Soldier Boy
The first American non-aging Supe, created by Frederick Vought during World War II.
Soldier Boy (Ben) is a composite character of the comic book characters, introduced in the third season of the Amazon Prime Video television adaptation, portrayed by Jensen Ackles. He is depicted as the first American non-aging Supe, created by Frederick Vought during World War II in 1944 via injections of Compound V into a normal soldier. A vulgar, arrogant, chauvinistic "bonafide war hero", he worked with the CIA during the Cold War as the leader of Payback, until he was betrayed to the USSR and experimented on for 38 years. He is inadvertently freed by the Boys in the present-day while they were seeking the "superweapon" B.C.L. RED to use to kill Homelander, which in actuality is Soldier Boy himself, who, due to experimentation, can now emit an energy beam from his chest which can permanently depower or kill other Supes.
Quick Facts
- Series
- Herogasm and The Boys
- Creator
- Garth Ennis; John McCrea
- Based on
- Captain America (parody)
- Designer
- Laura Jean "LJ" Shannon; Greg Hopwood
- Portrayed by
- Jensen Ackles
- Gender
- Male
- Full name
- Ben (television series)
- Family
- Homelander (son; television series); Ryan Butcher (grandson; television series)
Lore & Background
Soldier Boy was created by Nazi defector Frederick Vought during World War II in 1944, via injections of Compound V into a normal soldier. He is said by Marvin T. "MM" Milk in the third season to be responsible for killing his grandfather during a robbery, motivating his father's decision to "work himself to death" as a lawyer attempting to bring down Vought and causing MM's Obsessive compulsive disorder. Soldier Boy was said to have been killed while preventing a nuclear meltdown during the Cold War. In reality, Stan Edgar had orchestrated the whole incident to get rid of Soldier Boy by allowing Payback to betray him as revenge for the physical and mental abuse he had inflicted upon them, with the intention of replacing him with Homelander. The team managed to incapacitate Soldier Boy with Novichok, but not before he burned Black Noir's face and bludgeoned him repeatedly in the head with his shield, leaving Noir with significant brain damage. It is later revealed that Vought used Soldier Boy's sperm to create Homelander without his knowledge (he was told to provide a sample for research purposes), thus making them father and son.
Reader's Guide
Soldier Boy serves as a critical narrative device in exploring the history of Vought-American and the origins of Compound V. His character arc challenges the audience's perception of what constitutes a hero versus a weapon. Unlike other characters who seek redemption or power, Soldier Boy is driven by survival and revenge against the system that created him. This makes him an unpredictable ally for The Boys, as his methods are brutal and often morally gray compared to Butcher or Hughie. His existence validates Homelander's deepest insecurities about being replaceable. By introducing a predecessor who is stronger and more experienced, the story highlights the fragility of Homelander's god complex and the inevitable cycle of violence within Vought's hierarchy.
More in Lore & History
Elsewhere in The Boys
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