Daniel Clarke

"Just because I accept the inevitability of my fate does not mean I'm in any hurry to embrace it!"

- Clarke in "Numbers"

Dr. Daniel Clarke (July 10, 1923 - February 9, 1968) was a British chemist in Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Biography
Daniel Clarke was born in Oxford, England. Dr. Clarke was a vocal communist during his years, but when the anti-communism sentiment arose in England during the McCarthyism era, he found himself exiled by his peers. Looking for new supporters and patrons he traveled to the Soviet Union in 1964, and subsequently worked under Dragovich's Nova project, where his expertise in biology and chemistry came to play, primarily to stabilize certain volatile components in the Nova-6 gas. Clarke never directly worked with Dragovich however, but knew once his work on the project was completed, Dragovich would terminate him to prevent any loose ends.

Clarke, however, escaped. Although he intended to seek refuge at his brother's place in Johannesburg, until his capture by Hudson and Weaver at Kowloon City, Clarke was on the run the whole time, primarily from Dragovich's men. But even when he was on the run, his research continued, as samples of Nova-6 stored in canisters were present in his make-shift lab in Hong Kong.

Although he revealed that Friedrich Steiner created Nova-6, as well as the base of operation in the Soviet Union, Clarke promised to reveal information on Nova-6 if Hudson and Weaver saved him from the Russians sent by Dragovich.

They fight their way out onto the rooftops through a storm, and they are about to escape when Clarke is shot in the head by a Spetsnaz sniper before he could finish telling Hudson and Weaver details pertaining to the "numbers". Hudson then dropped his body into the alley bellow and escaped with Weaver down the sides of the buildings into the alley. Hudson and Weaver shoot their way out and escape without all of the important information Clarke could have provided for them.

Trivia

 * Dr. Clarke is voiced by English actor Gary Oldman, who also lends his voice to Viktor Reznov in both Call of Duty: World at War and Call of Duty: Black Ops.
 * Clarke is the first person who the player actively tortures, as Hudson places glass in his mouth and punches him whilst Grigori Weaver holds him in place.
 * It's interesting to note that as well as sharing the same voice, Clarke and Reznov (after Vorkuta) look incredibly similar, more so their haircut and beard.
 * Clarke is described by Hudson/Weaver (whichever interrogator was speaking at the time) as a "narcissist" and a "degenerate prodigy," both of which could have led to his peers abandoning him and his affiliations with Project Nova.
 * Clarke is the only British character in Call of Duty: Black Ops with a speaking role other than the British commandos' regular battle dialog in Project Nova.
 * After Clarke dies, the player can still see his body when the player is on the rooftops, but sometimes when the player gets to ground level his body disappears.
 * When Clarke is shot in the head, you can see lumps flying out from his head. This is possibly the effects of the bullet traveling through major organs such as the brain.
 * Very rarely, the bullet meant to hit Clarke will not be fired, and he will die for no apparent reason.
 * His researching calculation can be seen on the windows of his room, his arms, and over his face.
 * Despite Clarke being one of the "Masterminds" of Project Nova, he only appears, and is mentioned, in one mission, as he joined the Nova-6 research after the event of Project Nova.
 * He's the only affiliate of Project Nova who fights along side with the player.
 * He's the only "mastermind" of Project Nova to get killed without the presence of Mason.
 * His G11 appears to be fully automatic. This would be realistic, as the G11 is a selective fire weapon, in other words, capable of Semi, Burst and Automatic fire.
 * If the player uses UFO mode or noclip, they can pick up Clarke's G11 after he is killed. Oddly enough though, it uses burst fire, though Clarke never switches it from full auto.
 * Clarke appears to be quite skilled at combat despite the fact that he was never in the military. It is possible that knowing soon that Dragovich would send men to kill him once his work with Nova-6 was done, Clarke may had secretly requested and received extensive mock self-defense training from Russian Spetsnaz subordinates due to his high level rank in the Nova-6 program.
 * Clarke is obviously very bad at holding on to his weapons. At the first jump the player makes (to the first weapon cache) he lets go of his handgun which drops to the ground. At his final jump he drops the G11 which is evidence that he dies soon.
 * Clarke holds his CZ75 as if it was a rifle.
 * Voiced by Gary Oldman, he says "Here help me move this." in Numbers. Reznov says exactly the same thing in the level when moving the barricades in the tunnels in Victor Charlie.
 * Although having being tortured, Clarke fights along side the player without the slightest reaction of revenge. It is unknown why he would not shoot Hudson and Weaver when their backs are turned and then just surender to Dragovich's forces. However he did know that Dragovich would eventually kill him, and he might have believed Hudson could provide him sanctuary.
 * It is possible that the Pentagon Thief is indeed Clarke. Both similarly have the same numbers on their forehead dignifying the love that Clarke had with math. The Pentagon Thief also has an aftershave as if he had his beard shaved, another thing is the thief appears to have blue eyes just like Dr. Clarke.
 * At one point in the mission Numbers, Weaver calls Clarke "English"
 * Clarke had lot's of weapons behind a refridgerator, including a magical answering machine that made a Thundergun come out of the wall.
 * His name is most likely a reference to the famous British science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke.

Quotes
"Don't you morons get it? If you think your government's sponsored brutality intimidates me, then you clearly know nothing about Dragovich. I have nothing to gain, by talking to you."

- Beginning of the mission

"Gunfire has ruptured the canisters!"

- Clarke as Russian troops accidentally shoot canisters of Nova 6 gas

""You're lucky. Direct exposure is always fatal.""

- Clarke and Hudson, after the gas canisters are ruptured

"Shit, Dragovich sent in a clean up crew to extract what is left of my research. Well, no thank you, Dragovich. I can clean up my own mess. Hahaha! Either of you two low on ammo? We still have a way to go."

- Clarke as Russian troops enter his lab

"Oh yes, the Numbers, they're the key to..."

- Clarke's last words.

"Here, help me move this!"

- Clarke asking Weaver to reveal the first armory.