Homelander is the most powerful and dangerous supe in ‘The Boys‘ universe. As the leader of The Seven and physically almost indestructible, he has the capability to kill anyone. However, throughout the four seasons of the Amazon Prime series, he has refrained from killing the main characters from ‘The Boys‘, most notably Billy Butcher.
Fans have wondered what is stopping Homelander from taking out his biggest threats when he easily could. The latest season may have finally explained that. While he sees himself as near God, there are limits to what he can do.
Related: Does Billy Butcher Die In ‘The Boys’ Comic?
Homelander’s Relationship With The Government
One major reason why Homelander hasn’t killed The Boys is due to their relationship with the government. As revealed in Season 4, The Boys work for the CIA, giving them protection under a powerful institution. He explained to Sister Sage that directly attacking The Boys would be crossing a line, as it could damage his relationship with the government and others that keep him in power.
Pissing off the CIA is a risk Homelander doesn’t seem willing to take at the time. As long as The Boys operate under the CIA’s umbrella, Homelander has to tread carefully around them.
In case you missed it: ‘The Boys’ Season 4: Billy Butcher’s Parasite Explained
Homelander Has Fear Of Losing Control
Another factor stopping Homelander is the fact that killing The Boys could damage the delicate balance of power he has maintained. Butcher in particular is one of the only people to ever come close to killing him. While Butcher is just human, he represents a threat to Homelander’s image of being completely undefeatable.
As long as The Boys are still alive, Homelander believes he has a handle on the situation and killing them could open doors to even greater challenges to his authority.
When it comes to The Boys, the risks currently outweigh the rewards for Homelander. As long as this calculation remains the same, Butcher and his team will live to fight another day, even if the troubled hero despises every minute of it. Their CIA protection and what they symbolize keeps Homelander from crossing that final line, for now at least.
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