Summary

• Soldier Boy, a key character in "The Boys," is set to get his own spinoff prequel series, "Vought Rising," exploring his origins in the 1950s.
• Soldier Boy's backstory involves being used as an experiment for Compound V in WWII, gaining super strength, radiation blasts, and a complicated past.
• Season 5 of "The Boys" will see Soldier Boy returning as a series regular, potentially impacting Homelander's story and the series' final run.

Soldier Boy is one of the most compelling characters in Prime Video's prequel series titled Vought Rising announced, which would see Soldier Boy and Stormfront in the early days of Vought during the 1950s. With The Boys taking place in the present-day 2020s, the prequel will see Soldier Boy at an earlier stage. The parent show has already provided some details on his origin, but it will surely expand on them.

Excitedly, Soldier Boy is also set to return as a series regular for The Boys season 5. He was introduced in the show's third season as a potential foil for Homelander, though Billy Butcher eventually turned on him in the climactic battle, concerned that he would become a greater threat in and of himself. He's since become a fan-favorite for the franchise, with Supernatural alum Jensen Ackles bringing his marquee charisma to the character, balancing out the awful sides of his personality.

Soldier Boys Origin In The Boys: How Vought Created Him

Soldier Boy Was Used As An Experiment For Compound V In WWII

Soldier Boy is, in many ways, The Boys' spoof on Captain America, with an origin story set in the early 20th century. Like many supes on the show, Vought has spun some propaganda around his origins, and both are worth breaking down. In reality, he was a wealthy boy born in 1919 to an abusive industry magnate father, shaping aspects of his personality. Named Ben at birth, Soldier Boy enlisted in the US Army during WWII and volunteered for Dr. Frederick Vought's Compound V experiment, turning him into one of the first supes.

Soldier Boy himself claims that he went overseas and fought in battles, though it's questionable.

After becoming one of the most powerful beings in the world, Soldier Boy was used by Vought for American propaganda films, making him a sex symbol and publicity superhero. In Vought's story, he was a poor boy who grew up on the streets, learning American values of tenacity and bravery, which led to him being a leader of the US military overseas. It's unlikely that he actually fought in the war, as Vought wouldn't risk sacrificing one of their greatest assets. Soldier Boy himself claims that he went overseas and fought in battles, though it's questionable.

Soldier Boy's Backstory: Payback & His Time In Russia

Soldier Boy was Betrayed By The Superhero Group, Payback

In the 1970s, Soldier Boy was the leader of a superhero team named Payback, which also included Crimson Countess and Black Noir. He was known during this period as a public figure, though behind the scenes, he was known for his violent outbursts, including an instance of killing Marvin Milk's grandfather. In the 1980s, Soldier Boy and Paycheck were sent on a mission in Nicaragua, which is depicted in The Boys season 3, but the mission backfired, and he was betrayed by his team, allowing the Soviet Union to capture and imprison him.

Vought decided that it was time to move on from Soldier Boy, and the rest of Paycheck was happy to oblige, given their personal hatred for him. The incident led to the deaths of 116 people, and Soldier Boy was neutralized and captured. He became a lab rat for Russian scientists in the decades to come, experimenting on him while Homelander became the most popular supe and Vought's poster boy in America. Soldier Boy was eventually placed in a tube until he was awoken in The Boys season 3, decades later.

Soldier Boy's Powers Explained & How Strong He Really Is

Soldier Boy Has Superstrength And Can Blast Radiation

At the time he originally took Compound V, Soldier Boy was one of the most powerful supes alive, and he remained that way for most of his life. V has different effects on different humans, and he was lucky enough to receive super strength and durability. It doesn't seem like he's quite on Homelander's level in either, but it was enough for him to contend with Billy's Temp-V help in The Boys season 3. He's also been trained well in hand-to-hand combat, giving him some skill superiority to balance out his lesser strength.

Soldier Boy's most unique power in The Boys are his blasts of radiation, which seem to be a result of his years of Russian experiments. The energy blasts are highly destructive and capable of destroying buildings and dozens of people, but they also pose a threat to other supes. Soldier Boy's radiation can somehow take away the power of other supes, hence why the Boys wanted to use it against Homelander in season 3. In the case of Crimson Countess, a less powerful supe, the blast instantly killed her, making Soldier Boy incredibly dangerous.

How Soldier Boy Is Homelander's Father

Soldier Boy's DNA Was Used To Create Homelander

Soldier Boy isn't Homelander's father in the sense that he raised him as a child, but he is biologically responsible for creating the modern-day villain of The Boys. In 1980, Jonah Vogelbaum had Soldier Boy leave his sperm in a cup to be studied in a lab. However, that sperm was used to create a baby, with popular The Boys theories suggesting Stormfront was the mother. By creating a child from DNA, the hope was to develop Homelander as a product that could be controlled, but he ended up becoming too powerful to be fully contained.

Soldier Boy's Future In The Boys Season 5

Soldier Boy Can Have An Impact On Homelander's Story In The Final Season

As previously mentioned, Soldier Boy is set to return for The Boys season 5 in a critical role. He appeared in The Boys season 4 finale's mid-credits scene, where Homelander visits him, still kept in his chamber. Season 5 will be the final run for Prime Video's hit superhero series, meaning Soldier Boy will be able to have a serious impact on how the saga concludes. This will likely tie into the final plot to kill Homelander, who still has a complicated fixation on Soldier Boy as his father.

Alternatively, Soldier Boy finds Homelander entirely pathetic, bringing back a fun dynamic for the series' climax. Given that Soldier Boy is able to take away Homelander's powers, that seems like the ideal end for the character. The Boys ending with Homelander losing his powers and being forced to become a normal person seems like the most satisfying possible outcome, and it would only leave Soldier Boy to be killed off. If Vought Rising season 1 releases first, it could be a perfect segue into the final season.