Why Translucent's Suit In The Boys Makes No Sense According To Fans
Being a superhero is a pretty sweet gig. Yes, there's frequent bruising and persistent death threats and the whole "responsible for saving the world from complete annihilation" thing, but what about those perks? First off, superheroes tend to have pretty sweet rides, from Batman's Batmobile to the X-Men's Blackbird. Then there are the gadgets and accessories, like Wonder Woman's lasso and Thor's hammer. Superheroes also tend to have bases that shame the best homes featured on "MTV Cribs." There are multiple mansions, a Hall of Justice, and a Fortress of Solitude.
While some of those perks are reserved for the upper echelons of superhero society, even those heroes living paycheck to paycheck get to enjoy iconic costumes. Spider-Man rarely has an overflowing bank account, but his costume is recognizable the world over. So it's a bit of a surprise that the Seven's Translucent is forced to run around in the buff while, ostensibly, saving the world.
Most of the Seven are dressed for the role
On Amazon Prime's "The Boys," Vought International formed and finances the superhero team known as "the Seven." Given the vast resources of the multibillion-dollar conglomerate, it's no surprise that the "Supes" on the team have impressive costumes. Queen Maeve sports a Wonder Woman-inspired ensemble, while leader Homelander dresses in echoes of Superman. Killing machine and allergy sufferer Black Noir looks like a cross between Daredevil and Snake Eyes, while the Deep and Aquaman clearly share a tailor. If one managed to catch a glimpse of speedster A-Train's getup, they'd see a pretty stylish uniform. And newcomer Starlight rocks a red carpet-worthy costume of white and gold.
The only member of the Seven to get the short shrift is Translucent, who is able to turn his skin into a reflective substance that renders him invisible. One would think Translucent's obvious value to missions would warrant him some respect ... or at least clothing. Instead, as u/Jamie_Pull_That_Up noted in a recent thread on Reddit, Translucent is tough to take seriously because Vought never managed to develop a costume for him.
Perhaps Vought just doesn't care
Given Vought's incredible wealth and access to resources, it seems odd that Translucent is forced to complete missions while naked. Admittedly, he doesn't need body armor since not only can his enhanced skin hide him from sight, but it's also impenetrable. Even still, it can't be too comfortable running, jumping, and fighting with all his business flapping around. The Boys' Frenchie has already shown that the substance comprising Translucent's skin can be replicated and applied to other objects, such as sniper rifle rounds.
So why does the emperor have no clothes? It's altogether possible that Vought did in fact develop a costume that would become invisible with Translucent's skin and the Supe turned it down. He's quite the pervert, spying on women and likely worse, so he may prefer to be naked. After all, he made no effort to cover himself when Queen Maeve found him in the ladies' room.
While we may never get a definitive answer regarding Translucent's lack of a functional uniform, u/rattycakes567 provided a very simple, and very plausible, explanation: Vought really doesn't care about the Supes. The company's sole concern is money and publicity. With few exceptions, none of the Seven is irreplaceable in the company's eyes. Indeed, replacing a member is typically great for the bottom line since the search for a new Supe generates media coverage, increases merch sales, and sells out venues where the Seven are appearing. Given what we know of Vought, u/rattycakes567 may have just exposed the truth behind Translucent's nudity.