The Boys Season 4 Episode 3 has an epic Mortal Kombat Easter egg
The Boys are back in town, and as Amazon's superhero slugger heads toward Season 5 as its final hurrah, Season 4 is upping the ante. Although based on Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's comic series of the same name, showrunner Eric Kripke has taken the live-action world of The Boys in a very different direction.
The Seven has finally filled its ranks, and as Antony Starr's Homelander fully embraces being the unhinged psychopath we always knew he could be, The Boys Season 4 has wasted no time in splashing our screens with blood and guts. As ever, Season 4 is stuffed with Easter eggs, but did you spot one honouring a gaming legend?
SPOILER WARNING:
Minor spoilers for The Boys Season 4 ahead
The Boys Season 4 Episode 3 includes a Mortal Kombat Easter egg
Click to enlargeThe Boys Season 4 sees Cameron Crovetti step up to the plate as Ryan. No longer the timid adopted son of Billy Butcher, Ryan is accepting his legacy as Homelander's son and is forced into the mantle of Homeboy. Billy does his best to try and get Ryan back on his side, but it's not easy with Homelander in the way.
During one scene in episode 3, Ryan is seen playing a game called Tournament of Heroes - which is a not-so-subtle version of Mortal Kombat. There's an impressive roster of heroes, including everyone from The Deep to Queen Maeve, although Ryan avoids picking daddy dearest.
Suiting up as Shawn Ashmore's Lamplighter, Ryan heads into battle against Butcher while playing as Laurie Holden's Crimson Countess. Considering both these characters are long since dead, it's a nice throwback. Ryan makes light work of Butcher, with Lamplighter pulling off a fiery finishing move. There's even a Mortal Kombat-inspired "END HER" prompt.
Mortal Kombat returns the favour with brutal Homelander move
Mortal Kombat actually got there first, with Homelander's debut including a wink to the live-action series. Homelander has just arrived in Mortal Kombat as the latest Kombat Pack character on June 11, wasting no time in making his mark on the brutal brawler.
As well as chugging milk as a signature move, fans spotted that Homeland's "What Happens If?" brutality homages the series. When fighting Kenshi, using the Brutality leads to him slapping both sides of his opponent's head and seemingly rendering them deaf.
Homelander utters the line, "Another useless f***ing blind guy," which is a reference to when he defended Blindspot in Season 2. In a case of life imitating art, The Boys Season 4 has returned the favour with its own MK homage. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem Tournament of Heroes is a game we can actually play.
