The superhero team that Soldier Boy used to lead was Payback.
In The Boys, Payback is a Vought-sponsored superhero team created as a powerful second act to The Seven. Soldier Boy served as its leader during the Cold War, presenting himself as a patriotic American hero while treating his teammates abusively and demanding absolute loyalty.
The team’s history becomes central to season 3. In 1984, Payback worked with CIA operatives in Nicaragua, where its members secretly betrayed Soldier Boy to the Russians. They did so partly because of his cruelty and partly because Vought wanted to replace him with Homelander. After decades of experimentation, Soldier Boy is discovered alive and becomes one of the season’s major threats.
Payback is often confused with The Seven because both are Vought-backed teams. They are separate groups: The Seven is Homelander’s flagship team, while Payback was Soldier Boy’s older and more militarized group. The comics also use Payback, though its membership and backstory differ from the television adaptation.