The Boys has successfully transitioned from comics to television screens. Though the show may change many storylines, the character development is solid. With the inclusion of many favorite supes and humans, the newest episode manages to waste a comic book character for the right reasons.
But, several characters have been adapted for new storylines in the series, and audiences would never know these characters were not originally in the comic books. Some are entirely new for important plot points and story progression, while others are altered from their comic book counterparts. These characters are great additions to storytelling in the Vought universe despite their non-literary origins.
Seth Reed
Seth Reed is a public relations writer for Vought. Though he has a smaller role, he is important for the big picture. Seth is another person who was harmed by supes. His penis was frozen off following sex with Ice Princess, who has the ability to turn her body to ice. He joins a support group after the incident, and his addition to the show represents supes unintentional impact on regular humans.
Injury aside, he is most known for rebranding the supes. In season 2, he helps rebrand Queen Maeve as Brave Maeve when Homelander outs her sexuality to the public. In season 3, he is helping A-Train rebrand to connect with the Black community despite not agreeing with it.
Alastair Adana
Alastair Adana and the Church of the Collective appear in the show for The Deep to regain his status in the Seven. The Church is a cult-like organization that recruits supes to spread their message. Alastair is a high-profile individual who has a huge network of powerful people who reveal insider information. He is a man with an extensive collection of unknown secrets.
The Deep is introduced to Alastair through Eagle the Archer. Wanting to help The Deep fix his reputation, Alastair wants to help him regain his position in the Seven so he can further the Church’s influence with him as a spokesperson. His character highlights everything wrong with celebrities promoting religious organizations, but his corruption can to an abrupt end thanks to Victoria Neuman.
Ezekiel
Appearing only in the series, Ezekiel is an ultra-conservative Christian Supe with elastic abilities. He does not practice what he preaches to the masses at Christian festivals though, as Ezekiel is caught on camera in a supes-only club engaging in sexual activities with men, which is used against him in order to gain information on Compound V.
In the comics, Oh Father is a mega-church preacher with super strength and flying abilities and is the closest character to Ezekiel. The adjustment of the character for the show’s storyline links Hughie to Ezekiel through Starlight who grew up on the Christian festival circuit.
Kenji
As part of a long list of things changed from the comics about Kimiko, her brother, Kenji, only exists in the show. Kimiko is not given an extensive backstory in the comics, whereas in the show she and her brother were captives of a terrorist organization and he is indoctrinated to commit terrorist acts in America.
Kenji may not appear much on screen, but his existence is enough to shape Kimiko’s entire personality. She is fueled by love to find her brother and then by rage to avenge his death. As the newest season progresses, Kimiko is becoming more and more aware of her actions and wants to experience everything she and her brother had always talked about doing with Frenchie.
Translucent
Translucent was a supe created for the series and does not appear in the comics. With skin made of carbon that bends light, he appears invisible and his skin is impenetrable. This is a key point that brings the Boys together as they hold Translucent hostage for information on A-Train following Robin’s death.
As a great addition to the Seven, his ability to appear invisible is his best asset. He was undetectable when following Hughie and Butcher back to the electronics store under the suspicion that Hughie was up to something. He can get away with anything, including hanging out in the women’s restroom. He was an underutilized character who could have brought more to the show if kept alive.
Ryan Butcher
Fans who have not read the comics would be surprised to learn Ryan Butcher was made for the TV series. As the son of Homelander and Becca Butcher, he is the first supe to be born rather than created using Compound V. Ryan is kept a secret, living with Becca in a remote, guarded location.
In the comics, Black Noir is really a clone of Homelander and has an infant son that Butcher beats to death. Ryan is loosely based on that storyline. His inclusion in the series shows promise, as he could grow up even stronger than his father, but with more morals and empathy having grown up with an actual mother. While he does not have much of an arc yet, audiences could see him develop his powers in coming seasons.
Ashley Barrett
Ashley Barrett, the current Senior Vice Present of Hero Management for Vought, does not appear in the comics, but is loosely based on Jessica Bradley. Ashley is a low-key villain who truly is in over her head with the supes. She is not respected by her colleagues, and she cannot control Homelander like Madelyn Stillwell could.
In the comics, Jessica Bradley grows close to a male Stillwell and develops romantic feelings. In the show, Ashley is female Stillwell’s shadow and eventually takes her job. Though Ashley shares a few similarities to Jessica Bradley, including her desire to career climb by any means necessary, she is not as intelligent. Ashley’s character is borderline annoying with her over-the-top attempts at handling the supes, but Colby Minifie does an amazing job making her unlikable.
Madelyn Stillwell
Madelyn Stillwell is adapted from James Stillwell. While James is portrayed as a high-functioning sociopath who Homelander tries to impress and instill fear in, Madelyn is a competent executive who sexually manipulates Homelander into doing what she wants. She is a single mother who is attempting to juggle her young son and the Seven.
The inclusion of Madelyn in season 1 further illustrates Homelander’s unsettling and bizarre tendencies. He has a weird obsession with her breastmilk and shows jealousy towards her son for receiving affection. Nevertheless, she has been the most successful at keeping Homelander’s darker thoughts from surfacing.
Victoria Neuman
Victoria Neuman is very loosely based on Vice Present Vic Neuman in the comics, who is the former CEO of Vought. She is a politician introduced in season 2 who wants to hold supes accountable for their actions. Victoria is one of the best new characters, as those around her have no idea she is actually a supe herself and Stan Edgar’s adopted daughter.
Victoria and Vic share few similarities. Vic is not a supe and has zero powers. Meanwhile, Victoria has the ability to make heads explode, literally. She is a welcomed addition to the show and an unlikely adversary for the Boys, and Claudia Doumit is believable as a politician with a dirty secret that even shocks Hughie.
Stan Edgar
Played by Giancarlo Esposito, Stan Edgar is only mentioned in the comics before dying off-panel. Though he doesn’t have a large role in the comics, Stan is a closer adaption of James Stillwell compared to Madelyn in the series. He aims to make a profit at the expense of others. He maintains a calm exterior in the face of adversity compared to the highly emotional and dramatic supes.
Edgar is able to control Homelander to some extent. He also hides the Seven’s illicit activities in order to control Vought’s public image and stock holdings. In season 3, he is revealed to be the adoptive father to Victoria Neuman and willingly cleans up the bloody mess she caused in an alleyway. He may die in the comics, but he is currently alive and taking a leave of absence from Vought due to Homelander pressuring Neuman to release his crimes.