With the Recent Vought News Network videos offering a teaser for The Vought News Network clips, which serve as in-universe news broadcasts, indicate that Vought now finally sees Hughie as a legitimate threat.
The Boys began with Hughie suffering a personal tragedy at the hands of Vought, and so far has documented his journey from a mega-fan of the Seven to a criminal and alleged terrorist as he's repeatedly attempted to expose Vought's shady business practices. Having found himself embroiled in the deep-rooted conspiracy regarding the nature of Vought's Supes, Hughie has learned to navigate the world of the super-powered and the super-powerful. Though it proved to be a steep learning curve, he and the titular Boys have managed so far to considerably sway public opinion against the Supes.
While Hughie's ability to oppose Vought without powers is itself evidence that he's not to be underestimated, there's far more to the character that makes him particularly dangerous to the multi-billion dollar conglomerate.
Hughie's Everyman Status Means Vought (& Supes) Underestimate Him
Compared to the ultra-powerful Supes of the Seven and the massive wealth of Vought, Hughie is as unassuming as they come. He's socially awkward, slight of build, and something of a nerd, all of which have caused both Vought and its Supes to underestimate him repeatedly. This is evident from the series' very first episode when Vought offers Hughie a minor cash settlement after A-Train kills his girlfriend. It's clear from the off that the company doesn't consider Hughie a threat as he's a nobody - and it's this assumption that sets him on the path to revenge.
Vought's flagship team, The Seven, are equally dismissive of Hughie, though. With the exception of Starlight, each member of the Seven has dismissed Hughie entirely. This in turn has allowed the continued efforts of the Boys to bring down Vought, despite each member of the Seven having the power to kill Hughie without breaking a sweat. This underestimation of Hughie has already proved dangerous, with Hughie killing invisible Supe Translucent in season 1, but it seems that both Vought and the Seven are yet to fully learn from that mistake.
Starlight's Return To The Seven Gives Hughie A Valuable Ally
Hughie's continued relationship with Starlight is also bad news for Vought. Season 2 saw Starlight repeatedly stand up to her Supe teammates in defense of Hughie. Although her siding against Vought saw her expelled from the Seven, she was eventually public reinstated in the season 2 finale. Despite the reveal that Starlight's ex-boyfriend will feature in Season 3, her return to the Seven means that she can not only offer Hughie the same physical protection she's already extended on numerous occasions but that she's also able to work from within to bring down Vought.
The Vought News Network videos also reveal that Starlight is a big asset to Vought in of public opinion. As she's one of the most popular of the Seven, this adds an extra layer to the protection she can offer Hughie, and their continued relationship is something that should give Vought cause for concern.
Hughie Working For Neuman Gives Him A Strong Anti-Vought Position
Season 2 ended with Hughie asking Neuman for a job, and while it's still far from clear exactly what Neuman's connection with Vought is, Hughie's new job as her senior analyst is another blow against the company. While Vought has so far been able to dismiss Hughie with labels such as "criminal" and "terrorist", his new job as part of Neuman's Federal Bureau of Superhuman Affairs gives him a legitimate platform from which to fight Vought, making it far harder for the conglomerate to discredit him.
Whether Neuman is acting on behalf of Vought or not will certainly come into play in season 3, which in turn will affect exactly how much Hughie can hurt the company from his new post, but his job puts him in a public Anti-Vought position, furthering the Boys' agenda.
Robin's Death Gives Hughie A Big Advantage Against Vought
Hughie's girlfriend Robin was killed in the season 1 premiere by a Compound-V infused A-Train, and while that incident was the catalyst for Hughie's vendetta against Vought, it could also come back into play in season 3. Robin's death is the driving force behind Hughie's various anti-Supe activities and exploring this in more depth would give the general public a clear example of just how little Vought cares about collateral damage.
It's a human interest story that would not only sway the public but also make Hughie seem far more sympathetic to those that have been told by Vought that he is a terrorist and criminal. The exposure of the true circumstances surrounding Robin's death would offer context to previous events that would likely hurt Vought's image even further.
What Hughie As Vought's Biggest Enemy Means For The Boys Season 3?
new Supes set to appear in season 3, this non-violent approach will prove to be an interesting challenge for Hughie - whether it's in his nature or not, he has already proved that he's not beyond the murder of Supes, which if anything, only makes him even more dangerous to Vought.
Hughie's attempt to take the fight to Vought on a political scale is his boldest move yet. Given the development he's seen over the first two seasons of The Boys, this alone indicates that he's far stronger than Vought have ever given him credit for, and they have reason to be very, very afraid of Hughie Campbell.