Payback played a pivotal role in The Boys season 3, debuting Solider Boy and revealing Black Noir’s background. Here is how powerful each member is.

The Boys season 3 introduced Payback, a group of strong supes who were run by Vought International with each member having a different level of power. Their leader, Soldier Boy, proved to be an ally turned enemy of The Boys, becoming the main antagonist of the season. While he was the main focus of the group, all the characters were highlighted in season 3 and had varying levels of importance. Black Noir has been a key character in The Boys since season 1, but all the other members were new to the show outside small cameos. The show highlights their botched Operation Charly mission before revealing each remaining member’s current situation.

Soldier Boy’s Payback team members turned against him, leaving the world to presume he was dead, but his return caused major ramifications for many characters, mainly his former friends. Although Soldier Boy becomes the most important character of the group alongside Black Noir, the other members have their own set of skills that warrant their place in the team. Payback was essentially the 1980s version of The Seven, and as a result, each of its members had to be very powerful. While each member has their own strengths and weaknesses, some members prove to be far more powerful than others.

8Swatto

Played By Joel Labelle

As supes go, Swatto doesn’t stand out as one of The Boys‘ strongest. He has enough qualities to make his way into Payback, but that’s where his strengths end. Swatto’s main gimmick is his wings, which allow him to fly. However, it is these very wings that result in his death during Operation Charly. The series doesn’t go into depth exploring any of his other potential powers. Instead, he comes across as the weakest member of the group by some margin, resulting in his death in Nicaragua. Swatto’s inability to listen to Mallory’s instructions leads to him being killed and the whole mission becoming compromised, cementing Swatto as the weakest member of Payback.

7Tommy – The TNT Twins

Played By Jack Doolan

The TNT Twins share their powers, making them essentially just as strong as each other. Their power indicates that they can cause explosions when they touch, but this does cause one key drawback. Neither twin is very useful on their own, meaning that isolating them is an easy counter. While they do have glaring weaknesses, their explosive power does seem much stronger than any of Swatto’s abilities, although the show never demonstrates the power’s true potential. Tommy is the weakest of the TNT Twins, as he flatters A-Train for his approval, showcasing that he lacks independence and seeks validation from others.

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6Tessa – The TNT Twins

Played By Kristin Booth

Tessa shares the same powers as Tommy, but her independence makes her the stronger of the two. There may be nothing between them from a combat sense, but Tessa does provide more confidence and quick thinking. When Soldier Boy appeared during The Boys Herogasm and confronted the twins, it was Tessa who suggested using their skills to try and stop him. Their powers no longer worked in the present day, indicating that whatever past abilities they had are now gone. Both twins are cowardly, as evidenced by Soldier Boy’s intimidation, but Tessa is the slightly more competent one, even if only by a small margin.

5Gunpowder

Played By Sean Patrick Flanery and Joel Gagne

Gunpowder’s battle with Billy Butcher was one of the standout fights in The Boys and showed off the Payback member’s skills. His pinpoint accuracy and ability to ricochet bullets prove he is an expert marksman. Managing to use mirrors and reflections, Gunpowder landed shots on Butcher from a distance, showing just how great his aim and senses are. The Boys season 3 highlights Gunpowder’s powers better than some of the other Payback members, but he still falls short of those ahead of him. While he is an expert with a gun, he doesn’t have the same physical capabilities as some of his teammates.

4Crimson Countess

Played By Laurie Holden

Not only is she incredibly powerful, but Crimson Countess also demonstrates she is cunning and manipulative. Crimson Countess betraying Soldier Boy alongside the rest of the team allowed the Russians to capture him. While this is ultimately what led to her demise, it proved that she is daring enough to take big risks. Outside of her mental strengths, she can shoot fireballs, which prove to have devastating effects. They can kill regular humans instantly and are deadly from a combat perspective. Her mix of physical and mental abilities proves Crimson Countess is one of Payback’s strongest members.

3Black Noir

Played By Nathan Mitchell and Fritzey-Klevans Destine

Black Noir was not only part of Payback, but also the Seven, indicating just how impressive his powers are. Despite sustaining permanent injuries as part of Operation Charly and at the hands of Soldier Boy, Black Noir is still very capable when it comes to combat. He is incredibly durable and can also go toe-to-toe with many powerful supes. Black Noir doesn’t speak in The Boys due to his injuries, but he manages to show his skills and loyalty through his missions. While The Boys season 4 will have a new Black Noir, it will not be the same deadly fighter that was one of Payback’s strongest supes.

2Mindstorm

Played By Ryan Blakely

While he might not be on the same level at fighting as Black Noir, Mindstorm’s unique abilities are hard to contend with. Mindstorm’s powers have plenty of drawbacks, as seen by his fragile and paranoid condition in season 3’s present setting. However, what he is capable of is beyond most other supes in the show. He traps Butcher in a nightmare and Soldier Boy mentions how Mindstorm can hear thoughts, indicating he is incredibly powerful. Although Soldier Boy killed him with ease, Mindstorm would be a threat to him and The Boys‘ most powerful supes if he was in perfect mental and physical condition.

1Soldier Boy

Played By Jensen Ackles

Considering he was the leader of Payback, it is no surprise Soldier Boy is the strongest member. He was given plenty of opportunities to display his skills throughout The Boys. He fought off soldiers in Nicaragua, nearly bested Homelander with the help of Hughie and Butcher, and even held his own against the entire The Boys team as well as Starlight, Queen Maeve, and Homelander. Not only did he achieve all that, but Soldier Boy can even produce a blast that can kill as well as take away powers. The Boys season 3 finale suggests Soldier Boy got weaker by not killing Queen Maeve, but he remains Payback’s most powerful member.