Origin
Hugh Campbell is first introduced at the carnival with his girlfriend, Robin. After admitting their love for each other, she is accidentally killed during a super-hero brawl between A-Train (a member of the premier superhero team the Seven) and another evil doer. Hughie, holding his dead girlfriend’s arms, goes into emotional shock because of the entire experience. Butcher, leader of the Boys, puts his old team back together and tries to recruit Hughie for the team and explains to him the necessity to keep “superheroes” in check. Butcher flies the team out to New York to have them gather information on the Sexually deviant teenage group the Teenage Kix. Whilst on surveilance duty the Butcher injects Hughie with Compound V, which grants super-human abilities. This angers Hughie and he leaves. He later returns to the Boys and together they fight Teenage Kix after someone tipped them off about who was blackmailing them. During the fight, Hughie kills the Teenage Kix member Blarney Cock because he underestimates his powers and punched a hole in his stomach. After Blarney Cock’s death, a Hamster wrapped in tape finds his way out of Cock’s underwear. Hughie took the Hamster as a pet and a reminder of something else that was wronged by superheroes.
Creation
Hughie Campbell is a Dynamite Entertainment comic book character who stars as a main protagonist in the series The Boys, first appearing in The Boys #1 released in 2006. Hughie Campbell was created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Darick Robertson. The physical appearance of Wee Hughie is based on British actor Simon Pegg, star of British sitcom Spaced and the films Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and the more recent Star Trek reboot where he appeared as Scotty. Wee Hughie was the replacement for “Malory”, the last member of “The Boys” who simply quit when Butcher inadvertently got his grandchildren killed. Darick Robertson offers insight into Hughie’s creation “Wee Hughie was inspired by an old friend of Garth’s. Garth emphasized that it was important to capture an innocence but tough determination in Hughie. Two things that seemed to contradict each other and somehow in early sketches he kept looking to old. When I saw Simon Pegg in “Spaced” I thought he captured that balance perfectly,and “Shaun” nailed that home. I never thought the reference would get so much attention, but I was thrilled when Simon contacted me and showed us such support. Wee Hughie has become my favorite character in the book to draw, since that balance in his nature is always a challenge and when I feel I get it, I have the most satisfaction accomplishing that” Incidentally Simon Pegg also has written an introduction for Volume 1 TPB of the Boys.
Character Evolution
Out of any character in the Boys, Wee Hughie’s development and evolution is the most dramatic. The point of view character throughout most of the series so far, the character experiences great personal tragedy followed by a shift in living and a shift in career. Initially a bit of a conspiracy theorist Hughie is brought into the reality of the world by fellow character Butcher and the two characters play off with each other, Butcher the seasoned experienced and collected veteran and Hughie who is more of a regular everyman behind the curve.
Major Story Arcs
The Boys
Some time later Hughie has to deal with a resurrected Blarney Cock (in the Boys universe people injected with the superhuman formula occasionally come back to life, but are brain-dead and unable to return to a normal life and are often hidden away and cared for by their former team-mates) who finds his way to Hughie’s appartment. Hughie is at first apologetic, but when Blarney soils himself and appears to only want the hamster back Hughie (once more underestimating his own strength) breaks the zombie’s neck, killing him once more. He disposes of the body, much to the Butcher’s amusement (he had been observing the whole incident) after he makes a mess of it. As a consequence of this, Hughie is relieved of the some of the guilt he carried after killing Blarney Cock the first time around. Despite knowing the necessity of the Boys’ actions, Hughie struggles with the violence and brutality they regularly engage in.
Starlight
Not aware of her superhero identity, Hughie started a romantic relationship with Starlight. Both are unaware of the other’s secret life which will undoubtedly cause problems later. Butcher recently learned of Starlight’s involvement with Hughie, this made him question whether or not Hughie might really be an inside man for Vought. He send him to monitor a seemingly harmless group known as Super Duper, which led to Hughie being seriously injured in a confrontation with Malchemical, a new addition to the group’s line-up, when Hughie tried to protect the other Super Dupers from him. Hughie obtained his revenge on A-Train for his girlfriend’s death when Butcher presented a bound and beaten A-Train to him on the roof of the Flatiron Building. Hughie tried to explain to A-Train how much pain the death of his girlfriend had caused him, but A-Train, terrified, only begged and pleaded for his life. Finally, in a fit of pique, Hughie kicked A-Train’s head off.
Powers and Abilities
Hughie Campbell was a typical, average and regular male, possessing no superpowers or extraordinary abilities, until he was injected with a shot of the enhancement drug Compound V. The dosage applied to Wee Hughie was worth 19 billion dollars. This gave Hughie superhuman levels of strength and durability, the likes of which means he can casually injure and kill regular humans as well as some super humans.
Other Media
Television
The Boys (2019)
Wee Hughie appears in the 2019 Amazon show, The Boys, portrayed by Jack Quaid. Unlike his comic counterpart, the live action version isn’t Scottish but instead American.
After the Speedster A-Train runs through and Kills his girlfriend, Robin, Hughie is approached by Billy Butcher, who opens Hughie’s eye to the truth about superheroes.