Ezekiel. Even then, it’s desperation that pushes him to destroy the Supe. As the Amazon show differs significantly from the source material, there are other powers Butcher might have that allow him to do this level of damage. From vein control to power copying, the possibilities seem endless — but episode 5 may hold a clue about what’s going on with Butcher.
The Boys Season 4’s Dead Rabbit May Foreshadow Butcher’s Secret Supe Power
There Has To Be Some Meaning Behind Their Interactions
Butcher and The Boys encounter numerous animals injected with Compound V in The Boys season 4, episode 5 — but he pays more attention to one that’s been given Temp V, and there might be a deeper reason for that. When The Boys discover Neuman’s lab in “Beware the Jabberwock, My Son,” Butcher frees a rabbit that’s been left inside a cage after being overloaded with Temp V. It doesn’t display the same aggressive behavior that the other superpowered animals do, and The Boys soon reveals why.
Butcher runs into the rabbit again later, and it’s dying. There are tentacles protruding from its mid-section, seemingly an ability Temp V granted it — though its body clearly can’t handle this new power. As Butcher is also dying because of Temp V, the rabbit seems to be a disturbing portrayal of what awaits him. However, it could also be a hint about Butcher’s Supe power. After all, previous episodes show something dark moving through Butcher’s body. Although it initially looks like his veins, later scenes suggest it’s something more sinister.
Perhaps Butcher’s Temp V usage will result in a similar physical manifestation of power. This doesn’t bode well for him, as he may still wind up dead, just like episode 5’s rabbit. But with Butcher later taking real Compound V, it’s possible he’s able to use this power without instantly perishing. Such an ability would explain what happens to Ezekiel after he nearly kills Butcher. The Boys’ former leader might be suffering the physical effects of Temp V while also demonstrating secret Supe powers. And episode 5 contains another clue that backs this up.
An MM Line In The Boys Season 4 Could Be Another Hint Of Butcher’s Powers
Episode 5 Suggests Butcher Has A More Monstrous Ability
The rabbit isn’t the only hint that Butcher has Supe powers in The Boys season 4, episode 5. A line from MM also alludes to this potential, even if it seems like a throwaway. While the group is debating whether they should use the last dose of the Supe virus to kill the animals outside, Butcher suggests they save it for Homelander and “leg it.” He’s willing to risk the others’ lives to get his revenge, and Starlight calls him “a monster.” MM then tries to appeal to Butcher’s humanity, telling him that he isn’t a monster.
This line suggests that, if Butcher is a Supe, his ability won’t be something flashy like laser vision or super speed.
Starlight’s and MM’s words don’t initially stand out as an omen, but the phrasing used during this conversation is interesting. Given what Butcher does to Ezekiel, it’s very possible there’s something monstrous inside him. This line suggests that, if Butcher is a Supe, his ability won’t be something flashy like laser vision or super speed. It’s more likely to be grotesque, just like what happens to the rabbit. This further fuels the idea that Butcher has something inside him waiting to claw its way out. Whether it’s tentacles or another beastly ability remains to be seen.
Hopefully, the last three episodes of The Boys season 4 will reveal what’s going on with Butcher — and if it’s related to the Compound V he stole from Frenchie. If he does have Supe powers, it’ll be interesting to see if the show foreshadows them in earlier installments. Such a development could also change Butcher’s fate ahead of The Boys season 5 and turn the tables in the fight against Homelander.
