Does Homelander Get V1 in the Comics? Fans Are Questioning Where the Show Is Going

These days, it feels like every new episode of The Boys immediately sends fans spiraling into Reddit theories and comic deep dives. A few moments, however, have confused viewers quite like the reveal involving Homelander and the V1 serum.

A lot of longtime fans had the same reaction almost instantly: Wait … Does Homelander get V1 in the comics, too? Or is the Amazon series officially doing its own thing now?

Judging by the online chatter, people aren’t exactly convinced the show is heading toward the same ending anymore.

The short answer is no — at least not in the way the show appears to be setting things up.

According to a breakdown from Prime Timer, Homelander in Garth Ennis’s original The Boys comics was already essentially the “finished product” from the start. He wasn’t somebody who later received a V1 enhancement from Soldier Boy because his powers were tied directly to Compound V experimentation dating back to his creation.

The V1 storyline itself also doesn’t play out the same way in the comics.

That’s why so many viewers immediately started asking whether the show had just introduced one of its biggest deviations yet.

For a while now, fans have accepted that Eric Kripke’s version of The Boys pulls inspiration from the comics instead of following them page for page. But the Homelander V1 twist feels different because it potentially changes the entire power balance heading into the endgame.

According to chatter on Reddit, the fandom seems split on whether that’s exciting or concerning.

On Reddit, some fans argued the show has already drifted so far from the comics that they genuinely have no idea how the story could end anymore.

One viewer wrote that the adaptation is “deviating from the comics so heavily” that they can’t picture a finale where The Boys actually win unless Homelander somehow gets depowered later.

Others immediately started throwing out their own theories for how the series might wrap up. One fan imagined a scenario where Soldier Boy eventually strips Homelander of his powers before Butcher completely loses himself in the aftermath. Another suggested the V1 serum could potentially affect Homelander psychologically instead of simply making him stronger.

That particular theory actually caught on with some viewers because fans have spent years trying to figure out whether Homelander is getting more unstable or more emotionally aware as the show continues.

Part of what’s fueling the discussion is the fact that The Boys has already changed several huge storylines in the comics over the years.

Comic readers know Black Noir’s original role was drastically different. Several character deaths have already been altered. Entire arcs have either been softened, expanded, or abandoned altogether.

So, for many viewers, the Homelander V1 reveal feels less like a small adaptation tweak and more like confirmation that the show is remixing the source material however it wants.

That doesn’t necessarily mean fans hate it, either.

Some people online actually seem excited that they can no longer predict where things are going. After all, one of the hardest parts about adapting beloved comics is keeping longtime readers surprised.

Still, there’s definitely some nervousness in the fandom right now.

Because if Homelander keeps getting stronger instead of weaker, viewers are starting to wonder whether The Boys can realistically deliver an ending that feels satisfying — especially when the show has spent years establishing him as practically unstoppable already.