The Boys Why Stormfront Was a More Important Hero Parody Than Homelander

The Boys: Why Stormfront Was a More Important Hero Parody Than Homelander

Homelander subverts many classic superhero tropes in The Boys, but Stormfront’s poignant character arc makes her the more important parody of the two.

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The Boys Why Stormfront Was a More Important Hero Parody Than Homelander

Amazon’s The Boys is no stranger to superhero parodies, with Stormfront’s character arc in season 2 a particularly poignant inclusion for the series. Indeed, The Boys has garnered much praise from critics across its 2 seasons, who cite its satirical yet darkly comical take on a fictional capitalist culture. Developer Eric Kripke goes to great pains throughout the show to establish the lofty façade of Vought’s collection of superheroes “The Seven,” who in actuality are mostly vapid celebrity figures masking their abhorrent acts from the public.

Aya Cash’s Stormfront is no exception to the standard Kripke treatment, with the natural confidence she exudes as the newest member of “The Seven” slowly peeled away to display a portrait of a sadistic Nazi. Stormfront weathers an initially testy relationship with Seven leader Homelander, who is intimidated by her rapid spike in popularity before the two eventually become allies, promoting parallels and comparisons between the two characters.

However, Stormfront is undoubtedly a more important hero parody than Homelander in The Boys due to her character’s nuanced message on veiled ideals in the digital age. Whereas The Boys’ main villain Homelander primarily exists to subvert classic superhero tropes, Stormfront’s inclusion is a more timely commentary on the modern world that acts as a cautionary tale against being blind to one’s own prejudice. Stormfront’s popularity with the general public in The Boys season 2 is also an unflinching take on regressive attitudes and ignorance en-masse that spans multiple eras.

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Homelander is hard to miss in The Boys, presented as a shining beacon of American virtue by his overseers at Vought, draped in red, white, and blue, and modeled on the iconic Superman’s aesthetic. Yet Homelander exists in almost complete opposition to the values that the classic Superman/Clark Kent embodies, subverting superhero tropes by massacring civilians and protecting his own nihilistic interests above all else. Kripke’s Homelander message is rather on the nose, with the idea that heroes are often much worse (and more human) than they appear on the surface, alongside allegorically representing an innate distrust of people in positions of power.

In stark contrast, Stromfront’s overarching message in The Boys hits much closer to home, emploring viewer introspection while assessing the state of the social media age. Stormfront garners immense popularity with the unnamed masses in The Boys season 2 due to her social expertise, many of whom agree wholeheartedly with her often right-leaning sentiments. Cash’s Stormfront herself states, “People like what I have to say! They just don’t like the word Nazi,” with her “making America safe again” from a hidden “Supe” terrorist (eventually revealed as the hidden Victoria Neuman) feeling eerily similar to real-world political messages. In this way, Stormfront’s character acts as an unflinching critique on the idea that people often hold regressive attitudes while failing to acknowledge their polarizing views, negatively contributing to a fractured society just as Stormfront does in The Boys. While the lessons to be taken from Homelander’s character are fairly straightforward in their application, Stormfront’s abhorrent Nazi ideals masked behind a compelling character create a much more nuanced superhero parody. Although The Boys contains many fantastical elements that weave a narrative disparate from real life, it also contains resounding social commentary applicable to all people, whether superheroes exist in their universe or not.

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Link Source : https://screenrant.com/boys-stormfront-homelander-parody-more-important-hero-why/

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