The following contains mentions of sexual assault. Also be advised that spoilers forThe Boysseason 4, episode 6 await below.
Summary
OneThe Boyscharacter never received justice in Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s original comic books, but Amazon’s TV version has finally put that right. After debuting in spinoff seriesGen V,Tek Knight’s story continues intoThe Boysseason 4with aplomb. Played by Derek Wilson, the Batman parody takes center stage as the host of a prestigious party in “Dirty Business,” imprisoning Hughie in his Tek Cave and threatening all manner of unspeakable atrocities. Despite Hughie, Starlight, Kimiko, and even formerThe Boyssidekick Laddioall bearing a grudge against Tek Knight, the villain’s ultimate fate comes via a character no one suspected.
Seemingly out of nowhere, it’s Tek Knight’s mild-mannered butler, Elijah, that kills his employer. Elijah explains that after years of begrudgingly tolerating Tek Knight’s less-than-pleasant habits, his charge’s involvement inHomelander and Sister Sage’s planis the final straw. Despite this justification, Elijah snapping so violently still comes as a surprise. The butler does, after all, mirror DC’s Alfred Pennyworth in terms of becoming Tek Knight’s surrogate parent after his parents died. Curiously, a more detailed motivation for Elijah to kill Tek Knight can be found inThe Boys' comic books.
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Tek Knight’s Butler Gets His Revenge In The Boys Season 4
Thomas Couldn’t, But Elijah Would
Just like his Amazon counterpart, the comic book Tek Knight developed a dangerous obsession with penetrating holes of any and all kinds, and this extended to the left ear of his butler, named Thomas in the source material. Despite damaging Thomas' ear during the assault, Tek Knight - like most heroes who cause innocent civilians harm inThe Boys- never faced the appropriate repercussions for such a heinous act. Elijah squeezing the breath fromTek Knight inThe Boysseason 4feels included partially in tribute to Thomas, with the butler finally getting revenge after years of suffering.
There is no suggestion inThe Boysseason 4’s “Dirty Business” that Tek Knight performed a similar assault upon Elijah. The live-action butler certainly shows no signs of the hearing loss one would expect after such an incident. Regardless, there is a sense that both Elijah and Thomas endured the inevitable hardships that come from looking after a man who can’t be left alone with a bagel. The latter never received his “just desserts” moment, butThe Boysseason 4 goes some way toward rectifying that by affording Elijah the cathartic outburst of frustration and rage Thomas was denied.
How Tek Knight Dies In The Boys' Comic Books
Tek Knight Gets An Even Less Auspicious Exit In The Comics
While it isn’t by his butler’s hand,Tek Knight does still die in Garth Ennis’The Boyscomic story. The comic Tek Knight’s tumor-fueled delusions trick him into believing an asteroid is approaching Earth, and that by inserting himself into the rock’s giant hole, he can destroy it to save the world with a grand, thrusting sacrifice. Tek Knight dies a hero in his own mind, but in reality, his death actually comes when he collides with a stray wheelbarrow.
It does feel infinitely more appropriate that Tek Knight’s demise is brought about not by dumb luck, but by one of his victims.
The somewhat underwhelming nature of Tek Knight’s death in the comic books mirrors the live-action Tek Knight’s death inThe Boysseason 4. After inheriting a prison empire, becoming a celebrity, hosting grand parties, and repeatedly getting away with criminal acts, Tek Knight’s life ends when he’s strapped to his own apparatus and killed by the man he thought would never fight back. It does, however, feel infinitely more appropriate that Tek Knight’s demise is brought about not by dumb luck, but by one of his victims.
July 18
The Boys
The Boys is a gritty and subversive take on the superhero genre, focusing on a group of vigilantes who confront powerful superheroes abusing their abilities, exploring themes of corruption and moral ambiguity in a world where heroes are not always what they seem.
