Obviously, I Know The Boys’ Firecracker Is Fictional — But There’s A Real-Life Inspiration For The Character

Firecracker is a show-only character in The Boys, but she has a real-world inspiration that American viewers, in particular, will be familiar with. The Boys season 4 introduced a lot of new superheroes, from the hyper-intelligent Sister Sage (Susan Heyward) to the monstrous Zoe Neuman (Olivia Morandin) to the crackling Firecracker (Valorie Curry). The roster of superheroes in The Boys only grows larger. Firecracker, or Misty Tucker Gray, first appears in season 4, episode 1, “Department of Dirty Tricks”, in a social media video, talking about the Bible and Jewish people on an Infowars type of show.

Her show is called Truthbomb and is an alt-right internet show that spews conspiracy theories regarding the government and superheroes, using religion and culture wars talking points to drive home her theories. Firecracker’s only power, beyond the requisite super strength and durability, is the ability to create sparks from her palms, a power even she knows is unimpressive. Her real power comes from her ability to stir up vitriol and direct it toward those she doesn’t agree with. It’s an alarmingly realistic power, and one Eric Kripke based on a real U.S. politician and conspiracy theorist.

Eric Kripke Used Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene As Inspiration For Firecracker

Valorie Curry Could Not Believe Her Character’s Lines Were Real

Firecracker is one of many characters in The Boys who doesn’t appear in the comics. She was created specifically for season 4, with showrunner Eric Kripke saying (via Variety),

“Firecracker came from like, “Hey, isn’t Marjorie Taylor Greene scary?” And just that type of personality. Like, you had Trump, but now you have these Trump spawn that are trying to outdo each other for how outrageous and sexualized and gun-toting and slavishly obedient they can be. And just that idea — it wouldn’t just start and end with Homelander, he would start to create these spores that would grow into these other characters, and she’s a version of that.”

Kripke sees Firecracker’s relationship with Homelander (Antony Starr) as similar to the relationship between Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump. Green, or MTG as she’s often known, is a current member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia’s 14th district and a staunch advocate of U.S. President Donald Trump. In an interview in 2023, Greene responded to a question about styling herself off Trump (via CBSNews),

“I didn’t intentionally style myself after President Trump, but I can see how people draw those similarities. We both come from the same industry: construction. I also have pretty much a plain-speaking style and so does he.”

She’s affected the same sort of rhetoric that has been a signature of Trump’s time in politics and has frequently boosted his profile and even compared him to Jesus Christ at one point (via RollingStone),

“The Democrats and the fake news media want to constantly talk about ‘President Trump is a convicted felon’. Well, you want to know something? The man that I worship is also a convicted felon. And he was murdered on a Roman cross.”

Greene is a self-proclaimed Christian Nationalist (via X). Firecracker also models herself on Homelander, wearing red, white, and blue and singing his praises at every opportunity. Curry, who identifies as pansexual, discussed how she got into a character who constantly uses hateful, violent, and dangerous rhetoric, especially against groups that Curry herself identifies with (via TeensInPrint),

“For somebody like Firecracker, who’s probably the most different from me than any character I’ve ever played, that is much more of an instinct for, like, Who is this? Who’s this mask I’m gonna put on? Like, who’s this clown? As opposed to it coming from something internal that feels connected with her. From there, from that kind of intuitive spark of a feeling with a character, then I’ll start to feel into things. I’m really big on writing backstories. I need to know who their parents were? Where did they grow up? What was school like? It’s not just about immediate circumstances. I build a whole history for this person that will inform things I build outward from there…”

When it came to the awful things her character had to say, Curry was concerned about how ridiculous some of her lines sounded. When she asked Kripke about a line in particular (via THR),

“He’d tell me, ‘That’s actually a direct quote [from a politician].”

Like MTG, Firecracker also engages in conspiracy theories, and throughout The Boys season 4, she makes outlandish claims, such as accusing Starlight (Erin Moriarty) of being a pedophile and that Hollywood elites are part of the deep state. Greene has shared numerous debunked conspiracy theories, including, most recently, that an illegal immigrant was responsible for the January 1 New Orleans terrorist attack, it was a U.S. citizen (via FactCheck), and that “they” can control the weather and hurricanes; she failed to define who “they” were (via FactCheck).

Related

The Boys Season 4’s New Characters, Ranked Worst To Best

The Boys season 4 took some major steps towards the show’s final outing in season 5, introducing pivotal new characters, largely supporting the supes.

There are some alarming similarities between Firecracker in The Boys and MTG in real life. As The Boys season 5 approaches, and as Greene continues to link herself closely with the Trump administration, there could be more instances of her actions ported onto the show. For instance, in March 2025, MTG urged the Department of Justice to probe into Tesla protesters and vandalism, which would put her in violation of the House’s code of conduct, as she owns between $7,400 and $116,000 in Tesla stock (via Forbes).

Firecracker Shares A Lot Of Similarities With The X-Men Hero, Jubilee

There Are Several X-Men Comparisons In The Boys And Gen V

Beyond Marjorie Taylor Greene, Firecracker also seems to be a parody of the X-Men character, Jubilee. She’s also an orphan, and while Firecracker did grow up with her birth parents, she also suffered a lonely and difficult childhood. Like Firecracker, Jubilee can create fiery explosions with her hands, and like Firecracker, her powers are often the subject of ridicule by characters in her universe, and by fans. However, in later X-Men comics, it’s suggested that Jubilee suppresses her powers and could actually be a particularly strong mutant.

When Firecracker meets Sister Sage, she tells her that her true strength lies in her physical power, suggesting she may be holding back some of her abilities in the same way Jubilee does. One of their differences is that Jubilee is generally depicted as Asian American; and as a racist, xenophobe, Firecracker might not appreciate that comparison. The superheroes in The Boys are generally based off classic superheroes, mostly from Marvel and DC, but some characters have close one-to-one inspirations. While the X-Men constitute just about every possible superpower, some of The Boys characters appear directly inspired by the team.

Starlight appears to be inspired by Northstar, one of the first openly gay superheroes in American comic books, and Aurora, Northstar’s twin sister, who are both part of the X-Men. Translucent’s (Alex Hassell) indestructible skin seems to be based on Emma Frost’s powers. Popclaw (Brittany Allen) has bone spikes similar to Wolverine’s. Kimiko’s animalistic fury is also reminiscent of Wolverine and Sabretooth. A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) is based on X-Men speedster Quicksilver. Doppelganger is a Mystique-based hero.

Gen V has even more X-Men tie-ins, with young superheroes learning to control their powers at a bizarro version of Charles Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, Godolkin University. Students with X-Men-like powers include Andre Anderson (the late Chance Perdomo) as Magneto and Cate Dunlap (Maddie Phillips) as a character similar to Rogue, Jean Grey, and even Charles Xavier.

What’s Next For Firecracker In The Boys Season 5

Firecracker Is Homelander’s Number 2

At the end of The Boys season 4, Firecracker is in a better position than just about anyone else in the show. She has hitched herself to the right horse in Homelander and, thanks to the lactation medicine she’s on, she is Homelander’s favorite. As the finale ends with the Boys being arrested and captured, Firecracker hosts Truthbomb, celebrating the new world order and welcoming everyone to a world where peace and order is restored.

She tears up as she says, “With Homelander’s guidance, we will all come together in unity. We will make America strong again. Proud again. And most of all, we will make America super again.” Though she is a totally loyal disciple of Homelander’s, we all know how Homelander treats those close to him. Whether she feels his wrath or gets her just punishment from someone else, it’s going to be immensely satisfying. Valorie Curry is fantastic as Firecracker, and it’s such a good acting job that I cannot wait for her to meet her end in The Boys.

TV Show

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The Boys

7/10

Release Date

July 25, 2019

Showrunner

Eric Kripke

Writers

Eric Kripke

Franchise(s)

The Boys