PRINCE GANYMEDE. Cupbearer Of The Gods

rikki!!

Analyzing The Abilities of Characters From The Boys Pt. XII

🚹Jordan🚺

Jordan is, by nature, dichotomous. Their ability is a unique form of gendered shapeshifting which is implied to be a byproduct of their bigender identity. When we first meet Jordan, they’re snippy and selfish, focused solely on getting ahead and being applauded for their good work and impeccable scores. As the story goes on, you begin to reveal layers of insecurity and frustration that the world will only ever see them for their superficial identities.

When first introduced to Jordan, they were relaxed in their female form. Interestingly enough, this was most likely due to the fact that Brink knew Jordan was assigned male at birth, and accepted them regardless as both identities they present as. This, as I mentioned earlier with Dean Shetty’s master manipulation of Cate, was most likely the byproduct of a drawn out control tactic to keep Jordan’s success tethered to GodU, and to give Brink a guard dog in the event of…well, exactly what transpired in the first episode.

As we see while Jordan fights, their female form, the result of their own vulnerability typically used when comfortable or in moments of leisure, has the ability to propel people away with some form of telekinetic blast. This may be due to their own insecurities plaguing them with feelings of inadequacy. That initial desire to push people away manifests itself as the ability to do exactly that.

In their male form, they’re seemingly indestructible and super strong, being capable of being shot at point blank and trading blows with Luke and Sam, affirming that Jordan is both strong and versatile in combat.

When the V most likely kicked in, Jordan was probably going through puberty, as many other supes were when their powers manifested. Imagine recognizing that you were bigender and feeling the need to endure the bigotry of your surroundings in hopes of a better future while simultaneously wishing to shove people away. This dual nature manifested in their ability to visibly shapeshift, and yet their parents treat this as a burden, confused as to why Jordan doesn’t just stay a boy indefinitely.

Jordan’s gendered division is most likely rooted in their feelings of men being tough while women are guarded, but I believe that as Marie shows them that it’s possible to love both sides at once, we might see them use their powers interchangeably or even simultaneously.

H2O: Just Add Water: The girls.

every time i remember that photo of the little inuk girl with her puppy i engage in inconsolable hysterics

RIKKI CHADWICK (H20)

Analyzing The Abilities of Characters From The Boys Pt. III

🐬The Deep🐬

The Peak Deep is such a fascinating character due to his utter pathetic excuse for being a superhero. While S4 shows off his strength, durability, and combat abilities, he’s referred to quite accurately as being “just the fish guy” by Annie.

While his abilities appear versatile, him both being able to breathe underwater and speak to aquatic life, they come at the major cost of him being robbed of his humanity by having grown gills in adolescence. This mutation is repeatedly referred to as disgusting by other people, and by his own psyche, all of this acting as a veiled metaphor for the thralls of puberty.

What I find interesting though is how he uses his ability to speak to marine life to have…relations with an octopus in a way that states he’s done this with other aquatic life before. The unfortunate, and honestly tragic aspect of his character is that he has this relationship, and it’s the most dynamic and mutually respectful he has out of every other character he interacts with in the show. This relationship with octopus-Tilda Swinton, Ambrosius, feels so organic because at his core, he believes that humans don’t get him, and I would even go so far as to say he believes this all makes him “subhuman”. He was the fish guy with freakish gills who thought the only way he could catch a date was by manipulating them or relying on his fame and connections. Despite the fact that HE’S in the Seven, he prattles on about how close he is to Homelander, implying that he never viewed his success as legitimate, especially when he has to hide the source of his abilities (his gills) from the world. Much like Noir, they both share aspects of their identity that Vought’s repulsed by, or at the very least resentful of. This may be why McDreamy Noir and him became as close as they did, and could be why Ashley felt so comfortable being verbally hostile to him; he’s so ashamed of who he is and what Compound V made him into he feels like he deserves it.

The Compound V itself gave him the ability to communicate with a world that goes unnoticed and unheard by everyone else. The most heartbreaking aspect of his character is that so many people could relate to his exact plight. When the V kicked in, he was a weird little boy who needed friends. For many of you reading this, that was in the form of internet friends, but in this world, little Kevin found fish, and was able to become part of their world.

Regardless of the origin of his character, his impulsiveness, simple mindedness, and blind devotion to Homelander borders on animalistic at times, this behavior mirroring a loyal pet subservient to a master. Once he fully embraces this role as a drone to his “owner”, he slays octopus-Tilda Swinton in a way symbolic to his own shunning of morality and conscience. His abilities tether him to nature, and yet he’s one of the most corrupt, industrialized men in the show. Any chance he has at redemption he squanders, which proves the point that it’s a fish eat fish ocean, and he understands he’s nowhere near the shark Homelander is.

Analyzing The Abilities of Characters From The Boys Pt. XIII

🧲Andre🧲

In loving memory of the incredible Chance Perdomo, thank you so much for giving us not one incredible, generational ally and hero, but two: Ambrose and Andre.

Andre, the son of essentially this world’s Magneto, has the identical ability to his father. They both possess the ability to manipulate magnetism, which expresses itself as mostly bending metal to their will. This is a perfect example of how genetic factors influence the way compound V manifests in subjects, much like Maverick with Translucent.

Andre’s interesting to me, mostly because he’s what holds the friend group together, almost like his magnetism works on them as well. He drew Marie in and placed her in their orbit. He encouraged Jordan to go out with her, and was quick to console Cate after Luke’s death. He was the group’s heart in a way, which matches well with his power.

Additionally, the fact that he’s constantly under the pressure of his father, Polaris, to be the best at everything he does insinuates that his power has a downside. We find out that overexertion of his power results in potentially fatal brain damage. The source of his strength is also the source of his weakness, and yet, Andre chooses to defend Marie regardless in the S1 finale.

Magnetism can attract, propel, and in Andre’s case, crush him under the weight of his father’s expectations, almost like his father’s magnetism was interacting with his own. He was constantly expected to be one thing or another. He should have been the hero, saving the day and getting the girl. He should have lived* to take down Homelander. He should have gotten to Cate sooner. All of this is to say that maybe all he had to be was the true hero he truly was: a friend.

*I’m well aware nothing has been confirmed for his character following Chance’s passing, but I doubt they would recast a role like his given them only really having one season left for his character. I can imagine they kill the character off in an offscreen jailbreak that would be implied to have taken place after the Gen V S1 finale, and the characters have to grapple with his loss and potential sacrifice, but I’m also talking out of my ass right now.*

God I love Lucy Gray.

First time at the seaside....