Billy Butcher's Supe Powers In The Boys Explained

Warning: SPOILERS ahead for The Boys season 4, episode 8.

Summary Butcher's Supe powers are finally confirmed in The Boys season 4 finale, which reveals he has tumorous tentacles.

Butcher's powers are influenced by his use of Temp V in season 3, which is why they're so similar to the rabbit's from Neuman's lab.

The Boys highlights how powerful Butcher's tentacles are during its finale, as they kill off Neuman after multiple failed attempts to do so.

After dropping hints throughout its eight-episode run, The Boys season 4 finally confirms that Butcher is a Supe during its finale — and his powers are both impressive and disturbing. The Boys season 4 opens with Butcher dying of cancer, the result of overusing Temp V during season 3. However, as his symptoms progress, it becomes clear that something else is going on with The Boys' former leader. His encounter with Ezekiel in The Boys season 4, episode 4 is the first major clue that Butcher has unrealized powers, but it's far from the only hint the show drops.

In the same episode that he kills Ezekiel, Butcher admits to taking Compound V after his diagnosis at the end of The Boys season 3. He initially believes it didn't do anything, but the truth starts to unravel once he inexplicably rips Ezekiel to pieces. The Boys season 4's big Joe Kessler twist further hints that Butcher is a Supe, and that's not to mention the more subtle teases that appear when the team heads to Victoria Neuman's lab. The whole season builds to the twist that Butcher is a Supe, and a few scenes allude to his shocking power.

Related Why Butcher's "Devil" In The Boys Season 4 Looks Like Joe Kessler Kessler represents the darker parts of Butcher in The Boys season 4, while Becca symbolizes his humanity — but why does he see Kessler specifically?

Billy Butcher Now Possesses Tumorous Tentacles In The Boys

Theses Have Been Moving Around Inside Him Throughout Season 4

Image via Prime Video

After Ryan kills Grace in The Boys season 4 finale, Butcher chooses the side of himself that identifies with his visions of Kessler over the humanity that Becca represents. With his unapologetic hatred of Supes fully reignited, Butcher interrupts The Boys' deal with Neuman and reveals his own surprising ability: tumorous tentacles. Butcher's Supe power sees disturbing blue tentacles shooting out from his chest, and they're numerous enough to kill Neuman while threatening every other person in the room.

Butcher's Supe power sees disturbing blue tentacles shooting out from his chest, and they're numerous enough to kill Neuman while threatening every other person in the room.

The tentacles are what we've seen moving through Butcher's body throughout The Boys season 4. While they initially look like veins, it quickly becomes obvious there's something else inside him. The Boys season 4's finale twist explains what it is. It also makes sense of Butcher's confrontation with Ezekiel, as viewers can now understand how he managed to kill the Supe so brutally. Even Butcher's interactions with the rabbit in Neuman's lab make more sense after this revelation. The Boys season 4, episode 5 does indeed hint at Butcher's tentacles through its dying rabbit.

Is Butcher A Permanent Supe Now?

The Boys Makes His Powers Seem Permanent

The Boys season 4, episode 8 doesn't offer many details about Butcher's new powers, but it does seem like he's a permanent Supe now. There's clearly a connection between Butcher embracing his dark side and the manifestation of his powers. As he fully turns to Kessler at the end of the fourth season, Butcher seems capable of accessing his newfound abilities whenever he wants to. He also doesn't appear to be dying as quickly, a surefire sign that he's a permanent Supe. While Homelander proves that Supes age, their bodies are far more resilient than those of ordinary humans.

Only The Boys season 5 can answer if Butcher will stay this way, but season 4's ending suggests this is the case.

This is why Butcher is no longer on his deathbed as season 4 comes to a close, and he's in good spirits as he drives off during the final scene. He may still have cancer, but being a Supe will likely expand his lifespan long enough to take on Homelander. It's hard to say how Compound V affects Butcher's body, as his powers are also impacted by his Temp V use. Only The Boys season 5 can confirm if Butcher will stay this way, but season 4's ending suggests this is the case.

There are questions about whether Butcher's powers will stick around if he turns on Kessler. It's possible Butcher could lose control of his tumorous tentacles if he embraces his visions of Becca and the humanity they represent. But with Butcher pushing further into villain territory heading into The Boys season 5, he may not need to worry about that. Butcher's already lost hope when it comes to Ryan, so it will be difficult to get him back on board with the promise he made Becca.

Butcher's Powers Were Partly Caused By His Temp V Usage In The Boys Season 3

This Is Why The Rabbit From Neuman's Lab Also Had Them

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While Compound V appears to have made Butcher a full-fledged Supe, his power seems to be influenced by his use of Temp V throughout The Boys season 3. This is why his tumorous tentacles resemble those exhibited by the dying rabbit from Neuman's lab. The Boys season 4, episode 5 makes a point of showing what the rabbit was injected with before killing it off. Its tentacles emerge because it's given Temp V, just like Butcher. That's why the Amazon show draws a connection between Karl Urban's character and the animal.

Unlike the rabbit, Butcher doesn't die from this effect of Temp V. This is probably the Compound V working, meshing with the other substance to grant Butcher powers that are both grotesque and permanent. The powers themselves are less flashy than the ones Compound V often grants, and that's probably because of how detrimental Temp V is to the body. When Butcher was healthy and took Temp V, he attained laser vision like Homelander. Now that Temp V is killing him, his power is more representative of that.

How Strong Butcher's Tentacles Actually Are

They Can Rip Supes Like Neuman & Ezekiel To Pieces

Custom Image via Debanjana Chowdhury

Butcher's tentacles may be grotesque in The Boys season 4, but the finale proves that they're also a huge asset in the fight against Homelander. The Boys struggle to kill Supes throughout the series, as their strongest enemies seem invincible. Bullets don't kill Neuman, and villains like The Deep and Black Noir don't stay down after being beaten. The fact that Butcher's tentacles are strong enough to rip Neuman in half during The Boys season 4 finale speaks volumes about their strength. They're an effective weapon, even against incredibly powerful Supes.

The fact that Butcher's tentacles are strong enough to rip Neuman in half during The Boys season 4 finale speaks volumes about their strength.

Whether Butcher's tumorous tentacles can take on the strongest Supes is another story. Homelander and Soldier Boy are sure to test the limits of his abilities. Such characters would probably put up a fight, though Butcher has proven he can hold his own against them in the past. And armed with a vial of the deadly Supe virus, Butcher certainly has a bigger arsenal heading into The Boys season 5. Hopefully, it will help him stop the madness Homelander is unleashing — though Butcher's revenge could prove just as extreme and deadly.

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