Warning! Contains spoilers for The Boys season 4.
Summary
The Boysseason 4 creates a major plot with Tek-Knight’s death because the ease with which he dies does not align with his previously established lore. Like most superhero live-action adaptations,The Boyshas had a fair share of power-scaling inconsistencies since the beginning. However, none of them have been glaring enough to significantly disrupt a viewer’s suspension of disbelief.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said aboutThe Boys' portrayal of Tek-Knight’s power scales. Tek-Knight was not a part ofThe Boys' initial seasons, but the show has been setting up his arrival since the beginning by dropping subtle clues about his powers and abilities. Even his portrayal inGen Vreveals a lot about what he can and cannot do as a supe. Strangely, however, none of these previously revealed details about his supe abilities are in tandem with whatThe Boysseason 4, episode 6depicts.
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Tek-Knight Should Have Been Able To Break Free In The Boys Season 4
Tek-Knight’s Death In The Boys Season 4 Does Not Make Sense
InThe Boysseason 1, a woman at the Association of Collateral Damage Survivors meeting says Tek-Knight accidentally broke her spine while saving her. This establishes that he is far stronger than an average human. Similarly, inGen V, Dean Shetty recalls that Tek-Knight beat Ironcast to death, who is supposed to be a supe with nearly indestructible metallic skin. The fact that Tek-Knight was able to overpower Ironcast and beat him to death again proves he is incredibly strong. However, despite this, Kimiko and Starlight easily tie him up using leather straps and chains inThe Boysseason 4.
When Starlight and the crew start draining his bank accounts, he is not even able to break free from regular leather straps despite being established as a super strong supe.
Although Tek-Knight enjoys it when they torture him because he is a masochist,it just seems odd that a supe who has previously had so many incredible feats of strength could be subdued so easily. When Starlight and the crew start draining his bank accounts, he is not even able to break free from regular leather straps despite being established as a super strong supe. The sequence then ends with Tek-Knight’s Butler, who is a non-supe human, choking him to death with another leather strap, which again does not align too well with his previously hinted power levels.
Tek-Knight’s Comic Book Suit Can Resolve The Plot Hole
Tek-Knight Dons An Iron Man Suit In The Comics
Since Tek-Knight is supposed to be a parody of both Batman and Iron Man, he even possesses an Iron Man-esque suit in the comics. Given how Marvel’s Iron Man is a normal human with no inherent superpowers in the original comics and movies but acquires incredible superhero abilities when he puts his suit on,it seems possible that Tek-Knight achieved his past feats of strength when he had his suit on. This would explain why he seemed powerless against Starlight andKimiko inThe Boysseason 4 scene.
Interestingly, even though the show has never explicitly shown his suit, it has subtly hinted that its version of Tek-Knight has one. For instance, there is a scene in a previous season where Ryan plays a supe-fighting game. In the character selection menu for the game, Tek-Knight has a blue mechanical suit. The Deep also mentions that Tek-Knight’s suit is eco-friendly in a commercial where he boasts about how he is saving the environment. However, even though the suit explanation resolves the season 4 plot hole, it is not in tandem with one detail fromGen V.
One Gen V Scene Makes Tek-Knight’s Powers Even More Confusing
Gen V Hints Tek-Knight Is Strong Even Without His Suit
AfterGolden Boy’s death inGen V, Tek-Knight shows up at Godolkin University to investigate what happened and even interviews several students. During his interview with Cate, he realizes that she might use her “touch” abilities on him to control him. Therefore, he warns her that he will snap her arm if she even attempts to take her glove off.Cate immediately backs off after hearing Tek-Knight’s warning even though he does not have his suit on, establishing that he possesses super-strength even without his suit.
Even inThe Boysseason 4’s dungeon sequence, Kimiko kicks Tek-Knight, which sends him flying across the room. Any non-supe human would have died from that one kick from Kimiko, butTek-Knight seems unscathed. Yet, moments later inThe Boysseason 4, episode 6, Tek-Knight gets murdered by his butler, who is not even a supe.
The Boys
The Boys is a gritty and subversive take on the superhero genre, focusing on a group of vigilantes who confront powerful superheroes abusing their abilities, exploring themes of corruption and moral ambiguity in a world where heroes are not always what they seem.
