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NOTE: This article is only for the TV version of Black Noir. To see the article for the original version of him, go to Black Noir (comics). For information about his successor, see Black Noir II.
Villain Overview

It means that lately, some of you have been, eh, a little out of sorts. Erratic. Unreliable. Downright sloppy. Not you, Noir, you've been great.
~ The Homelander about The Seven and to Black Noir.
Black Noir: So, listen, if I'm gonna take a more central role on the team, then I want to lose the mask.
Stan Edgar: Silent ninjas score extremely high with boys seven to ten years old. The mask lends a certain mystique.
Black Noir: Well, f*ck mystique. People don't even know it's me under this thing. I got to wear it just to get a cab.
~ Black Noir and Stan Edgar.
Soldier Boy: What the f*ck is this?
Black Noir: Something we should have done a long time ago, you piece of shit!
~ Black Noir, along with the rest of Payback against Soldier Boy, also his last words before Soldier Boy caused him mental damage.

Earving, better known as Black Noir, is a major antagonist in the 2019 Amazon TV adaptation of the comic book series The Boys.

A deeply psychologically damaged and traumatised villain, Noir was violently beaten to near death and burnt alive by Soldier Boy for betraying him. Surviving the fight, he lost the ability to see in one of his eyes, think cognitively and talk at all, rendering him with the same mental age as a small child. Due to this, Noir perfectly follows the orders of his boss, rendering him as one of the most deadly characters in the series.

His superstrength and heightened senses are matched only by his proficiency in the martial arts. Criminals run in terror at the mere mention of his name. Noir is also a former member of Payback who was rendered disfigured and mute by his former team leader-turned-archenemy Soldier Boy after plotting to kill him with the rest of his teammates during a mission with the American military.

He was portrayed by Nathan Mitchell, who also portrays Black Noir II on the same series. A younger version of him was portrayed by Fritzy-Klevans Destine.

Personality[]

No one really knows you, Earving. But we know how sensitive and scared you are. It's okay. Bravery isn't having no fear; bravery is having fear, but you do it anyway.
~ Black Noir's imaginary friends giving him comfort

Prior to joining the Seven, Black Noir was an aspiring actor who had dreams of starring in his own movie as well as wanting to show his face publicly, something that Stan Edgar advised him not to do in order to keep his "quiet ninja" public image. Noir's aspirations of being an actor were also constantly shot down by his leader, Soldier Boy, who constantly belittled and bullied him throughout his time in Payback. This abuse would lead to Noir developing a hatred for Soldier Boy, which culminated in a revenge plan against him, plotted by the other members of Payback and Stan Edgar. During his fight with Soldier Boy, Noir would get brain damage that would eventually lead to him becoming mute and disfigured.

Noir-friends-1300x754

Black Noir alongside his imaginary friends.

Black Noir seems to be the lone silent type and is somewhat socially withdrawn from other members of The Seven, though he does appear to have a sort of friendship with Homelander. He never speaks but is apparently very in touch with his emotions, as he was shown to be very distraught with the revelation that he and all the other Supes weren't born with their powers, causing him to cry through his mask. Despite being a fierce fighter and rarely ever showing his emotions, he is apparently not as ruthless as some of the other Seven members. Upon eliminating Naqib, Noir finds a little boy in his pajamas, grabs a nearby stuffed animal, plays with it in front of the boy, and just heads out. He also apparently has a soft spot for animals and was genuinely shocked and heartbroken to see a whale beached and killed at the hands of Billy Butcher. These humanizing and sympathetic factors make him the polar opposite in terms of personality from his original comic book counterpart.

Besides showing himself as a stoic and silent figure, Black Noir has a very fragile psyche. He's shown to be a very submissive and loyal henchman to Vought and especially Homelander, whom he seems to deeply respect and trust. This lapdog behaviour seems to stem from his abuse at the hands of Soldier Boy during his time on Payback, which also led to him developing an everlasting hatred towards him. In episode 7 of season 3, it's revealed that Noir has imaginary friends in the form of the cast of Buster Beaver's Pizza Restaurant, who appear to give him comfort and encouragement when he's down. It is also possible that his hallucinatory imaginations are a form of coping for the trauma he has experienced throughout his life, particularly for the abuse he suffered under Soldier Boy. They even appeared to him as he was dying to commend him for his bravery and wish him a peaceful afterlife.

While rarely evident, he seemed to be religious, holding a Christian faith, which is clear as, when he is dying, his imaginary friends comfort him by saying that he will be meeting Jesus Christ soon. His faith may also be another factor in why he was so devastated by the revelation of Compound V; he may have believed that he was "chosen" by God, only to learn it was nothing but a heartless science experiment, thus robbing him of that sense of self-worth, much like Soldier Boy's torment had done.

Biography[]

Background[]

Little is known of Black Noir's true origins, life, or even his identity prior to joining The Seven. However, it is said that he was once a ninja trained by a masterful sensei during his youth, but it simply could be another origin story manufactured by Vought for the public, making Noir's real origins a complete mystery.

Before he was a member of the Seven, he served on the superhero team Payback, alongside Crimson Countess, Gunpowder, Swatto, Mindstorm, and the TNT Twins. It is shown that Black Noir was talkative and outgoing in his youth, contrary to his now-stern and mysterious persona. He is also a close friend of Stan Edgar. Payback's leader, Soldier Boy, was frequently abusive towards the members of the team, including Noir, who took away his chance of becoming an actor. Fed up with his constant abuse, Noir hatched a plan with his comrades, sans Gunpowder, to sell out Soldier Boy to the Russians; this was also facilitated by Vought, who had already planned to introduce a replacement more powerful than Soldier Boy himself, Homelander.

In 1984, Payback staged their plan during the CIA-sanctioned Operation Charly in Nicaragua, under the ruse that it was a Contra-allied drug trafficking operation, to help in their fight against the Soviets. When the Russians were alerted, Payback killed both the attacking enemies and their fellow rebels to ensure there were no witnesses. When Noir and Payback revealed their betrayal, Soldier Boy attacked and heavily injured Black Noir, resulting in him having half his face mutilated when his face was seared against the hood of a burning car, losing a part of his brain, and damaging his larynx, leaving him unable to speak. However, the mission was successful, and Soldier Boy was captured.

The Boys Presents: Diabolical[]

During Homelander's debut in The Seven, Stan Edgar makes Homelander bring Black Noir to the stage, where the ninja gathers more applause, much to Homelander's ire. When Madelyn Stillwell warns Homelander that Edgar merely put Black Noir there to spy on him, make sure he follows orders and takes him out if he doesn't. True to her word, when she leaves, Homelander catches Black Noir spying on them.

After Homelander panics and kills members of the CLF who have taken the workers of a power plant hostage, he is confronted by Black Noir. Though he tries to justify it at first, Homelander concludes that Black Noir would use the incident to get him thrown out of the Seven and tries to kill him. Black Noir tries to get Homelander to stop by waving his hands in a ceasefire gesture, but the latter refuses to listen, forcing them to fight. Despite Homelander's immense power, Black Noir is able to hold his own by throwing knives and smoke pellets.

Eventually, Black Noir tricks by taking one of the surviving CLF members, tying him up, using a smoke pellet, and making Homelander believe the hostage was him, causing him to use his heat vision on one of the reactors, destroying the entire power plant. After the surviving worker tries to crawl away from Homelander, Black Noir emerges from the debris, but before he can kill them both, Black Noir lifts her up and snaps her neck, shocking Homelander. Black Noir approaches Homelander and draws on a notepad an unknown message, which finally gets Homelander to finally see him as a non-threat. The two later join a press conference and blame the destruction on a bomb the CLF had, to which Black Noir holds his hand to his face in grief. Later, as Homelander tells Stillwell that she was wrong about Black Noir, the ninja lurks behind them and drinks a hot beverage.

The Boys[]

Season 1[]

In the present day, Black Noir is a feared member of The Seven, often used for his expert combat skills and extraordinary strength. Black Noir is one of the only people who has come face-to-face with The Female and lived. In "The Female of the Species," he was able to fight on par with The Female, perhaps only due to her weakened state. Furthermore, he is able to strike fear into the hearts of the public, putting Frenchie and Cherie into a panic after noticing him outside of their flat.

Season 2[]

In his first appearance in the second season, he violently murders the Supe terrorist Naqib and several others present. He is shown displaying a dark sense of humor when he walks up to a child carrying Naqib's head, then picks up a plush rabbit and toys with it. He is then seen with The Seven as they hunt down The Boys and briefly gasps upon the sight of the dead whale washed up. After the news of Compound V was revealed to the public, Black Noir was seen sitting against the wall, sobbing at the notion of Compound V. However, not long after, Stan Edgar personally tasks Noir to hunt down Billy Butcher, and he does so by intimidating Anika.

Once spotting Butcher near Becca's home, Noir immediately hunts him down and tracks him all the way to Judy's house, where he gets tricked into breaking into her home only to be blown up by a bomb implanted by Butcher, Hughie, and Marvin. Though severely burned, Noir exhibits no sign of pain and quickly attacks the three of them. However, Butcher warns him that if he kills all three of them, information regarding Homelander and his illegitimate son will be leaked to the media and the public. Noir proceeds to choke Butcher against the wall, only to receive a phone call from Stan Edgar, who negotiates a deal to have Noir spare Butcher, Hughie, and Marvin's lives in exchange for Butcher keeping the secret. After the deal's been made, Black Noir lets go of Butcher and leaves the scene.

Some time afterwards, Vought, upon discovering Starlight's secret alliance with The Boys, sent Black Noir to capture both Starlight and her mother and lock them up in different cells at Vought Tower's anti-Supe fortress. However, due to an alarm set off by Lamplighter after he burned himself to death, Starlight is able to escape but is soon ruthlessly attacked by Noir, who easily overpowers her. As he is choking her to the brink of death, however, Queen Maeve appears and briefly unmasks Noir, revealing a hideously deformed face before immediately shoving an Almond Joy chocolate bar into his mouth, weakening him as it is revealed by Maeve that Noir is actually allergic to peanuts as he desperately tries to reach his EpiPen, prompting Maeve to kick it away from him.

The next day, it is revealed by Stormfront that Noir is unresponsive and currently being treated by Vought’s medical staff.

Season 3[]

A year later, a fully recovered Black Noir sneakily attacks Maeve after Homelander accuses her of treason and locks her in a high-security cell below Vought Tower. When he finds out that Soldier Boy has escaped from his imprisonment in Russia, Noir tries to get away quickly out of fear of retaliation from his former leader, only to cross paths with a distraught Homelander, who demands both advice, though Noir is unable to speak while thanking him for always being there for him. Alone again, Black Noir enters the elevator, pulls out one of his knives, and sticks it in his wrist, which he opens wide enough to remove his tracking chip, under the eyes of an employee whose face is spattered with blood.

For the next few days, Black Noir remains hidden from view. Recently hidden in the abandoned Buster Beaver pizzeria, he receives a visit from his imaginary friends, the anthropomorphic animals serving as the pizzeria's mascot. Buster fully understands his fear but encourages him to confront Soldier Boy, but Noir turns his back on them in disapproval. Later, Beaver attempts to comfort Black Noir by showing him a small performance performed by the other animals depicting his life as a member of the Payback. Seeing Soldier Boy violently abuse again, just because he challenged his demeaning opinion puts Noir in an anxious state; and then the next recreation of when Payback betrayed Soldier Boy, which upset him when it replayed the moment his violent team leader crushed his brain and disfigured him. His friends then remind him of all the times they've been there for him since he was a kid and how much they know what a sensitive and scared person Black Noir is. Buster reminding him that courage is to face his fears, Black finally comes out of his frightened phase.

Back in the Vought Building, Black Noir begins to sketch his blades in preparation for the upcoming fight against Soldier Boy. Homelander jokes that his weapons will never be able to penetrate Soldier Boy's skin, prompting Noir to sketch more. Homelander asked Noir what Soldier Boy was like, which Noir answered by writing "BAD"; when Homelander noted that nobody could be all bad, Noir simply underlines the word to reinforce his explanation. Homelander then solemnly reveals that Soldier Boy is his father, but Noir insists that Soldier Boy must die. Homelander then revealed that thanks to his x-ray vision, he had always been able to see Noir's face, detailing about how he could read every expression and nuance, thereby can tell if he were to ever lie. So, Homelander asks his old friend if he knew Soldier Boy was his father and knew he was alive during the decades they'd known each other. Black Noir sadly admits he knew this, and it causes the final breaking point for an upset Homelander, who hugged him, but then brutally eviscerates Noir, via punch into the stomach. Falling to the ground and dying, Black Noir is comforted by his imaginary friends before finally passing away.

In preparation for Soldier Boy's possibly antagonistic arrival, Homelander gathered the remaining members of the Seven. He presented Noir's mask to threaten and intimidate them into never defying or lying to him, while also noting that Noir was worth more than any of his peers, even altogether.

Season 4[]

Black Noir's death was covered up by Vought and he was replaced, which was easier due to his real face never being public knowledge. Homelander showed a rare level of remorse, as while he doesn't regret killing him, he missed his competency and abilities; as well as him finding the new Black Noir II annoying.

When Black Noir II expressed disgust with the murders he was forced to be involved with, the Deep attempted to argue away his morality in a story in which Black Noir achieved sexual gratification from violence and murder; however, due to Noir's brain damage leaving him with childlike innocence and the fact that Deep's claim of being his best friend was unequivocally false, this posthumous portrayal of him being a sadistic monster was most likely inaccurate.

Powers and Abilities[]

Powers[]

  • Superhuman Strength: Black Noir possesses significant superhuman strength. He was able to trade blows with and significantly harm Kimiko in their confrontation (and even disembowel her). During his mission to assassinate Naqib, he ripped a man's head open by prying his jaws apart. His strength allowed him to completely overpower Starlight, who can punch through brick and easily lift a car, throwing her around like a rag doll and smashing her through concrete.
  • Superhuman Durability: Black Noir is more resilient than normal humans, which notably allowed him to withstand the superhuman strength of Kimiko without issue. His sturdiness also allowed him to survive Naqib's self-detonated explosion at point-blank range without even being moved and only suffer burn marks to half his face and chest. He later survived several explosions in Judy's home without being deterred. However, Noir is not indestructible, as Hughie was able to shoot through the palm of his hand with a pistol at point blank and as Homelander was able to kill him by ripping out his guts after punching his chest.
  • Superhuman Speed: According to Mother's Milk, Black Noir can outrun a car.
    • Superhuman Agility: Black Noir has also displayed impressive, borderline superhuman acrobatic skills, as displayed when he confronted Frenchie and Kimiko. He climbed on top of a roof without any effort. During his first mission with Homelander, he was able to acrobatically evade the latter's heat vision.
    • Superhuman Reflexes: Noir was able to catch a glass before it hit the ground, just after he sliced a woman's throat with his dagger, all at great speed.
  • Superhuman Hearing: Black Noir possesses highly acute, superhuman hearing that aids him in his fight against crime. He tracked Butcher from Becca's house and detected the Boys in a hidden room when Terror barked, giving away their position.
  • Regenerative Healing Factor: Noir has been visibly injured several times in the course of the series but seems to bounce back almost instantly, most recently when Hughie shot him in the hand at close range and the bullet went straight through his palm with a visible plume of blood. He later knocked Butcher back several feet with a single swipe and held him up against a wall with the same hand. He isn't even bleeding. Although, as we see in Season 2, the scars from burns and injuries stay on him permanently. Also, it can't heal serious brain damage.
  • Pain Suppression: Black Noir seems to be completely immune to pain, or has developed a great tolerance for it, as he doesn't react when Naqib uses his self-detonation, leaving him with severe burns on his head and chest, or when Hughie shoots through his hand at point blank. He also did not show any discomfort when he cut out his tracking chip from his wrist. (Granted, being mute might indicate that he just had a tolerance since he was incapable of verbalising his agony).
  • Longevity: Black Noir has been active since the 80s; however, he moves and fights like he's in the prime of his life. But he'd have to be in his late 50s at the very least in the present day, making him the oldest of the Seven by at least 20 years. He likely ages differently thanks to Compound V, but it's unknown if he's ageless like Soldier Boy and Stormfront or simply long-lived.

Abilities[]

  • Master Martial Artist: Black Noir is an expert hand-to-hand combatant, highly trained in various forms of martial arts. According to his bio, he is a ninja and a lethal warrior who is proficient in martial arts, having been trained by a sensei to make him a dealer of death. He defeated Kimiko during their confrontation, placing his power well above thugs and trained policemen. During his mission to assassinate Naqib, he stealthily eliminated several terrorists. He later held his own against the majority of the Boys and easily beat Starlight in a fight, and he would have knocked her out if Queen Maeve had not intervened.
    • Expert Assassin: Noir is a highly skilled assassin. He is very proficient at killing whoever Vought orders him to assassinate. He effectively killed Naqib, decapitating him. He also overpowered The Female, and if it weren't for her regenerative healing factor, Noir would've killed her.
    • Bladesmanship: Black Noir has great skill in throwing daggers and using them in close combat. This allowed him to harm Kimiko. During his mission to assassinate Naqib, he took down numerous guards by slicing their throats and impaling them. He also decapitated Naqib.
  • Intimidation: Black Noir is deeply feared by criminals, the Boys, and even his fellow superheroes and the general public at times. Even Butcher, who is one of the very few people who aren't scared of Homelander, is noticeably worried when he realizes Black Noir is spying on him and the Boys. Noir is even more feared than Homelander (in general) due to the public being unaware of Homelander's true nature, which gives the boys a flaw to exploit. The Boys have nothing to bargain with when it comes to Black Noir, as he is such a mysterious character that their threats and bribes have no effect on him. Butcher was only able to call him off by blackmailing Stan Edgar, not Noir himself.
  • Stealth Mastery: Noir is usually used as a spy. He takes out an entire terrorist compound by himself without being detected until the end. He later ambushes Starlight in the middle of a lit hallway without her noticing him.
  • Expert Pilot: Black Noir is a very experienced pilot.
  • Skilled Musician: Black Noir is a highly skilled, if not concert-level, pianist. He is able to play Chopin's Minute Waltz from memory.
  • Acting: Like most Supes, Black Noir has participated in the production of many films. In the seventh episode of the third season, Here Comes a Candle to Light You to Bed, it's revealed that Noir attempted to make it big as a comedy actor in Beverley Hills Cop. These dreams were ruined due to Soldier Boy spreading false information about Noir to Don Simpson.

Weakness[]

  • Nut allergy: Despite his superhuman endurance and stamina, he was allergic to nuts, which would trigger a reaction that would bypass his supe abilities, send him into shock, and - if he failed to use his Epi-Pen in time - he would fall into a coma for an indiscernible period of time, until he could recover through medication and rest.

Trivia[]

  • Black Noir is a parody of Batman.
    • His costume design and muteness also bring to mind Snake Eyes (Stan referencing Ninjas in "Payback" could also be a reference to this).
    • Additionally, his nickname "Silent Knight" might be a reference to Batman's moniker of "the Dark Knight".
    • He may also be a parody of Deadpool in the series, as they both share the same weaponry and costume resemblance, as well as having a disfigured face.
      • On a side note, Deadpool is extremely talkative, while Black Noir is the complete opposite. Furthermore, the jokes surrounding him are far more subtle.
  • Noir means "black" in French, which means his name is literally Black Black. Noir can also refer to the noir crime genre, which could tie in with Noir being a parody of heroes like Batman.
  • He appeared in a bonus episode of DEATH BATTLE, as a guest commentator and is there to intimidate Wiz and Boomstick. He strangles Wiz for suggesting Vought is lying about Homelander being a hero.
  • Although Noir was one of the only people Homelander respected and considered a friend it’s seems this is no longer the case as of Season 4. Homelander disrespectfully replaced him with another Supe and had them where his old outfit to impersonate him which completely desecrates his memory. He also didn’t even bother mentioning the original Noir and made no mention of missing him or showing ongoing remorse for his death.

External Links[]

Navigation[]

           The Boys Villains Villains

The Boys
Billy Butcher (Joe Kessler) | Frenchie

The Seven
Current Members
Homelander | The Deep | Black Noir II | Sister Sage | Firecracker
Former Members
Queen Maeve | Black Noir | A-Train | Translucent | Lamplighter | Stormfront

Vought International
Madelyn Stillwell | Jonah Vogelbaum | Stan Edgar | Ashley Barrett | Frederick Vought | Victoria Neuman | Black-Ops Soldiers

Payback
Soldier Boy | Crimson Countess | Black Noir | Gunpowder | Mindstorm | TNT Twins

Godolkin University
Faculty
Thomas Godolkin | Richard Brinkerhoff | Indira Shetty | Edison Cardosa | Jeff Pitikarski
Students
Cate Dunlap | Sam Riordan | Rufus | Golden Boy
Alumni
Queen Maeve | The Deep | A-Train | Tek Knight | Blue Hawk | Black Noir II

Shining Light Liberation Army
Kenji Miyashiro | Tala

Others
Supes
Big Game | Doppelgänger | Naqib | Ezekiel | Mesmer | Popclaw | Love Sausage | Cindy | Ground Hawk | Superbrain | Ghost | Kingdom | Aqua Agua | Boombox | Boobie Face | Mo-Slo | Big | Human Tounge | Papers | Picante Balls | Fang | Flashback | The Narrator | Termite | Blue Hawk | Tek Knight | Zoe Neuman | Splinter | Shapeshifter
Humans
Alastair Adana | Tommy Peterson | Oswald Deneeka | Sam Butcher | Steven Calhoun | Little Nina | Ted and Janet Riordan

See Also
The Boys Villains (Comic Book)

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