Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Gen V episode 5!
Summary
- Sam Riordan possesses super-strength in Gen V, going beyond the typical strength of supes in The Boys franchise.
- Sam sees other characters as puppets, possibly due to his diagnosis from Compound V or the experiments he underwent.
- Sam’s puppet visions allow him to commit the most violent scenes in Gen V, taking the show’s violence to the next level.
Sam Riordan is one of the most mysterious characters in Gen V, and here are his powers explained, including why he sees puppets. Sam has been the figure at the center of the strange goings-on at Godolkin University, with Golden Boy pointing the gang toward him right before his untimely death. Since then, most of the series has been about Marie, Emma, and the rest of the Gen V gang attempting to track Sam down and get to the bottom of the mystery, all while Vought is trying its hardest to stop them. There are still lots of questions about Sam’s powers in Gen V, but here’s what we know.
Gen V is finally out, with the long-awaited spin-off of Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys in the midst of releasing season 1 as of the writing of this article. Gen V looks at the universe of The Boys through a new lens, with the show this time focusing on a college for supes known as Godolkin University. In the series, a blood-bender named Marie Moreau gets the opportunity to attend the prestigious Vought-run college, but upon arriving, Marie and her friends unearth a massive Vought conspiracy. Luckily, they have already located Sam, who is a major piece of the puzzle, and his powers are definitely a helpful tool.
Sam Possesses Super-Strength In Gen V
There are still a lot of unknowns regarding Sam Riordan’s powers in Gen V, but it is clear that he does possess super-strength. Pretty much every supe in The Boys franchise has a level of increased strength compared to normal humans, but Sam’s strength goes far beyond this. Sam is able to rip Vought officers to shreds without breaking a sweat, and his strength even allows him to leap long distances. Sam hasn’t been injured in his various fights throughout Gen V, meaning that he may be invincible, although this hasn’t yet been confirmed.
While Sam is incredibly strong, it is doubtful that this is his only power, as The Boys‘ supes tend to be far weirder than that. Interestingly, the children of supes tend to have the same powers as their parents, as can be seen with Ryan Butcher and Maverick. It could be that this correlation also translates to brothers, meaning that Sam may have a similar level of super strength to Golden Boy. The limits of Sam’s enhanced strength and durability haven’t been fully tested yet, but his fight with Emma shows that he can be beaten. However, it is clear that Sam can hold his own in a fight.
Why Gen V’s Sam Sees Characters As Puppets
Throughout Gen V, several sequences occur in which Sam Riordan strangely sees other characters as puppets. Sam hallucinates a puppet show on TV, sees Emma as a puppet, and even has an extended fight sequence with puppet versions of Vought soldiers. Many viewers have jumped to the conclusion that this is the product of a mental health condition, and while this is a possible answer, it doesn’t seem like the most likely one. These puppet sequences seem far too specific and strange to come from a natural source, and the world of The Boys is strange enough to come up with another answer.
In Gen V, Sam blames his diagnosis on Compound V, meaning that the visions of puppets could stem from the very formula that turned him into a supe. Compound V has been proven to have some pretty nasty side effects throughout The Boys franchise, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the puppet visions come from Vought. It’s also possible that they could be a product of the many experiments that Sam has been subjected to in Gen V‘s The Woods facility. It’s clear that Sam has been under the needle tons of times, and these experimental procedures could have caused these visions.
Sam’s Puppets Allow Him To Commit Gen V’s Most Violent Scenes
While the puppet scenes are strange, they do have a practical use, as it allows Sam to commit Gen V‘s most violent scenes. His fight with the Vought soldiers is incredibly gory and dark, with the soldiers literally begging for their lives. However, Sam has no problem killing them, as all he sees are puppets and confetti. Sam’s puppet visions allow him to take the show’s violence to the next level. It would make sense for the puppet visions to come from Vought experiments, as Sam could be a weapon willing to kill anyone. More is sure to be revealed about Sam’s powers in the future of Gen V, however.
New episodes of Gen V release Fridays on Amazon Prime Video.
