Butcher's Secret Supe Power: A Disturbing Clue In The Boys Season 4
The Boys season 4 has been throwing out hints that Billy Butcher might be a Supe, and episode 5 has a disturbing clue about what kind of power he might have gained from taking Compound V. Butcher tells Hughie that he injected himself with Vought's drug after his cancer diagnosis, but he thinks it didn't do anything. Of course, his encounter with Ezekiel in season 4, episode 4 pretty much confirms that he's wrong. There's no way he could have ripped a Supe to pieces without some kind of power. Since Butcher blacks out, it's hard to say what the drug might have given him.
Butcher's powers in The Boys comics include the usual Supe stuff: super strength, speed, and endurance. But he doesn't show any of these in season 4, except when he faces off against Ezekiel. Even then, it's desperation that makes him destroy the Supe. Since the Amazon show is different from the comics, there are other powers Butcher might have that would let him do this kind of damage. From vein control to power copying, the possibilities seem endless, but episode 5 might have a clue about what's going on with Butcher.
The Dead Rabbit Foreshadows Butcher's Secret Supe Power
Butcher and The Boys run into a bunch of animals injected with Compound V in season 4, episode 5, but he focuses on one that's been given Temp V, and there might be a deeper reason for that. When The Boys find Neuman's lab, Butcher frees a rabbit that's been left in a cage after being overloaded with Temp V. It doesn't act as aggressive as the other superpowered animals, and The Boys soon find out why.
Butcher runs into the rabbit again later, and it's dying. There are tentacles coming out of its middle, seemingly a power Temp V gave it, but its body can't handle it. Since Butcher is also dying from Temp V, the rabbit looks like a disturbing preview of what's waiting for him. But it could also be a hint about Butcher's Supe power. After all, previous episodes show something dark moving through Butcher's body. At first, it looks like his veins, but later scenes suggest it's something more sinister.
MM's Line In The Boys Season 4 Could Be Another Hint
The rabbit isn't the only hint that Butcher has Supe Powers in season 4, episode 5. A line from MM also points to this possibility, even if it sounds like a throwaway. While the group is deciding whether to use the last dose of the Supe virus to kill the animals outside, Butcher says they should save it for Homelander and "leg it." He's willing to risk the others' lives to get revenge, and Starlight calls him "a monster." MM then tries to appeal to Butcher's humanity, telling him he isn't a monster.
This line suggests that, if Butcher is a Supe, his ability won't be something flashy like laser vision or super speed. Starlight and MM's words don't stand out as an omen at first, but the way they say it is interesting. Given what Butcher does to Ezekiel, it's very possible there's something monstrous inside him. This line suggests that, if Butcher is a Supe, his ability won't be something flashy like laser vision or super speed. It's more likely to be grotesque, just like what happens to the rabbit. This makes the idea that Butcher has something inside him waiting to come out even stronger. Whether it's tentacles or another beastly ability remains to be seen.
What's Next For Butcher?
Hopefully, the last three episodes of The Boys Season 4 will tell us what's going on with Butcher, and if it's related to the Compound V he stole from Frenchie. If he does have Supe Powers, it'll be interesting to see if the show hinted at them earlier. That could also change Butcher's fate before The Boys season 5 and turn the tables in the fight against Homelander.
