The Boys Season 4 Trailer Makes A Classic X-Men Power Look Super Gross

Rejoice, superhero fans! Amazon Prime Video has debuted the first look at "The Boys" Season 4 after months of anticipation. Things have gotten quite stressful for the titular team of hero-hating vigilantes since we last saw them. With their gambit of bringing Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) back to life failing, the Boys have no choice but to, well, deal with an even more powerful Homelander (Antony Starr), who can pretty much say and do whatever he wants now. While plot details for Season 4 are relatively slim, it's clear that there's considerable beef between #TeamHomelander and #TeamStarlight, with both powered beings and humans on each side. 

Perhaps the most intriguing character to chime in on the conflict is a person with a superpower we've previously seen among the "X-Men." Of course, because this is "The Boys," the power is depicted in the grossest way possible. Just over a minute into the trailer, viewers are introduced to a mysterious individual rocking what appears to be an anti-Starlight (Erin Moriarity) shirt. The individual splits in half, creating a second version of himself, not unlike "X-Men" hero Multiple Man. In the Marvel comics, Multiple Man can create several duplicates of himself, which no doubt comes in handy during tense moments of combat. 

In true "The Boys" style, the character's splitting abilities are treated with extreme realism, showing the individual's skin literally tearing apart in an amoebic fashion. The character splitting into the two is definitely a visual highlight in an already-packed trailer, and also pretty darn gross.  

Details regarding this devious new "The Boys" character are basically non-existent, though we do know that he's wearing a shirt that says "Starlight is a..." Unfortunately, the frame doesn't show his full body, so we don't know what the rest of the shirt says, but it's likely that he doesn't take too kindly the former Seven member's heroic antics. It's unclear just how many times the character can duplicate, but it's fair to say that the mysterious new supe has some of the most intense visuals on the show. 

The aesthetic of "The Boys" is extreme and disturbingly realistic, especially when it comes to depicting superhero powers. Sure, it's cartoony, but that's also probably what it would look like in real life if someone were to be split in half, with their flesh literally being ripped apart to create something new. Even in a mature show like Amazon Prime Video's "Invincible," the hero Duplicate-Kate (Malese Jow), who boasts the same powers as "The Boys" character, simply has another version of herself appear out of thin air. For such a classic superhero power, it's great to see "The Boys" take it in an inspiring (and gross) new direction. That is, after all, what makes "The Boys" so interesting in a sea of safe and neutered superhero projects that want to cater to as many viewers as possible. 

"The Boys" Season 4 hits Amazon Prime Video in 2024.