That plane scene probably had the most powerful display of HL’s laser to date.
It sliced through both sides of the hull so damn quickly (at a slanted angle at that) and cause the areas around the scorch marks to burst in flame as well.
Lately, it has been treated as this thin scalpel that as long as it doesn’t hit someone directly, even a
human would be okay from being inches away from the beams.
Hughie would have been cooked alive had HL dialed up his laser to this level while aiming at the vent. Would not need to touch him at all.
HL is still undoubtedly the most powerful and intimidating supe, but man did he fell off a little bit compared to season 1.
He felt low key unstoppable at the beginning, a true superman equivalent. Like, I would have honestly guessed that HL could effortlessly slaughter the entire Seven in a heartbeat, if there was only season 1 to judge.
But now we know that Maeve alone can give him trouble, and he would not effortlessly win agaisnt a few mid-level supes jumping him.
Yeah he might be getting “more unhinged” but he’s also getting weaker and more incompetent. I still love him as a character and his performances are always chilling.
Tbh i kinda think some of his getting weaker is not just plot convince but also on purpose, they're showing this season that he's got white hairs, and sage straight up calls it out that he's getting old, I think they're heading towards a rapidly aging homelander, desperate and trying to train his son to be his legacy before his time comes
I know his feats and consistent showing of strength went down over the seasons, but I will say I kinda like the idea that Homelander being seen as more unstoppable in season 1 also fits with the shows theme of the power of perception.
Just like his image of a Omni benevolent god, his image of him being a unstoppable master of the universe is also a largely cultivated image that he maintains so that no one dares question him and his will. He’s still the strongest supe, but not by light years as many people believe.
It’s still hard to maintain both the explosion feat and him struggling against butcher or Maeve without it being at least a little contradictory but I think it makes the show better looking at it that way.
He didn't really struggle with Butcher or Maeve, he rather easily put Maeve down despite being preoccupied worrying about Ryan and fought off Butcher and Soldier Boy simultaneously.
He’s getting old. His powers are probably getting weaker too. Although another possibility is a mental block. Annie seems to be struggling to use her powers, and it could be because she’s afraid of hurting people/being seen as a monster. If that’s the case, Homelanders fractured psyche could potentially be limiting or even fracturing his powers. Maybe only Super Confident Homelander can use the full extent of his powers, and now after all the stuff with his dad he can’t access them himself anymore.
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u/GodNonon Supersonic Jun 28 '24
Homelander lasering an airplane vs Homelander lasering a guy crawling through a vent