Summary

• of control. Cate can only control one person at a time and her control over them is not complete. She can influence their actions and thoughts, but not their entire mind. While she is a formidable player in the series, her powers have their limitations.

The Boys is based on a long-running comic series, but Prime Video's adaptation is an intriguing idea that takes a slightly more measured approach to the deconstruction of the superhero genre, and this shows in The Boys powers. The show wrestles with questions like "What are the consequences of having super-powered superheroes in society with the everyday person?" and "What happens when superheroes aren't all decent people and become more concerned about their celebrity status than the people they are supposed to protect?"

Viewers get an exploration of this when Hughie, an everyday human, watches his girlfriend torn apart as A-Train (a superhero) accidentally runs through her. While humans have their own strengths, there's no denying that most of the Supes are on another level. The Boys was a smash hit from its very first episode, and the franchise continued with more seasons and spin-offs including a web series called Seven on 7, an animated series called Diabolical, and a live-action series called Gen V followed. What they have in common is The Boys powers that rivaled even the movies and shows from Marvel and DC.

Termite Can Shrink

There are several powerful variants of Marvel's Ant-Man across superhero media, but Termite seems to do the least with his incredible ability. Termite was the central figure in season 3's shocking opening episode, and it set the tone that he'd rather use his powers for leisure than combat. Termite doesn't appear to be able to grow as Ant-Man can, but a tiny person that retains strength could still cause damage. Unfortunately, the only times that Termite is seen using his powers are to aid in his sex life and run away when he's in trouble. Termite is killed unceremoniously in the episode "Herogasm," so his potential will go unfulfilled.

Popclaw Has Enhanced Strength And Razorsharp Retractable Claws

Popclaw was A-Train's semi-secret girlfriend. While she is an actress, she doesn't have the celebrity status of the Seven. She possesses extreme strength and sharp claws that she can use to fight, though she does work out to increase her strength. Viewers don't get many scenes of Popclaw in fighting mode, but she easily killed her landlord when they were engaged in a sexual act which proved her strength, though A-Train was able to take her out quickly without much trouble with the help of his super speed.

Ezekiel Can Stretch Every Part Of His Body

Although not in the Seven, Ezekiel has ties with them as we see Homelander and Starlight at his religious function. His celebrity status comes from him being the leader of a large Christian group, which benefits his position with Vought. Apart from this celebrity status, his power is extreme elasticity. Like Marvel's Mister Fantastic, Ezekiel can stretch his limbs to extreme lengths in all directions. He also is very close to Homelander, which is a power in itself.

Mesmer Can Read Minds With Physical Contact

Mesmer once was part of a previous superhero team and has become somewhat of a celebrity. He wants to get back into A-Train and Homelander's inner circle, and that is what dampens his power. While his power is incredible, as he can read minds by touching any part of someone, his desperation makes him weaker. He doesn't read his superhero acquaintances or the urgency of his human allies well. In addition, he believes that one mind-reading represents the whole person, not realizing that people can change and develop connections (i.e. his estranged daughter).

Doppelganger Is Able To Completely Transform His Body

While Doppelganger first appeared in season one when he worked with Madelyne Stillwell to help blackmail corporate rivals, his unique services were retained by Homelander following her death at his hands. Doppelganger was kept away at a secluded cabin by Homelander, where he was forced to use his shapechanging abilities to transform first into Madelyne and then into Homelander himself to engage in sexual activity and act as his closest companion until he was eventually killed by Homelander as well.

Hughie Campbell Can Teleport

Hughie may have started out as the most naive doe-eyed member of They Boys, but that all changed in season 3 when he started taking doses of Temp V. As of now, there's no way to predict what powers will manifest with this temporary version of the super serum, and Hughie ended up being able to teleport. This has certainly come in handy both while fighting and engaging in more stealth-based operations, but they also don't make him a top-tier fighter. Hughie doesn't seem to have been granted any increased durability, so he still needs to avoid direct hand-to-hand combat. It also appears that Temp V is killing Hughie, so time will tell if he ever regains these abilities again.

The Deep Can Speak To Fish And Has Enhanced Strength

The Deep is portrayed as initially a "good" guy, but then his terrible true colors are shown as he takes advantage of the newcomer, Starlight. Characters like Aquaman have shown that communicating with aquatic life can indeed be a formidable power, but The Deep has yet to show any intimidating use of it. In season 3, The Deep's powers are made even more of a joke as he only uses them to express his bizarre form of sexuality. The Deep may not have the strongest powers, but he could certainly get more out of them than he is if he wanted to.

Black Noir Has Enhanced Strength And Durability

Black Noir is the most mysterious of the Seven, as he doesn't even open up to his other teammates for reasons that are unknown until the events of season 3. Suffering from severe brain damage after an altercation with Soldier Boy in their Payback days, Noir is left a largely amoral assassin who can still put up quite the fight. It was revealed in the second season of The Boys that the master martial artist not only wielded incredible strength, but he was also incredibly durable and nearly impossible to kill, making him one of the most effective members of the Seven until Homelander ultimately killed him for keeping the truth of his father a secret.

Translucent's Diamond Hard Skin Renders Him Invisible

In the opening scene of the first episode, two teenagers debate whether Translucent or the Deep would win in a fight. It is true that Translucent and the Deep seem almost equally matched, though the former seems more aggressive with his abilities. Translucent is invisible and hard to kill, based on his unique skin. Still, he is killed by Hughie after Frenchie figures out that they can take down Translucent from the inside. Once the secret of his skin was cracked, Translucent was pretty vulnerable.

Kenji Miyashiro Has Deadly Telekinetic Hands

Kimiyo's brother Kenji Miyashiro was mentioned in the first season, though he didn't make his debut until the second season as the mysterious Supe-Terrorist who was given his abilities by the same organization that transformed his sister. However, while Kimiyo was able to escape with the help of the Boys, Kenji was conscripted and manipulated to work with the Shining Light Liberation Army with his powerful telekinetic hands, which made him a deadly but controllable threat until he was killed in battle with Stormfront.

The TNT Twins Can Shoot Lasers From Their Hands

The TNT twins were a pair of young siblings that fought with Soldier Boy back in his Payback days, but they haven't maintained any control over their abilities as they've aged. The two host Herogasms, and when Soldier Boy arrives, it's clear that the two don't like each other anymore and haven't used their powers in years. When they need them most, all the twins can muster from their powers is a sad little fizzle. Even at their strongest, though, they're severely limited by their powers requiring the two to hold hands to function.

Lamplighter Can Control Fire

The character known as Lamplighter was an original member of the Seven in the original The Boys comic series, though he was absent from the team and only mentioned a few times during the first season of Amazon Prime Video's adaptation. However, the character debuted in the second season, where his pyrokinetic abilities to control fire and his past with both the Seven and the Boys were revealed. Lamplighter's powerful abilities were put to use eradicating Supes at the Sage Grove Center before he escaped and eventually took his own life at Vaught Tower.

Crimson Countess Can Shoot Explosive Energy Balls

Crimson Countess is past her combat prime by the time she appears in season 3 of The Boys, but she still packs quite a punch. The Countess is able to summon red, glowing orbs from her hands that fire at enemies and destroy anything they contact in a massive explosion. This is seen being used to great effect both in the show's modern timeline and in Payback flashbacks, but the ability does come with one major drawback. The Countess can only use her abilities when she brings her hands together, so she's rendered defenseless if her arms are restrained.

Cate Dunlap Can Control People's Minds

Cate Dunlap has one of the most powerful The Boys powers, but there are limits to it. She is a student at God U, and she can control the minds of others. The most powerful character in this universe has mind control powers (Mindstorm), but Cate's limitations keep her from coming close to his level. She can control someone to fight for her or to put themselves in danger to eliminate them as a threat. However, the biggest downfall is that her power drains her as she uses it, and she soon loses the ability to continue on in longer battles. She also has to be close enough to touch the person, so there are limitations, but she is still extremely powerful.

A-Train Has Incredible Super Speed

A-Train is fast, similar to the Flash, and on Compound V he is faster than anyone. Super speed is obviously a formidable power, and A-Train can do almost anything before others can react. He hasn't broken reality with his speed like The Flash likes to do, but maybe it's coming. Ultimately, his desire for even more speed leads him to addiction and then to a heart attack. While he was able to recover from the heart attack, his abilities were left diminished, and he was nearly replaced on the Seven by fellow speedster Shockwave. Fans are excited to see where A-Train goes next now that he's got a new heart thanks to the man he hates most, Bluehawk.

Marie Moreau Can Control Blood

Marie Moreau is young when it comes to the superheroes in The Boys: Gen V. She is only a freshman at God U, but she soon becomes one of the faces of the school after Golden Boy dies. The problem is that she can't control her powers as well as others, and she won't show her true power until she eventually does. Marie can control the blood in her body and in other's bodies as well. She, however, has to be careful, as she accidentally killed her parents when her powers went wrong. With that said, she can turn blood into sharp weapons, bind people with it, and even cause blood in someone to expand until they explode.

Starlight Can Absorb And Rechannel Energy

Starlight is a morally good superhero, something rare in the world of The Boys. While the recognition is nice, she cares more about using her powers for good than anything else. Apart from having strength, she can harness light, making it bright enough to blind people and do at least some level of physical damage. When she uses her powers, her eyes glow, displaying how integrated her power is into her entire being. On top of this, she has worked to strengthen and harness her powers. When she shows her powers, even some of the Seven are impressed and a little scared.

Golden Boy Has Thermonuclear Powers

One of the most powerful heroes who attended Godolkin University in The Boys: Gen V was Golden Boy. Luke Riordan, also known as Golden Boy, had thermonuclear powers, which meant he could control and wield fire, resist explosions, and fly. He also had superhuman strength and durability. He was so powerful that The Seven offered him a spot on the team before he even graduated from school, which showed how strong he was in this world. However, when it came to The Boys powers, his brother Sam knocked him out, which showed a limit, and of course, he eventually died.

Sam Riordan Has Exceptionally Strong Strength

When it comes to The Boys powers, many have enhanced super strength. However, even in a world with super-powerful characters, Sam Riordan is on a level of his own. He doesn't even need a superhero name to remain considered dangerous to society. He is so strong and durable that he has knocked out his own brother, Golden Boy, and God U keeps him sedated and imprisoned below its facilities. However, his powers are so strong that he has escaped several times and resisted capture by other Supes. His only weakness is his lack of control.

Queen Maeve Has Super Strength, Speed, And Agility

Queen Maeve appears to be nearly equal to Homelander in powers. She has super strength, great fighting skills, and can leap to soaring heights. In the opening scene, she stops a vehicle by merely standing in front of it. Homelander respects her due to her powers. Additionally, Queen Maeve had once been like Starlight—in the superhero business to save others and to make a difference. She is smart, reflective, and jaded. However, out of all the Seven, she may be the only one whose powers rival Homelander and could stop him. Queen Maeve is currently powerless thanks to her run-in with Soldier Boy, but fans aren't convinced she won't make a return.