Amazon’s The Boys is one of the most beloved superhero shows of all time, and for good reason. With superb direction from showrunner Eric Kripke, refreshingly sharp social commentary, and brilliant performances from Antony Starr (Homelander), Karl Urban (Butcher), and many more, it has connected with its fan base in a revolutionary way.
What many fans love most about The Boys, however, is its ever-growing ensemble of bizarre superheroes, identifiable by their unique costumes. But while Homelander’s star-spangled cape may be instanty iconic, some of Vought’s other heroes have costumes that are, frankly, a little less than super.
10 Queen Maeve’s Armor Looks Silly Out Of Battle
When Queen Maeve is posing in front of a camera for one of Vought’s films or even squaring off against Homelander, her costume looks great. When she’s just hanging around Vought Tower, on the other hand, it looks really goofy.
To be fair, that’s probably intentional and/or unavoidable, and also serves to underscore the show’s central theme: heroes are only super when the world is watching. The juxtaposition between Maeve showing off for a paycheck and her just trying to make it through the day rightfully looks very different.
9 Blue Hawk Just Looks Like A Biker
To be honest, if anyone thinks Blue Hawk’s costume looks cool, it’s probably Blue Hawk himself. The design seems tailor-made to appeal (and pander) to his brand of toxic, power-fueled masculinity.
Aside from the grody body armor, the cliché “tough-guy” leather jacket, and so many unnecessary clasps he’d make Rob Liefeld blush, Blue Hawk’s look is accentuated with a ridiculous-looking helmet. The way it’s shaped — with a bulbous upper portion — makes his head look way too big. Overall, he just looks like a jerk cosplaying a cop — which is perfect for his character.
8 Starlight’s Season One & Two Costume Sexualized Her Way Too Much
There is absolutely nothing wrong with anyone wanting to show more skin or express their sexuality however they see fit; the key part being those last few words.
The biggest problem with Starlight’s costume in the first season of The Boys is that it’s changed, without her consent, to increase her sex appeal. Instead of her stylish gloves, endearingly idealistic cape, and useful headband, she is forced to wear a plunging leotard with no stockings. Luckily, Starlight was able to reclaim her autonomy by Season 3 and redesigned her look.
7 Shockwave Looked Like A-Train-Lite
Shockwave was a minor character in the first season of The Boys, depicted as A-Train’s primary competitor as a speedster. While his running skills certainly rival A-Train’s fierce velocity, his costume doesn’t make it past the finish line.
While the orange color scheme could’ve worked, it’s ruined by these pompous, tactically superfluous grey accent pieces that look like glued-on rubber. More than that, as A-Train’s competition, Shockwave lacks much of the protective gear that makes A-Train’s costume so great. It’s hard to imagine that hitting bugs at Mach-5 will feel great without a chest piece.
In Season 3, A-Train is concerned with trying to stay relevant to his fans now that he can no longer run at super-speed (the result of his struggle with substance abuse). His idea, essentially, is to re-present himself as the quintessential “Black” superhero; the results are as cringy as one would expect.
This change is represented through his costume, which has been redesigned with a color scheme honoring the South African flag. Seeing him wear the suit to do commercialized “middle-ground” propaganda showcasing police brutality and energy drinks was some of the season’s finest satire that also reinforced why the costume is so tasteless.
5 Black Noir Looks Way Too Creepy Yet Boring
Black Noir’s costume is all at once uncomfortably creepy and utterly boring. Something about the all-black suit with no definable branding or characteristics makes him look like a misplaced hockey-goalie or quarterback.
But in combining that with Nathan Mitchell’s excellent non-verbal performance, Noir feels way more unsettling. While he’s certainly terrifying in a traditional sense, Black Noire’s costume, with the wonderful performance, gives off the sort of antisocial grunge vibes of someone who spends way too much time surfing the dark web.
4 Swatto’s Boring Costume Got Him Killed
Swatto was a short-lived character on The Boys, appearing in a flashback to Mallory’s time serving with the superhero team Payback. He basically only has the ability to fly via gross-out insect wings popping out of his back.
Considering they’re a superpower and not a design choice, Swatto gets zero points for this singular unique costume trait. Without the wings, his costume is basically Black Noir’s with way less texture and detail. What’s more, this all-black outfit sticks out like a fly on the beach in Cuba’s green landscapes, making him an easy target.
3 Mindstorm Was Dressed For Mad Men, Not Warfare
Mindstorm was one of Payback’s most deceptively powerful members. This supe had the ability to trap a person inside a mind-prison of their own worst memories, leaving them to die from lack of sustenance. Butcher and Hughie help Soldier Boy track down Mindstorm as part of the first supe’s quest to take vengeance on his team.
In flashbacks, Mindstorm is dressed in a nice suit and turtleneck. While the supe’s mind-based powers could mean he doesn’t need a full suit of armor, it would’ve been nice if had something more interesting to wear than Armani.
2 Ezekiel Is Dressed For The Worst Christian-Rock Concert Ever
Ezekiel was a minor character in the first season of The Boys. He first appeared in a supe club, fornicating with multiple men at once — thanks to his superhuman ability to stretch any part of his body. Hughie uses this to blackmail the publicly homophobic Christian superhero into giving The Boys info about Compound V.
Ezekiel’s costume is so piously, pompously humble. It’s exactly the sort of thing a rock-star religious pundit would wear to project humility before flying away from mass in a private jet. In addition to being not much to look at, it’s just so groan-worthy.
1 Gunpowder’s Costume Is 90% Ammo
Gunpowder was a member of Payback, and Soldier Boy’s sidekick while the latter was still an active Vaught supe. He had superhuman aim, and the ability to seemingly judge ricocheting bullet trajectories with deadly accuracy. Butcher tracks him down to a gun convention, where Gunpowder becomes the first victim of his Temp V powers.
Gunpowder’s costume is meant to appeal to the kind of gun-toting fanatics who design their whole personality around their weaponry. In addition to that, there’s not a ton going on here beyond ammo and sports gear.