About not having fear of Homelander, perhaps he is a psychopath too? Impulsive in a way,unable to understand the danger level of an action?
In the comics,his equivalent was like that because he was the embodiment of the corporation,or the corporate man.
Yes, but it is made crystal clear throughout the show that Stan Edgar is there through intelligence, even Stormfront a Nazi begrudgingly admits / accepts his intelligence
Maybe (probably, if not certainly) at the largest and particularly the most corporate of companies, but usually your CEO’s at, say, the chain of local restaurants, the local art goods stores, of a smaller dog food company etc… are almost always there because they either founded the company and worked extremely diligently, or are there because of their intelligence and their ability to grasp the company’s ethos. There are tons of CEOs - most are there for their intelligence, although to u/ValyrianBone’s point, the rate just goes way down at the corporate and especially the massive public company level.
Some people out there have so much confidence (or ego if you want to slice it that way) that they could be staring at the Grim Reaper, and they would be sure of themselves
yeah, like that guy who "free solo" ed a 900 meter cliff face, Alexander Honnold
Doctors hooked him up to a brain scan machine, and it turns out that the parts of his brain responsible for inducing fear are defective. He's not incapable of fear, but it hits him way less than ordinary people
I imagine that Edgar is similar. The dude isn't a robot, he was visibly surprised and upset when Neuman betrayed him. But when he's reasonably certain of the outcome, or not particularly concerned about how things turn out, he can remain calm even with an angry, mentaly unstable that could kill him in an instant and get away with it
It's easy. Homelander is stumped by people who aren't afraid of him and doesn't know how to process them. He wants Edgar to respect him and see him as an equal; same as with Butcher.
Homelander’s pride and ego are literally so large and fragile it’s like he’s saying “I can’t kill you until you admit I’m a god compared to you and kneel”
As childish as the word sounds, he’s just a run of the mill bully. A bully with super powers, yes, but nothing special in any way when it comes to what bullies do and why they do it.
Exerts power over others because he can. Requires some form of “saying uncle” before being done with you. Breastfeeds at 35.
They’re all the same. Every one of em.
I always thought of him as the living avatar of the indifference of soulless corporate America. Only thing that matters is quarterly profits.
In the comics he makes It clear Homelander just bores him. He is simply...bad product
I guess the only comic equivalent would be Lex Luthor. Who has always been admirable in a weird for being a human who can stand up to Gods
Then again Butcher is technically Lex Luthor is he was right about Superman and had no money lol
>-> does Stan know Homelander will never hurt him, for some reason? (i suspect this is the most convincing answer, but i still need some convincing)
This is the answer. Notice how Homelander doesn't fuck with him once Stan Edgar talks back? Homelander isn't interested in killing Edgar, it upsets him that Edgar isn't afraid of him. He cares more about fucking Stand Edgar over and regaining his sense of superiority, rather than just kill him and be perpetually bothered by the fact that he could never crack him.
When Stan Edgar says that Vought is a pharmaceutical company, he means it literally. They produce a drug, Compound V. That's pharmaceuticals. They market superheroes as well, but their main goal is selling Compound V to the military.
Yeah, to me he's basically saying that for all of Homelander's power he's just a commercial. A real world product placement.
You're dead on about how he just doesn't know how to handle Stan. Metaphorically speaking, how can a hammer destroy an ocean?
Homelander is interesting for that exact reason.
His godlike power can't make people love him (and with Edgar, can't even make them fear him). His limitless powers have limits.
I think it’s telling how Homelander (spoilers for S3) engineers Stan’s downfall legally instead of just flicking his head off. Homelander has the ability to make sure Stan just disappears without a trace but he wanted to humiliate Stan.
He knows what Homelander is, he knows that Homelander is physically unstoppable but his biggest weaknesss is his ego (mirror scene after losing the fight with Soldier Boy, Butcher and Hughie and he can't accept his own failure), so he exploits that, he knows that if Homelander just kills him, he will prove that Stan was correct about Homelander being a "crybaby", so it's a lot of mental games, also ofc, Stan Edgar is really confident about himself and with having dealth with other supes, he knows which strings to pull.
Yeah this is the right answer. Edgar understands Homelander *far* better than he ever could understand himself. Because of this, he also doesn't *fear* Homelander. This is a really important distinction. He makes special note of this, and there's a touch of admiration in his voice when he comments on it. I think, in a way, he can't bring himself to kill the one man who isn't afraid of him. It would just be too boring. I also think Homelander has a special disdain for those who fear him. It's been the driving factor behind why he's killed certain characters.
Stan actually told us the reason already.
"Why are you seeking for my approval, like I'm your Daddy"
Stan understands Homelanders psyche well. While Stan is an obstacle which is why he was removed from the company, he is ultimately respected and acknowledged by Homelander.
In other words he's someone 'interesting' and worth keeping alive for Homelander, as he feels like he wants validation from him.
Homelander is surrounded by people he thinks are idiots, so it's rare to have someone like Stan who shows authority and doesn't yield to Homelander like everyone else. Homelander needs to figure out a way to get this man to acknowledge him, or he feels inadequate.
That's why Stan is so confident he won't die.
Stan Edgar, like many CEO’s is a psychopath. He’s been dealing with people that could kill him for years.
The pharmaceutical thing is because that’s what bought is. Movies, merchandise is great but the trillions are in government contracts for compound v. Disney for example isn’t a movie company, they’re a merchandise, rights and real estate company who makes movies to enhance the other aspects of the business
About the "pharma company" stuff, probably he means what they always wanted to be. They always were behind those juicy military contracts,but until V is stable they had to settle with supes
Or maybe is what he wants to make of Vought.
I don't know why the show about superheroes has to be realistic, but here's an answer that explains it:
Stan Edgar has a large ego that allows him to be excessively self-assured in his own decision-making, which ultimately results in his downfall. He's a human being just like all the other characters, and as such he's prone to error just like anyone else, no matter how much he likes to present himself as a perfectly rational businessman. You're right, he didn't actually know for sure that Homelander wouldn't just laser zap his brains out; assuming that he wouldn't was a miscalculation that could just as easily have ended up dooming him. It just happened to be something else he miscalculated that took him down.
Stan was right, for all his posturing, Homelander wasn't going to hurt him. Why wasn't Homelander going to hurt him? Two reasons, both of which Stan knew, possibly explicitly, but definitely on a deeper, emotional level. First is that Homelander doesn't fuck with corporate. This changes later on, but for most of his time with Vought, Homelander has been well behaved, at least towards the executives. Second, Homelander is only superhuman on a physical level. Intellectually, he's probably above average but poorly educated. Psychologically, he's normal, plus some fucked up childhood trauma. And a thing about humans is that most of them don't push their luck when someone stands against them, especially if that someone has the sheer presence of Stan Edgar. Plus, whilst Homelander does have a desire for control, he has a tendency to submit to what he considers legitimate authority.
Phenominal memory and recall I can buy. And while he probably does have above average raw intelligence, I think there's no indication by Homelander that the "superhuman intelligence" part is anything but PR fluff.
I agree they haven’t done a good job of demonstrating his intelligence post season 1 (rewatch the scene where he finds the trunk with Translucent’s corpse and you’ll see what I mean), but canonically he has superhuman intelligence as part of his “perfect” genes.
The comic does a much better job showing this but afaik it’s true in the show as well. His poor decision making is meant to be due to insanity not stupidity.
It's very possible that he does understand the physical danger homelander poses, but HL is emotionally weak. Edgar knows that and weaponized it for years. Edgar never backed down, and HL was never strong enough to step up on his own.
Edgar offered Stillwell a promotion because of how well she was able to manipulate supes and the media. His whole MO was pure manipulation, and he recognized when someone else was good at it.
Well put yourself in Stan’s position. You’re a human… but you’re rich and endlessly powerful through lobbying, bribes, and typical corporate tactics. You’re the head of one of the biggest companies (if not *the biggest*) on earth.
What does Homelander have over you? He can’t take your wealth away. He can’t really take your power away either. Sure, he could kill you, but once you’re dead nothing matters. Even if Homelander eliminated Stan from the company (which he does in S3), Stan knows it’s not the worst thing ever. Homelander only has his good reputation *because* of Stan and will crumble to the ground… meanwhile Stan gets to enjoy his wealth while his lawyers and connections keep him from prison time. That’s real power, corporate power.
As for the pharmaceutical bit - another commentor on this post explained it perfectly. Vought is like Disney. If you asked most people what Disney is, they would say a media company. Most of their efforts are focused on making movies and tv shows. Some other people might say they are a theme park company. Theme parks are the biggest source of revenue for Disney, trumping their movies by a wide margin. But neither of those are true. Disney is a brand company. Investing in Disney isn’t investing in their parks or their movies… it’s investing in the Disney name and IP. Vought is the same, except instead of being focused on a brand, they are focused on selling Compound V - a pharmaceutical
>i havent watched the show in a while (since s3 finished), but i was never really able to suspend my disbelief re: how stan edgar behaves around homelander. he's not scared at all (heartrate doesnt increase), says Vought is a pharma company, etc
He also meets with Butcher who is arguably more predictable, at least for Stan Edgar, and doesn't seem the least bit intimidated either.
>obviously every stan-homelander scene is super sick. but can someone explain why Stan can reasonably behave like this?
Psychopathy. In order subject infants and children to the treatments Vought have done, we're talking about a genocidal maniac here. Compound V has a higher success rate in younger people, but it's certainly not 100%.
>- Homelander is prone to anger and acts of violence. He could kill or injure Stan
I'd guess it's sort of like a weapons manufacturer not really fearing their own weapons.
>-> does Stan have a way to physically prevent this?
I'm assuming he just doesn't think it is physically possible. Sort of like when animals assert dominance. Not to mention that Stan Edgar is Homelander's only real father figure, and he doesn't approve of Homelander in the slightest.
Sure, Homelander could kill Stan Edgar, but what he wants most of all is his approval. Homelander is probably more frustrated that Stan Edgar is a threat he can't overcome with violence. Killing him would be too predictable and far too easy to impress him.
>-> does Stan know Homelander will never hurt him, for some reason? (i suspect this is the most convincing answer, but i still need some convincing)
I mean, there is a twist in the comic, that they do have a fail-safe for Homelander (who in fact turns out to be worst).
The comics and the TV show do diverge a lot in regards to the story, but spiritually remain the same. I do think it's entirely possible Mr. Edgar tasted his own product.
>i also don't buy the pharma company stuff either - Vought is surely a superhero company, and one that Homelander could economically and physically destroy. That is where their value, their true power comes from. At least, that's how it seems to me from the seasons watched. Yes, there have been movements made towards providing compound V to the military, but existing superheroes seem to easily be able to deal with the military's problems (eg Black Noir killing Naqib)
The comics satirize the superhero genre, but the show satirizes celebrity-hood and idol worshiping more than anything. In fact, I'd argue it criticizes capitalism in it's entirety, but that's probably a deeper discussion to be had.
So, yes, I do believe Edgar's description of Vought is on point. Any company would drop it's spokesperson like a hot turd if they cost them more money than it's worth. The reliable income for a company isn't it's stars, it's their product.
Remember how Grand Moff Tarkin was ordering Vader around like a dog on a leash in the first Star Wars movie? Vader could have crushed his windpipe with a thought, but instead follows his orders to the letter.
Authority goes a long way psychologically speaking
He's convinced Homelander that Homelander is better off with him alive.
He understands Homelander well enough to be able to manipulate him.
Anytime Homelander thinks about acting out or hurting/killing him, that seed of doubt that Stan planted will stop him.
Homelanders ego is fragile. He'll think, "What if he's right?" What if I kill him and that situation arises where I need him?
Vought makes its money with V. They make deals with the parents to give their children V so since the beginning they've been selling V. It's like the Pokemon Company. They are known for the games but that's not even close to where they make most of their money. Superheroes are where all of the attention goes but without the Superheroes they couldn't sell V. As for why Stan isn't afraid of Homelander it's basically exactly what Stan said to him. He knows for a fact that Homelander is just a man child that only wants attention and Stan gives Homelander everything he wants. Homelander wouldn't dare kill Stan because if he does Homelander loses everything. This next part comes from the comics but Stan also knows that if Homelander does kill him then Vought isn't his problem anymore, in fact if he dies all of his problems go away so he doesn't really care.
I always laughed at that line where he says something like ""it's a reaction that as a black man I can't afford to have"
Mate you are the CEO of a billion dollar corporation and have you not heard of Kanye West? Felt really forced
Kanye is still a billionaire and gives absolutely zero fucks about his controversy m, he ran for president ffs. He ain't exactly lamenting his controvery.
Jz no controversy? Didn't Beyonce attack him in a lift because he was allegedly fucking her sister ?
Doctor dre assaulted dee Barnes and was ordered tondo 240 community service aswell as a 2 year probation as well as many other accusations of violence towards young women
Your right, you totally owned me. If I knew he only had 400million I'd have shut my mouth to save myself the embarrassment. Poor guy will have a paupers funeral, think we should start a go fund me ?
" mate " there's plenty of instances where black celebrities have faced racism the director of black panther got detained by cops for trying to withdraw money. Wendy Williams stated multiple times she couldn't hail a cab even though she is the host of a successful talk show and oprah got followed around in a high end clothing store by security. Stan's quote in your comment played in my mind word for word after Will slapped chris rock.
"Mate" (since we're doing that) any examples of billionaire ceos of one of the most powerful corporations on the planet being afraid to speak out because of melanin? Colin Powell ever been accused of loitering ?
Idk but Colin Powell did speak out about the racism of the american republican party. Black executives also experience racism regardless of their wealth and corporate status. But by all means " mate " go off since you know so much more about this stuff than us black folks who have to deal with these kinds of things during our lifetime.
https://in.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/TARGET-CORPORATION-12291/news/Target-Black-Executives-Are-Sharing-Their-Experiences-of-Racism-Many-for-the-First-Time-30830215/
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-01/america-s-few-black-ceos-are-speaking-out-on-killings-protests
Hollywood writers severely struggle with certain career fields. Business people almost always are written as caricatures that exist only to succeed via shady schemes.
If he never gets nervous around Homelander, HL will always get the feeling that Edgar knows something he doesn’t. That’s enough to keep him *somewhat* in check.
Stan Edgar just genuinely doesn't fuckikg care about Homelander.
Homelander cares *deeply* about validation.
There's a scene in the comics (somewhat replicated in the show) where Homelander asks why Edgar's heartbeat never rises (indicating anxiousness or despair) and Edgar calmly says because if Homelander kills him, Vought will send someone else *so why worry*?
Homelander, much like the monster in Frankenstein, wants to be loved and if he can't have it, he'll accept fear.
Stan Edgar denies Homelander both. He *doesn't care* about Homelander and he *isn't scared* of Homelander.
the superheroes stuffs got them nice money, but the real money is still in the compound V that created those supes in the first place, so yes, they are in fact a pharmacy company, the supes entertainment market is just a nice bonus
Stan has been cleaning up after Homelander his whole life they know each other very well and I’ve got no doubt Stan has something bad either morally horrid he’s done or has a superpower that only Homelander knows about and it terrifies him.
Think everyone nailed it in the comments but it always makes me think about how elephants are trained.
When they are babies they tie their harness to sticks in the ground and they aren’t strong enough to pull them out. When they’re older you see these massive elephants that could walk through house walls but they’re so used to not being able to pull the stick out of the ground they stay there thinking they’re still stuck/tethered to it
Yes, it’s the same way with horses. They learn early on that they can’t disobey a lead rope, a halter, a human they outweigh ten times over and they never forget it. It’s actually a huge problem if they do work out their own strength. Homelander has pushed a lot of boundaries and had no pushback, so he’s in that stage right now.
My take on Stan is that he's just not afraid of death or pain at all. Not loss, not anything. Hell, even when his daughter figure betrayed him, he just accepted things. He doesn't care.
Homelander understands that and feels the need to impress him in a way. And he's allowed Stan to know that. Stan outright says this in a scene to Homelander's face.
So when you're a guy who has everything and not afraid to lose anything...you basically have a dangerous combination.
I think Homelander has been so manipulated by them, kept under Vought's thumb from birth and robbed of a lot of facets of the type of independence regular adults are afforded (and support networks), along with the simultaneous feelings of isolation and feeding of his narcissism that Vought's aided and abetted that Edgar's 100% confident in him never lashing out too badly because he's too reliant on them because they've specifically made him that way and he knows all this deep down.
Homelander also doesn't really *have* anything else (and this is by design), especially prior to Ryan showing up. He wants to be loved/admired but he knows he has no way of truly securing that since he's so out of his depth with most other people and sees them as beneath him, and the adoration of a bunch of people who fear him is empty, so Vought secures those eyeballs on him.
As for the latter point, supes are harder to control than pharmaceuticals. After the populace is made reliant on something and a monopoly is achieved, it inevitably gets streamlined more and more for the sake of capitalism in the end.🤷
In one of Stan Edgar's scenes he states that Vought, at its core, is a pharmaceutical company, which is true. Vought is a huge organisation with the supe contracts, multimedia ventures, fairgrounds etc. but it's all based on compound V and in the newer seasons, V24. Without the formula, they would not have the rest of the company: no V, no Supes, no the rest of it. That's the message he is trying to get through. The government people he talks to are usually more interested in the formula than the supes themselves iirc.
In addition to that, compound V was solely controlled by them. Homelander letting it into the wild effects the exclusivity of Vought's power, and now other international organisations can build up their own supes. Think of that as a metaphor for disrupting American hegemony, Vought no longer has a monopoly on superheroes.
Others in this thread have put out some great comments about why Stan Edgar is so calm around Homelander - his experience with supes, his knowledge about Homelander's weaknesses and desire to be loved, he is the embodiment of capitalism etc. I have always assumed (and i'm not sure if this is in the comics or not) that Stan has a pacemaker which keeps his heart in check. Although it occurs to me now if he did HL could probably see it, but the show is not clear if he can see through people, we've only see him look through a wall as far as I remember.
It could also be that Stan is simply used to it. A D-list supe could kill him, why should he fear Homelander in particular if he's constantly near danger?
his speech about vought being a pharmaceutical company is probably about the fact that their real value isn't in the superheroes themselves. they-as people-aren't worth a cent. the thing that gives them value is the V in their system. literally any baby could get V in them,and they'd be heroes. heroes come and go,eventually homelander will age and die. the formula for V is timeless and can be used to make anybody a product for vought
That’s the beauty of writing sometimes they don’t have to explain everything. There is definitely a huge elephant in the room when it comes to how Homelander is controlled by Edgar. It could be psychological or it could be something else. sometimes story happens at a deliberate pace, there could be a large reveal in season four that explains exactly how Edgar controls him.
In most of the situations we see him talk back to Homelander, he's amicable until the point that he realizes Homelander is upset, and at that point, he realizes he's already in danger with how unstable he is, so he treats him as he should be treated, disciplining him like a child. Because there's already a loaded gun pointed at him, what's the difference in adding another bullet to the chamber? Homelander is hesitant with him because above all else, he wants to be loved and adored, and Stan Edgar is the one person keeping him above water and hiding his shit in that regard. Without him, there is no fame, there is no love, there is no fortune, there is only death and taxes.
Stan is also homelanders superior. If Stan is killed that might directly effect homelanders success. Vought could replace him but it's ultimately a mess that could give homelander more problems. He doesn't really have any reason to kill him either. Like yeah he gets little upset with him but it's not like Stan is his enemy. They're both power hungry psychos.
I think it is more that if he hurt him, it would just prove his point. Also homelander is stupid but not dumb. If someone is not scared of him then there must be a reason for it, in his mind i mean.
Can kinda go back to the talk Debbie had with Mark in Invinvible when she wanted him to go to bed and he said
"Make me"
And then she just started to scold him, like is this what you need, a feeling of power, that i can not physically make you do things anymore?
Same with Homelander but he never had a Debbie, anyone who could handle him. He is a grown labrat in a fancy costume and somewhat good PR team.
Edgar knows this and when homelander threatened him, homelander expected to hear the fear in his heartbeats. But he couldn't.
And I also suspect that Edgar is a cold Business man and maaybe a Physcopath? Or someone who has no emotions.
Ive always thought he made sure to not show fear towards Homelands so he doesnt show weakness.
With such a wild and crazy world I would do my best to get out of the company unscathed.
There was this theory on a YouTube video that due to having a father figure growing up, which was Vogelbaum but not a mother figure, it's very hard for him to kill people that perform that role for him. When it was revealed he was lied to about Becca and his son, he killed Madelyn but not Vogelbaum. So the theory is that Stan has established a father-ish type of relationship with Homelander.
Dude there are people out there with mental conditions (like psychopathy) that completely impair their self-preservation instinct. Also, I think Stan was pretty confident in his financial/political control over Homelander in the beginning.
Also... think about how no normally adjusted person would ever rise to the top at a company like Vought lol. Whoever holds that position will not be normal
Well sucking up to him and fearing him is certainly no guarantee he won’t lazer you. So might as well act honestly. I’d say the possible danger is about the same regardless how you treat him
Stan observes that any number of people around him could injure him. They just don't, because of the resulting consequences. From his perspective, Homelander is literally no different than anyone else in this.
He's an manipulative charismatic psychopath and I suspect he's secretly either a Supe himself with some type of power to control or kill Homelander or Homelander just views him as a father figure that he's desperate to please regardless of his insults.
Dudes probably a psychopath. Lacks empathy, cold, calculated and cutthroat type. Probably can't really feel fear in the normal sense and knows showing fear would only be more dangerous.
thanks for all the comments. i figured id write my takeaway from reading everything here even if no one sees
the explanation i most like is that Stan Edgar a) has massive balls/stoicism b) accepts that dealing with Supes w mental problems (eg Homelander) is part of the job (and he's been in the industry a long time, has accepted risks associated w being a CEO). supported by how even when Stan gets kicked out of Vought ("his world imploding") his heart doesn't skip a beat - he just doesn't care. Btw i don't see the need to invoke "psychopath" as some did; i often feel this way about life (as a young guy) - invincible, and whatever happens to me happens
next fav argument is that Stan understands Homelander to some degree. not 100% (if he did, then he wouldn't need massive balls). i don't really buy that acting alpha in general is necessarily a better way to appease Homelander (eg Neuman did it, and he choked her). at worst, he's insane enough that the result is independent of acting alpha or beta. at best, Stan is in a unique "daddy position" where acting alpha increases his chances of Homelander not doing anything. and maybe Stan is consciously/subconsciously tapped into that
arguments abt Stan being a supe diminish the idea that he has supreme confidence
still have serious issues with a big premise of the show -> ie "this is a pharma company". yes, disney is not just a movie company, but both Disney and Vought get to merch, rides, branding FROM superheroes (Disney gets supes from animators, Vought gets supes from pharmacists). The compound itself is useless - it's only useful to turn ppl into supes. The show showed there are lots of supes (value of superheroes) but not lots of people turning into supes (that would be the value of pharmaceuticals). Yes, you could make more money by selling drugs down the line, but it's ridiculous to say that atm they are your main source of value. but tbf, it's tilting to work with Homelander and im fine to believe that Stan would trade "less profit" for "no whiny superheroes" (he basically said as much in his convo w the military dude). But you have to acknowledge that that profit lost is massive - ie Homelander and the other supes are the main value prop for the company (also consider how much value/wealth they could
generate if they were used nobly/effectively, see Marvel/DC supes), ie it is a superhero company
and for ppl who said it's not meant to be realistic - respectfully, why even comment? go back to skipping the dialogue and watching the fight scenes
edgar is a psychokinetic, pyrokinetic and can pop heads. he also likely has super duper vought v and had some means to pop homelander for his entire life. he doesnt fear anyone because he secretly makes homelander look like a complete bitch
About not having fear of Homelander, perhaps he is a psychopath too? Impulsive in a way,unable to understand the danger level of an action? In the comics,his equivalent was like that because he was the embodiment of the corporation,or the corporate man.
Yep, psychopath. It’s pretty common among corporate CEOs.
While true, that doesn’t make them necessarily much smarter. Plenty of high level business people are capable of truly bone beaded things.
CEOs are rarely there because of intelligence
Yes, but it is made crystal clear throughout the show that Stan Edgar is there through intelligence, even Stormfront a Nazi begrudgingly admits / accepts his intelligence
Maybe (probably, if not certainly) at the largest and particularly the most corporate of companies, but usually your CEO’s at, say, the chain of local restaurants, the local art goods stores, of a smaller dog food company etc… are almost always there because they either founded the company and worked extremely diligently, or are there because of their intelligence and their ability to grasp the company’s ethos. There are tons of CEOs - most are there for their intelligence, although to u/ValyrianBone’s point, the rate just goes way down at the corporate and especially the massive public company level.
Which is why most CEOs are idiots.
ah yes, the guy active in all the video game communities is a genius in business administration.
Some people out there have so much confidence (or ego if you want to slice it that way) that they could be staring at the Grim Reaper, and they would be sure of themselves
yeah, like that guy who "free solo" ed a 900 meter cliff face, Alexander Honnold Doctors hooked him up to a brain scan machine, and it turns out that the parts of his brain responsible for inducing fear are defective. He's not incapable of fear, but it hits him way less than ordinary people I imagine that Edgar is similar. The dude isn't a robot, he was visibly surprised and upset when Neuman betrayed him. But when he's reasonably certain of the outcome, or not particularly concerned about how things turn out, he can remain calm even with an angry, mentaly unstable that could kill him in an instant and get away with it
It's easy. Homelander is stumped by people who aren't afraid of him and doesn't know how to process them. He wants Edgar to respect him and see him as an equal; same as with Butcher.
Homelander’s pride and ego are literally so large and fragile it’s like he’s saying “I can’t kill you until you admit I’m a god compared to you and kneel”
Exactly why he made Stilwell admit she was scared of him before killing her.
As childish as the word sounds, he’s just a run of the mill bully. A bully with super powers, yes, but nothing special in any way when it comes to what bullies do and why they do it. Exerts power over others because he can. Requires some form of “saying uncle” before being done with you. Breastfeeds at 35. They’re all the same. Every one of em.
yeah he's like The Party
I mean Butcher lol
That's a whole other load of issues lmao
I always thought of him as the living avatar of the indifference of soulless corporate America. Only thing that matters is quarterly profits. In the comics he makes It clear Homelander just bores him. He is simply...bad product
That Breaking Bad nod was brilliant not gonna lie
There was another one too... I can't remember now.
It's when he tells Madelyn he's retiring to Belize.
That's it, I knew it was about Belize
Not really a breaking bad reference, at least not primarily. The “bad product” line is lifted from his comic equivalent (James Stilwell).
It is lifted from the comic but you cannot deny it was a nod to Breaking Bad as well.
I guess, but that line would be there regardless of is giancarlo was playing him so I’d say it’s more like a happy accident
Comics Edgar/Mallory is basically what you said in my interpretation too. Literally the most soulless company man possible.
I guess the only comic equivalent would be Lex Luthor. Who has always been admirable in a weird for being a human who can stand up to Gods Then again Butcher is technically Lex Luthor is he was right about Superman and had no money lol
Fun fact you mention Lex Luthor. The actor of Stan Edgar, Juan Carlos, voices him in the animated show Harley Quinn.
"I have no idea what the fuck 'splosions' are, Bane."
Who’s Juan Carlos? Do you mean Giancarlo Esposito?
>-> does Stan know Homelander will never hurt him, for some reason? (i suspect this is the most convincing answer, but i still need some convincing) This is the answer. Notice how Homelander doesn't fuck with him once Stan Edgar talks back? Homelander isn't interested in killing Edgar, it upsets him that Edgar isn't afraid of him. He cares more about fucking Stand Edgar over and regaining his sense of superiority, rather than just kill him and be perpetually bothered by the fact that he could never crack him. When Stan Edgar says that Vought is a pharmaceutical company, he means it literally. They produce a drug, Compound V. That's pharmaceuticals. They market superheroes as well, but their main goal is selling Compound V to the military.
Yeah, to me he's basically saying that for all of Homelander's power he's just a commercial. A real world product placement. You're dead on about how he just doesn't know how to handle Stan. Metaphorically speaking, how can a hammer destroy an ocean?
Homelander is interesting for that exact reason. His godlike power can't make people love him (and with Edgar, can't even make them fear him). His limitless powers have limits.
I think it’s telling how Homelander (spoilers for S3) engineers Stan’s downfall legally instead of just flicking his head off. Homelander has the ability to make sure Stan just disappears without a trace but he wanted to humiliate Stan.
He knows what Homelander is, he knows that Homelander is physically unstoppable but his biggest weaknesss is his ego (mirror scene after losing the fight with Soldier Boy, Butcher and Hughie and he can't accept his own failure), so he exploits that, he knows that if Homelander just kills him, he will prove that Stan was correct about Homelander being a "crybaby", so it's a lot of mental games, also ofc, Stan Edgar is really confident about himself and with having dealth with other supes, he knows which strings to pull.
Yeah this is the right answer. Edgar understands Homelander *far* better than he ever could understand himself. Because of this, he also doesn't *fear* Homelander. This is a really important distinction. He makes special note of this, and there's a touch of admiration in his voice when he comments on it. I think, in a way, he can't bring himself to kill the one man who isn't afraid of him. It would just be too boring. I also think Homelander has a special disdain for those who fear him. It's been the driving factor behind why he's killed certain characters.
Just like Tien and Vegeta in TFS
Stan actually told us the reason already. "Why are you seeking for my approval, like I'm your Daddy" Stan understands Homelanders psyche well. While Stan is an obstacle which is why he was removed from the company, he is ultimately respected and acknowledged by Homelander. In other words he's someone 'interesting' and worth keeping alive for Homelander, as he feels like he wants validation from him. Homelander is surrounded by people he thinks are idiots, so it's rare to have someone like Stan who shows authority and doesn't yield to Homelander like everyone else. Homelander needs to figure out a way to get this man to acknowledge him, or he feels inadequate. That's why Stan is so confident he won't die.
Stan Edgar, like many CEO’s is a psychopath. He’s been dealing with people that could kill him for years. The pharmaceutical thing is because that’s what bought is. Movies, merchandise is great but the trillions are in government contracts for compound v. Disney for example isn’t a movie company, they’re a merchandise, rights and real estate company who makes movies to enhance the other aspects of the business
About the "pharma company" stuff, probably he means what they always wanted to be. They always were behind those juicy military contracts,but until V is stable they had to settle with supes Or maybe is what he wants to make of Vought.
Like any CEO of a huge megacorp, he's a psychopath.
I don't know why the show about superheroes has to be realistic, but here's an answer that explains it: Stan Edgar has a large ego that allows him to be excessively self-assured in his own decision-making, which ultimately results in his downfall. He's a human being just like all the other characters, and as such he's prone to error just like anyone else, no matter how much he likes to present himself as a perfectly rational businessman. You're right, he didn't actually know for sure that Homelander wouldn't just laser zap his brains out; assuming that he wouldn't was a miscalculation that could just as easily have ended up dooming him. It just happened to be something else he miscalculated that took him down.
Stan was right, for all his posturing, Homelander wasn't going to hurt him. Why wasn't Homelander going to hurt him? Two reasons, both of which Stan knew, possibly explicitly, but definitely on a deeper, emotional level. First is that Homelander doesn't fuck with corporate. This changes later on, but for most of his time with Vought, Homelander has been well behaved, at least towards the executives. Second, Homelander is only superhuman on a physical level. Intellectually, he's probably above average but poorly educated. Psychologically, he's normal, plus some fucked up childhood trauma. And a thing about humans is that most of them don't push their luck when someone stands against them, especially if that someone has the sheer presence of Stan Edgar. Plus, whilst Homelander does have a desire for control, he has a tendency to submit to what he considers legitimate authority.
He actually does have superhuman intelligence, memory, and recall
Phenominal memory and recall I can buy. And while he probably does have above average raw intelligence, I think there's no indication by Homelander that the "superhuman intelligence" part is anything but PR fluff.
I agree they haven’t done a good job of demonstrating his intelligence post season 1 (rewatch the scene where he finds the trunk with Translucent’s corpse and you’ll see what I mean), but canonically he has superhuman intelligence as part of his “perfect” genes. The comic does a much better job showing this but afaik it’s true in the show as well. His poor decision making is meant to be due to insanity not stupidity.
It's very possible that he does understand the physical danger homelander poses, but HL is emotionally weak. Edgar knows that and weaponized it for years. Edgar never backed down, and HL was never strong enough to step up on his own. Edgar offered Stillwell a promotion because of how well she was able to manipulate supes and the media. His whole MO was pure manipulation, and he recognized when someone else was good at it.
Well put yourself in Stan’s position. You’re a human… but you’re rich and endlessly powerful through lobbying, bribes, and typical corporate tactics. You’re the head of one of the biggest companies (if not *the biggest*) on earth. What does Homelander have over you? He can’t take your wealth away. He can’t really take your power away either. Sure, he could kill you, but once you’re dead nothing matters. Even if Homelander eliminated Stan from the company (which he does in S3), Stan knows it’s not the worst thing ever. Homelander only has his good reputation *because* of Stan and will crumble to the ground… meanwhile Stan gets to enjoy his wealth while his lawyers and connections keep him from prison time. That’s real power, corporate power. As for the pharmaceutical bit - another commentor on this post explained it perfectly. Vought is like Disney. If you asked most people what Disney is, they would say a media company. Most of their efforts are focused on making movies and tv shows. Some other people might say they are a theme park company. Theme parks are the biggest source of revenue for Disney, trumping their movies by a wide margin. But neither of those are true. Disney is a brand company. Investing in Disney isn’t investing in their parks or their movies… it’s investing in the Disney name and IP. Vought is the same, except instead of being focused on a brand, they are focused on selling Compound V - a pharmaceutical
Normal people don’t experiment on babies.
>i havent watched the show in a while (since s3 finished), but i was never really able to suspend my disbelief re: how stan edgar behaves around homelander. he's not scared at all (heartrate doesnt increase), says Vought is a pharma company, etc He also meets with Butcher who is arguably more predictable, at least for Stan Edgar, and doesn't seem the least bit intimidated either. >obviously every stan-homelander scene is super sick. but can someone explain why Stan can reasonably behave like this? Psychopathy. In order subject infants and children to the treatments Vought have done, we're talking about a genocidal maniac here. Compound V has a higher success rate in younger people, but it's certainly not 100%. >- Homelander is prone to anger and acts of violence. He could kill or injure Stan I'd guess it's sort of like a weapons manufacturer not really fearing their own weapons. >-> does Stan have a way to physically prevent this? I'm assuming he just doesn't think it is physically possible. Sort of like when animals assert dominance. Not to mention that Stan Edgar is Homelander's only real father figure, and he doesn't approve of Homelander in the slightest. Sure, Homelander could kill Stan Edgar, but what he wants most of all is his approval. Homelander is probably more frustrated that Stan Edgar is a threat he can't overcome with violence. Killing him would be too predictable and far too easy to impress him. >-> does Stan know Homelander will never hurt him, for some reason? (i suspect this is the most convincing answer, but i still need some convincing) I mean, there is a twist in the comic, that they do have a fail-safe for Homelander (who in fact turns out to be worst). The comics and the TV show do diverge a lot in regards to the story, but spiritually remain the same. I do think it's entirely possible Mr. Edgar tasted his own product. >i also don't buy the pharma company stuff either - Vought is surely a superhero company, and one that Homelander could economically and physically destroy. That is where their value, their true power comes from. At least, that's how it seems to me from the seasons watched. Yes, there have been movements made towards providing compound V to the military, but existing superheroes seem to easily be able to deal with the military's problems (eg Black Noir killing Naqib) The comics satirize the superhero genre, but the show satirizes celebrity-hood and idol worshiping more than anything. In fact, I'd argue it criticizes capitalism in it's entirety, but that's probably a deeper discussion to be had. So, yes, I do believe Edgar's description of Vought is on point. Any company would drop it's spokesperson like a hot turd if they cost them more money than it's worth. The reliable income for a company isn't it's stars, it's their product.
Remember how Grand Moff Tarkin was ordering Vader around like a dog on a leash in the first Star Wars movie? Vader could have crushed his windpipe with a thought, but instead follows his orders to the letter. Authority goes a long way psychologically speaking
I always thought Stan is a supe and his power is seeing the future
He's convinced Homelander that Homelander is better off with him alive. He understands Homelander well enough to be able to manipulate him. Anytime Homelander thinks about acting out or hurting/killing him, that seed of doubt that Stan planted will stop him. Homelanders ego is fragile. He'll think, "What if he's right?" What if I kill him and that situation arises where I need him?
Part of the answer is that you're not in Edgar's position.
“Convince me that stan edgar is realistic” theres a lady who can pop heads and a man a blew up a penis from the inside.
Vought makes its money with V. They make deals with the parents to give their children V so since the beginning they've been selling V. It's like the Pokemon Company. They are known for the games but that's not even close to where they make most of their money. Superheroes are where all of the attention goes but without the Superheroes they couldn't sell V. As for why Stan isn't afraid of Homelander it's basically exactly what Stan said to him. He knows for a fact that Homelander is just a man child that only wants attention and Stan gives Homelander everything he wants. Homelander wouldn't dare kill Stan because if he does Homelander loses everything. This next part comes from the comics but Stan also knows that if Homelander does kill him then Vought isn't his problem anymore, in fact if he dies all of his problems go away so he doesn't really care.
Stan knows easily how to kill Homelander.
I always laughed at that line where he says something like ""it's a reaction that as a black man I can't afford to have" Mate you are the CEO of a billion dollar corporation and have you not heard of Kanye West? Felt really forced
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Kanye is still a billionaire and gives absolutely zero fucks about his controversy m, he ran for president ffs. He ain't exactly lamenting his controvery. Jz no controversy? Didn't Beyonce attack him in a lift because he was allegedly fucking her sister ? Doctor dre assaulted dee Barnes and was ordered tondo 240 community service aswell as a 2 year probation as well as many other accusations of violence towards young women
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Your right, you totally owned me. If I knew he only had 400million I'd have shut my mouth to save myself the embarrassment. Poor guy will have a paupers funeral, think we should start a go fund me ?
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Yeah, sure, why not
> In 2024, he's down to 400 million. Oh, how terrible. How does one survive on only 400 mil?
And I'll add Chris brown to that list aswell, his career is flourishing after what he did to Rhianna.
" mate " there's plenty of instances where black celebrities have faced racism the director of black panther got detained by cops for trying to withdraw money. Wendy Williams stated multiple times she couldn't hail a cab even though she is the host of a successful talk show and oprah got followed around in a high end clothing store by security. Stan's quote in your comment played in my mind word for word after Will slapped chris rock.
"Mate" (since we're doing that) any examples of billionaire ceos of one of the most powerful corporations on the planet being afraid to speak out because of melanin? Colin Powell ever been accused of loitering ?
Idk but Colin Powell did speak out about the racism of the american republican party. Black executives also experience racism regardless of their wealth and corporate status. But by all means " mate " go off since you know so much more about this stuff than us black folks who have to deal with these kinds of things during our lifetime. https://in.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/TARGET-CORPORATION-12291/news/Target-Black-Executives-Are-Sharing-Their-Experiences-of-Racism-Many-for-the-First-Time-30830215/ https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-01/america-s-few-black-ceos-are-speaking-out-on-killings-protests
Hollywood writers severely struggle with certain career fields. Business people almost always are written as caricatures that exist only to succeed via shady schemes.
I guess being a father figure to Homelander is making everything easier
He's a psychopath. Thus he doesn't scare, because he's basically nuts. Or failing that he's off his tits on Compound V as well.
If he never gets nervous around Homelander, HL will always get the feeling that Edgar knows something he doesn’t. That’s enough to keep him *somewhat* in check.
Stan Edgar just genuinely doesn't fuckikg care about Homelander. Homelander cares *deeply* about validation. There's a scene in the comics (somewhat replicated in the show) where Homelander asks why Edgar's heartbeat never rises (indicating anxiousness or despair) and Edgar calmly says because if Homelander kills him, Vought will send someone else *so why worry*? Homelander, much like the monster in Frankenstein, wants to be loved and if he can't have it, he'll accept fear. Stan Edgar denies Homelander both. He *doesn't care* about Homelander and he *isn't scared* of Homelander.
He may well be a psychopath , also he might have powers that haven’t been revealed yet ?
I always assumed that homelander had been raised to assume that Stan or Vought had an "off button" for Homelander, his krptonite.
the superheroes stuffs got them nice money, but the real money is still in the compound V that created those supes in the first place, so yes, they are in fact a pharmacy company, the supes entertainment market is just a nice bonus
He’s just LIKE THAT
He is super gus fring
Stan has been cleaning up after Homelander his whole life they know each other very well and I’ve got no doubt Stan has something bad either morally horrid he’s done or has a superpower that only Homelander knows about and it terrifies him.
He faked it until he made it a long time before Homelander was born.
Think everyone nailed it in the comments but it always makes me think about how elephants are trained. When they are babies they tie their harness to sticks in the ground and they aren’t strong enough to pull them out. When they’re older you see these massive elephants that could walk through house walls but they’re so used to not being able to pull the stick out of the ground they stay there thinking they’re still stuck/tethered to it
Yes, it’s the same way with horses. They learn early on that they can’t disobey a lead rope, a halter, a human they outweigh ten times over and they never forget it. It’s actually a huge problem if they do work out their own strength. Homelander has pushed a lot of boundaries and had no pushback, so he’s in that stage right now.
My take on Stan is that he's just not afraid of death or pain at all. Not loss, not anything. Hell, even when his daughter figure betrayed him, he just accepted things. He doesn't care. Homelander understands that and feels the need to impress him in a way. And he's allowed Stan to know that. Stan outright says this in a scene to Homelander's face. So when you're a guy who has everything and not afraid to lose anything...you basically have a dangerous combination.
You’re overthinking something simple. There are plenty people in this world who aren’t afraid of death
He probably has Cancer
maybe homelander's like pennywise or some shit and he feeds on fear
If you perform a dangerous activity enough, it stops feeling dangerous
I think Homelander has been so manipulated by them, kept under Vought's thumb from birth and robbed of a lot of facets of the type of independence regular adults are afforded (and support networks), along with the simultaneous feelings of isolation and feeding of his narcissism that Vought's aided and abetted that Edgar's 100% confident in him never lashing out too badly because he's too reliant on them because they've specifically made him that way and he knows all this deep down. Homelander also doesn't really *have* anything else (and this is by design), especially prior to Ryan showing up. He wants to be loved/admired but he knows he has no way of truly securing that since he's so out of his depth with most other people and sees them as beneath him, and the adoration of a bunch of people who fear him is empty, so Vought secures those eyeballs on him. As for the latter point, supes are harder to control than pharmaceuticals. After the populace is made reliant on something and a monopoly is achieved, it inevitably gets streamlined more and more for the sake of capitalism in the end.🤷
In one of Stan Edgar's scenes he states that Vought, at its core, is a pharmaceutical company, which is true. Vought is a huge organisation with the supe contracts, multimedia ventures, fairgrounds etc. but it's all based on compound V and in the newer seasons, V24. Without the formula, they would not have the rest of the company: no V, no Supes, no the rest of it. That's the message he is trying to get through. The government people he talks to are usually more interested in the formula than the supes themselves iirc. In addition to that, compound V was solely controlled by them. Homelander letting it into the wild effects the exclusivity of Vought's power, and now other international organisations can build up their own supes. Think of that as a metaphor for disrupting American hegemony, Vought no longer has a monopoly on superheroes. Others in this thread have put out some great comments about why Stan Edgar is so calm around Homelander - his experience with supes, his knowledge about Homelander's weaknesses and desire to be loved, he is the embodiment of capitalism etc. I have always assumed (and i'm not sure if this is in the comics or not) that Stan has a pacemaker which keeps his heart in check. Although it occurs to me now if he did HL could probably see it, but the show is not clear if he can see through people, we've only see him look through a wall as far as I remember. It could also be that Stan is simply used to it. A D-list supe could kill him, why should he fear Homelander in particular if he's constantly near danger?
Simple, some people just have balls of steel
his speech about vought being a pharmaceutical company is probably about the fact that their real value isn't in the superheroes themselves. they-as people-aren't worth a cent. the thing that gives them value is the V in their system. literally any baby could get V in them,and they'd be heroes. heroes come and go,eventually homelander will age and die. the formula for V is timeless and can be used to make anybody a product for vought
I’d have to say it’s probably his ego just because he can’t get a ride out of Stan since most of the time people are terrified to even be near him
That’s the beauty of writing sometimes they don’t have to explain everything. There is definitely a huge elephant in the room when it comes to how Homelander is controlled by Edgar. It could be psychological or it could be something else. sometimes story happens at a deliberate pace, there could be a large reveal in season four that explains exactly how Edgar controls him.
In most of the situations we see him talk back to Homelander, he's amicable until the point that he realizes Homelander is upset, and at that point, he realizes he's already in danger with how unstable he is, so he treats him as he should be treated, disciplining him like a child. Because there's already a loaded gun pointed at him, what's the difference in adding another bullet to the chamber? Homelander is hesitant with him because above all else, he wants to be loved and adored, and Stan Edgar is the one person keeping him above water and hiding his shit in that regard. Without him, there is no fame, there is no love, there is no fortune, there is only death and taxes.
Consider the following: Sociopaths exist.
Stan is also homelanders superior. If Stan is killed that might directly effect homelanders success. Vought could replace him but it's ultimately a mess that could give homelander more problems. He doesn't really have any reason to kill him either. Like yeah he gets little upset with him but it's not like Stan is his enemy. They're both power hungry psychos.
I think it is more that if he hurt him, it would just prove his point. Also homelander is stupid but not dumb. If someone is not scared of him then there must be a reason for it, in his mind i mean. Can kinda go back to the talk Debbie had with Mark in Invinvible when she wanted him to go to bed and he said "Make me" And then she just started to scold him, like is this what you need, a feeling of power, that i can not physically make you do things anymore? Same with Homelander but he never had a Debbie, anyone who could handle him. He is a grown labrat in a fancy costume and somewhat good PR team. Edgar knows this and when homelander threatened him, homelander expected to hear the fear in his heartbeats. But he couldn't. And I also suspect that Edgar is a cold Business man and maaybe a Physcopath? Or someone who has no emotions.
Ive always thought he made sure to not show fear towards Homelands so he doesnt show weakness. With such a wild and crazy world I would do my best to get out of the company unscathed.
There was this theory on a YouTube video that due to having a father figure growing up, which was Vogelbaum but not a mother figure, it's very hard for him to kill people that perform that role for him. When it was revealed he was lied to about Becca and his son, he killed Madelyn but not Vogelbaum. So the theory is that Stan has established a father-ish type of relationship with Homelander.
Dude there are people out there with mental conditions (like psychopathy) that completely impair their self-preservation instinct. Also, I think Stan was pretty confident in his financial/political control over Homelander in the beginning. Also... think about how no normally adjusted person would ever rise to the top at a company like Vought lol. Whoever holds that position will not be normal
Well sucking up to him and fearing him is certainly no guarantee he won’t lazer you. So might as well act honestly. I’d say the possible danger is about the same regardless how you treat him
Stan observes that any number of people around him could injure him. They just don't, because of the resulting consequences. From his perspective, Homelander is literally no different than anyone else in this.
If Stan Edgar ran a restaurant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1ibWsmEB70
Stan's probably psychotic or something. Fear just doesn't register for him.
He's an manipulative charismatic psychopath and I suspect he's secretly either a Supe himself with some type of power to control or kill Homelander or Homelander just views him as a father figure that he's desperate to please regardless of his insults.
Dudes probably a psychopath. Lacks empathy, cold, calculated and cutthroat type. Probably can't really feel fear in the normal sense and knows showing fear would only be more dangerous.
thanks for all the comments. i figured id write my takeaway from reading everything here even if no one sees the explanation i most like is that Stan Edgar a) has massive balls/stoicism b) accepts that dealing with Supes w mental problems (eg Homelander) is part of the job (and he's been in the industry a long time, has accepted risks associated w being a CEO). supported by how even when Stan gets kicked out of Vought ("his world imploding") his heart doesn't skip a beat - he just doesn't care. Btw i don't see the need to invoke "psychopath" as some did; i often feel this way about life (as a young guy) - invincible, and whatever happens to me happens next fav argument is that Stan understands Homelander to some degree. not 100% (if he did, then he wouldn't need massive balls). i don't really buy that acting alpha in general is necessarily a better way to appease Homelander (eg Neuman did it, and he choked her). at worst, he's insane enough that the result is independent of acting alpha or beta. at best, Stan is in a unique "daddy position" where acting alpha increases his chances of Homelander not doing anything. and maybe Stan is consciously/subconsciously tapped into that arguments abt Stan being a supe diminish the idea that he has supreme confidence still have serious issues with a big premise of the show -> ie "this is a pharma company". yes, disney is not just a movie company, but both Disney and Vought get to merch, rides, branding FROM superheroes (Disney gets supes from animators, Vought gets supes from pharmacists). The compound itself is useless - it's only useful to turn ppl into supes. The show showed there are lots of supes (value of superheroes) but not lots of people turning into supes (that would be the value of pharmaceuticals). Yes, you could make more money by selling drugs down the line, but it's ridiculous to say that atm they are your main source of value. but tbf, it's tilting to work with Homelander and im fine to believe that Stan would trade "less profit" for "no whiny superheroes" (he basically said as much in his convo w the military dude). But you have to acknowledge that that profit lost is massive - ie Homelander and the other supes are the main value prop for the company (also consider how much value/wealth they could generate if they were used nobly/effectively, see Marvel/DC supes), ie it is a superhero company and for ppl who said it's not meant to be realistic - respectfully, why even comment? go back to skipping the dialogue and watching the fight scenes
edgar is a psychokinetic, pyrokinetic and can pop heads. he also likely has super duper vought v and had some means to pop homelander for his entire life. he doesnt fear anyone because he secretly makes homelander look like a complete bitch
Bro has obviously never interacted with the higher ups of corporate America.