This article contains spoilers for The Boys seasons 1-3.
In the world of Prime Video’s The Boys, superheroes – or supes as they’re not-so-affectionately called – are a part of normal, everyday life. But these supes aren’t naturally born, they’re created by Vought Industry’s Compound V serum. Even though Vought does their best to control who does and does not become a supe, they don’t have control over how abilities manifest in people who take Compound V.
This leads to a wide variety of powers among the supes on the show, including those in the prestigious superhero group known as The Seven. With so many superpowered characters appearing in both large and small roles throughout the series, it can be hard to keep track of what exactly everyone can do. Here is a handy guide breaking down the powers of The Seven, as well as a few other notable supes in The Boys. Meanwhile, a full list of every supe in The Boys can be found over here.
Annie January a.k.a Starlight
Maggie Shaw a.k.a Queen Maeve
Black Noir
Kevin Moscowitz a.k.a. The Deep
The Deep (Chace Crawford) can breathe underwater thanks to gills on his abdomen. He can also swim at great speeds and can communicate telepathically with aquatic wildlife. The Deep was kicked out of The Seven in season 1 after assaulting Starlight, but then, after a stint in the cult-like Church of The Collective, rejoins the superhero group in season 3.
Reggie Franklin a.k.a A-Train
A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) has superspeed and enhanced strength. Until he abuses Compound V to enhance his abilities and has a heart attack in season 1, he is The Seven’s resident speedster. But A-Train is more than Vought’s fastest man alive. He has an incredibly fast metabolism that requires him to eat more than the average person in order to sustain his body and abilities. This enhanced metabolism helps him heal rapidly, especially when he is on extra doses of Compound V – in season 1 his leg fracture heals within a few days and is able to heal from his heart attack. However, his abuse of Compound V leaves him slower than he once was, and eventually he becomes unable to run without jeopardizing his heart health. A-Train also has increased perception, meaning that his brain can process information as quickly as he moves, allowing him to dodge projectiles before they hit him.
Stormfront
Translucent
One of the original members of The Seven, Translucent (Alex Hassell) has the ability to appear invisible thanks to his skin, which is made out of a carbon meta material, like a diamond, that bends the light around him. He has to be completely naked in order for him to be perceived as totally invisible. As shown in Season 1, Translucent can stay invisible even when knocked unconscious by electric shock. Even though he can be knocked unconscious, his skin is bulletproof and virtually indestructible from the outside. However, as Frenchie (Tomer Capone), a member of The Boys, discovers, Translucent’s insides are just as “soft” as everyone else’s. This means that some strategically placed explosives in certain body cavities can take Translucent out despite his invulnerable skin.
Kimiko
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Soldier Boy
Lamplighter
A former member of The Seven, Lamplighter (Shawn Ashmore) was sent to work at the Sage Grove Center, a psychiatric hospital that Vought uses for Compound V testing, after killing Colonel Mallorey’s (Laila Robins) grandchildren instead of her as he intended. Lamplighter has the ability to manipulate fire, primarily using a lighter as his flame-source when we meet him at Sage Grove, although he does have a torch staff that has greater fire-power (pun intended) during a season 2 flashback that shows The Boys and Mallory blackmailing Lamplighter into helping them. Unfortunately, he can’t create flames on his own and he is still susceptible to fire. Lamplighter dies after lighting himself on fire while helping Hughie (Jack Quaid) sneak into Vought tower.
Victoria Neuman
When we first meet U.S. Congresswoman Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit) in season 2, she is vocally anti-Vought and calls for hearings to hold them accountable. She works with The Boys and Mallory to find witnesses and later spearheads the Federal Bureau of Superhuman Affairs in season 3. However, it turns out that Neuman is a supe, and the adopted daughter of Vought CEO Stan Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito). She has the ability to make another person’s body explode, although she seems to favor the head.
Ryan Butcher
Supersonic
Supersonic (Miles Gaston Villanueva) briefly joins The Seven in season 3 after winning the Vought reality competition “American Hero.” He becomes an ally to Starlight thanks to their past as friends and romantic partners during their days in the teen hero circuit. He has super strength and the ability to create sonic waves by clapping his hands together. Supersonic is also a talented singer, and is a former member of the boyband Super-Sweet.
Blue Hawk
Blue Hawk (Nick Wechsler) is a local supe who is called out by A-Train for over-policing Black neighborhoods. His powers include super strength, durability, and stamina – he is able to throw people across the room without issue and survived the explosion caused by Solider Boy during Herogasm. However, none of these abilities kept him from dying when A-Train dragged Blue Hawk’s body behind him at super speeds as revenge for paralyzing his brother.
Payback
Before The Seven, the supe team Payback were Vought’s chosen heroes. Aside from their leader Soldier Boy and eventual member of The Seven, Black Noir, members of the team include Crimson Countess (Laurie Holden), Gunpowder (Sean Patrick Flannery and Gattlin Griffith), Swatto (Joel Labelle), Mindstorm (Ryan Blakely), and the TNT Twins.
Crimson Countess has slightly enhanced strength, but her primary power is generating balls of fire that she can throw at her opponents. However, her hands have to be in a specific position in order for her to use this power, if her hands are tied up separately she’s effectively powerless.
Gunpowder can shoot a firearm with enhanced accuracy – he can even bounce bullets off of other objects in order to hit his intended target. While not directly mentioned, he likely also has enhanced regeneration or healing abilities, seeing as Soldier Boy beat him frequently without killing him or leaving any lasting visible damage.
As his name suggests, Swatto has insect-like abilities. He has retractable wings similar to those of a dragonfly that allow him to fly through the air and, unfortunately for him, straight into Russian missiles in Nicaragua when Payback tries to help the CIA in 1984.
Mindstorm has telepathic abilities that allows him to see into the minds of others. He is most known for using this ability to control the actions of others and trapping his enemies within a never-ending nightmare, as he does to Billy Butcher in season 3.
The TNT Twins, Tommy (Jack Doolan) and Tessa (Kristen Booth), have the ability to produce explosive bolts of energy, but only when they’re holding hands with each other. Their abilities also weaken after years of not using them.
All three seasons of The Boys are available to stream on Prime Video now. Season 4 has been confirmed and has started filming.
