Gen V isn’t for the faint of heart. This superhero show, a spinoff of The Boys (itself based on the comic of the same name), isn’t short on gore. That doesn’t mean every messed up scene from the The Boys comics made it into Gen V.
The series is loosely based on “The We Gotta Go Now/G-Men” arc from Garth Ennis’ comic, and it has a few things in common. Aside from its setting, both have a top-tier student ending their life in a thoroughly screwed-up fashion.
But there are some things that didn’t make it into the show, probably because Prime Video has to draw the line somewhere. So, if you’re curious as to what Gen V didn’t give you, here are some strange or just straight messed-up scenes that didn’t make it into the show.
1. There’s a Zombie on Campus, and She Just Wants to Die
Unlike Gen V, which features a modern-looking university campus, the comics’ “Godolkin University” is basically the X-Men’s mansion, right down to the book calling it the G-Mansion. And it’s no surprise who the G-Men are supposed to be.
In the comics, when a superhero dies, there’s every chance that the Compound V in their veins will bring them back, only worse. One of the G-Men, Nubia, was resurrected in this manner, and she just wanders around campus. The only thing she says is, “kill me.”
2. Godolkin Is Revealed to Be an Abuser
John Godolkin isn’t just some distant benefactor – he’s the leader of the G-Men and essentially runs the whole place. He’s also a horrible person who has sexually abused the students who have passed through the G-Mansion’s halls.
Why doesn’t anyone say anything? If anyone tries, it’s covered up.. or worse. It’s revealed that Nubia was going to blow the whistle on Godolkin, but she was killed by Silver Kincaid, another of the G-Men.
3. The Female Kills Someone with a Severed Head
We only see one of The Boys during the first season of Gen V, but in the comics, Hughie is undercover (think Simon Pegg in spandex) when his cover is eventually blown.
Frenchie and the Female (Kimiko in the show) arrive to rescue him, and she tears one student’s head off. She then hurls this at another fleeing Supe, knocking them out and probably killing them. Still, waste not want not, eh?
4. The Seven Get Shart-Called
The frat that Hughie “joins” takes great pleasure in messing with the Seven, having got their number from an internal Vought directory. One of their prank calls involves farting down the phone, but as Hughie discovers when he’s handed it, there can be… accidents. Speaking of which…
5. A Full-Page Spread of a St. Patrick’s Day Hat Full of Sick
I’ll just leave this here.
6. The Boys Learn the Students Were Kidnapped as Children
Think Thomas Goldolkin is messed up in Gen V? It gets so much worse in the comics. Before sexually abusing his charges, John abducts them from the streets or from their homes.
The G-Men have a reputation as being outcasts, rejected by their families, which Vought uses as a marketing angle. The truth is that Godolkin has kidnapped many or perhaps even most of the students who have passed through the academy. He then injects them with Compound V until they manifest some kind of abilities.
7. Vought Kills Everyone
The Boys themselves survive “We Gotta Go Now,” but Vought kills everyone else. Knowing what Godolkin has done, Hughie wades in to take on the G-Men, all the other G-teams, the students, and everyone else. Even knowing that it’s probably suicide, Butcher and the others join him.
That’s when Vought turns up with some extreme firepower and slaughters them as The Boys watch. Vought has decided that Godolkin and his teams are too much of a liability. “Just so you know, we can clean up our own shit,” Vought’s inscrutable representative tells a stunned Butcher.
8. Pre-Wiz Get Dropped Out of a Plane
Did I say everyone? Sorry, my mistake – there are a few survivors in the shape of Pre-Wiz, Godolkin’s junior team. They wake up inside a shipping container and quickly figure out they’ve been kidnapped. Some of them are clearly scared, but a couple of others deliver a rousing speech.
They talk about how they’re going to show their mettle by getting out of there and taking on whichever villains have them. “Gonna show ’em it don’t pay to mess with Pre-Wiz!” one exclaims. That’s when we see the container being dropped shoved out of a plane right above Iceland.
As disturbing as Gen V gets at times, it’s got some way to go before it catches up with the comics. But it’s still a fantastic show, and I’m happy it’s getting a second season.
