I Think Gen V Season 2’s Cipher Is The Boys Universe’s Version of an Iconic X-Men Villain

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Season 2 of *Gen V* begins with a lot of chaos. Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair), Emma (Lizze Broadway), and Jordan Li (London Thor/Derek Luh) are caught in a lie surrounding the “Guardians of Godolkin.” They’re released from Vought’s secret prison and used as public faces for Homelander’s movement. Though Cate Dunlap (Maddie Phillips) and Sam Riordan (Asa Germann) are supervising them, the students are now constantly monitored by the mysterious Dean Cipher (Hamish Linklater).

The first three episodes of *Gen V* Season 2 have quickly made Dean Cipher a fan favorite, sparking lots of speculation about his real motives and who he is. As comic book fans, we’ve been thinking about a particular theory: that Cipher might be the *Boys* universe’s take on a famous villain from Marvel’s X-Men.

Is Dean Cipher the Mister Sinister of The Boys Universe?

Okay, so Dean Cipher is seriously unsettling. As far as I can tell, he’s always several steps ahead of everyone, and he gets there using a really disturbing mix of trickery, manipulation, and just plain violence. He’s completely obsessed with the idea that supers are superior and believes a war with humans is coming, which is why he’s pushing everyone to unlock their full potential. The really weird part? He’s been around *forever*. It’s heavily implied he was even involved in Marie Moreau’s birth – he actually *delivered* her, and doesn’t seem to have aged a bit! We still don’t know his exact powers, but the clues are there: he barely ages, his reflexes are insane – like when he blocked Cate’s attempt to influence him – and he has this unnerving ability to just *know* what people are thinking.

If we consider *Gen V* as a story similar to *X-Men*, the character Cipher likely parallels Mister Sinister. Sinister’s recent backstory reveals he was a 19th-century geneticist named Nathaniel Essex, obsessed with the future of evolution. After a failed experiment by Apocalypse, he created clones to ensure his survival, with “Sinister” dedicated to studying and manipulating the mutant gene pool to create a supremely powerful being. While *Gen V*’s Cipher probably won’t have such a complicated history, the core idea fits: a super-powered geneticist with control over molecules (or extreme longevity) working to establish super-powered dominance. He’s essentially grooming “Odessa” (Marie) to be his ultimate weapon, mirroring the relationship between Sinister and Jean Grey. This version is less grand than the comic books, fitting the scale of *The Boys* universe, but the connection still holds true.

As a longtime comic book and TV critic, it’s clear *The Boys* loves to play with familiar tropes and characters from DC, Marvel, and all over pop culture. The new character, Cipher, feels like a clever nod to someone like Mister Sinister, and honestly, Hamish Linklater *nails* that vibe. What’s really exciting is how perfectly *The Boys* universe sets up Cipher for a big, overarching villain arc – we already know he’s headed to Mexico, which will be explored in the upcoming spinoff. Plus, hints about his potentially long lifespan, or even age regression, make him a fantastic candidate to appear in the *Vought Rising* prequel series, detailing Soldier Boy and Stormfront’s origins. And if he makes it through the current season, I fully expect Cipher to be a major player in *The Boys*’ final chapter. He just *fits* into this world so well.

However, Mister Sinister also has the ability to prepare for his own death, so it’s likely Cipher has a contingency plan as well.

Gen V Season 2 is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

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2025-09-22 14:10