Did You Notice, Supersonic’s Death Was Made Obvious Even Before The Boys’ Season 3

Divesh Solanki
August 22, 2022

Although Supersonic’s demise may have surprised The Boys fans, warning flags existed even before season 3 began. The Boys previously revealed how Starlight had a teenage affair with another young superhero named Drummer Boy. Justin Timbersupe, now rebranded as Supersonic and performed by Miles Gaston Villanueva, is finally shown as an adult in Season 3. Supersonic, who replaced Stormfront in the Seven by winning a staged Vought TV talent contest, chats with Starlight during long days on filming, much to Hughie’s displeasure. Knowing she can rely on Supersonic, Starlight spills the alarming details about Homelander and even enlists her ex-boyfriend in the Boys’ cause.

Unfortunately for Annie, Supersonic makes the terrible error of thinking A-Train is just as deserving of faith. The Seven’s leader responds by brutally killing Supersonic in secret when the sick speedster promptly informs Homelander of the resistance. In The Boys, season 3, episode 5, when Hughie is watching television, he observes that Vought’s official, outward explanation for Supersonic’s unexpected death is a heroin overdose, with news stories attributing the tragedy to a relapse.

This cover story was brilliantly hinted at long before The Boys season 3 even debuted. In order to fill the gap between seasons, Amazon produced parody VNN newscasts on YouTube under the name “Seven on 7 with Cameron Coleman.” In the August 2021 episode, Miles Gaston Villanueva’s Supersonic was introduced. The bulletin banner across the bottom of the screen read “HANDSOME HERO BEATS ADDICTION” and a graphic implied Supersonic spent time recovering at Vought’s enigmatic Global Wellness Center. Coleman confirmed the hero formerly known as Drummer Boy had been “out of the spotlight for a while” and described the hero’s “rehab-ridden past.”

Viewers of The Boys season 3 alone could think that Supersonic’s addiction problems have appeared out of thin air. Others could even think Vought made up his substance abuse problems entirely. The “Seven on 7” episode from August deftly lays forth Supersonic’s tumultuous past and discreetly explains why Vought picked this specific justification to hide Homelander’s most recent killing. The fact that the public is already aware of Supersonic’s numerous relapses since his days as a teen idol makes the fake news story even more credible. Supersonic may have been sober in The Boys’ present day, but the public already knows about them.

The true intent behind Supersonic’s VNN segment is now crystal clear in retrospect. Many of the preview videos for The Boys season 3 have some direct connection to the main programme. Gunpowder’s fondness for the NRA was mentioned, Black Noir’s recovery was announced, Blue Hawk’s introduction hinted at his prejudices, etc. At first, bringing up Supersonic’s drug use in the season 3 conversation seemed to allude to a Starlight’s ex-storyline involving substance abuse. Naturally, it is now obvious that “Seven on 7” was actually laying the foundation for the character’s premature death.