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The Boys season 4 episode 6 saw a lot go down. Following Hughie and the titular group as they try to get into Tek Knight's mansion to figure out what The Seven is up to, it was an intense episode. However, the biggest revelation was saved for the last when it was revealed that Joe Kessler is a figment of Billy Butcher's imagination - just like his wife, Becca.
While Joe Kessler in The Boys season 4 was already a huge departure compared to his comic book counterpart, episode 6 further solidified the idea. Given that in the comics, Joe Kessler goes by a completely different name - Howard Kessler - he also has a different personality and relationship with Butcher.
Howard Kessler from The Boys comics explored
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In The Boys comics written by Garth Ennis, Joe Kessler goes by a completely different name, Howard Kessler. This version of the character also has a timid personality compared to his show counterpart. In the comics, Howard also goes by the codename Monkey, which he receives after going through a traumatic experience with the animal his codename is based on.
Howard doesn't have a huge role in the comics but is still essential to The Boys team. When it comes to supes, he is their source of information and provides them with all the details required. His relationship with Butcher is quite different, too. While in the show, Butcher and Kessler share a past, but in the comics, he constantly bullies Howard.
If anything, the comic book character and show character have a night-and-day difference between them.
Exploring the character of Joe Kessler in The Boys
During the premiere of The Boys season 4, viewers saw Billy meet up with Kessler in the CIA office, and it was immediately recognizable that the two shared history. They were brother in arms and served together during the terror on war, and Joe told Billy that he needed to get his old self back to take out the supes. Throughout the season, Joe was seen accompanying Billy and not interacting with other characters.
However, in episode 6, the curtain was finally lifted when it was revealed that Kessler was just in Billy's mind. Billy originally left him for dead in the Panjshir Valley, and his mind came up with the hallucination of Kessler the way he has also been hallucinating Becca. He revealed that it was he who killed Ezekiel, implying Billy may have powers and that they are being controlled by none other than Kessler.
Kessler is pretty much the worst qualities of Billy but personified. Knowing that Butcher is himself against the genocide of all supes, fans can expect Kessler to take a stronger hold over him and finally go forward with releasing the virus on supes after Sameer is done cooking it. This could also have further implications, hinting that Billy may also be at risk of losing control himself, and given that he only has a few months left to live anyway, he will be getting more desperate to take out Homelander.
You can check out a new episode of The Boys season 4 when it premieres on July 11, 2024, on Prime Video.
