Revealing the Truth 231.
That was the username of the poster.
He shared his story across multiple social media platforms.
"I'm just an ordinary resident of Gran Street. The authorities claim what happened here was a gas explosion, but I know that's complete nonsense!"
"The whole street was left in ruins—not because of some gas leak, but because a superpowered criminal was wreaking havoc!"
"Then Homelander showed up and took that criminal out on the spot!"
"I saw it with my own eyes—from my balcony! I witnessed his terrifying actions! He punched straight through the criminal's body!"
"It looked exactly like the way he acts in the show—bloody and horrifying! And yet he himself acted like it was nothing!"
"Brothers and sisters, believe me—this is a conspiracy! Homelander may have already seized control of Congress! He could be controlling every conglomerate in this country!"
[Revealing the Truth 231] spoke with fiery conviction.
As if he were the only clear-headed person in the world, he tried to wake people up through his posts, urging them to see Herman's true nature.
Herman, who had been keeping an eye on the show's reception, spotted the post immediately.
He couldn't help but laugh.
Gran Street.
That was the very place where those enhanced humans had appeared.
Herman hadn't expected that his little display of heroics would actually leave behind a witness—one who hadn't been found by S.H.I.E.L.D., silenced, or brainwashed.
How [Revealing the Truth 231] slipped past S.H.I.E.L.D.'s net was a mystery. Normally, they didn't make mistakes in matters like this.
Still, Herman wasn't worried about people learning he was "powered." With the Marvel curtain lifting, superpowered beings would only become more common.
"But I'd rather not have people think I'm some cruel monster."
He definitely didn't want labels like "pervert," "milk freak," or "old lady chaser" sticking to him. He quickly scrolled through all of [Revealing the Truth 231]'s posts.
Fortunately, almost no one online believed the accusations. Most people thought [Revealing the Truth 231] was just joking around.
"Pretty funny—taking a TV plot and pretending it's real. So you're role-playing The Boys too, huh? [dog head]"
"LOL, the guy playing Homelander is a billionaire philanthropist. No way he's as twisted as the character."
"I don't care if Homelander's a psycho, I still love him. The man's just too damn charming. That smile melts my heart."
"Melted physically by his laser eyes?"
"I've never seen a superhero show this real. Honestly, this feels closer to reality—the characters are so grounded in everyday life!"
"The director's a genius! Exactly! People with powers aren't automatically heroes—same as politicians with power."
The online chatter only grew louder.
Most people treated [Revealing the Truth 231]'s so-called exposé as a joke, assuming he was just an overly immersed fan.
After all, The Boys itself had characters exposing the truth about superheroes. Plenty of netizens quickly jumped in to play along with the gag.
Only one user, [Stargazer], claimed to believe him. He insisted he'd once taken photos of Homelander flying, but "evil government agents" had confiscated them, dragging him into a black site where they threatened him for hours.
Naturally, no one believed a word of it.
No photos, no proof.
S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't bother censoring [Revealing the Truth 231]'s posts either. With no one taking him seriously, there was no need for action.
Of course...
From 4 p.m. onward, [Revealing the Truth 231] suddenly went silent. Whether he'd been "invited for tea" remained unknown.
"A huge success!"
Watching the flood of trending topics online and the glowing praise from professionals, Herman knew The Boys had already locked in its place as the breakout hit of the year.
This was exactly what he expected.
Superpowers were something everyone dreamed of, especially as children. Who hadn't imagined soaring through the skies or vanishing into thin air?
Because of that, any series involving superpowers naturally carried a built-in audience.
And with Herman's meticulous early promotion combined with top-tier production quality, The Boys was destined to dominate viewership.
Today, most networks had only aired two or three episodes.
But the vivid characters and its epic subversion of superhero tropes instantly caught countless eyes.
It didn't just strip superheroes off their pedestals, peel away their masks, and tear off their costumes—it shattered them completely.
The message was clear:
Superheroes?
They might not be what you think.
That shock made audiences feel the story was real.
From the very first scene—when the protagonist's girlfriend was obliterated by a speeding superpowered runner—viewers realized this was an entirely different kind of show.
In this era, while audiences admired the idea of superhero justice, most people also knew deep down—not everyone could be Captain America.
Why do people crave superpowers? The meaning is obvious: strength beyond ordinary humans.
But in reality, "superpower" translates to just one thing—power itself.
The greater one's power, the more they can reshape reality. Whether for good or evil, no one can stop them.
In The Boys, beyond the flashy powers and the subversion of classic superhero images, the core was about exposing truths that already existed in the real world.
That was why many thoughtful critics stepped forward with high praise.
Of course, some of it came from the show's genuine quality—but some critics also wanted to curry favor with Herman, the billionaire behind it.
"Who would've thought the public would love something like this!" Skye exclaimed, her eyes wide as she followed the show's reception.
The company only had one large TV. After just three episodes had aired, Skye could already feel the online frenzy.
"I think you made it very real. I never believed in superheroes." Cross muttered while fixing broken tables and chairs in the office.
He clenched a pair of pliers in his teeth as he worked. As a legendary assassin, he knew better than anyone how rotten people could be beneath their polished exteriors.
"If I had superpowers, I'd definitely become a superhero—take down villains, uphold justice." Skye's eyes shone with longing.
"You're right."
Quicksilver, who had been working on a puzzle, suddenly looked up at her. "If God gives you superpowers, then you should use them for good."
That was the belief Herman had been instilling in him. For a boy barely in his teens, it was important to teach noble ideals first.
The harsh truths of society and the world could wait until adulthood.
"Why so serious? Don't tell me watching this show made you dumb enough to think you really have powers?" Skye laughed at Quicksilver's grave expression.
"You're right—I did get a little too into it, haha~"
Remembering Herman's strict warning not to expose his abilities in front of others, Quicksilver quickly forced a sheepish grin. It was enough to fool the absent-minded Skye.
But...
Cross said nothing.
While repairing a bench, he shot Quicksilver a sharp glance. He remembered last night when they'd gone for a late snack—this kid had left for five minutes and already come back with food.
Late at night, the nearest open restaurant from Stellar Tower was at least a ten-minute drive away. As a killer, Cross was extremely sensitive to time.
And more than that...
He recognized the takeout as coming from a much farther neighborhood—someplace that would've taken longer than five minutes even by plane.
"Is she, too, someone blessed by fate, like the leader?" Cross thought to himself, convinced his suspicion was correct.
That girl in the company with the monstrous appetite—he figured she must also be one of those blessed. He had personally seen Carrie put away half a sheep in one sitting.
No normal person could eat like that.
"Looks like the boss is gathering employees who've all been blessed by fate."
Cross couldn't help but think further. Skye often broke things for no reason. Even that blind lawyer's skills outclassed both him and Fox. He refused to believe Herman's company had anyone who was just an ordinary person.
"I'll never understand why you young folks like watching these dramas so much." Aunt May yawned, carrying a cup of coffee.
Cross looked over at her.
He suspected Aunt May might actually be the most well-hidden person in the company aside from the leader himself. Everyone else showed at least some oddities, but Aunt May—the one even the boss called "Aunt May"—gave away nothing unusual.
From every angle, she seemed genuinely ordinary. Which was exactly why Cross was convinced she had to be hiding something.
"Such flawless cover... she'd make a perfect assassin," Cross thought, silently praising her. He never could have imagined Aunt May really was just a normal person—the only "problem" being her overly talkative nephew.
...
Over the next few days, the whole company watched The Boys explode in popularity. Herman and Skye finally understood what it meant to be famous.
Even though the two rarely left the office, the show's fans somehow managed to track them down at Stellar Tower.
As a result, many fans began treating Stellar Tower as if it were the actual superhero corporation from the show, showing up in waves as though on pilgrimage.
Some even flew across the country just to see "Homelander's headquarters."
As the central figure, the fan favorite, and the strongest superhero in the series, Homelander had a massive following despite his twisted personality.
Judging by the numbers, female fans actually outnumbered male ones—and Herman's handsome face was no small reason for that.
"Homelander may be a psycho, but he's so insanely handsome—like, once-in-a-generation good looks. I'd even let him share my maternal love with my baby!" said a single mom, cradling her child while speaking reverently to reporters. Fan culture, it seemed, was just as over the top everywhere.
That interview quickly went viral online.
When Herman saw the news later that day—and the ten million likes it had racked up on social media—he nearly smashed a vase in his office in frustration.
"I knew it!"
He felt like he was being cyberbullied. And yet, he had no evidence—it was all just people joking about his character from the show.
But that didn't make it any less irritating. Especially when he went out to eat once, and the waitress shrieked the moment she saw him: "Homelander is here to eat for free!" That was when Herman started regretting ever playing the role.
He grew uneasy.
The actor who played Harry Potter had spent his whole life stuck in that role. Was he about to end up the same way? Even when Harry Potter took roles as a gay man or a cross-dresser, people still couldn't forget who he was.
"Wait... what was the Harry Potter actor's name again?" Herman thought bitterly, feeling he might very well be walking the same path.
"It's all your fault! You made me play Homelander!"
Herman felt Skye should take at least half the blame. Of course, if he hadn't thrown himself into the role so seriously back then—if his acting had been just a little less convincing—Homelander probably wouldn't have blown up the way it did. Herman now deeply regretted how much effort he'd put into that performance.
"Come on, think about it another way. This just proves people recognize your acting." Skye tried to comfort him, stifling a laugh.
"You really did play that freak a little too well..." Carrie, as always, was brutally direct. Her words carried not a trace of comfort.
Where there are fans, there will always be reporters.
And for reporters, hype was everything.
They camped outside, watching Herman and Skye, eager to see if the two of them were really living together off-screen.
Of course, their main focus was Herman.
In both real life and on-screen, he was the one with the most attention.
Skye was dragged into it because everyone wanted to know what exactly her relationship with Herman was.
"Are the two of you a couple?"
Most reporters knew how to play it safe, keeping their questions mild.
None of them dared treat Herman like just another celebrity. Anyone with half a brain knew that in America, the real power lay in the hands of financial oligarchs. And Herman wasn't just an actor—he was one of those oligarchs, dominating the cutting-edge medical industry.
No media outlet was stupid enough to openly offend him.
The boldest commentary from so-called serious outlets was simply an overanalysis of The Boys, pointing out that in reality, Herman wielded an authority not unlike Homelander's.
"Starlight! Starlight! During filming, did you really do that with Homelander?"
Not every reporter was so tactful.
That blunt question sent Skye into a fury.
It was obvious the man was a gossip reporter.
Such audacity left the inexperienced Skye completely flustered and humiliated.
And while she may have secretly wished for it, she had no intention of letting the world know. Face flushed red, she snapped at the reporter, calling the question shameless.
The reporter, unhappy with the rebuke, retaliated by publishing a story claiming Skye had refused to reveal "hidden rules" and had lashed out at the press. The piece upset her so much she cried at the office for hours.
When Herman heard about it, he made a few calls.
Not long after, that entertainment reporter was shipped off to Afghanistan for live war coverage. According to rumors, within just two days on the frontlines, he lost three limbs and ended up in the hospital.
Word spread quickly among journalists. After that, no one dared cross the line again. Interviews with Skye stuck strictly to standard, harmless questions. Herman himself didn't mind these routine interviews.
"Personally, I don't like being called Homelander. He was just a role I played on a whim. I hope people don't remember me only for that character."
"My name is Herman Chu. If you think Chinese names are too tricky, you can just call me Herman. Just don't call me Homelander—anything else is fine."
He'd already run into several single mothers on the street trying to "feed" him, which left him no choice but to publicly plead with viewers during an interview.
The audience responded with enthusiasm.
"Alright, Homelander."
"Got it, Homelander."