Anyone who read The Boys comics will tell you the Amazon Prime Video series borrows very liberally from the source material. Many characters are brought over, and there’s still the overarching story of the titular Boys trying to take down Homelander and other Supes. Other than that, the show is a different beast entirely. And the same can be said of the new spinoff, Gen V. There are no Gen V comics out there to speak of, but there are components from the comics adapted loosely to tell what’s pretty much a brand-new story. You don’t need to have read any comics to enjoy Gen V, but here’s what you’re missing out on.
The Boys Aren’t in Gen V At All
The driving force of Gen V is loosely adapted from the seventh story arc of The Boys comics, called “We Gotta Go Now.” It’s a self-contained story that sees the Boys infiltrate a superhero collective called the G-Men, making fun of the X-Men before they enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe properly. These are teenage Supes still learning their powers who are overseen by John Godolkin. In Gen V, it’s stated how Godolkin University was founded by Patrick Godolkin.
While teenage superheroes make for intriguing fodder, there will be no Boys in Gen V (that we know of at this point). While there have been some cameos from other characters, the protagonist of Gen V is an entirely new character named Marie Moreau. Even if the Boys do factor into the story somehow, there’s a good chance they will be mere cameos.
They Aren’t Quite G-Men in Gen V
In the comics, the Boys battle the G-Men, the antagonists of “We Gotta Go Now.” However, Gen V takes a far more nuanced approach to depicting the teenage supes. For starters, no one has mentioned “G-Men” on Gen V … yet. And even if an official organization emerges, it’s not like all the kids at Godolkin University would be part of it.
Gen V is an X-Men story in so much that it’s about younger superheroes learning how to use their powers. But as we’ve seen in the first few episodes, many of them genuinely want to do good, and they could very well become valuable allies in the Boys’ mission to take down Homelander.
Tek Knight Gets a Makeover
In The Boys comics, Tek Knight doesn’t have superpowers. He’s a parody of Batman and Iron Man, so he’s basically just a rich guy who can afford some cool toys. Gen V changes this and gives him some powers to rival that of the world’s greatest detective. He can pick up on subtle cues to determine if someone is lying, making him an incredibly dangerous adversary.
Tek Knight also doesn’t host a streaming series in the comics, but one trait that did carry over was his proclivity for holes. He has a penchant in both mediums for having sex with inanimate objects, a result of a brain tumor. It goes to show how The Boys and Gen V borrow what they need to and create something original for the rest.
Godolkin Is Left Out of Gen V for Now
One of the biggest pieces of praise The Boys has earned is how it’s wisely left off some of the more unsavory aspects of the comics. If you think The Boys pushes the envelope, you have to see what Garth Ennis did. One of these changes appears to be removing any Godolkin from the plot of Gen V.
In the comics, John Godolkin kidnaps children, exposes them to Compound V, and abuses them. In essence, “We Gotta Go Now” posits the question of what it would be like if Professor X was a serial abuser. It may be too much for some, so Gen V leaves him out for now although there definitely does appear to be something sinister going on at God U. Abuse is still taking place in some manner, but it may have been toned down to make it more palatable.
Gen V has already made many wise decisions when it comes to expanding The Boys universe. And who knows? Maybe future episodes will reveal even further depravity (it’s pretty much a guarantee at this point).
