Just looking at the monster from afar made Homelander tremble.
For the first time, he felt afraid.
But his anger over Ryan's disappearance kept him rooted to the spot. Whoever had launched the nuclear bomb, whatever monster had hurt Ryan—he would give them all a bath in his Laser Eyes.
And he did just that.
In the world of The Boys, strong emotions could amplify superpowers to some extent, just as Ryan had used a minotaur to fuel his anger when he first trained his powers.
High in the sky, Homelander gritted his teeth in fury, and red lasers shot from his eyes.
The beams were dazzling and thick. Fueled by Homelander's rage, they glowed a dangerous, brilliant red.
Doomsday was drawn to the glare. It raised its head, and a similar light burst from its eyes.
It fired a beam of its own, as thick as a pillar supporting a skyscraper.
In an instant, Homelander's lasers were swallowed up. Doomsday's beam hurtled toward him.
Am I going to die?
The beam came so fast that only Homelander's thoughts could keep pace. His one regret was that he had failed to protect Ryan.
He remembered the white walls of the lab and the researchers and doctors who had always looked at him with fear.
He remembered Vought International and how its people had packaged him as a Supe to make money.
No one had ever truly loved him. Even the admiration people across this country showed Homelander was nothing more than praise on the surface.
People's affection came cheap. He clung to it, yet it left him feeling empty.
Through all of it, only Ryan was real.
Homelander felt it deeply: only his love for Ryan was real.
When Ryan looked troubled, Homelander felt troubled too. When Ryan achieved something,