The Boys Season 4 finally fleshed out A-Train’s story with a complete turnabout and redemption arc. Vought reveals how it’s covering up the treason as it hunts down the defector.
Jessie T. Usher’s A-Train has one of the most tragic arcs in The Boys. Season 1 revealed the character’s addiction to Compound V and his futile attempts to be worthy of the Seven. Subsequent seasons offered a glimpse of his backstory outside Vought, which has depicted him as a faultless superhero from the start. A-Train’s family and community know him as Reggie Franklin, however, and his string of selfless acts eventually remind him of his worth. This leads to his reconciliation with Hughie and Butcher’s crew, who enlist his help to topple Vought. It all comes to a head in the Season 4 finale when A-Train is outed as a traitor; Vought releases its PSA on X while the Seven deals with the miscreant.
The Boys‘ in-universe X account for Vought International reveals a familiar spin to A-Train’s absence. “Today, Vought can confirm A-Train is being deployed overseas effective immediately,” it wrote on the post. “We have to keep all details confidential, both for his safety and the safety of the free world. Let’s wish him good luck and especially, God speed!” An accompanying photo says A-Train has embarked on a top-secret undercover mission, effectively sweeping the situation under the rug. This is likely a short-term fix, however, once A-Train resurfaces to reveal his new allegiance. The Boys hints he would have a key part in the escalating events of Season 5.
Vought Always Protected The Seven’s Public Image
The spin on A-Train’s absence is just one of Vought’s many cover-ups. Butcher’s crew captured Translucent in Season 1; he almost escaped if Hughie hadn’t wisened up and 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed him with an implanted bomb. Season 2’s premiere episode saw Homelander giving a eulogy for Translucent during a public funeral. The supe had a hero’s send-off, and Vought’s official statement was El Diablo 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed Translucent while undercover in the cartel. Black Noir’s death by Homelander was also masterfully obfuscated; Vought recast Black Noir and kept his place in the Seven. Actor Nathan Mitchell played both versions of Black Noir, who finally had speaking parts unmasked in Season 4.
The Boys‘ showrunner Eric Kripke promises an explosive series finale in Season 5. This picks up from the cliffhanger of Homelander calling on all supes to converge and defend the U.S. Capitol. A-Train goes in hiding and Butcher’s crew disperse, leaving their individual arcs a mystery. Kripke warned “There will probably be lots of death,” hinting even Butcher’s crew is not safe. “There’s no guarantee of who’s gonna survive because we don’t have to keep them for another season, so you can have really shocking, big things happen all the time,” he told Total Film. “And so, as the writers, as we’re starting to cook it up, we’re really enjoying that.”