Showrunner Erik Kripke confirmed at least one episode of “The Boys Presents: Diabolical” is definitely canon, but that was not originally the plan. The very last episode of the series” tells the origin story of Homelander and how he went from optimistic superhero to cynical murderer. The episode, titled “One Plus One Equals Two,” shows Homelander’s debut as a superhero and as a sort of spiritual successor to Soldier Boy, the man tasked with leading the superhero world — no pressure!
What makes the episode so surprising is that it shows Homelander was actually a proper hero, at least for a second. He genuinely seems to want to help people, but he also has a very short temper and a lot of emotional scars due to a lifetime to being raised and trained in a lab, which makes him violent. In “One Plus One Equals Two,” Homelander’s first mission goes horribly wrong and he ends up killing a whole lot of people. It also presents the origin of Homelander and Black Noir’s relationship, with the former initially despising his silent babysitter, then learning to trust him as a silent confidant.
In a recent interview, Kripke revealed that, while the original plan didn’t specify that this episode would be canon, it ended up being so good they had no choice but to accept it as the truth of Homelander’s origin. Kripke said:
“There is a certain amount of background setup of really understanding the relationship between Homelander and Black Noir and giving us a deeper understanding before Season 3.”
While the live-action show has only teased a deeper bond between the two superheroes, comic book readers know there is a longer and darker history between the two. It remains to be seen if the live-action show will actually adapt that part of the story, but Kripke’s comments seem to indicate we will see more of their relationship, regardless.
Perhaps most interesting is that this is not the only episode that may connect to The Boys. In that same interview, Kripke says there is another episode that could connect to the main show, and it rules.
