Overall,The Boysis a tightly-written comic series with a definitive beginning, middle, and end - a rarity in the comic book medium. We get the formation ofThe Boysand their backstories, a full arc dedicated totaking down Homelanderand the rest of the Seven, and then finally,the corruption of Butcherand his ultimate downfall. But, there’s one thing I just can’t seem to get over, one irritating plot hole that unravels the entire ending - and it’s still bugging me 12 years after first reading it.
InThe Boys#66 by Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson, and Russ Braun, the Boys are celebrating after finally taking down Homelander, Black Noir, and the rest of the Seven, not to mention ending the supe-revolution Homelander was leading before meeting his end. The Boys effectively made the world a better place, as they finally found a way to keep the remaining supes in-line permanently. But, that wasn’t enough forButcher, who had plans of his own to rid the world of supes completely.
The Boys’ supe ally, Vas aka Love Sausage, discovered Butcher’s genocidal plan, and he sent Hughie a text message, warning him of what Butcher was planning. But, in the middle of sending the text, Butcher kills Vas, resulting in Hughie receiving the incoherent message: T34ATLENIN. But then, inThe Boys#67, Hughie realizes that Vas meant to type “@” instead of “AT”, and that he left out “.com” (technically “.ru”, since Vas is Russian). Once Hughie puts that together, he sends a message to that email account, receiving an automated message back with Butcher’s entire plan laid out.
One Detail Creates a Major Plot Hole in The Boys’ Ending
How Did Vas Send the Message if He Died Before He Finished Typing It?
With the information that Hughie got from Vas, he’s able to unravel Butcher’s plan to wipe out all supe’s with his ‘supe bomb’, meaning the text Vas sent Hughie is the sole reason whyThe Boysendedthe way it did. This wasn’t a minor mission during some random side-arc inThe Boys, this was the ending of the whole series. Which is why this plot hole irritates me so much, because after reading this, I was left with one question: how did Vas send the message to Hughie at all if he died before he even finished typing it?
The scene depicting Vas’ death was a brutal one, as Butcher was shooting the super-strong supe with a rocket launcher until he finally succumbed to his injuries. That means Vas was bleeding out on the floor, half his body reduced to a bloody mess, typing out a final message to Hughie before finally dying. That’s why this feels like a plot hole. Because if he’s really so close to death that he can’t even complete his message, how could he have sent it?
There’s One Possibility that Keeps this Moment from Being a Plot Hole in The Boys
Vas Could Have Sent the Incomplete Message Before Dying
I mean, come on, we’re supposed to believe Vas couldn’t include a measly “.ru” before biting it? He was okay enough to type out the rest of the message and send it, but left out the most important part? If this happened at any other time duringThe Boys, I really wouldn’t have a problem with it. But it’s the fact that this wasthekey moment at the very end of the series that irritates me so much.
Of course, there is the possibility that Vas knew he was about to die before he finished typing, and just sent the message as-is to Hughie (which is the version I’ll choose to believe to keep from ripping my hair out), so that possibility does keep this from being a plot hole. But still, a plot point this integral to the entire series shouldn’t hinge on ‘I guess that’s what happened’. A moment this big should be absolutely airtight, and shouldn’t even be questioned as a potential plot hole.
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While I’m choosing to believe that Vas just sent the incomplete message as-is to get something to Hughie before he died, I’m still irritated by the mere possibility that this could be a plot hole. Even 12 years after reading this issue ofThe Boys, I still just can’t get over it - maybe in another 12 years I’ll be okay.
The Boys
The Boysfranchise is a satirical and dark superhero series based on the comic book by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. It explores a world where superheroes, or “Supes,” are corrupt, violent, and morally bankrupt, all controlled by the powerful corporation Vought International. The story centers around two opposing groups:The Boys, a vigilante team aiming to expose and defeat the corrupt heroes, andThe Seven, Vought’s elite team of Supes led by the ruthless Homelander.
