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.
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
For more on how superhero shows adapt comic book source material, check out our deep-dive coverage at TechnoSports.
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
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+
To understand the cultural impact of the original comics, the Wikipedia article on The Boys comic series is a great primer.
