Billy Butcher
| Billy Butcher | |
|---|---|
crowbar, as portrayed by Karl Urban in the television series The Boys . | |
| First appearance |
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| Last appearance | Dear Becky #8 (2020) |
| Created by | Garth Ennis Darick Robertson |
| Based on | |
| Adapted by | English ) |
| Abilities |
With Compound V:
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William J. Butcher, or "Billy the Butcher", is an
Butcher is portrayed by Karl Urban in the Amazon Prime Video streaming adaptation, and voiced by Jason Isaacs and Kay Eluvian in animation.
Appearances
Comic book series
The Boys and Herogasm
As a boy growing up in
According to #50: At the time of the Boys' original disbanding, taking place some months after the events of 9/11, Butcher had stated that he had been working for Mallory for 15 years. This indicates that he began around 1986. Butcher and Mallory operated as a pair for several years, until an operation against a high-profile target Web-Weaver (Web-Weaver, hinted at being the Boys' incarnation of Spider-Man), resulted in increased support in the team. In #55, Mallory tells Wee Hughie that Butcher recruited Mother's Milk, and subsequently the Frenchman and the Female (most likely for their willingness to commit violent acts). As time passed, Butcher slowly began to take control of the group, gradually increasing the level of violence the Boys used against Supes, often manipulating events until lethal force was the only option.
Butcher is now teetotal, preferring to drink
A bulldog named Terror is his constant companion; this dog has been trained to have sex with anything at Butcher's command ("Terror...Fuck it.") Butcher is extremely protective of Terror, even going as far as threatening the Homelander with breaking a truce after the Homelander moves to attack Terror for urinating on his leg in #20. In that same story, Homelander questions Butcher's motivations and, although Butcher does not verbally respond, the Homelander examines Butcher's pulse and heartbeat and hypothesizes that the Boys' war against superheroes is all that Butcher has to live for, a war that he does not expect to survive. Similarly, Mallory sees that what he unintentionally gave Butcher upon his recruitment into the Boys was a never-ending war which would constantly allow him to exercise the violent part of his being.
At the final clash in Washington, Butcher learned that it was Black Noir who'd killed his wife rather than the Homelander, and he finally gained his revenge. In issue #68, it was revealed that he'd secretly been making more of the modified Compound V from #11–14 (which can be triggered to kill superhumans) so that, if he survived, he could kill vast numbers of potential superhumans. The battle for Washington was won because Butcher had information about how to guide missiles towards the neurons in superhuman brains, that and the Compound V made Mother's Milk suspect that Butcher had faked Vogelbaum's death and was using him to develop more for himself.
After Washington, revealing his plans to use his Compound V to kill all potential superhuman in an act of genocide, numbering billions of people. Butcher murders their ally Vas (Love Sausage) to cover up his plan, then murders the Legend to prevent any information from reaching Hughie. Butcher suddenly announces a three-month leave for the team, revealing his intention to make Hughie his second-in-command (as Hughie had once asked for, however Hughie admits to having forgotten asking about it), to damage intra-group communication. It also comes out that he killed Milk's ex-wife in front of his daughter in order to prevent Milk from journeying to Los Angeles to deal with her. After confirming with Milk that he would not be on board with Butcher's plan, Butcher apologises to Milk and kills him, before using an explosion to kill Frenchie and the Female.
Having discovered his plan, Butcher is later confronted by Hughie on top of the Empire State Building, and after a brief fight, they both fall onto a lower platform, whereupon Butcher breaks his neck, becoming paralyzed from the neck down. After a brief conversation with Hughie wherein he acknowledges his past and admits to having killed Mother's Milk, Frenchie, and the Female, a police helicopter shows up. Knowing he will be locked away for life as an invalid, Butcher deceives Hughie into killing him by falsely claiming he had murdered Hughie's parents. Hughie, in a fit of rage, rams a metal spike into Butcher's chest, killing him. True to character, Billy dies smiling.
Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker
In Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker, Butcher's background is explored, as he reminisces on his life whilst attending his father's funeral, talking to his
Dear Becky
In Dear Becky, set twelve years after Butcher's death, Hughie is sent Butcher's diary by an unknown individual, leading him to confront his past actions and killing Butcher. As Hughie reads through the diary, Butcher's past actions and moral justifications are elaborated upon, including torturing and murdering renegade Supes (including children), and how he developed his plans for a genocide focused on Supes. Ultimately, Rayner is revealed to have sent Hughie the diary in an attempt to intimidate him so she could restart her political campaign; Hughie then reveals that Butcher had proof of the various war crimes she had committed which he kept to himself, instead having chosen to posthumously ruin her career with a sex scandal.
Television series
The Boys (2019–present)
In the streaming television series adaptation, Karl Urban portrays the character. Unlike the comic series, Butcher has a beard, although he was clean shaven until his wife disappeared, presumed dead, with Butcher mistakenly believing that Homelander killed her, while seeking to take down Vought International as a whole as a result.
Season One (2019)
In season one, Billy is first seen in "
After some convincing, Billy finally manages to get Hughie to join his cause and takes him to the Vought headquarters the following day under the guise of getting an apology out of A-Train when in actuality he was instead placing a listening device into the conference room of Vought's premier superhero team, The Seven.[2] Unfortunately however, Hughie is caught in the act by the Supe Translucent, who follows him back to the store and attempts to kill him, only for Butcher to save Hughie, and incapacitate and then kidnap Translucent. With nowhere to go, he seeks out the help of old-friend Frenchie. Frenchie is at first angry that Butcher has come to him, however the two reconcile and end up figuring a way to kill Translucent; Hughie is the one who ends up pulling the trigger, however.[2]
Shortly after Translucent's death, Butcher approaches another old friend, Mother's Milk "MM", asking him to join The Boys again. MM initially refuses, however is convinced by Billy to come back. Not long after, in "The Female of the Species", The Boys find The Female in a basement, having been the subject of Compound V injections for a while. She is ultimately accepted into The Boys despite Butcher believing her to be initially dangerous.
Billy's hate for Supes has been fueled by his personal hate for Homelander, leader of The Seven, following the alleged death of his wife Becca Butcher. Shortly after his wife's disappearance, Grace Mallory approached Butcher, showing him CCTV footage of his wife and Homelander together at Seven Tower. Billy believed that Homelander was the reason she disappeared, presuming that he killed her, fueling a personal vendetta that would last the next eight years.
Unbeknownst to Billy, Becca had been placed into witness protection by Vought International having been pregnant and given birth to Homelander's child — a child with enhanced abilities, including Homelander's heat vision. In "You Found Me", Homelander takes Butcher to see Becca for the first time since her disappearance.
Season Two (2020)
In season two following the events of
Butcher meets Grace at a memorial shrine for the 59 apartment tenants who were killed by Stormfront. She explains to Butcher that she has a reoccurring dream: She is onstage at Carnegie Hall and everyone who got killed by a Supe is in the audience staring at her. She then gives Butcher information on an eyewitness who knows about Liberty and tells him to give it to Mother's Milk. She also gives Butcher Becca's location. Confused, Butcher asks why give it to him if he failed to deliver the terrorist. Mallory apologizes to Butcher, that she's sorry that she was the reason Butcher stopped searching for Becca by replacing it with a vendetta against Homelander. Grace expresses that she would like to have "one less audience member staring at her".
Butcher uses the information to find the facility Becca is living in. The two have sex and catch up after being separated for 8 years. Butcher reasons they have to escape, but Becca is reluctant to leave. She reasons that no matter what happens, Butcher will find some way to get rid of Ryan. Butcher tries to convince her he wants to help raise Ryan, but Becca explains she knows Butcher's true nature, that he was broken before she ever entered his life. Becca's assumptions come to light when Butcher admits to calling Ryan a supe freak and says that they should hand him over to Vought so the two of them can escape and living in hiding. Becca refuses, stating she needs to be there for Ryan, otherwise Vought will only recreate Homelander. Butcher tries to plead with her, but Becca gets into her car. Butcher attempts to stop her, but she activates an alarm and warns him to go. Butcher leaves, disappointed at what his wife has become.
After
Annie stops a car and begs the driver to help them. The driver notices Butcher's gun and in turn, pulls out a gun and threatens them, believing they're trying to rob him. Annie draws energy from the man's car and hits him with a blast of energy. They leave the man's body and drive off. Annie confesses that she has become desensitized to civilians getting hurt, earning Butcher's silent respect. The two take Hughie to a hospital and watch over him, then bond over how much they know about Hughie, with them both thinking he's too good for them.
Butcher is called by one of the gang members, who informs him they have a visitor. Butcher goes up top to see that Becca has tracked him down. Billy embraces her, and she tells him to help her because Homelander took Ryan. Billy and The Boys plan how they're going to take down each member of The Seven. However, behind Becca's back, Butcher arranges a secret meeting with Stan Edgar.
Butcher meets with Edgar to discuss Ryan. Butcher explains that he knows Ryan is Vought's contingency plan in case Homelander steps out of line and that "plan" will fail if Ryan bonds with Homelander. Butcher then offers his assistance in solving that problem. Edgar asks why Butcher would think he would willfully betray his "friend". Butcher says he knows Edgar is ruthless because he knows Vought turns someone like Stormfront into one of America's most beloved Superheroes. Edgar justifies his actions as business progress because Stormfront helped improve their stock prices. Butcher then reminds Edgar that Stormfront should bother him for obvious reasons, to which Edgar reveals that she does worry him but he chooses not to focus on what he wants. Butcher offers to get Ryan away from Homelander, then he'll call Vought and have them secure Ryan. In return, Vought will do a better job of hiding him. Edgar agrees and promises to relocate Becca and Ryan to a safe place, but Butcher refuses, saying Becca stays with him. Edgar asks about if Becca tries to find her son. Butcher tells him to say to her that it is the only way to keep Ryan safe from Homelander. Butcher holds out his hand and makes a deal, for Vought to tell him where they are and that he'll secure the boy. Edgar agrees.
The moment Homelander leaves the cabin to follow Frenchie's distraction, Billy and Becca move in to secure Ryan. They escort him to the hanger The Boys are hiding at. Billy then changes the plan and orders M.M to escort Becca and Ryan out of the fight before it happens. Becca refuses, asking him why the plan has to change. Billy reveals that he secretly made a deal with Stan Edgar to give up Ryan, and in exchange, he and Becca can live together again. Becca agrees and reluctantly leaves with M.M, but their car is intercepted by the arrival of Stormfront. Billy rushes to the car and helps them out. Billy orders M.M to stay behind with the rest of The Boys and distract Stormfront while he secretly escorts Becca and Ryan.[5]
Stormfront tracks them down and demands Ryan. Billy refuses, so Stormfront neutralizes him with her plasma lightning. Enraged when Becca stabs her eye, Stormfront holds Becca in a chokehold. Billy recovers and attempts to stop Stormfront by shooting her and hitting her with a crowbar, but it doesn't even faze Stormfront. Ryan freaks out and uses his laser vision. When Butcher wakens from the attack, he notices a maimed Stormfront, Ryan crying while apologizing, and a mortally wounded Becca. Becca demands that he reassure Ryan that this was not his fault and to promise to keep Ryan safe before she dies. When Homelander arrives to take Ryan, Butcher refuses, saying he promised Becca. He keeps Ryan in his protection and gives him to Grace Mallory and the CIA, who will keep him somewhere safe.
Season Three (2022)
In season three, in the year following Becca's death, Butcher has continued to lead the Boys under the sponsorship of the Federal Bureau of Superhuman Affairs, albeit without Hughie (now a liaison officer between the Boys and the FBSA) and MM (who wished to spend more time with his daughter, Janine), now headquartered at the Flatiron Building. Butcher has been sober for the past year and has served as a surrogate father figure to Ryan. On one mission, where the size-shifting Supe Termite accidentally killed his boyfriend, Butcher saves Frenchie by trapping Termite in a bag of cocaine and forced him to overdose but decided not to kill him in accordance with Hughie's orders. After learning that Termite would not face charges due to a sponsorship deal between Vought and Terminix, Butcher expresses his frustration over being allowed only to apprehend lower-tier Supes for minor offences.
With Queen Maeve working as an informant for the Boys, she informs him of the existence of a weapon called "B.C.L. Red", which allegedly killed the legendary Supe Soldier Boy in 1984 and could be used to kill Homelander. She provides him with vials of V24, an experimental Compound V variant which grants superpowers for 24 hours. Butcher is visited by Homelander, frustrated with being forced to publicly apologise for his relationship with Stormfront and having to co-captain the Seven with Starlight; begrudgingly empathising with their respective stymied positions, Butcher and Homelander pledge to someday engage in a "scorched earth" fight to the death.
Whilst investigating the former members of Payback, Soldier Boy's team, Butcher approaches Soldier Boy's former sidekick and ward Gunpowder, a gun-toting Supe with expert marksmanship. Attempting to blackmail Gunpowder for information regarding Soldier Boy's death using a copy of a complaint made by him of Soldier Boy's "habitual [physical] abuse" provided by MM, Butcher is wounded and driven off by Gunpowder after a shootout. Hughie informs him that Victoria Neuman, the FBSA director, is the head-popper and Stan Edgar's adopted daughter, that Vought has been controlling opposition to itself via the FBSA, and that to fight Vought they would have to do things "[Butcher's] way". After taking V24, Butcher returns to Gunpowder, beating and interrogating him, demonstrating superpowers including super durability, super strength, and laser vision. After learning that Soldier Boy supposedly died during a mission in Nicaragua in 1984 supported by the CIA, and that his own mentor Grace Mallory was Payback's case officer, Butcher beats Gunpowder to death. Whilst visiting Ryan, Butcher blackmails Mallory into revealing what she knew about Soldier Boy's death. Mallory reveals that after having to accept the involvement of Payback and Vought in Operation Charly, joint Sandinista and Soviet forces killed Soldier Boy, transporting his body to behind the Iron Curtain. Butcher resents Mallory's undisclosed knowledge of the existence of a weapon that could kill Homelander, believing that Becca's death could have been avoided. Mallory defends her actions by saying that either the weapon would not have worked or it would have compelled Butcher to go on a rampage and kill all Supes, and tells him that he is his father's son. When Butcher storms out, Ryan tries to stop him from leaving, saying that he promised to stay with him, with Butcher snapping at him and blaming him for Becca's death.
Butcher strikes a deal with Frenchie's former boss, the dominatrix and gang leader "Little Nina", getting the Boys transport to Russia and the location of B.C.L. Red, in exchange for the assassination of an oligarch, which Butcher forces Kimiko to carry out. Whilst raiding the research lab where B.C.L. Red is allegedly kept, Butcher uses his Temp-V-enabled laser vision to save the Boys from guards and his super strength to open the pod containing B.C.L. Red (who is revealed to be Soldier Boy, now able to emit radioactive blasts following experimentation by the Russians). With the exception of Hughie, who used it without Butcher's approval or knowledge, the Boys disapprove of the use of Temp-V. After Soldier Boy escapes and the Boys return to New York, Butcher relays the events of the failed mission to Maeve. Breaking their respective sobrieties and bonding over their mutual hatred of Homelander, Butcher rants about the corruptibility of Supes and his desire to eliminate them all, and the two have sex. When Soldier Boy, who smuggled himself into America, is shown on the news to have destroyed a brownstone in a radioactive blast, Butcher, Hughie, and MM team up to track him down. After learning from The Legend, the former Vought Vice President of Hero Management and informant and ally of the Boys, that Soldier Boy was planning to hunt down and kill his former team Payback for revenge, Butcher, Hughie, and MM capture Crimson Countess, Soldier Boy's girlfriend and first target. MM, whose grandfather was killed by Soldier Boy, is drugged by Butcher so that he does not interfere with his plan to offer Countess to Soldier Boy as a show of good faith, hoping to team up with him to kill Homelander. This alienates Butcher from MM, who considers him a hypocrite.
Butcher gets Soldier Boy to agree to help him and Hughie kill Homelander by plying him with Vought-a-Burger food, whiskey, and
Going after Mindstorm, another former Payback member, Butcher supplies Soldier Boy with marijuana to prevent him from experiencing another PTSD blackout. Disorientated by an explosion from a trip-wire-triggered grenade, Butcher is subdued by Mindstorm, put into a trance, and forced to relive his worst memories until death by severe dehydration. Wishing to kill Mindstorm, the only one who could revive Butcher, Soldier Boy leaves Butcher for dead, believing that he would be willing to die if it meant fulfilling his promise of killing Homelander. Butcher witnesses, in third-person, his memories of the abuse he took from his father in order to protect his younger brother Lenny, his assault on a headmaster after being caught selling marijuana and compared to his father, during which he accidentally hit Lenny, and his brother's pleas to not enlist so to not to leave Lenny alone to the full brunt of their father's abuse. After Hughie becomes disillusioned with Soldier Boy, he rescues Mindstorm in order to revive Butcher, in exchange for being teleported to safety. Moments before being revived, Butcher is lambasted by Lenny for getting those closest to him killed, namely him and Becca, and endangering Hughie, and is forced to witness Lenny's suicide. Moments after emerging from his trance, Butcher briefly confuses Hughie for Lenny and comes to his aid after Soldier Boy punches him in retaliation for rescuing Mindstorm. After Annie informs Butcher that V24 will cause brain lesions and death after three to five doses, she demands that he inform Hughie. However, as Butcher is about to tell him, he instead tells him that they need to go to the Flatiron Building to collect more.
On their way back to New York, Butcher, commenting that Hughie is the "spit[ting image] of [his] little brother", knocks Hughie unconscious and abandons him to prevent him from taking more Compound V. After Soldier Boy learnt from Mindstorm that he is Homelander's biological father, Butcher tells him that Homelander is not his "son", saying that "blood don't matter". Soldier Boy goes along with this, and he, Butcher, and Maeve converge on Vought Tower to kill Homelander. When they arrive, they find that he has brought Ryan, with whom Homelander attempts to emotionally manipulate Soldier Boy into siding with him. The attempt fails, and all three superhumans are about to kill Homelander when Ryan attempts to stop them, attacking Soldier Boy. In response, Soldier Boy strikes Ryan; this incurs Butcher's wrath, since he remains intent on honoring his promise to Becca, and he abandons the objective of killing Homelander to attack Soldier Boy instead. They fight until Maeve tackles Soldier Boy, allowing Homelander to escape with Ryan. In the aftermath, Butcher learns that he is terminally ill from his overusage of Compound V, with only a year to 18 months left to live.
Gen V (2023)
Billy Butcher appears at the end of the first season of Gen V in a mid-credit scene. He is seen moving through the ruins of the "Woods" during his investigation of it.
Death Battle! (2020)
In the 2020
Diabolical (2022–present)
In The Boys Presents: Diabolical episode "I'm Your Pusher", set in the same continuity as The Boys comic book series, Butcher (voiced by Jason Isaacs) confronts OD, a drug dealer who deals directly to Vought supes, and blackmails him into giving tainting the Great Wide Wonder's drugs, causing him to crash into Ironcast during a promotional campaign, killing them both. Laughing in the aftermath, Butcher tells OD about the pair's crimes, before walking away with Wee Hughie. He tells Hughie that he plans to make him OD's handler and ask if he even enjoyed what happened. All Hughie can state was "define enjoy".[9][10]
Short films
Butcher (2020)
The short film Butcher, set between the first and second seasons, follows Butcher on the run after being framed for Stillwell's murder. After seeking help from his old friend Jock, Butcher beats him to death after Jock calls the police on him.[11][12]
Mr. Butcher (2022)
The short film Mr. Butcher, set between the third and fourth seasons, follows Butcher visiting an elementary school as a guest speaker, teaching children to be wary of Supes, of the many ways they can be killed by them, and encouraging fear and hatred of them in place of admiration.[13][14]
Powers and abilities
Billy Butcher is a physically fit former
In the television series, Butcher along with the other members of the Boys (besides the Female) are not injected with Compound V and thus do not have superhuman abilities. In season three, Butcher acquires V24, an unstable variant of Compound V that grants superpowers for twenty four hours. When injected with V24, Butcher is granted superhuman strength, speed, durability, and stamina, along with gold-colored heat vision.
Development
Billy Butcher was designed as a parody of Punisher,[16][irrelevant citation] a character that series creator Garth Ennis had written for nine years, prior to creating The Boys. Both characters are family men who become violent, unhinged vigilantes who allow their constant thirst for revenge to take them over completely. The character was originally owned by DC Comics for its first volume until the rights were reverted to Dynamite Entertainment.[17]
Following the story arc where the corrupt superhero problems are dealt with and Homelander and the Seven are defeated, Billy betrays and murders the other members of The Boys and has them killed in order to eliminate all Supes in the world, establishing him as the final antagonist of the series. Hughie Campbell, enraged by this act of betrayal, kills Billy with a glass shard. Despite dying, Billy praises Hughie and dies with a smile on face, and Hughie tells Annie that Butcher is probably fighting in Hell.[18]
Reception
Karl Urban's depiction of Billy Butcher in the Amazon Prime Video streaming television adaptation has been positively received,[19] and his interpersonal relationships with Hughie Campbell (portrayed by Jack Quaid) and Mother's Milk "MM" (portrayed by Laz Alonso) have been praised.[20][21]
References
- ^ Ennis, Garth; Robertson, Darick Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #3 (September 2011)
- ^ a b "The Boys: 10 Things That Make No Sense About Hughie". Screen Rant. 2020-09-18. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
- ^ "The Boys: Starlight Finds an Unlikely Friend With [SPOILER]". CBR. 2020-09-30. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
- ^ "The Boys: Why Starlight Is More Like Butcher Than Hughie". Screen Rant. 2020-10-27. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
- ^ "The Boys Season 2 Finale Recap: (S02E08) What I Know". Geek Girl Authority. 2020-10-10. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
- ^ "Kay Eluvian - IMDb". IMDb. September 17, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
- DEATH BATTLE!. September 17, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020 – via YouTube.
- DEATH BATTLE!. September 17, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020 – via YouTube.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (February 2, 2022). "Prime Offers a Taste of 'Diabolical' in New 'Vought-A-Burger' Teaser". Animation Magazine. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ Maas, Jennifer (February 16, 2022). "The Boys: Diabolical Trailer: Simon Pegg Finally Plays Hughie Campbell". Variety. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ @TheBoysTV (September 10, 2020). "Wondering what Butcher's been up to? Check out "BUTCHER: A Short Film" while you wait for tomorrow's new episode 👀" (Tweet). Retrieved September 12, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ Weintraub, Steve "Frosty" (July 7, 2020). "Exclusive: Eric Kripke on 'The Boys' Season 2, Giancarlo Esposito's Role, and a Billy/William Butcher Short Film". Collider. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
- ^ @TheBoysTV (September 9, 2022). "This fall, the wee ones are gettin a proper education thanks to Mr. Butcher" (Tweet). Retrieved September 9, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ DeVore, Britta (September 9, 2022). "See Karl Urban Educate Kids On Evil Superheroes". Giant Freakin Robot. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- ^ Pierre, Mekishana (2020-09-07). "The Boys: A Quick Reminder About Why Compound V Matters So Much". POPSUGAR Entertainment. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
- ^ Riesman, Abraham (2020-06-02). "Why Cops and Soldiers Love the Punisher". Vulture. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
- ^ "Dynamite® The Boys". www.dynamite.com. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
- ^ "The Boys: Hughie's Powers in the Comics, Explained". Screen Rant. 2020-12-12. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
- ^ Wainio, Wade (21 April 2021). "The Boys Season 2 finale recap: What I Know".
- ^ Perry, Spencer (February 25, 2021). "The Boys Star Karl Urban Reveals First Look at Butcher for Season 3". Comic Book. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
- ^ Perry, Spencer (April 21, 2021). "The Boys Star Laz Alonso Speaks on Mother's Milk Special Connection With Butcher in Official Podcast (Exclusive)". Comic Book. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
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