The Boys Season 4: Gen V Masterfully Enhances A-Train's Tragic Storyline with Nuanced Changes.

The Boys highlights how tragic A-Train’s story is for those that look up to him, and one Gen V scene makes the supe’s character arc even sadder.

The Boys is impressive in its ability to humanize even the most unlikable characters, and A-Train is one antagonist whose backstory adds a tragic layer to his arc — one that spinoff series Gen V makes even sadder.

A-Train doesn’t make a great first impression in The Boys, as his first on-screen appearance sees him running straight through Hughie Campbell’s girlfriend, resulting in her gruesome death. He doesn’t feel remorse for killing her, driving home how selfish the powerful supes in The Seven can be.

A-Train continues to showcase terrible behavior as The Boys continues, but because of his place in The Seven, people still look up to him. His influence on the Black community is highlighted throughout the series, and Vought International frequently uses him to brag about its diversity. A-Train feeds into this, using Vought to achieve his own goals. However, the community that he claims to represent suffers in the process. The Boys season 3 drives this home when A-Train fails to properly handle the situation with the racist supe Blue Hawk. And a Gen V flashback makes A-Train’s failure on this front even worse.

Gen V’s A-Train Flashback Makes His The Boys Story More Tragic

Several characters from The Boys appear in Gen V, and the Amazon spinoff offers a glimpse of A-Train when he first joins The Seven. The footage of A-Train accepting this role is accompanied by depictions of Black communities celebrating. Considering how A-Train fails the very people he claims to represent, this look at his past makes his story even more tragic. It’s obvious that A-Train’s Black fans are delighted to be represented in The Seven. However, the fact that A-Train actively upholds systems that oppress his own community — and even put them in harm’s way — drives home how misplaced their appreciation is.

“His attempts to have Blue Hawk apologize rather than do something to truly help the community he’s harming highlights where A-Train falls short.”

A-Train’s storyline in The Boys season 3 proves that he isn’t just callous to the needs of others; he doesn’t even know how to truly advocate for them. His attempts to have Blue Hawk apologize rather than do something to truly help the community he’s harming highlights where A-Train falls short. A-Train is all about using public relations to connect with the Black community. However, he has no idea how to take a meaningful stand for his fans and followers, which makes the excitement surrounding his appointment to The Seven that much more disappointing.

How Gen V Is Setting Up A-Train’s Redemption For The Boys Season 4

Although A-Train’s storyline in The Boys highlights his failures, the Amazon series seems to be setting up a redemption arc for him in season 4. He’ll probably never be a completely sympathetic character, but the situation with Nate seems to open his eyes to his mistakes. Likewise, his inability to run after having a heart attack gives him a new perspective. It’s clear The Boys wants viewers to feel something for A-Train, even after all the harm he’s caused. He’ll probably get the chance to make amends at some point in the series’ future — even if The Boys isn’t the type of show to give him a clear-cut, heartwarming redemption.