What Does Black Noir Look Like Without The Mask? Including Images

One of the characters that have always been interesting in The Boys is Black Noir because this is a cool ninja character that is capable of saying a lot without actually saying a single word. We have always been wondering what he looks like under that masked, but his face and history were finally revealed during the events of episode 3 of the third season of The Boys. So, what does Black Noir look like without the mask?

Black Noir looked like a usual young African-American adult under the mask during the 80s when he was still a member of Payback. However, after the attack by the Sandinistas and the Russians in Nicaragua, he sustained injuries that deformed his face and forced him to hide it under a mask.

We have all been wondering for three seasons who has been hiding underneath that black mask, but we finally saw what Black Noir looks like. Of course, we also found out why he wears that mask in the first place. So, with that said, let’s look at what Black Noir looks like under his mask and talk about the reason why he actually wears that mask.

What Does Black Noir Look Like Without The Mask?

Ever since the very first season of The Boys, one of the more interesting supes that belong to The Seven has been Black Noir. And there’s a good reason why he has been one of the most interesting and intriguing characters in the entire series.

Black Noir is a superpowered ninja-assassin clad in an all-black armored ninja outfit. He uses ninja knives as his main weapons and has the agility, strength, and durability that allow him to perform well as a ninja and assassin for The Seven. Black Noir is often considered the most feared member of The Seven because everyone knows that he is the group’s designated assassin and lethal enforcer.

But one of the things that fans were quick to notice about Black Noir is that he never takes his mask off or even talks. He is always seen in his mask and never says a word. This has made him one of the coolest characters in the entire series, as he carries an air of mystery that none of the other characters on the show have.

As interesting as Black Noir may be as a masked ninja that stays true to his character as a silent operator, there were still plenty of fans wondering what he looks like without the mask that he always wears. This is interesting when it comes to the fact that the Black Noir of the live-action version of The Boys retconned the one that is in the comics. So, what does Black Noir look like under the mask?

In season 2, we were able to see a glimpse of what Black Noir looks like without the mask as the lower left part of his mask was destroyed to reveal burnt and damaged skin that may be the reason why he hides his face. But it was only during a flashback scene in season 3 that we were able to see what he truly looks like.

While Billy Butcher was trying to learn more about Soldier Boy and the weapon that supposedly killed him because he wanted to use it to kill Homelander, he found himself learning about an incident in Nicaragua during the middle of the 80s. He found out that the CIA was involved with that incident as he confronted Grace Mallory about it.

Mallory reluctantly told her story to The Boys as she was involved in a CIA operation that assisted the Contra forces against the Sandinistas in Nicaragua in the 80s. While she was in Nicaragua, Vought stuck their nose into the government’s business by sending Stan Edgar and Payback to “assist” the Contra forces. Led by Soldier Boy, Payback used to be Vought’s top supe group before The Seven took over that spot. And before he joined The Seven, Black Noir was a member of Payback.

In one of the scenes, Mallory eavesdropped on a conversation between Black Noir and Stan Edgar. In that scene, it was revealed that the man hiding under that mask was just a regular young African-American adult. Of course, Black Noir could also talk back then and was even quite vocal.

However, due to the stupid actions of Swatto, a member of Payback, the Sandinistas were able to find the Contra base and attack it. The Contra forces and Payback were able to fend off the attack, but the Sandinistas and the Russians had already done their damage. On top of supposedly killing Soldier Boy, they also ended up injuring the remaining members of Payback. This included Black Noir.

After the attack, Black Noir was left severely injured because he didn’t have his mask on, as the attack happened right after his conversation with Stan Edgar. As such, his face was deformed, and he was probably left unable to talk.

Why Does Black Noir Wear A Mask In The Boys Comics?

One of the biggest changes between the comics and the live-action version of The Boys is in relation to Black Noir. While we do know that he is African-American in the live-action version and is as true a ninja as any ninja can be, what we also know is that he is very different in the comics.

In the comics, Black Noir was actually the clone of Homelander and was created to become the backup plan in case of Homelander ever went rogue. His only mission was to kill Homelander in case of emergency.

As such, considering that the Black Noir in the comics is a clone of Homelander and was kept secret from the rest of The Seven, he needed to wear a mask to hide his identity. On top of that, he also avoided speaking so that no one could tell that he was Homelander’s clone all along.

Why Does Black Noir Wear A Mask In The Boys TV Show?

As mentioned, there was a point in the Nicaragua flashback where Black Noir was seen conversing with a young Stan Edgar. During that conversation, Noir wanted to keep the mask off because he felt that he needed to reveal himself to the world. After all, having a black superhero in the greatest supe group in the world was going to be inspiring to young black fans.

Stan Edgar, however, told him that he should keep the mask on because he believed that a silent and stoic ninja character was a big hit with the fans. After all, Vought was and has always been about the profits that they get from marketing their supes. Black Noir relented and decided to keep the mask off.

The attack from the Sandinistas and the Russians left Black Noir injured and facially deformed because he didn’t have his mask to protect his face. As he was seen sitting on the floor severely injured, he was reaching for his mask as if it were a sign of his regret of not wearing it. And because he was left facially deformed and had seemingly lost his ability to talk, Black Noir wears his mask, never takes it off, and always keeps a silent and mysterious profile.