The boys - each the TV present and the unique comedian ebook - is legendary for its unflattering depiction of superheroes. The whole franchise is a commentary on the commercialization and cultural obsession with superheroes, each in these superheroes' fictional worlds and in the actual world. Nonetheless, The boys was not the primary franchise to do that, as Marvel used an virtually an identical methodology to parody superheroes lengthy earlier than The boys - and Marvel did it with a group most followers have by no means heard of: X-Statix.
2002 X-Statix #1 by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred introduces readers to the brand new group of mutants in X-Males canon, though these 'heroes' are decidedly completely different from something Marvel Comics followers have seen earlier than. The X-Statix weren't actual heroes, they had been basically actors. Their powers had been actual - actually, they had been mutants - however they definitely didn't use these powers for good. As a substitute, the X-Statix used their powers for one factor and one factor solely: being profitable.
The one mission X-Statix cares about is advertising your model. They are going to carry out pretend, staged missions on digital camera to make it appear to be they're really saving the day. Now and again they face some simple 'dangerous guys' so as to add a extra real really feel to the group and to keep away from being labeled as 'pretend' (which might find yourself hurting their model), however for essentially the most half, it's all an act of heroism nothing extra. is than a present placed on for his or her followers for the only goal of promoting merchandise.
X-Statix makes use of the affect created by professional mutant superhero groups such because the X-Males, X-Issue, and X-Drive and income from their feats of heroism with out having to earn something themselves. X-Statix have an virtually meta-understanding that mutant superhero groups are standard with followers and exist solely to profit financially from that particular market. In different phrases, X-Statix is a real-world commentary on the real-world success of the X-Males - which is extremely just like The boys.
The Boys Has Surpassed X-Statix because the Authority on Superhero Parody
X-Statix Was a Superhero Parody Earlier than Boys, However Boys Perfected the Artwork
The boys comic series was not launched till 2006, 4 years later X-Statix hit the cabinets for the primary time, and that's with out contemplating The boys'Prime Video's live-action collection, which solely premiered in 2019. In different phrases, X-Statix was doing superhero satire lengthy earlier than The Boys. Nonetheless, though it could have been the previous, it's truthful to say that The boys has perfected the craft to a stage that far exceeds X-Statix.
On the one hand, folks all over the place find out about The boys whereas X-Statix stays comparatively unknown to this present day. Then, The boys' legacy is certainly extra substantial than X-Statixregardless of X-Statix being the primary - however that's not the one cause The boys is the main authority on superhero parodies X-Statix. The boys isn't afraid to take issues to the intense throughout its parodies, which is more practical than the comparatively PG model X-Statix brings followers. Moreover, superheroes The boys parodies are extra standard than in X-Statixwhich generates rather more fan engagement.
In The boysReaders are introduced with situations that successfully quantity to “what if Superman had been evil?”, or “what if the Avengers had been corrupt?”, or “what if real-world superhero worship took over the Avengers universe.” comics?” Characters like Homelander, Soldier Boy, and members of the Boys are intriguing in their very own proper, but it surely's the primary characters they painting and the parodies their existence creates that originally hooked followers, and why The boys It's so iconic to this present day. X-Statix it simply parodies the X-Males within the broadest sense, with out direct parodies or comparisons to particular characters.
The Boys was initially supposed to be extra like X-Statix than followers understand
The Boys initially occurred in DC continuity, identical to X-Statix in Marvel
The one factor X-Statix he completed The boys In relation to what the most effective superhero parody is (except for being the primary), it's that it really takes place within the Marvel Universe. In just about each different respect, The boys is the superior satire, however X-Statix calls upon your individual mutant superheroes whereas present alongside them. The boys it has total comedian ebook universes that separate it from the characters and comics it's parodying. However, apparently, it wasn't all the time like this.
The boys was initially printed by DC Comics' WildStorm imprint, the place the collection existed for its first six points. In truth, DC reportedly had an curiosity in doubling down The boys within the established DC universe, just like how Garth Ennis' Hitman collection featured characters like Batman, Superman, and Inexperienced Lantern. Nonetheless, The boys was canceled by DC reportedly resulting from its normal anti-superhero message and its hyperviolence, so any hope that it may exist in the primary DCU was crushed. After that, The boys moved to Dynamite Leisure, and the remaining is historical past.
Though it by no means occurred in the primary DC continuity (because it was simply printed by an imprint beneath the DC umbrella), The boys got here very near being extra comparable X-Statix than many followers know. Like this X-Statix mocks the real-world commercialization of X-Males titles whereas going down in the identical fictional universe because the X-Males themselves, The boys I virtually had the prospect to have characters like Homelander and Black Noir mock Superman and Batman to their faces. However since that by no means occurred, X-Statix nonetheless has this specific benefit on this comparability.
X-Statix ended up taking a web page out of the boys' playbook
X-Statix's Newest Comedian Apparently Took Inspiration From The Boys' Homelander
Though X-Statix was the primary, the comedian apparently nonetheless had so much to be taught The boys relating to creating really despicable characters to emphasise superhero satire. Particularly, within the final X-Statix collection (2022 X-Celente), a personality turns into as terribly merciless and completely disgusting as The boys' Homeland: Zeitgeist. Informal Marvel followers will bear in mind the movie's Zeitgeist Deadpool 2and hardcore comedian ebook followers know that Zeitgeist really led X-Drive for a brief time period. Nonetheless, when the character acquired the 'X-Statix' remedy, he was by no means the identical.
Zeitgeist turned a sadistic chief of the X-Cellent, a group that exposed the X-Statix within the advertising of mutant superheroes. Though X-Statix existed to attract consideration to commercialization itself, X-Celente investigated the corruption of superheroes who solely need fame and recognition quite than utilizing their powers for good, and what they'll do to take care of that recognition - and Zeitgeist represented the worst of all of them, as did The boys'Homeland.
It's fascinating to see how some franchises could have influenced others, even when these franchises mainly exist simply to criticize different franchises. In truth, it seems that each X-Statix and The boys had one thing to supply the opposite, leading to two extraordinarily entertaining satirical collection. However even when The boys could have surpassed him by way of recognition and legacy, Marvelof X-Statix was nonetheless the primary and was doing superhero satires lengthy earlier than The boys.