Ryan Butcher - Blog Posts

KIMIKO and RYAN in THE BOYS | 3.03 Barbary Coast

Analyzing The Abilities of Characters From The Boys Pt. XVIII

🧨 Ryan Butcher🧨

An under-analyzed character from The Boys cast, Ryan is the son of The Homelander. Being the first official natural-born superhuman, I find it curious that Ryan was never injected with compound V. Even though none of the babies could have consented to being shot up with a potentially lethal drug, Ryan having a genomic affinity for world shattering power forms the basis of any Evil Superman story you can think of.

Ryan being the first, and really the only one of his kind, creates this distance between him and the other Supes. None of them chose this life, but Ryan was raised with powers he never got to explore nor understand, while he was sequestered away under the protection of Becca. Homelander’s reaction to this lack of self realization is heartbreaking to me, specifically because, unlike Homelander, Ryan was raised a human instead of an experiment. I find it almost insulting that Vought essentially propped Ryan up to have the exact backstory they fabricated for “John”: a quiet life in a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, à la Clark Kent’s origin story.

Ryan being this cookie cutter doppelgänger of his father creates this dynamic of showing the audience the hero Homelander could have been had he been raised by people instead of maniacal scientists in a lab. Additionally, it provides a bitter form of clarity on the nature of corruption. Given the circumstances that John went through, wouldn’t any and every baby grow up to be exactly like him? You can try to explain that you’re special or you’re different, but without any form of support system or human socialization, and between being baked alive and probed beginning at infancy, I doubt most people would be capable of maintaining their humanity.

I pray that Ryan is able to truly internalize that the deaths of Becca, the stunt actor, and even Grace weren’t truly his fault. I mean, if someone gave you superhuman strength as a preteen wouldn’t you have an alarmingly high body count by now? If you ask me, the kid’s doing good, all things considered…

I think the most valuable lesson you should take away from his character is the concept of chance. Anyone, given the circumstance, could have been either John or Ryan. Ryan has the *chance* his father didn’t to be a real hero, but whether he chooses power or mercy, is entirely up to chance.

*Butcher’s influence on Ryan is fascinating to me because, he’s a horrible role model. Butcher has just as horrible tendencies and selfish whims as Homelander, and yet, in Ryan’s eyes, is the more humane of the two purely because he’s just some guy. Now that Butcher can rival the strength of Homelander, and Ryan knows everything his father’s done, only time will tell how Ryan will begin to unpack his new perspective on Billy.*

I feel so bad for Ryan, no kid should ever learn that. Thats Lowkey fuck up on Gracie part.

"Christmas Magic"

n.o.t.e.s - Merry Christmas or Happy holidays!

w.a.r.n - Just fluff, and maybe a crackfic(?) and Homelander

p.a.i.r.i.n.g. - Homelander x Human!reader

w.c. - 1189

Christmas music was playing. You were cutting out a little piece of decorations cutting the pieces of white paper, and making a snowflake. You delicately handed the paper, humming to the music as it played out.

While Ryan was coloring the coloring paper with an assortment of crayons and colored pencils, as the picture of art resembled an ornament.

You took a break from cutting the triangle piece of paper in your hand as you looked at Ryan's piece of art he was working on. "That looks good!"

Ryan stopped working on his piece and looked at you, responding with a 'Thank you.' The tension between you was a bit awkward ever since what happened with his mom, Rebecca. In the end, he went with his dad. It was December 21st, and you were preparing for the holiday.

Homelander left off to do some 'superhero duties' which, to simplify, cause chaos and wreak havoc all over New York. Leaving you with Ryan. You were supposedly dating Homelander; you were trapped inside his suburban home, making you a hostage.

But you were still known to the public, interesting.

But hey, it was the holidays, and you didn't want him to know that his dad was a fucking kidnapper, you didn't want the burden to be on Ryan, so you tried to socialize with a 10-year-old boy. "So, what do you want for Christmas," you said, piquing up a conversation.

The boy was a bit awkward about responding to the question, "My mom back.." he responded to the question, his eyes watering, sniffly with his nose.

"Oh," The response made the tension between you guys awkward; "What would something you want for Christmas that you get to have with your hands" as you gently slapped the table you were on, trying to make the awkward tension into a happy moment.

"Uh, I don't know" he wiped his eyes with his sleeve as he started sniffly.

"Well, do you know what I always wanted for Christmas when I was your age?" you said, looking at him with excitement.

"What did you want?" the conversation piquing his attention.

"A 1998 holiday barbie, but my parent never got it for me," you spoke to him, smiling at him.

"Im sorry for that," Ryan said, "It's okay, but now I told you what I want. Can you tell me what you want for Christmas?" giving him a reassuring smile.

"Maybe....a lego set?" he responds

"Which kind?" you questioned, his eyes brightening up that you were invested in his wish.

"A Star Wars mega galaxy set!" he smiled after completing his response.

"That sounds Awesome!" you smile at him.

"I guess so," he smiled back, his voice becoming excited with the content. "So, have you ever gotten to experience a snow day?"

"A snow day?" he stared at you, confused and full of admiration for the idea.

"Yeah, it's when you have snowball fights, make snowmen, and have no school. It's pretty fun, too." you put your hands up, dramatizing the whole ordeal.

You continue cutting up and snowflake, "-And you get to catch a snowflake on your tongue" you open up the triangle piece of paper, showing the paper snowflake to Ryan.

"Woah, that sounds cool" Ryan had a big smile.

"It is!" placing down the paper snowflake.

You responded to him, leaving the room with quiet tension. You couldn't lie, but you are fond of this kid, even though he's the son of a narcissistic weirdo.

"So, make some Gingerbread men; they are really good, and you can decorate them!" you suggested.

"Yeah!" Ryan smiled at the idea and got up off his chair, and you both went into the kitchen.

45 MINS LATER

The smell of gingerbread men's cookies spread throughout the house as the timer rang out to mention the cookies were ready. You wore mittens, taking the hot tray out of the oven.

As you pour the colored frosting into the pipping bag, you remove the cookie's decoration from the cabinets as you let the cookie rest and become cooler to eat.

"Ryan! the cookies are ready!" You yelled out for him since the cookie was ready.

The boy came running into the kitchen, smiling with joy, as we stood next to you looking at the cookie on the tray, "Be careful. It's still hot!" you warned him.

Giving him one of the piping bags to decorate the cookies, he held the bags and started decorating the cookie, making gingerbread men scraps and clothing with the sweet frosting.

"That is some good-looking gingerbread man" you smiled at him, complementing his artistic ability.

You heard the door opening and familiar footsteps coming into the house, "-And maybe we have some hot chocolate as well," you patted Ryan's shoulders.

You walked out of the kitchen to where your kidnapper, Homelander, stood near the door; you decided to butter him up so he might be lenient with you leaving the house or giving you some time outside.

It made you feel like a prisoner, but due to the holly season, you didn't want to crush it. "Welcome home, Homelander" you gave him a small smile.

"Well, someone is excited" he respond back with a smile, his sharp canines showing giving you a bit of a fear shock.

"Yeah, well, Ryan and I are just making some gingerbread cookies for, you know, the Christmas occasion." leading him into the spacious kitchen where Ryan was decorating the tray of cookies.

As soon as Ryan saw his dad, he placed the cookies and the pipping bag on the counter, running to him to hug him as Homelander reciprocated.

You couldn't lie, but the moment was cute, even with the situation you were in.

"Woah! Ryan, those look delicious!"

"Thanks!" he broke away from the hug, coming toward the counter with the cookies.

"Let's eat these" you took the once hot tray with your hands as you walked to the table, placing them down on the round table.

As Homelander and Ryan went to the table and sat down, you went back to the kitchen to make some hot chocolate for you and Ryan, while you poured a glass of milk for Homelander.

Grabbing the beverages with your hands, and walked to the round table once again and placed them on the table, as Homelander gave you a 'Thank you' as he smiled at you, making you a little uncomfortable.

Walking to the seat next to Ryan, "So..Ryan, how was Y/N!" Homelander broke the silence.

"It was super fun" Ryan responded with a huge smile, as Ryan continued with his response, the Christmas music blared into your ears.

The only thing that you last heard was Homelander saying "-Kinda like a family" he stared at you, smiling at you with his sharp canines showing.

'-And Heaven and nature sing, and Heaven and nature sing...'

the Christmas music blaring into your ears as the voice blocked out.

'Holy Shit, he's really got you in the palm of your hands' you started to grip the table as you started hyperventilating, staring back at him.

'...and Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing......'

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