Volume One: The Name of the Game

**Volume 1: The Name of the Game** is the first volume of Wildstorm/Dynamite's *The Boys* that includes issues 1-6.

## Plot

An Englishman named Billy Butcher sits in the park with his pet bulldog, Terror, and, suddenly, a group of superheroes fly overhead. When he sees a Supe wearing blue and red flying through the sky, Billy says to himself, "I'm gonna fuckin' have you. You cunt." Billy calls Terror and they both leave, with onlookers staring at them, visibly disturbed.

Meanwhile, at a fair in Scotland, local conspiracy theorist Wee Hughie tells his girlfriend Robin Mawhinney about a secret underground hangar with a U.F.O piloted by a pink alien and how they are gay. Robin and Hughie express their love to each other, hold hands, and have their first kiss. Suddenly, a large horned, man is sent flying into Robin and crashes into a nearby brick wall, crushing her to death. A speedster named A-Train suddenly appears and tells Hughie to get out of his way. A devastated Hughie looks down and realizes that he is holding on to Robin's severed arms.

When the paramedics arrive, they treat Hughie, who looks at Robin's corpse, frozen in place with the thousand yard stare. One of them prepares to drug him so he can let go of Robin's arms. A-Train tells the authorities that he pursued the horned man while he was sprinting across the Atlantic and asks where he is. The police tell him that he is in Glasgow, Scotland and rudely tell him to leave him. A-Train prepares to escort the villain, but sees Hughie crying in anguish with paramedics trying to calm him down. A-Train decides that the authorities can deal with the villain and leaves. The paramedics restrain Hughie and prepare to give him another sedative.

Elsewhere, CIA Director Susan Rayner is told by her receptionist that Butcher is here to see her. The receptionist says that he doesn't have an appointment, but has full agency clearance somehow. Rayner says to send him in and hold her calls. When Butcher enters her office, he and Rayner engage in rough intercourse, with Rayner viciously insulting him while Butcher smiles.

When they finish, Rayner asks Butcher if he is here to offer his services. Butcher says that he's here to grant them, causing Rayner to say that he is as arrogant as ever. Butcher says that it works, since she was quick to take off her panties, and Rayner responds by calling him a pig. Butcher cheekily asks if President Dakota Bob ever tried to sleep with her at one of the weekend briefings, but Rayner insists that the President is a man of moral integrity and tells Billy to say what he came here, because she is busy. Butcher asks if there have been any new directives that came out of the Oval Office lately, surprising Rayner that he knew. He says that she should have told him as soon as she heard and asks if she has made any progress on her own lately. Butcher says that the CIA hasn't made any headway against the 200,000 Supes in the world, only knowing the names and headshots of 95% of them. He says that he knows someone who knows them all; The Legend, who won't speak to anyone but him. Butcher tells Rayner to leave it out, and she curses, as she grabs a file labeled "The BOYS"

Butcher insists that Rayner revive them and says that superpowers are the most dangerous power on Earth, and with more superheroes appearing, eventually they will turn on the rest of humanity. Rayner says that Billy made this deal with her predecessor and he needs the CIA's resources and legitimacy to operate. She asks Billy what he has to gain from this, but Butcher says that he is "a bloke in need of a job" Butcher says that the Supes have to be watched and Dakota Bob said it himself. He says that they need someone to watch them or gather intel to blackmail, or even kill a few to keep them from getting too ambitious, which is what his preferred team specializes in. Rayner asks where his teammates are and Butcher explains their whereabouts: Mother's Milk is alright and Butcher will meet up with him tonight, the Frenchman is probably somewhere in the area, talking to himself in a café, the Female has become a hitman for the local mafia, which he learned after hearing reports of a man have his face torn off and stuck in his anus, and they will need a replacement for Greg Mallory, who won't be returning. Rayner recalls that he got Mallory's grandchildren killed. Billy quips that she shouldn't get wet when she mentions it.

In Scotland, a group of Vought representatives and lawyers arrive at Hughie's doorstep and ask if they can come in. A depressed Hughie barely pays attention to the Vought representatives, who offer him compensation in exchange for not pursuing legal action against Vought for Robin's death. They hand Hughie a contract and leave his home. Hughie says to himself that he doesn't want compensation, he simply wants Robin back.

Somewhere else, a CIA analyst named Kessler masturbates to a paraplegic woman on his computer, when his receptionist says that Butcher is here to see him. A frightened Kessler attempts to escape by jumping out of his office window, however, Butcher anticipated this and waits for him on the other side with Terror. Butcher addresses him "Monkey" and knees him in the testicles. Butcher says that he's back and things will be like they used to, while Kessler squeals in agony. Butcher tells Kessler to have his girl make him a cup of tea and then, he will look at his files.

In Kessler's office, Butcher looks through Kessler's documents on his computer and says that the Supes are becoming increasingly careless and causing more collateral damage recently: Incineron getting shot down down over a small Colombian village, the Seven making a donation to the government, and FARC recruitment has increased dramatically. Billy sees a picture on the screen and asks Kessler who is this person. Kessler says that he was apart an incident last week and, yesterday, lawyers went to see him and he signed the release without a fight. Billy says that he never even mentioned money, which is usually the first thing "they start screamin' about" Kessler asks why he needs a team of five people and says that The Female would suffice. Butcher says he wants five and that's it, and reminds Kessler not to question him. It is revealed that the person they are discussing is none other than Hughie.

Later, we see Hughie sitting by himself in a park. He says to himself that Robin's death wasn't fair and that the world took his happiness away just when things were looking good for once, before crying. Suddenly, Billy Butcher and Terror arrive at the same park and sit next to Hughie.

## Credits

* Wee Hughie (6/6)
* Homelander (5/6)
* Mother's Milk (5/6)
* The Frenchman (4/6)
* The Female (4/6)
* Starlight (4/6)

* A-Train (5/6)
* Black Noir (4/6)
* Queen Maeve (4/6)
* Susan Rayner (3/6)
* The Deep (3/6)
* Jack from Jupiter (3/6)
* Blarney Cock (3/6)
* Victor Neuman (1/6)

* Shout Out (3/6)
* Big Game (3/6)
* Dogknott (3/6)
* Whack Job (3/6)
* Gunpowder (3/6)
* Popclaw (3/6)
* Robin Mawhinney (1/6)
* Kessler (1/6)
* Benjamin (1/6)
* Janine (1/6)
* Jamie (1/6)
* Drummer Boy (1/6)
* Adam Fleisher (1/6)
* James Stillwell (1/6)

## Deaths

* Robin Mawhinney
* Blarney Cock
* At least 4 unnamed gang members