One of the most shocking moments in The Boys was the big reveal that Butcher was the final antagonist – but surprisingly, the comic forshadowed this gutwrenching twist years before it actually happened. Butcher’s genocidal turn was difficult for readers to confront, but as it turns out, it was the inevitable, long-awaited endgame for his character.

The Boys #30 – written by Garth Ennis, with art by Darick Robertson – first hinted at Butcher’s gestating genocidal ideals. During a train ride home after a nearly botched mission, Butcher explains to Hughie in very clear terms that the Boys aren’t here to make the world better, they simply exist to prevent the world from getting any worse.

In retrospect, this moment isn’t just Butcher reminding Hughie what the Boys are for, it is actually Butcher alluding to just exactly how far he plans on taking his war against Supes.

Butcher’s Plan To Destroy All Supes Was Hinted At Early In “The Boys”

The Boys #30 – Written By Garth Ennis; Art By Darick Robertson; Color By Tony Aviña; Lettering By Simon Bowland

While talking to Hughie in The Boys #30, he outright says that when it comes to cancer, it can be hard to decide when to stop cutting. Instead of just cutting out the “bad” Supes, he intends to cut them all out.

The most heartbreaking moment in The Boys is when Butcher reveals his true genocidal plans and kills his friends and teammates. Mother’s Milk, Kimiko, Frenchie, the Legend, Love Sausage – Butcher kills every single one except for Hughie. Hughie is completely shocked that Butcher would turn on them like this, and that he’d be unhinged enough to try and kill every Supe on the planet. Because of how compound V works, Butcher wouldn’t just be genociding the Supes, but he’d also be killing a few million innocent people who had compound V in them, who didn’t have powers.

Hughie really should’ve seen this coming though, as Butcher rarely lied about his intentions. While talking to Hughie in The Boys #30, he outright says that when it comes to cancer, it can be hard to decide when to stop cutting. Instead of just cutting out the “bad” Supes, he intends to cut them all out. While the Boys succeed in killing the Seven and decimating the number of Supes on the planet, they don’t actually make the world a better place. Vought continues being allowed to exploit Supes for profit, and if that isn’t profitable, they’ll just move onto something else.

Butcher called Hughie his failsafe; someone who was meant to stop him when no one else could. That’s likely why he had this conversation with him in The Boys #30.

Butcher Never Intended On Letting A Single Supe Live – Even If Innocent People Had To Die

Hughie – And Readers – Shouldn’t Have Been Surprised

Butcher was always going to kill every Supe he possibly could, but there was a small piece of humanity still inside of him that knew genocide was a step too far. This is why he recruited Hughie into the Boys. Butcher called Hughie his failsafe; someone who was meant to stop him when no one else could. That’s likely why he had this conversation with him in The Boys #30. Butcher was hinting to Hughie exactly how far he intended to go and wanted to see if Hughie would pick up on these plans. Thankfully for The Boys universe, Hughie did eventually realize what was going on and prevented the biggest massacre the world would have ever seen.

The Boys #30 is available now from Dynamite Entertainment!

The most heartbreaking moment in The Boys is when Butcher reveals his true genocidal plans and kills his friends and teammates. Mother’s Milk, Kimiko, Frenchie, the Legend, Love Sausage – Butcher kills every single one except for Hughie. Hughie is completely shocked that Butcher would turn on them like this, and that he’d be unhinged enough to try and kill every Supe on the planet. Because of how compound V works, Butcher wouldn’t just be genociding the Supes, but he’d also be killing a few million innocent people who had compound V in them, who didn’t have powers.