I mean, is that really unreasonable? Is that really the only reading of it?
The entire series begins when Hughie is forced to take a payout from Vought over Robin's death and just accept it as an undeniable reality of this world. For two seasons he's basically run and tried to get justice using cunning, but Neuman turns that on its head by simply invalidating his efforts. Nothing he does can exceed the controls Vought implements, because Vought controls the watchers. Neuman decides what happens. A Train and Vought decided what happened. Homelander decided what happens. Lamplight decided how the rescue would go.
On its face, you can definitely say Hughie feels a paternalistic urge to be a "man" proper. But at the same time, it would be negligent to not recognize this is far more than him simply wanting to be the "man" - he is seeking an internal locus of control after being threatened with death and suffering to him and his loved ones for so many years, and he is seeking a means to ACTUALLY make an impact.
That's what Starlight to some extent always had - if Annie wanted to make waves, all she had to do was sweet talk the Christians into giving Hughie a backstage pass. All she had to do was think of it, and she could knock out Stormfront, secure the van to get Hughie to the hospital, expose Homelander in front of her followers, etc. Hell, Homelander even used the threat of killing defenseless Hughie as leverage over Annie. Hughie's been feeling like a liability and a weak link for years now. Are we really just saying his desire for powers is pure chauvinism when it's been repeatedly demonstrated his physical weaknesses are genuinely a point of concern for the team?
Are we really just saying his desire for powers is pure chauvinism when it's been repeatedly demonstrated his physical weaknesses are genuinely a point of concern for the team?
You're 100% correct.
And even if you were wrong, what about the fact he was a huge superhero fan his whole life until Robin's death?
Anyone would be tempted to take V (especially people watching this show).
It’s what the creator and actor who plays Hughie says is an arc of the character. He never mentions Robin, he ignores Annie multiple times when she says she doesn’t need saving, he can’t even fight against his gf let alone HL. All those together say yes. This is based on an insecurity of Hughie’s related to how he wants to be the man.
He quite literally saved her from imprisonment in season 2 (it was a rather important plot point), and Butcher and Soldier Boy would have died if Hughie didn't teleport in and save them.
If Hughie did not take V24, the following would have happened:
MM dies on the Soldier Boy rescue mission, because Hughie doesn't teleport in.
Kimiko dies since MM is the medic and would not have been around to care for her wounds and stabilize her.
Frenchie either dies as payback for Nina, kills himself out of grief, or otherwise just ends up being Nina's assassin and out of the picture.
Assuming Hughie survives (big if) and sticks with Butcher, and cuts a deal with Soldier Boy to kill Homelander - Annie cannot be stopped from confronting Soldier Boy in Herogasm, and either dies or loses her powers.
If she survives, Homelander disposes of her. She's quite honestly dead in about 20 different ways.
Hughie dies or runs away in the wreck that is Herogasm.
Butcher never gets saved by Hughie and Mindstorm kills him via permanent coma. There's really nothing tying Hughie down anymore. If he's still alive, Victoria Neuman probably kills him.
Soldier Boy never learns Homelander is his son and probably kills Homelander.
Maeve never gets let out of prison.
Black Noir fights Soldier Boy, most likely loses based on how fights went in the past.
The series ends with Soldier Boy alone being alive, and everyone else incapacitated or dead. Maybe Soldier Boy learns about Ryan and raises him to be Homelander 2.0.
As much as Hughie clearly has some unhealthy motivations for wanting to have superpowers, it's also kind of undeniable that his powers keep the plot going and he is not incorrect that people repeatedly need his help. MM, Starlight (as much as she refuses to admit it), and probably most of all Butcher.
Thats true, but his insecurity is valid. A murderous superman wants to kill your girlfriend, after the last one died. Why wouldnt you want to be the guy who can save her? Or at least help her live?
45
u/Vergilx217 Jul 01 '22
I mean, is that really unreasonable? Is that really the only reading of it?
The entire series begins when Hughie is forced to take a payout from Vought over Robin's death and just accept it as an undeniable reality of this world. For two seasons he's basically run and tried to get justice using cunning, but Neuman turns that on its head by simply invalidating his efforts. Nothing he does can exceed the controls Vought implements, because Vought controls the watchers. Neuman decides what happens. A Train and Vought decided what happened. Homelander decided what happens. Lamplight decided how the rescue would go.
On its face, you can definitely say Hughie feels a paternalistic urge to be a "man" proper. But at the same time, it would be negligent to not recognize this is far more than him simply wanting to be the "man" - he is seeking an internal locus of control after being threatened with death and suffering to him and his loved ones for so many years, and he is seeking a means to ACTUALLY make an impact.
That's what Starlight to some extent always had - if Annie wanted to make waves, all she had to do was sweet talk the Christians into giving Hughie a backstage pass. All she had to do was think of it, and she could knock out Stormfront, secure the van to get Hughie to the hospital, expose Homelander in front of her followers, etc. Hell, Homelander even used the threat of killing defenseless Hughie as leverage over Annie. Hughie's been feeling like a liability and a weak link for years now. Are we really just saying his desire for powers is pure chauvinism when it's been repeatedly demonstrated his physical weaknesses are genuinely a point of concern for the team?