Billy Butcher

Powers & Abilities

• V24: Thanks to an injection of "temporary" Compound V, Butcher gained supernatural abilities similar to those of other supes.A modified version of Compound V that gives the user super powers for twenty four hours, Butcher was given a vial of them by Queen Maeve in case he wanted to use them. Once taking it, he was granted superhuman abilities to fight against anyone who is in his way.
• Superhuman Strength: Butcher possesses enhanced strength while under the influence of V24. He crushed Gunpowder's pistol in his hand and sent him flying with a single punch before beating him to death. He effortlessly crushed a man's neck with one hand and repelled Ryan's own strength. He is strong enough to deal significant blows to Homelander and Soldier Boy; he can also restrain Homelander with the help of Soldier Boy and Hughie (who were also using V24). After superheating Soldier Boy's shield, Butcher punched it into pieces.
• Superhuman Durability: After taking V24, Butcher becomes amazingly durable and can take an extreme amount of punishment without suffering any physical injuries. He took no damage after being punched in the torso by Gunpowder; he is bulletproof, coming out unharmed after being sprayed with bullets by a group of Russian soldiers; he was unfazed when Homelander blasted him with his heat vision; and he was barely hurt when the two of them engaged in a brutal fight, only suffering a small cut on his left cheek. Mother's Milk also broke a wooden bat against his body. When fighting Soldier Boy, Billy was able to withstand his blows, though he was shown to take more damage than Soldier Boy did.
• Superhuman Speed: Thanks to the V, Butcher has developed great speeds, as he demonstrated in his battle with Homelander and Soldier. Butcher could keep up against two of the fastest super-individuals, respectively, but he's obviously no faster than A-Train.
• Enhanced Agility and Reflexes: Under the influence of V24, Butcher's agility and reaction speeds are increased to enhanced levels. He was able to dodge some of Homelander's attacks during their fight at Herogasm.
• Superhuman Hearing: His hearing is so fine and accurate that it makes it possible for Butcher to hear infrared and ultrasound, as well as sounds ranging from powerful explosions to simple whispers, from a distance of several kilometers.
• Heat Vision: Butcher is able to generate golden heat energy from his eyes and can project it outward as high-powered beams. These blasts of energy are shown to be incredibly powerful, as they were able to easily slice Gunpowder's head in half and cut clean through his car, completely separating it in two. Although he initially lacked a good handle on this ability, to the point that it hurt his eyes to use it, by the time he took a second dose of V24, he was able to use his heat vision with perfect control and without any sense of pain. Butcher's heat vision also proved powerful enough to knock Homelander to the ground after striking him in the chest and even block the latter's own heat vision, though with noticeable strain from Butcher that was not shared by Homelander. Butcher's heat vision was also able to leave a wound on Soldier Boy's face using a continuous beam.
• Heat Immunity: Considering the heat and intensity of the Laser Beams released by Butcher's eyes, he is apparently immune to the extreme heat released by his eyes.
• Regeneration: After his confrontation with Gunpowder, the Homelander, and Soldier Boy, Butcher managed to heal completely. Despite significant injuries, including Ballistic Wounds from Large-Caliber Bullets from the Gunpowder Pistol that he received in the ear and torso at point-blank range, Butcher managed to rapidly recover.
• Master Combatant: Butcher is an extremely skilled fighter. His SAS training includes a mix of Boxing, Muay Thai, Judo, Krav Maga, and Aikido. He was able to fight Translucent long enough for Hughie to improvise a way to incapacitate him. He is very strong in combat, as he pummeled Mesmer in a bathroom and bashed his face in over a sink. He is also intelligent and adaptable, as he spit his own blood on Translucent so he could see him which allowed him to effectively fight back. Butcher was able to deck Hughie with a single punch and draw blood. He was able to hold his own against Jock, a former SAS member, managing to gain the upper hand and strangle him to death.
  • Master Stick-Fighter: One of Billy's signature weapons is his lead crowbar. He used it against Translucent with deadly mastery.
• Expert Marksman: Butcher is a highly accurate marksman. He demonstrated tight grouping when he shot Starlight twice in the chest from a distance with his sniper rifle. He also held a baby supe with heat vision to fire at armed guards. He nearly shot Kenji Miyashiro with his rifle if not for Hughie's intervention, and he later quickly gunned down a Supe with his pistol.
• Gifted Intelligence: Butcher has been described by Homelander as "very smart," as he hid Translucent's remains in a box composed of zinc, the only material Homelander cannot see through. He can also think of strategies on the spot, such as when he used a baby supe to cut through multiple armed guards. Butcher is smarter than Stan Edgar, Jonah Vogelbaum, Victoria Neuman, Hughie Campbell, Starlight, Madelyn Stillwell, Queen Maeve, Frenchie, Mother's Milk, Alastair Adana, Stormfront, Homelander, A-Train, and The Deep.
  • Expert Leader: Butcher is a good leader, having united The Boys and inspired them to achieve their goals of eliminating The Seven. He would often put an end to the bickering between Frenchie and Mother's Milk. Even after he disappeared at the hands of Homelander, Frenchie brought him back to continue leading the Boys, as he viewed him as "a real captain." He also compared Butcher to Hannibal, Lee Marvin, and Brian Epstein.
  • Deception: Butcher was able to make a criminal think he was a police officer to gain entry into a club. He also convinced Mother's Milk to return to The Boys by lying about his association with Frenchie.
  • Manipulation: Butcher was able to harness Hughie's desire for vengeance against A-Train and the Supes, which was one of the reasons that lead to Hughie killing Translucent. When Butcher wanted to go after Stillwell and Hughie wanted to split off to go help Frenchie and Mother's Milk, Butcher attempts to guilt trip him by saying, "You're a fucking pathetic c--- and an insult to Robin's memory."

• Intimidation: Butcher commands an imposing presence.
• Stealth: Butcher was able to break into Madam Deputy Director Susan Raynor's house, her workplace, Mother's Milk's office, Madelyn Stillwell's house, Grace Mallory's car, Becca's fence, and her car. He also managed to evade Homelander's line of sight.
• Indomitable Will: Butcher is an extremely determined man, never giving up on his mission to keep The Seven and all other Supes in line. He repeatedly stood up against extremely powerful beings, from Translucent to Homelander.

Equipment

• Beretta 92FS Inox: Butcher used his sidearm to threaten Madelyn Stillwell.
• Beretta 92FS: Butcher later used a new sidearm to kill an EMP Supe and tried to shoot Stormfront with it, to no avail.
• Colt M4A1: Butcher used a carbine to fend off a shiver of sharks attacking him and the Boys (that were under the command of The Deep).
• Serbu BFG-50A: Butcher's sniper rifle of choice is a is a semi-automatic .50-caliber rifle with a red laser sight. He loaded it with a diamond-coated round in an attempt to shoot Translucent to pierce his skin, but it ricocheted off. He later used it in an attempt to kill Starlight, shooting her twice in the chest, but to no avail due to her powers.
• Crowbar: Butcher used this weapon against Translucent, but failed to hit him due to his invisibility. Butcher also used his crowbar against Stormfront while her back was turned, choking Becca against a tree. Unfortunately, the blows from the crowbar had no effect against Stormfront.
• Laser Baby
• V24: A modified version of Compound V that gives the user super powers for twenty four hours, Butcher was given a vial of them by Queen Maeve in case he wanted to use them. Once taking it, he was granted superhuman abilities to fight against anyone who is in his way.

Weaknesses

Biological

• Deteriorating Health: Due to his repeated use of Compound V24, which is known to cause brain lesions within three to five doses, Billy Butcher is terminally ill. His attending physician declared that any further attempt at treatment for his condition would only adversely impact his quality of life without extending it. His physician also speculated that he has twelve months to live, possibly up to eighteen. Billy was also seen significantly weakened in his most recent appearance, but whether this is due to his declining health or having been through a recent surgical intervention to treat brain lesions (or both) is unknown. Six months later and Butcher's health has declined severely. He is shown frequently exhibiting V24 related symptoms such as vomiting, fatigue, and oozing a black substance from his ears.

Psychological

• Mental Illness: Due to his life circumstances, particularly his abusive upbringing, as well as the supposed death of Becca, Billy Butcher is a severely mentally unstable man. Anger Issues: Butcher is infamously hot-tempered and has struggled with violent urges since his childhood. Due to his line of work, this propensity for violence often turns out useful, however due to his anger and him genuinely enjoying violence, Butcher is known to maim or kill people, even if it's to his own overall detriment, and in cases where such violence is disproportionate to the other party's wrongdoing. Lack of Interpersonal Skills: Due to his temper and callous personality, Butcher seriously struggles when it comes to interpersonal relationships. Even to supposed friends and allies, Butcher is highly manipulative and sometimes abusive, both mentally and physically. His harsh treatment, particularly of Hughie, has on several occasions caused serious friction within the team. Notably, his attempt to distance himself from Ryan for the boy's own safety ends up going so poorly that Ryan instead forms a bond with Homelander. Trauma: Underneath his hardened and unbreakable will, Butcher is a traumatized man, he suffers post-traumatic disorder as a result of the abuse his father inflicted on him and Lenny's suicide. This is further explored while he is under a telepathic spell of Mindstorm, which reveals that he feels guilty of the suicide of his brother because he left him with their abusive father. Even years after the loss of Lenny, Butcher is still emotionally affected by that and has unresolved feelings about it. Hallucinations: As a result of the black mass tumor, Butcher has hallucinations of his deceased wife, Becca.