The Boys Season 4: Billy Butcher’s New Powers Explained!
The Boys Season 4 finale introduced new powers for Karl Urban’s Billy Butcher, radically different from his previous abilities. Throughout the entire fourth season of The Boys, Butcher is powerless and near death due to his ingestion of Temp V (as seen in season 3), which resulted in a black mass covering his brain. This season, the path to the super destruction of the supers was through a virus introduced in Gen V with the ability to kill superpowered beings. However, audiences who have watched the entire fourth season know that the plan did not work and Butcher had to once again become what he hates the most: a super.
The Boys Season 4: Billy Butcher’s New Powers Explained?
Towards the end of the season 4 finale of The Boys, Hughie brought Victoria Neumann onto the team after being declared a supes by Homelander. However, Billy Butcher enters the picture with different plans. To the audience, his appearance was alarming as he had previously been seen near death in a hospital. Hughie asks Butcher to trust him and proceed with the job with Neuman, but instead, he pushes him aside and releases several tentacles from his chest, using them to wrap around Neuman. His intent quickly turns lethal as he wisely covers her eyes to prevent the overseer from using his head-bursting abilities and splits her into two halves. His new powers are so strong that he can attack Neuman’s (super) daughter Zoe and the security guard while preventing Kimiko and Starlight from stopping him.
This display of power marks the first-time viewers have seen Butcher’s true abilities, showing off a previously hidden ability that adds a new dimension to his character. Fans may remember Butcher killing Ezekiel in episode 4, but viewers were not shown the scene and he passed out during the bloody attack. The question on every fan’s mind was, “How did Butcher get these new powers?” Butcher’s final scene this season shows him walking away with a hallucination of Joe Kessler nodding in approval. It also reveals a blue vial of what fans can assume is the Compound V that Butcher shot himself with between the hospital and the sneak attack on Neuman. Butcher‘s power evolution seems tied to his history with Temp V and the new dose of Compound V, perhaps battling the fatal tumor. His Temp V powers in season 3 were similar to Homelander with super strength and the ability to shoot lasers from his eyes. It’s unclear if he still has those abilities beyond the new tentacles heading into season 5.
How Will These New Abilities Impact Season Five?
The Boys Season 4 finale set the stage for a dystopian fifth season, with Butcher potentially emerging as a bloodthirsty antagonist. His erratic actions, including multiple murders and the seizure of the super-killer virus, foreshadow a relentless pursuit of Homelander‘s death. It’s hard to say whether or not this super-butcher could take on Homelander one-on-one, but it certainly seems like it’s based on him taking out Neuman in a matter of seconds. Meanwhile, Sage’s mysterious program, which enters “Phase Two” after influencing Martial Law, promises more intrigue in Season 5. The final season will also have to address the whereabouts of Homelander’s son Ryan and A-Train (not seen in the Season 4 finale), as well as unravel Frenchie’s brainwashing. With the entire group divided, the biggest advantage they have is Butcher’s newfound lethal capabilities.
