Tek Knight's clear reference to Marvel's MJ in The Boys may have gone unnoticed

The fondness Amazon Prime Video's series The Boys has for parodying iconic superheroes from the Marvel and DC universes is well known. Season 4 episode 6, which was released on July 4, 2024, proved no different.

The synopsis of The Boys season 4 episode 6, titled Dirty Business, reads:

"Vernon Correctional Services provides compassionate rehabilitation to those in our care to prepare them for successful community reentry. At Vernon, it’s not about custody. It’s about family."

This ambiguous synopsis does not give away the plot elements of the episode, several of which the fans have found to be hilarious. For instance, fans have been amused by a certain reference to Zendaya in the episode. Zendaya plays MJ in MCU's Spider-Man movies.

Webweaver, the parody of Spider-Man, plays a crucial role in this episode, and during a pivotal scene with Tek Knight, it is revealed that the safe word previously agreed upon between them is 'Zendaya'.

Disclaimer: This article contains the author's opinions, and spoilers. Reader's discretion is advised.

---

'Zendaya'— Fans spot a reference to Marvel's MJ in The Boys' latest episode

The Safe Word byu/NOTtheRagZ inTheBoys

In the episode, Hughie attends Tek Knight's party disguised as Webweaver to gather information for Homelander and his group. Initially successful in planting bugs around the mansion, things go awry when he ends up in a compromising situation with Tek Knight in the hidden 'Tek Cave'.

As Hughie tries to signal the safe word during an uncomfortable encounter, he struggles to communicate effectively. Tek Knight eventually sees through his disguise and begins to harm him, escalating the tension of the scene.

Luckily for Hughie, Kimiko and Annie arrive at Tek Cave only in time to save him. They extract the confession out of Tek Knight that he and Sage have been using his private prisons to lock up dissidents, in line with Homelander's plan.

Elijah, Tek Knight's butler, is horrified to learn of this plan, and chokes Tek Knight to death. It is Elijah who reveals that the safe word is 'Zendaya'.

The fact that the safe word is the name of the actor who plays MJ in the MCU movies on Spider-Man (whose parody is Webweaver) has entertained quite a few fans. Viewers of the show have taken to Reddit to discuss why that particular reference may have been included there.

Comment byu/NOTtheRagZ from discussion inTheBoys

While some fans have sarcastically remarked that Hughie looked like Peter Parker in the episode, others have interestingly noted that Jack Quaid, the actor playing Hughie, once voiced Peter Parker as well.

---

Who is Webweaver in The Boys?

Webweaver is The Boys' version of Spider-Man. Both in the comics and the series, he is a drug addict. In the comics, he is the first superhero The Boys take down, thereby forming the group.

In the series, Webweaver has not featured that much, though he was mentioned by Bill in season 4 episode 4, when it was revealed that the two were secretly working with each other.

Webweaver might feature more in the coming episodes of The Boys. As of now, the fans are happy that he has made a highly entertaining appearance, even though only as a disguise.

---

The Boys: next episodes' release date and streaming options

The next episode of the series, called The Insider, will be released on July 11, 2024, and the eighth and final episode, called Assassination Run, will be streaming on July 18, 2024. Stream all of these episodes on Amazon Prime Video.