Billy Butcher’s Top 3 Heinous Acts in the Comics Show How Much ‘The Boys’ Whitewashed Karl Urban’s Antihero
- In the comics, Billy Butcher is portrayed as a ruthless character whose actions are often more villainous than anti-hero.
- "The Boys" has a more complex and slightly more sympathetic version of Butcher, played by Karl Urban.
- The toned-down character of Butcher allows room for character development and moral struggle which maintains a balance for the viewers and the story.
The Boys is known for showing a raw and rough world of superheroes. This dark world revolves around one of the major characters, Billy Butcher, portrayed by Karl Urban in the show. Butcher is loved by readers and viewers for his undying will to fight against corrupt superheroes, but there is a darker side to this character too.
Comic book lovers know a slightly different Billy Butcher than the one played by Urban. While watching the show, viewers get an impression of a relatively good-natured anti-hero, but the comics show a significantly darker figure. In comics. Butcher has pushed the boundaries of morality from time to time.
The Dark Side of Billy Butcher in the Comics
In the comics, Billy Butcher is not just an anti-hero. He has been ruthless many times in his pursuit of his goal. He feels more like a villain than a hero sometimes, leaving readers confused about whether his goal was worth the ugly means he used.
One of the most disgusting acts by Butcher involves a young superhero who seems to be a copy of Billy Batson, aka Shazam, from DC. Butcher and his team capture the 10-year-old boy and slice off his tongue.
Their logic behind such actions was to ensure he could not shout and transform into his super-alter ego. This is one of the many acts that show how much hatred Butcher has for the supes.
Butcher’s cruelty is not only limited to enemies but also allies and friends. At one point, he turns against his own team. He detonated a grenade at The Boys’ headquarters and killed both Kimiko and Frenchie. Then he did the same with Mother’s Milk. It shows that Butcher isn’t actually concerned about his allies.
The worst that Butcher has done is plot a global genocide. Butcher aimed to kill all superheroes and others who might have been exposed to Compound V using a virus that targets anyone with Compound V in their system. This shows he had no regard for children or innocents as long as it fulfilled his goal.
How Did The Boys Show Change Billy Butcher?
The Boys show focuses on Billy Butcher in a slightly different way. Although he is still a doubtful anti-hero, this version of Butcher is more complex and more likable than the comic one. Moreover, Karl Urban has a certain charm that is loved by the viewers regardless of the questionable decisions he makes in the show.
In the show, his worst acts are not as horrifying as his comic book ones. He takes advantage of Hughie and manipulates him to murder. He kidnapped and tortured Translucent for his experiments, which led to his death. He brutally kills Mesmer by smashing his head against a sink.
Although these are also violent acts, they are not as heinous as the slaughter and betrayal in the comics. The show’s writers have maintained a balance between Butcher’s edge and making him more relatable and sympathetic.
In the show, Butcher treats Ryan like his own son and tries to protect him. He prevents Hughie from taking Temp V after learning its consequences, and there are times when his humanity has slightly overpowered his hunger for stopping Homelander and other corrupt supes.
It’s not only a change to make Butcher more acceptable for TV audiences, it’s for more character growth and complexity. By toning down the worst acts of Butcher, the series gives him room to grow further and makes him struggle with his choices. The result is Billy Butcher who is a dangerous antihero but someone who can still have fan support.
The Boys Season 4 is now streaming on Prime Video.
