8 (Absolutely Criminal) Changes The Boys Series Made to Comics

The on-screen The Boys doesn't differ from the comic book version in terms of its global message or major plot twists. However, the screen adaptation didn't embody the same level of black humor that was on the pages of the paper version, and also changed some details about the characters.

Here is a reminder of some of the changes made that probably did not do the show any good.

1. Simon Pegg as Hughie

In the show, Hughie Campbell is the youngest member of The Boys. He joins the team when his girlfriend is killed in an accident.

In the comics, Hughie is older than in the show, he is a Glaswegian Scotsman, and the character's appearance is based on actor Simon Pegg (though no one asked his permission when the character was created). The team refers to him as Wee Hughie for most of the story.

In the comics, he is deliberately made more naive than the other Boys to contrast with them. He is foreign to the hatred that Butcher lives by, and in a way, Hughie manages to be the moral compass of the team.

By the time the series began filming, Simon Pegg was 48 years old and no longer suitable for the role. However, the actor still appeared in the series, where he played the main character's father, Hugh Campbell Sr. He also voiced Hughie in the episode I'm Your Pusher in the animated anthology series Diabolical.

2. Deep as the Most Sane Seven Member

If the show had stuck to the comics, we wouldn't have seen The Deep's face ever. That's because he was cursed and had to wear a helmet at all times. The Deep was also a supporting character, having little impact on the main storyline.

The Deep's most significant storyline in the series was his sexual assault on Starlight, but in the comics, this episode was even more sinister and involved more than just The Deep. The assault was carried out by Homelander, Noir, and A-Train. The Deep, on the other hand, was one of the sanest members of the Seven in the comics.

3. Terror the Bulldog

Bulldog Terror accompanied Butcher everywhere in the comics. Despite Billy's formidable and cruel nature, he was always caring and gentle with the dog. After the death of his wife, Butcher grew closer to Terror, teaching him commands and even making him his loyal partner. And he was willing to kill anyone for his dog.

The dog was not afraid to relieve himself on Homelander's cape, or to bite off a piece of a Supe at the owner's command. And for all of Terror's formidability, he is a gentle dog who craves attention (just like Butcher).

In the series, Terror only makes a cameo appearance. In this version, he once lived with Billy and Becca, and after Becca's death, he fell into the loving hands of Butcher's aunt, Judy. The dog, however, remembers and respects his owner, and warns him of Black Noir's attack, giving Butcher an advantage in the fight.

It was Eric Kripke's decision to remove Terror from the show. According to the showrunner, working with animals is just too hard.

4. Love Sausage as the Voice of Reason

One of the comic's early plots is devoted to Butcher and his team's trip to Russia, where Vought is secretly collecting Supes to use for the corporation's interests. Billy needed an ally who could help with information in Moscow.

That ally was Vasilii Vorishikin, the former leader of the Glorious Five Year Plan team and a former Soviet superhero nicknamed Love Sausage. Vasilii was given this nickname not for his superpowers, but for his outstanding, well, sexual organ, which no tight suit could hide.

In the comics, Vasilii drinks vodka with Hughie and encourages him to think about the fact that Butcher is capable of using anyone for his own ends, even the Supes he supposedly hates.

In the TV series, Love Sausage appeared as a patient in a hospital being experimented on. But his superpower has changed – now his nickname is justified by his abilities. Vasilii can extend his sexual organ and control it like a tentacle.

5. Kimiko as the Most Violent The Boys Member

In the series, only The Boys member who has superpowers is The Female. She was injected with V when she was an adult – she was supposed to turn into a super-terrorist, causing her to almost lose the ability to speak, but gaining physical strength and regeneration.

Her special relationship with Frenchie helps to reveal her human side, so in the series she is often referred to by her real name – Kimiko, while in the comics she is The Female and only Frenchie knows how to approach her.

Also, in the comics, the girl is much more dangerous: her favorite method of attack is to rip off the enemy's face with a lightning-fast move and finish them off while they are shocked by what has happened.

6. Frenchie as Supe

Frenchie himself in the comics also had superpowers and was mentally unstable. He is extremely sociable and polite, but like an animal, he can turn into a killing machine at a moment's notice, capable of killing even a Supe with his bare hands.

In addition, V gave him an enhanced sense of smell, and during missions, Frenchie often used his sense of smell to find his target.

7. Black Noir as Homelander's Clone

In the third season, Black Noir was killed by Homelander, and to cover up the murder, the Seven simply replaced a Supe under the mask. In the comics, Black Noir is a clone of Homelander, only stronger and more dangerous. He is the one who kills the head of the Seven in the comic book story. In the series, Homelander acts as the main villain, so we did not see the scene with the clones fighting.

But maybe the new Black Noir will suffer the same fate as his predecessor, and we will end up with a clone of Homelander under the mask. After all, who would refuse to see not one, but two Anthony Starr at the same time?

8. Stormfront as the Main Villain

First of all, Stormfront is male in the comics. He was the head of the Payback, the rivals of the Seven. We meet this team in Season 3, but Stormfront is not there, and instead the team is led by Soldier Boy.

Their relationship with Homelander is also different - Stormfront is after Queen Maeve in the comics. This change is due to Homelander's character development, although Stormfront was perfect for the role of the new villain, but the showrunner decided to keep the focus on Homelander.