How The Boys Season 4 alters A-Train's destiny and affects the endgame of the show?
The fourth season of The Boys fundamentally changed the fate of one important Supe, A-train, so preparing the ground for a dramatic change in the series' last season. Although the show borrows ideas from the original comic series, it makes several changes, including major arcs modification for the characters.
The Redemption Arc of A-Train: a Major Wildcard for The Boys Season 5
Following three seasons of showing A-Train as a conflicted antagonist, season 4 sees his road of atonement, so establishing him as a major wildcard for season 5. Unlike the comics, when A-Train is presented as a simple villain, the show explores his moral complexity and inner conflicts. Season 4 explores A-Train's moral conundrum, which results in an unanticipated friendship with The Boys.
His metamorphosis is evident in his work with MM, saving Hughie, and risking his life to subvert Homelander's plans. A-Train flees Homelander's wrath by hiding after rescuing Billy Butcher and Starlight. This prepares him for his possible comeback in season 5, so either advancing or upsetting his path of atonement.
Potential Roles of A-Train in Season 5: Falling Hero or Dangerous Ally?
The appearance of A-Train in season five might completely change things. His great expertise of Vought makes him a great help to the opposition against Homelander. Alternatively he might give in to Homelander's influence, returning to his villainous ways and back into the fold.
Examining A-Train's Comic Book Counterpart: A Sharply Contrasting Narrative
His TV equivalent is not at all like the A-Train shown in the comics. The comics show him as a one-dimensional villain with a predatory relationship with Starlight, a quality he carried over to the Deep in the Prime Video production. Comic book A-Train never betrays the Seven or encounters the moral complexity and inner conflicts examined in the show.
Hughie's pardon and the startling comic book ending
A-Train and Hughie have a very different relationship in the comic as compared in the series. Hughie at last forgives A-Train for past deeds in season 4, signifying an unexpected and touching change from their past strife. By contrast, the comic book version finishes Hughie, driven by wrath, fatally kicking A-Train's head after listening to recordings of him denigrating Robin's death and making disrespectful comments about Starlight.
The Boys Season 5: A Story Unfinished: The Return of A-Train
At the close of The Boys season 4, A-Train is still a major unresolved thread. His possible part in the show's endgame seems practically certain. His path over the series fits the general examination of morality and power of the show. His attempts to balance his sense of self with his superhuman "hero" role mirror the main ideas of the show.
Returning him would let the show explore redemption, a major topic of season 4. A-Train's story seems incomplete, thus his comeback is crucial for the general plot of the show. As Butcher goes rogue and the rest of The Boys are apprehended, his presence could be a crucial turning point in season five giving Starlight a vital friend.
The unsure future of A-Train: death or redemption?
The show's future with A-Train is yet unknown. Although he most certainly avoided his comic book death under Hughie's hands, Homelander's ultimate atonement could still result in his death should Homelander come upon him. One of the most fascinating wildcards entering The Boys' last season is this uncertainty.
