John Price (Original)

"The healthy human mind doesn't wake up in the morning thinking this is it's last day on earth. But I think that's a luxury, not a curse. Knowing 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 leaving the vocal record of their truth. "Right...what the hell kind of name is "Soap", eh? How'd a muppet like you pass selection?"

- Captain Price's first words to John "Soap" MacTavish "This is for the record. History is written by the victor. History is filled with liars. If he lives, and we die, his truth becomes written - and ours is lost. Shepherd will be a hero. 'Cause all you need to change the world is one good lie and a river of blood. He's about to complete the greatest trick a liar ever played on history. His truth will be the truth. But only if he lives, and we die."

- Captain Price's speech in the intro to Endgame "There's a simplicity of war. Attacking is the only secret. Dare, and the world yields. How quickly they forget that all it takes to change the course of history – is the will of a single man."

- Price, at the beginning of "Dust to Dust". "You have to trust someone to be betrayed. I never did."

- Captain Price after Shepherd's betrayal. Captain John Price, callsign Bravo Six, is a British special forces soldier and a main protagonist along with John "Soap" MacTavish featured in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and a member of the British SAS. He often carries a modified M4A1 and wears a boonie hat during field operations. In Modern Warfare 2 (set five years after the first game), Price was incarcerated in a Russian gulag. He is later rescued and becomes a field commander of Task Force 141. Following the unit's disbanding and the death of its treacherous leader, General Shepherd, Price and longtime ally John "Soap" MacTavish enacted a personal vendetta to end the mastermind of World War III, Vladimir Makarov.

Attempted Assassination of Imran Zakhaev
"I was just a "Leftenant" back then...doing some wetwork. Chernobyl. for the badguys. Even a decade later, a lot of 'em still used it to get their hands on nuclear material...including one Imran Zakhaev. Of course, we couldn't just let that happen. Cash for spent fuel rods? That's one hell of a recipe for destruction. It was the first time our government had authorized an assassination order since the Second World War. I was under the command of Captain MacMillan."

- Price explaining the story of Zakhaev's attempted murder.

In 1996, fifteen years prior to the events of Modern Warfare, Price held the rank of Lieutenant in the 22nd SAS Regiment, and was under the command of Captain MacMillan. The two were deployed to Pripyat, Ukraine on a covert operation to assassinate arms dealer Imran Zakhaev. While Price initially believed he had killed Zakhaev with an M82 Sniper Rifle, Zakhaev actually survived, but lost 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.



SAS Captain
"What the hell kind of name is "Soap", eh? How'd a muppet like you pass selection?"

- Captain Price's first words to John "Soap" MacTavish

In the events of Modern Warfare, 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. "Soap" MacTavish, as well as others such as Mac, Arem, Barton, Wallcroft and 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, and 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."

- Price to Gaz before rescuing Nikolai.

Their next mission takes them to Russia, where they work with Sgt. Kamarov's loyalists to rescue their compromised informant Nikolai. Kamarov kept 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 and Soap then storm the house Nikolai is held hostage in. Inside, when the power is cut by Gaz, they kill Ultranationalists Viktor and Sasha, and three others before they get Nikolai.

Shot Down
"Let's top the bastards before they kill the old man."

- Price before saving the farmer.

They extract Nikolai on a chopper, only to get shot down. They fight their way to the extraction point. Along the way they save the life of an Old Farmer. They then make their way to the evacuation helicopters with the help of an AC-130H Spectre.

Search for Al-Asad
After receiving some valuable intel from Nikolai, Price leads the team to Azerbaijan to capture Khaled Al-Asad after he set off a nuclear device concealed in his capital city, killing thousands of marines. The team fights their way through his defenses and captures Al-Asad inside his safehouse, where Price tortures him for info. Price then 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. The team is then extracted by a unit of Force Recon Marines led by SSgt. Griggs.

Victor 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, Marines, Loyalists) in capturing Victor Zakhaev. This mission takes them through an abandoned city in Russia and through a 5 story building. Price orders Soap to take Zakhaev's weapon and restrain him. The mission fails when Victor 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.

Victor's death deeply affects Imran Zakhaev who threatens to launch missiles at the United States, but Imran still launches them. The SAS and Marines then fight through the facility, deactivating the nukes.

Chased by Imran Zakhaev
After deactivating the Nukes, Price, Gaz, Griggs and Soap are chased on a highway in trucks, but an enemy Hind takes out the bridge. A tanker truck blows up, badly wounding Price and the others. Griggs and Gaz are killed but Price managed to slide his M1911 to MacTavish, who kills Zakhaev and his bodyguards when they are distracted by the arrival of a Loyalist helicopter gunship. Afterwards, a Russian medic can be seen trying, seemingly in vain, to revive Price, but Soap and Price 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.

Reassigned to Task Force 141 and Operation Kingfish
Sometime after healing from their wounds sustained from the Zakhaev incident, both Price and MacTavish 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 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, Simon 'Ghost' Riley and Delta Force operative Sandman.

The Gulag and Hunting Down Makarov
Sometime later, Price was captured by Makarov's men and imprisoned in a Gulag east of Petrovpavlosk, Russia, and was designated "Prisoner 627". Price would remain imprisoned in the Gulag until 2016, where he was rescued by Task Force 141 when they attacked the site to recover him. Initially, after being discovered, Price 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 Task Force 141's mission briefings.

Missile in the Air
"I've found Roach. He appears to be intact."

- Price to Soap upon finding Gary Sanderson.

After he was reinstated, Price agrees to help the Task Force in the attempt to kill Vladimir Makarov. However, against the wishes of General Shephard, who insists that Makarov be their top priority, Price decides 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 missile towards the United States with the purpose of using an electromagnetic pulse on Washington D.C. The missile launch saves the lives of Sergeant Foley, Corporal Dunn, Private Ramirez and many other U.S. Army Rangers during the Battle of Washington D.C.

Betrayal by Shepherd
"Do not trust Shepherd! I say again, do not trust Shepherd!"

- Price's (late) warning to Ghost of Shepherd's betrayal.

Price later investigates an arms deal in Afghanistan with Soap, only to be attacked by Shepherd's men. Price attempts to warn Ghost and Roach about Shepherd, only to figure out that Shepherd had killed them. Intent on revenge, Price asks Makarov for intel on Shepherd's location, on the premise that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend". 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 if you get there first." Price and Soap then evacuate the graveyard with Nikolai's help.

Revenge on Shepherd
The two in the face of Sheperd's betrayal decide to avenge Roach, Ghost, The Task Force and themselves. They head to Site Hotel Bravo, and find themselves fighting Shadow Company. They stealthily infiltrate and then fight their way through the facility. After Shepherd discovers their presence, he orders a danger close airstrike on the base, intending to kill them at the cost of his own men. Soap and Price survive and pursue Shepherd on a Zodiac through a river.

Killing Shepherd
Price eventually shoots down Shepherd's Pave Low, but the Zodiac he and MacTavish are on falls down a waterfall. MacTavish is separated from Price and attempts to kill Shepherd with his knife, only for Shepherd to counter the attack and stab MacTavish with his own knife. Just as Shepherd is about to kill MacTavish, Price tackles Shepherd, engaging him in a lengthy hand-to-hand fight. Price is overpowered by Shepherd and close to being beaten to death, but is saved when MacTavish pulls the knife out of his chest and throws it at Shepherd's 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
Shortly after his victory over Shepherd, Soap's recent wounds had him slowly dying on the trip to Nikolai's safehouse in India. To make matters worse, a large group of Makarov's men assaulted the safehouse in an attempt to kill the remnants of Task Force 141. Soap's survival would not have happened 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.



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 Paris, Berlin, and London. 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 assisting Price in interrogating him on intel about Makarov. The intelligence facilitates Team Metal's apprehension of Makarov's bomb-maker, Volk, during the Ultranationalist attack on Paris and Berlin.

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. With aid from Kamarov, Price, Soap, and Yuri use the distraction of the local 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 escorted the two. Price vainly attempts to prevent Soap's bleeding while screaming for a medic, only to learn from his squad mate that Makarov knew Yuri before dying. Enraged and feeling betrayed, Price threatens to execute Yuri. He relents when he learns of Yuri's former role with the Ultranationalists, and how he'd attempted to stop the massacre at Zakhaev International Airport two months before. Price barely keeps the alliance with Yuri, even begrudging Yuri during their infiltration of Karlstein Castle.

Ending the War
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, in Berlin. 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 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 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 his search for Makarov and vows to clear 141's good name, tainted due to Shepherd's action several months before. Vorshevsky later ordered all offensive against Europe to be halted and revived the peace talk between Russia and NATO countries. Price and Yuri's action 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 Prague.

Killing Makarov
As the end of the war, Task Force 141 has finally cleared it's 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, and Team Metal's demise in Siberia. After months of gathering information on his whereabouts, Makarov was finally discovered, seeking refuge at 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 is later destroyed when they are traveling up to the top floor via 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 by 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 catch on Makarov's ride, In which Price manages to kill the pilots but he also destroys the chopper's configuration, and so, leading to a crash. 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 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 mercilessly. Angered 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 two falling. Price falls onto the atrium floor just below and survives; Makarov is left hanging from the ceiling in the manner of medieval executions. Satisfied to see his, and the world's nightmare finally over, Price lights a cigar while watching Makarov's lifeless corpse hang, sirens are then heard as the police seem to arrive at the scene.

Gallery

 * See John Price/Gallery.

Quotes

 * See John Price/Quotes.

Videos
Video:Endgame speach rpice|Captain Price's speech during the intro to Endgame. Video:Just Like Old Times Speech Price|Captain Price's speech during the cut scene in Just Like Old Times.