John MacTavish

John "Soap" MacTavish is a Scottish fictional character and the main protagonist in the Modern Warfare series of the Call of Duty game franchise. His debut was in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare as an "F.N.G." sergeant of the Special Air Service, serving as the team's sniper and demolitions expert, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 as a captain and field commander of Task Force 141 (TF-141). Near the end of Modern Warfare 2, Soap and his comrade and former mentor, Captain John Price, are labeled fugitives following the betrayal by their commanding officer, US Army General Shepherd. Shepherd had stabbed Soap in the chest, but he is saved by Price and Nikolai, beginning Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Soap helps Task Force 141 continue their hunt for Makarov. However, Soap falls from a great height in the mission "Blood Brothers", and despite Price's efforts, dies from blood loss and shock during rescue with Price at his side.

He plays a major and important role during the game's Russian Civil War crisis, a newcomer to the British SAS and part of Captain Price's Bravo Team. Players assume the role of Soap in Modern Warfare as well as others. He is present as an NPC in Modern Warfare 2 except the last three levels of the game, where the player retakes his role. He is voiced by the Scottish actor Kevin McKidd.

Modern Warfare
Soap begins his SAS career hours before the six-day global war begins. Initially, Soap started out as a sergeant, unusual in that newcomers to the SAS are usually demoted to trooper (however they still retain their rank and the level of pay they previously received; the rank of trooper is only given to show that all the new recruits are equal), fresh out of Selection.

Whilst in the SAS's training camp in Credenhill, Soap received a quick training session in weapons and techniques by a fellow SAS member Gaz, before being introduced to Captain Price and the rest of Bravo Team. He is referred to as "the F.N.G." by Gaz. After passing the C.Q.B. test (intended to be reminiscent of the real SAS "Killing Houses"), Soap is briefed on the mission to infiltrate and assault a suspicious cargo ship in the Bering Strait. On board the ship, they discover a nuclear device bound for Russia, though enemy MiGs interrupt their investigations by sinking the ship. In the process of escaping the doomed vessel, Soap was forced to leap for the ramp of the team's helicopter just as it was beginning to fly away. However, he lost his grip, and mere seconds before he was bound to fall off the vehicle, was rescued by Captain Price.

Upon completing the mission, Soap, Price, and Gaz travel to the Caucasus Mountains in Russia to extract the compromised informant who supplied them with the intelligence for the cargo ship mission, a man codenamed "Nikolai". Working in close conjunction with Russian government loyalists led by Sergeant Kamarov, they successfully locate and extract Nikolai from the battle zone, though their helicopter is shot down by an Ultranationalist SAM. Bravo Team, Nikolai and another SAS operator are forced to fight their way through enemy lines on foot, before being provided with heavy air support from an AC-130H Spectre gunship call-signed "Warhammer", which enables their extraction by helicopters.

Soap's next mission with Bravo Team would take him to Azerbaijan, clearing through an abandoned village in search of the Arab warlord Khaled Al-Asad. Upon locating him, Soap witnessed Al-Asad's interrogation and execution at the hands of Captain Price, learning that the Russian Ultranationalist leader Imran Zakhaev had been Al-Asad's weapons supplier. The next day, it appears Soap was designated the team's support man, being equipped with both an M249 and M21 sniper rifle. He was placed in charge of covering the team's retreat with the Minigun from a downed Black Hawk (destroying several Ultranationalist helicopters in the process) and detonating the explosive charges placed at Phase Line Bravo. Afterwards, he was the point man when the squad had to backtrack to the lower part of the village due to heavy coverage of anti-aircraft weapons in the vicinity. Following this, Soap and the rest of Bravo Team were extracted by US Marines led by Staff Sergeant Griggs.

Soap's final mission in the Russian civil war saw him infiltrating Russia as part of the joint taskforce of US Marines and SAS operators in order to eliminate Imran Zakhaev's nuclear capability. After grouping with US forces, Soap and his allies proceeded to enter a Ultranationalist outpost and secure it, as part of plan to capture Zakhaev's son, Victor Zakhaev. The following day, a convoy arrives in the outpost, led by Victor himself. Bravo Team, disguised as Russian guards, allow Victor to enter the facility, though quickly reveal their true intentions and attack his forces. During the battle that followed, Soap and Griggs provided sniper support for the rest of the team from a high tower. However, Victor Zakhaev rams his jeep into one of the legs of the tower, sending it tumbling to the ground, providing the perfect distraction to get away. Stunned, Soap was unable to take down Victor before he could get away. After chasing him through a small village, and a five story building, Soap and the rest of the team corner Victor. Unwilling to betray his father's secrets, Victor committed suicide before Soap could take away his weapon.

Angered at his son's death, Zakhaev threatened to launch nuclear missiles at the East Coast of America if US and British forces did not withdraw from Russia. In order to handicap Zakhaev's nuclear threat, Soap, Price, Gaz, Griggs, and several other SAS members parachuted into the Altay Mountains in order to reach his launch facility. However, their mission was delayed by Griggs' separation and subsequent capture. After eventually locating and recovering him, Soap planted a set of C4 on a power tower, destroying the electricity supply to the facility. Following this, the team regrouped with US sniping forces before witnessing a double nuclear missile launch at Zakhaev's hands. Entering the facility, the team furiously fought against time to reach the launch control center, and eventually deactivated the missiles. However, the team was unable to prevent Zakhaev's escape, and he managed to depart the facility before anything could be done.

The group then attempted to escape, with Soap provided all-around covering fire for their jeep as they made their way to the extraction site. However, Zakhaev's Mi-24 Hind damaged the bridge, forcing Soap and his companions to fight their way on foot. Fighting fiercely at the bridge in a massive penultimate battle, Soap was thrown to the ground and severely injured by an exploding oil truck. He was pulled into cover by Sgt. Griggs, moments before Griggs himself was killed. He then watched helplessly as Imran Zakhaev and his bodyguards executed Gaz and two other SAS operatives. Just as all hope seemed lost, a Loyalist Mi-28 arrived and destroyed the Hind, forcing Zakhaev and his henchmen to turn away from Soap in return fire. A heavily wounded Price slid Soap his M1911 pistol, which Soap used to kill Zakhaev and his two bodyguards.

Moments later, Loyalist forces fast-roped down and flooded the scene with Kamarov coming to Soap's aid, placing him onto a stretcher, assuring him that he will be all right. Soap passed out during the middle of extraction, though survived his wounds alongside Price.

Modern Warfare 2
During the next five years after the events of the civil war, MacTavish was rising in the SAS, taking part in an unknown number of operations throughout the world. It was during these five years MacTavish would be promoted to Lieutenant and eventually promoted to the rank of Captain, and was also recruited into the elite Task Force 141, composed of only the best and most experienced special operations soldiers. By 2016, MacTavish had become the taskforce's field commander, leading the 141's operations with Lt. Simon "Ghost" Riley and Sgt. Gary "Roach" Sanderson under his command. MacTavish evidently did not reveal his SAS nickname to any of the members. He participated in Operation Kingfish, one of TF 141's first missions as Price's second-in-command. Soap was wounded while extracting from the area, while Price held off Makarov's troops alone, leading to his capture. Sheperd reveals to him at this point that "Kingfish" is Makarov. He was promoted after this mission to captain and made TF 141's Field Commander

In 2016 the Russians get their hands on a downed US satellite, MacTavish and Sanderson are sent to infiltrate a Russian airbase within the Tian Shan mountain range in Kazakhstan to recover the ACS module contained within it. After scaling the mountain and sneaking through base, the two recover the module inside a hangar. However, they are quickly compromised by Major Petrov and his forces. In a daring escape, Roach and MacTavish fight their way out of the base and commandeer snowmobiles, leading to a thrilling chase down the mountainside to the awaiting evacuation team.

Shortly after the mission in Kazakhstan, MacTavish led Task Force 141 into Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to capture Rojas, an arms dealer who had supplied the Russian terrorist Vladimir Makarov with his weapons during his massacre in Zakhaev International Airport. While Soap and Ghost interrogated Rojas' right-hand man, Roach and two other task force members (Royce and Meat) went into the favela in search of Rojas. The two are killed in the fighting, leaving Roach to tackle the favela alone. After fighting his way through, Roach eventually links up with MacTavish and Ghost, who have just captured Rojas. However, the only thing they managed to get out of Rojas is that Makarov has a strong hatred for "Prisoner 627", who is incarcerated in a Russian gulag.

Due to the surprise invasion of the United States by Russian forces, the airspace around Brazil is locked down, leaving the 141 stranded in the middle of enemy territory. In order to escape, MacTavish calls in Nikolai, whom he had saved during the events of the Second Russian Civil War. Surrounded by militia, the Task Force fights its way to a market, where Nikolai was supposed to pick them up in a helicopter. However, due to the fire from the militia he is forced to the secondary extraction point. During the escape, Roach is nearly left behind when he falls off a rooftop. However, he makes his way back to the top, militia in tow, and makes it aboard the helicopter.

Shortly after the extraction, the Navy SEALs and Task Force 141 initiated a two-stage operation; the first stage being to secure a modified oil platform in order to disable SAM sites on the platform, and the second phase to infiltrate the gulag itself. After infiltrating the prison, MacTavish led his troops through the Russian gulag, and eventually reach Prisoner 627, who turns out to be Captain Price. Although Price is at first hostile towards Roach (thinking that he was one of the Russians), he rejoins after recognizing MacTavish, and the squad manages to extract (via SPIE rig) from the gulag before it was blown up. During this time, MacTavish returns Price his M1911 pistol that was used to kill Imran Zakhaev five years ago.

Task Force 141 then headed into Petropavlovsk, Russia, seemingly on a mission to destroy a nuclear submarine. During the course of the mission, Roach facilitated Price's infiltration inside a submarine by providing Predator drone support. However, in a sudden twist of events, Price used the submarine to launch a nuclear missile, using it as an EMP to incapacitate the Russian's attack on America.

After the events of the nuclear launch, Task Force 141 was split up to investigate two locations, with Price and Soap investigating an arms deal in Afghanistan, while Ghost and Roach and the bulk of the task force investigate one of Makarov's safehouses in Russia. Price and MacTavish are attacked by Shepherd's men and attempt to warn Ghost and Roach, only to realize that Shepard had already assassinated them. Soap and Price manage to escape the arms deal with the help of Nikolai while getting some intelligence from Makarov, focusing on killing Shepherd.

The two then pursue Shepherd through Afghanistan, fighting through his Shadow Company and into Site Hotel Bravo. They then prevent Shepherd's escape by shooting down the general's Pave Low where they eventually corner him and attempt to kill him. However, as MacTavish attempts to stab Shepherd, the latter disarms Soap, slams his head into a broken down car (thus knocking him to the ground) and stabs Soap in the chest with the knife. Before Shepherd can execute Soap with his .44 Magnum, Price tackles Shepherd, causing him to drop the gun. As Soap crawls towards the gun, Shepherd manages to push Price away from him, kicking the gun away and stomping Soap's head. Price and Shepherd then engage in a long, brutal fistfight that Soap can see as he drifts in and out of consciousness, with Shepherd eventually gaining the upper hand. However Soap, now awake, manages to pull out the knife from his chest, and throws it into Shepherd's left eye, killing the traitorous general. Price, who had been beaten unconscious, awakens moments later, pushing Shepherd´s body off of him. Seeing Soap's mangled state, Price then comes to his aid and the two are evacuated by Nikolai, who arrives in a MH-6 Little Bird, even though told by Price that it was "a one-way trip". During the course of Shepherd's betrayal, Soap and Price were labeled as international fugitives, and were on the run following their victory over Shepherd.

Modern Warfare 3
In Modern Warfare 3, Soap is an unplayable character, although the introduction sequence is seen from his point of view. The game begins hours after the events of MW2, with a critically wounded Soap being evacuated to Nikolai's safehouse in India. After experiencing extreme trauma, Soap flatlines, but is quickly revived. Nikolai's ex-Spetsnaz ally Yuri later gives Soap a shot of adrenaline to keep his heart going, before helping evacuate the safehouse. Two months later, when he heals up enough to be combat-effective, Soap assists Price, Yuri, and Nikolai throughout the hunt for Makarov, beginning with pursuing a lead in Sierra Leone. The group traces the lead to Somalia, where Price interrogates and kills a warlord named Waraabe, who was distributing chemical weapons to Makarov.

In Prague, Soap helps set up an assassination attempt of Makarov, with support from Loyalist Kamarov. However the plan goes awry when Kamarov is captured, killed, and wired with explosives. Makarov detonates the explosives on Kamarov and nearly taking Price in the explosion. He also detonates concealed explosives in Soap and Yuri's location—but not before saying, "Yuri, my friend. You never should have come here." Soap pushes Yuri out of the 'window' where he falls onto scaffolding then falls to the ground,dazed; however, Soap is partially crushed by debris, reopening his stab wound. When the three regroup on the ground, Makarov's ground forces are already moving in and firing upon them. Price and Yuri eventually manage to drag Soap to safety, but by then his condition has deteriorated and his wounds become fatal. In his final moments, Soap tells Price: "You need to know: Makarov...knows...Yuri." He then dies, and Price symbolically places his M1911 pistol (the same pistol Soap used to kill Zakhaev and then returned to Price upon his breakout) on MacTavish's chest, saying, "I'm sorry." His death is the final straw for Price's motivation to kill Makarov, even after the end of World War III. So afterwards, two tanks come in and break in. The Resistance Leader says: "Price! Over here!" Then Price tells Yuri to open a door. When Yuri does, Price punches him. He says: "Soap trusted you. I thought I could too." So Price asks him questions of how Makarov knows him. Yuri tells his story, and the mission is over.