Here is all we discover in “Barbary Coast” and what it all implies. The tragic reality behind Black Noir is revealed in The Boys season 3 and completely reframes the character. Vought’s Seven lineup has changed more since The Boys debuted in 2019 than Billy Butcher’s accent. However, A-Train, Deep, and Translucent all went and then returned—in different parts—while Homelander, Queen Maeve, and Starlight remained present throughout. But Black Noir provides the Seven with a steady presence. Black Noir is the epitome of “quiet but deadly”—a mysterious ninja with strength, agility, and durability.
Despite the fact that he serves as the Seven’s backbone, The Boys have given very little information regarding Black Noir’s past and identity. Season 2 made it clear that Noir was a Black man hiding behind the mask and also made a horrifying facial injury seem likely. Noir was surprisingly Vought’s most popular hero in the years prior to Homelander’s release, according to The Boys Presents: Diabolical. Black Noir actually assisted Homelander on his unstoppable path to success rather than being envious of Madelyn Stillwell’s patriotic newcomer, which explains why these two supers are so close in The Boys.
Aside from those meagre details, Black Noir has, up to this point, completely shrouded The Boys in mystery. The mystery behind Black Noir’s unknown past slowly comes to light as Billy Butcher pursues his Soldier Boy investigation. Not only are unanswered problems resolved, but Noir also develops into a much more tragic figure with each scene.
Black Noir Was A Member Of Soldier Boy’s Payback Team
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In the opening episode of The Boys season 3, Black Noir makes its debut appearance. Queen Maeve gives Butcher a stolen file about Payback. The central trio of the group—Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy, Laurie Holden’s Crimson Countess, and a young, gun-obsessed Gunpowder—can be seen in the picture, but standing second from the left is the recognisable, unassuming figure of pre-Seven Black Noir. The connection is then furthered by Butcher’s suggestion that Maeve investigate a little closer to home in Seven Tower for further information regarding Soldier Boy’s passing. Black Noir’s Payback history had already been hinted at by The Boys in promotional materials, but season 3 makes clear exactly when and how he joined.
Soldier Boy beats out his coworker in terms of which supe was the strongest. Black Noir is probably closer to Queen Maeve’s strength level, according to Butcher, whereas the wartime hero was virtually on par with Homelander. Whatever the case, Noir’s involvement in the Payback crew’s battle must have given him a significant fan base because, as seen in flashbacks, “Black Noir Dark Roast” coffee beans were popular in the 1980s (and used to smuggle cocaine into the US). Noir also discusses taking on a more “central role” in Payback in his talk with Stan Edgar, which reflects his rising star and how he’ll eventually surpass Soldier Boy as Vought’s top man.
Black Noir’s Age, Identity & Superhero Persona Explained
Age, identity, and superhero persona of Black Noir In The Boys’ present day, Black Noir is notorious for never speaking and never taking off his mask, but season 3’s Nicaragua flashback explains where those behaviours came from. Fritzy Klevans Destine as Black Noir Noir declares in private conversation with Stan Edgar that he wants to “remove the mask” and turn into a superhero with a face. His plea is categorically turned down because, according to Edgar’s market analysis, young boys love the “silent ninja” idea. Vought believed that revealing Noir’s true identity and speaking in public would harm Noir’s reputation. This scene demonstrates that Black Noir’s elusive persona was initially only a marketing gimmick.
The Boys season 3 then gives Black Noir’s past a considerably darker undertone by explaining that racism hindered his early heroic career. Even though silent ninjas may be very popular, Stan Edgar claims that in some parts of the USA in 1984, the idea of a Black guy joining America’s premier superhero team was a “non-starter.” Black Noir’s disguise was made to conceal the colour of his skin.
Underneath the mask, Noir appears to be a fairly typical suave with typical suave concerns, and Fritzy Klevans-Destine plays the part of Noir instead of Nathan Mitchell, as is customary. Ironically, Black Noir had a great sense of humour back in 1984 when he semi-joked to Edgar about how he wore his mask while hailing cabs, considering his horrible reputation in The Boys. Noir’s outgoing, chatty, somewhat comical nature is purposefully the complete opposite of his heroic identity.
We can roughly estimate Black Noir’s age now that The Boys have shown his face. Noir’s birth date isn’t specified in “Barbary Coast,” but he appears to be in his early to mid-20s and is already a well-known hero at this point. Noir would be in his 60s by the time The Boys season 3 opens because Payback’s Nicaragua mission took place in 1984. Naturally, compound-V subjects mature more slowly than people, so it’s feasible that Black Noir has existed for even longer.
Why Black Noir Wears A Mask & Never Talks In The Boys
Throughout The Boys seasons 1 and 2, two major concerns dogged Black Noir: why does he wear a mask, and why doesn’t he speak? “Barbary Coast” from The Boys season 3 delivers on both counts, and it’s all because of Payback’s egregious stupidity. As a test for supes enlisting in the US military, Payback was enlisted into Grace Mallory’s Nicaragua operation, but the experiment failed exactly as you might imagine. In spite of Stan Edgar’s explicit orders, Swatto insisted on spreading his insect wings, and the enemy soldiers were informed of Mallory’s camp’s position by the sight of a dressed imbecile floating over the trees. The Vought’s Payback team could have easily defeated these soldiers if they had been even the slightest bit helpful. Instead, Crimson Countess found it difficult to distinguish between allies and enemies, while Gunpowder became so enraged while holding a large pistol that he slaughtered anything that moved.
The entire camp was reduced to a fiery shambles by a potent combination of friendly fire and rockets, and Black Noir was caught up in the chaos. Noir’s left side of the face is entirely burned when Mallory finds him; the skin is bubbling hot, the left eye is dislodged from its socket, and enormous clumps of hair have been charred. The glimpse of a charred face viewers saw in The Boys season 2 is explained by these injuries. Noir, who is staring directly at Mallory, frantically tries to pick up his broken mask, giving away the fact that he will likely spend the next 40 years hiding his face to conceal the harm. Stan Edgar’s gloomy prophecy that Black Noir will one day be “begging” for his mask back would be fulfilled by the Boys’ Payback tragedy.
Audiences can also infer that this is how the superhuman lost his capacity to speak as Noir gurgles toward Mallory. A harsh irony exists in the fact that Black Noir was one of the two competent members of the Payback crew despite suffering significantly more injuries than his teammates (Soldier Boy himself being the other). Noir was seen using a sword to repel attackers during the assault, skillfully defending Stan Edgar from harm as the other supers utterly failed.
How The Boys Season 3 Explains Black Noir’s Personality
To fill in the gaps, it appears that Vought repaired Black Noir and prepared their man for a solo career following Payback, which he interpreted to be similar to Justin Timberlake’s after N*Sync. The Nicaragua flashback from The Boys’ third season might also help to explain why Noir is such a devoted soldier for Vought right now. Stan Edgar is obviously listening to the so-called “Silent Knight,” given their common past, which spans four decades. Perhaps Edgar even considered Black Noir to be his personal project, much like Madelyn Stillwell did with Homelander. Noir’s longstanding connection to Edgar, in either case, clearly explains why he never challenges commands and consistently obeys Vought’s directives with immaculate, clinical obedience.
Young Noir is only briefly featured in The Boys season 3, but he is portrayed as a more sensible, down-to-earth supe, in contrast to Soldier Boy, Homelander, and other egotistical or irresponsible characters like A-Train and Crimson Countess. That logical frame of mind may account for the fleeting acts of generosity Noir displayed in The Boys, like as giving a young child a cuddly toy during the Syria expedition. He’s still terrible, of course, but not nearly as terrible as the rest of them, and the flashback from season 3 gives additional background for why Black Noir’s moral compass points in the way that it does.
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