Tek Knight: Gen V Reinvents The Boys' 'Iron Man' Into Something Much Worse
A fan-favorite character from the comics — one inspired by two of the most beloved Marvel and DC superheroes — Tek Knight has long been one of the most anticipated additions to Amazon's "The Boys" Universe. Case in point, when Jeffrey Dean Morgan was cast ahead of Season 4, many fans immediately jumped to the conclusion that the high-profile "Supernatural" and "Walking Dead" alum would take up the role as the series' next main villain.
However, with surprisingly little fanfare, the character somewhat unexpectedly debuted in the spin-off series "Gen V," which just recently aired its explosive Season 1 finale. Played by the ever-excellent Derek Wilson (who once had a memorable yet brief turn on AMC's "Preacher," another Garth Ennis comic book series produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg), the Tek Knight seen surveying the halls of Godolkin University is significantly different from the one that appears in the comics. While Morgan may have been the perfect choice for the Tony Stark-Bruce Wayne of "The Boys" universe, Wilson's Supe is a subtler — yet far more threatening — addition to an already horrifying world.
Tek Knight is now the World's Most Dangerous Detective
In the original comic book series (created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson), Tek Knight is one of the more genuinely heroic Supes — his major drawback being psychological rather than moral (as seen in "Gen V," the character has a peculiar and unfortunate obsession with holes). His super-powered suit of armor (which he's rarely seen outside of) was likely cut from the series for budgetary reasons. However, his new, sleeker wardrobe is appropriately reflective of his more insidious demeanor.
Unlike his comic book counterpart, Tek Knight has the superpower of hyper observance on "Gen V" — basically, he notices (and likely remembers) everything. This ability arguably makes him one of the strongest Supes introduced in the spin-off, in the sense that he's the perfect counter-agent for a universe where the real heroes often have to rely on subterfuge to compete with super-powered menaces. Combined with the fact that he seems to be a self-serving sociopath like the majority of Vaught's most successful Supes, this version of Tek Knight could be a formidable villain in future stories — potentially even "The Boys" Season 4.