Will Other The Boys Members Get Powers (& What Will They Be)?

The Boys season 3 introduces Billy Butcher's Compound-V induced abilities, opening the potential for other Boys members to follow suit and gain powers as they have in the comics. The Boys premiered in 2019 to commercial and critical acclaim, and it quickly became one of Amazon Prime's best original shows. The comic book adaptation follows William "Billy" Butcher and his team, the Boys, on their mission to expose the wrong-doings of Supes, or superheroes.

Every Supe in The Boys is created with Compound-V, a highly rare chemical concoction developed by Jonah Vogelbaum. He stole it and fled to the U.S., where it fell into the hands of Vought, a massive money-making corporation that used it to develop superheroes and turn them into celebrities. Being exposed to Compound-V as an infant, like Homelander, yields the best results in terms of the abilities bestowed. However, in the comics, a fully grown adult can also use the chemical to gain powers.

One of The Boys' biggest draws is how badly the odds are stacked against the titular group, being mostly unpowered themselves. The one exception is Kimiko, who once stood against Black Noir — a possible Homelander clone — and nearly died. The Boys season 3 looks to build upon the group and their powers, as the trailer introduces a green version of Compound-V that, when ingested, can make anyone a superhero. However, unlike in the comics, the benefits are temporary. There, all members of the Boys were already superpowered at the start, with the exception of Hughie Campbell, but whether the show will now give the other members of the Boys their comic book powers, and what they will be, are unknown.

Billy Butcher's Powers In The Boys Season 3 & Comics

Karl Urban as Billy Butcher in The Boys Butcher Baker Candlestickmaker

William "Billy" Butcher is an ex-royal marine who is backed by the CIA. He is known for his ability to manipulate, his deep knowledge of others, and his sheer brutality, which stems from his intense hatred of Supes. This animosity has been touched upon in the show, but in the comics, it is darker: ultimately Homelander — Vought's top superhero — sexually assaulted Butcher's wife, Becca, resulting in her death. In the comics, Butcher experiences the standard effects of Compound-V; he's stronger, faster, and more durable, coming close to the strength of Mother's Milk.

The trailer for The Boys season 3 introduces Supe Butcher, but there are differences in the adaptation. Firstly, he has only been seen to use his yellow laser-eyes ability in the series, yet this is not a power he ever gained in the original comic. Secondly, Butcher's strength, speed, and other abilities remain unknown, though it is likely he will gain those, too. How strong the show decides to make the temporarily superpowered Butcher in season 3, however, could also vary.

Hughie's Powers In The Boys Explained

The Boys Season 1 Is Best Hughie Had More Action

Hugh "Hughie" Campbell is the heart and soul of the Boys, often acting as the anchor to the team's morality. In the comics, Hughie became part of the Boys when A-Train accidentally killed his girlfriend by throwing one of the Seven's villains into a building she was standing next to. Hughie is the last member of the Boys to receive superpowers, which he gets just before the group confronts the young superhero team Teenage Kix thanks to Butcher injecting him with Compound-V without his permission. In Hughie's first fight, he has the strength to instantly kill the character Blarney Cock, a member of Teenage Kix, with a single punch through the chest. He also experiences enhanced speed and durability.

In the show, Hughie's strength mostly revolves around his ability to calm down members of the Boys and to hold them together as a team. He also is constantly underestimated, but he uses his smarts to get the best of his enemies as seen with his sudden turn against Translucent. It is unlikely that Hughie would choose to take Compound-V willingly, with his distaste for the violent life he has fallen into and wanting nothing more than to return to normal by the end of The Boys season 2. However, as in the comics, there is a chance Butcher won't give Hughie a choice. Given that Butcher is handed three Compound-V vials in the season 3 trailer, one of them could go to "Wee Hughie."

Frenchie's Powers In The Boys Explained

Frenchie looking at something intently in The Boys

Frenchie is the most mysterious member of the Boys, growing up in a small village in France before heartbreak and the death of his parents drove him into the welcoming arms of Butcher. When recruited, Frenchie doesn't have much to live for, which makes him a useful asset to missions that often lean toward the suicidal. Despite Frenchie's polite exterior, he is one of the more vicious members of the team, and he's also well-trained in combat, especially with weapons, thanks to his military experience. Frenchie, who has been softened in Amazon's The Boys series adaptation, also has an unnaturally sensitive nose allowing him to track people down like a sniffer dog. How he got his powers remains a mystery, but it is likely that Butcher gave them to him when he recruited him. Frenchie (a.k.a. Serge) has the typical traits, however, despite receiving Compound-V at a late age.

The show's Frenchie is similar in that he is impulsive, emotionally deep, and incredibly talented with weapons. However, the show really pushes his ability to create weapons to kill Supes, which is why, in Amazon's show, Mallory recruits him to the original team. Frenchie receiving his sniffing ability seems very unlikely as it wouldn't fit with the tone of the show. Yet the show's version of Frenchie, whose origin was revealed in season 2, is an impulsive character, which is something Mother's Milk hates about him. And given the right circumstances, he would more than likely take Compound-V for those he cares about, namely Kimiko.

Kimiko's Powers In The Boys Explained

Kimiko (a.ka. the Female) is probably the strongest member of the Boys. She was infected with Compound-V at a very young age, falling into a bucket-worth and gaining superpowers shortly after. As in the show, Kimiko was held prisoner for years, resulting in her being under-developed in human socializing and day-to-day life. She uses her fingernails like claws, and in the comics, she is strong enough to take the eye of Stormfront, the Nazi version of Homelander and also the 2nd strongest Supe.

Kimiko's origin in the show doesn't differ much from the comics in that she is the most powerful of the group, and has enhanced speed, strength, and durability. However, Kimiko's healing power is unique to the Amazon series. When she was attacked in the comics, she wound up in a coma, whereas she recovers from devastating injuries in seconds in the adaptation of The Boys. Kimiko taking the new Compound-V pills probably wouldn't enhance her much, but given the nature of the deviating show, there is a possibility it could temporarily make her stronger. Her power lies mostly in her savagery and her insane urge to kill, but Kimiko is very different in the comics.

Mother's Milk's Powers In The Boys Explained

Mother's Milk talking to Someone in The Boys

Mother's Milk is interesting for several reasons. His real name is Baird Wallis, and his true character comes out through his relationships. He was exposed to Compound-V as a fetus due to his mother working in a dog food canning factory that used to produce it. "MM," as he is most often called, has incredible strength stemming from drinking his mother's breastmilk; he not only needs it to remain strong but also to survive. MM also has an incredible talent for tracking people down, often playing the detective of the group. He often catches on to the misdeeds of Butcher, who has a villainous breakdown in the comics, after being lied to. His strength is close to that of Butcher, as when the two fought in the comics, the result was very close, but MM ultimately lost.

In Amazon's The Boys, MM's family-related struggles continue to ground him as one of the more honest, less-violent members of the group. Often, MM is like Hughie in how he doesn't want to be involved, but he remains to protect those whom he loves, or because Butcher has dragged him in too deep. MM seems the least likely to take the new Compound-V and become superpowered like Butcher is in The Boys season 3 trailer. Unless his family was in danger and he had no other choice, as the life of violence is not something he chooses to be a part of — unlike his comic counterpart, whose brother died as a result of Compound-V, which caused him to hate Vought.

The Amazon series adaptation of The Boys has deviated wildly from the source material in many ways, including character backstories and motivations, leaving their futures a mystery to even comic book fans. Hopefully, though, The Boys season 3 will reveal the group at their maximum efficiency and see Frenchie sniffing out the bad guys.