The Boys, an Amazon original series, has created a brand new live-action superhero universe with its own cast of characters (most of whom are a bit of both). While many of the characters in the show are obvious parodies of well-known Marvel and DC characters, one character, in particular, remains a mystery, and that figure is none other than Black Noir. What is Black Noir, exactly? Is he meant to be the show’s Batman, or is there more to this silent, black-clad hero that meets the eye?
The Boys #1 and Part 1 of The Name Of The Game introduced Black Noir, who last appeared in The Boys #65 – Over The Hill With A Thousand Men, Part 6. So far in the books, Black Noir has been far more sinister than he has been on screen. He does evil and vile acts at a rate that Homelander cannot keep up with.
Black Noir is without a doubt the most enigmatic of The Boys’ idols. He is a vicious assassin who does not speak or expose his face. He is, however, a gifted pianist who, while holding the severed head of a super terrorist in one hand, takes a break to comfort a scared tiny child with a stuffed animal. He appears to be the Seven’s most complex member as a result of these humanizing occurrences.
In today’s video, we will learn more about the Black Noir.
The Becoming of Black Noir
Vought-American used improved Compound-V to develop Black Noir, a clone of The Homelander. Vought designed him as a contingency plan to ensure that Homelander never exceeds his limits, and kill him if he does. Black Noir eventually rose to prominence among the Seven, despite the fact that no one on the squad knew who he was or where he came from. Sex face, Coagula, and an unidentified nude girl who is a satire of Poison Ivy were among his foes.
Due to his inability to fulfill the task and being compelled to live with and communicate with his target, Black Noir eventually went insane. Black Noir chose to dress up as the Homelander and do horrific crimes such as performing cannibalism on children and murdering women, and amidst all this, he raped Becky, Billy Butcher’s wife, who later died.
In the comics, Black Noir is initially shown participating in Homelander’s sexual assault on Starlight and subsequently shows no emotion when Starlight is forced to perform sexual acts on him as part of her “test.” Because he was silent for the bulk of the comic as he doesn’t appear or talk much. He did, however, eventually track down Hughie and was responsible for sexually abusing him in a sewer. Later, Queen Maeve intervened to prevent Black Noir from forcing Starlight to wear her new and exposing attire.
He was also revealed to be responsible for Butcher’s wife’s rape and death, showing that he disguised himself as Homelander because he was going insane from not being able to achieve his mission. In addition, Black Noir emailed the Boys, images of him performing the crimes in order to implicate Homelander and persuade Vought-American to assassinate him. Homelander then attempts to murder Black Noir in a fit of wrath but fails, as Black Noir kills him by shattering his jaw and unfurling his mouth. Billy ripped a portion of his brain out after tearing his skull with his crowbar, and he was ruthlessly shot to death by the Military and The Butcher.
Black Noir is a more hazardous clone of Homelander developed to stop Homelander from becoming too big and strong in the comics. The Black Noir on The Boys is the same as the Black Noir in the comic books. However, the latter has a distinct history. One thing that does match is that no one knows his past or his problem, much like in the TV show.
He’s just staying with the Seven in case he’s the one who has to fight Homelander in the end.
Black Noir was somber and socially detached from his comrades prior to the great shock at the conclusion of the comic series, making him mysterious in nature. However, considering his outrageous and countless misdeeds, including driving Homelander mad throughout the course of the comic, his actual personality is that of an irredeemable psychopath.
He’s also a sexual deviant, having assaulted Bill Butcher’s wife, Becky, as well as participating in Starlight’s sexual assault and attempting to compel her to wear over-the-top undergarments as her new attire. While tormenting Hughie, he also sexually attacked and possibly raped him, portraying him as a perverse sadist by nature. He also participated in mass murder with his colleagues, with no questions or reservations due to sneer sadism.
The Boys issue no. #65 has a lot of big bombs and is a lot of fun. After Butcher marched out to meet the Homelander, The Boys issue no. #65 plunges us right into the action. This storm grew over the course of 64 issues, and the wait was well worth it.
The Boys issue no. #65 follows the battle through all of its stages. There is no decompression. The way it all plays out is insane, but the best part is Butcher’s response to every small thing that happens. He’s a sharp individual who has an uncanny ability to stay on top of things. Within microseconds after validating fresh information, his plans deviate.
In this issue, the art duties are split between Russ Braun and John McCrea alongside Keith Burns, and they are given entirely separate scenes and locations to cover. Outside, McCrea and Burns handle the heavy artillery, with random supers being bombed and plenty of tremendous wreckage, while Braun gets the more moving and revelatory moments. The issue plays to the talents of the artists, bringing everything together as a seamless whole with pages that are highly different from one another but don’t feel out of place.
The Black Noir We Come Across in The Boys TV Show
Black Noir is known as the Seven’s superpowered ninja. Only his knowledge of the martial arts matches his incredible strength and enhanced senses. At the mere mention of his name, criminals flee in horror. Except for the fact that he studied with a master sensei to become the death dealer he is now, nothing is known about this lethal fighter. Whatever lurks under his mask is a complete unknown, which just adds to his dread.
Before joining The Seven, little is known about Black Noir’s exact origins, existence, or even identity. However, it is stated that during his youth, he was taught as a ninja by a great sensei, although this might simply be another origin tale concocted by Vought for the public to know, leaving Noir’s true beginnings a total mystery.
Stan Edgar forces Homelander to summon Black Noir to the stage for Homelander’s premiere at the Seven, where the ninja draws even more glory, much to Homelander’s ire. As Madelyn Stillwell informs Homelander that Edgar only sent Black Noir there to watch on him, ensure he follows orders, and take him out if he does not, Homelander, true to her promise, finds Black Noir spying on them when she departs.
Black Noir confronts Homelander after he panics and kills members of the CLF who have kidnapped employees at a power station. Homelander thinks that Black Noir would exploit the event to have him kicked out of the Seven and attempts to murder him, despite his attempts to defend it at first. Waving his hands in a truce sign, Black Noir tries to persuade Homelander to stop, but he refuses, forcing them to battle. Despite Homelander’s overwhelming strength, Black Noir manages to hold his own by hurling knives and smoke pellets.
Black Noir eventually fools Homelander by kidnapping one of the last CLF members, tying him up, and using a smoke pellet to trick him into thinking the captive is him, forcing him to use his heat vision on one of the reactors, destroying the whole power station. Black Noir comes from the wreckage as the surviving worker tries to crawl away from the Homelander, but before he can murder them both, Black Noir scoops her up and snaps her neck, startling Homelander.
Black Noir confronts the Homelander and writes an unknown message on a notepad, causing Homelander to consider him a non-threat. Later, the two attend a news conference and blame the devastation on a bomb that the CLF possessed, with Black Noir holding his hand to his face in sorrow. The ninja hovers behind them and consumes a hot beverage while Homelander informs Stillwell that she is incorrect about Black Noir.
Black Noir is a fearsome member of The Seven in the current day, known for his superior combat abilities and incredible resilience. Black Noir is one of the few people who has survived a confrontation with The Female. He was able to combat at par with The Female in “The Female of the Species,” maybe owing to her weakened state. He can also instill terror in the hearts of the general population, as Frenchie and Cherie discovered when he appeared outside their flat.
Following the public announcement of Compound V, Black Noir is seen sitting against the wall, crying at the prospect of Compound V. Afterwards, Stan Edgar assigns Noir the mission of tracking down Billy Butcher, which he does by frightening Anika. He murders the Supe terrorist Naqib and numerous others present in his debut appearance in the second season.
When he approaches a youngster holding Naqib’s head, he picks up a plush rabbit and plays with it; he displays a grim sense of humor. Noir is later seen with The Seven as they search for The Boys, and he gasps slightly as he sees the dead whale washed up on the beach.
Black Noir pursues Butcher after spotting him outside Becca’s house and follows him to Judy’s house, where he is duped into breaking into her home only to be blown up by a bomb prepared by Butcher, Hughie, and Marvin. Despite being severely burned, Noir shows no signs of discomfort and assaults the three of them.
Butcher informs him that if he murders all three, details about Homelander and his illegitimate kid would be revealed to the press and the entire public. Noir then chokes Butcher against the wall, only to be interrupted by a phone call from Stan Edgar, who offers Noir a bargain in which Butcher, Hughie, and Marvin’s lives are spared in return for Butcher preserving the secret. After the arrangement is struck, Black Noir releases Butcher and exits the scene.
After learning about Starlight’s secret affiliation with The Boys, Vought dispatches Black Noir to arrest both Starlight and her mother and imprison them in separate cells at Vought Tower’s anti-Supe stronghold. Starlight can escape thanks to an alarm set off by Lamplighter after he burnt himself to death, but she is quickly assaulted by Noir, who easily overpowers her.
As he is choking her to death, Queen Maeve appears and momentarily unmasks Noir, revealing a hideously deformed face. She rams an Almond Joy chocolate bar into his mouth and weakens him as Maeve reveals that Noir is allergic to peanuts and when he desperately tries to reach his EpiPen, Maeve kicks it away from him.
Stormfront reports that Noir is unresponsive and is being treated by Vought’s medical staff the next day.
Black Noir appears to be the lone quiet type, socially isolated from the other members of The Seven, yet he seems to have a friendship with Homelander. He never talks, but he appears to be quite aware of his emotions. Despite being a formidable combatant and rarely displaying his feelings, he is supposedly not as vicious as some of the other Seven members. He was visibly upset during the revelation that he and the other superhumans were not born with their abilities, leading him to cry through his mask.
Will We See Black Noir Backstory in Amazon’s The Boys
The Boys on Amazon hasn’t shied away from blazing its own trail. So far, showrunner Eric Kripke has gender-flipped Stormfront and Victoria Neuman, kept Becca alive (in the comics, she dies in childbirth), and completely ignored Butcher’s devoted dog Terror. Kripke also appears to have a different idea for Black Noir.
It appears doubtful that Black Noir raped Becca, given how immediately Homelander accepts Ryan as his son. Furthermore, there is no evidence that Homelander was not the one who shot down Baltimore mayor David Simon’s plane in the first season. He murders Madelyn Stillwell to prove that Butcher’s emotional manipulation is futile.
It’s difficult to picture the show’s Homelander not bearing responsibility for his numerous sins, so viewers shouldn’t anticipate Black Noir to be a psychopath, to make Homelander appear terrible. If that’s the case, Homelander has to start setting the framework as soon as possible because there’s no indication that he’s not as bad as he looks to be right now.
Eric Kripke noted that Black Noir has unusual behaviors like making the teddy bear dance or crying. He will show certain flaws and emotional vulnerabilities based on the superheroes’ appearances so far. He claims that Noir then reverts to “just being this completely still, horrifying Terminator” of a character, which is something he enjoys about him.
Even if Black Noir isn’t actively attempting to disrupt Homelander, the cloning scenario is still a possibility. Perhaps the show’s Black Noir isn’t going insane as he waits to complete his mission of neutralizing Homelander — perhaps the actual shock is that he is more human than Homelander could ever be.
For the time being, Kripke indicated that he enjoys keeping the character’s origin story a complete mystery. Hence, for the time being, it appears that Black Noir’s secrets are protected, but sooner or later, the show will have to reveal what’s under the mysterious supe’s mask. And, considering how unexpected the disclosure is in the comics, we’re likely to be surprised when the mysterious individual speaks for the first time.
Things You Should Definitely Know About Black Noir
Black Noir happens to be the most mysterious figure on Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys. Comic book readers, on the other hand, know a little bit more about this violent superhero. When it comes to capabilities and valuable abilities, no one onscreen compares to the Homelander. He does not get much work since everyone is afraid of him.
Black Noir is more powerful than him in the comics. Even though his only abilities are Superhuman Strength, Superhuman Durability, and Superhuman Speed, he is able to halt a dozen Mack trucks. He also has other abilities throughout the series, such as Superhuman Hearing. According to a simulation portrayed in the comics, Black Noir is the only member of The Seven who can fight all of The Boys at once.
Homelander likes being a Vought International puppet. Therefore he never goes rogue in the comics, which is unfortunate for Black Noir. This irritates Black Noir, who has been waiting for the day when he will finally be able to complete his mission of killing the Superhero. As a result, he starts accusing Homelander of crimes like cannibalism and robbery.
Black Noir finally discloses why he was created in the first place. This enrages Homelander, who attempts to assassinate him. Instead, Black Noir is the one who kills him. The US military and The Boys then assault Black Noir, killing him as well.
During most of his appearances in the comics, Black Noir, as in the Amazon series, does not say anything. He just makes odd noises. Because of his disposition, he appears to be gentler than he actually is. Black Noir barely talks at the very end of the comic before killing Homelander and getting himself murdered. He confesses that he was the perpetrator of all the horrific deeds that people assumed Homelander was responsible for. Everyone is shocked to hear that, but not as much when they hear about his death.
Black Noir wears a whole black costume from head to toe in the comics. It’s basically Spider-Man if he were to fall into a pool of black ink. It lacks any unique features or compartments.
He wears a shade-like apparatus in front of his eyes, which gives him a unique appearance in the series. On his chest, there are other pentagon-like patterns. His outfit is likewise greyish rather than black in other areas.
Although Black Noir is powerful, he does not recover as rapidly as a superhero should. This is something that has been alluded to all throughout the series. Comic book aficionados are well aware of Black Noir’s poor healing abilities. He is also disemboweled and has horribly charred numerous areas of his body after a confrontation with Homelander in the White House. Homelander once burned his arm with his eyes’ laser, which took an eternity to repair.
The Boys’ Black Noir is a dead ringer for Gotham City’s Caped Crusader, with his black suit, gloomy demeanor, and extensive understanding of hand-to-hand fighting. After all, the Amazon series is known for distorting traditional superhero archetypes into horrific doppelgängers of their previous selves. In shape, form, manner, and look, Black Noir is The Seven’s Dark Knight, but that’s only the beginning for the Supe, who also crafts “his own archetype.”
Noir is a master of intimidation, but his detective abilities aren’t up to par. If he wants to fight head to head with Bruce Wayne, he’ll have to step up his detective game a little – relying on the Vought surveillance team to locate targets isn’t going to cut it.
Although Black Noir is a Batman parody, he may also be a Deadpool parody in the series since they both have similar weaponry and costumes. On a side note, Deadpool is a chatty character, whereas Black Noir is the polar opposite. In addition, the jokes that surround him are significantly more subtle.
What Makes Him So Powerful
When Black Noir kills the super-powered terrorist that Homelander (Antony Starr) produced in season 1, we are reminded of how dangerous Black Noir is. He possesses superhuman strength and agility, as well as enhanced hearing and, of course, stealth. Members of The Boys, particularly Frenchie, are terrified of him, and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) has battled him before, with Black Noir winning in the end. He managed to stop Kimiko with his knife-throwing abilities and precision, but only barely.
He has all of the Homelander’s skills and talents, including super strength (enough to “bench a dozen Mack trucks”), speed, flying, near-invulnerability, thermal vision, and strengthened voice chords, as he is a clone of the Homelander.
The Cape Crusader of The Seven
You adore the Seven, but do you know everything there is to know about the Seven? The answer is no since Nathan Mitchell’s Black Noir (The Boys) is still veiled in mystery in more ways than one. Despite the fact that we never see his face or hear him speak, Black Noir is one of the most lethal members of Vought International’s superhero squad. It’s unusual for a super to remain so hidden — at least in The Boys’ universe — but Black Noir has managed to accomplish exactly that.