Captain Price

Overview

Captain John Price, callsign Bravo Six, is a British special forces sniper and the main protagonist of the Modern Warfare franchise (Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare/Modern Warfare Remastered, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2/Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3). He is also a main character appearing in Call of Duty Online and Call of Duty: Heroes. He is a member of the British SAS and often wears a boonie hat during field operations.

A DLC named “Cpt. Price Legend Pack” for Call of Duty: Ghosts was released on February 20, 2014 (Xbox 360, Xbox One) and March 25, 2014 (PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PC), which includes the ability for the player to customize their soldier to look like Price, as well as a John Price-themed player patch, camouflage, reticle, player card, and background. The pack is priced at $3.99.

Price became available in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 on July 11th, 2019 on PlayStation 4 and on July 18th on Xbox One and PC as a playable character in Blackout for players who preordered Modern Warfare.

History

In 1996, 15 years prior to the events of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Price held the rank of Lieutenant and served as a designated sharpshooter in the 22nd SAS Regiment, under the command of Captain MacMillan. The two were deployed to Pripyat, Ukraine on a covert operation to assassinate arms dealer Imran Zakhaev (and, in Modern Warfare Remastered, Vladimir Makarov as the car he’s in has been brought into shooting range; the game treats Yuri, in the same car’s backseat, as friendly). While Price initially believed he had killed Zakhaev with an 50. caliber sniper rifle, Zakhaev survived, despite losing his left arm. The duo were then swarmed by Zakhaev’s forces, and in the ensuing firefight, MacMillan was crippled by a falling Mi-28 helicopter. Price carried MacMillan to the extraction point, where they were rescued after holding their ground against Ultranationalists.

In the events of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered, Price held the rank of Captain and led a SAS squad, designated “Bravo Team”, from the Bering Strait, to Russia, to Azerbaijan and finally back to Russia. Under his command throughout the events were Gaz and then Sgt. John “Soap” MacTavish, as well as others such as Mac, Sergeant Arem, Sergeant Barton, Sergeant Wallcroft and then Private Griffen.

Bering Strait

“The package is aboard a medium freighter. Estonian registration number 52775. There is a small crew and security detail onboard.“

— Price briefing the troops before the mission.

After meeting MacTavish, Bravo Team is deployed to the Bering Strait and assaults an Estonian cargo ship containing a nuclear device. Price is puzzled to see that there is Arabic writing on the container, along with a Middle-Eastern flag draped on the floor. As he signals the chopper for extraction of the container, the boat is fired upon by MiG-29 fighters. They are then forced to escape to the helicopter as the boat starts to sink. As they reach the helicopter and jump for safety, Soap almost slips off, but Price grabs him just in time, saving him from falling to his death.

Rescuing Codename “Nikolai”

“Nikolai’s in hell right now, we’re gonna walk him out. We take care of our friends. Let’s move.“

— Price to Gaz before rescuing Nikolai.

The next mission takes them to Russia, where they work with Sgt. Kamarov’s Loyalists to rescue their compromised informant, Nikolai. Kamarov keeps delaying the SAS team with the hope that their assistance would help him retake the village from the Ultranationalists, but acquiesces and reveals the informant’s location when threatened by Gaz. Price, Gaz, and Soap then storm the house where Nikolai is held hostage. Once inside, Gaz cuts the power, plunging the house into darkness and the team kill Ultranationalists Viktor and Sasha, and three others before they get Nikolai.

Shot Down

“All right. Let’s top these bastards before they kill the old man.“

— Price before saving the farmer.

Price, along with Soap and Gaz, then extract Nikolai on a chopper, but the chopper is shot down by an enemy surface-to-air missile and they are forced fight their way to the extraction point with the aid of an AC-130H Spectre, codename “Wildfire”. Along the way they save the life of an old farmer.

Search for Al-Asad

“Why’d you do it? Where did you get the bomb?“

— Price interrogating Al-Asad.MENU0:00

After receiving valuable intel from Nikolai, Price leads the team to Azerbaijan to capture Khaled Al-Asad after he sets off a nuclear device concealed in his capital city, killing tens of thousands of U.S. Marines. The team fights their way through Al-Asad’s defenses and eventually capture him inside his safehouse, where Price tortures him for intel. Price learns that Imran Zakhaev is still alive and executes Al-Asad. Price tells the rest of the team about his past mission to assassinate Zakhaev. During the escape attempt eight hours later, the team is then extracted by a unit of Force Recon Marines led by SSgt. Griggs.

Viktor Zakhaev

“Zakhaev’s son, commander of the Ultranationalist forces in the field. Rotten apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. The Loyalist, Kamarov, has got a location on the kid.“

— Price telling Griggs of his plan.

After escaping the Ultranationalists, Price leads a joint-task force (SAS, U.S. Marines, and Loyalists) in capturing Viktor Zakhaev. This mission takes them through an abandoned Russian village, ending at a five-story building. Price orders Soap to “take his (Zakhaev’s) weapon and restrain him.” The mission fails when Viktor Zakhaev commits suicide before Soap can comply.

15,000 Nukes at Stake

“They’ve started a bloody countdown! Zakhaev’s gonna launch the remaining missiles!“

— Price to his team.

Viktor’s death deeply affects Imran Zakhaev, who threatens to launch missiles at the United States. In the end, he still launches them anyway. The SAS and Marines then fight through the facility, deactivating the nukes. During the events of No Fighting In The War Room, the joint task force breaches the facility, eventually reaching the control center. Soap then uploads the missile abort codes and self-destructs the nukes over the Atlantic, saving the U.S. Eastern Seaboard from nuclear annihilation. Zakhaev is last seen departing the facility in an Ultranationalist helicopter.

Chased by Imran Zakhaev

“Well at least the world didn’t end. Hit it.“

— SSgt. Griggs

After deactivating the missiles, Price, Soap, Gaz and Griggs are chased on a highway in trucks, but an enemy Hind helicopter destroys a bridge, stopping their escape. A tanker truck blows up, badly wounding Price and the others. Griggs and Gaz are both killed but Price manages to slide his M1911 over to Soap, who kills Zakhaev and his bodyguards when they are distracted by the arrival of a Loyalist helicopter gunship that destroys the Hind. Afterwards, a Russian medic can be seen trying, seemingly in vain, to revive Price. He and Soap are taken to a Russian hospital. Despite the best efforts of the combined U.S. and British strike team, the Ultranationalists managed to withstand the loss of Zakhaev and eventually succeed in gaining power in Russia in 2016.

Reassigned to Task Force 141 and Operation Kingfish

Sometime after recovering from their wounds sustained in the Zakhaev incident, both Price and Soap were reassigned to General Shepherd’s newly formed elite unit, Task Force 141. Acting as the field commander for the regiment, Price led his new unit on countless covert operations with the key goal of capturing/killing Vladimir Makarov, who by that time had established himself as the new leader of a terrorist cell of the Ultranationalist party in the wake of Zakhaev’s death.

On October 8, 2013, Price led a joint Task Force 141/Delta Force operation codenamed Operation Kingfish to raid an Ultranationalist base in Ukraine suspected to house Makarov. Price conducted the raid along with Soap, Lieutenant Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley, Sergeant Gary “Roach” Sanderson, and Delta Force operatives Sergeant Derek “Frost” Westbrook and Master Sergeant Sandman. However, the raid went awry and the strike force was overwhelmed by dozens of Ultranationalist soldiers. The team escaped via a V-22 Osprey, with the exception of Price, who was captured while covering the team’s escape. This then led to The Gulag, where Price was known as Prisoner #627.

3 Years Later

After capture, Price was imprisoned in a Gulag to the east of Petrovpavlosk, Russia, and was designated “Prisoner 627”. Price would remain imprisoned in the Gulag until 2016, when he was rescued by Task Force 141 when they attacked the site to recover him. Upon being discovered, Price mistakenly attacked Sgt. Gary “Roach” Sanderson, a fellow member of the 141, and aimed an AK-47 at him, but after recognizing Captain MacTavish, he relents and joins the unit and MacTavish returns the M1911 pistol used to kill Zakhaev in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (when Soap returns the pistol, he says “This belongs to you, sir”, a reference to the first Modern Warfare). After his rescue from the gulag, Price is reinstated into the Task Force and reprises his role as a Captain, being present in the Task Force 141’s mission briefings.

“Missile in the Air!”

“Roger that Soap. I’ve found Roach. He appears to be intact.“

— Price to Soap upon finding Gary Sanderson.

After reinstatement, Price agrees to help the Task Force in the attempt to kill Vladimir Makarov. However, Price decides, against the wishes of General Shepherd, who insisted that Makarov be their top priority, that the war still raging in the United States needs to end before they focus on Makarov. He acts as a specialist in a raid on a Russian naval base, seemingly to destroy a submarine, only to launch a nuclear missile towards the United States with the purpose of using an electromagnetic pulse on the Eastern Coast of the United States. The missile launch saves the lives of Sergeant Foley, Corporal Dunn, Private Ramirez, and countless other U.S. Army Rangers but also destroys all electrical equipment during the Battle of Washington D.C.

Betrayal by Shepherd

“Do NOT trust Shepherd- I say again, DO NOT TRUST SHEPHERD! Soap! GET DOWN!“

— Price’s warning to Ghost & Roach of Shepherd’s betrayal.

After the Contingency mission, Task Force 141 is directed to two places where Makarov could be hiding; a safehouse on the Georgian-Russian border and an arms deal at an aircraft boneyard in southwestern Afghanistan. The unit splits up; With Ghost, Roach, and the bulk of the task force taking the safehouse, while Price investigates the arms deal with Soap. However, both forces are attacked by Shepherd’s men. Price attempts to warn Ghost and Roach about Shepherd, but he is too late. Although Soap is shocked and angered, Price tells him that he never trusted Shepherd in the first place.

Intent on revenge, Price asks Makarov for intel on Shepherd’s location, on the premise that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” and that he will “do the rest”. Makarov grudgingly tells Price that Shepherd is using a secret mountain base in Afghanistan, designated “Site Hotel Bravo”. Makarov then says, “I’ll see you in hell.” Price replies “Looking forward to it. Give my regards to Zakhaev for me if you get there first.” Price and Soap, alongside their driver Rook then evacuate the boneyard with Nikolai’s help, though Rook is killed by Shadow Company forces.

Revenge on Shepherd

“The healthy human mind doesn’t wake up in the morning thinking this is its last day on earth. But I think that’s a luxury, not a curse. To know you’re close to the end is a kind of freedom. Good time to take… inventory. Outgunned. Outnumbered. Out of our minds. On a suicide mission. But the sand and rocks here stained with thousands of years of warfare… they will remember us. For this. Because out of all our vast array of nightmares this is the one we choose for ourselves. We go forward like a breath exhaled from the earth. With vigor in our hearts and one goal in sight: We. Will. Kill him.“

— Captain Price’s Speech

In the face of General Shepherd’s betrayal, the pair decide to avenge Roach, Ghost, the Task Force and themselves. They are dropped off at Site Hotel Bravo by Nikolai and stealthily infiltrate the base. They then battle Shadow Company forces through Site Hotel Bravo’s cave system. Shepherd self-destructs the entire base and then orders a Danger-Close artillery strike, intending to kill the duo at the cost of his own men. Soap and Price survive and pursue Shepherd on a Zodiac speedboat along a river.

Killing Shepherd

Shepherd eventually boards a Pave Low, but Price is able to shoot it down. However, the Zodiac he and Soap are on falls down a waterfall. Soap is separated from Price and attempts to kill Shepherd with his knife, only for Shepherd to counter the attack and stab Soap with his own knife. Just as Shepherd is about to execute Soap with his .44 Magnum, Price tackles Shepherd, engaging him in a lengthy hand-to-hand fight. Price is overpowered by Shepherd and is close to being beaten to death, but is saved when Soap pulls the knife out of his chest and throws it into Shepherd’s left eye, killing the treacherous general. Price wakes up and starts to patch up Soap’s injuries as much as he can. The two are then evacuated by Nikolai, who informs them of a potential hiding place. During the course of the betrayal, Task Force 141 is disavowed and Price and MacTavish are labeled as wanted war criminals.

Saving Soap

After killing Shepherd, Soap’s wounds nearly cause him to bleed to death on the trip to Nikolai’s safehouse in India. To make matters worse, a large group of Makarov’s men assault the safehouse in an attempt to kill the remnants of Task Force 141. Soap would not have survived had it not been for the actions of Price, Nikolai, and newfound ally Yuri. After escaping from the ruined safehouse and fighting through the streets of Himachal Pradesh, they are evacuated by Nikolai, once they’ve picked up Yuri who slides down a hill after a Ultranationalist UAV drone destroys a platform Yuri is running across.

Back on the Grid

“Makarov wouldn’t let this travel lightly if it didn’t serve a greater purpose, and chances are the bastard will be there personally to see things off. If he’s back on the grid…then so are we“

— Price, linking a weapons cache in Sierra Leone to Makarov.

2 months after Soap’s recovery, Price leads Soap and Yuri on missions in Sierra Leone and Somalia in pursuit of Makarov. When they land in Sierra Leone, the group follows up on Yuri’s suspicions about Makarov’s weapon shipments, and learn that the recent cargo Makarov’s men retrieved were chemical weapons being shipped to all national European capitals to be used as a preemptive strike against the continent in order to pave the way for the Russian Army’s invasion. Price covertly sends a transmission to London to warn his former commanding officer, MacMillan, about the chemical weapons, only for it to arrive too late. Shortly after the wave of chemical attacks, Price convinced MacMillan to aid him as a personal favor “for Pripyat”. The intelligence MacMillan gives the team leads them to a local warlord in Somalia named Waraabe, which leads to Soap and Yuri assisting Price in interrogating Warrabe on intel about Makarov. The intelligence facilitates the U.S. Army’s Delta Force Team Metal’s apprehension of Makarov’s bomb-maker, Volk, during the Ultranationalist attack on Europe.

Losing Soap

“Soap TRUSTED you. I thought I could too. So WHY, IN BLOODY HELL, DOES MAKAROV KNOW YOU?!“

— Price to Yuri after Soap’s dying revelation about Yuri’s connection to Makarov.

The acquired intelligence from Team Metal leads Price, Soap, and Yuri to Makarov’s location in Prague, Czech Republic. With aid from Kamarov, Price, Soap, and Yuri use the distraction of the local Czech Resistance to their advantage to reach their assigned spots at the Hotel Lustig. Price would infiltrate the Hotel Lustig while Soap and Yuri provide cover with their sniper rifles. However, Makarov caught wind of the assassination attempt and detonates the bombs planted on Kamarov and the church Soap and Yuri were occupying in. Price rushes over to Yuri and Soap, with Price personally carrying Soap to safety while Yuri provided cover fire. Price vainly attempts to prevent Soap’s bleeding while screaming for a medic but Soap succumbs to his wounds but reveals that Makarov knows Yuri before dying. Distraught Price screams in rage and despair before saying “I’m sorry” and leaves the pistol Soap had used to kill Zakhaev 5 years prior with his corpse before he and Yuri are forced to flee.

As they escape down some stairs Price, enraged and feeling betrayed, punches down Yuri down the stairs and points a gun at him demanding to know his relation to Makarov. Yuri confesses that he was a member of the Ultranationalists and Makarov’s second-in-command. They were also in Chernobyl when Price’s failed to assassinate Zakhaev and saved his life, and were rewarded for their efforts and climbed the ranks of the Ultranationalists together. They were also the ones who triggered the nuke that killed the 30,000 Marines five years ago, but this event caused Yuri to became disturbed by Makarov’s growing brutality and he became disheartened by the Ultranationalist cause. Finally just months ago Yuri tried to stop the massacre at Zakhaev International Airport by alerting the FSB to it but Makarov shot Yuri prior to the massacre and left him for dead, and was mistaken for an injured civilian by medics. After recovering he joined the Loyalists to get revenge on Makarov and atone for his mistakes.

Convinced of Yuri’s remorse, and realizing the domino effect his failure to kill Zakhaev caused, Price keeps his alliance with Yuri, even begrudging Yuri during their infiltration of Karlstejn Castle.

Ending the War

“We’re gonna have one shot to grab the President before he gives up the launch codes and Makarov turns Europe into glass. Once we get boots on the ground, it’s going to get lively down there.“

— Price to Sandman regarding their rescue mission in Siberia.

Yuri gives Price the location of a potential headquarters located in a fortress in Prague. However, during their infiltration, they instead find intelligence that Makarov’s men found Russian President Boris Vorshevsky’s daughter, Alena Vorshevsky, in Berlin, Germany. The pair relay the intelligence to Team Metal shortly after the base’s destruction. Despite Team Metal’s efforts, Alena was kidnapped and tracked to a diamond mine in Eastern Siberia, which was serving as one of Makarov’s main tactical bases. At this point, Price and Yuri conduct a joint operation with Team Metal in saving the Vorshevskys. They successfully rescued the Vorshevskys from their ordeal but the mine collapsed, killing Team Metal (Sandman, Truck and Grinch) and Makarov’s men with Yuri badly wounded during their escape. While escorting Vorshevsky back to Moscow, Price informed him about their plight and the real mastermind behind the massacre (aside from Makarov), with Yuri as the witness of that incident. Convinced with his explanation, Vorshevsky promised to assist in TF141’s search for Makarov and vows to clear their good name, tainted due to Shepherd’s actions several months before. Vorshevsky ordered all offensive action against Europe to be halted and revived the peace talks between the United States, Russia and NATO. Price and Yuri’s actions saved the peace process, which marked the end of World War III. As a reward for saving the Vorshevskys, Task Force 141 was no longer disavowed, allowing them to openly pursue Makarov once again. Price and Yuri managed to mend their friendship, after it had been strained due to Yuri’s revelations in a bar in Prague.

Killing Makarov

Makarov: “Who’s this?“

Price: “Prisoner 627. I’m coming for you, Makarov.“

Makarov: “Haven’t you heard, Price? They say the war is over.“

Price: “My war ends with you.“

— Price, conversing with Makarov at the beginning of “Dust to Dust”.

At the end of the war, Task Force 141 has finally cleared its name and Price’s rank has been recognized again (He is marked as “Captain Price” during the start of Dust to Dust). Despite this, Price never forgot his wish for revenge against Makarov. After all, Makarov was responsible for Soap’s death in Prague, Team Metal’s demise in Siberia and, alongside Shepherd, for starting the war above all else. After months of gathering information on his whereabouts, Makarov was finally discovered, seeking refuge at the Hotel Oasis in the Arabian Peninsula following the conclusion of the conflict. With assistance from Nikolai, Price and Yuri launch a massive assault towards the hotel, killing multiple mercenaries hired to protect their intended target.

They assault the hotel with Juggernaut armor, which they later remove after a crashing helicopter sets them on fire as they ascend in an elevator. Taking off the armor, Price and Yuri both reach the top floor in an alternate elevator, and fight through to the restaurant on the same floor. However, a Little Bird decimates the upper site of the hotel in an attempt to eliminate both men. As a result, both men are badly wounded, with Yuri impaled on a metal rod. At first, Price hesitated to pursue Makarov after witnessing Yuri’s condition, but the latter insists he’ll be alright and told Price to not let him get away.

Price continues his pursuit and managed to grab onto Makarov’s ride; in which Price managed to kill the pilots and also destroyed the chopper’s controls, and is forced to crash on the hotel roof. Price and Makarov, both shell-shocked from the impact, tried to reach a Desert Eagle on the roof, with Price successfully grabbing it, only for Makarov to stomp on his hand, seizing it from his grasp. His attempt to execute Price was immediately derailed when Yuri, freed from his impalement, shot his former friend in the left shoulder. Angered with his intervention, Makarov killed Yuri with two shots to the shoulders and one to the head. Infuriated by the loss of another friend, Yuri’s intervention gave Price the time he needed to furiously and mercilessly beat Makarov, tying a steel cable around Makarov’s neck into a noose. He then slammed Makarov into the glass roof, resulting in the glass shattering, and, consequently, the two falling. Price falls onto the atrium floor just below and survives; Makarov is left hanging from the ceiling. Having finally stopped Makarov’s reign of terror, Price lights one last cigar in victory while watching Makarov’s lifeless corpse hang. Sirens are then heard as the police seem to arrive at the scene.

Call of Duty: Mobile

Price appears in Call of Duty: Mobile, introduced initially during Season 1 update as part of “John Price Soldier Crate” and later in the Season 11 Anniversary returning in the Comics.

He first appears in The Club, where he meets the operators Ghost, Mara, “Tank” Dempsey and Soap together with Russell Adler. When Ghost admits that they have no way combat the Five Knights due to the EMP attack launched earlier and they have no way to locate Hidora Kai and Mace, Price introduces him to Adler, who says that they do have ways to combat the new threat. He then officially states the group is now a part of the United Anti-Terrorism Coalition, ending the introduction with “Ladies and gentlemen, we’re going dark.”

Adler and the rest of the team start to plan out their assault on Five Knights locations. When asked on how they would coordinate or even reach those locations, Adler presents the team with Swiss mechanical watches, which are unaffected by EMPs. Price also notes that Adler is not the only Cold War relic in operational state in the bunker, indicating an old helicopter. During all of this, a character named Templar is preparing himself, and he appears to have a personal grudge against the operators of the Coalition. The Coalition begins striking 3 key sites of the Five Knights simultaneously; Price and Soap lead an assault team on the Communication Centre, Mara and her team storm in at the Command Center in Alcatraz, while Ghost and Tank strike a production facility in Hackney Yard.

When Price and Soap attempt to exfil, Templar appears and grabs Soap by the neck, noting he is “glad” to see Captain Price again. Price and Soap devise a plan to take down Templar, but it fails and Templar wounds Soap with his knife and briefly enters a standoff with Price before escaping in a chopper. Price is forced to tend to the wounded Soap than to pursue Templar.

Later, Price, Ghost and Adler discuss the aftermath of their joint operation; Mace is in a Black Site facing interrogation, Templar and Hidora are in the wind, Soap is injured but will be battle ready within a few weeks. It is further revealed that Mara made it out alive, but was wounded badly and is in a coma. Ghost admits that they won the battle and takes an oath that he will “Win the War.”

Price is later seen again asking Soap for Ghost’s whereabouts when he was planning the next op and Ghost was nowhere to be found. Soap tells him that he hasn’t seen him. Adler comes to them saying that he knows where Ghost is, and he is “doing something stupid”. When Price asks what Adler has done, he replies that he told Ghost about the operation in Siberia.

Some time later, Price and Soap arrive at the Soviet base, remarking on Ghost’s rashness, and start searching the area. They soon find a folded paper on the bloodied ground, and as Price opens it, he finds Ghost’s dog tag.