# Black Noir Was a Homelander Clone in the Comics — But The Boys Show Took a Wildly Different Route

URL: https://technosports.co.in/black-noir-was-a-homelander/  
Published: 2026-05-22  
Updated: 2026-05-22  
Author: Reetam Bodhak

If you’ve ever gone down a rabbit hole wondering whether Black Noir is secretly a Homelander clone, you’re not alone. It’s one of the biggest questions The Boys fandom has debated for years — and the answer depends entirely on whether you’re reading the comics or watching the show. Let’s break it all down.

## Comics vs. Show: The Key Differences at a Glance

| Detail | Comics | The Boys (Show) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Is Black Noir a clone?** | Yes — Homelander clone | No — confirmed not a clone |
| **Who kills Homelander?** | Black Noir kills him | Butcher kills him (Season 5) |
| **Who assaulted Becca Butcher?** | Black Noir (not Homelander) | Homelander |
| **Black Noir’s motivation** | Force Homelander to become evil so he could fulfill his kill mission | Varies — Original: loyalty; Noir II: acting career |
| **How many Black Noirs?** | One (the clone) | Two — Original Earving, then Black Noir II |
| **Showrunner’s stance on clone story** | N/A | Kripke explicitly rejected it |

## The Comics: Black Noir Really Is a Homelander Clone

In Garth Ennis’s comics, Black Noir is revealed to be a Homelander clone near the end of the story. Homelander is shown images of himself committing monstrous acts he doesn’t remember — but they aren’t of him at all. They’re of his clone, who had been hiding in plain sight the entire time as Black Noir.

He was a direct clone of Homelander created by Vought as a secret fail-safe weapon, engineered to eliminate Homelander should he ever become too dangerous — in every measurable sense, Homelander’s physical equal, a perfect copy built to destroy the original.

Noir committed a series of nasty acts and framed Homelander for them, deliberately trying to gaslight him into becoming a dictator — all to trigger his one singular purpose: kill Homelander if he ever got out of line. He eventually succeeded in killing Homelander, though Butcher killed Noir shortly after.

![Black Noir](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/blcjjk-1024x576.webp)

## The Show: Showrunner Kripke Ditched the Clone Arc on Purpose

Kripke has been explicit about his decision: “In the comics, he’s a clone of Homelander this entire time and is actually the one doing all these horrific things. But it’s like — wait, the villain I’ve been following isn’t really the villain. That felt not as satisfying to me. If I’m going to follow this villain, I want this guy to be the villain. I was never really into the clone idea.”

Instead, the show gave Black Noir a completely original backstory. The show’s original Black Noir, whose real name was Earving, worked with the group Payback in the 80s and suffered severe brain damage after a botched mission involving Soldier Boy, leaving him permanently disfigured and largely unable to speak. Homelander killed him at the end of Season 3 after learning the truth about Soldier Boy. [GameRant](https://gamerant.com/the-boys-black-noir-change/)

For more on how superhero shows adapt comic book source material, check out our deep-dive coverage at [TechnoSports](https://technosports.co.in).

## Season 5 Teased the Clone Story — Then Killed It

After the original Black Noir was killed off in Season 3, he was replaced by Black Noir II — a supe with strong acting skills. In Season 5, his sudden silence sparked fan theories that he had been replaced by a Homelander clone. [ScreenRant](https://screenrant.com/the-boys-season-5-black-noir-homelander-clone-comic-ending/)

Season 5, Episode 4 debunked it entirely. Black Noir II tells The Deep: “You think going full method is easy? Do you know how hard it’s been to not talk? My most powerful instrument, and I can’t use it. But I f***ing committed, I have given everything to this role.” He was simply method acting. No clone, no conspiracy. [GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/superhero-shows/the-boys-season-5-just-debunked-a-major-black-noir-theory-and-im-relieved/)

To understand the cultural impact of the original comics, the [Wikipedia article on The Boys comic series](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boys_(comics)) is a great primer.

## FAQs

### **Q: Is Black Noir a clone of Homelander in The Boys TV show?**

 A: No — showrunner Eric Kripke explicitly rejected the clone storyline, and Season 5 confirmed Black Noir II is still just an actor method acting the role.

### **Q: Who does Black Noir kill in The Boys comics?**

A: In the comics, Black Noir kills the original Homelander before Butcher subsequently kills Black Noir himself.