A darker and more subversive take onsuperheroes,The Boyshas proven to be a massive hit. The Prime Video series arrived as an explosive, foul-mouthed and blood-soaked adaptation of Garth Ennis’ comics. While following the overall plot points where a team of boys swears to take down the unhinged and corrupt “supes,” the Emmy-nominated series has also colored outside the lines every now and then.
Now, with its first spin-off series,Gen V, the superhero franchise is breaking new ground. The show introduces a next generation of supes taking issues of adolescence and conspiracies in a raw and refreshing way. Set at God U, a college exclusive for young adult superheroes,Gen Vintroduces a new crop of superheroes just getting a grip on their abilities. Without wasting much time, the series reveals some dark and sinister secrets that force the supes to act out of proportion.
With storylines delving deeper,Gen Vsets itself apart byborrowing from its source material, which isThe Boyscomics, but also creating something new and thought-provoking. The result is a fresh take on the superhero genre, one that could also be defined as a standalone superteen drama with interesting conflicts and compelling plot twists. Here are 10 ways in whichGen Vdiffered fromThe Boys’comic storyline.
10Madelyn Stillwell’s Character
A Gender Swap and Much More Influential in the Comics
Madelyn Stillwell’s character takes on a whole new dimension inGen V. In both the series and the comics, she is a calculating Vought executive who will do whatever it takes to protect the company. We have seen her go to extreme lengths in a boardroom setting as she safeguards the interests of The Seven inThe Boys,and the same struggle and manipulation extends inGen V.
The comic version of Madelyn Stillwell, a man named James Stillwell, did not die so early in the series. In fact, he had a much more influence in the university compared to Madelyn.
In a way, James was to Godolkin University what Stan Edgar was to Vaught inThe Boysafter the former died. In one instance, to cover up the questionable things that John Godolkin did, James had every member of the G-Men ruthlessly executed. That’s something even Madelyn would think twice about.
9There Are No Members of The Boys in Gen V
Will Limit Appearances to Cameos
It’s no secret thatGen Vis loosely based on the seventh story arc ofThe Boyscomics, called “We Gotta Go Now.” The narrative in the comics focuses on the sarcastic and hardcore Boys, who infiltrate a superhero collective called the G-Men after the shocking truth they learn. They are still teenagers. They have little knowledge about their own powers and are overlooked by John Godolkin.
However, there are no Boys inGen V. Instead, this seriesfocuses on a new generation of Supesdealing with coming of age in a different arena. The central character is an orphan with blood manipulation powers named Marie Monroe.
She is accompanied by a group of other teenage Supes navigating everyday challenges and superpowered hormones. So far,there have been a bunch of cameosfrom The Seven and the Boys inGen V, but chances are, that this superteen drama will limit the Boys to just that – cameos.
8Supes Cannot be Brought Back from the Dead
Resurrection Is Possible in the Comics
InGen V, when a Supe dies, they stay dead. There are no resurrecting abilities or convenient plot armor like in the comics. We watch the naive students and supervillains grapple with the fragility of life, unlikeThe Boysuniverse, where death can often be persuaded. InThe Boyscomic storyline, there is one particular instance where this terrifying truth is applied.
A Supe called Nubia (the X-Men parody version of Storm) is tragically killed by someone from her own organization. After John Godolkin orders to resurrect her, she returns as somebody else.
It was still her in appearance, but Nubia acted more like a mindless zombie who wanted her suffering to end. Despite the failure and the possibility that the next will have the same effect, Godolkin has another G-Man brought back from the dead.
Related:20 Messed Up Comics Like The Boys to Check Out
7The Supes in the Comics Grew Up at Godolkin
There Is No Application Process
The comics dive deep while exploring all its characters' pasts. The supes in the comics grew up at Godolkin, a secretive training facility that transformed them into the perfect products for Vought.
Apparently, John Godolkin would kidnap infants and inject them with Compound V. The children would grow up under his care, their loyalty would be limited to him, and their ambitions would be shaped differently.
In contrast, all the students inGen Vget enrolled into university through a normal process. While they are still subjected to nasty things before and after going to college, the violence and the trauma in the TV series is lighter compared to the books. The series makes God U look like a playgroundfor the powerful and the privileged, which is starkly different from the factory-like upbringings endured by characters in the source material.
6Tek Knight Gets a Makeover
An Iron Man Parody in the Comics
In the comics, Tek Knight is portrayed as a parody of Batman and Iron Man. Like them, he has no real superpowers. He is just a filthy rich guy who has access to really cool gadgets and a fancy suit that allows him to fly.
But in the spin-off, we meet a fresh-faced young man behind the tech tycoon persona.Gen Vgives Tek Knight the powers of an intimidating detective. His overly alert senses and unmatched talent for observation make him a jaded and sinister superhero.
Another difference betweenGen VandThe Boyscomic storyline is that Tek Knight never hosts a true-crime series in the comics. In the series, however, he arrives at Godolkin, with a reputation that precedes him, in search of compelling footage that will reveal the truth about Golden Boy’s death. TV Tek Night and comic Tek Knight have one thing in common though – they both possess an NSFW obsession because of a brain tumor.
5Godolkin Is Left Out, Replaced by Brink (for Now)
Less Dark Than the Comic… Somehow
As a comic book series,The Boysisn’t for the faint of heartbecause there are certain unsavory aspects about the storyline where the young supes are considered. John Godolkin, who kidnapped and raised the children, was a serial abuser in the comics.Gen Vnotably left him out of the TV series in order to make the narrative less dark.
In John’s place,Gen Vhas Professor Richard Brinkerhoff, a support and confidant to the students, especially Golden Boy. While the school was still founded by Thomas Godolkin, he was never shown in action, leaving the management to Dean Shetty and Brink.
The latter two were involved in some sinister experiments being undergone in The Woods. Eventually, when Golden Boy discovers the truth, Brink meets his fate.
4Indira Shetty Doesn’t Exist in the Comics
Created for the Show
The Boyscomic storyline is laced with several antagonists,characters unsympathetic enoughto send a chill down your bones. But Dean Shetty isn’t one of them. Indira Shetty is a wholly original character created forGen V. She has no analogue in the comics, but in the show, she is introduced immediately through a promo video that plays when Marie Monroe enters God U.
Gen Vkeeps the suspense fresh by portraying Indira as a refreshing blend of power and vulnerability, confounding viewers about where her loyalties lie.
Through her lens, the series explores gore, cruelty, and cut-throat savagery. Shown to be uncertain of her place in the world,Gen Vquickly reveals a darker side to Indira, one that grows angrier and more vengeful due to a tragic event caused by Homelander inThe Boys.
3The Comic Version of Neuman Isn’t Threatening
She’s More Like Vought’s Puppet in the Comics
Victoria Neuman, or the Head Popperas showcased in the original series, took her own time to become a Congresswoman of the United States. InThe Boysand theGen Vuniverse, she is an overarching antagonist. More of an insurgent than an administrator, Neuman is a Supe with the same blood-controlling powers as the protagonist, Marie Monroe.
In the show, Monroe is super excited to meet Neuman, but as soon as she learns about her powers and realizes that Neuman is a controlling, manipulative, and scheming politician with blood on her hands (literally and otherwise), Monroe grows cautious. The comic version of Neuman isn’t nearly as threatening or intimidating. In fact, she is more like a puppet that Vought controls.
Related:The Boys and Gen V: Ranking the Characters by Power
2There Aren’t G-Men in Gen V, but All New Supes
New Faces and Powers
The Boysis a show based on a comic book plot line about a group called the G-Men, which in fact is a parody of theX-Men. While the former subverts the superhero genre by portraying the powerful as corrupt and villainous, its spin-off series introduces a college-like setting where young Supes are still learning the inner mechanisms of the large institution that controls them. Naturally,Gen Vsteers away from the predictable.
In doing so,Gen Veliminates the major antagonists of the comics – the G-Men. So far, not a single character on the show has mentioned G-Men. And all the young superheroes seem hellbent on using their gifts to do good instead of joining Homelander on his rampage. Judging by the first season alone, one can tell thatGen Vwill forge a unique path for its students (one that aligns with that of Butcher) instead of piggybacking on the comic storyline.
1Gen V Introduces a Virus Arc
A Way to Kill Supes
From the first episode itself,Gen Vestablishes a central mystery surrounding “the woods,” a place located in the basement of God U, where certain officials kept Supes isolated. Sam, Golden Boy’s brother, was one of those students and when word got out, more details around Dean Shetty’s plan came to light. Apparently, she had scientists working on a virus that could reshape the entire world of Supes.
The virus would initially weaken those with Compound V in their veins by making the Supes sick. But Shetty insists the scientists make the dose strong enough to outright kill them.
On the other hand, there is no mention of a virus inThe Boyscomics. The Supes in the comics are more susceptible to getting hurt from ordinary blows, but the complexity in the series’ characters suggests that the internal dynamics of power and control may see a drastic shift in the future.
