WARNING: Spoilers ahead for The Boys season 3, episode 5
Supersonic's death might've come as a shock to Starlight enjoyed a teen romance with a fellow young supe called Drummer Boy. Season 3 finally introduces Justin Timbersupe as an adult, repackaged as Supersonic and portrayed by Miles Gaston Villanueva. ing the Seven as a replacement for Stormfront via a rigged Vought TV talent show, Supersonic reminisces with Starlight during long days on set, much to Hughie's chagrin. Sensing Supersonic is someone she can trust, Starlight tells him the shocking truth about Homelander, and even recruits her ex to the Boys' cause.
Unfortunately for Annie, Supersonic makes the fatal mistake of believing A-Train is equally worthy of trust. Instead, the ailing speedster immediately rats out the resistance to Homelander, and the Seven's leader responds by brutally murdering Supersonic behind closed doors. When Hughie is watching TV in The Boys season 3, episode 5, he sees Vought's official, public explanation for Supersonic's sudden death is a drug overdose, with news reports blaming the tragedy on a relapse.
Rather cleverly, this cover story was foreshadowed way back before The Boys season 3 even began airing. As an inter-season stopgap, Amazon released online spoof VNN newscasts under the title "Seven on 7 with Cameron Coleman." These YouTube videos offered small tidbits about characters old and new, and the August 2021 edition introduced Miles Gaston Villanueva's Supersonic. Coleman confirmed the hero formerly known as Drummer Boy had been "out of the spotlight for a while" and described the hero's "rehab-ridden past." The bulletin banner across the bottom of the screen read "HANDSOME HERO BEATS ADDICTION" and a graphic implied Supersonic spent time recovering at Vought's mysterious Global Wellness Center.
Watching The Boys season 3 in isolation, viewers might feel like Supersonic's addiction issues are plucked from thin air. Others might even suspect his substance issues are a complete fabrication cooked up by Vought. The August "Seven on 7" episode neatly establishes Supersonic's troubled past, and subtly explains why Vought chose this particular excuse to cover up Homelander's latest kill. Supersonic might've been clean in The Boys' present day, but the baying public already knows about the numerous relapses since his days as a teen icon, making the falsified news story all the more believable.
In hindsight, the true purpose of Supersonic's VNN segment is now plainly obvious. Many of the clips released ahead of The Boys season 3 have related directly to the main show somehow. Blue Hawk's intro alluded toward his discriminatory attitudes, Gunpowder's fondness for the NRA was mentioned, Black Noir's recovery was announced, etc. Dropping Supersonic's drug addiction into the season 3 conversation initially seemed to hint towards a substance abuse storyline for Starlight's ex in The Boys season 3. Now, of course, it's clear "Seven on 7" was actually laying the groundwork for the character's untimely demise...
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The Boys continues Friday on Prime Video.