Ranking The Seven's Power Levels In The Boys
The premise of The Boys is a fascinating one: Superheroes are packaged and presented by a huge corporation to seem like the beacons of hope people want them to be, but behind the scenes, they're messed-up people with messed-up problems.
Take for example Homelander (Antony Starr), a Superman-like figure who by all appearances is the perfect encapsulation of American bliss. Little does the public know that when the lights go out, he's a living nightmare who believes his powers give him the right to do ... anything. Homelander leads the Seven, the world's premiere superhero group and the face of Vought International. Like any corporation, Vought is brewing with dirty secrets — the dirtiest of which is Compound V, the wonder drug that grants heroes their abilities. The populace is led to believe that there's no such thing as Compound V, that their super-powered protectors are born gifted. Either way, Compound V is the truth, and it doesn't treat all heroes equally. Indeed, it makes some heroes much more powerful than others.
So, who among the Seven reigns supreme in the power department? Determining power levels can be iffy, as specifics aren't often given and things change, but the following ranking will strive for objectivity. All nine current and former on-screen members of the Seven are up for bat: Homelander, Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligot), Black Noir (Nathan Mitchell), A-Train (Jessie Usher), Starlight (Erin Moriarty), Stormfront (Aya Cash), Translucent (Alex Hassell), Lamplighter (Shawn Ashmore), and the Deep (Chace Crawford). The list will go from weakest to strongest.
Spoilers for The Boys ahead!
Lamplighter doesn't light the way
Kicking things off is Lamplighter, a former member of the Seven replaced by Starlight near the beginning of the show. His is the power of fire, and while flames are nothing to scoff at, Lamplighter simply doesn't measure up to the rest of his old teammates. Part of the reason is because of how his pyrokinesis works: He can't produce an inferno out of thin air, instead needing a source of fire to draw from. In his superhero days, that meant carrying around a special staff with a constant flame inside; in Lamplighter's post-superhero life, he trades the staff for a lighter.
Lamplighter also isn't anything special as far as standard Compound V enhancements go. At base level, the drug makes users stronger, faster, more durable, and have greater endurance than normal humans — all of which holds true for Lamplighter. However, none of these attributes are blown out of proportion with him; his most impressive feat is briefly outrunning Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara), a powerful Compound V-enhanced woman.
Lamplighter's durability is also shown to be quite low for a "Supe," as the Boys call Compound V users. He does survive and recover from an acid spray attack fairly quickly, but he's also susceptible to his own flames — in fact, his death is caused by self-immolation. What's more, after Lamplighter's suicide, Hughie (Jack Quaid), a regular person and admittedly not the strongest guy around, is able to break the Supe's wrist and slice it off with a broken bottle. Dead or not, the moment speaks to Lamplighter's below-average superpowers.
The Deep is a weak asset with potential
As the Aquaman analogue of The Boys, not having the Deep hit the rock bottom of this ranking is controversial. There's also the fact that a huge portion of the Supe's character arc has to do with him getting over being "the fish guy," as Starlight mockingly dubs him. He fails a lot, and is even sent on a "sabbatical" from the Seven. However, just as it's easy to underestimate Aquaman, it's easy to underestimate the Deep. Not to say he's secretly the most powerful Supe in the world or anything, but he's not a complete pushover.
Similar to Lamplighter, the Deep's Compound V-enhanced strength is nothing to write home about; he's easily able to knock a couple of thugs out, yet has trouble breaking a door down (though, to be fair, he was drugged at the time). As far as speed, endurance, and durability go, however, the Deep isn't the joke everyone makes him out to be. He can swim at impressive speeds for extended periods of time, and claims to have survived the almost-entirely-unexplored Mariana Trench, where water pressure is insanely high. Water pressure and fire obviously don't work in the same way, but it wouldn't be surprising to find the Deep able to withstand a Lamplighter flame blast.
The Deep can also call upon all forms of marine life to assist him. The ability only seems more powerful the more you think about it; who in their right mind would feel confident coming up against a pod of whales? If this power wasn't restricted to the water, the Deep might even have made it higher on this list.
Unfortunately, it's unclear how much his physical attributes carry over when he's on land, and his weakness is exploitable: touching his gills causes him searing pain. Plus, while self-esteem issues aren't directly connected to power levels, the Deep's low opinion of himself certainly wouldn't do him any favors in a fight.
Translucent sneaks his way in
At first glance, Translucent's power of invisibility might seem underwhelming. It's useful in specific scenarios, sure, but more powerful than pyrokinesis or aquatic telepathy? No way. However, as Translucent reveals on a certain late-night talk show on The Boys, "I don't actually vanish. My skin turns into this carbon meta-material that bends the light. Like an invisibility cloak." So, yes, he can disappear before anyone's eyes, but his ability to manipulate his meta-material skin allows him to become as impenetrable as diamond — a jewel known to be made of tightly-packed carbon.
That level of durability is nigh unsurpassed in the Supe community. Translucent can be punched, smacked around with a crowbar, rammed into with an SUV — the works. Even if it hurts him, his outer shell remains unscathed. Like all Supes, Translucent's other Compound V enhancements back him up in a pinch, but his diamond skin is his trump card. Combine it with his "invisibility," and he's undoubtedly one of the most dangerous men in The Boys universe.
As the Boys discover, however, Translucent isn't unbeatable. For one thing, carbon is an efficient conductor, meaning electrical attacks can do a number on the Supe, though it takes quite a few amps to actually harm him. More importantly, as Frenchie (Tomer Kapon) concludes by watching a documentary on turtles, Translucent's insides are as vulnerable as anyone's. Find a way in, and you find a way to take down this seemingly unbreakable Supe. Still, it's hard to imagine Lamplighter or the Deep figuring that out or doing significant damage to Translucent.
Starlight shines bright
Starlight is one of the most recent additions to the Seven's rotating roster, but she's been combating crime and honing her powers all her life. That sense of dedication and independence is part of the reason she eventually earns her a spot on the Seven in the first place; there's more to it than that, but talent and personality matter when you're signing up for the world's biggest superhero team. Regardless, Starlight's powers are no laughing matter. Though not her primary tools in battle, her base Compound V enhancements can't be ignored.
Lamplighter, the Deep, and Translucent are all certainly stronger than your average Joe, but Starlight is above and beyond their respective levels. Lifting up the back of a sedan is no big thing for her, and her fists can make a solid brick wall look like it was attacked by a giant hole puncher. Starlight's no slouch on the durability spectrum, either, able to withstand .50 caliber bullets to the chest with minimal damage. Invulnerable she is not, but underestimating her would be a grave mistake.
Starlight's greatest asset, though, is her energy absorption. Should there be any source of electricity nearby, she can take it in and blast it right back out, making her as fearsome a ranged opponent as she is a close combatant. To be fair, she may not always have access to electricity, but it's so common in the modern world that it usually isn't a worry for her — unlike Lamplighter and the Deep, who may not always have access to their respective elements. And since Translucent doesn't jive with electricity, it only makes sense to have Starlight one spot above him.
A-Train doesn't wait on the competition
One of the many reasons the Boys go after Supes is because of the collateral damage they inflict on citizens in their super-powered wake. Hughie learns this firsthand before even joining up with the Boys, watching helplessly as A-Train, the Seven's signature speedster, runs through his girlfriend Robin (Jess Salgueiro). It's a gruesome scene and extremely influential on the direction the story takes, but A-Train's bloody mistake is also a major key-in to just how powerful Supes can be.
In his race with Shockwave (Mishka Thébaud), another super-fast hero, A-Train crosses the finish line at 371 meters per second, officially breaking the sound barrier. The dirty little secret to his victory isn't an efficient training regimen, but rather, extra doses of Compound V. Worried that his age is catching up to him, A-Train develops a sinking habit of shooting up the miracle drug. The pro: The speed boost keeps him the fastest man alive. The con: The excess Compound V courses through his bloodstream and straight to his heart, making him prone to cardiac arrest.
Nonetheless, A-Train's raw power is no joke. Even without additional Compound V, his speed still keeps him three steps ahead of his opponents. A-Train is also quite strong, able to haul several train cars behind him (at walking speed, yes, but the feat leaves Starlight's car-lifting in the dust) and knock Kimiko through solid walls. His strength is backed up by decent durability and a quick healing factor, yet he's not unbreakable – Kimiko gets her revenge when she shatters his leg. All things considered, though, A-Train outruns or overpowers everyone below him.
Black Noir: a dark showcase of strength and skill
Compared to all the members of the Seven and all the other Supes introduced on The Boys, Black Noir is cloaked in a shroud of mystery. Little is known about him and his exploits, save that his name alone terrifies criminals — a sign that his history as a Supe is a long and successful one. The proof is in the pudding: Viewers witness Black Noir in action a few times, getting a taste of the power and prowess the enigmatic hero possesses.
Black Noir's Compound V enhancements are your standard fare — strength, speed, durability, endurance — but what makes him special are the levels these things are taken to and how he uses them. Trained in both martial arts and weapons handling, Black Noir is always quick and clean. Up against Kimiko, his superior fighting style alone is enough to put him on top, but he throws daggers in just for good measure. Up against Starlight, his strength far outweighs hers. Up against Naqib's (Samer Salem) explosion ability, he walks away with burns and recovers in no time.
By all accounts, Black Noir is an unstoppable force. More importantly, he's a consistently unstoppable force. After Homelander berates the members of the Seven for their recent underperformance, he makes sure to add, "Not you, Noir. You've been great."
Black Noir's weakness is so specific that only those who know him best could use it against him: a tree nut allergy. For those who don't know him — which is most people — Black Noir is the kind of guy who will take a gunshot through the hand and use that same hand to rip the shooter a new one.
Stormfront brings the thunder
Brought in to replace Translucent after his death is finally made public (though, of course, Vought lies that he perished in the line of duty), Stormfront quickly establishes herself as a valuable asset to the Seven — both in terms of her public image and her powers. She's easily one of the strongest members the team's ever had, impressing even Homelander with her abilities. She asks him to intentionally use his heat vision on her to prove she doesn't break, taking visible damage but recovering quickly and proceeding to horse around with him. Few could walk away from such an encounter in one piece and smile about it later, but that's exactly what she does.
Stormfront's strength is further proven in almost every action scene she's in — able to overpower the likes of Kimiko and Starlight, as well as make short work of concrete walls. (Walls really have it rough on The Boys, don't they?) Still, as Stormfront's name implies, Compound V's base enhancements aren't the only tools at her disposal: She can also manipulate lightning-like plasma to her liking. With this power, she can discharge painful energy blasts, lift and throw people and objects with tremendous force, and fly at incredible speeds.
Despite all her power, the damage from Homelander's lasers proves Stormfront's durability has limits, which comes into play near the end of season 2. Kimiko and Starlight alone aren't enough to defeat her, but Queen Maeve's arrival dramatically tips the scales in their favor, implying who the stronger of the two might be. Stormfront then flies away to confront Becca (Shantel VanSanten) and Ryan Butcher (Cameron Crovetti), who both significantly harm her — the former with a knife to the eye, the latter with heat vision of his own (he's Homelander's son, after all). Even the mightiest of storms come to an end eventually.
Queen Maeve is queen of the Supes
Like Black Noir, Queen Maeve is pretty normal as far as Compound V users go: strong, fast, able to shrug off big-time damage. They even share a proficiency in martial arts. The power differential is what separates them, proven when Queen Maeve holds Black Noir down with minor noticeable strain on her part. And while Black Noir takes visible damage when up against guns and explosions, Queen Maeve takes the full force of a speeding armored truck with not so much as a chipped nail. There's little doubt that she's the stronger of the two.
Comparing Queen Maeve to Stormfront is where things get tricky. There's an argument to be made that Stormfront is the more powerful Supe, especially due to their respective relationships with Homelander. From the get-go, Stormfront makes it clear that she's not afraid of Homelander, proving it by getting physical with him. Queen Maeve has a much longer history with the man, and fears him for it — mostly because of the monster behind the pearly-white smile, but his raw power surely plays a part. Homelander could destroy both women, but Stormfront is more reluctant to openly accept the fact.
Homelander or no Homelander, the women eventually come to blows and Queen Maeve comes out on top. Yes, Kimiko and Starlight aid her, but before she arrives, Stormfront has little trouble fending off the younger Supes. Queen Maeve doesn't swing the battle in the heroes' favor with power alone — she also outfights Stormfront, blocking several of the latter's attacks and displaying her martial arts prowess. A battered and bruised Stormfront flying away in frustration seems to say that even without her helpers, Queen Maeve would've come out on the winning side.
Homelander: the sky is the limit
"There isn't a weapon on Earth they haven't thrown at him," Madelyn Stillwell (Elizabeth Shue) says of Homelander. "They've all failed."
That statement is about as apt as it gets when describing the Seven's indisputable leader. Homelander won the Compound V lottery: extraordinary strength, speed, endurance, and resistance to injury; the power of flight; acutely enhanced senses; x-ray vision perfect for spying; and laser beams he can shoot from his eyes. He is, for all intents and purposes, a god — and boy, does he know it.
Homelander's weaknesses are few and far between, the most exploitable being his vulnerability to sonic frequencies. He also can't see through zinc or tap into his full strength while flying, but those feel more like inconveniences than true weaknesses. The only true way to land a significant blow on Homelander is to target his insecurities, and even that's a perilous venture, because it can be hard to tell exactly how he'll react. He's also smarter than he lets on, so finding a way to secure an advantage over him is no simple feat.
The other members of the Seven could be swapped around to some extent on this ranking, but opinions are opinions. That Homelander tops the list is a fact. This is a man who can have a bus and tons of concrete dropped on him and he'd brush it off, a dirty costume the only sign anything happened at all. This is a man whose heat vision is powerful enough to down a plane, sending it careening through the clouds below. This is a man who strikes fear into not only his foes, but also into those he loves. Homelander is, without an iota of a doubt, the most powerful member of the Seven.