The Boys Episode 7 delves into the brutal past of Black Noir – and notably, why he and his fellow Payback members betrayed Soldier Boy.
Black Noir has always been a mysterious outlier of The Seven. While other members have either met a grisly end or sided with Butcher and The Boys, he’s loyally served Homelander through thick and thin. Most recently, he helped kidnap Queen Maeve.
But why would Black Noir continue to stand by Homelander and carry out his misdeeds when he’s clearly unhinged and one bad day away from tearing his laser vision through the whole of America? Why wouldn’t he rebel and join the fight against him, like he did with Soldier Boy?
We’ve learned a bit about Black Noir throughout the show’s run – like how Vought wanted him to wear a mask because it’d be more marketable, on account of him being Black and the popularity of ninjas – but Episode 7 flashes back to his betrayal of Soldier Boy, a key event in his backstory.
The Boys Episode 7: Black Noir’s past with Soldier Boy
After removing the tracking chip from his wrist upon learning about Soldier Boy, we catch up with Black Noir at an abandoned Buster Beaver pizza restaurant, where he’s surrounded by imaginary Looney Tunes-esque cartoon characters.
As they try to comfort him, they also make him look back on his past with Soldier Boy. During his earlier days in Payback, he was up for the role of Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop – until Soldier Boy spoke to producer Don Simpson and convinced him he wasn’t right for the part.
Read More: The Boys Episode 7: That massive Soldier Boy and Homelander twist, explained
Black Noir confronted Soldier Boy, confused as to why he’d hold him back. Soldier Boy told him he “wasn’t good enough” and tried to walk away, but when Black Noir laid his hands on him, Soldier Boy lost his temper and savagely battered him in front of the other supes.
Soldier Boy then said: “You think you can be me? You’re not a movie star. You’re not s**t. I see you getting out of line again, trying to move on up, I will put you in the f**king ground. Understood?”
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The Boys Episode 7: Why did Black Noir betray Soldier Boy?
We know Soldier Boy ended up in the hands of the Russians, where he was transformed into a weapon of mass destruction. We know his Payback team betrayed him in Nicaragua. But Black Noir has always been obedient of Vought, so what changed back then?
Just like the other supes, Black Noir was tired of Soldier Boy’s abuse, but the turning point came via an offer from Stan Edgar.
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In another flashback, we learn that Edgar asked Black Noir to make Soldier Boy “fade away” as Vought scientist Jonah Vogelbaum had a “replacement” for him. “Just a child, but they’re convinced he’ll be stronger than Soldier Boy – and he can fly,” he said.
He agreed, and roped in the other supes to take on Soldier Boy. He also took off his mask for the fight – in hindsight, he’ll have wished he kept it on.
The Payback team confronted Soldier Boy amid the warfare, with each supe using their powers against him. However, Soldier Boy managed to grab hold of Black Noir and pin his face to the burning hood of a car, essentially melting half his head, before splattering his skull with his shield.
Earlier in Season 3, we saw a young Mallory finding Black Noir with grave injuries in the aftermath of an airstrike. This was presumed to be the cause of his brain damage and scarring, but it was actually Soldier Boy’s merciless attack.
Episode 7 finishes with Black Noir contemplating what to do next, with his furry friends telling him that real bravery isn’t not feeling fear, it’s doing something despite it. As for whether he’ll have one last face off with Soldier Boy, we’ll find out in the finale next week, on July 8.