Reggie C. Franklin, better known as A-Train, is a major antagonist in the Amazon series The Boys, serving as the central antagonist of Season 1, and a major antagonist in both Season 2 and Season 3.
He is a speedster who used to be a part of the team known as the Teenage Kix, and is a returning member of The Seven. He inadvertently killed Robin Ward, girlfriend of Hughie Campbell, with his powers while high on Compound V, an action which led to Hughie becoming his archenemy, ultimately leading to him joining The Boys and the events of the show.
A-Train was let go from The Seven, but has since been asked to rejoin, and is the current "fastest man in the world". Underneath the cavalier exterior of a celebrity superhero lies the soul of a mortal athlete, with a deep insecurity about staying at the top. He'll do whatever it takes to remain in The Seven, because he knows it's only a matter of time until a younger, faster challenger takes his place — and that's a problem even the fastest man in the world can't outrun.
Reggie Franklin was born in 1987. Shortly after his birth, his parents accepted Vought's offer to inject him with Compound V, subsequently transforming him into a Supe and granting him superhuman powers and abilities.
It is implied that he grew up poor during his childhood. Reggie's father died when he was very young, and his mother had to work two jobs. Because of this, his older brother Nathan raised him. He eventually became Reggie's personal trainer after his powers began to develop. Reggie's superhuman speed activated at the age of three when he outran the bullets of a deadly shooting towards his home and as he grew up this ability allowed him to become a celebrity for Vought International under the name A-Train and aspired to become a superhero to support his family and also do good.
At some point, he became a member of Teenage Kix where he entered into a relationship with another member named Popclaw. He would go on his first date with her where she ordered a dark beer, a New York strip and a chocolate chip cheesecake and thought to himself, "here's someone who isn't afraid to be happy." A-Train says he fell for her right then and there. They would have sex a few times, one time being recorded on a nanny cam. After leaving Teenage Kix, A-Train attended Godolkin University and trained under Richard Brinkerhoff. He was God U's top ranked student and Brink commented that he was the most driven kid he trained since Queen Maeve. Upon graduating in 2015, he was drafted into The Seven, replacing Mister Marathon. During his time on the team, it is possible he wanted to help people at first, but regardless, he became more fame hungry and greedy over time. He abused Compound V to maintain his status as the fastest man alive, something that would come at the cost of his own life and health.
A-Train has a history of abusing Compound V — a chemical substance engineered by Vought International — to ensure he is the fastest speedster in the world. This abuse, however, comes at a price when he accidentally kills Robin Ward by running through her. Vought covers the incident up at a press conference by claiming that A-Train was attending to a bank robbery. Vought offers Hughie Campbell compensation for A-Train's mistake, but Hughie is reluctant to take it, turning to Billy Butcher and The Boys for revenge.
A-Train's abuse continues as his race with Shockwave approaches. In "Get Some", he juices up again despite warnings from his girlfriend, Popclaw. The Compound V ensures he is, yet again, the fastest speedster on Earth, gaining positive publicity for Vought. Despite warnings from Vought and his brother, Nathan, A-Train abuses Compound V yet again to heal his leg after an encounter with Kimiko Miyashiro, which left his leg shattered. Eventually in "You Found Me", the abuse takes a toll on A-Train. He would suffer a heart attack while fighting Starlight and Hughie. A-Train is then seen in a hospital bed recovering while Starlight oversees his recovery until he surprises her later on, seemingly making a full recovery. Later on, it becomes apparent his recovery was not complete, as A-Train now suffers from intense heart palpitations every time he speeds up. These health issues would be noticed by Homelander. In "Nothing Like It in the World", Homelander personally kicked A-Train out of The Seven due to his heart not being able to withstand his super speed and prompted to replace him with Shockwave.
Relationship with Popclaw[]
A-Train's relationship with Popclaw is rocky, with him refusing to ask for Madelyn Stillwell's permission for them to take the relationship public. She is against his continued use of Compound V, warning him that he does not need it to be the fastest out there; something she refuses to admit, however.
The relationship between the two becomes strained after Butcher and The Boys blackmail Popclaw into revealing information about A-Train's Compound V runs — information that eventually leads to multiple deaths. A-Train confronts Popclaw, asking who she revealed the information to; however, she is reluctant to admit the truth. In "Good for the Soul", after the two are relocated, a distraught A-Train murders Popclaw and stages it as a drug overdose in order to ensure Compound V remains a secret, as ordered by Homelander. Despite his efforts to keep Compound V a secret, Starlight would later blackmail A-Train by threatening to expose him as a murderer if he didn't allow her to expose Compound V to the public.
After suffering from a heart attack at the end of "You Found Me", A-Train is first seen in a coma, recovering. A-Train awakens, but his recovery was not perfect, as he now suffers from intense heart palpitations. A-Train is then shocked when he sees Shockwave at The Seven tower. Enraged, A-Train confronts Ashley. Homelander then enters the office and announces that A-Train is out of The Seven due to him no longer being able to run at super speed without heart problems, saying it makes The Seven, him, look weak if The Seven's Speedster isn't in the top 20 anymore. A-Train reappears to participate in the upcoming movie, Dawn of The Seven in "We Gotta Go Now". A-Train is reluctant to say his line where he admits that he is leaving The Seven; however, the director (Adam Bourke) ignores his suggestions to make his line sound more ambiguous, and Ashley threatens him with an ultimatum: say his line and leave The Seven with his dignity and paycheck intact, or he can be fired and have Vought expose his Compound V abuse and overdose to the public. A reluctant A-Train ultimately decides to say his scripted line in the movie, saying he is leaving The Seven to finally "stop running" (possibly indirectly stating that he's retiring).
Once all is said and done, The Deep arrives at the movie set in "The Bloody Doors Off". While there, he attempts to recruit A-Train as a member of The Church of the Collective. A-Train declines the offer, stating his life is going good without it; however, he becomes interested when The Deep tricks him by saying, "I guess you don't need his help then." A confused A-Train asks whose help he's referring to, and The Deep turns around offering him a Fresca. A-Train then has lunch with The Deep and Alastair Adana at the renewal centre. Alastair asks them both about their thoughts, so Deep reveals he thought A-Train was jealous of him, and that the former wanted to drown the latter for the longest time but also admits he doesn't want to feel that way anymore. Freaked out, A-Train attempts to leave but stops walking once Alastair reveals that he knows the truth about A-Train being kicked out of The Seven, A-train's heart condition, and A-Train's Compound V abuse. Confused, A-Train asks Alastair how he knows all of that information, but Alastair only says, "The Church knows all kinds of things." Alastair then states Vought will turn Shockwave into the next A-Train, give him his uniform, and give him the name "A-Train." A-train denies it, but Alastair counters with "Why not? 'A-Train' is a trademark. You are just another nobody form the South Side of Chicago." Alastair then offers to help A-Train get back into The Seven, but first he must let Deep tell his truths. A-Train sits back down at the table to the excitement of Deep and Adana.
A-Train appears in "Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker", now seemingly a full member of The Church of the Collective. He attends Alastair's birthday party, where he gives Deep a pet fish as an apology attempt. Deep accepts the gift. Alastair arrives and tells them that he "overheard" that because of Starlight's betrayal, Vought was looking for "assets they can trust," meaning that they'll want to rehire A-Train and Deep. Alastair then asks them what they think of Eagle the Archer. Deep explains that he was like a friend to him, but Alastair interrupts him by stating Eagle is a "toxic personality" and a "traitor." Deep then suddenly changes his opinion and agrees with Adana. Suspicious, A-Train asks why he is considered a traitor. Alastair explains it's because he refused to comply with the program. The answer only leaves A-Train even more suspicious about The Church and Deep's sudden change in responses. A-Train and The Deep meet up later at a bar where they watch an NNC news interview, with Eagle stating the Church kicked him out because he refused to cut all ties with his mother. He then claims the Church leaked private information in an attempt to make him look bad. Carol also appears in another interview stating Eagle had talked bad and spread rumors about the church in an attempt to "stay relevant." Deep then bad mouths Eagle again. Still confused, A-Train questions Deep about why he so quickly turned on the man he called his friend. Deep avoids the question and asks the bartender to change the channel to the Congress hearings. The two sit and watch the hearings begin, but immediately when they start, people at the courtroom have their heads explode. Deep and A-Train can only watch in shock and revulsion as one by one the court room is massacred, one of them being Shockwave (much to A-Train's horror).
In "What I Know", A-Train secretly overhears the meeting between Alastair Adana and Stan Edgar. Alastair explains that Deep could help Vought, but Edgar is reluctant given Deep's checkered past against women. Alastair assures him that Deep improved his publicity rating and could be good for Vought by serving as a redemption story. Edgar reconsiders. Alastair then asks about A-Train and that The Seven will need a speedster following the death of Shockwave. Edgar explains that he can't allow A-Train back because publicly allowing two former members back in would make Vought look bad, saying "One has-been back is a redemption, two is weakness." Edgar also hints that Stormfront is racist against A-Train and Edgar must indulge her for the time being. Alastair agrees and makes a deal to let Deep back into The Seven. After the two leave the room, A-Train comes out of a closet and is enraged over their conversation.
We're even Now[]
“
Cause I want back in. So I need her gone. Fuck that Nazi bitch!
Enraged about hearing Adana and Edgar agreeing to not let A-Train back into The Seven, A-Train breaks into the Archives and steals the Private Data Reserve for Stormfront. He then tracks down Hughie and Annie and spooks them, causing them to stop their car in a panic. They all get out of the car and ask A-Train questions. After Annie asks about A-Train's heart condition, he threatens Annie, prompting Hughie to remind A-Train they saved his life. A-Train pulls out a folder with information on Stormfront, explaining that they're even now. A-Train then tells them not to tell anyone he gave them the information and to say they got it on their own. Hughie, still confused, asks A-Train why he'd help them. A-Train explains that he wants back into The Seven and Stormfront is really the one in his way. So he's counting on them to get rid of her, allowing A-Train to come back into The Seven uncontested.
Taking initiative[]
Alastair meets with A-Train and The Deep to explain about the break into the Archives room, saying someone stole information on Stormfront. Alastair then says he knows it was A-Train, to which Deep scolds A-Train and says he would never go behind Alastair's back. Alastair assures them both that he is not mad, rather it was "taking initiative." Alastair confirms that following Stormfront's "removal," he and Edgar spoke again and agreed to let A-Train back into The Seven. Overjoyed, A-Train promptly leaves the church as soon as he can.
A-Train was reported by Cameron Coleman postponing a planned exhibition race with Mister Marathon due to a "sensitive, classified mission," but was giving himself time to train as much as possible. A-Train later gave an earnest speech at the Vought Tower, apologizing to his fans around the world and citing the postponement's necessity due to the threat of super-terrorism. He starred in his music video dubbed Faster. He was also featured across various segments and advertisements.
A-Train is trying to rebrand himself in Season 3 to connect more with the Black community. He asked for a redesigned suit, against Ashley's wishes, that would reflect more of his African roots. Those around him, including his own brother, think it's all a foolish attempt at saving his name because the people know he doesn't really care about the Black community. His brother dares him to actually do something — like standing up for a Black man in the neighborhood who was killed by a Supe (Blue Hawk) after being unjustly accused of a crime.
A-Train brings up cracking down on Supes like Blue Hawk in a meeting with The Seven, but The Deep quickly interjects to dismiss the idea, hoping to impress Homelander by pointing out that he and Blue Hawk share a similar fan base, and that Vought needs more Supes on the frontlines. Homelander, surprised by Deep's suggestion, agrees and rejects A-Train's proposal, much to his anger. Furious that Deep intervened, A-Train gets in a fight with him in the hallway, punching him in the gills before he is thrown to the wall. The two are approached by Homelander, who helps Deep up and walks away with him.
A-Train is forcefully taken away by Supersonic, who offers a partnership into his and Starlight's plan to take Homelander down. He initially agrees, but after Victoria Neuman publically accuses Stan Edgar of various crimes, allowing Homelander to take over as overall head of Vought, A-Train switches sides and reveals Starlight and Supersonic's plans to him. His betrayal ultimately leads to Homelander killing Supersonic as punishment to Starlight.
Starlight confronts A-Train after Supersonic's death, accusing him of getting her friend killed just to impress a man who hates him before walking away.
Later, Ashley tells him she got him a meeting with Blue Hawk. A-Train tells Blue Hawk his patrolling is excessive and potentially racist. A-Train suggests Blue Hawk makes a public apology and Blue Hawk agrees.
A-Train brings Blue Hawk to a local community center to apologize. He apologizes and claims not to be racist because he doesn’t see color, only crime. He says he will donate $10,000 to the community center. They confront him about killing an unarmed black man. The community gets angry and starts screaming at Blue Hawk, who insists that All Lives Matter and Supes Lives Matter. Blue Hawk loses it and starts throwing people around. A-Train grabs him and tells him to stop. A-Train sees Nate, lying on the ground with a bloody head. At the hospital, A-Train hears Nate won't walk again.
Enraged at his brother's paralysis, A-Train visits Ashley to demand that charges be brought against Blue Hawk. Ashley refuses because Homelander wants the Seven to look united and chides A-Train for his own murders, accusing him of hypocrisy. Perhaps internalizing the reprimand, A-Train encounters Hughie at Herogasm and offers a sincere apology for Robin Ward's death. After Soldier Boy destroyed the TNT Twins' home, A-Train confronted Blue Hawk at the TNT Twins party and dragged him across the roads with his super speed, killing him. Having broken his doctors' recommendations not to use his super speed again, A-Train suffers a heart attack in the middle of the road.
Five days after Herogasm, A-Train wakes up in a Vought recovery room, where a smug Ashley reveals that they replaced his heart with Blue Hawk's still intact one, allowing him to run again with little to no complications. This prompts Ashley to expand on several upcoming tasks for him to complete, such as advocating against Starlight and starring in an autobiographical movie about his early years, featuring Tom Hanks as his fictional trainer instead of a black man playing Nate.
A-Train tells his brother about his new heart. He tells his brother he needs him and to come back coaching. Nate asks A-Train if he killed Blue Hawk and A-Train denies it but Nate knows the truth. He is furious because he wanted Blue Hawk to be held accountable. A-Train is later called to a meeting with Homelander along with Ashley and the Deep. Homelander reveals Ashley has had a wig on as she has been pulling out her hair a lot and it's shown to what extent as she has almost no hair left to the shock of A-Train as well as the Deep. Homelander accuses A-Train of killing Blue Hawk, Homelander showing his hypocrisy and telling them all he doesn't need them.
Personality[]
“
I have spent over 100 hours in crisis management meetings specifically figuring out how to cover up your bullshit... including all three of your straight-up murders... while you were out in the club with your crew, or getting your toe sucked by Popclaw, who, let's not forget, you also murdered. Yeah, that's right. I know about that. You did not give a shit about all the collateral you caused then. Now, all of a sudden, you care because it happened to you?
A-train is a complex individual with many inner struggles. Initially, like most "superheroes," A-Train is greedy, self-centered, egotistical, and mostly interested in fame, fortune, and publicity rather than helping others. In fact, he displays a remarkable level of cutthroat ruthlessness, possibly even to the point of sociopathy. It is also implied during a conversation with Starlight about The Seven possibly losing their financial assets that A-Train's obsession with maintaining his wealth and celebrity status might be rooted in his impoverished upbringing and measures his own self-worth by his lavish lifestyle of being a Vought-owned supe.
Initially, Reggie desired to do good in the world, but under Vought’s influence and unimaginable pressure, this would corrupt him to his very core at the cost of his own integrity and self-preservation. In his first appearance, he was shown to be extremely careless. He kills Robin Ward by running through her, albeit accidentally while on Compound V. Further, there are hints throughout the series that he has caused this kind of incident before. Not only did he show no remorse over an accident that should have been traumatizing, but he displayed incredible callousness when he later joked about this incident to a fellow "supe," laughing at Robin's death. Although he personally apologizes to Hughie for killing Robin, he did this only because he was compelled to by Vought as a concession for Hughie Campbell, who would not sign Vought's non-disclosure agreement unless A-Train apologized. A-Train's indifference to the incident is further underscored in that he is unable to recognize Hughie, even after being shown a photo of him or when he encountered Hughie outside of Popclaw's apartment.
The only person A-Train seemingly cares about is his girlfriend, Popclaw; however, their relationship is strained due to A-Train's greater focus on his career as a member of The Seven and maintaining his title as the World's Fastest Man. Furthermore, Popclaw is frustrated by A-Train's repeated refusal to publicly acknowledge their relationship, instead pretending to be unattached and available. Things take a turn for the worse when she is blackmailed into revealing information on Compound V and A-Train is "forced" to kill her in order to ensure the security of his position on The Seven. While A-Train does feel some form of remorse about her death, he ultimately blames Hughie for "forcing" him into that position.
A-Train is determined to maintain his status as the fastest man alive. As a result, he uses the drug Compound V to further amp up his powers. This leads to his downfall as he later suffers from a heart attack, ultimately being the reason for him getting kicked out of The Seven. However, the constant use of Compound V shows A-Train's insecurity and lack of self-confidence despite his arrogant and confident attitude. The day before his race against Shockwave, he revealed to Popclaw his fear of losing and being outclassed by his rival with the stress of having to win the race to stay in The Seven. Another sign of his insecurity is the fact that he needs public approval more than anything else, caring about his public image above his health. After quickly recovering from his leg wound caused by Kimiko Miyashiro, A-Train began to exercise his body doing physical training because he needed to return as soon as possible so as not to tarnish his public image and reputation.
After the repercussions of his actions and his abuse of Compound V began to seriously cost him, A-Train was shown to have begun to change for the better due to him now having to endure humiliating experiences with his place in The Seven being jeopardized. As seen where he was forced to do a humiliating scene in the new The Seven movie in order to manipulate the public backlash of his scandal to not cause Vought any problems. He also showed great horror at the death of his rival Shockwave, showing he did not hate his fellow speedster.
Despite his exuberant public persona, A-Train's lack of empathy makes things rather awkward when he is forced to improvise in delicate situations. The results were disastrous when A-Train paid a visit to a terminally ill child from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. When the child indicated that he had requested a visit from Translucent, A-Train attempted to placate him by suggesting that Translucent would come by next week, unaware the child was unlikely to survive that long. He further made the ridiculous promise that if the child would get better, A-Train would teach the child to run as fast as him. After watching this fiasco on television, Madelyn Stillwell was convinced that A-Train cannot be unscripted when going into PR situations.
For all of A-Train's social awkwardness, unlike the Deep, he is not given to sycophantic displays. More than once, A-Train was disgusted by The Deep's obsequious attitude toward Alastair Adana while both were members of The Church of the Collective.
One year later, A-Train has not returned yet to races due to his heart condition. Desperate, he wants to reinvent himself, so he decides to "go back to his origins" and plans to increase his public approval among Black community. He seems to not be as self-centered as he was before, making amends with Nathan and now spends more time with him and his family. Nevertheless, he still cares about his image, and he cannot withstand being outclassed by The Deep. He wants to get Homelander's respect, and with that end in mind, he betrayed Supersonic and told Homelander about the plot against him.
Despite this, A-Train now displays a more compassionate side. When Nathan was hospitalized after being attacked by Blue Hawk, learning he will never be able to walk again, and later being called out on his hypocrisy by Ashley regarding the various crimes, murders, and collateral damage he had done — both accidental and on purpose, A-Train has begun to feel guilty for his actions and begins to regret things he had done in the past. He sincerely apologized to Hughie about Robin's death and searched for Blue Hawk to get revenge by killing him, even though this would cost him his life. Even after fully recovering from his heart condition and being able to return to races, he doesn't feel happy, considering all of it completely pointless without his brother as his personal trainer. A-Train feels sad now that Nathan hates him, as seen when he called him a murderer.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
“
Maybe I can't turn invisible, but I am the world's fastest man. Like, I can outrun anybody or anything.
Superhuman Metabolism: A-Train possesses a highly efficient and incredibly quick metabolism; unlike regular humans who only use about 25% of the caloric energy present in the consumed food, A-Train metabolizes an estimated 99.5% of the caloric energy content of foodstuffs. While working out, he had to consume 3,000 calories per hour to maintain his energy without passing out.[3] He drinks vanilla milkshakes with extra whipped cream from Shake Shack because he needs 30,000 calories a day, and Homelander has seen him consume 24 cupcakes and nine servings of truffle.[4]
Superhuman Speed: As the self-proclaimed "world's fastest man"[5] and described as "a fierce competitor" by Shockwave,[1] A-Train is able to move at inhuman speeds, appearing as a distorted blur of motion to onlookers. Every time he uses his superhuman speed, the sound of the sound barrier being broken can be heard, creating a sound similar to that of a train moving at high velocity (hence the name "A-Train"), meaning that he can move around the speed of sound (767 miles per hour/1235 kilometers per hour) with little to no effort. He first discovered his power when he was three years old, where he outran a bullet fired at him.[6] The speed of bullets varies widely depending on the caliber, from 818 miles per hour (1316 kilometres per hour) for a .22 LR to 2075 miles per hour (3340 kilometres per hour) for a .50 BMG, but this is an impressive accomplishment regardless. During his race with Shockwave for the title of "the fastest man alive", the announcer states that A-Train can reach speeds in excess of 1,000 miles per hour (1,609.34 kilometers per hour/Mach 1.3). In the actual race, even after injecting Compound V, A-Train only managed to reach 371 meters per second (829.9 miles per hour/1,335.6 kilometers per hour/Mach 1.08).[1] His speed allows him to run across entire city blocks in mere seconds—Billy Butcher has estimated that A-Train can cover all of Manhattan in 30 minutes,[7] and A-Train himself stated he could cover all of New York City in three hours.[8] He can also presumably run on water, since he was able to run from New York to Havana (the capital of Cuba)[9]. It was stated that cameras need to catch up to 5,000 frames per second just so that he can be caught on camera at all times.[10] However, his greatest feat comes from his fight with Starlight, where after using Compound V once again, he managed to dodge her energy beams (which are either made of plasma or pure light), albeit at the cost of having a heart attack.
Accelerated Perception: A-Train's reaction time and the speed at which his brain processes information are heightened to a level similar to his running speed, enabling him to perceive his surroundings while traveling at high velocities. Because of this, when A-Train moves at high speeds he perceives the world around him as though it is standing still or in slow motion.
Superhuman Reflexes: Since his brain processing speed and perception are heightened to a level similar to his running speed, A-Train's reflexes are enhanced to inhuman levels the faster he moves. During his fight with Starlight, he was able to see her energy blasts and dodge them before they had a chance to hit him.[11] The fact that his reflexes are tied to his movement speed has caused him to be hit by opponents far slower than him.
Superhuman Stamina: A-Train's body is adapted towards the rigors of high-speed running. His cardiovascular and respiratory systems are many times more efficient than those of a normal human being. The chemical processes in Reggie's muscles do not generate fatigue toxins, the byproduct of locomotion which forces the body to rest. His metabolism has also been enhanced to the point that most of the caloric energy that he consumes is utilized in an efficient manner, instead of being converted into fat, allowing him to run for prolonged periods of time.
Superhuman Strength:
A-Train pulling a train
A-Train possesses superhuman strength, which he used to slam Kimiko through a wall in the train tunnels.[7] While on Compound V, his strength also allowed him to slowly pull a several-carriage train,[11] and trade blows with as well as knock around Starlight several feet through the air, another individual who also possesses enhanced strength.[11] As he started his race with Shockwave, he broke the stone wall he placed his foot against,[1] and later shattered one of Popclaw's bones when he jammed a needle into her arm.[12]
Superhuman Durability: A-Train's body is adapted towards the rigors of high-speed running. His joints are smoother, his tendons have the tensile strength of spring steel, and his bones are made of significantly more durable calcium. As such, he was able to withstand the superhuman strength of another supe, Starlight, without issue.[11] He can also withstand the pressure of breaking the sound barrier, the forces of rapid acceleration/deceleration, and hitting another human being at high speeds, without taking any damage. However, Kimiko was able to give him a compound fracture, meaning that his durability still has its limits.[3]
Superhuman Agility: A-Train's body is more agile and flexible than any human could achieve. As such, he can rapidly change direction while running without loss of momentum, as seen against Starlight.[11] However if he is going too fast, A-Train is unable to suddenly stop or change his direction, since he has unable to stop himself from killing Robin Ward on time, only managing to stop a moment later.
Superhuman Hearing: A-Train, being a supe, has better hearing beyond that of ordinary humans, capable of hearing certain frequencies.[13]
Regenerative Healing Factor: A-Train can rapidly heal from his injuries. He was estimated to recover from a fractured femur in six weeks, however by using Compound V his bones fused back together in a matter of days.[11] Due to his metabolism, his body has more energy available which likely can be used to accelerate his cellular regeneration.
Abilities[]
Rapper: A-Train is a capable rapper. He performed the song "Faster".
Speed Combat: Due to having his powers ever since he was 3 years old, A-Train has become very skilled at using his speed on combat. He repeatedly smashed Kimiko's head against a wall,[7] filled Popclaw's arms with heroin needles before she could even react,[9] and dragged Blue Hawk along the road for miles.[14] He can also kill an ordinary human just by running into them, such as the case of Robin Ward, Hughie's girlfriend, which reduced her to a shower of blood.[15]
Weaknesses[]
Psychological[]
Obsession: A-Train is obsessed with remaining the fastest man in the world and a member of The Seven, thus he is willing to do anything to stay on top. This has led to extreme poor decision making and self-destructive behavior, most notably his addiction to Compound V which both resulted in severe health problems and more reckless behavior, which ultimately started the events of the series. The reason for his obsession is likely due to the fact that he grew up poor and that he had to use his super speed in order to get out of poverty. For this reason, his ability to run fast and his place on The Seven are the only things that make him feel worthy.
Ego: Due to being the fastest man in the world, A-Train is very prideful. His immense ego causes him to be extremely arrogant and cocky, which has allowed others such as Kimiko to get the drop on him. His ego is also one of the reasons for his self-destructive behavior, since he needs to go to extreme lengths in order to remain on top and validate his pride.
Biological[]
“
nobody gets back at my age... I'm gonna be a freak show like Ben Johnson racing against horses
Aging: A-Train is in his thirties, meaning that he is no longer in his prime. He can't get any faster and since his powers can be quantified and used in a competitive sporting space, his position on The Seven is constantly threatened by rival speedsters. Since A-Train can't retain the title of the "world's fastest man" with just his efforts alone, he started to use Compound V in order continue being on the team.
Calorie Consumption: Due to moving at supersonic speeds, A-Train needs to consume a high number of calories in order to have enough energy to perform such feats. While it is stated that A-Train needs 3,000 calories an hour and 30.000 calories a day in order to be at his top performance, Homelander says that this is only the case when he uses his powers on a regular basis. If A-Train does not run, he will just gain weight when he consumes high amounts of food.
Superhuman Momentum: If he is going too fast, A-Train cannot suddenly stop or change his direction. He had trouble controlling himself as he accidentally killed Robin Ward, Hughie's girlfriend by running into her, which reduced her to a shower of blood and made him accidentally swallow one of her molars.
Blunt Force/Limited Durability: While his strength and durability are still greater than a human's, they are on the lower end of the Supe spectrum. His body is vulnerable to attacks, as seen when Kimiko was able to break his leg fairly easily.
Former[]
“
You need 3,000 calories an hour, or you're gonna pass out." "I can't do this shit, man." "Tough shit. You heard the doc. Your heart is getting bigger, balls are getting smaller, your bone density's for shit. That Compound V shit is killing you.
Compound V Addiction: In order to remain in The Seven, A-Train started to take Compound V and eventually became addicted to the substance. If A-Train does not take a dose of the drug, there is a chance that he will suffer from withdrawal. However after suffering from a heart attack, he stopped taking the serum and overcame his addiction.
Compound V Abuse: A-Train's determination to maintain his status as the fastest man alive led him to consume Compound V, to the point that he became overly dependent on the drug. The drug eventually started to damage his body, causing a variety of health issues that have made him unable to use his powers like he used to. After a heart transplant from the body of Blue Hawk, the majority of the damage caused by his abuse of Compound V appears to have vanish, allowing him to operate like he used to.
“
You think I don't know what's been going on? It's your heart. I doubt you're even cracking the top 20 anymore, and that makes the Seven... me... look pretty ridiculous.
Heart Condition: As a result of using Compound V to enhance his abilities, A-Train eventually suffered a heart attack when he fought Starlight and Hughie. The resulting heart condition prevented him from exerting himself as much as he used to.[12][16][17] A-Train claimed to no longer have the condition, although he later admitted that he cannot run as fast as he used to and that he still has heart problems.[8][18] Eventually, A-Train was no longer able his superspeed anymore, according to his doctors, doing so would be like "playing Russia roulette." In other words, if A-Train ran again there was a risk that his heart could explode. A-Train later suffered another heart attack when he used his super speed to kill Blue Hawk. However, after getting a heart transplant from Blue Hawk, A-Train's heart issues were fixed and he could run safely again.
Equipment[]
Hero Costume: Like most supes, A-Train has his own superhero uniform. This suit is strong enough to withstand the full force that A-Train creates when he moves at supersonic speeds. After rejoining the Seven, A-Train made changes to his uniform, so that he could rebrand himself as an African symbol. However, he would eventually change back to his older uniform after getting a new heart.
Protective Goggles: A-Train wears a set of protective goggles to protect his eyes when he moves at high speeds.
Robin Ward † - Accidental Victim (Unintentional; Ran through her, unaware)
Popclaw † - (Intentional; Murder staged as Heroin Overdose, killed on the orders of Homelander)
3 Unknown murder victims (According to Ashley Barrett)
Supersonic † - Indirect Victim (Unintentional; killed by Homelander after betraying him, wanted to earn Homelander's respect)
Blue Hawk † - (Intentional; killed by being dragged on the road, revenge for his brother's paralysis)
Trivia[]
His name stems from the A Eighth Avenue Express of the New York City Subway, commonly referred to as "the A train".
He has his own brand of beer called Speeding Bullet Ale and his own cereal called Frosted A-Trains.[19]
He is 32 and weighs 185 pounds, as revealed in "Get Some." His personal best is listed as "1.34" and his season best "1.57," however both the unit of time and distance are unknown.
According to Ashley, A-Train is responsible for three "straight-up murders." The identities of these murder victims are not revealed, but Ashley mentioned that these murders were committed while he was "out in the club with [his] crew, or getting [his] toe sucked by Popclaw," whom he also murdered. It is doubtful that Ashley was referring to Robin Ward as one of these murder victims, as her death was accidental, caused by gross carelessness, but not a murder.
A-Train is mainly the one responsible for killing Hughie's girlfriend, and causing him to join the Boys, causing mainly the events of the series.
A-Train is a villainous parody on DC Comics' The Flash and Marvel's Quicksilver. He's also like a parody of the trope of athletes who take steroids to keep their physical form and celebrity status.
Coincidentally, in Hungary, A-Train is dubbed by an actor named Szabó Máté, who voices The Flash in the CW TV show.
Additionally, A-Train's costume and ethnic background is similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Falcon.
