Homelander’s ability to grow his alt-right movement is a prominent theme in The Boys Season 4. He made it quite plain in Season 3 that after taking over Vought International, he intended to establish a nation centered on white and superhero supremacy. This is why Homelander hired Sister Sage for the Seven.

Homelander is looking for intelligent people to assist him in achieving his goals. Valorie Curry’s Firecracker is also an important part of the quest. While she may not have her full s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s, she is nevertheless a valuable weapon as Homelander attempts to prey on unsuspecting minds.

Why did Firecracker join Homelander in The Boys?

The Boys Season 4 finds Sage deciding she needs to improve Vought’s optics. She wants to keep using an integral weapon: the media. However, she needs someone to embody this cult of personality. Sage attends TruthCon and brings in a vlogger named Firecracker — a new character who wasn’t in the comics. Sage knows Firecracker isn’t a physical threat, as her ability to create flames from her hands is on the fritz. But Sage wants to use Firecracker’s beauty to keep riling men who espouse racist views, and pull them into buying Homelander’s fascist vision.

Sage admits she felt like she had no purpose, but this job is all she’s ever dreamed of. Even if it’s just a persona she puts on. She wants to make money, develop a following, and gain power and influence via the show Sage puts her on: Truthbomb. Her character speaks to so many media personalities on TV and online who don’t believe what they say on-air. But they monetize the pulse of the zeitgeist, capitalize and exploit people by spinning certain narratives. Once they establish lucrative careers and become famous, they see no problem with their actions.

The Vought propaganda machine is already in full-swing by appropriating A-Train’s story with the fake Coach Brink. Firecracker, however, is the kind of person Sage needs on a more serious front. She wants angry white men on the streets, defending Homelander for murdering a protester in cold blood, and ready to fight the social justice movement known as the Starlighters. As a Black woman, Sage isn’t that public face who can manipulate them. But once she uses Firecracker as a puppet and feeds her what to say, she’ll be able to produce skewed news and get more members over to Homelander’s reich.

Homelander has completely embraced his Nazi side. The deceased Stormfront advised him to improve his media presence. Firecracker will undoubtedly be extreme. She’s spouting off conspiracies and scandals, reminiscent of what transpired during and after the COVID-19 outbreak in America. It’s what creator Eric Kripke wants to employ to make art mirror life, resulting in some extremely uncomfortable moments as Firecracker broadcasts phony news on the show.

Why Does Firecracker Hate the Boys’ Starlight?

Firecracker leans into Erin Moriarty’s Starlight a lot. But it’s apparent she doesn’t just hate her for leaving the Seven. Firecracker has deep malice for Starlight’s civilian identity: Annie January. Fans would recall Annie being emotionally and physically abused by the Seven, and was made to do depraved acts against her will. Since her orientation, she wanted out. But the fear of Homelander was too much. Annie was stuck with the group after her indoctrination, but since then, she cut ties and has been outing secrets to paint Vought as an evil empire.

Firecracker admits to Annie in a confrontation that this is not just business. Firecracker has a personal and professional rivalry with the hero. It turns out, Annie bullied Firecracker at a beauty pageant when they were teenagers competing on the circuit. Annie lied and spread rumors that insinuated Firecracker was sleeping with a judge. It ruined Firecracker’s future and plunged her into a depression. Since then, she harbored hatred and hoped for a chance to strike back at Annie.

Firecracker has a point in that Annie is a hypocrite. Half of America treats Annie like an innocent sweetheart, but Firecracker has seen her vindictive side. She confesses Annie is a monster, so she has no right to smear Homelander’s name. This hits Annie hard. She knows she is responsible for this villainous origin story. But she was young, immature and didn’t understand life. Annie apologizes but Firecracker is far gone. She wants to show Annie isn’t a feminist. And she wants to crush the group Starlight has built. With all this information at hand, Firecracker is going to be weaponizing everything to taint Annie’s reputation.

Starlight doesn’t have much of a response. She’s scared, vulnerable and stricken with anxiety, sensing her past has come back to haunt her. Starlight has worked hard on her brand image and identity. Furthermore, she wouldn’t want the heart and soul ripped out of her movement. As fate would have it, Firecracker intends to do just that out of revenge. She also has eyes for Homelander, so it will be a win-win.

Firecracker Has Already Dealt the Boys a Major Blow

Firecracker’s lies have already caused damage. As the fourth season of The Boys begins with three episodes, she gathers proof to back up her charges.Firecracker’s team clashes with the Boys, which escalates into a bar mitzvah. It’s bloody and gory, which fits the show’s brutal character. Firecracker is also a capable opponent.She eventually films the scenario and escapes when Karl Urban’s Billy Butcher arrives to save the day. She understands the public relations game because being first in an America polarized by media friction means that the public will see this perception as the gospel that happened.

Firecracker claimed she had to bust a pedophile ring that included the Boys. As a bonus, she makes some anti-Semitic slurs, which she knows will please her boss. The boys depart, realizing they are losing the media fight. Firecracker’s webcast prompts a man to nearly shoot a children’s home where Annie works. Firecracker’s “truths” have spread like a virus, infecting and empowering white guys who believe they are saving the country. They support Homelander’s America-first approach, believing the children will suffer at the hands of the Starlighters.

The Boys lack the resources to combat this, even with the CIA’s support and the soon-to-be President, Robert Singer, on their squad. Firecracker may not be formidable in battle, but she is proving to be a capable and lethal symbol, and her poisonous ideologies are producing more villains by the minute with each view.