The Boysis one of the finest comic book adaptations on the small screen, but it’s far from the most faithful. The show treats the original source material like a bucket of ideas to mold into a new story. Every element of the series improves on the comic, with very few exceptions. One of the strangest changes comes in the cast of the titular Boys. Marvin “Mothers” Milk fits perfectly into the series, but his story bears little resemblance to the one in the comics.
Fans have been speculating about Mother’s Milk sinceThe Boysseason fourhit the screen. Laz Alonso portrays M.M. inThe Boys. Between the third and fourth season, Alonso lost a lot of weight and shaved his beard. This has prompted many to believe they’ve spotted a subtle recast, but Laz Alonso is still very much in the role. It’s a bizarre confluence of misconceptions that has placed Mother’s Milk in the trending search terms surrounding this series for several days.
Season one, episode three: “Get Some”
Portrayed By
Laz Alonso
Martin became a combat medic in the Marines. His career in helping others and doting nature led either his fellow Marines or CIA cohorts todub him “Mother’s” Milk, a name that stuck. M.M. left the Marines after knocking out his racist commanding officer. Grace Mallory, deputy director of the CIA, scouted M.M. for his kindness, experience, and well-known grudge against Vought. He joined the Boys as a de facto second-in-command. Milk is the heart of the team, providing wisdom, sympathy, and level-headed strategic advice to counter Billy Butcher’s intensity. The group later disbanded after the deaths of Mallory’s grandchildren at the hands of the supe Lamplighter. Milk became a counselor for children in a Youth Detention Center, got married, and had a daughter.When Butcher returned tobring Milk into the new Boys, he rejoined despite the toll it would take on his family. He’s still the heart of the team, though the CIA has reassumed command and installed him as the leader, tossing Butcher aside.
Who is Mother’s Milk inThe Boyscomic?
The comic version of Mother’s Milk has some elements in common, but he is a very different character. His real name is Baron Wallis. He’s the franchise’s first natural-born superhero. Baron’s mother worked in a factory that usedto handle Compound V. She became infected with the substance, causing strange effects on her children. Her first son, Michael, suffered from congenital mental disabilities. Baron developed superpowers, but he would require a constant supply of V to survive. He received that consistent influx by drinking his mother’s breastmilk, thus earning the nickname “Mother’s Milk.” His father sued Vought for causing his sons' disabilities, much like in the TV show, but he saw more success in the comic. Baron’s father died after winning a case against Vought. M.M. became a successful boxer while in the Army Rangers, but his enhanced strength caused him to kill an opponent in the ring. Butcher and Mallory recruited him into the Boys, where he would become a de facto second-in-commandand Butcher’s best friend. M.M. dies in the comic’s final story, as Butcher enters his villain arc.
How does the show’s Mother’s Milk suit the series?
One of the big changes between versions ofThe Boysis the way the group handles their work. The Boys of the comics take temporary Compound V to become superhuman. This idea comes up inthe show’s third seasonwith different effects. Just about every character in the comic has a few of those gross-out details that add very little to the story but might make an eleven-year-old recommend the comic to their friends. Both versions have a tragic backstory involving their dad suing Vought. Both versions have a challenging relationship with their romantic partner and young daughter. The difference is that Marvin Milk is a grounded, reasonable character without any of the messy garbage that drags him down. He’s able to be one of thepurest people in the plot. Laz Alonso updating the comics' minor character traits to include his personal history with OCD adds a ton to his portrayal.
Mother’s Milk is a fan favorite character inThe Boys. He’s one of the most sympathetic people in a show that mostly depicts awful monsters attacking other awful monsters.The titular Boys liveon a wide moral spectrum. Mother’s Milk is about as good as a man can be while still doing the job he does. Unlike the comic, he does it without powers or any explicit fetishes.
