Arguably the entire point of The Boys is to mock superheroes in the most grisly and insulting ways possible, which includes shining a light on the fact that they, too, can be terrible people, and given that they’re super, they’d be the worst kind of terrible. However, The Boys’ parody of Iron Man actually stands out in that regard, making him The Boys most unique hero (by far).
The Boys’ version of Iron Man is named Tek Knight, who’s actually more of a cross between Batman and Iron Man, but who is easily more reminiscent of Tony Stark given his fully mechanical suit of armor (both in aesthetic and function). However, there’s one main difference between Iron Man and Tek Knight that’s a bit disturbing: Tek Knight has an uncontrollable desire to be sexually intimate with basically anyone or anything in front of him. It’s for this reason that he can’t have a sidekick, and doesn’t even work with other superheroes, because he knows how little control he has over his urges and doesn’t want to assault anyone as a result. And that, right there, is why Tek Knight is different from practically every other supe in The Boys universe: he’s actually a good guy.
Tek Knight Is One Of The Only Good Supes In The Boys
In The Boys #7-10 by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, Tek Knight is introduced and his story arc is told in its entirety. The issues go into how Tek Knight doesn’t have any superpowers (like his Iron Man and Batman Marvel/DC counterparts), but still wanted to be a hero in a world where only those with powers can seemingly make a difference. However, it was during his escapades with other heroes that he learned of his debilitating disease, and essentially had to retire as a result. The idea of a superhero with a sex addiction so intense that they can’t have a sidekick or work with other superheroes for fear of assaulting them (which he regrettably did to his own butler) is undeniably gross and deviant. However, the tragic truth of the situation was that Tek Knight’s urges came from a brain tumor, meaning he had absolutely no control over himself or the urges that plagued him.
Not only did Tek Knight suffer from a brain tumor that essentially turned him into an aggressive sex addict who’s unfit to even be around other people (a brain tumor readers eventually learn is terminal), but he actively fought to keep others around him safe from himself. When it became apparent that he couldn’t control himself, Tek Knight immediately separated himself from those around him, and went into isolation for their sake. Any other supe in The Boys would not have been that accommodating, as most other supes are regularly shown engaging in violent sex acts throughout the series with no remorse for the damage they cause as a result. Tek Knight physically can’t help his condition, but even still, he took full responsibility for it and implemented measures to keep those around him safe, proving that he’s actually a good person in a world filled with superheroes who are decidedly not.
It seems as though Tek Knight may be adapted in The Boys live-action series, and if that’s actually the case, then the truest depiction of his nature needs to be translated from the comics to the show, which is something that separates this Iron Man parody from practically every other supe in The Boys: Tek Knight is actually a good person.