The first episodes of The Boys season 2 delved deeper into the history of Vought International - simultaneously revealing how long they'd been manufacturing and managing superheroes. Based on Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's source material, The Boys was brought to the screen by Eric Kripke, Seth Rogen, and Evan Goldberg. Set in a world where superheroes exist and have mostly become corrupted by the culture of celebrity surrounding them, Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) and his titular group take it upon themselves to hold them to account - by any means necessary.

The Boys season 1 saw Butcher, Frenchie (Tomer Capon), Mother's Milk (Laz Alonso), and Hughie (Jack Quaid) stumble upon a far-reaching conspiracy. Initially out for simple revenge, they discover the source of what makes the supposed heroes super. Instead of being born with their extraordinary abilities, babies are given them through science courtesy of a drug known as Compound V. They are then groomed, sometimes at a distance, into heroes that Vought can control and profit from. The show's revelation marked a drastic change from the graphic novels. On the page, Compound V is not only widely known but used by The Boys themselves to even the playing field when battling "supes". On the show, it was Vought International's most closely guarded secret and remained its greatest asset.

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Stan Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito) reminded Homelander (Antony Starr) of this fact during The Boys season 2, episode 1, "The Big Ride". Furthermore, the Vought International CEO offered a lecture into the history of the company - the true history. Its founder, Frederick Vought, had been a geneticist from Munich. Deemed ahead of his time, he was recruited by Hitler into the Nazi Regime. As such, it was revealed that Vought had been in the business of generating superpowered people as far back as 1939. His first known successful subjects, however, were delivered into the field on behalf of the Allies in 1944, after Vought had defected. These unleashed heroes included The Boys season 3's confirmed new addition: Soldier Boy. Based on how the character is depicted in the source material, Soldier Boy is likely the reason that Vought decided to get more hands-on in rigidly managing their creations. As such, the company has been in the superhero business for over three-quarters of a century.

Madelyn Stillwell The Boys Season 1

After his defection and the proven scientific results, Frederick Vought was pardoned by Franklin D. Roosevelt and "became as Wonder Bread American as Disney and Edison". History buffs will, of course, detect the real-world parallels. After World War II, the United States pardoned and recruited many Nazi scientists. The top-secret move was infamously designated Operation Paperclip, as seen on fellow Amazon show Hunters.  These scientists would go on to aid America in furthering its space program and getting astronauts to the Moon. Vought International's endeavors, however, were more geared towards entertainment - on the surface, at least.

Frederick Vought's eventual fate is left undisclosed, as is the name and powersets of his subsequent test subjects. However, it's clear that he churned out more superheroes across the decades. While Disney produced countless iconic on-screen characters, Vought International generated living, breathing figures for people to idolize, aspire to, as well as build (sometimes depraved) fandoms around - all of which Vought International could profit from.

Mr. Edgar also revealed, however, Vought International was not a superhero company, but a pharmaceutical one. Through that lens, such characters as Homelander and Starlight (Erin Moriarty) are not just marketed but also part of the marketing. Without even realizing it, they have been advertising the product that fuels their special abilities. Though the company worked hard to keep the existence of Compound V hidden, it would have made a powerful tool for bribery or negotiation behind closed doors. However, the information has now been leaked to the public and a coup said to be taking place from within the company. As such, more insidious layers of Vought International's dealings are likely to emerge in defense, and the state of superhero business will no doubt change in The Boys season 2 and beyond.

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