Ryan

Biodata

Power Progression

Ryan's powers emerge through emotional excitement, pressure, and survival crises. Awakening an ability does not automatically give him full control over it 74 135 143.

• System-panel discrepancy: The Chapter 143 profile lists Super Strength and Super Hearing as potential abilities, despite their earlier awakenings. Homelander later describes Ryan's hearing as unstable and his sensory abilities as not yet properly controlled 96 99 140 143 192.
• Growth potential: Every awakened ability on the Chapter 143 profile except Physical Immortality is marked as capable of growth, without a stated upper limit 143.

Background / History

Isolated Childhood

Becca raises Ryan in a secluded wooden cabin under Vought's protection. The grounds have walls, patrols, and extensive surveillance, including hidden cameras in his bedroom. He has little contact with outsiders, limited television time, and no experience using a phone before Homelander gives him one 74 75 76.

Becca handles his education herself; Ryan has never attended school. At nine, he struggles with unfamiliar words in the Eastern Strange Tales Collection 159.

Meeting His Father and Grandfather

Homelander introduces himself as Ryan's father while bringing him toys, a game console, and a phone. Ryan is initially confused, then delighted, and begins calling him “Dad.” Homelander also introduces Soldier Boy as his grandfather 74 75.

Becca strongly opposes their influence, particularly when Soldier Boy offers Ryan a cigar. Despite the confrontation, Ryan asks to spend time with his father. Becca eventually permits the outing, and Homelander carries him to Vought Tower 75 76.

First Visit to Vought Tower

Ryan is excited to see the workplace of The Seven, whom he knows from television. He befriends Starlight, but The Deep corners him in a restroom, shoves him, and threatens to throw him into the ocean if he tells anyone. Ryan escapes and breaks down in Starlight's arms 76 78 79.

When Homelander confronts The Deep, Ryan opposes killing him, citing Becca's teachings about compassion. Soldier Boy also rejects Homelander's claim that Ryan is a god. The incident damages Ryan's admiration for superheroes, though the others' response partly restores it 81 82.

Homelander returns him to Becca that evening and saves his own and Soldier Boy's numbers in Ryan's phone. Soldier Boy's influence nevertheless follows him home: Becca discovers that Ryan has drunk half a bottle of liquor and begun swearing 83 84.

Conflicting Lessons About Power

During a family outing at a lake, Ryan awakens Super Strength. The arrival of reporters and fans then triggers Super Hearing, overwhelming him with noise. Homelander carries him away but tries to resolve his fear by declaring their family superior to ordinary people and offering to kill those who frightened him. Ryan refuses and repeatedly asks to return to Becca 96 99.

Homelander later shows him a video of Carl's mangled body, expecting admiration. Instead, Ryan becomes frightened by the clash between his mother's respect for life and his father's celebration of violence. He declines Homelander's offer to stay, and Homelander leaves rather than forcing his company on him 107 108.

Their relationship subsequently regains warmth. Ryan expresses interest in giving speeches like his father, although crowds still frighten him. Homelander also takes him on an animal-viewing outing, capturing wildlife with Soldier Boy rather than visiting a zoo 130 134.

Soldier Boy's Training

At Homelander's request, Soldier Boy begins awakening Ryan's dormant abilities. What starts as playful tossing becomes repeated uncontrolled falls, triggering Super Durability, Super Healing, and eventually Flight. Ryan alternates between terror, resentment, and delight at his new abilities 135 136 137 138.

After returning to Vought, he proudly demonstrates flight and durability to Homelander. Maeve challenges Soldier Boy over the danger of the training, while Ryan refuses another punch intended to demonstrate his healing 139.

Amazon Survival Training

Ryan agrees to wilderness training because he wants to become as strong as Homelander. He enters the Amazon expecting an adventure and a month-long stay, unaware that Black Noir is secretly supervising him 140 142.

Black Noir deliberately frightens him and engineers animal attacks. Ryan also relies on a false survival guide created by Soldier Boy, which leads him to eat poisonous food. The ordeal develops his speed, confidence, and ability to survive attacks, culminating in the awakening of powerful Heat Vision 152 159 180 182 193.

After Ryan detects Black Noir and grazes his arm with Heat Vision, Noir reports that the boy could kill him in a direct fight. Soldier Boy ends the training early, and Ryan returns after approximately two weeks 191 194 200.

Poisonous Fruit and Taking Responsibility

Ryan brings rainforest fruit back as gifts, believing it safe to eat. His generosity accidentally poisons Vought employees: ninety-eight are hospitalized, twenty-two lose consciousness, and several Supes suffer diarrhea. No one dies 194 199.

Although Homelander reassures him that he meant well, Ryan decides he wants to take responsibility by baking cakes for everyone. He asks to return home to Becca, who is astonished to discover that he can now fly 200.

Choosing Vought

When Becca decides to leave with Butcher, Ryan faces a choice between accompanying her and living with Homelander. He dislikes Butcher's hostile looks but cannot bear the thought of separation from his mother 229.

Homelander offers him a room at Vought Tower, daily life with Soldier Boy, and the freedom to fly to Becca whenever he misses her. That last reassurance tips Ryan's decision toward Vought, and he leaves with his father 229 230.

Later, Ryan quickly befriends Klee over breakfast. The two arrange an outing to Times Square, and he affectionately calls her “little sister” as they leave together 283.

Appearance

• Eyes: Blue, explicitly compared to Homelander's; glow red during power manifestations and Heat Vision use 74 99 193.
• Face: Delicate and doll-like. Butcher observes that his eyes and brows resemble Becca's 80 207.
• Hair: Described as soft and fluffy 139 194.
• Notable clothing: Owns limited-edition Vought–Seven collaboration running shoes given to him by Homelander 229.

Personality

Ryan begins as a sheltered, gentle child who is fascinated by toys, celebrities, and ordinary experiences outside the cabin. His lack of social contact contributes to his fear of crowds, and his early admiration for The Seven makes The Deep's abuse especially distressing 74 78 79 99 130.

Becca's teachings give him a strong inclination toward compassion. He does not believe that power grants the right to control other people's lives, opposes killing The Deep, and recoils from Homelander's attempts to present murder as proof of superiority 81 99 108.

He also craves his father's approval and wants to match his strength. New powers can make him boastful: after awakening durability, he briefly believes nothing can hurt him and asks Soldier Boy to hit him. The resulting pain quickly exposes the limits of that confidence 96 136 140.

Soldier Boy's influence makes Ryan less timid, more outspoken, and increasingly comfortable with profanity. By the time he considers moving to Vought, Ryan recognizes these changes in himself. His wish to bake cakes after the poisoning incident also shows that he can choose accountability despite Homelander's efforts to absolve him 138 160 200 229.

Abilities & Skills

Inherited Superhuman Physiology

Ryan is born with superpowers inherited from Homelander, though many remain dormant until stimulated 75 135 136.

• Super Strength: Can throw a phone across a lake with dozens of skips 96.
• Super Durability: Survives falls of up to approximately 1,500 meters, resists jaguar bites, and breaks a fruit knife against his skin. His toughness is described as nearly comparable to Queen Maeve's 137 139 159.
• Super Healing: Rapidly eases the discomfort caused by severe impacts 137 138.
• Physical Immortality: Listed at Level 1, without demonstrated mechanics 143.
• Limits: Durability does not eliminate pain; a restrained punch from Soldier Boy leaves him in severe discomfort 136 137.

Super Flight and Speed

Ryan can fly independently and move at superhuman running speeds 138 159.

• Learns stable turns and controlled landings within hours of awakening flight 138 139.
• Uses Super Speed extensively to flee rainforest dangers 180.
• Flight limitation: Carrying capacity depends on strength. He can barely lift off while two jaguars weigh him down 159.
• Control limitation: Fear can disrupt his use of abilities; during Black Noir's monkey scare, he initially forgets that he can fly 152 153.

Heat Vision

Ryan's Heat Vision awakens at Level 6, with further growth possible 182.

• Kills two dangerous rainforest animals and burns through numerous trees 182.
• Can threaten Black Noir's life; an inaccurately aimed shot grazes Noir's arm 191.
• Control limitation: Cannot yet regulate its temperature as Homelander does. An attempt to cook a centipede burns most of it to ash 193.

Enhanced Senses

Ryan awakens Super Hearing, but precise control remains difficult 99 140.

• Ordinary crowd noise initially causes severe sensory overload 99.
• Detects Black Noir despite his concealment; Noir attributes this to enhanced hearing 191.
• Homelander reports developing sensory powers and intends to teach Ryan how to master them 192 212.

Baking

• Becca teaches Ryan to bake cakes. He proposes using that skill to apologize to Vought's poisoned employees 200.

Equipment / Items

• Mobile phone — A gift from Homelander and Ryan's first phone; contains Homelander's and Soldier Boy's contact numbers 74 83.
• Teddy bear and stuffed toys — Carries a teddy bear during the discussion about his future home and later brings it to Vought 229 283.
• Limited-edition Seven running shoes — One of two thousand pairs released worldwide; Homelander obtains a pair after noticing Ryan admiring them 229.
• Rainforest survival equipment — Includes a large backpack, tent, and children's combat boots 142 152 160.
• False survival guide — Soldier Boy's deliberately misleading book, which causes Ryan to mistake poisonous food for safe provisions. Ryan initially blames its supposed publisher rather than his grandfather 191 193 199.

Relationships

• Homelander — Father. His affection gives Ryan confidence and access to the outside world, but his possessiveness and glorification of violence repeatedly frighten him. Ryan ultimately accepts his love and chooses to live with him at Vought 75 99 108 229 230.
• Becca — Mother and first teacher. Ryan depends on her for comfort and retains her lessons about kindness even when Homelander challenges them. His decision to live at Vought hinges on being able to continue visiting her 81 99 200 230.
• Soldier Boy — Paternal grandfather and power-training mentor. Ryan admires his strength but fears his methods. Their relationship combines genuine attachment with rough treatment, profanity, and dangerous training 75 135 138 229.
• Starlight — Befriends and comforts him during his first Vought visit. Ryan runs to her after The Deep's abuse and shelters behind her during the confrontation 78 79 81.
• The Deep — Bullies and threatens Ryan without knowing whose son he is. The encounter leaves Ryan afraid of returning to Vought 79 130.
• Black Noir — Secret supervisor during the Amazon training. Engineers frightening encounters, later reports Ryan's progress, and eventually entertains him with mime at Vought 152 159 191 283.
• Queen Maeve — Challenges Soldier Boy's hazardous training and later accompanies Ryan while he distributes the rainforest fruit 139 199.
• Butcher — Becca's husband. Ryan dislikes his hostile looks and is hurt by his behavior toward Homelander. Butcher expresses willingness to accept him for Becca's sake, although his resentment remains 207 229 230.
• Klee — Quickly becomes a close companion. Ryan calls her “little sister,” and they plan an adventure in Times Square together 283.