Superhero of the Year

Homelander

The controversial captain of The Seven sits down to talk truth, justice, and political violence.

he view from the boardroom window high above Manhattan on the 99th floor of Vought Tower is astounding. Squinting, I can just make out the ant-sized people scurrying across the concrete labyrinth below. On most days, watching over them all from this very room is The Seven—the illustrious team of superheroes (Supes, as we mortals call them) assembled by the billion-dollar conglomerate Vought International. But today the room is empty as I await the arrival of their leader: Homelander.

Almost on cue, he comes streaming through the giant sliding doors that lead in from the hallway. He looks just like he does on TV: Perfectly coiffed blonde hair. A form-fitting navy blue bodysuit that accentuates all the right parts. And of course, a flowing star-spangled cape. The symbolism isn’t lost on me: He’s literally carrying America on his back.

Life for Homelander has been tumultuous to say the least. His tactics have been scrutinized by the FBSA, the Federal Bureau of Superhuman Affairs. He’s dodged criticism from the media for his brash behavior. And then there are his superhero ex-girlfriends. Tensions recently escalated with Starlight when one of her supporters attacked Homelander’s young son in Vought Square (to which Homelander responded by blasting the man’s head open with his eye lasers).

But despite all the controversy, Homelander remains downright un-cancelable, which is a testimony to his popularity. With his army of diehard fanatics and his vocal participation in America’s culture wars—love him or hate him—there’s no denying he’s the most important superhero in the world. And judging by the self-assured look on his face as we sit down to begin our conversation, he knows it.

First off, congratulations on being named the TIME Superhero of the Year! How does it feel to receive such a prestigious honor?

Don’t get me wrong, you’ve got a great magazine. Of course I’m honored, but accolades like this … Let’s just say they aren’t what gets me out of bed in the morning. Think about it—if I don’t save people, who will? Without me, the world would burn. Literally. Fire and blood.

Being such a tremendously influential person, what is it you hope people will take away from this honor? What do you hope to inspire in people’s hearts and minds?

A little respect would be nice. You know, with all the hate and discrimination and just … completely baseless legal accusations being thrown at superheroes lately, I hope this makes people stop and think about all of the sacrifices we make for them. And maybe they’ll be inspired to be heroes in their own small ways.

As such a prominent individual, how do you see yourself in human history? How do you hope to be remembered by future generations?

That makes it sound like I’m past my prime. The achievements I want to be remembered for … they haven’t even happened yet.

But I’ve gotta say, it’s hard to imagine your legacy when so many people are spewing lies about you. It helps to keep in mind what Jesus, Gandhi, and Dr. King went through, how unappreciated they were during their time. How … angry they must have felt. But look at ‘em now; they’re legends.

What do you like to do for fun? How does America’s greatest superhero decompress? Or does he even get days off?

Terrorists and bank robbers don’t take days off, so why should I? But I do make time for my son Ryan. Being a father has changed my priorities so profoundly. We have this tradition where we fly to the Bronx together to watch a baseball game, and on the way home, we drop by Coney Island for those incredible hotdogs—pure Americana. I’m also a sucker for a creamy, delicious milkshake. But I also get a real kick out of playing Vought Tournament of Heroes with Ryan.

Which hero do you play as?

Why would I want to be anyone but myself?

You mentioned your son Ryan whom you recently revealed to the public. He also happens to be the first natural-born superhero. What do you hope to see for him?

Well, I certainly hope to leave the world a better place for him than I found it. A cleaner place. You asked about legacy—Ryan is my legacy. One day—ages from now—people will have to look to him for salvation instead of me. You could say he’s my gift to the world. Like in the Bible, God gave us his only son, too. So I’m teaching him everything I can, but he’ll also have to blaze his own path. Can’t ride my cape his whole life.

Between the death of Queen Maeve, Stormfront turning out to be a Nazi, and your very public breakup with Starlight, you’ve certainly loved and lost a lot in your life. What has heartbreak taught you? And do you think you’ll ever date another co-worker again?

I’ve had my share of heartbreak, and it did teach me something about myself—my greatest flaw is that I’m too trusting. And it’s cost me, dearly. But they say the strongest muscle in the human body is the heart. Even when you’re as strong as I am.

Is that true? I’ve heard it’s the muscles in your jaw.

You should check your sources on that. Either way, my heart is resilient. I’m not giving up on finding a lovely woman deserving of my trust.

How do you feel about the possibility of Victoria Neuman being the next Vice President, given that she ran the FBSA and has built her career on holding superheroes accountable? Are you concerned about the possibility of her having such a prominent new position in government, with even more power?

Well, look, Victoria’s a friend. We have a very special relationship. Nothing romantic, though I’ve seen the way her daughter’s heart skips a beat when she looks at Ryan … [chuckles] He’s going to kill me for saying that. And frankly he could do better.

But yes, I have concerns. On Victoria’s watch, the FBSA unfairly persecuted a lot of decent, hardworking superheroes. Take Ezekiel. God-loving Christian. True patriot. But a few anonymous “whistleblowers” make up some [expletive] and his life is ruined. And for the record, I’ve been to his island and saw no evidence of a “cuck humiliation dungeon.”

Anyway. Victoria claims she and [presidential candidate Robert] Singer want to create a new position in government to give superheroes “a seat at the table.” Which is honestly the worst kind of tokenism. We deserve more than a seat—if anyone’s going to pass laws regulating superheroes, shouldn’t it be a superhero?

You think you should regulate yourselves?

Who is better qualified? Look, I’ve supported every presidential administration since I joined The Seven. A Singer-Neuman Administration isn’t going to change that, whatever our differences of opinion. Victoria's a smart girl. It would blow my mind if she didn’t do the right thing in the end.

Recently, there’s been a backlash from many superheroes, as well as your supporters, the Hometeamer movement, against so-called “Critical Supe Theory” and the “Defund the Supes” movement. How do you respond to all of this?

You know, I’m glad you brought that up because it’s a very terrible thing that’s happening in our country. Some really ungrateful people are promoting these hateful ideas because they want to tear their heroes down, and you should be asking yourself why. What kind of person benefits from a world without superheroes? Without order … and justice. That’s why the woke mob, the Starlighters, are so insidious; they’re trying to tear our house down from the inside.

On the subject of the Hometeamer movement, there have been reports of your supporters behaving violently across the country, especially towards Starlighters. Do you condemn such violence? And will you state now, categorically, that political violence is wrong and your supporters should refrain from it?

First of all, there’s no evidence that any of the violence was committed by my supporters, who are very fine people. How do we know they weren’t false-flag attacks by Starlighters, or even deep-state FBSA agents?

Something your readers might not know about me is that I’m a bit of a historical scholar. Our nation was born from a violent uprising. The only reason the King’s face isn’t on our money is because of heroes like George Washington, who said that the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of patriots and tyrants. [editor’s note: Homelander was referring to the quote by Thomas Jefferson] My point is—if the only tool you leave a patriot is violence, you can’t be surprised when they use it.

But to answer your question, political violence is abhorrent, and I would never support it.

Now for some tougher questions. Of course, we have to address the elephant in the room. After you killed a civilian in Vought Square, the public outcry has been loud and critical. We want to give you a chance to address this, in your own words.

I’m happy to answer your questions. Except that one. My attorneys have advised me not to comment.

But I do have to say, I take issue with the term “civilian.” Civilians don’t attack children. And a lot of people are saying that thug was an Antifa pedophile. [Homelander pauses] Do you have children?

Me? No.

So you have no idea what it means to protect your family. But the American people, they know. I get the most beautiful letters from people, thanking me—praising me—for what I did.

After the bombshell news in recent years that superheroes aren’t born naturally as a miracle of God but are made using Compound V, a chemical produced by Vought International, do you feel this has diminished the mystique of superheroes in any way?

These are some nasty questions, TIME Magazine.

You don’t have to—

No, listen, you asked and I’m going to answer. Why should it diminish superheroes? Is a baby born from a test tube any less of a miracle? Of course not. God’s hand was at work when all of us were made—even you. His hand just lingered a little longer over some of us.

Regardless of where superheroes come from, your public approval among your supporters has never been higher. What is it about Homelander that appeals to the everyday American?

It’s simple, really. They know I love them. I understand them, I know what they really want and what’s in their hearts, and I can help them get it. I can speak truth to power in a way that they can’t. And no, I’m not one of them. I’m better. And I’m not ashamed to say it. It’s good to have someone to look up to.

Who do you look up to?

Somebody’s gotta be above it all, looking down. Watching over everyone.

What’s next for superheroes this year? What’s your vision for Vought as a company going forward?

A lot of people don’t know that my sense of smell is as finely attuned as my vision. Which is how I know you showered with Black Noir Deep Exfoliating Body Wash this morning, and brushed your teeth with Brave Maeve Mango Mint Toothpaste. My point is: We make the products Americans use every day, and that isn’t going to change.

But we can do a lot more. Thinking about a company, even one as big and hugely successful as Vought, as just a means to make money, it’s … reductive. We should be involved in every aspect of public and private life. We should be everywhere. Victoria Neuman wants to give us a seat at the table, I say why stop there? Maybe one day, we’ll even have a superhero in the White House.

Are Americans ready to vote for a superhero?

America desperately needs strong leadership. If people’s prejudices get in the way of that… then our founding fathers’ great democratic experiment has failed. Maybe it’s time to try something new.

See what’s in store for Homelander in the fourth season of The Boys, streaming now exclusively on Prime Video.