The Boys has many corrupt Supes, and between Homelander (Antony Starr), Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit), Firecracker (Valorie Curry), and Sister Sage (Susan Heyward), there were plenty of powerful villains in Season 4. Yet one smaller superpowered enemy made an impression with his brief appearance. Tek Knight (Derek Wilson) was introduced before the most recent season, but his role in The Boys Season 4 was eventful. Meant as a spoof on Batman, the character has family wealth, a reputation for his detective skills, a British butler, a history of sidekicks, and a secret lair in his basement, but like always, there is a sinister twist. His family’s money comes from private prisons, and the cave is not for vigilante purposes but as a sex dungeon. While there is certainly a lot to pick apart when it comes to Tek Knight, the biggest issue is his powers.

Unlike Batman, Tek Knight is, in fact, a Supe with powers of superhuman strength, superhuman deduction, and superhuman durability. However, the series has some inconsistencies as far as what he can do, especially when you take into account his appearance in the spinoff, Gen V. Power scale is a difficult thing to keep consistent as a character goes from a substantial threat to a defeated enemy, but, in the case of Tek Knight, it could be a rather glaring plot hole.

What Does Tek Knight Do in ‘The Boys’?

Tek Knight has long been referenced in the series. He is responsible for breaking a woman’s back while saving her from a hostage situation, as we learn from the Season 1 Association of Collateral Damage Survivors meeting. That takes considerable strength (along with recklessness), proving that his super strength is real. But Tek Knight becomes a memorable character in the fourth season, specifically in Episode 6, “Dirty Business,” when he hosts a party where Hughie (Jack Quaid) sneaks in disguised as Web Weaver (Dan Mousseau). The storyline puts Tek Knight in the spotlight. While the party becomes a venue for Homelander and Neuman to push their political agenda, Tek Knight has a plan of his own. Arranging a meeting with Web Weaver, the Supe hopes to indulge his twisted desires and maybe find a new sidekick, which puts Hughie in a terrible situation. The uncomfortable storyline results in Starlight (Erin Moriarty) and Kamiko (Karen Fukuhara) breaking in to stop him, which reveals the issues about his powers.

Surprised by their entrance, Tek Knight has no chance to fight back, but Kimiko’s flying kick at him only knocks him down, showing off his enhanced strength. Kimiko has a proven ability to inflict damage, but Tek Knight survives her attack with seemingly no injury, just going unconscious. That isn’t such an issue, considering Kimiko could simply be stronger than him. After all, both are Supes, but Kimiko seems to have more experience fighting than Tek Knight. But when he wakes up, Tek Knight has been subdued and locked into leather restraints that he cannot break out of, even as he is forced to watch his money donated to charitable causes. The emotional torture is enough for him to sell out Homelander and risk his life, but not to get him to use his established super strength to break the simple restraints. Tek Knight remains trapped even when his non-powered butler, Elijah (Tyrone Benskin), gives up on him, choking him to death — a trick that would never work on most Supes. But that isn’t the worst of the inconsistencies.

Tek Knight’s Role in ‘Gen V’ Heightens the Plot Hole

As a spoof of superheroes without powers, like Batman and Iron Man, Tek Knight has a special suit in the comics that could explain the inconsistencies. However, the suit never appears in the show. When Ryan (Cameron Crovetti) plays the in-universe video game Tournament of Heroes, Tek Knight is wearing what appears to be the suit, but it is never explicitly confirmed that The Boys’ Tek Knight has such a suit. If he did, it could explain how he could break someone’s back while saving them and still go down with a single kick from Kimiko. However, even a suit cannot fix the plot hole entirely because it is not contained to his appearance in The Boys. Before Season 4 of The Boys, Tek Knight played an important role in Gen V, showing up at the school to “investigate” the events surrounding Golden Boy’s (Patrick Schwarzenegger) death. Though, in truth, he is helping Vought with the coverup.

This role involves interrogating the characters, which is not dangerous enough for him to don his protective gear, and even so, he suggests that he can handle himself without it. As he searches for someone to blame, he uses his powers to deduce the truth and to threaten the people closest to the situation, including Marie (Jaz Sinclair), Andre (Chance Perdomo), and Cate (Maddie Phillips). Tek Knight even tells Cate that he will take her hand off if she uses her powers of persuasion on him, showing his confidence in his ability to best another Supe without a special suit. In comparison, tearing off a person’s hand should be more difficult than breaking out of leather restraints, especially if that person is a Supe. Perhaps it was an empty threat, but Cate, aware of other Supes and their abilities, seems to take it seriously.

Expanding Franchises Across Series Takes Immense Thought and Planning

While power inconsistencies are a common problem, the issue could have been avoided entirely with better restraints or a more thorough explanation of his powers. Even a passing comment when he and Hughie enter the room establishing that the restraints were made to withstand his powers or the group sowing concern that he could break out before realizing this could have done the trick. Maybe the audience is supposed to guess that, but considering the effort The Boys made to incorporate the events of Gen V into the series, they should have paid more attention to the details.

This issue will not continue since Tek Knight is dead, but it speaks to the larger connectivity of the universe. This time it was a minor issue, but as both shows continue, it may not stay that way. Consistency becomes more difficult with additional series, and as The Boys’ universe expands, each installment needs to be attuned to the minutia of the others to keep the world intact.

The Boys is available now for streaming on Prime Video in the U.S.