Did Kimiko’s De-Powering Ray Take Away Ryan’s Powers In The Boys Finale? Did MM Adopt Ryan?

Before the season finale of “The Boys” premiered, viewers were really really intrigued about the question of Ryan’s future. The kid is the only natural-born supe in existence, who has gone through a lot in his young age, has been betrayed by people close to him, and has been misguided by the ones he trusted. Reasonably, his moral compass was not in the right shape, even though he did dare to defy Homelander. With the potential to surpass his father in the near future, Ryan was always a wild card in the arena of “The Boys,” which is why fans remained invested to learn his story’s end. 

Spoilers Ahead

During the much-awaited final showdown with Homelander in the Oval Office, Butcher and Kimiko were struggling to contain him for long enough to use the depowering beam on him. That’s when Ryan makes a heroic last-minute entry to restrain his father, risking his own life in the process, as viewers surely remember what happened the last time he faced Homelander in a fight. It was his timely assist that allowed Butcher to keep Homelander restrained and let Kimiko use her depowering beam on him to turn him completely powerless. In the aftermath, Butcher, who has lost his powers as well, made quick work of Homelander while Ryan remained unconscious. Later, as the Boys celebrate their big win, a conversation between Ryan and Butcher indicates Ryan has turned into an ordinary, powerless individual as well. Sympathizing with the boy who has to live with the truth that he helped his father figure to kill his biological father, Butcher clings to a hope of having a normal, quiet life with Ryan by retiring to somewhere secluded. After everything he has put Ryan through, after using him as a weapon in his crusade, the hope was more of a desperate call of a man afraid of retribution and loneliness. Ryan crushed Butcher’s hope by mentioning the obvious: he doesn’t want to be associated with him after everything that has happened, and will not be a part of his attempt at redemption. Ryan leaves like a regular individual, lacking the power of flight, which further confirms he has lost his powers. Perhaps Butcher could have coped with Terror’s passing had Ryan been there for him, but that speculation goes in the never-ending list of would-haves and should-haves. 

There is a catch regarding Ryan losing his powers; Kimiko’s depowering beam is not on the same level as that of Soldier Boy’s, and there is a possibility that the effects of the beam aren’t permanent. It’s not a stretch to believe that Butcher and Homelander have perished before their powers returned; if that’s the case, then Ryan might get his powers back one day. Furthermore, he is the only naturally born supe to exist, which means his powers are genetically inherited, not caused by effects of additives like Temp V or Compound V. So if that happens, the question remains whether Ryan will turn out to be a monster just like his father, or not? The ending answers that as well, albeit in a roundabout way. 

Ryan has lost both his father and father figure within the span of a day, the only dysfunctional family he had is gone as the bitter feud has taken atoll. MM, Butcher’s best friend and comrade, reasonably feels responsible towards the kid and sympathizes with him, as seen during Butcher’s funeral. Butcher’s grave is seen beside Becca’s, and MM, who knows how Butcher’s vendetta was fuelled by his pain and rage of losing his beloved wife, mentions that it is his befitting resting place. From his own experience, MM knows how the pursuit of vengeance, a broken heart, has cost Butcher everything and then some, and how crucial it is to have a support system in place to ensure Ryan too doesn’t go down the same path. MM  distanced himself from his family to keep them safe during the prolonged conflict with Homelander and his loyalists, and now that the world temporarily breathes a sigh of relief, MM is ready to reconcile with his loved ones. He chooses to bring Ryan along with him as his best man during his marriage to Monique, making him a part of his family. I’d like to think of it as MM’s gesture of love and respect towards his late friend, even though he couldn’t save Butcher, he is willing to make the effort for Ryan. The kid’s upbringing has been pretty rough, and while he can’t undo the past horrors, living in MM’s humble company will surely teach him humility and help him to realign his moral compass. So the answer to what will happen if Ryan gets his powers back is simple: with a loving and caring family around, he will not lose his way and won’t end up like either of his fathers.