There is a lot that could be said about The Boys, but seeing as this is a PG website, I’m somewhat limited. However, the reason I started watching the show in the first place is because I love superheroes. And sure, it ended up being nothing like I expected, but the powers are still there. It’s a very different style to something like Marvel or DC, but some things stay the same. And one of those things is the monikers given to special individuals. They need to be cool, snappy, relevant, and memorable. And so, I though it would be fun to make this article ranking the superhero names on The Boys. There will be a few spoilers, so I’d advise only reading if you’ve watched at least up to 3×05.
Remember, this list is purely a reflection of the name itself. It’s not about how great the character is, or about choosing my favourite people. It’s simply about whether the superhero name does what it should. For this list, I’m only going to be ranking the names of those who were in The Seven at any point in the show. That means that other characters like Soldier Boy or Gun Powder won’t be ranked in this list, nor will ex-members of The Seven like Mister Marathon or Lamplighter. However, given the quick turnaround on some of them, there are still a fair few names to go through. Let’s see which of them are the best!
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#9- Black Noir
Now, before you come at me for putting him last, hear me out. When I first heard it, I thought it was pretty darn cool. But then I stopped a moment to really process it. ‘Black Noir’. Noir is French for black, so his name really translates to Black Black. Add to that the fact that he’s a black guy, and the whole thing just becomes entirely unoriginal. Vought really couldn’t think of anything other than the colour of his skin? So although it initially has a good ring to it, when you put time into thinking about it, this is a terrible name.
#8 – Translucent
This one loses major points for inaccuracy. Translucent does not equal invisible. Here’s the dictionary definition: ‘permitting light to pass through but diffusing it so that persons, objects, etc., on the opposite side are not clearly visible’. As you can see, that definition does not apply to Translucent. When he’s activating his superpower, he is completely see-through.
A more accurate name would be ‘Transparent’. Do you hear how dumb that sounds? Yeah, that’s because using a word that’s just a synonym of invisible is not a good system for applying names. ‘Translucent’ only sounds good because it’s a rarely used word, but in essence it’s ridiculous.
#7 – Queen Maeve
The only reason she’s not stone cold last is because the other two are so deceptively bad. At least ‘Queen Maeve’ is upfront in its unoriginality, and in a way I appreciate the boldness of it. Instead of coming up with an actually interesting name, they just took her real name and stuck ‘Queen’ in front of it. Well, technically her real name was Margaret, but she goes by Maeve, so my point still stands.
Putting ‘Queen’ in the name of a female superhero is equally as lazy as putting ‘Black’ in the name of a black superhero, but at least they didn’t double down on it. If they’d gone with ‘Queen Reine’ then this would be in joint last place with Black Noir, but as it is, she scrapes 7th place.
#6 – A-Train
I love the originality with this one, you can’t deny that it’s not the obvious name for a speedster. But what it brings in originality, it lacks in relevance. What the hell is ‘A-Train’ even supposed to mean? I’m not an American, but from what I can tell, it’s a nickname for the subway? It just doesn’t seem to have any obvious connection to A-Train’s powers or personality.
Still, trains are fast, and A is the first letter in the alphabet and therefore the best letter, so I assume that was their logic. I don’t have strong opinions on this name either way, but I like how much the show hypes it up. Vought certainly know how to get their branding across.
#5 – Supersonic
Alas, poor Alex’s tenure in The Seven was far too short. But although he’s left us, his name will live on in our memories. And it’s a pretty great name. Supersonic is where this list moves from average to good. It sounds very comic book, exactly the kind of name you’d expect to see emblazoned on the front of a cover. The name also sounds powerful, being reminiscent of fast vehicles like planes and rockets.
It fits well with his powers, as supersonic refers to the speed of sound. Alex is able to clap his hands together to create powerful and destructive sound waves. He’s also got intense strength, like the majority of superheroes. Supersonic is certainly a much better moniker than his former name of Drummer Boy.
#4 – Stormfront
I hate that I’m ranking this so high, but the fact is, it’s a really great choice. Her powers have that cool lightning effect, and that’s very clearly referenced in the name. Not to mention that ‘Stormfront’ just sounds powerful. I actually think it’s even better than just Storm, like the character in X-Men. It just packs an additional punch that really works.
I don’t support Nazis, but I do support strong superhero names, and she’s sure got one.
#3 – Starlight
My favourite character in the entire series, Annie’s impressive moniker of ‘Starlight’ is almost as awesome as she is. It sounds exciting, it rolls off the tongue, and it’s pretty accurate to her power. She absorbs energy from the sources around her, and then expels it in a burst of intense light that can cause serious damage to her enemies. She’s considered to be one of the most powerful supes in the entire The Boys universe.
Yet, despite her power, she is one of the few supes to remain relatively uncorrupted, and the name ‘Starlight’ conveys that. Light is the opposite of darkness, after all, and is associated with innocence. That’s a strong theme with Annie’s character, the loss of innocence as the series goes on. And yet the light represents who she strives to be. The branding is integrated perfectly into her costume with the emblazoned gold star against the white background. ‘Starlight’ is a name that truly captures the essence of the character.
#2 – Homelander
Absolutely fantastic naming with this one. Whilst the other superhero names are pretty much all about their powers, Homelander’s is instead about his image. Not only does this make his name stand out, but it also fits perfectly with who he is as a character. He’s obsessed with how people think of him. He needs to be the best. He needs to be the one that people look up to. And with a name like Homelander, they’re going to.
It evokes an idea of patriotism, the all-American hero who’s there to save the day. The ‘Homeland’ part is reminiscent of Homeland Security, who people will already associate as their protectors. And by adding the ‘er’ at the end, Homelander becomes the epitome of that idea. Overall, it’s an incredibly clever name, for an incredibly dastardly superhero.
#1 – The Deep
Much as it pains me to put The Deep in first place, I can’t deny that he has the coolest name. It’s the ‘The’. It makes him sound like such a baller (at least until you actually meet him). Just think of the difference between a news reporter excitedly referring to him as ‘The Deep’ compared to Homelander calling him just ‘Deep’ when reprimanding him. There’s a commanding presence to his full name that just isn’t there when you take away the ‘The’. Interestingly, it’s the opposite of Homelander, as it never sounds right when people call him ‘The Homelander’.
The name is intriguing and mysterious, it makes you want to know more about his powers. And when you learn that he dives deep under the sea, you realise just how perfectly it suits him.
Conclusion
All in all, the names on The Boys are pretty genius. Even the ‘bad’ ones are more of a reflection of Vought’s thought processes, which is the whole point of the show. Vought are a perfect example of a corrupt organisation pandering to the public, and I think that’s showcased in their branding choices with the supes.
What did you think of this article ranking the superhero names on The Boys? Do you agree with my choices? If not, what would you put first instead? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so join the discussion over in our Facebook community, or tweet me over on Twitter!
If you like superheroes, you should check out this MCU quiz!
