The Boys’ college supes spinoff Gen V starts class on September 29. There are a ton of new faces and potential foes among a group of superpowered young adults who are battling for a coveted spot in the Seven. Gen V will once again expand this wild universe where heroes are horrible and aligned with corporations. There’s a lot of questions about how The Boys’ current storylines will intertwine with this new slate of drama and what this series will set up next. And some fans are probably wondering if the Gen V spinoff series is based on The Boys’ comics. The answer is indeed yes. Gen V draws comic inspiration from The Boys‘ source material.
Which The Boys’ Comic Arcs Will Gen V Cover?
Gen V will loosely bring The Boys’ “We Gotta Go Now” comic arc to life. This arc is the seventh one in the comics’ original 72-issue run. Interestingly, this is also the name of The Boys comic’s fourth trade paperback collection as well as a season two episode of the TV series.
What Happens in The Boys’ ‘We Gotta Go Now’ Comic Arc?
The “We Gotta Go Now” story is relatively self-contained. It makes sense to draw from this short arc considering Gen V will open up potential for new avenues. In “We Gotta Go Now,” The Boys collective are investigating the G-Men, an obvious reference to Marvel’s X-Men. Some of Gen V‘s characters might be a play on X-Men members. For example, Gen V‘s superstar supe Golden Boy can light his entire body on fire similar to X-Men character Pyro.
The G-Men’s leader is John Godolkin, hence the name of Gen V’s Godolkin University. Right now, it’s not clear if the university is named directly after a live-action version character or if it’s just a clever comic nod/Easter egg. God U, as they call it, is similar to Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. Anyway, the “We Gotta Go Now” arc is full of some sick material, even by The Boys’ standards. John Godolkin kidnaps kids and injects them with Compound V. The ones who survive the chemical get an array of superpowers.
Based on its trailer, it seems Gen V will borrow from this idea. Marie and others realize that Godolkin University has some dark secrets, including experimentations and torture. What the show will hopefully leave behind in the comics is the rampant sexual abuse of minors and deaths by suicide to escape a life of slavery. Horrible. The comic ends with Godolkin and the G-Men’s eradication, thankfully.
The Boys TV show has done a great job of taking the stronger elements of the comics and building on them. Gen V will likely follow suit, even though it is based on a disturbing comics stuff from The Boys origin material.