Archive of Our Own ^beta

Bryant: What makes a hero? What determines whether or not people are symbols of authority and justice? The definition is different across worlds, and there will be times when bad people are loved, and good people are hated.

Thea: It all comes down to their public image.

Bryant: Homelander, the leader of the Seven.

Thea: Hancock, the drunk asshole. He’s Bryant Reese, and I’m Thea Price.

Bryant: And we’re here to analyze these two douchebag heroes to see who would win, a Death Battle!

Bryant: Look to the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane!

Thea: It’s Superman Knock-Off 3475.0! It’s, Homelander!

• Homelander:
• Name: John
• Height: 5’11”
• Weight: 165 lbs
• Age: 41 years old
• Likes: Milk, Family, Attention, Billy Butcher
• Dislikes: Insults, Billy Butcher

Thea: The man, the myth, the legend. The epitome of American Patriotism. Free, strong, heroic, and awesome!

(NOTE: This analysis will primarily focus on the story, abilities, and feats of the version of Homelander from the Amazon Prime Show, as opposed to the original comics. However, the comics will be referenced for comparison)

Bryant: Homelander is the face of the Seven, the world’s greatest group of heroes, backed by Vought International. In the world of the Boys, heroism is a job opportunity, where people with powers are granted the ability to use said powers for good, and fight alongside their own heroes, who they look up to.

Thea: But there’s one thing to remember. It’s all bullshit.

Bryant: Right… Rather than people being born with superpowers like how the media thought, Vought International had been distributing a special serum known as Compound V. First invented by Nazi geneticist, Frederick Vought, this super serum was used to transform many newborn babies into superhuman beings.

Thea: And Homelander was one such baby. This guy wasn’t a natural born super, or an alien that came from space. He was a test tube baby raised by Vought to be their mascot, and to replace their previous champion, the Captain America rip-off named Soldier Boy.

Bryant: Homelander wants you to believe that he’s the second-coming of Christ, but he’s a little more like a human version of Satan. Born as John, the soon-to-be mass murderer was raised in a lab in order to condition him into the best hero Vought could make.

Thea: To John’s credit, he wasn’t that bad of a kid. He was a sweet kid at first, someone who loved hearing about famous historical figures, and watching movies about Soldier Boy, his role model. But Vought didn’t want him to be a human, they just wanted him to be a Super. They did a bunch of tests and experiments to make sure that he was their champion, like boiling him alive! Or having him fight superpowered guards!

Bryant: This torturous existence caused him to develop numerous mental issues, like an Oedipus Complex from his desire for a mother figure, or an unhealthy obsession with admiration and attention. Despite this, John eventually grew up and made his debut as Homelander, the leader of the Seven.

• Abilities/Arsenal:
• Superhuman strength
• Superhuman speed
• Superhuman durability
• Superhuman endurance
• Superhuman Senses
• Enhanced hearing
• Enhanced smell
• X-ray vision
• Telescopic vision
• Heat vision
• Flight

Thea: Again, to Homelander’s credit, he did try to actually be a hero by saving hostages at a chemical plant. But he underestimated just how strong he was, and ended up killing people. Which ended up in a downward spiral of lies and secrets, turning Homelander from an incompetent guy who tried to help people, to a very competent guy, who didn’t give a shit who he killed.

Bryant: The Boys is a series that’s very realistic. Not in terms of how grounded the series is in reality, but by showing that reality is not kind in a world where superpowers rule. This is especially shown with Homelander’s lethal heat vision, which he can use to easily cut people apart with little issue. Though he has shown to be able to control the power of his heat vision, he doesn’t usually hold back, melting flesh and bone in an instant.

Thea: If he’s not looking you to death, he’s probably looking through you with his X-ray vision, which lets him see through everything but zinc, the same way Superman can see through anything but lead. He can also detect individual scents on people, and zoom in with his vision like a telescope.

Bryant: Homelander has used his superhuman speed to move fast enough to the point where others are standing still, and he’s stated to have never even sweat before due to never being pushed to his limits. With his superhuman strength, he can easily throw a baseball from New York to Boston, toss a human into the air to their death, and impale even superhumans on his fist. Even when he was a baby, he was still strong enough to kill people by accident by simply hugging them.

Thea: With how crazy strong he is, Homelander had no problem getting his way, eventually settling into a cushy life of being spoiled, not out of love, but out of fear. People knew how strong he was, and they knew that he could kill them in an instant.

Bryant: Yet he was also very cunning, and manipulative. He has a silver tongue, which he’s used to get his way on numerous occasions. Still, his main weapon in society was still fear. So it came as a surprise to him when he met William, “Billy”,  Butcher, a regular, human man who didn’t fear Homelander.

Thea: Yeah, it’s not controversial to say that Homelander is a real dickbag. He might’ve tried to be a hero at first, but when he started to lie and hide secrets, he ended up fooling himself that he was already a hero, making him a real arrogant douche who thought that he was a god. And like Zeus, Homelander forced Butcher’s wife to, uh, do the bed tango with him, and she disappeared from both of their lives. Butcher hated Homelander ever since, and swore to kill the guy in revenge.

Bryant: Homelander’s despicable actions resulted in the creation of his greatest nemesis. But it also paved the way to some of the most precious relationships to Homelander, as he soon discovered that Becca Butcher had given birth to a son. A natural born superhuman named Ryan, and Homelander’s flesh and blood.

Thea: Butcher and Ryan were both something special to Homelander. They were real! Homelander’s entire life was something fake. His powers, his relationships, his reputation in the public. People lie to him, he lies to them. But Ryan was actually his. He was real, and he was actually Homelander’s.

Bryant: This is also why Homelander respects Billy Butcher, to the point where he lets Butcher insult him, but threatens to dismember his own allies over similar offenses. Butcher never hides how he feels, and doesn’t fear Homelander. And he doesn’t hide the fact that he’d love nothing more than to kill Homelander.

Thea: A bit messed up that Homelander treats Butcher like they’re friends when Butcher’s whole shtick is killing the guy.

Bryant: Eh, he’d probably be fine. After all, Homelander is nearly invincible.

Thea: We’re talking about a guy who can ignore gunfire, hurt people just by standing there and letting them bump into him, and take a chemical factory exploding on him without a trace! Some people even went as far as to say that Homelander couldn’t be hurt by any weapon on Earth.

(NOTE: Homelander has only ever been hurt by other supers who are on par with him, supporting that idea that normal humans have no means of hurting him. Though it is worth noting that Homelander did imply that he’s threatened by anti-aircraft weapons. Adding to this is the fact that Homelander was kept in check by hydrogen bombs in the comics. It’s likely that this is a statement made to portray the danger he poses as opposed to being a genuine fact. But if taken seriously, this would imply that Homelander would be tough enough to survive the Tsar Bomba, which had an explosive force of 50 megatons of TNT, and potentially could’ve gone up to 100 megatons)

• Achievements:
• Outran a C4 explosion
• Survived a chemical plant explosion
• Strongest of the Seven
• Claimed to be able to carry planes on the ground
• Apparently flew into space
• Fought off Soldier Boy, Billy Butcher, and Hugie
• Comparable to Stormfront

Bryant: Homelander surviving the chemical plant’s explosion is quite the impressive feat, as this was calculated to be worth around 43 tons of TNT, or just under the equivalent of four MOABs, or Massive Ordnance Air Blasts, the most powerful non-nuclear weapon available to the U.S. Military, which only had an explosive yield of around 11 tons of TNT.

Thea: He’s also physically superior to pretty much every super on the Seven. Like A-Train, who ran just over the speed of sound in a race. Homelander can fly faster than most jet planes, which fly at Mach 2.

Bryant: And during one of their first encounters, Butcher attempted to kill Homelander with a C4 explosion, only for Homelander to save both of them by outpacing it. This is an extremely impressive feat, considering the C4 explosions can move at around 23 times faster than sound.

Thea: He’s stronger than Maeve, who could catch school buses when she was a kid. Sure, he can’t lift as much when he’s flying, and needs solid ground to lift heavier things. But when he’s on the ground, he’s strong enough to lift a plane, which can weigh up to 150 tons.

Bryant: But since he was in the air, he didn’t even try. And instead, uh, let it crash, killing everyone inside, and pretending that he tried to save it.

Thea: Prick.

(NOTE: While Homelander doesn’t care for human lives, he still tries to save them for his public image. So it’s likely that he genuinely could not lift the plane mid-flight, and it wasn’t that he just wanted the civilians to die. Supporting this idea is when Homelander was knocked to the ground by a much lighter school bus, and Queen Maeve being able to temporarily match him physically)

Bryant: Homelander in public puts on the visage of a fearless, incorruptible hero. In private, he puts on an image of an unstoppable force, one who could kill you with a single glare. But at his core, Homelander is essentially a massive manchild, with a bottomless pit of insecurity in place of a soul. Throughout Homelander’s life, he was never treated like a human, but as a brand, or a product.

Thea: Without a mom, or a dad, Homelander only had himself, and his public image. So when people began taking that away, he started going crazy. Soon, the only thing that seemed to matter to him was his relationship with Butcher, and Ryan. Ryan looked up to him as the dad he wanted to have, while Butcher treats him like a human. A human he wants to kill, but a human.

Bryant: And Butcher would go on to bring in someone that Homelander didn’t expect. Soldier Boy, his role model, and predecessor. Homelander would even fight Soldier Boy and Butcher at once, and manage to keep up with both of them despite Soldier Boy being as strong as him, and Butcher having taken a shot of Compound V to match him.

Thea: So basically, he took on two Homelanders, who were both former military guys, and almost came out on top.

(NOTE: Homelander fought someone who was as strong as him in the comics as well, and did severe damage to him, despite said someone being a highly skilled combatant meant to take him down)

Bryant: But Homelander would then discover something that shocked him to his core. It turns out, the substance that allowed Homelander to be born actually came from Soldier Boy, meaning that the two were father and son.

Thea: Which meant that Homelander had both his own son, and an actual father. People who were just as strong as him, and who he didn’t have to worry about hurting, like how he hurt everyone else growing up. And, he wanted them both. He wanted to have his son, and he wanted to have his dad. He wanted to have his family. It’s, kinda sad when you think about it.

Bryant: Homelander genuinely cared about his son and craved his father’s approval. But Soldier Boy thought that there was no hope for Homelander, cause even when he was at his most emotionally vulnerable, Homelander still couldn’t see beyond the super in superhuman. In the end, Soldier Boy could only see Homelander as a disappointment, and his greatest failure. Homelander’s hopes were dashed, and his dreams were ruined. Even his own father refused to see him the way that he wanted. Instead, his father wanted to kill him. Homelander only had his son, and he would do anything to keep him.

Thea: Now he’s more dangerous than ever. He’s ready to kill at a moment’s notice, and he won’t hesitate for anyone. Homelander was born to be mankind’s greatest hero, but the cynical and political bullshit of Vought that he let himself be sucked into made him its worst villain. If Homelander isn’t stopped soon, there might not be anything left. Nothing left, but scorched earth.

(Homelander) “No God. The only man in the sky is me.”

Bryant: Look to the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane!

Thea: It’s a drunk alcoholic flying around in the sky. It’s Hancock!

• Hancock:
• Name: John
• Height: 6’2”
• Weight: 187 lbs
• Age: >3,000 years old
• Likes: Spaghetti and meatballs, whiskey
• Dislikes: A lot of things

Bryant: The city of Los Angeles had many criminals and crooks. There was danger of property damage, assault, battery, and robbery.

Thea: What’s the difference between-

Bryant: Assault is the threat of physical harm, battery is the presence.

Thea: Got it.

Bryant: Fortunately, the city had a hero. A hero named John Hancock.

Thea: Unfortunately, he kinda sucked ass at saving people.

Bryant: Hancock was a man of mysterious circumstance. He didn’t know who he truly was, or where he came from. All he knew was that he woke up in a hospital one day, without his memories, or any indication of what had happened.

Thea: And, he was also a superhuman. 80 years later, and he’s a drunk asshole superhero who tries to help out with dealing with crime, but not always doing a good job of it. Oh, and uh, don’t call him an asshole. He hates that. How much? Well, he threw a kid into the sky for doing that. Then again, you have to be wondering why the hell the kid thought it was a good idea.

(NOTE: Rich bully = Arrogant Dumbass)

• Abilities/Arsenal:
• Superhuman strength
• Superhuman speed
• Superhuman durability
• Superhuman endurance
• Flight
• Aerokinesis
• Immortality
• Healing Factor

Thea: I mean, Hancock’s pretty infamous for the property damage that he causes. He’s the kind of guy who just, stomps through a car, and through a bridge, to stop robbers. And then carries it to the top of a building, and just, impale it on the building needle.

Bryant: This is thanks to his superhuman physiology. Hancock is stronger than just about any other being on earth. His nails are strong enough to sharpen metal objects into deadly blades and cut through glass. And going side-by side with his superhuman strength is his durability bordering on invulnerability.

Thea: We’re talking about a guy who was shot with a 50 caliber shot, only for it to just bounce off like it was a ping pong ball! Needles bend on contact with his skin.

Bryant: Even should something somehow manage to hurt him, he can recover thanks to his healing factor, one which lets him recover from fatal wounds even when he’s severely weakened for whatever reason. Which might explain why he looked to be in his late thirties despite having lived for at least 80 years.

Thea: And he can fly! Fast enough to move faster than people can see too. It’s your classic superhero package, but he’s no Superman. Oh, and he can create tornadoes!

(NOTE: The Director of the movie has said that it was Hancock who created the tornadoes in the movie, not Mary, though it’s not certain if he did this consciously or unconsciously)

Bryant: With superhuman strength, durability, speed, and flight, it’s… not really a surprise that Hancock ended up doing more damage to the city than criminals did. Hancock seemed to only care about taking the easiest route, which often caused more damage than the criminals he chased down.

Thea: Hancock didn’t seem to care about any of that. Until one day, he met a strange guy. Ray Embrey, a regular human, and a public relations specialist who was trying to make the world a better place.

Bryant: Ray thought that his life was forfeit when his car was stuck in front of a train, only for Hancock to save his life. While his car was ruined, and the train was completely derailed due to Hancock not moving out of the way and letting it crash into him, Ray realized that without Hancock, his life would’ve been lost. So, Ray became someone that Hancock hasn’t seen in a long time, or ever. He became someone who was truly grateful for what Hancock did, and appreciated him to the point of inviting him to stay for dinner.

Thea: Turns out, Hancock wasn’t actually a drunk asshole. I mean, he was, but it’s more than that. He’s just, really lonely.

Bryant: After all, Hancock had spent 80 years of his life, wandering the earth, wondering who he was, or where he came from. He had no friends, no family, not even a name. The name John Hancock was actually just another term for signature, so he took it as his own identity, just to have something that he could refer to himself as. He had nothing, but questions. And a single thought.

Thea: No one was there when he woke up. No one to care, no one to worry. So all he could think of during the decades after, was just what kind of bastard was he for there to have been nobody to care? That’s, pretty sad.

Bryant: But Ray saw otherwise. Despite Hancock’s careless attitude towards the lives he saves, he still chose to save lives and do good things, even when he’s hated. As someone who looked at the world through rose-tinted lenses, Ray wanted people to see Hancock for who he was: a good person, deep down inside. So, he came up with a 3-step plan to improve Hancock’s public image.

Thea: Step 1: Turn yourself in and go to jail after a public apology. Step 2: Wait for the city to go to shit, cause even a drunk superhero still keeps the peace. Step 3: Return a hero! It was a plan that would both make the city realize how much they relied on Hancock, and let Ray fix some of Hancock’s bad habits. Sure, it wasn’t easy at first. I mean, the first day, Hancock literally shoved a guy’s head up another guy’s ass. Yikes.

Bryant: But since Ray was the first person whose view of Hancock contradicted Hancock’s insecurities, Hancock chose to trust Ray. He eventually opened up, taking Ray’s advice, and learned to control his drinking. And when he was eventually called back, he returned as a proper hero who saved the day.

Thea: Someone who didn’t break buildings, and respected boundaries! Nice change!

• Achievements:
• Can fly to the moon
• Can send people flying with a thrown candy bar
• Hurled a whale into the ocean
• Can match Mary Embrey
• Deflected a bazooka shot with a hand
• Stopped a train by standing in front of it
• Turned a lampshade into a blade with his nails

Bryant: With better control over his powers and himself, Hancock can now be a proper hero for the people of Los Angeles.

Thea: You don’t really want to mess with the guy. He literally slapped away a bazooka shot with the palm of his hand! How the hell did Chris Rock survive that?

Bryant: And remember when he derailed a train by standing in front of it? In the scene, we can see around 18 train cars. Taking into account that they likely weigh around 286 thousand pounds each, adding to the locomotive’s weight of 432 thousand pounds and a speed of 50 miles per hour, he stopped 2,790 tons, with an energy of 12.72 million pounds of force.

Thea: He’s also fast enough to fly into space, and fly between the Earth and the moon! Just flying into space means he had to be moving at Mach 33, or over 25 thousand miles per hour! 

(NOTE: He’s likely faster, as he was able to fly between the Earth and the moon and paint Ray’s logo on it without anyone noticing until Hancock points it out, implying that he flew to the moon, made the logo, and returned in less than 12 hours at most, assuming that he did so during the day)

Bryant: And Hancock is also strong enough to toss a whale into the ocean. It was specifically stated to be a grey whale, which weighs 45 tons. Along comes Hancock, who, throws it. Far enough to hit a sailboat. This was him before meeting Ray.

Thea: He just, yeets it. That’s, uh…

Bryant: The distance was likely around 5 miles based on the average cruise distance of a sailboat, that’s a 45 ton whale that flew that distance in 4 seconds, 4,500 miles per hour… Around 18.5 million pounds of force.

Thea: How did the whale survive?

Bryant: Movie logic. Just like how Hancock could catch a kid that he threw into the sky without the kid dying.

(NOTE: The director of the movie actually went on record to say that Hancock could survive the Tsar Bomba, supporting the idea of Hancock being invulnerable)

Thea: Hancock was eventually requested to return to help with a bank hostage situation, which he solved without causing too much collateral damage, if any at all! He’s turned over a new leaf, becoming a hero that the public actually appreciated. And he had Ray to thank for that. So why the f*ck did he kiss Ray’s wife?! What happened to bros before hoes?!

Bryant: You’re a girl.

Thea: Bros and hoes aren’t exclusively one gender!

Bryant: That- never mind. It’s more complicated than one would think. In truth, Mary Embrey was actually Hancock’s wife from before his amnesia. Mary and Hancock were the last of an ancient race, one that people in ancient times would call gods, or angels, and now, in modern times, superheroes.

Thea: That’s right. Hancock is apparently what us weak mortals mistook for gods! Mary and Hancock were actually over 3,000 years old. So, how did Hancock end up in the hospital with amnesia?

Bryant: Because while Hancock may be the closest thing a human can be to a god, when he and Mary are in close proximity to each other, they become weaker, and mortal.

Thea: Mortal my ass, they fought in and destroyed a city while creating storms. He even got hit by lightning multiple times.

Bryant: It’s not immediate, but Hancock and Mary both do become weaker gradually over time, to the point where Hancock was no longer bullet proof. Though there are some theories that do believe that his emotional state affects his powers as well, which could be the true reason why he became so weak.

Thea: I mean, if I found out that my wife, er, husband in my case, left me in the hospital, and let me think that I was alone for 80 years while he went and got a new wife, I’d be pretty upset too. He was still strong enough to throw a candy bar at a robber hard enough to send them through a window, but he got shot, and brought to a hospital. And even when he was fighting some old enemies, he was getting his ass whooped!

Bryant: And there lied the true reason why Mary left him. It wasn’t because she didn’t love him like how Hancock thought for 80 years. In truth, she did love him very much. But even before becoming John Hancock, he was heroic, and protective. When he was left on the verge of death from protecting her, Mary left in order for his power to return, allowing him to recover from his head injury, even if he lost his memories. It broke her heart, but she didn’t want him to die.

Thea: And Hancock decided that he didn’t want Mary to die either. So when she was shot by the guy who was whooping his ass, Hancock decided to do the same thing, and leave, restoring Mary’s powers.

Bryant: Something which adds to the theory of his power being connected to his mental state. Before, he was weak, and hurt when his mind was weak. But when his determination to save Mary filled his mind, he regained his power, regained his invulnerability, and regained his strength, allowing him to fly into the distance, eventually ending up in Manhattan, where he acted as a hero in a new city.

Thea: But even across the country, Hancock knew he wasn’t alone any more. He, and his new friend Ray, were going to change the world, together.

Bryant: Hancock now faces the world as who he truly was at heart. A good person, a good hero, doing a good job.

(Hancock) “You’re gonna change the world. Good job, Ray.”

Bryant: Alright, the combatants are set. Let’s end this debate once and for all!

Thea: It’s time for a DEATH BATTLE!!!

In Manhattan, a certain blond superhero was floating in the air. He was quite annoyed. Everywhere he looked, he saw a billboard about a black superhero, often with a heart logo. He sneered before the sound of police sirens reached his ears. He quickly flew off, and made it to the source of the commotion. To his dismay, the target of his ire had already resolved the situation. He quietly seethed as he glared down at him.

“Thanks for the help, Hancock. We were struggling to deal with these guys all morning,” a police officer said.

“No problem, no problem. Uh… Good job. Good job. All of you, good job,” Hancock said, nodding and giving the police around him thumbs ups. A boom caught his attention as someone landed nearby.

“Howdy neighbor!” Homelander said cheerfully. The crowd surrounding the area cheered as he began waving at them. Hancock eyed him warily.

“John Hancock. Wow. I mean, wow. You’ve… you’ve been making a name for yourself recently, huh?” Homelander said. Hancock squinted before nodding slowly.

“Yeah… Yeah, I guess I have.”

“It’s pretty inspiring. I mean really, you’re inspiring,” Homelander said as he walked closer. He brushed some dust off Hancock's suit before putting his arm around his shoulders as if they were friends. He waved to the crowd, making them cheer again.

“Eh… I’m just trying to help out,” Hancock shrugged, slightly uncomfortable. Homelander laughed.

“You’re not a bad guy. For a drunk, careless asshole,” he said quietly. Hancock’s expression immediately soured, before chuckling awkwardly.

“Don’t- don’t call me an asshole,” he said, a small edge in his voice. Homelander chuckled mockingly.

“I’m Homelander. And I can do whatever the fuck I want,” he said. The two laughed and chuckled, before Hancock suddenly slammed his elbow into Homelander’s stomach, knocking him off before uppercutting him upwards. The crowd gasped in shock as the two flew into the air.

FIGHT!

Homelander grunted as he stopped himself mid-air before being socked in the face. He grunted as he was pummeled before another right hook knocked him further away. Hancock sneered at Homelander.

“It’s not nice to call names you know!” he called. Homelander growled before flying forwards and ramming into Hancock, knocking him into a building. Hancock grunted before flying back. The two slammed into each other, grabbing each other’s arms and struggling to overpower the other. Hancock swung Homelander around and slammed him into another building before Homelander headbutted him, knocking him away.

“I’ll teach you a lesson, you stupid n-!” Hancock immediately slapped him, sending him spinning through the air. Homelander caught himself, growling angrily. The two circled each other mid-air before slamming into each other, grappling and wrestling with each other as they flew higher into the air.

“Come on, is that all you got? If you want to talk back to me , you better be able to back your words up,” Homelander taunted.

“Oh yeah, pretty boy? Am I backing up my words to Walmart Superman or his company?” Hancock shot back.

“I’m the American Dream! The perfect superhero!”

“You’re a stereotype.”

“Shut up!” Homelander kneed Hancock and punched him repeatedly. The two were fighting high above the buildings, but they were colliding with enough force to create shockwaves. Nearby, a new helicopter was flying up with a media crew.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are coming to you live with a battle between the beloved Homelander and the rising Hancock. I have never seen anything like this, the two-” the reporter said into her mic. Homelander knocked Hancock away with glowing red eyes and yelled as he fired his heat vision. Hancock grunted as he dodged, but the lasers pierced the helicopter’s side. An explosion tore the vehicle apart, causing the news crew to scream in fear as they fell. They plummeted towards the ground, but Hancock was suddenly there to catch them and slowly bring them to solid ground. The crew immediately left their near-grave, thanking him.

“Woo! Go Hancock!” someone in the gathering crowd cheered. The rest of the audience joined in, clapping and cheering for Hancock as he nodded to the crew, awkwardly telling them ‘good job.’ Homelander levitated nearby, seething with jealousy as he glared down at Hancock, who smirked up to him.

“Hey! Homelander!” someone called up to him. Homelander turned to the speaker, but wasn’t cheered up.

“Be more careful man!” they said.

“Yeah! You almost killed them!” someone else said.

“You didn’t even catch them!”

“Yeah, what kind of hero are you?!”

“Boo!”

Homelander gritted his teeth and glared down at the crowd as they dissed and booed him. Hancock flew up near him.

“You’re being a bit wild. Let’s call a truce,” he said. Homelander wasn’t pacified, however. He breathed heavily, growing angrier as the jeers of the crowd continued to fill his mind. Hancock watched as Homelander landed and approached the crowd.

“Okay, look. I’m sorry,” he began.

“Sorry wouldn’t have brought them back if they died!” one particularly bold, or foolish, person said. The crowd agreed vocally, making Homelander growl.

“But they didn’t die,” he protested. The crowd didn’t listen, and someone threw their drink at him, soaking his suit with soda. And Homelander snapped.

“SHUT UUPPP!!!” he roared as he fired at the crowd, immediately killing the person who threw the drink. The person fell apart into two smoking and bloody halves, making the crowd scream. He yelled as he continued firing, only for a hand to slam into his head and ram it into the ground, shattering it. Hancock threw him up and uppercutted Homelander, sending him flying into the sky. The superhero rocketed up and speared Homelander, taking him further up. The supervillain snarled and slammed his fists into Hancock’s shoulders, separating them.

“RAAAHH!!!” Homelander screamed bloody murder as he shot forwards and punched Hancock repeatedly, creating sonic booms from the force. Hancock’s head was knocked around before another punch slammed into his chest and knocked him through another building. He stopped and inhaled deeply, cracking his neck as he glared.

The two charged at each other and rammed into the other, creating a shockwave that shook the air. They brawled, punching each other with enough force to turn regular humans to bloody puddles. Homelander blocked a punch and gutchecked Hancock, who coughed but slammed a punch into Homelander’s cheek. He uppercutted Homelander, who responded by kneeing him in the stomach. The two traded punches that knocked each other back and flew back to slam into each other. Homelander grabbed Hancock’s forearms and threw him into another building. Hancock grunted as he pulled himself out of the crater and threw a punch, but Homelander blocked it and grabbed Hancock by the throat, choking him as his eyes glowed red. Homelander blasted Hancock, but the superhero blocked it with his palm as smoke rose from it.

“Oh, that’s hot!” he grunted. He headbutted Homelander, interrupting the heat vision, but Homelander decked him in the face, knocking him through the wall. Hancock tumbled across the floor before rolling onto his face, groaning slightly. He gingerly rubbed his burned palm as he stood up, Homelander floating menacingly through the hole. Hancock turned to him, wiping his lip.

“I’m going to ask you to apologize,” he said. Homelander twisted his head about, cracking his neck as if he was trying to wrestle himself back into control.

“Listen, friend. You don’t get to do this to me. I’m the fucking Homelander. I am Homelander! I’M THE HERO! I’M STRONGER! I’M SMARTER! I’M BETTER!!” Homelander screamed, spitting slightly as he pointed to himself. Hancock scoffed.

“If you’re such a hero, why can’t you see that you’re crazy?”

“ Don’t … call me crazy,” Homelander growled. 

“Coocoo!” Hancock mocked. Homelander growled, but forced a smile.

“Alright, buddy. I’m going to give you two choices. And you should think very, very carefully about them,” he said. Hancock crossed his arms.

“Alright. Lay it on me.”

“Sit in line. Look pretty. Stick to the status quo,” Homelander ordered. Hancock hummed mockingly, pretending to think.

“Well…”

“ Or …” Homelander growled. He smiled maliciously. “I can pay your friend a visit.”

“...” Hancock wasn’t smiling. His face was set, stone cold, and glaring.

“Ray Embrey, right? The man behind that, sissy logo? I can pay him and his family a visit. I’m sure his kid would love a visit from the Homelander. Maybe we can have some food together. I’m thinking barbeque. Yeah… A nice barbeque,” Homelander continued, eyes glowing red. “I love barbeque. The secret, is making sure everything, is well cooked.”

Hancock glared, rage and hatred burning in his eyes as if he had heat vision himself. He inhaled deeply, shaking his head.

“You know what. I’ll take option 3.”

“There is no option 3.”

“Ooh, yes there is,” Hancock said. Homelander looked annoyed.

“Enlighten me,” he said. Hancock grinded his teeth together.

“You can…”

CRACK!

Hancock suddenly shot forwards and decked Homelander out of the building. Homelander caught himself and yelled in fury, only for Hancock to punch him again, sending him flying further out the area.

“KEEP MY FRIEND’S NAME-!!!” Hancock grabbed Homelander by the cape and spun him around like a tornado. In fact, powerful winds were beginning to form in the sky and on the streets, creating powerful vortexes that were filling the streets.

“OUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!!!” he roared as he threw Homelander towards the ground, creating an explosion of dust. Homelander coughed as he rolled over to his knees, and glared down at the ground. He pounded it in anger and got to his feet.

“I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!!!” he roared as he flew upwards. Hancock flew down, and the two clashed in another shockwave that shattered the glass of the surrounding buildings. The shards were whipping around in the intense winds, creating the illusion of glitter in the air. 

Homelander and Hancock flew through the city, destroying everything they collided with. Homelander grabbed Hancock by the back of his head and slammed him into a skyscraper before dragging the superhero down the wall, tearing up the building before Hancock exploded off the side and decked Homelander. Homelander straightened himself and fired his heat vision with a yell of rage. Hancock grunted as he flew through the city air and spiraled around the beams.

“Those are getting annoying!” he growled before flying up into the sky. Homelander tried to fire at him again, but Hancock flew around the attack and slammed his fist into Homelander’s cheek, knocking him through another building.

Homelander straightened himself again, only for Hancock to punch him again, knocking him further back. He went for another punch, only for Homelander to fly around it and punch him on the back of the head. Hancock grunted in slight pain before spinning around to sock Homelander in the face again. The two snarled as they repeatedly brawled while flying around, their fight causing more of the area to be destroyed and debris to pelt the two as it was thrown around in the wind. They slammed their hands together, trying to overpower the other as they yelled in exertion.

“JUST DIE ALREADY!” Homelander shouted as he fired his heat vision in point-blank, but Hancock grabbed him by the face and forced it upwards, letting it pierce a few clouds. Homelander slammed his fists into Hancock’s shoulders again, knocking him downwards, but Hancock quickly recovered.

“GRAAAAAAAAAHHH!!” he roared as he rocketed upwards, slamming into Homelander and tackling him upwards. The two continue to fly up, even as Homelander repeatedly slammed his fists on his back. They flew, even into space. Homelander and Hancock both kept their lips shut as they held their breath. Homelander glared at Hancock as his eyes glowed red, but a sudden impact interrupted it. His breath escaped his mouth, and he choked and grabbed his throat. He looked around and his eyes widened at the sight of the moon, and the red heart on it. Hancock slammed his head into the moon again before yanking him towards Earth again. The two flew towards the blue planet, eventually entering the atmosphere.

Hancock gritted his teeth as the pair caught on fire from the speed, but held Homelander by the throat. Homelander grunted and gasped before roaring and firing his heat vision directly into Hancock’s face. Hancock yelled as he felt his skin burning and blistering, but grabbed Homelander’s throat tighter with both hands. The two continued to rocket down like a meteor, before they slammed into the ground with the same force. They landed in a mountain range, and the impact echoed all around the area with a small earthquake. A cloud of smoke and dust arose from the crater, and eventually, Hancock staggered out of it, holding his smoking and burnt face. He hissed in pain before glaring over his shoulder. Homelander laid in the crater, eyes blank, unmoving, and his throat unnaturally shaped.

“... Asshole,” Hancock grunted before flying off.

KO!

Thea: Collateral damage returns.

Bryant: Homelander and Hancock both had their own advantages. But Hancock edged out in just enough places to take the win.

Thea: Homelander definitely could’ve given Hancock a run for his money though. Homelander has kept up with both Soldier Boy and Billy Butcher. He’s definitely not as skilled as them, but he still kept up with two guys as strong as him, while Hancock only showed himself to be able to keep up with one woman who was as strong as him.

Bryant: But Hancock had the experience advantage. Both were the strongest in their worlds for decades, but Hancock has been using his powers and performing hero work for around 80 years, while Homelander is only 41 years old.

(NOTE: Hancock is only being given 80 years of experience because it’s unknown if Hancock regained his memories. Even if he did, Mary implied that they lived normal lives for 3,000 years, so he unlikely had much more experience. Even so, Hancock still has more experience than Homelander)

Thea: But what about Homelander’s heat vision? It should give Homelander an edge, right? Hancock’s own ranged attacks aren’t as easy to use, or as reliable.

Bryant: Homelander’s heat vision most certainly gave him a ranged advantage, and Hancock has been affected by intense heat. However, for Homelander’s heat vision to be able to cut through humans as easily as it does, there’s a chance that it has a similar heat to plasma, which can be up to 14,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Hancock withstood lightning, which can be up to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, without much damage. While it’s difficult to say that he can withstand the full 50 thousand degrees temperature fully, it’s also difficult to say that the heat vision would be able to deal serious damage right away.

(NOTE: Homelander is on par with Stormfront, who can create storms that can cover a city. However, Hancock is on par with Mary, who could perform similar feats with ease)

Bryant: Plus, while Homelander seems to have the edge in close-quarters combat, his combat skill isn’t that much more impressive than Hancock’s, while Hancock’s strength was far greater. After all, while Homelander can lift a 150 ton plane on the ground, Hancock can throw a 45 ton whale around 5 miles in 4 seconds. While Homelander’s weight was more, Hancock’s feat is more impressive. Comparing the force needed to perform both feats, Hancock would be over 60 times stronger than Homelander.

Thea: Sure, Homelander could probably lift more, since we don’t really know if that’s the maximum he can lift. But, Hancock didn’t really struggle with throwing the whale either. So they’re both probably a lot stronger, with Hancock still having the edge.

(NOTE: Homelander could throw a jet in the comics, but we’re focusing primarily on the show. But even if we did take the comics into account, a F/A-18 Hornet only weighs around 26 tons, and there’s no evidence that he threw it as far as Hancock did)

Thea: But Homelander was probably tougher than Hancock. Both are basically invulnerable and can’t be harmed by most humans without specific conditions, like how both are completely bulletproof and can ignore heavier caliber weapons.

Bryant: However, Hancock hasn’t shown anything on par with Homelander’s factory explosion worth 43 tons of TNT. So in terms of direct feats, Homelander likely takes the edge in durability.

(NOTE: If we take statements about the characters as direct fact, then the two are actually similar in terms of their durability, as both are stated to be capable of surviving the Tsar Bomba by Vought Officials and the movie director)

Bryant: However, it’d be difficult for Homelander to take full advantage of his durability, as Hancock still overpowers him by a good amount. Not to mention that while Homelander had greater range and potentially skill, Hancock could close the distance with the difference in their speed.

Thea: Homelander outsped a C4 explosion. Mach 23. Hancock flew into space. Mach 33. Pretty clear cut there. And both showed themselves to be able to react to their travel speed, so their reaction speeds are pretty even with their flight speed too.

(NOTE: Homelander apparently flew into space as well, but lowballing Hancock’s speed to only being able to fly to the moon and back in 12 hours would still make him just below Mach 52. It’s likely that he’s faster, considering that he also took the time to paint the moon, and he was able to do it before anyone noticed)

Bryant: Even should Homelander get a lucky hit on Hancock, Hancock could simply recover with his healing factor, something that Homelander doesn’t have. Homelander has recovered from certain injuries relatively quickly, but he hasn’t recovered from being fatally wounded like how Hancock did even while in a weakened state. Homelander certainly put up a good fight, but Hancock was simply too strong and too fast for Homelander to fully keep up.

Thea: Hancock just took home the gold. Talk about a fall from grace.

Bryant: The winner is John Hancock.

NEXT TIME ON DEATH BATTLE!

A spiky-haired blond man riding a motorcycle is driving down a dusty road, the entire scenery covered in a golden light. He looks around suddenly, as a flash of blue light shines on a cliff to the side. He skids to a stop and looks at the cliff he had passed. A red figure with blond hair had appeared. They stand up and spot the man. The man narrows his eyes as a compartment on his motorcycle opens, revealing a trio of handles. The red figure draws a sword made of greenish energy and swings it as a blur. The two stare each other down, fully ready for a fight.

MEGA MAN ZERO!

VS

CLOUD STRIFE!