The Boys Season 4 brings big changes, especially for Hugh Campbell Sr., played by Simon Pegg. He has been a minor character, mostly just Hughie’s dad appearing in a few episodes here and there, offering support to his son.
However, The Boys Season 4 Episode 5 ‘Beware the Jabberwock My Son’ makes Pegg’s character a supe. Hughie’s dad had a stroke and he’s about to die and hence, Hughie asks A-Train to get some Compound V from Vought. Hughie is about to inject the Compound V but then decides not to do it. However, Hughie’s mother Daphne injects it into Hugh Campbell Sr.’s blood making him a Supe.
I think that Supe Hugh Campbell Sr. was a major key to kill Homelander. I’ll explain how.
Hugh Campbell Sr. powers explained
After Hugh Campbell Sr. is injected with Compound V he wakes up from his stroke, seeming normal. But something is off. He soon disappears, and Hughie finds him covered in blood near a dead body. Hugh Sr. has gained a terrifying ability of phasing through objects. He runs through walls and phases into people, killing them violently. He has no control over his powers, causing chaos in the hospital.
However, this ability comes with a downside. His memory is stuck in the past. Hugh Campbell Sr. only remembers things up until Hughie was a child. He doesn’t recognize adult Hughie and is shocked to see his ex-wife.
As Hugh Sr. kills few people, Hughie realizes the mistake his mother made and concludes that he either has to kill his dad or let him spend the rest of his time confused in prison. Hughie injects a concoction into his dad’s bloodstream, sadly ending Hugh Sr.’s life.
Hugh Campbell Sr. phasing ability could kill Homelander
As Hugh Campbell Sr. was able to phase through objects and people, he could most certainly phase through Homelander killing him. He would appear as a normal human being to Homelander. Hugh Sr. would then have to phase into Homelander and kill him.
But obviously, the showrunners would consider that a less satisfying death for Homelander and hence they’re saving it for Season 5.
3 Reasons why Hugh Campbell Sr. could not control his powers
There are 3 reasons why Hugh Campbell Sr. could not control his powers:
1 – Fear activates Hugh Campbell Sr.’s powers
You can see that in The Boys Season 4 Episode 5 that Hugh Sr.’s powers are only activated when he gets frightened. The fight or flight response in Hugh Sr. activates his phasing power. He cannot stay in fear the entire time and hence he has no control over his powers.
2 – Compound V has disastrous effect on terminally ill people
Although, there’s no information on how Hughie knows this, it does hold true. Hugh Campbell Sr. was terminally ill and hence Compound V reacted adversely with him.
3 – Supes can’t control their powers when they use it the first time
The Boys has shown this time and time again with numerous characters. When anyone uses their powers for the first time, they can’t control them. Homelander couldn’t control his powers the first time and hence he killed a bunch of people.
Similarly in Gen V, the protagonist Marie Moreau killed her parents as she couldn’t control her powers for the first time.