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| “ | You're not defined by what's happened to you. You are what you do. | „ |
| ~ Luke to Marie Moreau |
Luke Riordan, known by his superhero alias Golden Boy, is one of the two overarching protagonists (alongside Andre Anderson) of the 2023 Amazon Prime TV series Gen V, a spinoff series of The Boys.
He is a top-ranked student at Godolkin University and Professor Brinkerhoff's protégé, who was set to join The Seven after graduating from Godolkin, until he used his powers to take his own life.
His murder-suicide of Professor Brink is the inciting incident that leads heroes-in-training Marie Monreau, Andre Anderson, Cate Dunlap, and Emma Meyer to investigate "The Woods," an underground research facility beneath Godolkin University where young supes, including Luke's brother Sam, are kidnapped and experimented on.
He was portrayed by Patrick Schwarzenegger, the son of iconic actor and bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Personality[]
Golden Boy, the top student at Godolkin University, is known for being friendly and popular. He doesn't consider himself superior to others, despite his high ranking. Luke is a great friend, known for his humor and kindness. He quickly formed a bond with Marie Moreau, who confided in him about her parents' deaths.
Luke is caring and protective, especially of his younger brother, Sam, who was taken to Sage Grove Center and then The Woods. He would visit and defend Sam, even standing up to guards. Learning about Sam's apparent death was devastating for Luke. The experiments he underwent caused hallucinations and the recovery of erased memories by Cate. This eventually led to tragic consequences, including the death of Brink and an attempt on Marie's life.
While in a hallucination in his brother's broken mind, it can be presumed to be an accurate representation of Luke, as such his anger about learning of his brother's prolonged detainment and torturous experimentation provoked Luke to murder Brink for his part in it; however, despite the righteous anger behind his killing, he ultimately struggled with such immense guilt for taking a life that he committed suicide, showing that he respected the sanctity of life, even when the person had enacted a terrible wrongdoing.
Biography[]
Background[]
Not much is known about Luke's early life. After receiving Compound V as a baby from Vought, he gained superpowers. He later enrolled at Godolkin University, majoring in crimefighting at the Lamplighter School. Luke did exceptionally well in his studies, made many friends, and had a romantic relationship with fellow student and psychic Cate Dunlap.
Gen V[]
Murder-suicide[]
Golden Boy's suit
While being a promising recruit for the Seven as Golden Boy, Luke eventually learned his brother Sam was being held in a secret facility called "the Woods", and goes on a rampage on Godolkin, killing Professor Richard Brinkerhoff and warning his friend Andre Anderson, before committing suicide.
Legacy[]
After Luke's tragic suicide, his devastated friends and girlfriend are forced to witness a cleanup crew disposing of his remains. Indira Shetty, Ashley Barrett, Polarity, and the university's board of trustees come together to create a false story about Luke. They label him as a chronic drug user who experienced a psychotic break to cover up the truth.
The following day, with Cate's help, Andre has a realization about something Luke whispered to him before his death. He rushes to his father's statue and discovers Luke's hidden phone. Together, Andre and Cate return to their dormitories to examine their contents.
Inside Luke's phone, they find a video message left by Luke. In the recording, he urgently explains that his supposedly deceased brother is alive and being held in an underground facility known as "The Woods." Luke reveals disturbing things done to them and implicates Brink's involvement. He expresses his intention to confront Brink and rescue his brother, Sam. Luke concludes the message by apologizing, urging them to save Sam, and expressing his love for Cate and Andre.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
- Thermonuclear Powers: Luke has powerful thermonuclear abilities that allow him to envelop himself in a fiery aura and generate flames. These powers earned him the top spot at Godolkin University and a place in The Seven upon graduation.
- Fire Creation: He can create intense streams of fire from his hands, capable of melting through and setting things on fire.
- Thermokinetic Aura: Luke can surround his entire body with a blazing aura, which he can control in intensity and use to disintegrate objects or people; including himself.
- Fire/Heat Immunity: He is immune to fire and high temperatures, even the flames he produces.
- Thermokinetic Flight: Luke can levitate and fly, utilizing his thermonuclear powers.
- Superhuman Strength: He possesses superhuman strength, allowing him to easily overpower others in physical combat.
- Superhuman Durability: His durability is exceptional, enabling him to withstand attacks from superpowered individuals without injury.
Abilities[]
- Charisma: Luke is known for his charisma, making him very persuasive and likable.
- Combat proficiency: He is an average fighter, having engaged in combat with other students like Jordan Li and The Incredible Steve.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Golden Boy is likely a parody of Marvel's Johnny Storm (the Human Torch) from the Fantastic Four.
- Golden Boy shares his name with a DC Universe character who possessed the ability to turn anything he touched into gold, including his own skin, and with a character from the Wild Card series of novels who has a glowing golden aura surrounding his body if he uses his powers (flight and super strength).
- Showrunners Eric Kripke and Michele Fazekas approached Gen V's pilot episode with Golden Boy's suicide to create a power vacuum. They experimented with dozens of different reasons, but he always killed himself. The mystery with Sam was written afterwards.
- Nick Jonas was in talks to play Golden Boy, but the deal fell through.
- Golden Boy’s death is nearly identical to Lamplighter’s death. Both characters possessed fire-based powers, and both characters used their abilities to ingulf themselves in flames; thus taking their own lives.
External Link[]
- Golden Boy on the Boys Wiki.
- Golden Boy on the Heroes Wiki.
