Daddy is Home; Homelander
Spoilers Ahead Proceed with caution
So i recently started watching The Boys a 2019 series movie that shows what superheros would really be like if they existed unlike Marvel and DC movies with unrealistic depiction of the selfless heroes. The boys depicts a world where super heroes and average humans coexist whilst the superheros are praised and worshiped like idols and looked unto. But the twist here is that we see that this so called heroes are human beings and have their own shortcomings and are not perfect beings, they lie,cheat,steal abusing their powers for their own desires.
And one the main icons or lead character in this movie is homelander the most powerful superhero portrayed in the movie. Homelander is an odd sheep of the group, now one thing to note in the boys universe is that superpowers are not God gifted or caused by some kind of mutations, they are chemically produced in labs and injected to human subjects in labs.
So homelander is one raised in labs isolated from human interaction raised without real parents and real family connection. So through out the series we the viewer are taken along to watch how Homelander the beloved iconic figure reacts to certain situations.
And here we are introduced to homelander’s relationship with the vought CEO
Madelyn Stillwell not to drag things any longer, we see some weird mother son like interaction with homelander and Madelyn and some weird scenes too.
Sigmund Freud moment intensifies So what is happening here? As i said before Homelander is a lab rat does not know what having a feminine role model or a masculine role model is, so most of the time we see homelander get overprotective towards Madelyn, getting pissed at her, following her leads… So on and so on. So Madelyn being the iconic representation of a mother for homelander let’s him be as he wants.
And this is where we see the father figure come in. Stan Edgar so after the death of Madelyn (if you want to know how she died just watch the movie) Stan Edgar came in as a replacement to Madelyn and shows Homelander what the feeling of having a male leading figure in the house is like, he does not let homelander do as he wishes does not succumb to his wishes.
He straightened him up, as a consequence to this we see homelander getting harsh with his son, trying to be the masculine figure that his son can look up to and respect him as well and follow in the footsteps which he lays for him as Stan did when he came to power
So what i am trying to say here is i smell Oedipus Complex Oedipus Complex
One of the most prominent Freudian concepts in Homelander’s character is the Oedipus complex. The Oedipus complex is a psychosexual stage of development in which a child experiences unconscious sexual attraction to the opposite-sex parent and rivalry with the same-sex parent. Homelander exhibits a number of signs of an unresolved Oedipus complex, including:
- Intense jealousy of his father, Soldier Boy, who is also a superhero. and also Stan who put him in line an icon of father figure
- Sexual attraction to his mother, Madelyn Stillwell, who is the CEO of Vought International, the company that created Homelander.
- A need to be the most powerful and worshipped person in the world.
Homelander is also a deeply narcissistic individual. Narcissism is a personality disorder characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy for others. Homelander believes that he is better than everyone else and that he deserves to be worshipped. He is also incapable of feeling empathy for others, even when they are suffering.
And that is because obviously he was a lab rat dude was grown isolated in a lab. Does not know what true genuine human connection is.
Homelander’s narcissism and unresolved Oedipus complex lead him to develop a number of defense mechanisms. Defense mechanisms are unconscious strategies that people use to protect themselves from anxiety and guilt. Homelander’s defense mechanisms include:
- Projection: He projects his own negative qualities onto others, seeing them as evil or inferior.
- Splitting: He sees people in black and white terms, as either good or bad
- Denial: He denies his own weaknesses and shortcomings. We can see this when starlight was pushed up the ladder to become cocaptain along side him. Even though he did not like the decision it was forced upon him by Stan, he knows he is not able to do anything to Stan so he reinforces his authority and power on A-train(when a A-train told him “fuck you”, you’ll get the whole point if you watched the movie)
Homelander’s character is a complex and fascinating case study in Freudian psychology. He exhibits a number of key concepts from Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis, including the Oedipus complex, narcissism, and defense mechanisms. Homelander’s mental state is deeply disturbed, and his behavior is often unpredictable and dangerous.
In addition to the above, it is also worth noting that Homelander’s upbringing played a significant role in shaping his personality being raised as a lab rat and lacking proper human interaction and a family.
And this is where the boys stand out it shows us that most seemingly perfect people can have dark and hidden secrets.
Resources
- How to Identify and Handle a Narcissist
- Oedipus complex
- Oedipus Complex: Sigmund Freud Mother Theory