Friedrich Steiner

"Killing me will not stop Nova!"

- Steiner's last words

Dr. Friedrich Steiner is a character in Call of Duty: Black Ops. He was a German scientist who created the chemical weapon Nova-6, a nerve toxin capable of killing a human in a matter of seconds.

Steiner was voiced by Mark Bramhall.

Biography
Before the war Friedrich Steiner was a genius who had earned a collection of degrees and was thus sought by the Waffen-SS for his service in the Wunderwaffen projects. His role was the creation of Nova-6, a toxin with such deadliness even the creator himself was horrified.

Towards the end of the war, Steiner belonged to the task force which was sent to launch Nova-6 loaded rockets towards the United States, but his cargo ship was crippled and trapped in the Arctic ice. As much as they tried to salvage what they could, Germany lost the war. To cut a deal for himself, Steiner defected to the Soviet Union and subsequently was captured by a strike team lead by Viktor Reznov and Dimitri Petrenko and commanded by Nikita Dragovich and Lev Kravchenko. Under the traitorous Dragovich's orders, Steiner uses Reznov's squad for the "demonstration" of the Nova-6, while most of the squad including Dimitri are killed, Reznov and what is left of his men manage to escape amid the chaos created by a British strike team. Reznov vows revenge on Steiner for the death of Dimitri, his friend and compatriot.

Although Reznov escapes after having caused the destruction of the original Nova-6 shipment, for the next 23 years Steiner works for Dragovich to make a refined version of the toxin, the centerpiece of conquest against America.

After his role in the creation of Nova-6 has become known, Steiner is listed a top-priority target for SOG. His facility in the Ural Mountains is revealed by Daniel Clarke, a former freelance chemist who worked for Project Nova before his escape. As Jason Hudson and Grigori Weaver reach the facility, Steiner makes contact with them and once again negotiates for his life: not only does Steiner tell them of Dragovich's plan, but also he discloses something more dire. In thirty-six hours the United States would be hit with Nova-6 by Dragovich's sleeper cells. Steiner offers to tell them how to stop the attack if only the two could retrieve him from "Rebirth Island."

However, before the two can extract him, Mason arrives and executes Steiner thinking Viktor Reznov is achieving his revenge.

Trivia

 * When Reznov first encounters Steiner he is holding a Walther P38, a returning weapon from Call of Duty: World at War, which he presumably used to shoot the soldier who staggers out of the room.
 * Reznov later comments that he wanted to kill Steiner, but he's a soldier; as such, he must follow orders.
 * In addition, the Walther P38 is unusable to the player.
 * Reznov, Dimitri, Steiner, Kravchenko and Dragovich had a photo taken with the wrecked ship as a backdrop before they entered the ship for the Nova-6. The photo can be found at Kravchenko's office both at the underground command post and the cave compound.
 * He is the first German to be the player's ally in the campaign of the Call of Duty series (during a brief part of Project Nova). He is second in the series after Edward Richthofen from Nazi Zombies.
 * Steiner actually has little responsibility for Dimitri Petrenko's death, as the only thing he has done is creating Nova 6 and surrender to Dragovich. It is possible that his German background and rudeness to Reznov caused the later to vow him as a target for revenge.
 * Steiner stating that the actions of the SS are beyond his control is somewhat of a conundrum, as he himself is a (likely high-ranking) member of the SS, as shown by the insignia on his cap. However, it is highly probable that the rest of the SS personnel ceased taking orders from Steiner upon learning of his plans to surrender, thus justifying his statement.
 * It is possible that it wasn't his intention to use such a deadly weapon against civilians, as he quickly surrenders to Dragovich before the SS launched the rockets, and gives Dragovich's plans to the US before he could strike the country. He is represented as having a cowardly personality, as he surrenders to an enemy twice (though he is killed before being extracted the second time); first to the Soviets while being on the Nazis' side, and later to the Americans while on the Soviets' side.

Quotes
"Dragovich's men are rounding up everyone on the island! Those no longer essential to his plans are being executed! You must hurry, before they kill me too!"

- Steiner to Jason Hudson and Grigory Weaver on Rebirth.

"Dragovich is burning everything in connection to Project Nova. I fear I will be next. All across America, Dragovich has sleeper agents ready to receive their final orders to unleash Nova 6. Only I can tell you how to stop them. I am on Rebirth Island - the Aral Sea - I will be waiting."

- Steiner over the intercom in WMD.

"Do not point that weapon at me, Russian dog! You will take me to Dragovich."

- Steiner to Reznov in Project Nova.

"I know you... Vorkuta! You don't know... What we did to you..."

- When he saw Alex Mason on Rebirth Island.