Recaps

Soldier Boy and Homelander flew to a lake, where Soldier Boy learned how powerful Homelander was and the two spent the day skipping stones. Homelander left feeling comforted by their time together after killing Madelyn.

• Soldier Boy revealed that he could fly, and Homelander quickly overtook him as they headed toward a lake.
• Soldier Boy checked Homelander's stats panel and learned that Homelander had numerous powerful abilities, including level-nine gene stability.
• Soldier Boy wondered whether something had been wrong with the Original Compound V Bombsight gave Homelander, then decided to investigate later.
• Soldier Boy and Homelander spent the afternoon skipping stones beside a lake and then decided to get Chinese food.
• Homelander looked back at the lake and said Madelyn's death had been eased by the family time he shared with Soldier Boy.

Homelander handled Madelyn’s death, promoted Ashley, and ordered The Seven to find Edgar while Maeve took Starlight on a real rescue mission. Later, he showed Soldier Boy a new suit designed to announce their father-son relationship, and Soldier Boy reacted with fury.

• Homelander told The Seven that Madelyn had betrayed him and that he had sent her away.
• Ashley explained that Vought had blamed Roger for Madelyn’s death, and Homelander appointed her Vice President in Madelyn’s place.
• Homelander ordered The Deep to find Edgar and warned A-Train to take his race against Shockwave seriously.
• Maeve invited Starlight to join her on a genuine rescue mission, and Starlight agreed.
• Homelander joined Soldier Boy and Stormfront for barbecue, then presented Soldier Boy with a stars-and-stripes suit meant to publicize their father-son relationship.
• Soldier Boy called the suit hideous and angrily told Homelander to leave him alone.

Soldier Boy rejected Homelander’s father-and-son suit idea but reassured him and invited him to share a barbecue again. Later, Soldier Boy enlisted Private Angel to heal Black Noir as a way to make amends for his original body’s past actions.

• Homelander showed Soldier Boy a matching suit design, but Soldier Boy rejected it, and Stormfront mocked it and joked about dressing Edgar in it.
• Soldier Boy explained that he appreciated Homelander’s gesture but did not want the suit, then shared beer and barbecue with him and agreed to invite him again.
• Homelander left after receiving a lead on Edgar.
• Soldier Boy visited Private Angel and asked her to heal Black Noir, agreeing to her condition that he owed her a favor.

Soldier Boy visited Black Noir in the hospital and asked why he had endured years of abuse instead of running away. Black Noir wrote that he had wanted to become an actor, then accused Soldier Boy of destroying his chance and revealed that Soldier Boy had feared being surpassed.

• Soldier Boy went to Vought Medical Center with Private Angel and entered Black Noir’s guarded hospital room.
• Black Noir reacted to Soldier Boy with terror, and Soldier Boy assured him he had come to talk rather than kill or beat him.
• Black Noir wrote that he had endured the abuse because he wanted to become an actor and believed persistence would bring him a chance.
• Black Noir recalled how Soldier Boy had ruined his acting opportunity, beaten him, and threatened to kill him, leaving him afraid and forcing him to wear a mask.
• Black Noir wrote that Soldier Boy was afraid of other people surpassing him.

Black Noir revealed how deeply Soldier Boy’s abuse had wounded him, and Soldier Boy ordered Private Angel to heal his old injuries. After she restored his face and body, Soldier Boy released him and told him to live as he wished, ending their past; Black Noir left the hospital into the night.

• Black Noir wrote that he had once believed he could earn Soldier Boy’s respect as a teammate, leaving Soldier Boy to recognize the depth of his betrayal.
• Soldier Boy asked Private Angel to heal Black Noir, and she demanded a promise before using her power.
• Private Angel spent her vitality healing Black Noir’s old injuries and restoring his face.
• Black Noir recoiled from Soldier Boy, but Soldier Boy told him he was free to pursue fame and that their past ended there.
• Black Noir touched his restored reflection, then jumped out of the hospital window and vanished into the night.

Soldier Boy helped Private Angel after she used her healing ability to restore Black Noir, then spent a special upgrade card on his Nuclear Chest Blast. Meanwhile, The Deep’s search for Edgar was interrupted by a mass slaughter of marine creatures, whose survivors begged him to save them.

• Soldier Boy received a special ability upgrade card for completing the hidden quest to release Black Noir.
• Private Angel explained that healing Black Noir had exhausted her, then collapsed into a deep sleep after reminding Soldier Boy of his promise.
• Soldier Boy settled Private Angel in her room and used the upgrade card to raise his Nuclear Chest Blast to level six.
• Homelander confronted The Deep at sea for failing to find Edgar and threatened to kill the marine creatures if he did not get useful information.
• The Deep sensed marine creatures fleeing in terror, and a battered octopus told him that someone was slaughtering them.

The Deep and Homelander discovered that a mysterious substance had driven sea creatures into a murderous frenzy, and Homelander slaughtered many of them while searching for its source. The Deep identified a supe twenty kilometers west as the cause, and the chapter ended with a sperm whale vowing to kill Homelander.

• The Deep saw sea creatures attacking one another and warned Homelander that they had gone mad.
• Homelander swept the sea with his Heat Vision, killing huge numbers of creatures as The Deep watched in grief.
• An elderly sea turtle told The Deep that a human covered in blue liquid had polluted the ocean and driven the creatures mad.
• Homelander connected the sea creatures' mutations to failed Compound V injections and wondered what Edgar was planning.
• The Deep warned Homelander that a supe on the seabed twenty kilometers west had caused the frenzy, and Homelander flew toward him.
• A sperm whale told The Deep it wanted to kill Homelander, and The Deep warned it against trying.

Homelander found the out-of-control supe who had attacked sea creatures, defeated him, and brought him away for questioning. During the flight to New York, Homelander noticed the supe reacting to a remote warehouse and landed there to investigate.

• The sperm whale told The Deep that an out-of-control supe had survived underwater and might be powerful enough to challenge Homelander.
• Homelander searched the ocean, found the out-of-control supe, and carried him to the surface after stopping his attacks.
• Homelander severed one of the supe's arms with Heat Vision, but the man continued biting and attacking him.
• Homelander showed the injured supe to The Deep, who confirmed that he was responsible for the trouble among the sea creatures.
• While flying toward New York, Homelander noticed the supe staring and struggling toward a remote warehouse, so he landed and released him.
• The out-of-control supe crawled toward the warehouse instead of attacking Homelander.

Homelander discovered an underground Vought laboratory and found evidence that Edgar had developed a variant of Compound V that caused extreme aggression. After bringing Test Subject 17 to Vought Tower, Homelander prepared to have him studied and decided to ask Soldier Boy about the substance.

• Homelander found a zinc-hidden elevator beneath the warehouse and entered a ruined underground laboratory where Test Subject 17 licked leaked incubation fluid.
• Homelander identified the fluid as a variant of Compound V and watched surveillance footage showing Test Subject 17 escaping containment.
• Homelander brought Number 17 to Vought Tower, where the subject lunged at him and revealed rapid self-healing; Homelander severed his remaining limbs for Vought’s researchers.
• Homelander’s Heat Vision accidentally destroyed a man’s electric scooter, prompting the man to swear he would never forgive superheroes.
• Homelander heard the man’s wail, dismissed the damage, and planned to find Soldier Boy and ask about Edgar’s Compound V.

Hughie and Butcher crossed paths as strangers, while Soldier Boy warned Stormfront against plotting with Homelander. The next morning, Homelander told Soldier Boy he had news about Edgar, and Soldier Boy questioned the system about an altered plot.

• Hughie bought coffee and Robin’s favorite sandwich, then briefly passed Butcher in a convenience store without either man recognizing the other’s importance.
• Hughie forgot to buy milk, so he returned to the store after Robin reminded him; Butcher watched him and called him lucky.
• Soldier Boy warned Stormfront to abandon her schemes to rule the world, and she promised to comply.
• Homelander visited Soldier Boy early the next morning and said he had information about Edgar.
• Soldier Boy invited Homelander to breakfast, where Homelander described Edgar’s work and an out-of-control Supe No. 17.
• Soldier Boy confronted the system over the changed plot and the system’s failure to warn him.

Soldier Boy learned that Edgar had developed Red V, a powerful Compound V prototype that drove its subjects into permanent, violent madness, and he and Homelander began investigating the threat. At Vought’s research district, they found Number 17 rapidly regenerating after Homelander had left him alive for study.

• Soldier Boy paid the system for details and learned that Red V greatly enhanced subjects but permanently destroyed their reason and made them crave attacking.
• Soldier Boy told Homelander that Edgar had at least sixteen more out-of-control subjects, and the two agreed to find him before he could unleash them.
• Ashley reported that Number 17 was still active despite heavy sedation, so Soldier Boy and Homelander went to the research district.
• Homelander revealed that he had left Number 17 alive and had cut off his limbs for the researchers to study.
• Soldier Boy and Homelander saw that Number 17’s severed limbs were regenerating rapidly, and Homelander said the process was not a superpower.

Soldier Boy confronted Homelander about the Supervillain Plan, then ordered A-Train to take him to the grocery store where an Asian girl was being held. Soldier Boy entered the hidden den alone, leaving A-Train wondering how much he knew.

• Soldier Boy told Homelander to clean up the Supervillain Plan, and Homelander claimed he had stopped distributing Compound V while secretly continuing to cultivate supervillains.
• Homelander called Ashley Barrett to coordinate his story with her and protect his approval ratings.
• Soldier Boy called A-Train and ordered him to meet, then told him to stop participating in the Supervillain Plan.
• A-Train took Soldier Boy to the grocery store where an Asian girl was being held, and Soldier Boy entered without confronting the gangsters at the entrance.

Soldier Boy and A-Train went to a gang hideout and freed Kimiko, who killed the men guarding her. When Kimiko tried to flee, Soldier Boy stopped her by offering to help find Kenji.

• Soldier Boy kicked open the hidden basement entrance, and A-Train told the gang members to stand down.
• Soldier Boy found Kimiko locked in an iron cage and tore the bars apart to free her.
• Kimiko attacked and killed the gang members while Soldier Boy stopped A-Train from intervening.
• Kimiko cautiously ran when Soldier Boy told her she was free, but stopped when he offered to help find Kenji.

Soldier Boy captured Kimiko and returned to Vought, where Maeve and Starlight reported encountering a supe and possibly seeing Bombsight. Soldier Boy decided to investigate Bombsight with Homelander while ordering A-Train to secure Kimiko.

• Soldier Boy promised Kimiko he knew where her brother Kenji was, but refused to take her to him immediately.
• Kimiko attacked Soldier Boy, who subdued her and carried her back to Vought Tower.
• Homelander questioned Maeve and Starlight about their injuries, and they explained they had fought and killed a powerful supe.
• Maeve said they might have seen Bombsight, prompting Soldier Boy to decide to investigate with Homelander.
• Soldier Boy ordered A-Train to lock Kimiko in a clean room and keep Translucent from watching her change.

Homelander and Soldier Boy investigated Maeve’s lead and the university where Maeve and Starlight had been attacked, but found no sign of Bombsight or any suspicious activity. Soldier Boy suspected the incident was a trap involving a fake Bombsight and asked Homelander about Doppelganger, while their joint appearance drew an excited crowd.

• Homelander ordered Translucent to stay in the conference room while A-Train took Kimiko away.
• Homelander searched the neighborhood Maeve had identified but found nothing, then followed Soldier Boy to the university campus.
• Homelander and Soldier Boy arrived at the campus and drew a crowd of students eager to see them.
• Soldier Boy reconsidered Bombsight’s behavior and suspected the attacker had been a fake meant to lure him there.
• Soldier Boy asked Homelander where Doppelganger was, and Homelander admitted he had searched for him after Madelyn died.
• Homelander and Soldier Boy suspected Edgar was behind the lure, but neither found anything abnormal on campus.

Stan Edgar prepared an ambush to kill Soldier Boy after luring Homelander away, but the plan failed when Homelander quickly returned. Soldier Boy and Homelander suspected a trap but dismissed it, leaving Edgar desperate for another chance.

• Stan Edgar ordered his superhumans to lure Homelander away and attack Soldier Boy, while Dr. Vogelbaum warned that the plan was too risky.
• Edgar sent Doppelganger and Bomb Man to distract Homelander, and Doppelganger transformed into Bombsight before Bomb Man carried him away.
• Homelander chased the pair, but Bomb Man exploded, and Homelander returned to Soldier Boy after only a brief delay.
• Soldier Boy recognized that the apparent Bombsight was Doppelganger, and he and Homelander considered whether someone had tried to lure Homelander away.
• Dr. Vogelbaum urged Edgar to abandon the plan, but Edgar stared at the surveillance feed and insisted there had to be another opportunity.

Soldier Boy stayed on campus to draw Edgar’s forces into attacking him, and Edgar arranged an ambush while Homelander was away. Surrounded by Red V-enhanced supes and other attackers, Soldier Boy remained confident as the fight began.

• Homelander left Soldier Boy at the college, and Soldier Boy decided to play along with Edgar’s plan to isolate him.
• Edgar learned Soldier Boy had stayed behind and planned to attack during A-Train and Shockwave’s race the next day.
• Soldier Boy noticed the heat rising around him, then killed a taunting attacker with his shield.
• A dreadlocked teleporter brought more attackers to campus, and Cryopods opened to release out-of-control Red V supes.
• The Red V supes and other attackers surrounded Soldier Boy, who judged their strength insufficient to threaten him.

Soldier Boy unleashed his upgraded Nuclear Chest Blast against the Red V-enhanced supes attacking him, devastating the campus. At a public race, Homelander learned that Soldier Boy had been surrounded and feared for his safety.

• Police arriving at the school called for the area to be sealed off and requested military and Vought support as the fighting spread.
• Soldier Boy's shield shattered, and several Out-of-Control Supes pinned him down while their allies attacked.
• Soldier Boy fired a powerful chest blast that wiped out nearly all the attacking supes and leveled a third of the campus.
• Homelander appeared at the A-Train and Shockwave race, where Maeve received Ashley's call about Soldier Boy.
• Homelander took Maeve's phone and heard Ashley report the attack and explosion, then was overwhelmed by fear for Soldier Boy.

Homelander raced to the University District after learning Soldier Boy had been ambushed, fearing he had lost the one person who stood by him. He found Soldier Boy alive, then turned on the remaining Supes who had attacked him.

• Maeve told A-Train that dozens of Supes had ambushed Soldier Boy at the university, and Homelander flew there at extreme speed.
• Soldier Boy fought the attackers among the campus ruins, but the Spatial Supe repeatedly teleported targets out of his reach.
• Homelander appeared and killed the Spatial Supe, then threw his severed head into another Supe, killing him too.
• Homelander checked Soldier Boy for injuries and learned that the attackers had broken his shield, while Soldier Boy himself was only lightly scraped.
• Homelander turned his fury on the remaining Supes and killed one with his Heat Vision as the others begged for mercy.

Homelander slaughtered the superhumans at the ruined campus and forced the sole survivor to reveal Edgar's location, then killed her despite promising to let her go. He and Soldier Boy flew to confront Edgar, whose surveillance showed that his forces had been wiped out.

• Homelander killed the fleeing superhumans one by one and left a frightened young girl alive to lead him and Soldier Boy to Edgar.
• Soldier Boy persuaded Homelander to promise the girl her freedom, and she revealed Edgar's location.
• Homelander killed the girl when the veteran police officer approached, then accepted the officers' thanks and flew away with Soldier Boy.
• Dr. Vogelbaum and Edgar watched the campus surveillance feeds fail, and Dr. Vogelbaum reported that the superhumans and Red V-injected fighters were dead.

Edgar’s plan failed when Homelander and Soldier Boy broke into the underground laboratory, and Homelander killed Edgar after discovering that he was afraid. The laboratory staff were also killed, while Dr. Vogelbaum was left alive.

• Edgar accepted that he and Vogelbaum could not escape, but Soldier Boy and Homelander smashed through the laboratory ceiling and entered.
• The laboratory’s automatic guns failed to harm Soldier Boy and Homelander, and Homelander destroyed the weapons with Heat Vision.
• Edgar tried to explain his actions as business decisions, while Homelander killed the fleeing laboratory staff.
• Homelander noticed Edgar’s racing heartbeat and realized he was afraid, then killed him after Soldier Boy urged him to do it.

Homelander killed Dr. Vogelbaum after learning that he had a son named Ryan, then set out with Soldier Boy to find him. Afterward, Homelander returned to the ruined campus to gather the pieces of Soldier Boy’s shield, while The Deep continued avoiding his search for Edgar.

• Dr. Vogelbaum admitted he regretted separating Homelander from his mother and revealed that Homelander had a son named Ryan, hidden by Vought under the care of assigned personnel.
• Dr. Vogelbaum told Homelander that Madelyn knew about Ryan, and Homelander killed him with his Heat Vision.
• Homelander and Soldier Boy flew off to find Ryan, but Homelander detoured to collect the fragments of Soldier Boy’s broken shield from the campus ruins.
• Maeve and A-Train arrived at the campus after the battle and faced a crowd of reporters, while the police left the next steps to higher-ups.
• The Deep lounged on the sperm whale while searching for Edgar, considered giving Homelander false information, and learned that the whale wanted him to leave.

Homelander prepared to meet Ryan for the first time, buying him gifts and taking Soldier Boy’s advice to treat him normally. They reached Ryan’s home, where Becca shielded him as Homelander finally spoke to the boy.

• Homelander asked Soldier Boy what to bring Ryan, and Soldier Boy suggested giving him a phone because the isolated community blocked outside access.
• Homelander bought Ryan a phone and a cart full of toys, then returned some unsuitable items at Soldier Boy’s insistence.
• Soldier Boy told Homelander to respect Ryan’s feelings and introduce himself before asking how Ryan was doing.
• Homelander and Soldier Boy landed in the yard where Becca and Ryan were, and Becca pulled Ryan behind her as a guard ran away after Soldier Boy threatened him.
• Homelander stared at Ryan in wonder and called him a handsome little devil.

Homelander met Ryan for the first time, showered him with gifts, and tried to win his admiration while Becca remained wary. After introducing himself as Ryan’s father, Homelander saw red flashes in the boy’s eyes and realized Ryan might have inherited his powers.

• Ryan recognized Homelander as the superhero he had seen on TV, and Homelander was moved by his son’s admiration.
• Homelander gave Ryan expensive toys and a phone, then threatened Becca and offered to tear down her home to build Ryan an amusement park.
• Ryan excitedly explored the gifts while Becca watched Homelander with suspicion and Soldier Boy observed quietly.
• When Ryan said the phone had no signal, Homelander used his heat vision to destroy the signal jammers hidden in the trees.
• Homelander formally introduced himself as Ryan’s father, and Ryan’s eyes flashed red as Homelander sensed his son’s powers awakening.

Homelander gave Ryan toys and revealed that Ryan’s uncontrolled heat vision came from his powers, while Becca tried to protect him from Homelander’s influence. The family reunion turned tense when Soldier Boy offered Ryan a cigar and Becca sent him inside, leaving Homelander furious with her.

• Ryan asked Homelander what had happened, and Homelander told him his powers came from his blood and made them powerful.
• Homelander gave Ryan toys and encouraged him to call him Dad; Ryan did, deeply affecting Homelander.
• Homelander introduced Soldier Boy as his father and told Ryan to call him Grandpa.
• Soldier Boy offered Ryan a cigar, but Becca stepped between them and ordered Ryan inside.
• Homelander confronted Becca for interfering, while Becca stood her ground and Homelander dismissed her concerns.