The Boys: Is Soldier Boy Dead or Alive?

The diabolical fifth and final season of Prime Video’s ‘The Boys’ lands with an explosive two-episode premiere, with several significant things happening in quick succession. As the fight against Homelander continues, the only hope that the protagonists have is the Supe-killing formula. Things have gotten so bad in the country that as long as the superpowered villain is alive, nothing can be set right again, which is why Butcher, Hughie, and their team double down on making sure their secret weapon works. But before they can use it on Homelander, they need a test subject, which is where Soldier Boy comes in. SPOILERS AHEAD.

The Virus has a Fatal Effect on Soldier Boy

With Butcher and Hughie in the wind, Homelander gets more and more desperate to get his hands on him. At the same time, he feels more alone than ever, believing that there is no one that he can trust or no one that he can rely on, at least emotionally. To fill this void in his heart, he brings Soldier Boy back to life. But while he considers the old Supe his father, Soldier Boy exhibits no paternal love for Homelander or anyone else. To get the guy to work with him, Homelander offers to bring him back into the good graces of the public, restoring his image and giving him his life back if he manages to locate Butcher. Of course, Homelander conveniently forgets to tell him about the deadly virus that is in Butcher’s possession.

Soldier Boy proves to be exceptional at his job and finds Butcher soon enough. This happens to be at the time when Butcher and his team are trying to test the potency of the virus. Because they cannot directly test it on Homelander, they’d been trying to find someone almost as powerful. They found Rock Hard, a member of the Teenage Kix, but when Soldier Boy shows up, Butcher decides to turn him into the guinea pig himself. After all, Soldier Boy is one of the, if not the, most powerful Supes out there. If the virus can kill him, it will kill Homelander too. So, they trap Soldier Boy and release the virus on him. As soon as the virus is released, Rock Hard and Jetstreak show immediate effect and die within a minute of exposure.

In the case of Soldier Boy, the virus takes a few seconds longer, but it does kick in. His skin breaks into pustules, and he finds himself getting choked to death, much like it happens with the other two Supes. Having seen what the virus does, Hughie and his gang leave. Later, Homelander arrives on the scene and is shocked to find Soldier Boy dead. He seems less concerned about the virus’ effect and more about the fact that another person he thought he could rely on is now dead. He feels guilty for letting Soldier Boy leave in the first place, without telling him about the virus. But right as he leaves, we see Soldier Boy sit up, while still in his body bag.

Soldier Boy’s Survival Confirms the Virus is Not Strong Enough Yet

The thing about making a virus specifically targeting Supes is that there are many factors to consider. The most important thing to consider here is that the virus was made with the current Supes in mind. It has been tested on Supes made with a similar iteration of Compound V. Soldier Boy, however, was made with a different version of the chemical. One of the things that has come up several times in ‘The Boys’ and its spin-off ‘Gen V’ is that the earlier versions of Compound V produce more powerful Supes. In ‘Gen V,’ Marie discovers that she and Homelander are made of a different version of V than her friends received.

In the same vein, Soldier Boy, one of the first Supes to be created (at least on paper), was a similar version that eventually became Homelander. The virus, however, was created with the other, lesser Supes in mind, which is why it has such a quick effect on Rock Hard and Jetstreak, even though they are both pretty powerful in their own right. Because the virus is built to attack anyone with V in their blood, it also attacks Soldier Boy and has a severe impact. However, it is not fatal enough to kill him. At best, it renders him unconscious for a while. So, when the Boys leave the scene, Soldier Boy isn’t actually dead. He has just fallen unconscious, and his body is actively fighting the virus, eventually winning and bringing him back to life.

Whether this is the reason why he doesn’t die, or if there is something else that ensures his survival, remains to be seen. But from the trailer itself, it is clear that it will take much more than a virus to get Soldier Boy out of the way. He is yet to stir more trouble and chaos, including the much-anticipated ‘Supernatural’ reunion. So, when we see his body bag move at the end of the second episode, it confirms that he has somehow survived the virus. It also means that Butcher and his team must continue working on the virus, because in its current iteration, it is not potent enough to kill Homelander yet. Maybe it will slow him down at best, but killing him requires much more effort. Soldier Boy surviving the deadly virus is proof that Butcher and his team are nowhere near ready to face their worst enemy yet.

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