Jonathan Irons

"Democracy, democracy! Democracy's not what these people need, hell it's not even what they want. America's been trying to install democracies in nations for a century. And it hasn't worked one time! These countries don't have the basic building blocks to support a democracy. Little things like, we oughta be tolerant of those who disagree with us. We oughta be tolerant of those who worship a different God than us. That a journalist ought to be able to disagree with the President! And you think you can just march into these countries based on some fundamentalist religious principles, drop a few bombs, topple a dictator and start a democracy?! Give me a break. People don't want freedom, they want boundaries ruled. Protection, from invaders and from themselves. People need a leader who can give them both the support and the constraints to keep chaos at bay. You give them that, and they'll follow. And that's where I come in."

— Irons in the Reveal trailer for Advanced Warfare

Jonathan "Jon" Irons was the founder and CEO of the private military corporation, Atlas Corporation, in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. He started off as a supporting character for the player, but was then revealed to be the main antagonist throughout the rest of the campaign.

Biography[edit | edit source]

Early life[edit | edit source]

Jonathan Irons once served in the United States Army and trained as a soldier in the West Point Graduate Program. Leaving the military at some point, Irons founded the Atlas Corporation in 2035 using his connections with the U.S. Military and other powerful organizations. He would later establish Atlas International in 2043, which would become one of the largest PMCs in the world. Irons would also get married and have a son named Will, who, contrary to Jonathan's pessimistic views about the U.S. government, disappointed his father by joining the United States Marine Corps. Will joked about this by claiming that he enlisted in the Marines in order to stay away from his father and instead serve his country.

Events of Advanced Warfare[edit | edit source]

After having finished a funeral service for his son Private Will Irons, who was killed during an U.S. operation to counter a massive North Korean invasion of Seoul, Jonathan Irons offered Will's close friend Jack Mitchell to join him at Atlas, the world's most powerful private military contractor, of which he is CEO. As compensation for his injuries in Seoul, Mitchell is given by Irons an advanced prosthetic arm to replace his amputation.

Meanwhile, a terrorist organization calling itself the KVA, led by a Georgian terrorist code-named Hades, began staging numerous terrorist attacks, with the world turning to Atlas to stop them. As part of the operation to combat the new enemy, Mitchell, joined by a notorious Atlas member named Gideon, along with other Atlas forces rescued the Nigerian Prime Minister and later a technologist in Lagos during a technology summit. However, the KVA forces toughened up after their defeats, as evidenced when Mitchell and his team failed to prevent the planned nuclear reactor meltdown in Seattle by the KVA.

The KVA launched similar attacks against nuclear power plants worldwide, irradiating numerous cities, killing thousands of people, and put numerous national governments and military forces in turmoil. Atlas emerged as the dominant military force in the world, coming to the aid of civilians affected by the attacks and holding back the KVA's rampage.

Four years later, in 2059, Mitchell and Gideon search downtown in Detroit to find Dr. Pierre Danois, the KVA's second in command. After having the doctor interrogated by Ilona, an ex-Spetsnaz sniper now working for Atlas, they are able to track Hades down to Santorini, Greece, where KVA leaders were holding a conference. The mission was a success, as Mitchell managed to kill Hades, finally "ending" the war. Before succumbing to his death, Hades uttered "Irons knows" while giving Mitchell a data chip with his last breath.

After Hades' death, Irons and Atlas received international recognition and respect, with many even questioning if Irons would become a politician.

However, Ilona analyzed the data chip given by Hades, only to find the technologist they rescued in Nigeria was killed by Irons after the latter learned of the KVA global attack, proving that Irons deliberately allowed the attacks to occur to improve Atlas' reputation. Irons and a pair of Atlas MP soldiers subdued both Mitchell and Ilona. Ilona told Irons that she, Mitchell and Gideon have seen it. Irons questioned what did they see and Ilona replied this about a thousand of innocent dead, but Irons claimed this video they watched was faked by KVA. Ilona angrily called him a "monster", much to Irons' disappointment, stating that they lost anything they could have. Ilona attempted to confess to Gideon about what happened now, but he claimed this footage was faked too, and he decided to join Atlas. Both Atlas soldiers attempts to have Mitchell and Ilona arrested, but they escape Atlas headquarters in New Baghdad, guided by a mysterious voice known as "X", while Gideon reluctantly stays at Irons' side. The stranger turns out to be Cormack, who revealed that he is part of the Sentinel Task Force, an international effort to prevent Atlas' rise to power.

In 2060, Mitchell, now a member of the Sentinel Task Force, infiltrated Irons' private residence in Bangkok. He and Cormack discovered that Danois is now collaborating with Irons on "Manticore", a biological weapon. They set up a tracker on the plane carrying the bioweapon bound for Argentina. Sentinel later intercepts the plane, causing it to crash in Antarctica, eventually eliminating all Atlas forces after discovering Irons' intentions for the bioweapon. The team successfully retrieved the WMD, gaining a sample of it. After analyzing it, they discover that Manticore is a weapon designed to attack and infect those who weren't genetically encoded with Atlas' DNA implants, preventing the harm of their own operatives. The task force, now with Gideon, infiltrated and destroyed an Atlas WMD facility in Bulgaria, eliminating much of the Manticore samples.

With his plot revealed, Irons released his ultimatum: the forced removal of all politicians whom he pinned the problems of society on, announcing it at the United Nations assembly and effectively declaring war against the world. Sentinel soon discovers that Irons was planning a preemptive strike on the United States and proceed to try and stop the attack on San Francisco. Atlas destroys the Golden Gate Bridge, trapping the U.S. Third Fleet in the Bay Area, and attempt to destroy the fleet in a single strike. Sentinel, in retaliation, uses a rail gun aboard USS Arrowhead to destroy the Atlas cargo ships attacking the fleet. With the ultimatum and the attack on U.S. soil, every nation formally declared war against Atlas, causing Irons to retreat to his headquarters in New Baghdad, Iraq.

Seven months later, Sentinel and the US military launched an attack on New Baghdad to stop Irons and bring him to justice. However, Atlas released Manticore, killing most of the invasion force except Mitchell, Ilona and Gideon, as well as Cormack, who was outside the blast radius. Brought to a prison camp serving as a testing ground for Manticore, Irons first tortures Mitchell and Cormack, shooting the former with a pistol and breaking the latter's prosthetic limb. Leaving them for collection, Irons returns back to his quarters while Ilona and Gideon are brought into the same cell as their compatriots. Eventually overpowering the guards, the four escape the facility, discovering along the way that Irons already had enough Manticore to attack every military base in the world, and will be launching a missile shortly. Despite the successful escape, Cormack succumbs to his injuries while the group leave in a hijacked truck.

Death[edit | edit source]

With the fate of the world at stake, Sentinel launch a final assault on Atlas' HQ. Mitchell and Gideon successfully destroy the missile, eventually turning their attention to Irons as Sentinel prepare to bombard the building. Reaching his quarters, Irons disables their exoskeletons before they can harm him, forcing Mitchell to release his own in chase. As an explosion throws Irons off the building, forcing him to hang onto Mitchell's left prosthetic arm, the former father reminds Mitchell about the aid he provided, attempting to persuade the soldier to save him. Despite his pleas, Mitchell cuts off his prosthetic arm with a knife, causing Irons to fall to his death.

Exo Zombies[edit | edit source]

In the Exo Zombies map Infection, Lilith Swann at one point may say "Irons knows. He knows!... I don't know why I said that." This is a reference to Hades' dying words in the level Manhunt. It is, however, unknown whether the quote can be taken seriously, so it is uncertain whether Jonathan Irons is even alive, let alone the CEO of Atlas Corporation in the Exo Zombies storyline.

Personality[edit | edit source]

Jonathon Irons was a strict man of principle, believing that his way of fighting wars was the only way to achieve peace in this lifetime. In pursuit of this goal, he was willing to use whatever means he had at his disposal, no matter the cost. As the President and CEO of the Atlas Corporation, Irons didn't see it as just a military force for hire; he saw it as a superpower capable of changing the world, and had spent the majority of his adult life strengthening it.

After the death of his son Will, Irons gained an obsession with absolute power, soon hoping to enact his vengeance against those he blamed or stood in his way, including the very governments that hired his company. Irons' menacing nature is further seen when Mitchell and Gideon discover the POWs who died of medical experimentation with Manticore at an Atlas prison camp. The event that effectively caused him to snap was Hades plot to force nuclear reactors around the world into a meltdown, using the Technologist Mitchell rescued from Nigeria in the pursuit of global harm. Rather then warn the people of the world, Irons murdered the specialist, letting thousands of innocents die for personal gain in order to improve Atlas' public image. He justified these acts by stating that the casualties were a "neccesary sacrifice". Even in his last moments, Irons felt no remorse for his actions, dying a power-hungry madman who believed he could save humankind from inevitable destruction.

Irons also enjoyed a cult of personality as he held New Baghdad as his personal haven and an exampular of his philosophy. Propaganda posters of his image were plastered across the city, and after the defeat of the Sentinel Task Force during the invasion, he broadcasted a victory speech proclaiming the perseverance and victorious nature of Atlas and New Baghdad itself.

Before Mitchell's betrayal of Atlas, he seemed to hold Mitchell in high esteem and often reffered to him affectionately, calling him "my boy" and remarking the similarities between Mitchell and his deceased son, Will Irons. Furthermore, when Mitchell's prosthetic arm malfunctioned during a simulation, he remarks that his arm "is worth more to me than this entire facility." In this way, he seemed to treat Mitchell as his own kin. It was due to this sentiment that he was left deeply insulted and angry at Mitchell's defection to the Sentinel Task Force.

Gallery[edit | edit source]

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Quotes[edit | edit source]

"Ideas don't determine who's right. Power determines who's right. And I have the power. So I'm right."

— In the Campaign Story Trailer.

"ATLAS is an internationally registered private company. We don't need Congress."

— Irons replying to Kingpin's objection.

"Politicians don't know how to solve problems. But I do."

— In the Gameplay Launch trailer.

"What you're seeing is Advanced Warfare. ATLAS has the single largest standing military in the world but we answer to no country."

— Jonathan showing the Atlas HQ to Jack Mitchell.

"Unlike the government we don't keep secrets of our capabilities. We don't sell policy, we sell power. We are a super power for hire."

— Jonathan Irons

"I have sent people to die in your wars. So I feel uniquely qualified to tell you, your wars don't work!."

— Jonathan Irons

Intel collectables[edit | edit source]

Main article: Intel

When all Intel is collected from certain levels within the campaign, each reveal an audio log by Irons citing his political, economic and social beliefs, his actions, experiences, decisions and evaluations.

Induction[edit | edit source]

Transcript
"No father should have to lose his son. It goes against the natural order of things. Without our sons, we have no future. I've spent my life fighting stupidity and cowardice for a better world, where good people can prosper and thrive, without fear. I know the cost, I see it every day, and I accept it. But I can't accept this. Will's tragedy can't be for nothing. I'll make sure of that. This is not where it ends, this is where it begins. " — Jonathan Irons

Atlas[edit | edit source]

Transcript
"I checked in on Mitchell today. Gideon is kicking his ass, but he'll get there. He's got a good head on his shoulders and that same determination that Will had. I can see why they were close. The Marines in their infinite wisdom, deemed him unfit for duty. "Can't fight with one arm." Never tell a soldier what he can't do. If anyone deserves a second chance, its guys like Mitchell. Give me an army of men like him and there's nothing Atlas can't do." — Jonathan Irons

Traffic[edit | edit source]

Transcript
"Lagos - if there were a better example of government ineptitude, I haven't seen it. The KVA walked in like they own the place, like it was their right to take whatever they wanted. Helpless, the officials come to me. They came shocked, that a few well armed men can bring a nation so great, so powerful, to its knees. What sort of men are they, they ask? I tell them they are simply men who are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. Without emotion, without bias. And once you understand this most basic of facts, you have everything you need." — Jonathan Irons

Fission[edit | edit source]

Transcript
"Above ground nuclear power facilities have been a tactical hazard since their inception. In 2048 Atlas submitted a lengthy report to the Defense Department on the security risks. I guess they didn't like the findings because they buried the report. I think they gave us the security contract just to shut us up. But that's not why I accepted the job. I took the contract because Atlas would give the tax payer the best return on their buck. We spent millions on concrete reinforcements, we built anti-aircraft defenses, but what is our greatest achievement? Eliminating human error. You can build your defenses as strong as you like but the human race is the weakest link in any system. When an attack does come - and I no doubt it will - then mark my words, it will be because someone has left the door unlocked. You cant protect what you cant control." — Jonathan Irons

Aftermath[edit | edit source]

Transcript
"Leaders lead. Success or failure comes down to the choices we make. Capturing Doctor Danois and bringing him to justice would be a decisive step forward in the hunt for Hades. But what purpose does it serve to prosecute this man for his crimes if we can use him to prevent future crimes against humanity. Hundreds, maybe thousands have been killed by this mans experiments, but what if the results could benefit humanity and save lives? Is it wrong to put that knowledge to good use, regardless of how it as obtained? It's only right that we respect the dead. What better way to honor them than to give the meaning to their demise? Scientific data exists outside any moral framework. It's a resource that can be exploited for good or bad, the choice is ours. But to choose to do nothing with it is no choice at all. It is to accept that innocent people died for nothing. " — Jonathan Irons

Manhunt[edit | edit source]

Transcript
"A mission of this scale is a serious endeavor in the best of circumstances. Operating in the middle of a busy tourist destination is, without doubt, extremely risky. But the risk is the key to our success. Hades has gambled on our humanity. No government can survive the public outcry if hundreds of innocent tourists are killed in a botched mission, Hades knows this. But we're not the government and our power does not come from popular mandate. The government could of stopped us, the United Nations could have stopped us, but they didn't. Why? Because they think I stepped into my own trap. They've seen what Atlas can do and they know how powerful Atlas has become. They're afraid, more afraid of me than they are of Hades. With the KVA on the run who is left to disrupt their status quo? They look at us and instead of seeing our success, they see a threat. Someone too powerful to control, too powerful to stop, and so they've gambled on our failure. An they're right to be afraid. Failure's not an option for us. As long as we deliver Hades' head on a stick, no one will want to stop us. They'll want to follow us." — Jonathan Irons

Utopia[edit | edit source]

Transcript
"If you want to sell people on your vision - show them. They call this part of the world the Cradle of civilization. For ten thousand years, it was the centre of trade and culture. Home to kings, caliphates, despots and dictators. The first images of war I ever saw came from this place. Two wars in two decades with nothing much to show for it. I saw how wars quickly became quagmires if not prosecuted effectively. If ever there was somewhere that represented the utter failure of governance, Baghdad was it. While our leaders left this place to its fate, I took this as an opportunity to seize our destiny. Fifty years of rot and we rebuilt it in five. Now, New Baghdad is more than just a thriving city, it's a symbol of what's to come." — Jonathan Irons

Sentinel[edit | edit source]

Transcript
"On days like these, it's hard to remember what progress looks like. Billions of dollars, years of research. The human body is not a machine that we can simply rebuild. Tissue damage takes time to heal, cells take time to grow, we're mortal creatures and time is never our friend. We've successfully accelerated the growth process, but the cells are unable to sustain themselves after a certain period. Nevertheless, Danois continues to be a valuable asset. Without Danois, Manticore would've died at the developmental stage." — Jonathan Irons

Crash[edit | edit source]

Transcript
"Disloyalty. There is no greater crime, there is no punishment harsh enough. They must have recruited Mitchell. I saw something in him, something you rarely see in a man. A leader, something of myself maybe. A man who can follow blindly yet still think for himself. Will had to strike out on his own. Disloyal? I used to think so, but maybe I was wrong. I like to think that Will would've come back into the fold, given time." — Jonathan Irons

Bio Lab[edit | edit source]

Transcript
"In order for a butterfly to be born, a caterpillar must die. At a certain point, imaginal cells are triggered in the caterpillar's DNA, and these cells remain dormant but once activated they suddenly behave like a cancer, aggressively attacking the healthy cells. The cancer cells grow and the caterpillar is eventually destroyed, but the cancerous cells become the basis of a new life form, a butterfly; and so, the cycle continues. So cruel, yet so beautiful. Our greatest advances can equally lead to our destruction. Manticore is the fork in the road. One path leads to death, a weapon more powerful than anything before it. And the other, to life, the regeneration of human cells. The conquest of death itself. Immortality." — Jonathan Irons

Collapse[edit | edit source]

Transcript
"You can turn anything into a weapon, it just takes imagination. Some of the most successful military campaigns succeeded simply because no one ever imagined it was possible. If you're planning to take out the most powerful naval force on the planet, forget about doing it in the open water, strike from the depths of the ocean or strike before it's even had a chance to leave port. By collapsing the bridge on the fleet I will accomplish two things. the first is strategic: disabling the U.S. Third fleet; the second, symbolic. For a century, the Golden Gate Bridge has stood for U.S. technological innovation and might. Destroy a powerful symbol of strength, and you turn it into an even more powerful symbol of weakness. Make the adversary fell weak and they will become weak." — Jonathan Irons

Armada[edit | edit source]

Transcript
"A cowardly act of terrorism? Who the hell are they kidding? I went up against the largest naval fleet to ever sail the oceans with a small company of highly skilled and highly motivated special operatives and won! They can spin it a thousand different ways but the images speak for themselves. Cowardly? No, I stand by my actions. Terrorism? Most certainly. If your actions do not inspire fear and terror in the hearts of your adversaries, then you have no business waging war." — Jonathan Irons

Throttle[edit | edit source]

Transcript
"The attack came as I predicted it would. In forcing them to react, they reacted foolishly because they are powerless to respond in any other way. An affront to their power is an affront to the very existence, of their show of strength, might and resolve, will merely expose their complete impotence. Power? They have no real power! They have propaganda, they have resources. They have committees and budgets, votes and vetoes, propositions and tabled amendments. All useless. Tomorrow, if we wake up at all, we will wake up to a new dawn, And that's where the real work begins." — Jonathan Irons

Captured[edit | edit source]

Transcript
"This moment has been years in the making. Billions of dollars, the years of research, the setbacks and scientific breakthroughs. Many doubted that this day would come but it has arrived. The genie is out of the bottle, Manticore exceeded all expectations and performed beautifully. Even now, having seen it with my own eyes, it feels like a miracle. I walked completely untouched as hundreds of enemy combatants lay dying all around me, struck down on the battlefield where they fought. Every man has a unique DNA, a code that is his and his alone, just as each man's destiny is his and his alone. Whoever controls Manticore controls the destiny of mankind. Nothing and nobody can stand in our way." — Jonathan Irons

Terminus[edit | edit source]

Transcript
"The enemy is at our gate, but we will never let them win. What I started will continue whether I'm here to see it or not. I'm merely an agent for change, guiding us towards our shared destiny. Our children will live to see the end of terror, of famine, of oppression and brutality. A world where all necessities will be provided, a world free from the tyranny of government, of artificial differences and false beliefs. A world united under one flag." — Jonathan Irons

Trivia[edit | edit source]

Jonathan Irons had a collection of antique guns that can be seen during "Sentinel".