Warning: The following article contains spoilers for The Boys Season 4, Episode 7, “The Insider.”
The Boys Season 4’s penultimate entry, “The Insider,” drops a big bombshell when Joe Kessler accuses Billy Butcher of being unfaithful to his late wife, Becca. But did Butcher really cheat on Becca at some point prior to the series?
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Billy Butcher Cheating on Becca, Explained
Kessler charges Butcher with infidelity early in The Boys Season 4, Episode 7, when the pair are arguing over Billy’s reluctance to unleash a Supe-killing virus. The gruff CIA case officer rattles through Butcher’s past and present Supe associates, dismissing Queen Maeve, Starlight, and Kimiko as potential reasons for Butcher going “soft.” This leaves only Ryan: Becca’s son with Homelander (who raped her years before The Boys Season 1). Kessler demands to know why Butcher is protecting a kid that’s not even his, and Billy replies that he gave Becca his word. “If your love was so perfect and pure, then why’d you f—k that waitress?” counters Kessler.
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It’s a shocking revelation – but is it true? Unfortunately, yes, Butcher really did cheat on Becca. How do we know? Well, for one thing, “Kessler” is a hallucination caused by Billy’s brain tumor, so the cheating accusation comes from his own subconscious. Besides, Butcher effectively admits being unfaithful when retorts that he quit drinking “the next day.” But that doesn’t stop Kessler from taunting Butcher further about letting Becca down. The thrust of his argument is that Billy didn’t honor Becca’s memory while she was alive, so there’s little point starting now. Yet Butcher ultimately resists, buying Ryan (and the wider Supe community) a bit more time.
Does Butcher Cheat on Becca in the Comics?
Nope, Butcher cheating on Becca is an invention of The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke and his team. In Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s The Boys comics, Butcher never strays. He does quit drinking because of Becca (Becky in the comics), however, that’s simply a by-product of Butcher cleaning up his act after they meet. That said, the tragedy that defines their relationship – Becca’s sexual assault and death – remains in place in the comics.
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But even then, there are notable differences. Becky dies giving birth to a baby Supe in the comics; in the show, this is a Vought cover story and Becca raises the child, Ryan, in secret. The comic books and Prime Video adaptation also diverge where Ryan’s father is concerned. While Homelander sexually assaulted Becca in the show, in the comics this was actually Black Noir masquerading as the leader of the Seven.
The Boys Season 4 is currently streaming on Prime Video, with new episodes dropping Thursdays.
