The world of ‘Gen V’ is full of dangerous young superheroes, each more unpredictable than the last. With Godolkin University serving as the training ground for the next generation of Supes, the bar has never been higher.
Characters like Marie, Jordan, and Emma have powered up significantly in the latest season. It’s clear that they’re not just students, but forces the wider universe of ‘The Boys’ will have to reckon with.
Cate’s Hidden Power Is Too Dangerous To Ignore
Yet, tucked amid all the chaos, there’s one character Season 2 is quietly downplaying despite her terrifying potential: Cate Dunlap. Although the narrative paints her as weaker and unstable after her injury, the truth is much more chilling; she may be one of the deadliest Supes the franchise has ever produced. Cate’s journey in Season 2 is framed as a redemption arc. She’s reeling from nearly dying in the aftermath of Season 1 and is struggling with her abilities, which have become erratic and unpredictable.
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Once, she could manipulate minds effortlessly. She hid The Woods, deceived countless people, and convinced Luke that his brother was dead. That’s not just power, that’s influence bordering on godlike. However, Season 2 initially presents a damaged version of her. After her traumatic injury, her powers glitch and misfire, leading to comedic but unsettling mishaps. When she tries to help Jordan infiltrate Cipher’s secret area, her attempt to control a guard backfires horribly.
On the surface, it looks like Cate is broken, a once-dangerous Supe reduced to a liability. She also lacks the physical resilience of many others at God U. No superstrength, no invulnerable skin, just a mind-control ability that currently seems more like a malfunctioning weapon than a precision tool. However, that’s a misdirect. Because even in her weakest state, Cate is still lethally effective in ways most Supes could never hope to match.
Her coma scene is a prime example of how the show quietly reasserts her frightening power. While unconscious, she managed to psychically command a nurse tending to her. That nurse not only spoke with Sam under Cate’s influence, but ultimately stabbed and killed another staff member. There’s even a hint that she murdered more than one person while compelled. This is horrifying for one reason: Cate didn’t even need to be conscious to control someone so completely that they killed others.
Cipher’s Power In ‘Gen V’ Explained
While Cate’s strength is being downplayed, another figure is stepping into the spotlight, Cipher, the enigmatic dean of Godolkin. His powers are showcased, and they’re terrifying in a different way. When Cate accuses him of not being a Supe, he proves otherwise. Cipher slips into Jordan’s mind and body from across the room, forcing her to attack Marie during a sparring session. Unlike Cate’s touch-based manipulation, Cipher seems capable of remote psychic puppeteering.
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The implication is clear: he sees people as vessels, or in his own words, “blood bags.” It’s a bold and unsettling display, but also confusing. The show drops hints that Cipher isn’t what he appears to be. Marie can’t detect Compound V in his bloodstream, and the photo from her birth implies he hasn’t aged. There are even theories that Cipher is just a human shell being controlled by someone else, possibly Thomas Godolkin himself, operating from within a hyperbaric chamber.
To complicate matters further, the trailer shows Cipher stabbing himself through the hand without reacting to pain, reinforcing the idea that his true nature is not fully revealed. He may be one of the franchise’s strongest and most calculating antagonists. However, raw power? Even with his mind control on display, he still lacks one thing Cate has already proven: the ability to destroy lives without needing focus, physical contact, or even consciousness.
