Movies News Talk
Many supes in The Boys comics and TV show are parodies of well-established Marvel and DC heroes, and Tek-knight follows this trend by having the character being The Boys' parody of Batman. Much like Bruce Wayne, Robert Vernon is a wealthy and well-known public figure who relies on his wealth and money. Robert, however, is a TV personality in Gen V and The Boys as he is the host of a well-known true-crime series. Tek-Knight's wealth is what allows him to moonlight as a supe by using technology and a keen sense of intuition to solve cases and fight crimes.
The Boys spoofs many popular superheroes & Tek-knight is no exception. Tek-Knight's parodic Batman persona is solidified with his suit that he uses to fight crime. The suit is a key component of the character, as it helps to amplify Tek-Knight's abilities. In Gen V and The Boys, the suit is equipped with all kinds of gadgets that increase Tek-Knight's strength, speed, and durability. It also allows Tek-Knight to fly and emit EMP pulses, knocking out surrounding electronics and aligning him more with Iron Man than Batman.
Tek-Knight is an incredibly dangerous foe in both The Boys comics and TV series, but his ability set differs vastly between the two incarnations. In the comics, Tek-Knight actually has no powers. Robert Vernon is just a normal guy, with his wealth being what allows him to take up the Tek-Knight mantle. It is a super powerful suit with lots of gadgets that make Tek-Knight look like he has superpowers, but the only powers he has in the comics are what he has in his suit.
Gen V and The Boys have made some major changes to Tek-Knight, notably by giving Robert Vernon powers. The Amazon Prime Video incarnation of the character has heightened senses that allow him to pick up on all kinds of almost imperceptible clues, with him being a bit like Daredevil in this sense. Tek-Knight can hear when a person's heart rate goes up, he can see when their pupils are dilating, and he can even tell if someone has been performing sexual acts by smelling their breath. As such, The Boys' best detective solidifies his parodic Batman persona. The show also seems to imply that Tek-Knight has increased strength and durability, with these powers often being presented as baseline abilities most supes have.
Although Tek-Knight seems to be a well-known character in this universe, Gen V explains why the character never appeared in The Boys before. In Gen V episode 4, Andre accuses Robert Vernon of not being a real hero, implying that Tek-Knight has not done any work as a supe. Instead, it seems as if Tek-Knight prefers being a TV personality in Gen V, with him sticking to his true-crime series rather than fighting crime. He may not be a Superhero, but he is still a public figure; The Boys focuses more on the former, explaining his absence before season 4.
Tek-Knight's more public Vought links move him away from the titular Boys. There's a reason Tek-Knight has been working behind the scenes instead of out in the public. In Gen V, it is implied that he has been sent by Vought to put a spin on the story so that the company comes out in a positive light. Tek-Knight's role in Gen V paints the character as Vought's clean-up guy who is trying to keep Vought's secrets under wraps. It seems like Tek-Knight's work is done in the shadows, and that is why he was never seen before.
Although Tek-Knight may not be on the same level as characters like Homelander and Stormfront, Tek-Knight is definitely still a villain in The Boys' live-action universe. This is mainly due to Tek-Knight's alignment with Vought. Although the character is seemingly only going to Godolkin to investigate the mystery for his TV series, it is implied that he has been sent by Vought to put a spin on the story so that the company comes out in a positive light.
Tek-Knight aligns with Vought, Homelander, & other corrupt characters in The Boys' Universe. Tek-Knight's personality alone makes him a villain, as he is a conceited, egotistical celebrity who cares about nothing but himself. The character seems to get a sadistic enjoyment out of questioning Marie in front of her classmates, showing that he has no concern for the feelings of others. Tek-Knight never once shows any regret for what he is doing, with him proudly waltzing through the halls of Godolkin University without a care in the world. In The Boys season 4, he is shown aiding Sister Sage and Homelander complete their plans.
One of the weirdest Tek-Knight reveals in Gen V is his strange obsession with holes. In the episode, the Dean reveals that Tek-Knight has an obsession with sticking his penis in any inanimate object that has a hole in it, with her pulling up videos of him performing sexual acts with things like traffic cones and vacuums. This version of Tek-Knight's controversial sexual obsession is a little toned down from the comics, where he simply wants to have sex with everything.
Tek-Knight's most strange live-action trait is even worse in the comics. However, both incarnations of Tek-Knight reveal that this strange habit is caused by a brain tumor. The comics go a bit further to say that the tumor is making him crazy, which is why he does these things. The comics also show that Tek-Knight has been abusing his powers and using them to exploit people, which is even more twisted than what he does in the show.
In The Boys season 4, episode 5, Tek-Knight makes his debut. The character first appears as a presenter at the V52 Expo, a parody of D23, in which Vought's various movies and TV shows about their Superheroes are revealed. Tek-Knight takes to the stage to unveil his newest film, "The Tek-Knight," which contains a "soundtrack of Nirvana hits and a 12-minute sequence that's entirely pitch black." Of course, this scene is continuing Tek-Knight's spoofing of Batman by referencing Matt Reeves' The Batman from 2022, a darker movie that added "The" to the title and re-popularized Nirvana's "Something in the Way."
How does Tek-Knight fit into the core Boys storyline? Later in the episode, Tek-Knight's appearance promises to make him a more outright villain to The Boys. He is present as Homelander talks about making those faithful to him "wrathful gods" after being given an insight into Sister Sage's master plan. Thanks to these teases, it seems as though Tek-Knight will continue to be on the side of the villains going forward in The Boys season 4, Gen V season 2, and the former's final outing on Amazon Prime Video. It seems like Tek-Knight is going to be a major player in the final season of The Boys, and it will be interesting to see what he does.