WARNING: Spoilers ahead for The Boys season 3, episode 5
The Boys revealed why Crimson Countess betrayed Soldier Boy long before episode 5. There are three very different versions of Soldier Boy's disappearance in The Boys' fictional universe. The public believes he died in Ohio protecting Uncle Sam from a nuclear reactor meltdown. Those who survived 1984's Nicaragua incident believe Soldier Boy was killed by Russian soldiers and his corpse taken away for probing. The truth is that Soldier Boy was handed over to the Russians by Payback teammate and girlfriend, Crimson Countess, then taken away alive for decades of excruciating experimentation.
This revelation only comes to light thanks to the Boys, who accidentally liberate Soldier Boy during a mission to Moscow in The Boys season 3. After winding his way back to American shores and picking up his costume from the Legend, Soldier Boy heads directly for Crimson Countess with vengeance firmly in mind. As her annoyed ex-boyfriend demands answers, the Countess reveals she "hated" Soldier Boy, and claims those sentiments were shared by the other Payback members. She didn't even receive payment in exchange. Soldier Boy goes nuclear before Crimson Countess can elaborate further, but did she really betray Soldier Boy simply because she hated him? And what caused such strong resentment to fester within her?
Soldier Boy might've loved Crimson Countess, but love wasn't enough to keep him faithful. During The Boys season 3's Nicaragua flashback, Jensen Ackles' character shamelessly flirts with Mallory in direct view of Crimson Countess, who angrily rolls her eyes. The scene strongly implies this is not an isolated incident, and their relationship has been plagued by infidelity on Soldier Boy's part. More information surfaced through Gunpowder in The Boys season 3, episode 2. MM found a historic complaint Soldier Boy's ex-sidekick filed against his mentor. Gunpowder assures Billy Butcher these incidents weren't sexual in nature, but admits Soldier Boy was violent and abusive. Such details paint a picture of Soldier Boy as a hedonistic, egotistical celebrity who treated his teammates (even his girlfriend) as accessories to be hurt or discarded as he saw fit. The Nicaragua betrayal was partly about ahem... payback, and partly about getting rid of a tormentor who's both adored by the public and damn-near impossible to kill.
As The Boys season 3 continues to unfold, it'll be fascinating to see whether Black Noir was complicit in Payback's Soldier Boy betrayal. Noir was shown with Stan Edgar discussing a bigger role in the team during episode 3's flashback sequence, and The Boys Presents: Diabolical confirmed Noir became Vought's top supe after Payback disbanded. Since he benefited way more than the chimp-saving, theme park attraction Crimson Countess became, maybe Noir helped arrange his leader's capture. As an interesting aside, The Boys' Crimson Countess betrayal twist may explain why Mallory witnessed the Scarlet Witch parody use her powers on friendly soldiers when the 1984 attack happened, and why the usually-accurate Gunpowder mowed down anything that moved.
In storytelling terms, Crimson Countess' betrayal is designed as a perfect mirror between Payback and the Seven. Soldier Boy is a less awful version of Homelander - the leader treating his teammates like dirt, while Crimson Countess is Queen Maeve - the downtrodden ex-partner who spent years feeling powerless to fight back. Gunpowder is comparable to Deep or A-Train as a sycophantic follower who endures bullying and abusive behavior in exchange for the perks of being famous. The irony, of course, lies in how Butcher and Hughie are using the "former Homelander" to defeat the real deal in The Boys season 3.
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The Boys continues Friday on Prime Video.