Reddit fans have insane theories on The Boys mysterious worm in Butcher’s head (& it’s accurately chilling)

The Boys season 4 has shown Billy Butcher in a tight spot. His abuse of temporary Compound V left him with terminal cancer. In the episode, Wisdom of the Ages, he revealed that he later tried to treat himself with permanent Compound V. And as a result, his cancer seems to have got a life of its own.

While battling Ezekiel, Billy gets nearly choked to death and passes out, only to awaken to Ezekiel's eviscerated body, showing that whatever Butcher's dealing with, is not completely under his control.

Fans have theorized extensively on The Boys's subreddit about what this evolution of Billy's cancer really means. One such theory suggests:

Season 4 Butcher Theory byu/DarkestDweller inTheBoys

Fans of the show have drawn comparisons between Billy Butcher's newfound powers to Spider-Man's Venom, a symbiote that bonded with Peter Parker, only to become an insidious, corrupting influence on him.

One fan wrote extensively, explaining the plausible similarities between Butcher and Venom's arc while also suggesting that the symbiote could be Butcher's late wife, Becca.

"I have not seen a lot of this take on what's going on with Butcher, but for me personally after his confession and confirmation of taking Permanent V, my theory that he would become a Permanent Supe, and what happened at the end of Ep. 4 solidified my theory I already had that the parasite was basically the Boys version of a Symbiote and that Butcher would become the Boys version of Venom."

"Also the fact that he has developed DID and has been having full on conversations with Becca and my thinking that it's just the parasite developing symbiosis with his brain and having access to his thoughts and memories that Becca is actually the parasite talking to Bucther."

Other fans believed that Billy might end up giving birth to some sort of mini-Butcher:

"I literally just came up with a theory similar to this and posted it! Except not venom, but rather a baby butcher he’ll give birth to!" a fan said

"A baby what? Nah i thought the venom theory might be off but this. Damn bro." someone else replied

"Hell yeah! He’ll vomit or poop out a baby butcher that can say “oi c*nt” and speak in a high pitched tone!

"It’ll be when he takes compound V and it fixes him. My theory anyways THAT WAS F*CKING TAKEN DOWN BY THE MODS." the original commenter reiterated

This theory was discussed by someone who knew about the original comics, which also had a plotline of a parasitic "birth":

"In the comics, someone gives “birth” to a massive tapeworm. Last season we saw animals with V powers. I think this is a tapeworm that happened to be in Butcher’s body when he took the V, and it’s been devouring him / the V inside him, for months." the fan said

Some fans also noted that Billy's cancer was inconsistent with the dangerous side effects of Temp V in The Boys, and theorized the parasite might be protecting Butcher instead of killing him:

"Awesome theory, esp since temp v turns your brain to Swiss cheese, not give you a tumor. And say it is a parasite, then it needs butcher to survive, so it’s essentially keeping him alive somehow. Idk though, I’m pretty much always wrong about these things." the fan said

"That was another thing that got me thinking. Butcher has survived longer than other Temp V subjects. And now we know it is something." the original poster replied

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How does Venom relate to The Boys?

Venom was an alien symbiote that bonded with Peter Parker and turned his suit black. It first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #299, released in November 1988. Peter eventually rejected Venom after discovering it had a will of its own, and Venom proceeded to bond with Eddie Brock.

Venom was further fleshed out in Spider-Man's 1994 animated series, where it had an insidious influence on Peter's psyche, making him more aggressive and selfish as it amplified his darker impulses.

In The Boys, Billy Butcher's parasite also has a will of its own, with Billy hallucinating his deceased ex-wife, Becca Butcher, speaking to him when the parasite exerts its influence. Its brutal murder of Ezekiel shows that the parasite is going to be a formidable force going forward, whether for good or ill.

The Boys season 4 is currently streaming on Prime Video.