Not much is known about Soap's early life except he was born Roman Catholic (as seen on his dog tags). He is from Scotland, implied by his distinctive accent and confirmed by the Scottish flag seen in the same cutscenes as his dog tags in Modern Warfare 3.
In the cutscene for Modern Warfare 3's mission "Stronghold", a combat knife holding up Soap's dog tags can be seen with the Latin "Per Mare, Per Terram" (By Sea, By Land) - the motto of the Royal Marines - scrolled on the blade suggesting he once served as a Royal Marine Commando (possibly in 45 Commando, based in Arbroath in the United Kingdom).
— An SAS trooper referring to "Soap" MacTavish while talking to Price.
"Soap" begins his SAS career hours before the six-day global war begins. Initially, Soap starts out as a Sergeant (unusual in that newcomers to the SAS are usually demoted to Trooper) fresh out of Selection. Whilst in the SAS's training camp in Credenhill, UK, Soap practices for the mission Crew Expendable, receiving a quick training session in weapons and techniques by fellow SAS member Gaz, before being introduced to Captain Price and the rest of Bravo Team. He is referred to as, "the F.N.G." by Gaz. After passing the C.Q.B. test, Soap is briefed on the mission to infiltrate and assault a cargo ship in the Bering Strait. On board the ship, they discover a nuclear bomb bound for Russia, though enemy MiGs interrupt their investigations, and Soap barely escapes with his life. In the process of escaping the doomed vessel, Soap was forced to leap for the ramp of the team's helicopter, just as it was beginning to fly away. However, he lost his grip and, mere seconds before he was bound to fall off the vehicle, was rescued by Captain Price.
Upon completing the mission, Soap, Price and Gaztravel to the Caucasus Mountains in Russia to extract the informant who supplied them with the intelligence for the cargo ship, a man codenamed "Nikolai". Working in close conjunction with Russian government Loyalists led by Sergeant Kamarov, they successfully locate and extract Nikolai from the battle zone, though their helicopter is shot down by an Ultranationalist surface-to-air missile. Bravo Team, Nikolai and another SAS operator are forced to fight their way through enemy lines, before being provided with support from an AC-130H Spectre Gunship, call-signed "Wildfire." They are extracted by helicopters under cover of heavy air support from Wildfire.
Soap's next mission with Bravo Team would take him to Azerbaijan, clearing through an abandoned village in search of Khaled Al-Asad. Upon locating him, Soap witnessed Al-Asad's interrogation and execution at the hands of Captain Price, learning that Imran Zakhaev had been Al-Asad's weapons supplier. The next day, it appears Soap was designated the team's support man, being equipped with both an M249 and M21 sniper rifle. He was placed in charge of covering the team's retreat with the Minigun from a downed Black Hawk (destroying several UltranationalistHelicopters in the process) and detonating the explosive charges placed at Phase Line Bravo. Afterwards, he was the point man when the squad had to backtrack to the lower part of the village due to heavy coverage of Anti Aircraft weapons in the vicinity. Following this, Soap and the rest of Bravo Team were extracted by US Marines led by Staff Sergeant Griggs.
MacTavish's final mission in the Russian civil war saw him infiltrating Russia as part of the joint task force of US Marines and SAS operators in order to eliminate Imran Zakhaev's nuclear capability. After grouping with US forces, Soap and his allies proceeded to enter a Ultranationalist outpost and secure it, as part of plan to capture Zakhaev's son, Victor Zakhaev. After a few hours, a convoy arrives in the outpost, led by Victor himself. Bravo Team, disguised as Russian guards, allow Victor to enter the facility, though quickly reveal their true intentions and attack his forces. During the battle that followed, Soap and Griggs provided sniper support for the rest of the team from a high tower. However, Victor Zakhaev rams his jeep into one of the legs of the tower, sending it tumbling to the ground, providing the perfect distraction to get away. Stunned, Soap was unable to take down Victor before he could get away. After chasing him through a small village, and a five story building, Soap and the rest of the team corner Victor. Knowing there's no where to run and unwilling to be captured, Victor committed suicide before Soap could take away his weapon.
Angered at his son's death, Zakhaev threatened to launch nuclear missiles at the East Coast of America if US and British forces did not withdraw from Russia. In order to handicap Zakhaev's nuclear threat, Soap, Price, Gaz, Griggs, and several other SAS members parachuted into the Altay Mountains in order to reach his launch facility. However, their mission was delayed by Griggs' separation and subsequent capture. After eventually locating and recovering him, Soap planted a set of C4 on a power tower, destroying the electricity supply to the facility. Following this, the team regrouped with US snipers before witnessing a double nuclear missile launch at Zakhaev's hands. Entering the facility, the team furiously fought against time to reach the launch control center, and eventually deactivated the missiles. However, the team was unable to prevent Zakhaev's escape, and he managed to depart the facility before anything could be done. The group then attempted to escape, with Soap provided all-around covering fire for their jeep as they made their way to the extraction site. However, Zakhaev's Mi-24 Hind damaged the bridge, forcing Soap and his companions to fight their way on their own.
Fighting fiercely at the bridge in a massive penultimate battle, Soap was thrown to the ground and severely injured by an exploding oil truck. He was pulled into cover by Sgt. Griggs, moments before Griggs himself was killed. He then watched helplessly as Imran Zakhaev and his bodyguards executed Gaz and two other SAS operatives. Just as all hope seemed lost, a Loyalist Mi-28 gunship destroyed the UltranationalistMi-24 Hind, forcing Zakhaev and his henchmen to turn away their attention from Soap and open fire on the helicopter. A heavily wounded Price slid Soap his M1911 pistol, which Soap used to kill Zakhaev and two of his bodyguards.
Moments later, Loyalist forces flooded the scene and Kamarov came to Soap's aid, placing him onto a stretcher, assuring him that he will be alright. Soap passed out during the middle of extraction, though survived his wounds alongside Price.
As seen in his journal (within the Hardened Edition of Modern Warfare 3), Soap recuperated in Russia and began to suffer from PTSD, believing it was his fault that Griggs, Gaz and the others had died in the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare mission "Game Over" feeling guilty that he had survived. He does take some comfort in having killed Zakhaev, saying it makes it worthwhile. He was also under the impression that Price had perished alongside the others.
Nikolai tried to console his friend by bringing women and friends to comfort him further but it didn't do much; he found himself pushing his body harder and harder to become stronger and continue the fight and obsessing over Price's M1911 pistol.
On return to Credenhill, MacTavish began running the Obstical course with selection candidates and began to enjoy it because it took his mind off what had happened, spending most of his time in an exhausted daze fueled further by morphine.
In his spare time, he started to go to the race courses because Price loved it, but it only made him feel empty saying "Even if [his horse, MacGregor] had won, jumped the fence, done a 360°, and kicked the queen in the face, I can't say would've flinched". After this, he bought a box of Villa Clara's, Price's favourite cigars, commenting that Price had "good taste".
Soon after, U.S. General Shepherd contacted Soap and asked him to lead an elite task force to kill Makarov. Soap took an instant liking to Shepherd, seeing resemblances between himself and the General. Thus MW2's storyline begins.
On October 8th, 2013, a joint Task Force 141/Delta Force operation codenamed Operation Kingfish was launched, with just Price, Soap, Simon "Ghost" Riley, and Delta Operator Sandman.
By 2016, MacTavish had become the task force's field commander, leading the 141's operations with Lieutenant Simon "Ghost" Riley and Sergeant Gary "Roach" Sanderson under his command. MacTavish evidently did not reveal his SAS nickname to any of the members, hinted in the mission "The Gulag" where Price is rescued by the Task Force 141 and exclaims "Soap?", followed by Worm asking, "Who's Soap?".
When the Russians get their hands on a downed US satellite, MacTavish and Sanderson are sent to infiltrate a Russian airbase to recover an ACS module within the Tian Shan mountain range in Kazakhstan. After scaling the mountain and sneaking through base, the two recover the module inside a hangar. However, they are quickly compromised by Major Petrov and his forces. MacTavish tells Roach to go to Plan B. In a daring escape, Roach and MacTavish fight their way out of the base and commandeer snowmobiles, leading to a thrilling chase down the mountainside to the awaiting evacuation team.
Shortly after the mission in Kazakhstan, MacTavish led Task Force 141 into Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to captureRojas, an arms dealer who had supplied the Russian terrorist Vladimir Makarov during his assault on Zakhaev International Airport. While Soap and Ghost interrogated Rojas' right-hand man, Roach and two other task force members (Royce & Meat) went into the favela in search of Rojas. The two are killed in the fighting, leaving Roach to tackle the favela by himself. Roach fights his way through, eventually linking up with MacTavish and Ghost, whom have just captured Rojas. However, they only managed to learn from
Rojas is that Makarov has a strong hatred for Prisoner 627 in a Russian gulag.
Due to the surprise invasion of the United States, the airspace around Brazil is locked down, leaving the task force stranded in the middle of enemy territory. In order to escape, MacTavish calls in Nikolai, whom Soap had saved during the events of the Second Russian Civil War. Surrounded by militia, the task force fights its way to a market, where Nikolai was supposed to pick them up in a helicopter. However, due to the fire from the militia he is forced to the secondary extraction point. During the escape, Roach is nearly left behind when he falls off a rooftop. However, he makes his way back to the top, militia in tow, and makes it aboard the helicopter.
Shortly after being extracted from South America, the Navy SEALs and Task Force 141 initiated a two-stage operation. The first stage being to secure a modified oil platform in order to disable SAM sites on the platform, and the second phase to infiltrate the prison itself. After infiltrating the prison, MacTavish led his troops through the Russian gulag, and eventually reach Prisoner 627, who turns out to be none other than Captain Price. Although Price is at first hostile towards Roach (thinking that HE was one of the Russians), he rejoins after recognizing Soap, and the squad manages to extract (via SPIE rig) from the gulag before it explodes. During this time, MacTavish returns Price's M1911 pistol he used to kill Imran Zakhaev five years ago.
Task Force 141 then headed into Petropavlovsk, Russia, seemingly on a mission to destroy a submarine. During the course of the mission, Roach facilitated Price's infiltration inside a submarine by providing Predator drone support. However, in a sudden twist of events, Price used the submarine to launch a nuclear missile, using it as an EMP to hinder the Russian's attack on America.
After the events of the nuclear launch, Task Force 141 was split up to investigate two locations, with Price and MacTavish investigating an arms deal in Afghanistan, while Ghost and Roach and the bulk of the task force investigate one of Makarov's safe-houses in Russia. Price and MacTavish are attacked by Shepherd's men and attempt to warn Ghost and Roach, only to be too late in the process. Soap and Price manage to escape the aircraft graveyard with the help of Nikolai while getting some intelligence from Makarov, focusing on killing Shepherd.
Fifteen years prior to the events of Modern Warfare, or 2011, Price held the rank of Lieutenant in the 22nd SAS Regiment, and was under the command of Captain MacMillan on a covert operation to assassinate Imran Zakhaev near Chernobyl/Pripyat, Ukraine. While Price was believed to have killed Zakhaev with an M82, Zakhaev survived with a severed arm. The duo were then swarmed by Zakhaev's forces, and in the ensuing firefight, MacMillan was crippled by a falling Mi-28 helicopter. Price carried Macmillan to the extraction point, where they were rescued after holding their ground against Ultranationalists. Captain Price in a Black Hawk helicopter during the mission Crew Expendable.
In the events of Modern Warfare, Price held the rank of Captain and led a SAS squad, designated "Bravo Team", from the Bering Strait to Russia, to Azerbaijan and finally back to Russia. Under his command throughout the events were Gaz and then-Sgt. "Soap" MacTavish, in addition to others such as Mac, Arem, Barton, Wallcroft and Griffen.
"The package is aboard a medium freighter. Estonian registration number 52775. There is a small crew and security detail onboard."
— Price briefing the troops before the mission.
After meeting MacTavish, Bravo Team assaults a cargo ship containing a nuclear device. Price is puzzled to see that there is Arabic writing on the container, and as he signals the chopper for extraction of the container, the boat is fired upon by MiG-29 fighters. They are then forced to escape to the helicopter as the boat starts to sink. As they reach the helicopter and jump for safety, Soap almost slips off, but Price grabs him just in time, saving him from falling to his death.
"Nikolai's in hell right now. We're gonna walk him out."
— Price to Gaz before rescuing Nikolai.
Their next mission takes them to Russia, where they work with Sgt. Kamarov's loyalists to rescue their informant Nikolai. Kamarov kept delaying the SAS team with the hope that their assistance would help him retake the village from the Ultranationalists, but acquiesces and reveals the informant's location when threatened by Gaz. Price and Soap then storm the house Nikolai is held hostage in. Inside, when the power is cut by Gaz, they kill Ultranationalists Viktor and Sasha, and three others before they get Nikolai.
"Let's top the bastards before they kill the old man."
— Price before saving the farmer.
They extract Nikolai on a chopper, only to get shot down. They fight their way to the extraction point. Along the way they save the life of an Old Farmer. They then make their way to the evacuation helicopters with the help of an AC-130H Spectre.
After receiving some valuable intel from Nikolai, Price leads the team to Azerbaijan to capture Khaled Al-Asad after he set off a nuclear device concealed in his capital city, killing thousands of marines. The team fights their way through his defenses and captures Al-Asad inside his safehouse, where Price tortures him for info. Price then learns that Imran Zakhaev is still alive and executes Al-Asad. Price tells the rest of the team about his past mission to assassinate Zakhaev. The team is then extracted by a unit of Force Recon Marines led by SSgt. Griggs.
"Zakhaev's son. Commander of the Ultranationalist forces in the field. Rotten apple doesn't fall far from the tree. The Loyalist, Kamarov, has got a location on the kid."
— Price telling Griggs of his plan.
After escaping the Ultranationalists, Price leads a joint task force (SAS, Marines, Loyalists) in capturingVictor Zakhaev. This mission takes them through an abandoned city in Russia and through a 5 story building. Price orders Soap to take Zakhaev's weapon and restrain him. The mission fails when Victor Zakhaev commits suicide before Soap can comply.
15,000 Nukes at Stake"They've started a bloody countdown! Zakhaev's gonna launch the remaining missiles!"
— Price to his team.
Victor's death deeply affects Imran Zakhaev who threatens to launch missiles at the United States, but Imran still launches them. The SAS and Marines then fight through the facility, deactivating the nukes.
Chased by Imran ZakhaevCaptain Price slides his M1911 .45 to Soap in the mission "Game Over". The screenshot itself, however, is from the reveal trailer of Modern Warfare 2.
After deactivating the Nukes, Price, Gaz, Griggs and Soap are chased on a highway in trucks, but an enemy Hind takes out the bridge. A tanker truck blows up, badly wounding Price and the others. Griggs and Gaz are killed but Price managed to slide his M1911 to MacTavish, who kills Zakhaev and his bodyguards when they are distracted by the arrival of a Loyalist helicopter gunship. Afterwards, a Russian medic can be seen trying, seemingly in vain, to revive Price, but Soap and Price are taken to a Russian hospital. Despite the best efforts of the combined U.S and British strike team, the Ultranationalists managed to withstand the loss of Zakhaev and eventually succeed in gaining power in Russia.
Reassigned to Task Force 141 and Operation KingfishEdit
Sometime after healing from their wounds sustained from the Zakhaev incident, both Price and MacTavish were reassigned to General Shepherd's newly formed-elite unit, Task Force 141. Acting as the field commander for the regiment Price led his new unit on countless covert operations with the key goal of capturing/killing Vladimir Makarov, who by that time had established himself as the new leader of a terrorist cell of Ultranationalist party in the wake of Zakhaev's death.
On October 8, 2013 Price led a joint Task Force 141/Delta Force operation codenamed Operation Kingfish, to raid an Ultranationalist base in Ukraine suspected to house Makarov. With just Price, "Soap" MacTavish, Simon "Ghost" Riley, and Delta Operator Sandman. However, at some point after Operation Kingfish, Price was captured by Ultranationalist forces and incarcerated in a brutal Russian gulag. Unable to recover him, Task Force 141 had MacTavish replace Price as the unit's field commander.
Price would remain imprisoned in the establishment until 2016, where he was rescued by Task Force 141 when they attacked the site to recover him. Initially, after being discovered, Price pointed an AK-47 at Roach's face, but after recognizing MacTavish, he relents and joins the unit and MacTavish returns the M1911Price pointing his AK-47 at Roach. In 'The Gulag' pistol used to kill Zakhaev in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (when Soap returns the pistol, he says "This belongs to you, sir.", a reference to the first Modern Warfare). After his rescue from the gulag, Price is reinstated into the Task Force and reprises his role as a Captain, being present in Task Force 141's mission briefings.
"Do not trust Shepherd! I say again, do not trust Shepherd!"
— Price warning Ghost of Shepherd's betrayal, but he is too late.
Price later investigates an arms deal in Afghanistan with MacTavish, only to be attacked by Shepherd's men. Price attempts to warn Ghost and Roach about Shepherd, only to figure out that they were killed by Shepherd. Intent on revenge Price asks Makarov for intel on Shepherd's location, on the premise that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend". Makarov gives up information that Shepherd uses Site Hotel Bravo, and 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." Price and MacTavish evacuate the aircraft graveyard with the help of Nikolai.
Price preparing to engage Shadow Company 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. They find themselves fighting Shadow Company. They stealthily infiltrate and then fight their way through the facility. After Shepherd discovers their presence, he orders a danger close airstrike on the base, intending to kill them at the cost of his own men. Soap and Price survive and pursue Shepherd on a Zodiac through a river.
Price eventually shoots down Shepherd'sPave Low, but the Zodiac he and MacTavish are on falls down a waterfall. MacTavish is separated from Price and attempts to kill Shepherd with his knife, only for Shepherd to counter the attack and stab MacTavish with his own knife. Just as Shepherd is about to kill MacTavish, Price tackles Shepherd, engaging him in a lengthy hand-to-hand fight. Price is overpowered by Shepherd and close to being beaten to death, but is saved when MacTavish pulls the knife out of his stomach and throws it at Shepherd's eye, killing the treacherous general. Price wakes up and starts to patch up Soap's injuries as much as he can. The two are then evacuated by Nikolai, who informs them of a potential hiding place. During the course of the betrayal, Price and MacTavish are labeled as wanted war criminals.
Shortly after his victory over General Shepherd, Soap's recent wounds had him slowly dying on the trip to Nikolai's safehouse in India. To make matters worse, a large group of Makarov's men assaulted the safehouse in an attempt to kill the remnants of Task Force 141. Soap's survival would not have happened had it not been for the actions of Price, Nikolai, and newfound ally Yuri during the events of Persona Non Grata.
Months after Soap's recovery, Price leads Soap and Yuri on missions in Sierra Leone and Somalia in pursuit of Makarov. In Back on the Grid, the group follows up on Yuri's suspicions about Makarov's weapon shipments in Sierra Leone, and learn that the recent cargo Makarov's men retrieved were chemical weapons being shipped to Paris, Berlin, and London. Price covertly sends a transmission to London to warn MacMillan about the chemical weapons, only for it to arrive too late. Shortly after the wave of chemical attacks, Price convinced MacMillan to aid him as a personal favor for Pripyat. The intelligence MacMillan leads the team to a local warlord in Somalia during the events of Return to Sender, where Soap assists Price in interrogating a local warlord on intel about Makarov. The intelligence facilitates Team Metal's apprehension of Volk during the events of Bag and Drag and Iron Lady.
The acquired intelligence from Team Metal leads Price, Soap, and Yuri to Makarov's location in Prague during the events of Eye of the Storm and Blood Brothers. With aid from Kamarov, Price, Soap, and Yuri use the distraction of the local resistance to their advantage to reach their assigned spots at the Hotel Lustig. Price would infiltrate the Hotel Lustig while Soap and Yuri provide cover with their sniper rifles. However, Makarov caught wind of the assassination attempt and detonates the bombs planted on Kamarov and the church Soap and Yuri were occupying in. Price rushes over to Yuri and Soap, with Price personally carrying Soap to safety while Yuri escorted the two. Price vainly attempts to prevent Soap's bleeding while screaming for a medic only to learn from his squadmate that Makarov knew Yuri before dying. Enraged, Price threatens to execute Yuri feeling betrayed, only to relent when he learns of Yuri's former role with the Ultranationalists. Price barely keeps the alliance with Yuri, even begrudging Yuri during the events of Stronghold.
Yuri gives Price the location of a potential headquarters located in a fortress in Prague. However, during their infiltration, they instead find intelligence that Makarov's men found Boris Vorshevsky's daughter in Berlin. The pair relay the intelligence to Team Metal shortly after the base's destruction. Despite Team Metal's efforts, the daughter was kidnapped and tracked to a diamond mine in Siberia during Down the Rabbit Hole. At this point, Price and Yuri conduct a joint operation with Team Metal in saving the Vorshevskys. They are successful in the extraction, but Team Metal perishes in the process from the collapsing of a mine, facilitating a wounded Yuri's extraction. Despite this, Yuri and Price's efforts have ensured peace talks between the United States and Russia.
Despite the end of the war, Price scours the Earth for Makarov until at last discovering his location: the Hotel Oasis, situated in the Arabian Peninsula. With the aid of Nikolai, the Juggernaut armor-clad Price and Yuri instigate a two-man assault on the hotel, fighting their way through Makarov's men. Once the two reach the top of the tower, Yuri is impaled by rebar when an Mi-24 Hind destroys the top floor. Yuri tells Price to move on. When Makarov attempts to escape in his personal AH-6 Little Bird, Price makes it to the rooftop and leaps on board, killing both pilots and crash landing the helicopter into the building's glass ceiling. Makarov stumbles away from the wreckage and attempts to execute an injured Price, only for Yuri to intervene. Makarov immediately retaliates and kills Yuri. While Makarov is distracted, Price to knocks him down and begins bludgeoning his face. Price eventually notices a cable from the Little Bird laying on the ground next to Makarov's head. Price ties it around Makarov's neck and sends them both through the cracked glass roof. Price lands in a hot tub while Makarov strangles. Watching Makarov's lifeless corpse, Price three times attempts to light a cigar and finally smokes it, winding down from the battle as police arrive at the scene