The Boys season 3 established a tragic final choice for the leader of the titular group of anti-Supe vigilantes, Billy Butcher (Karl Urban). Throughout The Boys season 3, Billy Butcher makes use of V24, otherwise known as Temp V: an unstable serum that can provide a random superpower to an ordinary person for 24 hours, after being given some by Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott). V24 gives Butcher the abilities of heat vision and super strength. However, among the many side effects of V24 is the development of brain tumors in frequent users. It is estimated to be fatal after three to five doses.
Throughout The Boys season 3, Billy Butcher uses V24 six times, and is given 12–18 months to live in the finale "The Instant White-Hot Wild". For obvious reasons, this puts a major spanner in the works of Billy Butcher's plan to kill Homelander, and rid the world of corrupt Supes. However, it does present his character with a fascinating choice to make in future seasons of The Boys.
Butcher Could Have A Tragic Choice When The Boys Ends
With Billy Butcher now living on borrowed time in The Boys, he could have a truly tragic and potentially ironic choice to make at the end of his story. He could either die as an ordinary human, likely not fulfilling his mission, or he could take proper Compound V and heal his condition. However, this would turn Billy Butcher permanently into a Supe, the one thing he hates most in life.
This means that perhaps the only way that Billy Butcher could fulfill his mission to kill Homelander, and the other corrupt Supes, is to become one of them. His determination to rid the world of Supes could mean that he turns into one, so that he can achieve his goal. However, becoming a permanent Supe in The Boys could make Butcher lose every single part of his humanity in future episodes of The Boys, becoming the very thing he swore to destroy.
Would Butcher Really Become A Supe To Finish His Mission?
Given Billy Butcher's utter hatred for Supes, it would initially seem unlikely that he would choose to become one. However, the only thing that overpowers his hatred for Supes in The Boys is his determination to fulfill his mission to kill them. Butcher has frequently put himself in conflicts with powerful Supes that would almost certainly guarantee his demise, but he always finds a way to come out on top, such as utilizing V24 for a fight with Soldier Boy and Homelander.
This display of Butcher's behavior shows that he would be more than willing to use Compound V to potentially heal himself, and thus become a Supe with powers rivaling Homelander. This is certainly the case in the comic series that The Boys is based on, as Butcher creates a modified Compound V so that he could kill every Supe in an act of genocide. However, the television version of The Boys is not the most accurate of comic adaptations, meaning that there is every likelihood that Billy Butcher could still choose to die rather than become a Supe.