Top 10 Differences Between Gen V and The Comic
#10: Hughie Doesn’t Go to God U’s Parties
The storyline from “The Boys” comic that inspired “Gen V” is called “We Gotta Go Now.” This plot revolves around Hughie going undercover at Goldokin U. Although it’s a pretty clear spoof of Charles Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, the comic version is far from a university. Hughie learns that while the higher ups on the team spend most of their time training, the college-age adults apparently do nothing but party. The supes in the show actually do balance partying with real studies. Instead of calculus or biology, they’re majoring in crime fighting and performing arts. And Hughie notably isn’t around to hang with the kids. Overall, the tv characters are a bit more prepared for the real world than their comic counterparts.
#9: Indira Shetty
Although the comic has its fair share of deceitful and manipulative characters, Dean Shetty was invented just for “Gen V.” Like many of the key players in this franchise, it’s unclear at first where her loyalties lie. We later learn that she has a truly diabolical plan up her sleeve. Fortunately, neither “The Boys” nor “Gen V” has time for one-dimensional characters. We eventually find that Shetty’s dark goals are driven by a genuinely tragic event caused by Homelander. Like Billy Butcher, we might not agree with how far she goes to avenge those she’s lost. But we can at least understand why Shetty became so morally gray.
#8: Brink Replaces Godolkin
Professor Richard Brinkerhoff is another character who appears only in the TV series. In “The Boys” comic, John Godolkin himself runs the supe school. He serves as the twisted father figure to the young supes who live there. In the show, Thomas Godolkin still helped found God U but wasn’t directly involved in the show’s events. Dean Shetty oversees the school while Brink fills the role of professor confidant to the students. Like many authority figures in this franchise, the latter mentor turns out to be untrustworthy. We soon find out that he’s involved in the horrible things going on in the basement of the school. In the end, Golden Boy makes Brink pay for his lies and deceit in brutal fashion.
#7: Tek Knight Originally Had No Powers
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The comics version of this character was a parody of Batman and Iron Man. While he didn’t have superpowers, he did have a lot of very cool gadgets and a fancy suit that enabled him to fly. In “Gen V,” Tek Knight gets incredible powers of observation that basically turn him into a detective. Maybe not the world’s greatest, but still a pretty darn good one. His skills could allow him to solve cases faster than the world’s greatest detective. However, he chooses to host a true crime show where he’s willing to do anything to get compelling footage. The TV and print versions of Tek Knight do have one thing in common. They both have a brain tumor that gives them a not-safe-for-work compulsion.
#6: Supes in the Comic Can Be Brought Back from the Dead
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This was definitely one of the creepier elements of the books. While undercover at Godolkin, Hughie runs into Nubia, a parody of the X-Men’s Storm. After she was covertly killed by her own organization, she was forcefully resurrected. When Nubia returned, she was essentially a borderline mindless zombie who felt nothing like herself. Her only desire is that someone would end her resurrected existence. Despite her bad reactions, John Godolkin demanded that Vought bring back another recently deceased G-Man. Although he knew it would likely have the same effect, he couldn’t stand to let her go. Godolkin is so possessive of his young supes, they can’t even escape him in death.
#5: Madelyn Stillwell
In both the comics and the series, this character is a powerful and important figure inside Vought. But there are major differences between the two versions of Stillwell. And it’s not just the fact that the tv variant died long before this story arc. The comic version of the character, a man named James Stillwell, had more influence in Vought than Madelyn did. He essentially carries the weight that Stan Edgar does in “The Boys”. James also came off as much more ruthless. To cover up all the shady things John Godolkin did, he had every member of the G-Men massacred. While Madelyn Stillwell was cut-throat and manipulative, we think that even she’d hesitate to execute an entire organization of supes to cover up secrets.
#4: The Supes in the Comic Were Kidnapped
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The students who attend the TV’s God U applied and were accepted just like a normal college. But the comic’s G-Men have lived at Godolkin since they were kids. How’d they end up there? It turned out that John Godolkin captures young people, injects them with Compound V, and ensures the survivors remain fiercely loyal to him. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of the terrible things he’s done to the supes underneath his control. To be fair, the horrible acts that supes are subjected to underneath tv’s God U aren’t pretty either. But while some students get away unscathed, every school attendee in the comic suffers. It’s tragic that neither university is truly safe for the young people who trusted it.
#3: “Gen V” Introduces All New Young Supes
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Most of the powered people in “The Boys” TV series came straight out of the comic. But the God U. students of “Gen V” were created just for the show. The writers could have adapted some of the comic’s G-Men like Critter, Randall or Blowchowski. And if they put Groundhawk from “The Boys: Diabolical” in live-action, Gen V and the comics would share a character. However, the writers chose to come up with a totally new squad of supe characters with unique powers. Both mediums are obviously inspired by superheroes in other franchises. While Andre Anderson takes a page out of Magneto’s book, Cate's psychic powers make her feel like Emma Frost. Despite power similarities, the comic and tv characters definitely feel original.
#2: Neuman Is A Much Bigger Threat
When the vice presidential hopeful arrives on campus on the show, hero Marie Moreau is excited to meet the politician. But optimistic supe soon learns that Victoria Neuman is extraordinarily dangerous. Not only does the politician have blood controlling superpowers, but she’s also been the mastermind behind complex and corrupt schemes behind the scenes. By contrast, the comic version of Neuman is…well, a complete idiot. The only reason he became the VP and eventual president in comics is because Vought wanted someone they could easily control. Judging on what Victoria has accomplished so far, we’re guessing she’ll be the one in control of everything soon.
#1: Gen V Adds a Viral Story
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Throughout “Gen V’s” first season, it was unknown why God U kept so many supes isolated in a basement. It was eventually revealed that scientists were working on a virus that could weaken or outright kill those with compound V in their blood. Meanwhile, the characters in the comic don’t get so much as a cold because there’s no mention of a virus on the page. But this tv plot point might go much further than a simple difference between mediums. While the supes in the comic are more vulnerable to ordinary weapons, the ones on the show tend to be much more durable. Whoever ends up holding the keys to the virus in the end will truly be the most powerful person on earth.
Which character from “The Boys” would you love to see in “Gen V”? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
