Gen V Has A Black Noir Easter Egg Only Hardcore Fans Of The Boys Caught
Over the course of three seasons of "The Boys," as well as the first seasons of its two spin-offs, fans have noticed plenty of sly references hidden in the background of scenes and tiny details that connect seemingly disparate elements of its connected universe. And with the critically acclaimed "Gen V" currently airing, viewers are noting even more connections between the characters of the different shows.
In Season 1, Episode 5 ("Welcome to the Monster Club"), Emma Meyer (Lizzie Broadway) reveals that her shrinking powers can also make her larger. She then goes on to mention to Marie (Jaz Sinclair) that she first discovered the ability during something she calls "the Buster Beaver incident."
Fans have taken notice of Emma name-dropping the restaurant due to the fact that the dining chain has been featured heavily in Black Noir's (Nathan Mitchell) backstory. The cartoon mascots of the Buster Beaver's Pizza Restaurant franchise, which appears to be heavily inspired by the real-life chain Chuck E. Cheese, regularly appear to Black Noir during Season 3 of "The Boys" and are actually tied to his own traumatic event that occurred at one of the restaurants.
Nothing good seems to happen at Buster Beaver's
Though Black Noir is revealed to be a Homelander (Antony Starr) clone in the comic book version of "The Boys," in the television series, he's a unique character with his own backstory. He was once a boy who went by the name of Earving and had a violent incident at the restaurant as a child that caused another kid to be paralyzed. Due to this and the brain trauma he suffered after being brutally beaten by Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles), Black Noir imagines the characters from Buster Beaver's Pizza Restaurant to be his friends and turns to them for emotional support during times of trouble.
As for "Gen V's" Emma, her mentioning the chain in her own way suggests that she also has bad memories of an event that occurred at one of its restaurants. Considering the context, we can likely assume that she accidentally grew to a much larger size after overeating and that it may have caused some diners to be injured and the restaurant to be damaged by the sudden change.
Either way, given that this occurred at a pizza place and the nature of Emma's powers, the event obviously ties directly into Emma's own trauma, which she manages with an eating disorder. While this is pretty dark as far as running gags go, it does cement the black humor from "Gen V" and "The Boys," showing that the two shows share far more than just a fictional universe.
If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who does, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).