Neither Black Noir Has V-One in ‘The Boys’ — What This Means for Season 5

With ‘The Boys’ final season escalating into a fierce battle over a pivotal substance, fans are closely examining every supe involved. The enigmatic Black Noir has always been a character shrouded in mystery, leading to the question of whether he possesses V-One in his system. The answer, for both iterations of the character, is a clear no.

To understand this, we need to delve into the history of Vought’s serum and the crucial difference between V-One and standard Compound V. V-One was developed by geneticist Frederick Vought, intended to create a legion of superhumans, but it was only successfully given to a select few early supes, including Liberty, Soldier Boy, Bombsight, Torpedo, and Private Angel. Black Noir does not appear on that list.

The original Black Noir, the brain-damaged Earving who met his end at Homelander’s hands in season three, never had access to V-One. Born in the early 1960s, Earving was subjected to Compound V experiments by Vought International, then known as Vought American, and began exhibiting his powers by age nine. This timeline places his origin after Vought had already transitioned away from the volatile original formula.

Vought discontinued V-One in the 1950s, opting for the more stable yet less potent Compound V for mass production. Earving was created about a decade after this change, meaning the serum in his veins was always the standard modern version. His impressive abilities, including superhuman strength and a remarkable healing factor, did not come with the durability benefits that V-One offers.

In the series, the original Black Noir is portrayed as an ordinary man enhanced with Compound V, granting him superhuman strength, regenerative healing, and a stealthy ninja persona, with his only vulnerability being a tree nut allergy. This weakness indicates he was not on a different molecular level than Vought’s current roster.

The new Black Noir, played by Justin, is similarly disconnected from V-One. Born in the late 1980s, his parents accepted Vought’s offer to inject him with Compound V shortly after his birth, transforming him into a supe with standard powers and abilities.

In season five, Black Noir II is utilized as a tool in the quest for V-One rather than possessing it himself. He, along with the Deep, Cindy, and DogKnott, is tasked by Homelander to track down Stan Edgar to uncover more about V-One, the original version of Compound V that grants immortality and immunity to the Boys’ Supe-killing virus. His role in this mission is purely operational; he is searching for the formula, not carrying it.

The Boys learn that Soldier Boy survived the Supe-killing virus thanks to V-One, a formula reported to be ten times more potent than the one used for today’s supes. In contrast, Homelander is not so fortunate, as V-One is absent from his bloodstream. This exclusivity is a crucial element of the season’s tension, and Black Noir II finds himself aligned with Homelander on this issue.

The confirmed V-One bloodline is a short and specific list, reshaping the series’ endgame. Known successful subjects of V-One include Stormfront, Soldier Boy, Bombsight, Torpedo, and Private Angel, who are set to appear in the upcoming spinoff ‘Vought Rising’. Their immunity to the Supe virus makes these characters particularly dangerous and sought after in the final season.

Due to its unique molecular structure, V-One seems incompatible with the Supe Virus, which is designed to bind to specific receptors found in modern Compound V that V-One lacks. This means individuals with V-One show heightened resistance but not complete immunity to the virus. This biological distinction separates the old guard from every supe created afterward, placing Black Noir firmly on the modern side.

Bombsight is emerging as a significant wild card connected to V-One in the latter half of the season. He currently possesses the only known surviving samples of V-One, and both the Boys and Homelander are racing to find him, making him a potential deciding factor in the conflict. With Black Noir II revealed to be merely method acting and carrying only regular Compound V, his role as Homelander’s enforcer is clear, while the real power struggle unfolds elsewhere.

Season five’s episode four confirmed that Black Noir II has committed to method acting by remaining silent, with the character admitting to the Deep how challenging it has been to suppress his most powerful tool as a performer. This character development effectively dispels any clone theories while leaving the V-One storyline open for someone else to advance it. With so much at stake regarding who controls the original formula in these final episodes, one must wonder: is ‘The Boys’ setting up a scenario where Homelander could potentially acquire V-One before the Boys can intervene?