The Boys: 10 Things You Need To Know About A-Train

The Boys has quickly exploded in popularity to become one of the most watchable and unique shows around, with most people going for an Amazon Prime subscription just so that they can catch up on the latest happenings in a world that’s extremely ludicrous… yet feels right at home with what’s happening in the world. It’s a rather unique thing to witness something as outlandish as The Boys feel relatable, which is arguably the greatest strength of the show.

Of course, that’s not the only positive of this brilliant series — almost every character in The Boys oozes their own unique brand of charm, to the point where one can’t help but marvel at the sheer energy and awesomeness of each scene. One such character who pretty much kickstarted the protagonist’s spiral into genocidal madness is A-Train, who is easily one of the most hateable characters in the entire show… and yet, every scene featuring him is a treat to watch. For fans of this character, here are ten things you might not have known about this speedster.

10 A-Train, Homelander, And Black Noir Harass Starlight In The Comics, Not The Deep

One thing to keep in mind about the comic version of A-Train is the fact that he’s extremely lecherous, with The Deep taking some of his characteristics in the show, albeit somewhat toned down.

For starters, it’s the trio of him, Homelander, and Black Noir that harass Starlight in the comics, not The Deep (who is surprisingly a stand-up guy… in comparison). He also tries to force himself on Starlight later in the comics, although that doesn’t really end well for him.

9 His Name Comes From The A Eighth Avenue Express

The B Division of the New York City Subway houses a rapid transit service by the name of the A Eighth Avenue Express. Due to its popularity in New York, it’s lovingly called the A-Train by local commuters.

It should be pretty obvious as to why this fact has been mentioned by now — the speedster A-Train’s name is inspired by the aforementioned moniker.

8 He Is Going To Burn Out At Some Point

One thing about speedsters in The Seven is that they always need to be replaced due to the toll that running fast takes on their bodies. A-Train has experienced this firsthand — taking Compound V to augment his strength and speed has come at the cost of his body.

The fact that he’s still back in The Seven after suffering a heart attack could very well imply that his days are numbered — there’s only so much his body can take, after all.

7 He’s On The Face Of Many Brands In The Show

The scene in the first episode where Hughie experiences severe PTSD after seeing A-Train’s face all over the supermart should make one thing abundantly clear — A-Train’s an extremely marketable figure.

In fact, he’s got his own brand of beer called Speeding Bullet Ale, along with a cereal called Frosted A-Trains.

6 It’s Quite Interesting To Compare Him To Hughie

Speaking of Hughie, it must be said that his arc is quite similar to that of A-Train’s — both characters had or have complicated relationships and have also killed people. However, it’s the manner in which they deal with these circumstances that are quite interesting.

Hughie moves on from Robin’s death, takes responsibility for the people he’s killed and is defiant when it comes to hiding his relationship with Starlight. Meanwhile, A-Train blames other people for the deaths he’s caused, hid his relationship out of his subservience to Vought, and even went so far as to blame Hughie for Popclaw’s death… even though he was the one who caused her to overdose!

5 Hughie Used To Be The Biggest Fan Of A-Train Before The Incident

There was a time when Hughie used to be one of the many people who worshipped superheroes, with A-Train of all people being his favorite!

That facade surely came crashing down all around him when A-Train rushed through his girlfriend, leaving Robin’s severed arms as the only remnant of what used to be the shining light in Hughie’s life.

4 His Abuse Of Compound V Has Probably Also Slowed Down His Mental Faculties

However, instead of him not having a conscience, perhaps A-Train’s brain has become so rattled after ingesting Compound V that he might not even be capable of complex thoughts in the first place.

After all, he was the first person who could’ve connected the dots when it came to Hughie… but he failed to do so, and has pretty much created the stickiest situation that Vought and The Seven have been thrown into.

3 Being The Fastest Man Alive Means The World To Him

A-Train has a one-track mind, to the point where the only thing that really matters to him is his place in The Seven and the achievement of being the fastest man in the world.

The fact that he killed his girlfriend, abandoned his brother, and pushed his body to the very brink — to the point where he even suffered a heart attack — is proof enough of how superficial A-Train’s goals really are and how far he’s willing to go to achieve them, to the point where he would pretty much ruin all the other sources of happiness in his life as well.

2 He Feels Deeper Remorse For Popclaw’s Death Than He Shows

That being said, A-Train isn’t a complete monster — he genuinely loved Popclaw, and still hasn’t been able to move on from her death… although he did end up blaming Hughie to completely avoid the guilt associated with killing the person he loves.

It might not be much… but it’s the slightest evidence that indicates that A-Train is not a complete psycho… although that doesn’t really do much for his morality.

1 He’s Extremely Self-Centered And Lacks Awareness Of Most Of His Own Actions

A-Train is easy to hate simply because of this particular character trait of his. We’ve already talked about how he blamed Hughie for Popclaw’s death, even though it was Homelander who told him to do it.

Along with this, he was pretty nonchalant when it came to Robin’s death and never really took responsibility for it, meaning that he’s done things like this countless times.