Jonah Vogelbaum

*For the Dynamite version of the character, see Jonah Vogelbaum/Comics.*

―Jonah Vogelbaum[src]

**Jonah Vogelbaum** is a recurring antagonist in *The Boys*. He was a retired Vought scientist and Homelander's father figure. During his time at Vought, he oversaw the training of Homelander, as well as being one of the scientists involved in Becca Butcher's pregnancy with Homelander's child Ryan.

After he retired from Vought, Vogelbaum began to question his methods that resulted in the behavior of his creations, especially his involvement in creating Homelander. Realizing that despite how perfect a creation can be, it isn't enough. That without a mother and a family, a subject can become violent, aggressive, and downright hateful. He came to realize that, in Homelander, he had created a sociopath with the powers of a god: able to do anything, and heedless to the harm he might cause. Despite these realizations, he knew it was too little, too late to fix any of it. At the end of his life, he was just an old man thinking about his past regrets and mistakes.

## *The Boys* Series

### Testing phase

Vogelbaum first appears in a flashback Homelander has when staring at his old childhood blanket. Vogelbaum is seen looking through a window into a testing lab room. He proceeds to make faces at a young Homelander, cheering him up. Despite the simple positive gesture and kindness, the scene reveals how isolated Homelander was in his early life, and what laid the foundation for the person he is today.

### The Visit

When Homelander pays him a visit to uncover the truth about what Vought has kept hidden from him, Vogelbaum reveals that Becca Butcher was pregnant with Homelander's child. Vogelbaum says "(the baby) Lived all of 10 seconds. Drowned in its mother's blood." He then proceeds to express his regret about being responsible for turning John into Homelander. Despite Vogelbaum's attempt to apologize, Homelander thinks otherwise, believing himself to be the world's greatest superhero.

Later on, in You Found Me, when Homelander is confronting Billy Butcher, it is revealed that after Homelander got Stillwell's side of the story he went back to Vogelbaum and pressed (and paralyzed) him for information.

### Season 2

It was confirmed in a news article that Vogelbaum was paralyzed by an accident and retired from CSO of Vought as a result. However the article is another lie about Homelander "squeezing the truth" from him.

Vogelbaum reappears in Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker when Grace Mallory approaches Vogelbaum at his home and asks for his assistance to testify for them against Vought. However Vogelbaum refuses, believing it will only endanger the lives of his daughter and family. Grace understands that feeling and decides to leave without any further questions, however Vogelbaum is then met with the arrival of Billy Butcher. Butcher asks Vogelbaum about Homelander, Vogelbaum reveals that growing up, Homelander used to look up to Vogelbaum as a father-figure and was a sweet child. That is, until Vogelbaum started experimenting on Homelander and being harsh with him in order to turn him into the strongest man alive. Butcher uses that to confront Vogelbaum for helping Vought keep Rebecca and her son a secret from him. Vogelbaum attempts to express his regrets, but Butcher gives him no sympathy. Vogelbaum tries to convince Butcher to let him go, so as not to endanger his family, however Butcher states that his family is in danger either way. He tells Vogelbaum that he'll kill his daughter, two sons, daughters-in-law, and all his grandchildren unless Vogelbaum changes his mind and agrees to help. Horrified by Butcher's violent nature, Vogelbaum is threatened into agreeing to testify.

Vogelbaum appears at the Congress court hearings to testify for The Boys. Before he is sworn in as a witness though, he is killed when his head explodes abruptly along with the heads of many others present.

## Trivia

* Unlike his comics counterpart, Vogelbaum did not invent Compound V nor did he test it on Stormfront.