Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Boys comic.

While Mother’s Milk has managed to resist the siren call of Compound V so far, The Boys season 4 should see the character finally cave and level the playing field between himself and the supes. Mother’s Milk is a complicated character. As a member of The Boys, by definition, he is a violent vigilante with a penchant for brutal justice, and he has handed out his fair share of beatings in the show’s three gory seasons. However, Mother’s Milk is a veritable saint in comparison to the likes of Butcher and, while he doesn’t share Kimono’s disarming innocence, he has an enduring moral fortitude that is unlike any other character.

However, the nature of The Boys has often turned the character's morality against him. Mother’s Milk lost in The Boys season 3, as the character failed to take down Soldier Boy for good and missed the opportunity to battle the villainous supe one-on-one. The only time Mother’s Milk put his strength to use in a violent outburst came when he beat up his daughter’s stepfather Todd, a far-right zealot who idolized Homelander. Predictably, this only made Todd a more ardent Homelander er while also alienating Mother’s Milk from his daughter in the process - which may convince the vigilante to become more like the villains he hates most going forward.

The Boys Set Up Mother’s Milk’s Heel Turn In Season 3

While he did beat up Todd, in the morally murky world of The Boys, it is almost unfathomable that Mother’s Milk would still be such a paragon of decency by the season 3 finale. When Mother’s Milk finally met Soldier Boy face-to-face, the supe didn’t even give him the time of day, even though the tragic backstory of Mother’s Milk saw Soldier Boy thoughtlessly wipe out a chunk of his family in his childhood. Later, with his whole team’s help, Mother’s Milk was still only able to temporarily stop Soldier Boy, and this preventative measure still likely won’t be enough to keep the lethal super from returning in season 4.

Unless, that is, Mother’s Milk is willing to Hughie and Butcher and begin experimenting with Compound V, despite it going against almost everything he believes in. Mother’s Milk is the most level-headed of the vigilantes, which means both that he'd benefit from the superpowers that Compound V gives, and has a better chance of resisting its addictive allure. The fact that Mother’s Milk has avoided taking Compound V until now proves that he has a better handle on his faculties than the unhinged Butcher and the opportunistic Hughie - meaning turning on his moral code might well be his only chance to even get Soldier Boy's attention.

Soldier Boy’s Survival Should Change Mother’s Milk

While Mother’s Milk dies in The Boys comics, this iteration of the character’s death is unlikely to take place in the TV adaptation. However, Mother’s Milk would likely die if he faced off against Soldier Boy again, since the villain is unlikely to simply dismiss him with a laugh twice. Similarly, if Mother’s Milk attempted to take on Homelander without any powers (and arguably even with them), he would likely meet his end. As such, the fact that both of these amoral superheroes have survived for this long should reasonably convince Mother’s Milk that using Compound V is worth the risk to level the playing field between himself and them.

Mother’s Milk’s The Boys Season 4 Story Could Change The Show

Even more than Hughie or Butcher, Mother’s Milk has the oldest, most longstanding grudge with a supe. As such, if he drops his aversion to Compound V, that means even the most morally upright antihero in The Boys is willing to use the substance. The fact that Hughie barely used his powers in The Boys season 3 and Butcher couldn't access Compound V at times when he most needed it prove that this substance is unlikely to be a cure-all for Mother’s Milk. Indeed, it is more likely that Mother’s Milk will face new problems if he begins using Compound V, that could even place him against The Boys.

However, Compound V would at least give Mother’s Milk a chance to destroy his enemies, both of whom are now the most powerful villains in The Boys season 4. Particularly when Homelander’s ascent to political popularity makes the character more of a threat than ever before, The Boys season 4 needs one of its more mentally stable and morally upright heroes to use any means he can to defeat the supes. As such, Mother’s Milk should take a trip to the dark side in The Boys season 4, even if this does come at a cost to his health and his morality.