The Boys: Black Noir's True Identity and the Plot Hole That Wasn't.
Warning: This contains SPOILERS for The Boys comics! The disclosure at the end of The Boys comic, that Seven member Black Noir was a clone of Homelander hiding in plain sight all along, was a huge surprise, but it also raised some serious questions. Fans quickly puzzled why Homelander, who had x-ray vision, couldn't see through Black Noir's mask. According to artist Russell Braun, there is an explanation for this apparent "plot hole."
The answer can be found in The Boys Ominbus, which collects the whole series' run. The Omnibus versions of the revolutionary superhero parody provide fascinating insights into the creation of the comic book series. The back matter of The Boys Omnibus is a treasure trove of The Boys content, ranging from original pitch concepts (such as putting the story in the DC Universe and transforming the Seven into the Justice League) to earliest sketches of characters and panels. This includes an explanation from The Boys artist Russell Braun concerning the alleged plot difficulty caused by the Black Noir reveal.
The "Plot Hole" in The Boys' Black Noir Reveal has a realistic explanation.
If Homelander carelessly glanced at Black Noir while utilizing his X-Ray vision, he would see the same thing he sees in everyone else: a skeleton. Russell Braun's response may not satisfy every fan, but it explains how The Boys creators perceived the character of Homelander, which may change - or, more likely, strengthen - fans' pre-existing perceptions of the malevolent supe. As Braun was quoted in The Boys Omnibus, he responded to fans' questions regarding whether Homelander would have used x-ray vision to see through Black Noir's mask with his own:
Do you believe he had the ability to distinguish between a millimeter of cloth and layers of skin, muscle, bone, and brain in order to recognize a face?
As the artist concedes, Homelander could see through Black Noir's mask, but the level of precision required to just see his face and not his flesh would be absurdly high. In his reaction to this "plot hole," Braun emphasizes how careful Homelander would have to be with his x-ray vision to detect if Black Noir was his clone. More crucially, he makes readers consider whether the character of Homelander, as portrayed in the series, would have made the effort or spent the time to do so. In other words, The Boys' artist broadens the scope of the issue, asking it about the essence of Homelander's character rather than his abilities.
Black Noir Twist Highlights What "The Boys" Told Readers about Homelander All Along
Homelander, as represented in The Boys, was thoughtless and irresponsible, frequently overlooking what was right in front of him; the Black Noir expose was the final expression of these fundamental character faults, resulting in his destruction. While the Black Noir disclosure in The Boys #65 is not a narrative hole, it is necessary for understanding Homelander. The topic of why he didn't realize Black Noir was his clone can be reframed to allow for a more in-depth examination of Homelander's personality. It is worth wondering why Homelander, whose paranoia grew dramatically throughout the series, would allow the Seven to include a cloaked member he knew little about.
Throughout The Boys, Homelander's leadership - and Vought-American's propaganda portraying him as the world's greatest hero - obscured the truth of a character who was undisciplined and unprepared, as well as arrogant and callous toward human life. The truth was that Homelander was too obsessed with collecting fortune and enjoying his celebrity status to recognize that Black Noir might pose a threat. He didn't want to go into Black Noir any more, which cost him his life at the height of his success.
Black Noir's True Identity Reveals Who the Ultimate Antagonist of "The Boys" Was
According to The Boys #65, Black Noir was built to serve as a backup plan for Vought-American in the event that Homelander went rogue: their reasoning was that the only person strong enough to kill Homelander would be Homelander himself. Of all, this was just one more example of how the Boys' numerous misfortunes were directly caused by supes corporate progenitors. The prolonged stress of being reared as a weapon and then placed in continual close proximity to his target drove Black Noir to become detached from reality, causing him to do horrible acts - and frame Homelander for them.
The success of this final twist in The Boys lore may and will be disputed among fans, especially since the TV version of the story has chosen to go a different direction in its final seasons. However, the horror of the notion is evident, and the problems it presented to The Boys' moral reality underlined what the series had already established about its universe. In any event, it all leads back to Vought-American. The company's cruelty, as stated frequently throughout the series, set in action every horrific occurrence that readers experienced throughout the comic's existence. More than just creating superheroes, Vought was responsible for the heinous mistreatment of their upbringings and mismanagement of their activities. The firm granted its top earners, such as the Seven and the G-Men, complete freedom to do whatever they pleased as long as they made massive profits. The Boys is, above all, a study on Power And Corruption, with corporate misconduct serving as the series' most astute critique. Far from a "plot hole," The Boys' Black Noir announcement emphasized this point in the most astonishing way possible.
The Boys: An Insight into the Superhero World
Eric Kripke produced the superhero/dark humor satire series The Boys, which is based on the same-named comic series. Set in a "what-if" universe in which superheroes are revered as celebrities and gods with few consequences for their misdeeds. However, one group of vigilantes, led by a vengeance-obsessed guy named Billy Butcher, will fight back against these super-charged "heroes" to reveal them for what they are.
The Boys takes a sarcastic and sometimes savage look at the world of superheroes, delving into the dark side of power, the risks of unrestrained ambition, and the implications of corporate greed. The series explores themes such as corruption, corporate misconduct, and the complicated relationship between heroes and society. With its clever writing, intriguing characters, and unexpected twists and turns, The Boys is a thought-provoking and entertaining series that forces viewers to reconsider their assumptions of the superhero genre.
