The Boys Season 3 Episode 2: The Only Man in the Sky

Hughie enters the Red River Institute by falsely claiming that he and Starlight want to adopt. He copies records revealing that Victoria Neuman was known as Nadia at Red River and that Stan Edgar took her from the facility. Meanwhile, Butcher, Frenchie, and Kimiko investigate former Payback members for information about the weapon allegedly responsible for Soldier Boy's death. Frenchie and Kimiko confront Crimson Countess at VoughtLand, but she escapes after using her power and killing a park mascot. Butcher confronts Gunpowder at a gun convention.

After Gunpowder shoots him, Butcher later injects Temp V, survives Gunpowder's gunfire, and gains superhuman durability and heat vision. Under Butcher's interrogation, Gunpowder says Soldier Boy's alleged abuse was hazing, says Soldier Boy did not die in the reported nuclear-meltdown accident, and identifies the 1984 Nicaragua operation and CIA case officer Grace Mallory as relevant. Butcher kills Gunpowder with heat vision after the interrogation.

M.M. initially refuses Butcher's request to rejoin the team, but returns to the fight after revisiting evidence of Soldier Boy's role in his father's death and speaking with Monique. Stormfront dies by suicide while hospitalized. During what is supposed to be Homelander's annual televised rescue of Chelsea, he tells her to jump after learning of Stormfront's death; Chelsea falls to her death. At his televised birthday event, Homelander rejects Starlight's attempt to frame him as deserving a second chance.

He publicly says he is stronger, smarter, and better than the audience and calls himself the real hero; this is the episode's final scene. Kimiko tells Frenchie that she and her brother never had a real childhood, a conversation prompted by her reaction to VoughtLand.

The episode concludes with Homelander's televised birthday event. After learning of Stormfront's death, Homelander tells Chelsea to jump during what was supposed to be his annual rescue, and she falls to her death. Later, at his birthday broadcast, Starlight attempts to frame him as deserving a second chance, but Homelander rejects this, publicly stating that he is stronger, smarter, and better than the audience and calling himself the real hero. The final state is Homelander asserting that the audience needs him and that he is the real hero. This ending leaves unresolved how the public will react to his openly supremacist rant and what consequences his actions will have.