Captain Price (Call of Duty)
Encyclopedia
, $

Captain Price is the major fictional character in the Call of Duty series
Call of Duty (series)
Call of Duty is a first-person and third-person shooter video game series franchise, created by Ben Chichoski. The series began on the PC, and later expanded to consoles and handhelds. Several spin-off games have also been released...

. Price appears as an experienced soldier and a strong leader. He is somewhat compassionate, but can be rather ruthless at times. He speaks with a cockney
Cockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...

 accent. In all games, he appears with a large, characteristic moustache. Captain Price is given the first name John in the game Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a 2007 first-person shooter video game, developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii. A handheld game was made for the Nintendo DS. The game was released in North America, Australia, and...

.

Captain Price first appeared as an English soldier featured in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a 2007 first-person shooter video game, developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii. A handheld game was made for the Nintendo DS. The game was released in North America, Australia, and...

, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 video game consoles and the Microsoft Windows operating system. Officially announced on February 11, 2009, the game was released worldwide on...

as well as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is a first-person shooter video game, developed by Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games, with Raven Software having assisted in development...

, as a member of the British SAS. He often carried a modified M4A1 and wore a boonie hat during field operations. In Modern Warfare 2 (set five years after the first game), Price was incarcerated in a Russian gulag. He was later rescued and becomes a field commander of Task Force 141. Throughout the first game he served as a mentor of John MacTavish
John MacTavish
John "Soap" MacTavish, is a Scottish fictional character and one of the two main protagonists in the Modern Warfare series of the Call of Duty game franchise...

. Price is playable in two missions in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

It may be speculated whether it is the same Captain Price who appears in both the WW2-era games and the Modern Warfare games, set roughly 70 years apart. Sami Onur of the model department of Infinity Ward offers a retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...

 explanation for this; that the modern Price is the grandson of the original Price.

Origin of the Character

The characters are said to have been based upon SAS soldier John McAleese who was involved in the Iranian Embassy siege
Iranian Embassy Siege
The Iranian Embassy siege took place from 30 April to 5 May 1980, after a group of six armed men stormed the Iranian embassy in South Kensington, London. The gunmen took 26 people hostage—mostly embassy staff, but several visitors and a police officer, who had been guarding the embassy, were also...

 and also hosted the BBC series SAS: Are You Tough Enough?
SAS: Are You Tough Enough?
SAS: Are You Tough Enough was a British documentary series exposing volunteer members of the public to the experience of the SAS selection process presented by Dermot O'Leary. On average only 10 out of the 125 soldiers taking the real SAS selection procedure pass. In contrast to the real SAS, this...

 in 2003. It is also said that he was modeled after Jim Shortt
James Shortt
James Gerard Richard Shortt, also known as Jim Shortt, Jimbo, Seamus Shortt, Colonel The Chevalier James Shortt, James Shortt of Castleshort, or The Baron Castleshort, is an English born Director General of the International Bodyguard Association...

 who is known throughout the whole of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...

 and to most of the people in the security industry worldwide as a Walter Mitty. (the term Walter Mitty comes from a short story by James Thurber about a man who leads a fantasy life.)

Call of Duty 1 & 2


Chronologically, Captain Price first appeared on October 29, 1942 in Call of Duty 2. He was leading the 7th Armoured Division as part of the Second Battle of El Alamein
Second Battle of El Alamein
The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The battle took place over 20 days from 23 October – 11 November 1942. The First Battle of El Alamein had stalled the Axis advance. Thereafter, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery...

. After succeeding their mission, the division is immediately redeployed to defend a small town 30 miles south of El Alamein. After this Price and the 7th Armoured Division took part in Operation Supercharge on November 3, 1942, to secure the gaps in the antitank minefield, so that the British armour can pass through safely. They then successfully charged through the trenches, taking out many Flak 88 crews along the way. It was followed by an assault on El Daba which Price had only a small part. The assault on Matmata
Matmâta
Matmata is a small Berber speaking town in southern Tunisia. Some of the local Berber residents live in traditional underground "troglodyte" structures. In 2004 it had a population of 2,116....

on March 30, 1943 was the last of the campaign. The division were ambushed before entering, leaving Price and his men to fight their way in and through the town, Price and MacGregor provide covering fire as Davis takes out the German dive bombing planes, after this the team collects all intel and supplies before moving out of Matmata and ending the North African Campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...

.

After the victory in North Africa he served at Pegasus Bridge
Pegasus Bridge
Pegasus Bridge is a bascule bridge , built in 1934, that crossed the Caen Canal, between Caen and Ouistreham, in Normandy, France....

 on the 5th and 6 June 1944 with fellow soldier Sgt. Evans. After the gliders that brought them in landed, Price ordered Evans to suppress a bunker before preceding. They successfully held the bridge until they were relieved by friendlies. A week after the D-Day landings the Allied forces were struggling in the Battle for Caen
Battle for Caen
The Battle for Caen from June-August 1944 was a battle between Allied and German forces during the Battle of Normandy....

. To break the stalemate, the 7th Armoured Division including Captain Price were brought in. They started off by securing the village of Beltot 18 miles east of Caen. Price orders Davis and MacGregor to get a German truck to evacuate the soldiers, stating that he is almost envious that for the American prisoners, the war is over. A German counter-attack left them pinned down in the barn by a German Tiger Tank
Tiger tank
Tiger tank may refer to:*Tiger I, or Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. E, a German heavy tank produced from 1942-1944*Tiger II, or Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B, a German heavy tank produced from 1943-1945, also known as Königstiger, King Tiger or Royal Tiger...

. Captain Price kept calm despite morale running low, and they were saved when the RAF took out the Tiger. They kept moving in toward Caen and by midday on June 12, 1944 they arrived at St. Louet, 15 miles east of Caen. However due to the loss of the tanks because of another German Tiger tank, they were ordered to pull back to Caumout. While retreating they came under heavy mortar fire. They held their own at Amaye sur Seulles and managed to assist the rest of the division in retreating to Caumout.

Captain Price was transferred to the SAS. At some point, during an unspecified mission, Price's plane was shot down behind Nazi lines in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

. Price was captured, and he was taken to a chateau in the Alps. He was rescued by U.S. Marines on August 7, 1944. Later, on September 2, 1944, Price was sent to the Eder Dam in a special operation to destroy the anti-air defenses and the electrical generators. Price then makes a getaway from the dam to the airfield. At the airfield, he defends Evans with a Bren Gun while the latter mounted a Flakvierling stationed at the airfield. The they were then successfully extracted.

Price's final mission on October 27, 1944, was to sabotage the Tirpitz
German battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April...

, a Nazi battleship that was considered a threat by the RAF. He used his knowledge of German language and forged papers to infiltrate the battleship along with Sgt. Evans. Evans and Price then managed to get to the armory. Unfortunately, after another soldier checked the duo's papers at the armory, Price killed him and blew their cover. While attempting to defend Evans as he planted explosives on the ship's boilers, he was surrounded and killed.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Call of Duty 4 features him as a commanding officer who and saves the protagonist Soap's life several times during the campaign. Price also mentions events in the past, such as the assassination attempt on Imran Zakhaev fifteen years prior to the events of the game. These flashback missions are playable, and Price himself is only a Lieutenant during them (the term is pronounced 'Leftenant' in the British Army, however in the events of Modern Warfare, Price held the rank of Captain and led a SAS squad, designated "Bravo Team"). He led the S.A.S. in getting information about the whereabouts of Imran Zakhaev that took them from Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...

 to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

. During the last mission, after deactivating the Nukes, Price, together with a joint Task Force (consisting of SAS, Marines, Loyalists), were chased on a highway in trucks, but an enemy Hind takes out the bridge. A tanker truck explodes, badly wounding Price and the others. Griggs and Gaz are killed but Price managed to slide his M1911
M1911
The M1911 is a single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, and recoil-operated handgun chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. John M. Browning designed the firearm which was the standard-issue side arm for the United States armed forces from 1911 to 1985. The M1911 is still carried by some U.S....

 to MacTavish, who kills Zakhaev and his bodyguards. Afterwards, a Russian medic can be seen trying, seemingly in vain, to revive Price.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

In Modern Warfare 2, Price, who is still alive has been incarcerated in a Russian gulag by the Ultranationalists for being involved with killing Zakhaev. During a daring rescue attempt sent for him, Price initially is hostile, knocking Roach to the ground and pointing a gun at him. However, when he recognizes Soap, he lowers the gun and joins the unit. Soap hands him back his M1911 pistol - the weapon that was used to kill Imran Zakhaev. Once Price is broken out of the Gulag, he returns as captain of Task Force 141. He led the team in helping save Washington D.C. However, during an arms deal that is raided by Price and MacTavish, they realize the real threat is not Makarov, and is instead the American Lt. General Shepherd. Price asks Makarov for information, and he reluctantly reveals the location Shepherd's corrupt forces, telling Price that he'll "see him in hell" to which Price replies "Looking forward to it. Give my regards to Zakhaev if you get there first." The two in the face of Sheperd's betrayal decide to avenge Roach, Ghost, The Task Force and themselves. They head to Site Hotel Bravo, Afghanistan, and stealthily infiltrate (then fight) their way through the facility. Shepherd orders a danger-close airstrike
Airstrike
An air strike is an attack on a specific objective by military aircraft during an offensive mission. Air strikes are commonly delivered from aircraft such as fighters, bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters, and others...

 on the base, intending to kill the two at the cost of his own men. After surviving Price and MacTavish pursue Shepherd's Pave Low down a river, before disabling the helicopter by damaging its rotor blades. However, the RHIB boat that they traveled on drops down a waterfall.

Just as Shepherd is about to kill Soap, Price tackles Shepherd, engaging him in a lengthy hand-to-hand fight. Price is close to being overpowered by Shepherd, but is saved when Soap pulls the knife out of his chest and throws it at Shepherd's eye. Price wakes up and starts to patch up Soap's injuries. The two are then evacuated by Nikolai, who informs them of a potential hiding place. During the course of the betrayal, Price and Soap are labeled as the world's most wanted war criminals.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Modern Warfare 3 picks up where its prior game left off: on the way to a safehouse in India. Price and Nikolai arrive with a wounded John "Soap" MacTavish, whose knife wound needs medical attention. Price is joined by Yuri, who Nikolai vouches for, saying that he is the "only man I know who hates Makarov more than you do." After having to fight their way out of India, they decide that they will go after Makarov themselves. Price calls in favors from people he had worked with before: Captain MacMillain from Price's assassination mission, now callsigned "Baseplate"; and Delta Force
Delta Force
1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta is one of the United States' secretive Tier One counter-terrorism and Special Mission Units. Commonly known as Delta Force, Delta, or The Unit, it was formed under the designation 1st SFOD-D, and is officially referred to by the Department of Defense...

 operative Sandman, from Operation Kingfish 3 years prior to Modern Warfare 2. Soap, Yuri, Nikolai, Sandman and his partner Sgt. Derek "Frost" Westbrook work together in order to stop Makarov. Captain Price forms a plan to kill his sworn enemy, Makarov. Price and Yuri suit up in full Juggernaut gear and assualt Makarov's hotel hideout. During that process, Yuri is killed by Makarov. Captain Price finally receives revenge when he and Makarov fall through a glass roof and Makarov is hung by a steel cable. Captain Price then pulls out a lighter and smokes a cigar. Captain Price is the only protagonist (besides Nikolai and Overlord) that survives the entire Modern Warfare trilogy.

Reception

Price was ranked #8 on Game Informer's
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...

 list of "30 Characters Who Defined a Decade". Both Price are listed as #2 in "Top 11 Mustaches In Gaming" in 360magazine
360 (magazine)
360 is an Xbox 360 computer and video games magazine published by Imagine Publishing in the UK. Originally published four-weekly, the magazine switched to a three-weekly schedule in 2009.-Overview:...

 saying that "Graham Linehan famously stated that it was the only reason to care about the character at all, that it defined him apart from any of the other dial-a-grunt stereotypes in the game". He's also listed in GameSpot's
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...

 All-Time Greatest sidekick.

Price was ranked #17 in Guinness World Records 2011 Gamers' Edition
Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition
Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition is a Guinness World Records book dedicated to video games. The first edition was released in February 2008 in association with the video games world records' tracking organization Twin Galaxies. The second edition was released in 2009...

. Where Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...

, the global authority on record breaking, announce the top 50 videogame characters of all time in the latest edition of their best-selling gaming book. Over 13,000 readers voted for their favorite character and the end result is a “who’s who” of the top heroes and villains from more than 30 years of video game history, 3 of them are Call Of Duty characters.

He's ranked #4 in "Top 10 best and worst of Videogame Hair" where he is listed as having the best haircut and facial hair. Botchweed Gaming listed him in "Gaming's Greatest Badasses", saying "Call of Duty’s moustachioed macho man has had his fair share of rough times. He’s been tortured, shot at, fought in every war humanity has ever faced without getting visibly older – even seemingly killed, only to come back bigger, better and more bearded than when you last saw him. He’s tougher than a month-old baguette, ruthless, and disobeys direct orders from his CO to do what he thinks is right. He’s exactly the kind of stereotypical war-hero you want on your side when all hell breaks loose."

In Games Radar, the Modern Warfare series were listed in "Top 7 Games that needs Prequel" saying "We want more than those two flashback missions - we want a whole game starring Captain Price" because "Call of Duty 4’s best missions are the ones in which you play as Captain Price: sneaking through the grass in a ghillie suit, sniping a dude’s arm off from a hotel window and outrunning a crashed helicopter are the greatest and most defining moments of the single player campaign"

See also


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK