Billy Butcher and The Boys have their work cut out for them. The supes they battle are inarguably physically superior. Even the weakest among them appear immune to traditional violence. As if that weren’t enough, supes are backed by one of the most financially successful corporate entities in the United States. Compound V gives the supes their physical abilities, but Stan Edgar gives them true power.
The supes in The Boys are horrible, but they’re ultimately a symptom of a pervasive societal rot. Where Homelander is Darth Vader, Stan Edgar is The Emperor. Vought is the Empire, and capitalism is the Dark Side of the Force. The Seven and the lesser supes surrounding them are exceptionally wealthy, beloved celebrities who can only get away with their horrible actions with the help of a global megacorporation and the system that enables it.
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Stan Edgar’s role at Vought
Stanford Edgar was the CEO of Vought International for many years. He was a notable executive in the company in 1984 when he gave Payback clearance to dispose of Soldier Boy. Edgar preferred to operate from the shadows, keeping himself away from the public eye while enacting policy and cleaning up trouble. He sees his job as no different from any other corporate overlord. Edgar seems to despise most of the supes under his command. He’ll use an obedient employee like Black Noir to enact his will or bury secrets, but he views the “talent” of the Seven as a means to an end. He spends most of his screen time arguing with Homelander. Edgar summed up his relationship with the supes best when he said:
You are under a misconception that we are a superhero company. We are not. What we are, really, is a pharmaceutical company. And you are not our most valuable asset. That would be our confidential formula for Compound V.
Edgar appears in the first season but isn’t the show’s central Vought representative until season 2. Madelyn Stillwell, Vought’s VP of Hero Management, is the first season’s secondary antagonist. Stan Edgar pops up at a corporate party, where he offers Stillwell a promotion shortly before Homelander murders her. After Stillwell dies, Edgar exits the shadows to make more public decisions. He continues Stillwell’s project to shift supes into the military, whether by selling enhanced individuals to the US Army or pumping Compound V into soldiers. Narratively, Edgar is a force multiplier that forces Homelander and Butcher to change their behavior. By season 3, Edgar is openly attempting to cut supes out of the arrangement in favor of V24 and other chemicals. His adopted daughter, Victoria Neuman, keeps him in control of the Federal Bureau of Superhuman Affairs, which should be keeping him in check. While his relationship with Homelander grows worse, he seems set to advance the company beyond the supes and to a new realm of military-industrial success.
Stan Edgar in The Boys comics
Stan Edgar never appears in The Boys comics. He’s mentioned several times, but he dies of a heart attack early in the series. The version of the character that appears in the Amazon Prime Video show is inspired by James Stillwell, Madelyn’s gender-swapped counterpart. Like Edgar, Stillwell prefers to work in the shadow without public awareness. Stillwell is Edgar’s assistant in the early issues of the comic. After Edgar dies, Stillwell selects another executive to take his place while he dictates policy. Stillwell bickers with Homelander, nearly dying at the supe’s hands. His story ends when he loses his mind after discovering a flaw in Compound V.
What happens to Stan Edgar?
Stan Edgar’s downfall came at the end of season 3. After surviving and carefully engineering countless scandals, his adopted daughter turned him in. Victoria Neuman grew up in Red River, an orphanage for supes who killed their parents. Edgar picked her up at 12, made her record disappear, gave her a new name, and set her on a path to political success. Neuman became a savvy manipulator and clever bureaucrat. She remained loyal to Edgar for most of her career but betrayed his trust near the end of the most recent season. Edgar orders Neuman to slap Homelander with a few fines and condemn his actions. She quietly secures a deal with Homelander and sells Edgar out. She paints Homelander as a brave whistleblower and Stan as a criminal, prompting Vought to fire their longtime CEO. Vought’s in-universe Twitter account later noted that authorities found classified documents hidden in his vacation home, a joke about Donald Trump’s similar legal issue.
Stan Edgar isn’t likely to disappear from the series. He may appear in jail or turn against his employers, but the fact that he’s left alive implies future potential. Edgar could be an asset to the forces fighting Vought, turning his decades of knowledge into a weapon. In his exit, he warns Homelander that he’ll miss having someone to cover for him. With the mounting risk of Homelander dropping the facade, giving up on being loved, and becoming a worldwide threat, Stan’s new place in the franchise could be critical.
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