The Boys has received a successful and popular spin-off with Gen V. The series has experienced a significant story twist in the current second season, where the creators initially feared you would recognize it from afar.
Warning Spoiler: We reveal an important twist in the story of Gen V in the article. If you haven’t seen the second season, especially episode 7, it’s better to stop reading.
The Boys received its own spin-off, Gen V, in 2023 with the first season. This takes place before the fourth season of the main series and tells the story of a group of students being trained to become superheroes at the Godolkin University Schooler of Crimefighting – short God U.
On September 17, 2025, the second season premiered and is currently on episode 7. This included the biggest twist in the story so far.
Who is Cipher?
What was the twist? The twist concerns the new head of the university, who goes by the name Cipher. His special power is controlling other people. Soon, many viewers likely wondered what was going on with the character and whether he was hiding a secret.
This has now been revealed: Cipher essentially does not exist. He is being used as a puppet by the presumed-dead and severely burned Thomas Godolkin himself. Like a parasite, Godolkin has nested himself in the body of a man named Doug and uses him as a host.
Thomas survived the fire that left him severely disfigured. Meanwhile, the character Marie is attempting to restore his body so he can help the young students in their fight against Cipher: It’s unfortunate that she only ensured that Godolkin in his original form regains power.
The show’s runners feared before the broadcast that many fans could guess this twist.
What do the creators of the series say? Michelle Fazekas is the showrunner behind Gen V and spoke with Entertainment Weekly about the twist:
We sprinkle in small clues that can be recognized in hindsight. Even the fact that this guy drinks disgusting shakes with chicken and other ingredients has a reason: He tastes nothing. He doesn’t care about this body. He just tries to keep it alive to achieve his goal.
Those who paid close attention may have become suspicious while watching and suspected that something was wrong with Cipher. The charred body in his room could have been a clue. Whether that means they guessed the twist directly is another question that has occupied Michelle Fazekas and her team:
We were afraid that everyone would figure it out. I believe some people will figure it out. I don’t know if you can guess that it is actually the same person, that this guy is just some guy. He is basically just a body that [Godolkin] has tried out.
It will be exciting to see how the series develops after this twist. What about you? Have you seen the episode and were you surprised by the twist? Or did you see it coming from miles away? Please share your impressions in the comments. On MeinMMO, we have wondered who among the superheroes from The Boys is the strongest: The 10 strongest ‘superheroes’ from The Boys in the power ranking
