Movies - TV
Why Homelander Cared More About Black Noir Than The Other Supes On The Boys
By MICHAEL BOYLE
Spoiler Warning!
This story contains spoilers for "The Boys" Season 3.
Homelander is difficult to get along with, and out of the Seven in “The Boys,” Black Noir’s the only one he’s consistently on good terms with. Their drama-free friendship, however, is pushed beyond its limit when Homelander learns that Black Noir had known all along that Soldier Boy was his father — a truth that causes Homelander to murder his friend.
Even after murdering Black Noir, Homelander still respects him more than any other member of the Seven, claiming Noir was worth more than two of the heroes combined. The mini-episode “One Plus One Equals Two” further explains their bond as we see Black Noir helping a young Homelander cover up a mission gone awry, thus continuing Homelander’s growth in popularity.
However, in Season 3’s penultimate episode we discover the real reason Homelander likes Black Noir so much is due to the severe brain damage he attained during Soldier Boy’s abuse in the eighties. This past abuse caused him to become mute with imaginary cartoon friends that follow him around making him someone incapable of talking back to Homelander.
Eventually, Homelander discovers that Black Noir is more than just a mindless minion to do his bidding, but instead an autonomous person with his own thoughts and feelings that don’t align with his own. His murder is a further demonstration of Homelander’s inability to show another real love and respect, with his kindness quickly vanishing once his fragile self-image is challenged.