In the comics, Billy Butcher is the leader of a CIA-backed organization called 'The Boys.' In the show, he's an independent contractor... meaning he officially works for no one... and has no government protection or support.
VFX Supervisor Stephan Fleet crouched in this cage and worked out the actions to make sure the cup movements were real. The special effects team then used a long stick and some tubing to simulate the actions and make a real cup appear as if it was held by Translucent.
In the comics, Frenchie's trademark is his goggles.
The Supe that Cherie is watching on TV is Gunpowder, a firearms enthusiast, who also appears in the comics.
Starlight's palm blasts were created through a combination of practical on-set lighting effects and digital VFX in post-production. Special palm lights were built for Erin Moriarty's hands, which were triggered by a remote switch, which would cast reactive light on camera. VFX then erased the palm lights and created the light blasts digitally.