It's a shame that I've missed so much. I wish I could've raised you and taught you, father to son. Maybe if I'd raised you, I could've made you better. And not some weak, sniveling pussy, starved for attention. But there's no fixing that now.
Benjamin, better known as Soldier Boy, is a major antagonist of the Amazon series The Boys, where he served as one of two main antagonists (alongside Homelander) of Season 3.
He was America's first and greatest superhero before Homelander and the former leader of the superhero team Payback. As a young man, Soldier Boy helped good triumph over evil in World War II. However, it is not made clear how much of that is true, as The Legend claimed that his participation in the war was Vought propaganda whereas Stan Edgar actually claims the opposite by stating that he killed Germans by the dozens. With his superhero team Payback by his side, he was said to have fought for liberty and justice for all until his disappearance during a botched military operation in Nicaragua, with the cover story being that he heroically sacrificed his own life to save America from a nuclear power plant meltdown in 1984. In reality Soldier Boy was betrayed by his team for his aggressive behavior towards them and (with Vought’s approval) was sold out to the Russians, who would later conduct dozens of agonizing experiments on him over the next 3 decades. Much like Homelander, Soldier Boy was esteemed by the public but due to the news, Starlight's recent exposé about his recent actions and Vought’s slanderous lies, his fame and reputation crumbled.
Soldier Boy grew up in the birthplace of American liberty. Born poor on the mean streets of South Philadelphia, he learned the values of hard work, tenacity and bravery. He used those values to prove America's exceptionalism to the world. He defended us against the encroaching Red Menace. He helped guide America into a brighter future, and along the way, he found the love of a good woman, which made his sacrifice all the more noble, when he gave his life saving us from a nuclear holocaust. Please join us in saluting Soldier Boy.
Benjamin, also nicknamed “Ben” was born in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 19th, 1919. The official backstory of Soldier Boy by Vought was that he was born poor and learned the values of hard work, tenacity and bravery while growing up on the streets. In reality, Benjamin was born into a wealthy home, raised by his father, a prominent industrial magnate who owned half the steel mills in the state. Despite his wealth, Ben’s father was incredibly harsh, demanding, oppressive, verbally abusive, misogynistic, distant and neglectful to the point of total detachment in his son’s life. He was so disinterested in his son that he shipped him to boarding school at a young age; not to mold him into a better person, but rather to simply get rid of him, leaving Ben feeling abandoned and neglected. Unfortunately, Benjamin struggled in boarding school and ultimately flunked out because of his issues with abandonment and discipline. In reaction to his failure, his father was so disgusted that he couldn’t even bother to hit him since that would require physical contact. Instead, he belittled and demeaned his son, deeming him a disappointment to his eyes and declaring that he was worthless to carry his name. These words marked him for life. The tough situation he was in pushed him to start drinking heavily. To cope with his emotions, he began sneaking sips of his father's well-crafted Manhattan cocktails. Over time, this secret habit evolved into a full-blown drinking problem, all driven by the need to find some relief from the emotional burden he carried though this became a nostalgic memory since it’s how he learned about alcohol.
Becoming Soldier Boy[]
To make his father proud, Benjamin enlisted in the US Army during WW2 and approached the war department by using his father's contacts to volunteer among other human subjects to be experimented with Dr. Frederick Vought’s field tested Compound V. As a result, the experiment succeeded, and he became one of the strongest super-soldiers in the whole world. He gained the name “Soldier Boy” and became America’s first superhero, a popular sex symbol and a mascot for Vought American and the US military who fought in WW2 and reportedly lead the 116th infantry regiment in the Omaha Beach to victory. However, according to the Legend’s claims, Vought-American utilized Soldier Boy primarily for war propaganda films and publicity shoots rather than deploying him to fight the Nazis, due to how much he was worth to the company and refusing to risk putting their most valuable asset in harm's way by overstepping his boundaries. For instance, his appearance in a photo-op at Normandy reportedly occurred two weeks after D-day in 1944, despite Stan Edgar’s assertions of his direct involvement in the landings. Consequently, it remains uncertain how much actual combat he experienced during the war, despite his own claims of actively participating, which could be valid given his exceptional combat skills that could also stem from the U.S military's or Vought’s superhero combat training program.
In 1945 following the end of WW2, an executive order was drafted, presumably by President Harry S. Truman, to establish the date of April 28 as Soldier Boy Day as a way of honoring his heroic efforts during the war. However, Ben intervened and had the day be known as National Superhero Day as a way of honoring all superheroes instead.[1]
Ben returned home to a hero's welcome, with ticker parades held across the nation in his honor. Despite all he’s accomplished, his father once again expressed his disgust towards his son by calling him a “cheater” that took a “shortcut” the way he had by using Compound V, something a real man will never do according to his logic.
Soldier Boy remained a major superhero with Vought for decades. In 1951, Vought released a pseudo biopic film about Soldier Boy titled The Soldier Boy Story. It was nominated for Best Picture at the 24th Academy Awards but lost to An American in Paris. Despite this, Ben got to have anal sex with Jane Wyman in the coatroom. At some point, he met Stormfront during her time as Liberty, as the two of them founded Herogasm together in 1952.[2] Around this time, Soldier Boy also took part in the Red Scare and testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee.
Soldier Boy has performed several black ops and atrocities for Vought and the U.S government between the 60s and 70s. For instance, he brutalised and silenced civil rights activists with fire hoses during the 1963 Birmingham protests, massacred several anti-war demonstrators during the 1970 Kent State shootings and it has even been rumoured that he was the man who assassinated President John F. Kennedy.
I deeply regret the deaths of those innocent people. Unfortunately, cold-blooded criminals like the robbery suspects I stopped that night have no regard for human life.
―Soldier Boy's response regarding the deaths of Louis, Walter, and Lucy Milk.[src]
”
In the fall of 1980, Jonah Vogelbaum called Benjamin to his lab and asked him to ejaculate his sperm into a cup so that they could study his genetics. Unbeknownst to Soldier Boy, Vogelbaum would use his sperm to create a baby who would eventually grow up to be Homelander.
According to newspapers, Soldier Boy emerged as a vigilante figure marked by a history of brutal acts. Among his alleged transgressions, he is said to have ruthlessly decimated a drug cartel, employing lethal force against 20 criminals and leaving dozens more maimed. Accusations also surfaced, suggesting Soldier Boy used excessive force on teenagers, with families suspecting coerced false confessions. Furthermore, his zealous pursuit of justice extended to arresting individuals for marijuana use, reaching a point where the tally became indeterminable. These lengths also lead to civilian casualties since he came across a group of kids trying to boost a Benz during nighttime. A scuffle ensued during which the suspects attempted to flee, leading Benjamin to pick up the Benz and hurl it through a nearby house owned by the Milk family, killing Marvin Milk's grandfather in the process. The entire incident was witnessed by Marvin Milk, who was only a boy at the time. However, according to the official account given by Soldier Boy to the press, the suspects attempted to run him over with the car, forcing him to deflect the oncoming vehicle and cause it to crash into the Milk family home.
During his period as a public celebrity, he has been a successful actor and singer regardless of the quality of his performances. He performed covers of Robert Mitchum's "From a Logical Point of View", and shortly before his disappearance, Soldier Boy made a guest appearance on Solid Gold and performed a rendition of Blondie's "Rapture" [3], which he was posthumously awarded a Grammy for Best Special Guest Performance. He also starred in a film with Charlton Heston titled King of Kings. His celebrity status also allowed him to meet the likes of Ronald Reagan, Hugh Hefner, and Princess Diana. He was even friends with Bill Cosby at one point, who he admired as both "America's Dad" and a wonderful "drink maker".
On July 12, 1982, in Queens, New York, Soldier Boy and Swatto reportedly assaulted a homeless man in a park. The homeless man wanted to press charges against the two, but then mysteriously vanished.
In 1984, Soldier Boy filmed an anti-drug ad that was approved by the Vought Ad Council. In the PSA, Ben warned people against taking drugs, claiming that "Anyone who takes drugs is a loser."[6] However, he had several complications on set due to his spoiled attitude and quick temper, and also remarked on his hypocrisy in making an anti-drug video despite the fact that he himself was an addict.
Betrayal and Cover-up[]
In the same year, despite being publicly against drugs, Vought had Soldier Boy and the rest of Payback participate in Operation Charly, a clandestine CIA military operation that was funded by illegal cocaine trafficking and sought to back the right-wing Nicaraguan Contras against the communist, Soviet-backed Sandinistas. During the operation, Soldier Boy displayed a carefree yet arrogant and misogynistic attitude towards the handling officer, then-Lieutenant Army Colonel Grace Mallory. He would make numerous passes at Mallory before she finally rebuffed him and reacted by calling her homophobic slurs. Later on, due to Swatto's carelessness, the Sandinistas and their Soviet allies were able to launch a surprise attack on Mallory's base. This, along with Payback's incompetence and lack of training, led to the deaths of 116 of Mallory's men and allowed the Soviets to somehow neutralize Soldier Boy, who they then captured and transported to a secret military compound in the USSR.
Despite presenting themselves as a close-knit team, the truth was that Ben was hated by the other members of Payback as he sabotaged any efforts by them to advance their careers and would frequently physically abuse them (at one point delivering a severe beating to Black Noir who had complained about Soldier Boy ruining his chance to appear in Beverly Hills Cop). One day Stan Edgar approached Noir and told him that they felt it was time to 'retire' Soldier Boy, as Vought had created a child whom they believed to be more powerful and useful to the company. Noir agreed, knowing that the rest of the team (besides Gunpowder) would be more than willing to help take down their hated leader.
Payback used the Soviet attack as an opportunity to betray Soldier Boy. After fighting through swarms of enemies, Benjamin soon found himself ambushed by his teammates who launched a brutal attack against him. Although Ben put up a good fight, even managing to burn off some of Noir's face with a burning car and cause him brain damage with his shield, the team were successful in knocking Soldier Boy out by using Novichok gas, and then handed him over to the Russians. Vought covered up his "death", by claiming that Soldier Boy had died a hero sacrificing himself to stop a nuclear meltdown in Ohio.
Russian Lab Rat[]
What no one in the US knew was that the Russians had decided not to kill Soldier Boy, or maybe they found out that they couldn't kill him. So, instead, the Soviet Union decided to see what could kill Soldier Boy.
On January 24, 1986, Russian scientists performed an experiment on Soldier Boy that included inserting radioactive material into his body and that would cause him to emit high levels of radiation from that point on. He was also recorded and experimented on by Russian scientists on June 8, 1986. In this video, a scientist states that the subject has extremely durable skin, including internally, and that he continues to exhibit high amounts of radiation. He prepares to see if the same applies to his cornea, raising a blade up to his eye; however, Ben escapes his restraints and kills the scientist. In an attempt to escape, he runs for the door but is immediately knocked unconscious when the Russians flood the room with Novichok.
There is additional video material of Soldier Boy being experimented on by the Russians dated June 8, 1990 (but this might be a continuity error). In the video, the scientists fire an AK-47 into Soldier Boy's mouth and burn him with a torch, all of which fails to damage him.
Other mentioned experiments intended to harm Soldier Boy included sulfuric acid cocktails and other poisonous concoctions, presumably along with various other exploratory procedures.
His statue was on the square in "Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker". This is the only time Soldier Boy's physical appearance can be seen during the season.
On a mission in Russia, The Boys broke into a military facility where they were looking for the rumored superweapon to kill Homelander. Butcher opened up a sealed pod and found inside laid Soldier Boy, alive, and hooked up to several plugs. Soldier Boy woke up with a confused look as he freed himself from his restraints. He walked out of the container while the Boys looked on in shock. While Frenchie attempted to reassure Ben, the latter's chest began to glow. Sensing what happens next, Kimiko pushed Frenchie aside before Soldier Boy involuntarily released a blast of fiery energy from his torso at Kimiko, launching her through the nearby wall. While they were distracted with Kimiko, Soldier Boy exited through the hole and escaped from the facility, ignoring further contact with The Boys.
Return[]
After having fled the Russian facility, Soldier Boy stole a pair of clothes and eventually snuck into an airport and illegally boarded a passenger plane bound for America. Ben arrives and wanders the streets of modern-day New York City with confusion as he no longer recognizes the society he was separated from for decades. As he walks down the street of Manhattan, Soldier Boy hears Russian music on a nearby radio and begins to remember the torture and experiments he endured in Russia. Overwhelmed by his trauma, Soldier Boy's powers activate, and he released a deadly explosion of radiation, killing 19 civilians and damaging several nearby buildings.
With no places to go, Soldier Boy visits The Legend to retrieve his old suit and to get information about his girlfriend, Crimson Countess. Before he arrives at her trailer, The Boys intercept his plan and bind Countess. Soldier Boy then arrives with his suit and talks with Butcher. Billy negotiates with Soldier Boy, allowing him to confront the bound Countess in exchange for a team up. Soldier Boy seemingly agrees and enters the trailer. Countess is shocked to see Benjamin alive before he confronts her for betraying him and letting him be captured by the Russians. Shocked to hear she wasn't paid to do it, Soldier Boy laments his love for her and that despite his torture, he was always hopeful that she would rescue him. Countess reveals that she never loved him and the whole team hated him. Enraged and heartbroken, Soldier Boy releases a blast of energy that kills Countess and destroys her trailer. Soldier Boy walks out of the wreckage and left with Butcher and Hughie following behind.
Good Hunting[]
The three regroup at a motel and negotiate the terms of their alliance. Butcher and Hughie agree to give Soldier Boy information about his former teammates, and once he has his revenge, Soldier Boy will use his powers to kill Homelander. While Butcher is out to get the location for the TNT Twins, Hughie helps Soldier Boy adjust to the new world with GPS and the Internet. While they watch tv, Hughie notices as Soldier Boy grows more agitated, he starts emitting more and more radiation. Ben then rants about the U.S's failure in Afghanistan and how he got nothing for his sacrifices except abandonment. Hughie then asks about what Soldier Boy did in Midtown Manhattan. Ben states he doesn't know because he blacked out and only saw the aftermath, but he's remorseful nonetheless. Butcher then arrives coated in someone else's blood and informs them the TNT Twins are in Vermont. Soldier Boy suits up while Hughie and Butcher inject themselves with V24.
They arrive at the Twins' house when they're hosting the 70th annual Herogasm. The three stakeout the mansion and map out a plan. Concerned about collateral damage, Hughie wants them to give him three minutes to locate the Twins before they enter the mansion. But when Hughie gets distracted with A-Train and spotted by Annie, Butcher and Soldier Boy enter on their own. Mother's Milk then notices Soldier Boy and attempts to incapacitate him with Halothane gas, but Ben only casually breathes it in. Regardless, M.M. confronts Soldier Boy about his family, but Butcher intervenes and tells Benjamin where the Twins are, getting him to take his attention away from M.M. Soldier Boy confronts the Twins, with them both stating they weren't the ones who planned his capture in Nicaragua. Soldier Boy demands to know who was responsible for the plan. They tell him it was Noir's plan, but Ben is in disbelief because Noir is too loyal to Vought to do something like this. Soldier Boy then hears Russian music on Love Sausage's nearby radio, reminding him of his trauma. The Twins attempt to attack him as Soldier Boy struggles, but their powers fail. Benjamin then unleashes a devastating beam of energy at the Twins and turns around, damaging more of the mansion. Dozens of Supes and Humans lie horrifically burned, wounded or killed by the destruction. Soldier Boy regroups with Butcher, he states he blacked out during the attack and doesn't know what fully happened.
Foul Play[]
“
Buddy... you think you look strong? You're wearing a cape. You're just a cheap fucking knockoff
Homelander confronts them, having been lured by the destruction. Enraged at Butcher for "cheating," Homelander calls off their "Scorched Earth" deal and incapacitates Butcher with his heat vision. Homelander admits that Soldier Boy was his idol growing up, as he was the only one who was nearly as strong as him. Ben incites Homelander by calling him nothing more than a knockoff. Homelander flies at Soldier Boy, pins him to a wall and attempts to unleash his Heat Vision. However, Soldier Boy uppercuts Homelander, causing him to miss his attack. The pair start trading blows, with both appearing to be evenly matched. However, Homelander does eventually overpower Soldier Boy and begins choking him. Butcher then recovers and attacks Homelander with his own Heat Vision. Ben recovers as Butcher and Homelander face off against each other. The two reach a stalemate with their heat vision until Benjamin grabs Homelander's cape and throws him into a wall. The two beat Homelander until he tosses Soldier Boy aside and begins choking Butcher. Hughie then teleports inside and punches Homelander off Butcher. With Homelander distracted, Butcher and Ben overpower him, pinning him to the ground. Hughie teleports back to help them as Butcher orders Soldier Boy to unleash another energy blast. As Ben charges up, Butcher orders Hughie to leave but he refuses. Desperate to survive, Homelander unleashes an adrenaline-fueled scream as he breaks free from their grasp, before flying upwards and retreating. With his target having escaped, Soldier Boy exits the mansion as Butcher and Hughie receive disappointed looks from M.M. and Annie.
Revelation[]
Soldier Boy with The Boys
Ben and the Boys continue to track down Mindstorm, seeking to kill him. As they approach Mindstorm's cabin, Soldier Boy warns them not to make eye contact with Mindstorm or they'll be put in an endless nightmare. As they continue, Benjamin steps on a landmine that temporarily incapacitates the trio, long enough for Mindstorm to trap Butcher in a nightmare before fleeing to his cabin. When they recover, Hughie is distraught over Butcher's condition and pleads with Soldier Boy to help him have Mindstorm wake Butcher. Ben refuses, insisting that it isn't worth the risk and Butcher would want them to continue even without him. Hughie and Soldier Boy advance further until they stumble upon a priest and nun with car trouble. When they were revealed to be mind-controlled by Mindstorm after the two of them go on the attack, to which Soldier Boy executes them both. Hughie begins to panic at Ben's callous nature and accuses him of being a fraud, prompting Soldier Boy to punch Hughie after angrily chiding him about losing sight of the mission.
Nonetheless, the two eventually stumble upon Mindstorm's cabin. They enter and Soldier Boy notices Mindstorm hiding around the corner. Before he can do anything, Hughie teleports himself and Mindstorm to Butcher's body to make a deal: if Mindstorm wakes Butcher up, Hughie will teleport him anywhere he wants to go. After Butcher awakens, Soldier Boy finds them and throws a knife into Mindstorm's eye. As the Supe panics, Benjamin tackles Mindstorm and wraps his head in cloth. Hughie attempts to intervene, only to have Soldier Boy hit him again, this time hard enough to send him flying back.
Soldier Boy then interrogates Mindstorm about more details on Payback's plan to have the Russians capture him, to which Mindstorm tells Benjamin that Vought gave them the green light to get rid of him because a newer, younger Supe was being brought up to replace him. Shocked, Soldier Boy kills Mindstorm in a rage before coming to a realization. He calls Homelander and tells him that the situation has changed, giving Homelander an anecdote about a sperm donation he made in late 1980 in Jonah Vogelbaum's lab. Come Spring 1981, a baby boy was born from that donation - Homelander. He concludes their call by saying that, had he been allowed to stay, he would've gladly let himself be replaced by Homelander.
Showdown[]
“
I know what it's like to have your team betray you. But with you and I together... they wouldn't stand a chance, nobody would." "Unless we kill each other first.
Soldier Boy drives with Billy Butcher to New York to track down Black Noir at Vought Headquarters. Once they arrive in the city, he opens up to Butcher about his past, his father, and how he became a superhero - but that his father wasn’t even impressed then, because he took a “shortcut.” He tells Butcher that he always wanted kids. Butcher emphasizes that Homelander isn’t really his son because he didn’t raise him.
At Vought Tower, Homelander informs Ben that he already killed Noir and he just wants to talk. Homelander states the situation to Soldier Boy that he is his son, his blood and together, no one will stand in their way. Soldier Boy isn't convinced and threatens to kill Homelander first. Homelander then brings out Ryan and introduces Ben to his grandson. Benjamin tells him he wishes he raised him so that he could be better. Homelander assures him they can be a family, but Soldier Boy remarks that Homelander is unredeemable and a disappointment. He then grabs Homelander by the throat as Maeve and Butcher restrain Homelander. Ryan lasers down Soldier Boy with his heat vision before Ben can finish charging up. Soldier Boy then knocks Ryan unconscious with his shield. Homelander tries to help him, while Soldier Boy begins charging up his nuclear blast. Soldier Boy prepares to blast Ryan and Homelander, so Butcher attacks him with his Heat Vision, which Ben blocks with his shield. However, Homelander suddenly adds his own Heat Vision to the assault, which sends Soldier Boy flying into the next room. As Maeve distracts Homelander, Butcher follows Benjamin, telling him to back off. Ben repeats Butcher's earlier comment about blood not mattering, but Butcher explains that Ryan is his wife’s son and he promised to always protect her son. Feeling betrayed, Soldier Boy announces that Butcher is just as weak as Homelander, and attacks.
Soldier Boy manages to overpower Butcher in melee combat, and even with the sudden arrival of Starlight, Kimiko Miyashiro, Hughie and Mother’s Milk, he continues to dominate the fight. Eventually, Hughie sees an opening, and turns up the power for the room’s lighting systems. This sudden increase in electricity overcharges Starlight as she unleashes an energy attack and knocks Soldier Boy to the ground. It gives the others enough time to subdue him and for M.M. to dose Soldier Boy with Novichok. Refusing to be imprisoned once again, Ben begins charging a particularly devastating blast and breaks free from their grasp. As he's about to explode and kill everyone around him, Maeve tackles Soldier Boy, before jumping out the window with him as he explodes, saving everyone else and sacrificing herself. However, Maeve survived and went into hiding with her girlfriend while an unconscious Benjamin is recovered by Grace Mallory and put back into a gassed capsule.
News of Soldier Boy's attack on the Seven Tower and Maeve's apparent sacrifice became known to the world. His film and television appearances were removed from Vought+, including Red Thunder. After receiving several complaints online, Vought International decided to bring back all Soldier Boy related content back to the steaming service, along with a content warning that brushes off Soldier Boy’s violent actions, blaming the Russians for radicalizing him. His statue gets toppled by Camp Stormfighter (presumably Homelander exaggerated the events that happened between them).
Soldier Boy appears as Cate's imaginary "friend" saying that she had a crush on him when she was young and was thinking about him when she used the pillow for masturbation purposes. He warns Marie, Jordan, and Andre to escape before she enters a vegetative state and then disappears before he could tell the most important thing for them to escape.
Personality[]
“
You think you can be me? You're not a movie star. You're not shit. I see you getting out of the line again, trying to move on up, I will put you in the fucking ground!
In his cover story and in the eyes of the public, Soldier Boy is a patriotic hero who represents the values of bravery, diligence, sacrifice and American exceptionalism, showing humility when congratulated for his feats in WW2. In truth however, he is an arrogant, pompous and macho individual but he still had some level of humility in his early days since he turned a holiday based on himself into a holiday that pays respect to every superhero. In other words he began as a man with noble intentions to protect and serve his country but later descended into villainy because of power.
In his childhood and youth, Soldier Boy, whose real name is Benjamin was a troubled child. Disorganized, undisciplined and irresponsible, these were traits that severely disgusted his abusive father who viewed him as nothing more or less than a simple disappointment and deemed him unworthy to carry the family name. This treatment causes Benjamin to become insecure and desperate to make his father proud and so, to prove himself; he goes as far as to contact his father’s connections with the military to get injected with Compound V by Frederick Vought. The experiment was successful and it led Ben to become a Supe. After being named Soldier Boy and returning with a hero’s welcome after WW2, his father expresses no pride but disgust in response to using Compound V to fight the war by saying that he “cheated” something that a “real man” will never do. The weight of those words etched a profound mark on Ben's personality, haunting him throughout the passing century. The harshness and rejection from his own father left Ben bitter, shaping the trajectory of his life in profound ways. As he got older, Ben internalized these attitudes, manifesting them in his behavior and demeanor. He grew into an individual characterized by arrogance, callousness and recklessness, projecting an air of unwarranted superiority stemming from his insecurities and inner conflict. His understanding of masculinity became distorted, embracing a toxic sense of machismo that further alienated him from genuine human connections as this upbringing made grow to hate affection, showing weakness and vulnerability. Like his father, Ben placed a high importance on traditional masculinity and "being a man", belittling and sometimes abusing those who failed to meet or opposed his views and standards of masculinity; something he said, in his words, was to "toughen them up". He retained his attitudes even after The Boys freed him from Russian captivity, nearly forty years after he was first captured.
As the leader of Payback, he was at times abusive and petty, willing to hurt those who disagreed with him and sabotage whatever attempts to further their own careers and had no qualms with using his status and power to intimidate and manipulate others for his own ends, using Black Noir and Gunpowder as his primary punching bags, which makes him a child abuser since gunpowder was a pre-teenager at the time. This is seen when he used his contacts to make sure Noir wouldn't get his participation in a movie for not being “good enough”, seeing Noir’s ambition as an attempt to usurp and outshine him, all to remain in the spotlight and prove his father wrong. However this behaviour caused his team to despise and harbour a deep-seated resentment towards him.
As claimed by Grace Mallory during her recounting of the Nicaragua incident, Soldier Boy had a celebrity-like persona and was not used to people looking down on him, which led him to insult and belittle her when she refused his advances. He was also quite rash, as he nearly fired a rocket launcher without realizing he was aiming at an ammunitions dump that could obliterate half the camp and draw the attention of any enemy military forces operating nearby. He was a womanizer. According to Grace, Ben lacked the ability to "read the room", in that he always assumed that women were charmed by his machismo when they actually despised him for it. Soldier Boy also assumed he had a few kids out there in the world within the 40 years he was in the Russian’s captivity. This indicates he was a massive playboy, and often cheated on Crimson Countess with several girls.
In spite of his hyper-masculine persona, Soldier Boy was capable of showing respect and gave Grace a small gesture of appreciation when she killed an enemy soldier who was about to fire on him from behind. Furthermore, despite his arrogance and machismo, Soldier Boy was the only Supe during the Nicaragua incident seen to be fighting effectively and maintaining total composure in combat against the enemy, which was seen again when he fought Homelander for the first time at Herogasm. This shows that he possesses much greater discipline and skill in wielding his powers in actual combat, in marked contrast to the general lack of tactical capability, panicking and cowardice associated with most Supes, which could possibly be from his time as a soldier during WWII before he became Soldier Boy. Even when enraged, Ben's discipline showed as he fought effectively against Butcher and the Boys when they tried to stop him in Vought tower.
After returning home to the USA, fresh from captivity, Soldier Boy has become very bitter and vengeful, immediately targeting his former teammates for death on a revenge rampage. For all his apparent homicidal tendencies, he does not seem to exhibit psychopathic behaviour like Homelander and after he leaves Russia, he is shown actively avoiding taking civilian lives if he can help it (although he does avoid taking responsibility when he causes casualties). He did however show remorse for the lives lost when he had unleashed his radiation blast, quietly admitting to Hughie that he wasn't a bad guy and he didn't mean to hurt them, though based off his later actions it is unknown if he was being genuine. He later killed a priest and nun that he was sure Mindstorm had brainwashed before even finding out if the priest had been brainwashed, as well as being prepared to detonate and destroy Vought tower, despite the civilians present, showing that he sometimes considers human lives a cost that can be paid. Soldier Boy also showed a lack of care for the casualties caused after his explosion at Herogasm, simply shrugging it off.
In his younger days, he was not considerate of collateral damage and death and was sometimes quite negligent at handling problems, as seen when a group of kids stealing a Mercedes Benz resulted in Soldier Boy hurling said car through an apartment building and killing Mother's Milk's family in the process. While the deaths were an accident, they were directly caused by Soldier Boy's recklessness. He was not held accountable for the deaths. When Milk confronted Soldier Boy about the death of his family, Soldier Boy was nonchalant, implying that he's killed many families over the years.
He can be civilized and polite with those he doesn't despise or perceive as enemies, as displayed when he went to The Legend's apartment to retrieve his super suit and asked him where he could find Crimson Countess, as well as his interactions with Hughie while resting at a motel. Though this also seemed to be a bit of a facade, as he later showed very little patience with Hughie when they were hunting down Mindstorm, but this could have been attributed to the fact that he felt Hughie's attitude was holding them back from the mission.
Soldier Boy's idea of family is directly connected to his general "alpha male" demeanor, as seen when he finally meets his son Homelander face to face. Ben's disappointment in Homelander, regarding him as "weak, sniveling pussy" and "starved for attention", leads him to decide to kill his own son, uncaring of his newly discovered grandson Ryan and attacking him out of annoyance at the boy defiantly attacking him.
As the Supe who first started Herogasm, Soldier Boy has probably been exposed to and indulged in all manner of sexual activities, which may have made him more tolerant towards homosexuality, although there is not much evidence of this. When he returned to the USA and passed a gay couple being affectionate in public, his expression was one of disbelief, and it is unknown if he approved or not. He also frequently boasts about the many famous and beautiful women he has slept with, and he appeared to have a preference for older women as well, commenting on them aging like fine wine to Hughie.
While he doesn't hold any outright or at least overt prejudice against black people (as he believed that the icon of the perfect and ideal American dad was Bill Cosby, his treatment of Black Noir was not racially motivated, and he respected Stan Edgar), Soldier Boy did crack down on Civil Rights protests during the 1960s and was complacent in an attempt by the U.S. federal government to help funnel drugs into black communities. It is possible he was made to do the former by Vought or the government, and it is confirmed that he was made do the latter by the government. He did not, however, question his orders, and is responsible for what happened. When he brutalized Black Noir after being confronted over having him barred from auditioning for Beverly Hills Cop after slandering his character, which ended with a threat to kill him should he try to "move on up" (a reference to The Jeffersons and a clear jab at Black Noir's ethnicity) on Soldier Boy's celebrity status. Also, when Marvin Milk confronted Soldier Boy at Herogasm and accused him of murdering his family, Ben responded with dismissively indifferently, saying “Which one?”.
Soldier Boy is deeply proud of his involvement in raising publicity for the Afghan Mujaheddin in their resistance against the Soviet Union in the 1980s. His fond recollections of the Mujaheddin as "the good guys" reflect his lack of understanding of the complex geopolitics at play during the War on Terror. This also demonstrates his absence of the anti-Arab and Muslim prejudice that many Americans developed and exhibited in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the Gulf Wars, and America's ongoing military commitments in the Middle East.
For all of Soldier Boy's flaws, he is a notably honorable person and always keeps his word, primarily shown through him keeping his part of the deal that he made with Butcher and Hughie to help them kill Homelander, even when the latter eventually overpowered him in combat. His sense of honor goes so far that he was even willing to continue the mission even after discovering that Homelander was his biological son, choosing to keep his word to Butcher and Hughie. He was also outraged when Butcher went back on their agreement, solely because of his attack on Ryan. His sense of honor does not excuse some of his actions though, as when Mindstorm trapped Butcher in his nightmares, he was willing to leave Butcher to die and assured Hughie he would keep his word about killing Homelander, believing that Butcher wouldn't mind giving his life for that.
Though shown to be quite courageous, Soldier Boy's time as a Russian lab rat had left him with a fear and hatred of being locked away again. When The Boys attempted to use a dose of Novichok to knock him out during their brawl at Vought Tower, he expressed fear and anger at the thought of being locked away, and this determination caused him to charge his most destructive blast of radiation yet to try and kill them all.
Soldier Boy also shows some naivety, truly believing that Crimson Countess loved him and she would go and rescue him, never realizing she always hated him. He loved Countess and hoped that that she would come and save him during his imprisonment. As such, he seemed genuinely shocked and hurt to find that she had never loved him and had abandoned him to the Russians for seemingly no reason beyond pure hatred. He also thought that she with his former teammates were paid by the Russians to betray and give him to them so they could use him as a laboratory rat in experiments and was greatly surprised that not only that they weren't paid but also did it out of spite. His naivety was also shown when, despite being repeatedly told that Noir had led the attack on him, he refused to believe it due to the fact he had beaten down Noir more than once. Soldier Boy's time as a lab rat has also left him unaware of modern technology and terms that most people know, as when Hughie questioned if he knew what the internet or GPS was, he tried to claim that Hughie made those words up.
Soldier Boy was a user of drugs. He frequently used marijuana, despite arresting people for it, and was a user of hard drugs such as cocaine. He was also quite pleased when using amphetamines, proceeding to claim it was how D-Day had been won (even though it’s unknown if he was present). He felt like a "jackass" when he was made to do a PSA video for Vought on not taking drugs and even commented on his hypocrisy for advocating drug avoidance.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
“
You were the only one that was nearly as strong as me.
Soldier Boy, the most powerful superhero prior to Homelander and second only to him in terms of strength, possesses an incredible level of power that makes him one of the mightiest beings on the planet. His exceptional strength was evident during the Nicaragua incident when he effortlessly took on multiple trained soldiers, overpowering them without showing any signs of exertion. He demonstrated this strength by launching one soldier through a solid wall of corrugated metal and delivering a powerful backhand with his shield, propelling another soldier hundreds of feet away. Soldier Boy's shield is exceptionally heavy, to the point where ordinary humans are unable to even budge it. However, he wields it effortlessly with just one hand. According to Mother's Milk, Soldier Boy possesses the strength to lift and throw a full-sized car as if it were a toy, showcasing his extraordinary power. A true testament to his strength was witnessed during his intense hand-to-hand brawl with Homelander. Their clash was the first time such a display of power had been witnessed, with both combatants initially appearing evenly matched. They traded staggering blows, causing significant damage to the surrounding area. Soldier Boy even caught Homelander's fist in a test of strength and tossed him around like a rag doll. Homelander himself admitted to being concerned about Soldier Boy's strength before their confrontation, and their battle further confirmed the extent of Soldier Boy's formidable power. In combat against The Boys, Soldier Boy effortlessly overpowered Kimiko, effortlessly thwarting her ambush attempt. He also defeated a V24-empowered Butcher in melee combat, using his superior strength to render him unconscious.
“
As you know, the subject's skin has demonstrated remarkable durability. Which includes internal tissue.
Soldier Boy is durable enough to withstand assault rifle rounds fired at point-blank range in his mouth, burning by oxy-acetylene flame, cutting by power-saws, and blades being struck against his eyes. Indeed, Russian scientists spent several decades performing experiments to test his durability, and ultimately failed to harm him. During his fight against Payback, he was able to withstand direct attacks from each of its members, including an explosive blast from the TNT Twins. Another astonishing feat of durability is Soldier Boy's ability to withstand punishing attacks from Homelander with no visible wounds or signs of injury, being the only person to have ever done so. He endured many punches and being thrown into walls, each time getting back up to counter with his own attacks. Although, while not breaking skin or bruising, Homelander's attacks did have enough force to eventually stagger Soldier Boy and knock him down. This encounter showered that Soldier Boy's durability is on par or even superior to Homelander's, considering Homelander was left with a bruise for the first time while Soldier Boy had no wounds. Benjamin is also capable of withstanding his own nuclear explosions without taking any damage, though he appears to feel intense pain when using them, as he was visibly wincing when preparing to blast Homelander and when he was going to detonate in Vought tower. Later, when Black Noir was preparing to fight Soldier Boy by sharpening his blades, Homelander commented that they could not pierce his skin, revealing that even if they were wielded by an inhumanly strong Supe such as Noir, they would still prove useless. During his fight against The Boys, he was able to withstand multiple Heat Vision attacks, first from Ryan, then from both Homelander and Butcher. Soldier Boy even survived a direct, prolonged laser-blast to the face from Butcher, which only left a small cut on his cheek. Soldier Boy might be close to being indestructible, as he also survived falling from the 99th floor of The Seven tower along with Queen Maeve, and didn’t have a single scratch on him as a result.
Toxin Immunity: Soldier Boy appears to be very resilient towards harmful substances and poisons. When he drank one of Bill Cosby's roofied drinks, it didn't knock him out and he mistook it as a very strong drink. While in Russian confinement, he managed to withstand ingesting sulfuric acid cocktails and his body is also completely immune to Halothane gas, being able to casually inhale and exhale the substance as if inhaling from a cigar or cigarette. He was also merely knocked out by Novichok, which is one of the most dangerous toxins in the world. However, when The Boys attempted to later subdue Soldier Boy, even Novichok appeared to have little effect on him, implying that he had also built up a resistance to it.
Radiation Immunity: He can withstand being exposed to 20 sieverts of radiation, far above the lethal radiation dosage for humans. He can also withstand the amount of radiation produced by his own body, which has been compared to that of a nuclear reactor.
Psychic Immunity (Tentative): During his fight with Mindstorm in Nicaragua, Soldier Boy was apparently able to resist the telepath's mind control, even though Mindstorm was later able to influence Butcher without any difficulty.[7] This implies that Soldier Boy may have some level of resistance towards mind altering powers. However, when ambushing Mindstorm during his revenge mission, Soldier Boy was quick to wrap Mindstorms face with a bag so he couldn't make eye contact, implying that despite his level of resistance, he could still succumb to his powers.
Superhuman Speed and Reflexes: While the full extent of his speed has not been seen, he is quick enough to take on several soldiers at the same time. When Grace's group was attacked, he reacted instantly to shield himself before an enemy soldier began to open fire. His reflexes and speed allowed him to match Homelander in a physical brawl, evading many of Homelander's initial attacks and quickly countering with his own. During his fight against The Boys, Soldier Boy was able to effortlessly thwart an ambush attempt by Kimiko, grabbing her by the neck as she attempted to take him by surprise, all without even looking at her.
Superhuman Agility:
Soldier Boy reacting quickly enough to kill his enemy
The muscles in Soldier Boy’s legs are incredibly powerful, allowing him to jump higher than a normal person. This is shown by how Soldier Boy was able to jump up into the air in an effort to attack Starlight, who was floating relatively high above the ground.
Superhuman Hearing: Soldier Boy, being a supe, has better hearing beyond that of ordinary humans, capable of hearing certain frequencies.[8]
Superhuman Stamina: Soldier Boy can fight his enemies for prolonged periods of time without getting tired or wearing out. This is proven in his fights against Homelander, The Boys and Payback.
Superhuman Endurance: Soldier Boy’s pain tolerance level is extraordinarily high. Even if he does bleed from the fights he gets into, he’ll barely feel a thing. This is proven when Butcher cut Soldier Boy’s face with his heat vision, and he kept on fighting like nothing happened.
Regenerative Healing Factor: Though highly resistant to most forms of damage, Ben did receive a cut on his cheek after being subjected to a prolonged Heat Vision blast by Billy Butcher. However, when he was later recaptured and imprisoned by Grace Mallory, the wound on his cheek had already disappeared.
“
I thought I was staring at a ghost, but it was him. He had a fucked-up beard, maybe, but he hadn't aged a day." "Wait, so he doesn't get old? Like Stormfront?" "We kept that under wraps. Though it got a little fishy when he starred in that Love and War picture with Phoebe Cates. He was 63, she was 19.
Longevity: Despite having been born in 1919, Soldier Boy appears to not have aged at all since World War II, as he is still in his physical prime and has the appearance of a man in his mid-thirties. Utilizing previous knowledge, it can be presumed that Soldier Boy is immortal.
Radiation Generation:
Soldier Boy activating his radiation beam
After being exposed to high levels of radiation while being experimented on by the Russians, Soldier Boy's body appears to have started producing radiation on its own, this ended up effectively turning him into a walking nuclear reactor. This gave Soldier Boy incredible new powers, and ended up making him a lot stronger than he was before. Because of this, his body now emits high levels of radiation at all times. Due to this, there is a chance that his radioactive physiology makes him immune to both cold and hot temperatures. However, the amount of radiation that his body creates can also be affected by his emotional state. This can be seen when Hughie's Geiger counter recorded increased levels of radiation when Soldier Boy was venting about his past, getting very emotionally distressed in the process. When Benjamin's PTSD is triggered, his emotional state can get out of control, causing him to lose control over his powers. This makes Soldier Boy extremely dangerous as the explosions he generates are capable of destroying entire city blocks. When The Boys attempted to put Soldier Boy back to sleep, his fear of being imprisoned again overwhelmed him, and he generated so much radiation that he started smoking.
Radioactive Aura: Due to the high amounts of radiation that he emits at all times, being near Soldier Boy for prolonged periods of time can likely cause radiation poisoning.
Radiation-Infused Energy Blasts:
Soldier Boy using his new power to attack Frenchie
Ditto
After gaining the power of a nuclear reactor, Soldier Boy now possesses the ability to fire tremendously powerful blasts of radiation-infused energy from his upper torso. He can release the energy as a forward-facing beam which lasts several seconds before his energy is depleted. He often scythes the beam by changing his direction as the beam discharges, creating a wedge-shaped or omnidirectional wave of destruction. The beam is incredibly destructive, powerful enough to completely vaporize a normal human, reduce another Supe to a charred corpse, fling a Supe as durable as Kimiko through a concrete wall, and destroy multi-story buildings with ease. When he unleashed it at Herogasm, the beam was strong enough to nearly destroy most of the TNT Twins's home, as well as kill a dozen attendants, which included Supes.
Self-detonation: An even larger blast began when he killed Crimson Countess after telling him that she hated him. Unable to handle the pain, Soldier Boy lets go of all restraint and detonates. Although he was driven by anger and pain, he was able to control the explosion to not go any further but it’s clear that his new powers are tied to his emotions. Another incident is when he attempted to detonate inside Vought Tower, which would have been powerful enough to destroy the entire skyscraper and kill almost everyone inside. This is the sign where he lost control of his power and became completely overwhelmed by his emotions.
Disempowerment: It appears that Soldier Boy's ability to produce radioactive beams of energy is powerful enough to burn the entirety of Compound V from the bloodstream of a Supe, effectively killing them or, in the case of Kimiko, Maeve and the attendants of Herogasm who survived, turning them back into normal human beings. This did not prevent them regaining their powers, as shown when Kimiko later regained her powers after being injected with Compound V again. It is also shown that if a Supe had powers that temporarily altered their form and then had their powers removed by Soldier Boy, they would be permanently stuck in this form afterwards. This was shown in the case of Termite, who was stuck in his shrunken form after the Herogasm explosion. With the unique ability to take away the powers of other Supes, this makes Soldier Boy the most dangerous Supe alive, even with Homelander still in play.
Abilities[]
“
When Oppenheimer was flailing with the bomb, Doctor Vought already had practical applications of Compound V tested in the field. Heroes like Soldier Boy, killing Germans by the dozen.
Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Since World War II, Soldier Boy has been depicted as a skilled fighter thanks to his military training and has been known to have killed dozens of German soldiers, though given that a lot of his military service was propaganda films, it is debatable whether he actually killed any actual Nazis in combat. During his time in Nicaragua, he possessed enough skill to fight and quickly overpower half a dozen special forces soldiers, using a combination of hand-to-hand combat and shield attacks. Despite having been subdued for almost forty years by the Russians and having not fought anyone during that time, aside from his escape attempts, Ben's fighting skills did not seem to atrophy. When Soldier Boy returned to the present, he proved a formidable opponent against Homelander, the first time the latter seemed nervous about facing another Supe. With his near century of experience in actual combat, Soldier Boy was able to fight and, at times, overpower Homelander by evading and countering his attacks. Eventually, Homelander's superior strength and speed allowed him to regain the upper hand, nearly defeating Soldier Boy through raw power. During his fight against The Boys, he defeated a V24-empowered Butcher in melee combat, who was himself a highly trained combat veteran.
Shield Proficiency: Soldier Boy is well skilled in wielding his near-indestructible shield. While it can be a source of defense, Ben also incorporates his shield as a blunt weapon to bash opponents with. Such is the strength and skill with which he wields it, that Soldier Boy can cripple even highly durable Supes with his shield, having used it to shatter Black Noir’s skull. Even Homelander, the most powerful Supe in all of existence, was shown to be stunned briefly when he was struck with the shield and Soldier Boy's strength.
Knife Proficiency: Ben is highly skilled at using combat knives. He is also very proficient at throwing knives, being able to hit Mindstorm in his eye from a far distance without hitting Hughie, who was in close proximity to Mindstorm.
Expert Marksman: Soldier Boy is an expert in using guns with great accuracy. He shot both a brainwashed priest and a nun in the head, with the latter having used Hughie as a human shield. It has also been implied that Soldier Boy was the man who shot JFK.
Singer: Ben is also a capable singer. He performed the song "Rapture" by Blondie, during his guest appearance on Solid Gold. However according to The Legend, he is not a good singer.
Acting: Soldier Boy has participated in the production of many films and anti-communist propaganda, such as Red Thunder. Many of these films are considered classics, meaning that he is likely an actor of at least decent skill.
Intimidation: Soldier Boy is very imposing and makes everyone around him feel frightened. Right after being released by Butcher, everyone, including Butcher himself, couldn't move from their places, with Mother's Milk sweating and losing his temper while remembering when his family was murdered by him. Even Homelander feared Soldier Boy and continued to remain wary of him after their first battle. When he was the leader of Payback most of all his teammates were afraid of him due to the abuse, he inflicted on them and being the strongest member of the team.
Indomitable Will: Soldier Boy is absolutely fearless as he has been alive for over 100 years and has fought real life Nazis. Soldier Boy himself has stated that he fears nothing. He can however be intimidated by certain things like being put back into a coma, as he will do anything to prevent it from happening, even blow up an entire building and everyone in it.
Weaknesses[]
Psychological[]
“
He said I was a disappointment, not good enough to carry his name.
―Soldier Boy explains the roots of his insecurities to Butcher[src]
”
Inferiority Complex: Soldier Boy had a troubled relationship with his father who saw him as nothing more than a disappointment who was unworthy of his name. His father's neglect and mistreatment made soldier boy strive to do anything to make him proud and win his approval. This took a toll on his self-esteem thus making his ego and emotional maturity very fragile and volatile so much that he believed his father’s words. Decades after his father's death, Soldier Boy retained a persistent sense of disappointment in himself, and his frustration would intensify whenever he believed that his comrades were surpassing him. He became obsessed with proving that he’s the best. Interestingly, he also regarded Homelander through a similar lens of disappointment, likely because Homelander's traits and conduct served as a disconcerting mirror of his own perceived inadequacies. This parallel between them likely constituted a significant source of inner conflict for Soldier Boy which prompted him to kill his son and grandson included for intervening.
“
I loved you. All those years that they burned me and pumped me full of poison, I held on to the hope that you would come. That you would save me. Because I still loved you.
―Soldier Boy explaining the torture he through to Crimson Countess for almost 40 years[src]
”
PTSD: Soldier Boy is severely traumatized by the Russian torture and experiments he endured for almost forty years. One of his known triggers is a Russian song called Escape, which was played while he was being experimented on. When reminded of his trauma, he is emotionally overwhelmed and tends to lose control of his powers, particularly his new energy blast power. Furthermore, he refuses to admit to having PTSD (what was called "shell shock" in his time). As a coping mechanism, The Boys supply him with heavy amounts of Cannabis to calm his nerves and block his triggers. This seemed to work, but also increased his paranoia as a side effect.
“
Man I miss Benny's. That's how we won D-Day, you know? We were wired to the fucking gills.
Addiction and substance abuse: ever since his childhood, Ben has had drinking problems due to stealing Manhattan cocktails from his dad’s collection of alcohol. In his adult years, he sniffed cocaine, smoked weed and did other kinds of drugs to keep himself at bay which would only worsen his mental health and behavior causing him to hallucinate and become paranoid. Furthermore, this drug abuse would serve as a weakness since its effects alter his behavior and trigger his aggression. After escaping Russia, Ben was given hefty bags of marijuana to calm his post-traumatic stress, but this would bring back the same effects and it led to kill a priest and a nun out of a delusion that they were under Mindstorm’s mind control, although his suspicions are proven to be correct, which makes him reckless.
Biological[]
Radiation Detection Equipment: After gaining the power to create blasts of radioactive energy, Benjamin's body now constantly emits high levels of radiation. Because of this, it is possible to detect him by using radiation detectors, a good example being when Mother's Milk was able to tell when he was approximating their location by using a Geiger counter.
Requires Time to Build Up Energy for Discharges: It can take considerable time for Soldier Boy to generate sufficient energy to discharge his radiation-infused energy blasts. It took approximately eight seconds for him to build up the discharge that was aimed at Frenchie. This allowed Kimiko sufficient time to move Frenchie out of the way, although she was struck herself, and the build-up for the discharge that killed Crimson Countess took even longer. This delay also allowed Homelander enough time to escape before Soldier Boy was able to fire his energy beam at him. The build-up for the discharge he prepared to try and kill The Boys and Homelander was the longest yet, giving Maeve enough time to tackle him through a window and detonate mid-air.
Blunt Force/Limited Durability: Though almost invulnerable, beings of equal or greater strength, namely Homelander, can physically harm and likely kill him. Additionally, while none of the testing the Russians put him through actually harmed him, the destructive tests were clearly uncomfortable at best and painful at worst. While he is able to survive his own radioactive bursts, having not shown any sign of a scratch after unleashing them each time, he has often appeared to be in pain on occasions when he used it, most notably when he was about to blast Homelander. Also, Butcher suggested that a fully-fledged nuclear warhead could have the sufficient force to kill him. Butcher's heat vision was also able to leave a wound on Soldier Boy's face, showing his skin can be cut with enough force.
“
Novichok. Russian nerve agent. Expose you or moi to Novichok, our nervous system shuts down. Multiple organs fail. Painful death. But for Soldier Boy, it's a nap.
Powerful Toxins: Despite his resistance towards most chemical substances, extremely powerful toxins can still affect him. It has been suggested by Frenchie that Soldier Boy was knocked out by the Russians using the Novichok nerve agent, which can kill normal humans in less than a minute. The Boys later attempted to use such a gas to subdue Soldier Boy, but he was able to break free before its effects could be proven.
Equipment[]
Hero Costume: Soldier Boy wears a military green protective masked suit with what appears to be a Kevlar vest. This suit is strong enough to withstand the full force of his radioactive explosions. The suit is similar to a soldier uniform and contains a variety of American symbols, reinforcing Soldier Boy's image as a "patriotic soldier". After reclaiming it after escaping from Russia, he discontinued wearing his mask.
Shield: Soldier Boy wields a brass, golden-colored triangular shield in the shape of the Vought American logo as his main weapon of choice. He usually uses it to bash his enemies and block attacks. The shield is quite durable, as it was able to break through Black Noir's skull and withstand the Heat Vision of both Butcher and Homelander, though a prolonged burst of Heat Vision from Butcher as well as repeated shotgun blasts from Mother Milk weakened it to the point that a punch from the V-empowered Butcher shattered it. It is also extremely heavy, as Hughie wasn't even able to budge it when he tried to lift it. Even after the shield was shattered into pieces, Soldier Boy still picked up some of the shattered pieces and attempted to use them as a weapon.
Combat Knife: Benjamin carries an eagle headed combat knife on his right hip. It can be used as both a melee weapon and as a throwing-knife.
M1911: The pistol Soldier Boy carried while hunting Mind Storm was an M1911. It was the standard issue sidearm for American military personnel until the adoption of the Beretta 9mm pistol in 1985.
M1 Submachine Gun: Soldier Boy has been depicted wielding a M1-variant Thompson submachine gun on a commemorative statue of his likeness, hailing back to his glory days in World War II. Which was erected after his purported death.
John F. Kennedy † - Assassination Target (Alleged)
Gunpowder † - Abuse Victim (Intentional, "Out of control hazing", unknown)
20 unnamed people † (killed in drug cartel bust)
The Milk family
M.M's Grandfather † - Unintentional Victim (Unintentional; car thrown at him, collateral damage)
M.M's Father † - Indirect Victim (Unintentional; died trying to sue Vought)
Several Russian soldiers † - Victim (Intentional)
Unnamed Russian scientist † - Victim (Intentional; stabbed with a scalpel, experimented on him)
19 Manhattan civilians † - Victims (Unintentional; incinerated in a radiation explosion, trauma trigger)
Crimson Countess † - Victim (Intentional; incinerated in a radiation explosion, betrayed him)
TNT Twins † - Victims (Intentional; incinerated in a radiation explosion, betrayed him)
Twelve supes/humans † - Victims (Unintentional; incinerated in a radiation explosion, trauma trigger)
Seven supes - Ones that lived now powerless
Nun and Priest brainwashed by Mindstorm † - (Intentional; killed by via gunshot, mind-controlled)
Mindstorm † - (Intentional; killed by being beaten with Soldier Boy's shield, betrayed him)
Quote[]
“
Do you know what a GPS is? Or... Blue-tooth? Or... I mean... the internet?" "You made those words up." "No, nope. Those are real words and you need those to find them.
―Hughie teaching Soldier Boy how the world changed since 1984[src]
”
“
Do men really walk around like that? "Yeah. I mean.... dads do" "Okay well, Bill Cosby is America's dad and tell you one thing: he wouldn't be caught dead in that pussy gear.
Much like Captain America, Soldier Boy's official backstory is that he fought in World War II for the US military and has a shield as his weapon. They were also both given a type of Super Soldier serum that granted them incredible physical powers. Soldier Boy however is a step up from Captain America as he also possesses radioactive powers in addition to his enhanced physical abilities. Soldier Boy's costume is similar to the MCU version of Captain America right down to the helmet and star insignia. Additionally, his costume has a helmet, and his color scheme is military green, the official color of the United States Army, much like how Captain America's costume is based on the American flag.
Similar to the Winter Soldier, Ben was abducted by foreign enemies of the United States and held and experimented on by a hostile group as a means to be used as a superpowered weapon against the world. He also spent a considerable amount of this time being held in a cryo-stasis chamber.
Soldier Boy's old photo with his mask on, the macho attitude, the misogyny, and violent behavior bring forth to mind the Comedian from Watchmen, another dark twist on classic Captain America-type heroes. Both Soldier Boy and the Comedian have military backgrounds, were employed by the U.S. government as government-sponsored mercenaries, and have been linked to controversial historical events such as the assassination of JFK.
His torso energy blast is similar to Havok; the brother of the X-Men's field leader Cyclops.
Soldier Boy is a composite between the three characters to carry the mantle in the comics. His history as the leader of Payback in addition to leading a squad of American superheroes into a disastrous mission is taken from the first Soldier Boy, his involvement in creating propaganda is taken from the second Soldier Boy and his military green costume is similar to the third Soldier Boy.
Soldier Boy's actor Jensen Ackles was briefly considered for the role of Steve Rogers/Captain America in the film Captain America: The First Avenger before the role went to Chris Evans.
Ackles also wasn't the first of the show's cast to try out; Chace Crawford was also considered.
Soldier Boy's supposed regiment, the 116th Infantry Regiment (United States) fought in the Normandy landings, on Omaha Beach, where it suffered heavy casualties. It served continuously with the 29th Infantry Division in its eastward advance until reaching the Elbe at the end of World War II in Europe.
During a conversation with Hughie Campbell about the supposed lack of traditional masculinity that Ben sees in 21st century society, Soldier Boy uses Bill Cosby as an example of a fatherly role model and claimed he was “one hell of a drink maker” to the visible discomfort of Hughie, a reference to the dozens of accounts of rape and sexual assault against the disgraced comedian, where his victims alleged Cosby would spike their drinks before raping them. Not only does this imply that Ben was completely aware of Cosby’s behavior decades before it became public knowledge, but that he may even be a sexual predator as well which is highly unlikely since his sexual affairs were all consensual. It could also imply that Cosby even tried to spike Soldier Boy's drink, but ultimately failed because of the latter's resistance.
Soldier Boy gains some traits of the comic version of Stormfront, being the father of Homelander. Interestingly, both he and Stormfront were involved in World War II.
As of Stormfront’s death, Soldier Boy is officially the oldest Supe alive as well as the last living member of Payback following Black Noir’s death.
