The War against the Atlas Corporation[1] is an ongoing military conflict that occurs during the events of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. It is featured in every campaign mission from Collapse onward and is fought between the Atlas Corporation and virtually every country in the world.
History
Background
- "I am here to solve the world's problems. And I believe the world's problems begin with YOU."
- — Jonathan Irons in his inauguration speech at the United Nations
On June 15th, 2060, Jonathan Irons was admitted as the first CEO of a private corporation to become a member of the United Nations Security Council. Upon accepting his seat, he took the opportunity to address the allegations circulating that his company, Atlas, was manufacturing biological weapons of mass destruction that could target and eliminate people with specific genotypes. He openly admitted that no such weapons were being developed because they had already developed the weapon.
Irons then goes on to say that the United Nations is an age-old relic from a different time when the nations of the world actually had the ability to come together and collectively solve the world's problems, but not anymore, as most, if not all, of the countries had outsourced the handling of such things to Atlas and him. He has sent his men and women to die in countless foreign wars, which he believes have never worked, nor will they now or ever.
He decides the time is right for Atlas to take control of the situation from the world's politicians, because Irons claims that politicians have no clue how to solve problems. If there is no one left to challenge Atlas as the sole military power on the planet, then the world will finally know peace. Irons' last words to the United Nations are that he intends to solve the world's problems and, as a resounding declaration of war to every nation's government in the world, that he intends to start with them.
Attack on San Francisco
- "This is NOT the beginning of a war. This is the end of ALL wars."
- — Jonathan Irons in his message to the world
Irons' first target was the United States, specifically the U.S. Navy's Third Fleet, currently stationed in the San Francisco Bay. Irons holds a particular grudge against the United States, as he believes they have kept the world in a state of perpetual war for over a century now. He also points out the belligerence in their foreign policy, stating that the United States military intervention in other nations has only led to more wars, not resolution or peace. He believes the sole reason that the United States has set the global agenda for as long as it did was because they possessed the most advanced, sophisticated military on the planet, to which Irons disagrees. He claims that his actions, rather than perpetuating another global conflict, would bring about an end to all warfare.
That same day, June 15th, Sentinel operatives Mitchell and Gideon, with assistance from local San Francisco Police Department, are in pursuit of a white van presumed to threaten the Third Fleet. Upon reaching the Golden Gate Bridge, Mitchell and Gideon and other Sentinel operatives are halted and engaged by vehicles containing dozens of Atlas operatives. Sentinel and SFPD manage to eliminate most of the Atlas forces and secure the target van halfway across the bridge. As Mitchell approached the van, the back doors open, revealing a swarm of drones that affix themselves to the bridge's cables and self-destruct, causing the entire Golden Gate Bridge to collapse into the San Francisco Bay and onto one of the fleet's carriers, disabling it.
Hundreds of Atlas forces then begin to surround and board the downed carrier; their objective, to secure the carrier's Arclight rail guns. Only Mitchell and Gideon, now joined by Cormack and Knox, and a handful of Navy personnel are left to fend off the Atlas attack. Mitchell manages to plant jammers on the carrier's rail guns, preventing Atlas from using both rail guns. Sentinel then pushes on through the ship until they eventually reach the control room. Mitchell assumes control of the railguns, shooting down enemy Warbird VTOLs and cargo ships. After a period of time, Atlas gives up the attack and retreats, sparing the rest of the Third Fleet.
With thousands of dead Americans on Irons' hands, a dejected but vengeful Cormack states that their next objective is to "hunt him down...and [we] bury him."
"Free World" War Emerges
- "After San Francisco, the entire free world turned against Atlas."
- — Jack Mitchell
Sometime after the attack on San Francisco, the rest of the world responded with a declaration of war against the Atlas Corporation and Jonathan Irons, who had entrenched himself inside the Atlas Command Center in New Baghdad, Iraq.
Battle of New Baghdad
- "We were to fly in with the 37th Airborne during the initial shock and awe campaign. From there, we would break off and infiltrate the Atlas Command Center, taking out Irons."
- — Jack Mitchell
On January 8th, 2061, a shock and awe campaign commenced on New Baghdad, carried out by Sentinel. Piloting with the U.S. 37th Airborne in F-52B fighter jets, Sentinel operatives Mitchell, Cormack, Gideon, and Knox fly through a large, winding canyon, engaging Atlas fighters and ground forces. As they exit the canyon on the outskirts of New Baghdad, Sentinel activate their cockpit drop pods, which guide them to the inner city.
They rendevous with Ilona and U.S. forces within the city, but are pinned down by Atlas MD turrets; Mitchell manages to either destroy the turrets or incapacitate their users. Atlas then deploys reinforcements and three A.S.T.'s to assist the besieged Atlas defenders. After dealing with the A.S.T.'s, at least two Titans approach Sentinel's position. As Ilona, Gideon, and Knox lay down suppressive fire, Mitchell is tasked with grabbing a nearby Stinger and eliminate the Titans.
Before Mitchell can act, hundreds of drones swarm towards Sentinel forces and detonate, releasing a thick cloud of Manticore. The gaseous weapon immediately kills anyone whose DNA is not programmed into the Atlas database, including Knox. Mitchell, Ilona, and Gideon are spared as they were former Atlas operatives.
An A.S.T. appears and fires upon the trio, wounding Gideon and knocking Mitchell and Ilona unconscious. Irons then appears on a large screen on the facade of a skyscraper, propagating to the citizens of New Baghdad that their enemies have fallen and victory is nearly theirs. Atlas troops then drag Mitchell, Ilona, and Gideon into the back of an Atlas vehicle.
Escape from the Atlas Prison Camp
- "What is this place?"
- "Used to be a research lab. Looks like Irons modified it since."
- "Research for what?"
- "Medical advancements, something like that. Doesn't matter. It's a prison now."
- —Ilona and Gideon
Following their capture, the trio is taken to an Atlas research lab turned prison. They meet up with Cormack who was also captured. He explains his squad was outside the blast radius when Manticore hit, but his squad was outgunned and their support was wiped out, leading U.S. forces to withdraw from the city. Jonathan Irons interrogates them himself, shooting Cormack in the side and breaking Mitchell's prosthetic arm. Ilona and Gideon later help Mitchell and Cormack escape only for them to get separated, leaving Ilona to help Cormack and find an extraction and Mitchell and Gideon to regroup with them. While fighting through Atlas forces, Mitchell and Gideon learned that Irons is planning to strike every major city and military base in the world using a missile filled with Manticore. After Mitchell commandeers a A.S.T., they barely escape and regroup with Ilona and Cormack as U.S. military aircraft attack the prison. They then drive to the base, seeing it almost completely destroyed. As they check on Cormack, he tells them "Don't Stop" before dying from blood loss. Gideon then decides they must stop Irons from launching Manticore-filled missile. Ilona claims it to be suicide but Gideon says it's what Cormack would've done. Mitchell, Ilona, and Gideon then vow to kill Irons and stop Manticore from being launched.
Assault on the Atlas Command Center
- "It was a plan only Gideon could come up with: a frontal assault on Irons' stronghold using the two mech suits we found back at the base. Drones would fly us in; after that, we'd be on our own."
- — Jack Mitchell
Mitchell and Gideon then acquire two A.S.T. suits they found back at the base and they're flown in by unmmaned helicopter drones, while Ilona guides them. As U.S. aircraft attack the city, Kingpin states they will not have any ground support. Once they get into the launch facility, Ilona directs them to the rocket. After fighting through heavy Atlas resistance, they use their AST suits to destroy the rocket, successfully stopping the launch. Mitchell collapses from the booster fire and is carried throughout the command center. Although Ilona and Kingpin try to make contact with them about the launch, their comms fail to respond.
Death of Jonathan Irons
- "Irons gave me a second chance, and I gave it back. He thought he could solve the world's problems. If he did have an answer, he took it with him to the grave. But he was right about one thing. This wasn't the end, it was just the beginning."
- — Jack Mitchell
Once Mitchell regains consciousness, Irons confronts him and Gideon but not before disabling their exo-suits, effectively stopping them. He explains that he let the terrorist attacks happen so he could assert Atlas as the dominant military on Earth and wipe out his enemies. He claims when there is no one left to challenge Atlas, there will be no more wars and that their had to be sacrifices along the way. Gideon says a lot of evil rulers throughout history used the same excuse and calls him a monster. Irons denies it and leaves them. Mitchell hits the release on his exo, setting him free. He tries Gideon's but it fails. Gideon tells him to go and stop Irons. Mitchell chases him down to where Irons is holding Mitchell's disabled prostetic arm, to keep from falling off the building. As Mitchell moves to cut his arm off (which would lead Irons to fall to his death), Irons reminds him that he gave him that arm and he gave him a second chance. Mitchell cuts off the arm, causing Irons to fall to his death. Gideon shows up, helps Mitchell out of there as U.S. military forces assault the city. He states that what Irons has started was just beginning and if he did know how to solve the world's problems, he took them to the grave. But Mitchell realizes the war between the Atlas Corporation and the world has only just begun.
References
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