John "Soap" MacTavish (Original)

"Right...what the hell kind of name is "Soap", eh? How'd a muppet like you pass selection?"

- Captain Price

Of Scottish background, Sergeant "Soap" MacTavish is one of the main characters in the game, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and is to be featured in Modern Warfare 2 as a Captain. He plays a major role during the Ultranationalist crisis, a newcomer to the British SAS and part of Captain Price's Bravo Team. Soap is one of the characters the player will assume the role of, and is the primary protagonist.



Biography
"Soap" begins his SAS Career hours before the six-day global conflict begins. He starts out as a Sergeant, unusual in that newcomers to the SAS are demoted to Trooper so that they must learn from the ground up. He is given a quick training session in weapons and techniques by Gaz, before being introduced to Captain Price and the rest of Bravo Team. Passing the Close-Quarter-Battle test (intended to be reminiscent of the real SAS "Killing Houses") he is placed on the team and briefed on the mission, to infiltrate and assault a Cargo Ship in the Bering Strait. On board the ship, they discover a nuclear bomb bound for Russia, though enemy MiGs interrupt their investigations, and Soap is just lucky enough to escape with his life, being forced to leap for the ramp of their helicopter just as it begins flying away which causes him to lose his grip just to be rescued at the last second by Price.

Upon completing the mission, Soap, Captain Price and Gaz move into Russia to extract the informant who supplied them with the intelligence for the Cargoship, a man codenamed Nikolai. Working in close conjunction with Russian Government Loyalists led by Sergeant Kamarov, they successfully extract Nikolai, though their helicopter is shot down by Ultranationalist anti-aircraft missile fire. Bravo Team, Nikolai and another SAS Operator are forced to fight their way through enemy lines, before being provided with support from an AC-130 Spectre Gunship, callsigned "Wildfire". They are extracted by helicopter under cover of heavy air support from Wildfire.

Soap's next mission would take him to Azerbaijan, with Bravo Team. Clearing through an abandoned village, Soap was witness to Khaled Al-Asad's execution by Captain Price. 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 Lines Bravo and Alpha.

MacTavish's final mission (that we know of) saw him infiltrating Russia as part of the joint task force of US Marines and SAS Operators in order to eliminate Imran Zakhaev's nuclear capability. He was in charge of destroying the electricity supply to the facility, and then, during the escape, provided all-around covering fire for their jeep as they made their way to the extraction site. Fighting fiercely at the bridge during the penultimate battle, he was thrown to the floor and severely injured by an exploding tanker. He was pulled into cover by SSgt. Griggs, moments before Griggs was killed, and was then witness to Gaz' execution at the hands of Imran Zakhaev. A heavily wounded Captain Price slid Soap his M1911 pistol, and Soap personally killed Imran Zakhaev and two of his bodyguards. Soap whites out as he is being extracted by helicopter. His fate initially remains unknown, however, it is revealed that he survives.

After those events, Soap is eventually promoted to Captain. Now a grizzled veteran, he is called to be part of the Task Force 141, as a new crisis strikes Russia.

Epilogue
After the end credits, the level Mile High Club loads where an unspecified SAS operative and his team (also known as the One-One Team) are storming a large jetliner attempting to rescue a hostage under a difficulty dependent time limit. The event takes place outside of the previous storyline and no briefing is given making it nothing more than an Easter Egg. The introductory monologue makes a reference to the film "Airplane!", and it has become something of a fan favorite.

Trivia

 * "SAS Soap" is a medical cleaner comprising of "Salicylic acid and Sulfur". It's used to get rid of bacteria and fungus on skin complaints.
 * June's edition of Game Informer revealed that Soap will return in Modern Warfare 2 as a non-playable character. He will be a Captain.
 * Soap has the most impressive kill count of all the playable characters in Call of Duty, taking down multiple helicopters,at least four tanks and countless ultra-nationalists in the span of six days.
 * *Soap is the second playable character to be involved in a sequel although in Modern warfare 2 he is returned as an NPC, the first returning character was James Doyle but as a full playable character.
 * In Call of Duty 4, his face was never been revealed nor heard speaking, not until Modern Warfare 2 was revealed, his appearance looks like in his mid 20's or 30's, with a 5 o'clock shadow, although this is what he might been look like originally or he could've been aged after the previous game. Since he is born with a Scottish background, it is possible that his accent is likely to be Scottish which means his voice could be the same as Captain MacMillan
 * Soap looks surprisingly similar to Chuck Norris. It is quite possible that he is Chuck Norris in disguise, being able to take down multiple helicopters, at least four tanks and countless ultra-nationalists in the span of six days.

Fate
After receiving wounds during his escape in Game Over, and having lost most- if not all -of his team in combat shortly before the level ended, it was often argued amongst players whether or not Soap survived the war, or died at the end of it.

It wasn't until information about Modern Warfare 2 was released that it was certain that he survived.