Summary
Anyone who exists in a world as brutal as that ofThe Boys —with the power struggles and politicking being amplified by theexistence of superhuman abilitiesand corporations who control them — needs to be smart to survive. Plans are constantly being formed between different factions, either for the preservation of supes, the destruction of supes, or an effort to distance oneself from both sides of Compound V-fueled conflict.
to keep up, characters have to keep their wits about them, especially if they have either weak or no superpowers to speak of. Keeping power in a super-powered world is a task for someone with a powerful mind. Here are 5 characters inThe Boyswho showcase this as the most intelligent or crafty people around.
5Victoria Neuman
The Bloody Politician
The most noteworthy politician character inThe Boys,Victoria Neumanwas not just a congresswoman during her time on the show, but rose to the high rank of Vice President-Elect of the United States. Neuman is known for secretly being a supe with the insane ability to make people’s heads explode usingblood manipulation powers, but it’s not just her supe abilities that make her a dangerous individual. She proves to be one of the most intelligent people inThe Boys, working as an astute politician pulling strings from the background and playing both sides — the humans and the supes. Victoria Neuman is a manipulative character who faked being at Hughie’s side for a year before he found out she was the ‘Head Popper’.
She also managed to out-gambit Stan Edgar once, ratting him out in order to save her own skin when it came down to it in Season 3. This was a move that impressed Edgar so much that he was not even upset at her for executing it. Unfortunately for Victoria, she was not smart enough to predict the actions of those both smarter, more impulsive, and more powerful than her, which led to her death in the Season 4 finale.
4Frenchie
The Team Chemist
The official craftsman ofThe Boys.Frenchie’sintroduction to the series came when Butcher needed to find a way to kill Translucent, leading to him and Hughie traveling to one of Serge’s bases. It is also in his first episode where we see one of Frenchie’s smartest ever schemes. The Boys realized they could not properly damage Translucent due to the carbon meta-material skin that allows him to turn invisible, which also made him practically indestructible. That’s when Frenchie came up with the idea of destroying him from the inside in order to get the kill, leading the unfortunate Translucent to get C4 placed up his backside; C4 that Hughie detonates by the end of the episode. Frenchie is the series’ go-to guy when something needs to be built, manufactured, or curated to kill a supe.
In a Season 2 flashback, we find out that before he even joined The Boys, Frenchie and his old crew were able to incapacitate a powerful supe named Behemoth. The latest example of Frenchie’s intelligence being used to help The Boys take out supes is in the Season 4 finale. There, he was able to extract a supe-killing virus from a limb and pack it into a shot that could be fired at a powerful supe to end them. It’s just a shame that, even with this,Season 4 didn’t end the way he would have wanted.
3Billy Butcher
Leader Of The Boys
Being the impulsive, “fight first and ask questions later” type of guy he is, it may be a surprise thatButcherwould feature on an intelligence list, but despite his overtly-aggressive approach to problem-solving, Butcher shows a craftiness and ability to think on his feet unmatched by any other character.
In fights, he often proves to be a master of life-saving improvisation, whether it be spitting blood to make Translucent more visible or using a laser-baby to take out guards trying to cover up Compound V.Butcher’s crass, blunt, and brutally-straightforward naturedoes not stop him from being a capable influencer too.
Be it through deception or emotional manipulation, Butcher is skilled at convincing people to see things from his perspective and aid him in the fight against supes. Butcher also proves to be a skilled tactician and strategist who is easily able to navigate his way through the most dangerous fights, even when facing supes without any superpowers of his own. All in all, Butcher’s sheer effectiveness in the field of ‘supe-spanking,’ as he would call it, showcases a high level of cunning.
2Stan Edgar
Vought International Personified
Stan Edgar’sclaim to fame as a character would be the fact that he is one of the few people inThe Boyscapable of talking down to Homelander without getting his body torn apart and his face lasered. The man handles himself so well that even when the most psychotic and powerful superhero threatens him, he keeps calm enough to lecture his way out of the situation. This stoic demeanor and ability to keep a clear head to an insane degree helps him make intelligent decisions that keep him alive and make him profit.
In Season 3, we see that Stan Edgar worked for Vought all the way back in the 80s, where the main hero team was known asPayback, way before The Seven. He rose to the position of CEO of the company, and was involved in many plots and schemes that increased its power, such as intentionally setting up Soldier Boy to be captured and replacing him with a baby Homelander.
Up until a point in Season 3, Stan Edgar had the most power inThe Boys’ world, effortlessly controlling all supes with nothing but a fountain pen. Despite being an old man with no abilities and no company power backing him anymore after being exposed and arrested, he has managed tosurvive heading into Season 5 of the show, and was broken out of prison, too.
1Sister Sage
The Smartest Supe
This character was introduced Season 4 and was first heard described as ‘The Smartest Person in the World.’ By the end of Season 4, fans will agree thatSister Sageearned that title. Sister Sage is a strange case where her intelligence is directly connected to her supe powers. Not only is she the smartest around, but her brain is constantly expanding, allowing her to survive a bullet to the head. We also see that she has to lobotomize herself at times to enjoy certain things in life, such as her fast-food-basedsexual escapades with The Deep.
Sister Sage is recognized as being so intelligent that Homelander, the world’s biggest egomaniac, went to her seeking advice on how he should change Vought and the country. As the season went on, we saw Sage’s intelligent plans help to increase Vought’s power. Further on into the season, it seemed that some of these plans were failing due to factors she did not consider.
At the end of the season though, it is revealed that there was not a single factor she did not consider, and that any failures experienced were either anticipated, planned out, or surprises that she quickly corrected behind the scenes. By the end of Season 4,Homelander and the superheroes of Americaare more powerful than they have ever been due to her machinations.
