Soap

Born in Scotland in the United Kingdom, John MacTavish was a lifelong football fan often playing as a goalkeeper.[2]

One day, MacTavish was invited by his cousin, a member of the 23 Regiment of the Special Air Service, to see how it was like to be in the British Army. Afterwards, MacTavish often visited his cousin on weekends. When he was 16, he tried several times to enroll in the SAS and while he lied about his age, he was caught every time.[2]

After his 18th birthday, MacTavish officially joined selection for the 22 Regiment, an elite squadron specialized in covert reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, and hostage rescues. In 2014, while training in Hereford, MacTavish's evaluator was Captain John Price. Recognizing his natural skills, exceptional proficiency and relentless dedication, Price became tough and strict with MacTavish to make him the best trainee. MacTavish was also trained as a sniper and demolitions expert. His remarkable speed and accuracy in room clearance and urban warfare earned him the nickname "Soap".[2]

When selection came, MacTavish passed it with the highest possible marks on all 3 phases of the course, coming just a few seconds behind the record holder, Kyle "Gaz" Garrick. He became the youngest candidate to pass the SAS selection in the British Army history, earning him the reputation of a perpetual FNG.[2]

For his first mission, Soap joined Price's Bravo Team, traveling to the Bering Strait to secure a cargo manifest for potential WMDs. While Soap retrieved the manifest, but the vessel was scuttled by Russian aircrafts forcing the team to leave. Being the last to exfil, Soap almost fell to his death if not for Price pulling him to safety. Soap felt indebted to Price ever since. After this mission, Soap continued to carry out covert and overt operations worldwide.[2]

Soap later received a Gallantry Medal, the Victoria Cross, and the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross after an operation in Urzikstan during which his patrol was attacked by Al-Qatala. After the heavy machine gun malfunctioned, Soap stripped the weapon and reassembled it before firing 150 single shots, re-cocking the gun for every round. Soap claimed however that "any and all of his comrades would have done the same thing".[2]

In 2016, Soap almost faced disciplinary action for punching a Military Police officer, knocking him out and locking him in his own vehicle. No charge were filed to avoid embarrassment for the officer.[2]

Encountering Makarov

On April 6, 2019, Soap was deployed to Verdansk, Kastovia, alongside Price and several other SAS operatives, to stop Vladimir Makarov and his Inner Circle crew from terrorizing Verdansk Stadium. Makarov was captured and taken to a helicopter, where Soap, Price, Simon "Ghost" Riley and US General Herschel Shepherd interrogated him, before realizing his real target was the airport, which saw numerous explosions shortly after. Angered, Soap attempted to kill Makarov, but Price stopped him from doing so.

Task Force 141

Following the death of General Roman Barkov in November 2019, and under the oversight of General Shepherd, Price established a new joint operations task force called Task Force 141 with the help of CIA Station Chief Kate Laswell. Soap was handpicked for this new task force by Price, alongside Ghost and Gaz.

Death of Victor Zakhaev

Following the fall of Armistice in Verdansk due to Victor Zakhaev's actions, Task Force 141 was charged to hunt the Ultranationalist who remained hidden in the Kastovian city. After having tracked his location, Price caught Zakhaev and neutralized him before he could launch an ICBM towards the United States. Although Soap wasn't directly involved with the death of Zakhaev, he was still in the region and contacted Price not long after as "things were heating up" outside the city.

At some point, Task Force 141 returned to Bunker 11 in Verdansk, where they found that Zakhaev's body was gone. Though he was declared dead, rumors began to circulate about his survival.

Dark Aether Saga

Joining Operation Deadbolt

Several months after the events in Verdansk, in 2021, Zakhaev turned up in Zaravan, Urzikstan, where he unleashed a zombie incursion after breaking open a vial of Aetherium. Soap was called on to investigate the incursion, as part of Operation Deadbolt, working alongside Laswell, former Spetsnaz captain Sergei Ravenov and SSO Selma Greene. Soap often oversaw Operators working for the faction, tackling Terminus Outcomes resources, such as their weapon stashes, and their bases, in order to weaken their foothold on the city.

Shortly after joining the operation, Soap discussed with Laswell regarding the inclusion of Ravenov, whose records were heavily redacted with barely any identifiable details. Fearing a possible liability, Soap asked for permission to handle Ravenov at his own discretion, should the worst case scenario happen. Laswell approved for him to do so. Later, while training at a firing range, Soap and Ravenov had a friendly banter, ending with a competition, allowing Soap to slightly warm up to Ravenov.

Recruiting Ava Jansen

Eventually, Deadbolt operators found encrypted messages from one of Zakhaev's associates, Doctor Ava Jansen, who wished to be extracted from Zaravan. After the Deadbolt strike team rescued Jansen, she was interrogated by Soap, Ravenov, and Greene. Jansen offered her services to Deadbolt, and suggested they build an Aetherium neutralizer device in order to stop Zakhaev's plan. An operation to test-run the neutralizer was later performed, with Soap partaking and providing background support. Though the test was a success, Jansen requested for more time and resources to improve the neutralizer, as it only worked on flawed Aetherium at the time.

Stopping Zakhaev Once More

Deadbolt operators managed to acquire Oskar Strauss' Aetherium research from Terminus warlord "Legacy" Baranov, which helped Jansen finish her development on the neutralizer. Later, the strike team was deployed alongside the neutralizer to Zakhaev's Aetherium refining facility, where they activated the device, which attracted an Aether Worm, Orcus, to the site. Ultimately, Orcus was killed, and Zakhaev's plan was foiled, though Jansen was briefly exposed to a Dark Aether rift. Soap went on-site to confirm Zakhaev's disappearance, and affirmed that they would capture him eventually.

Rescuing Jansen

At one point, Jansen was reported missing from Deadbolt's facility, prompting Soap to carry out a thorough search. She was tracked to Zaravan, where she entered a Dark Aether rift. Soap issued an order to the strike team to extract Jansen and return safely, with "no exceptions".

Operation [REDACTED]

On May 22, 2022, Soap was deployed to Zaravan once more, accompanied by operators Manoel "Hammer" and Void, to investigate a chemical bomb threat in Popov Power. Despite their attempt to defuse the bomb, it was too late to be stopped, and the operators had to escape before the bombs detonated, with unknown casualties. Later, Soap learned that there were additional bombs placed in Tokyo and Paris.[Canonical?] Valeria informed Task Force 141 that the missile was on an oil rig in the ocean, prompting them to infiltrate it alongside Graves and Shadow Company troops to find the missile and controls. Soap and Ghost swept the rig, but the missile controls were actually on the ship, leading Soap and Graves to go to the ship by boat and push up to the bridge through the containers. They managed to clear the bridge, and Soap and Graves found the missile control set just as the missile started launching, but with Graves' instructions, Soap managed to make the missile hit the oil rig, with the oil rig team escaping just in time.

Betrayed

As the team returned to Fuerzas Especiales HQ, Graves announced a hostile takeover of the HQ on Shepherd's orders, with the Vaqueros in the base detained. A firefight broke out, with Ghost and an injured Soap escaping while Alejandro was captured. Later, under Ghost's remote instructions, Soap recovered and managed to evade Shadow Company troops, before reuniting with him and escaping to Alejandro's safehouse. The two met with Alejandro's second-in-command, Rodolfo Parra, and discuss their plan to break into the prison.

After making their plans to extract Alejandro and Los Vaqueros, Soap, Ghost and Rudy infiltrated the prison. They managed to free the Vaqueros and escape, with the help of Price and Gaz. The team was then informed of the truth behind Shadow Company's betrayal by Laswell.

Stopping Graves and Hassan

Task Force 141 and Los Vaqueros formed a new joint group, JTF - Ghost Team, and launched an assault on the Fuerza Especiales HQ. Soap and Rodolfo eventually caught up with Graves, who commandeered a tank to kill both of them. Using explosives and other equipment on the training grounds, Soap managed to destroy the tank, believing that Graves perished along with it.

After the team retrieved Valeria, she revealed that Hassan was in Chicago with the last missile. Task Force 141 bade farewell to Alejandro and the Vaqueros, and headed to Chicago to stop Hassan once and for all. Soap, Price and Gaz infiltrated the building where Hassan was located, while Ghost provided overwatch. The missile launched to their dismay, heading toward Washington. Eventually, the team caught up to Hassan, and Soap grabbed the control case and hid from Hassan and Al-Qatala forces. With Laswell's help, Soap stopped the missile, but Hassan grabbed him and almost executed him before Ghost intervened by sniping him from afar.

Some times later, while celebrating in a bar, Laswell informed Task Force 141 that the Ultranationalists were behind the attack on Shadow Company that resulted in the missiles being stolen. Price quickly identified Makarov as their leader.

Makarov's Revenge

On November 10th, 2023, as Task Force 141 reached their designated jumping point for an unknown mission, Laswell radioed Price, telling him that Makarov had escaped. Price ordered the pilot to turn around and bring Task Force 141 back to base.

Nuclear Power Plant Attack

On the same day, Soap alongside with other members of Task Force 141 were deployed to a nuclear power plant in Urzikstan after Konni forces were spotted converging to the plant. Soap and Gaz were tasked with securing the perimeter, while Price and Ghost recce the plant. There, Task Force 141 engaged with Konni forces and found out that they were trying to transport containers of Sarin gas - a remnant of Barkov's program. Despite the Task Force's best effort, Konni was still able to get away with the gas, and Price nearly lost his life while trying to prevent them from doing so.

Securing the missile

Thanks to the trackers that were planted on the missile containers by Farah, Laswell was able to track it back to an abandoned bunker complex in Urzistan. Prompting the Task Force to assault it in hopes of preventing the missiles from launching. The Task Force then divided their work, with Price rallying up with Farah while the rest of the Task Force sweep and clear the complex. While Laswell is going to Arklov Military Base, Verdansk to meet a contact who can help 141 in their search for Makarov. Price and Farah were able to stop one of the missiles from launching, but Soap, alongside with Ghost and Gaz failed to do so for the two remaining missiles, which were heading for the Arklov Military Base. Which made Price radioed Laswell in the blind.

Raid on Milena Romanova's private island

Following the meeting with General Shepherd, a temporary truce was forged between Task Force 141 and Shadow Company, as they worked together to find and kill Makarov although Soap was angry to discover that Graves survived the fighting in Las Almas. Shepherd then gave Laswell intel regarding Makarov's financier - Milena Romanova, who was located on a remote island with large security forces protecting her. Soap and Ghost then infiltrated the island to interrogate Milena and find out about Makarov's next move. Ghost provided overwatch while Soap worked his way around the security guards, eventually eliminating the HVT with the FOB Key, allowing Laswell to access the terminal which contained information about Romanova's bank accounts and the various dealings that happened on them.

Eventually, Soap and Ghost reached the door to Romanova's office, with the help from Laswell, they walked into Romanova's office and began to interrogate her, through the usage of financial interrogation, Romanova broke and told them the information that they wanted. Soap then thanked Romanova for the "good chat", as him and Ghost left the office, with Romanova cursing them as they left. reads: "Johnny 'Soap' MacTavish is a fearless, self assured and instinctive hard-charger. Perpetually known as the FNG, a moniker born of hazing and ribbing that has become a badge of honour as he remains the youngest candidate to pass SAS selection in Royal Army history.

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