There is something deeply satisfying about watching a movie or TV show accidentally give the internet the perfect reaction image. Every once in a while, a character makes a facial expression so immediately recognizable that viewers don't even need to explain the joke.

That is exactly what happened with the character Homelander in The Boys TV series. During a season four scene, the character, portrayed by actor Antony Starr, looks at Firecracker (Valorie Curry) with pure disgust after she coughs next to him, producing a facial expression with a million applications.

Whether you're reacting to something gross, annoying, embarrassing or simply incomprehensible, Homelander's stare gets the point across.

So where did the "Disgusted Homelander" meme come from, and how did one facial expression from The Boys become such a universal reaction image? Let's find out.

Where Does 'Disgusted Homelander' Come From?

Disgusted Homelander comes from the eighth and final episode of season 4 of The Boys, titled "Assassination Run," which premiered in the United States on July 18th, 2024.

During the scene, Homelander is sitting at a conference table with fellow superhero Firecracker when she suddenly coughs beside him.

Homelander responds by staring at her in apparent revulsion, creating the exaggerated facial expression that would soon become the meme.

On the same day as the episode's release, the X account homelander reactions & clips (@homelanderbot) uploaded the moment of Homelander's reaction, with the video rapidly garnering tens of thousands of likes and reposts in mere days as the meme began spreading online.

homelander disgusted looking at firecracker coughing #theboys pic.twitter.com/UgsL2DG8PQ

— homelander reactions & clips (@homelanderbot) July 18, 2024

How Is 'Disgusted Homelander' Used In Memes?

As the meme spread throughout the remainder of 2024 and beyond, the expression of Homelander's disgusted face worked particularly well for memes about people doing something gross, annoying or otherwise worthy of immediate judgment.

One of the earliest notable examples appeared on TikTok on July 18th, 2024, when @luv.shad paired the clip with a caption referencing the COVID-19 pandemic.

The meme received over 3.7 million views and 767,000 likes in less than a week, helping establish the scene as a reusable reaction format.

@luv.shad #2020 #covid19 #coronavirus #sick #sideeye #diddyparty #chris_so_fye #viral #blowthisup #trending #theboys #theboyssesson4 #theboysseason4ep8 ♬ original sound – nas ♡

The format's appeal ultimately came from the simplicity of Homelander's reaction. Its broad applicability across many situations helped facilitate its spread, and the meme still sees consistent usage across social media even today.

Though The Boys and Homelander himself have spawned dozens of notable memes over the last several years, Antony Starr's grossed-out expression is easily one of the most commonly used from the series, even after the show's finale in 2026.

What Are Some More Examples Of 'Disgusted Homelander' Memes?

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For the full history of the Disgusted Homelander meme, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry.