Homelander’s death reveals a vital weakness in his powers (this is the opposite of Superman)

Homelander, main antagonist of The boysis known to be an analogue for DC’s Superman – but the character’s climactic final moments revealed that he has a surprising weakness that is completely opposite to that of the Man of Steel. In this way, Garth Ennis used the character’s final scene to recontextualize everything readers understood about him and his bond with the greatest comic book hero.

The boys #65 – written by Garth Ennis, with art by Russell Braun and more – revealed that, unlike Superman, Homelander’s strength appears to be significantly greater than his durability. This means that Homelander can be torn apart if he is punched too hard or if he punches something else too hard.

While The boys showed at various points in his story that Homelander could resist damage to some extent, his final fight with Black Noir made it clear how easily he succumbed to an opponent of equal power.

Homelander’s fight with Black Noir exposed his low durability – and cost him his life

The boys #65 – Written by Garth Ennis; Art by Russ Braun, John McCrea and Keith Burns; Color by Tony Avina; Lyrics by Simon Bowland.

Almost everyone thinks that having super strength would be an incredible power, but without super durability, it’s just a terrible accident waiting to happen. Having the muscular strength to drill through a cement wall is of no use if the bone durability cannot withstand it. Of course, Homelander has improved durability to some degree – as evidenced by the fact that normal humans are literally crushed against him when thrown at him – but in a disturbing final twist, Homelander’s strength far outweighs his durability.

When Homelander finally faces Black Noir, his greatest weakness is finally exposed. Black Noir is the only character in The boys who has the physical strength to match Homelander, and the result is that the two literally tear each other apart. With a single punch, Black Noir rips Homelander’s jaw off. This is a blockbuster that exposes just how fragile Homelander really is. Just a single blow from Black Noir nearly kills him, which is a stark contrast to how Superman’s powers work.

Superman’s durability is even greater than his strength

The exact opposite of Homelander’s problem

It’s no secret to comic book fans that Superman is one of the most physically powerful characters in the entire DC Universe, and this has been a problem for him in the past. The fact is that, despite how physically powerful Superman is, his durability is even greater. This led to iconic moments such as Superman explaining how he feels living in “a cardboard world” because the slightest overexertion of his strength could destroy everything around himpeople included.

Further proof that Superman’s durability is greater than his strength was during the iconic battle between Superman and Doomsday. Doomsday is a character with physical strength equal to, if not greater than, Superman. During the several-hour battle, they continually exchanged physical blows against each other, but never separated. Superman’s body managed to withstand the incredibly powerful attacks he was delivering. Although Superman died against Doomsday, his body was still in one piece, showing that his durability must be far greater than his physical strength.

Homelander may be modeled after Superman, but their durability levels prove just how different they are

Homelander’s True Strength Destroys Him

Superman has the greatest strength in the DC Universe and, therefore, he needs to be extremely careful when moving around this universe. With the slightest flick of his wrist, Superman could completely destroy a human being. With one wrong sneeze, he could destroy galaxies. It is immensely important that Superman exercises his power with the utmost moderation, lest he end up destroying the world he swore to protect. This perfectly sums up how Superman has the power to do whatever he wants, but chooses to be kind and protective.

Homelander has the greatest destructive force in The boys for most of the story. He’s more than capable of taking down every super he encounters, but when he finally faces someone with equal strength, he’s shattered. This perfectly shows that Homelander is just a big fish in a small pond. He really isn’t that powerful, and the moment he faces someone who can face him, he loses because his durability is actually not that great. The boys Homelander may be able to throw a punch, but he can’t take one like Superman he can.

The boys #65 is now available from Dynamite Comics!