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Note: Credit to the Metal Gear Wiki.
Biography
Early years
Born in 1935, Jack’s military career dated back to the 1950s, becoming The Boss' disciple in June 1950, and fighting in the Korean War. The Boss taught Jack extensively regarding combat, weaponry, survival, espionage, destruction, psychology and foreign languages (such as Russian), later developing CQC together. Through the experience, Jack grew to hold The Boss in great respect and reverence, viewing her not only as a mentor, but also as a parental figure of sorts. They went their separate ways on June 12, 1959.
In 1954, Jack was involved in the Bikini Atoll test of the first airborne detonation of a hydrogen bomb. Unlike most of his friends present during the test, Jack did not develop symptoms of leukemia, thyroid cancer, or radiation poisoning, but was rendered sterile.
Prior to August 1964, Jack served in the Green Berets for several years. By late 1964, he had become experienced at sniping in urban and marine environments, and had eaten snakes during previous survival training exercises, feats which would prove useful in future missions. By this time, Jack had also been awarded various commendations, including the Army Achievement Ribbon, the Good Conduct Ribbon, Defense Distinguished Service Ribbon, Korean Service Ribbon, a ribbon that resembles the Vietnam Service Ribbon, and the Distinguished Service Cross Ribbon, along with several others.
Virtuous Mission
On August 24, 1964, under the command of Major Zero, the supervision of The Boss, and the assistance of Para-Medic, Jack took part in the Virtuous Mission as a member of the CIA's FOX Unit, in which he was to rescue defecting Soviet scientist Nikolai Stepanovich Sokolov. Operating under the codename "Naked Snake," he infiltrated the Soviet region of Tselinoyarsk after undertaking the world's first High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) jump. Evading KGB troops in the region, Snake successfully made contact with Sokolov and escorted him to safety, following a brief battle with Major Ocelot of GRU. Before he knocked the defeated Ocelot unconscious, Snake complimented the young officer on his gun-fighting skills, but suggested that his rather flashy style was better suited to revolvers than pistols. As Snake escorted Sokolov back to the extraction point, the professor explained to him that the Soviet government had forced him to work on a new revolutionary weapon, the Shagohod. Fearing the destructive power of this weapon, Sokolov begged Snake to make sure to warn his government about its existence and see to its destruction.
However, the mission ended in failure with the surprise defection of The Boss, and Snake was injured during a confrontation with her, in which he was thrown from a rope bridge. Sokolov was taken by The Boss' COBRA Unit as a gift for the rogue GRU colonel Yevgeny Borisovitch Volgin. The Boss also personally gave Volgin a stole Davy Crockett Weapon System, along with two American nuclear warheads. Volgin immediately decided to test out his new weapon, by blowing up Sokolov's test facility, with the injured Snake witnessing the explosion up close as he waited for his emergency extraction.
Operation Snake Eater
Following his rescue, Snake was placed in an advanced intensive care unit where he was interrogated by agents of the U.S. Government, regarding The Boss's defection. A week later, Zero showed up at to the infirmary ward where Snake was kept in custody, and briefed him on the situation. The government had at first been planning to use them as scapegoats for the failed mission by charging both of them with high treason for their connection to The Boss, but had dropped the idea due to more pressing matters arising. Volgin's detonation of the nuclear warhead had created an international incident, as Soviet intelligence had detected both the explosion and the American plane that had delivered Snake in the area, and now the Soviet government were demanding an explanation. The Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev, was personally willing to believe that a rogue element of his intelligence service had been behind the detonation, but had pointed out that without any substantial evidence to back this claim, he would be unable to convince his cabinet and the Soviet army, who were both pressing for a nuclear retaliation against the Americans, of the U.S. government's innocence in the matter. Khrushchev was able to buy the Americans a week to find the evidence, but warned that failure to do so would in all probability trigger a full-scale nuclear war. So instead, the U.S. government now had an offer for Snake and Zero. They would both be cleared of any involvement in the defection under the condition that Snake, again under Zero's command, would return to Tselinoyarsk, eliminate The Boss, destroy the Shagohod, and recover Sokolov and the remaining nuclear warhead. This mission was designated Operation Snake Eater. For his support team, Para-Medic was once again signed on, along with the new member "Sigint", a technology and weapons expert.
Despite not having completely recovered from his previous injuries, Snake was redeployed to Tselinoyarsk via a D-21 drone prototype. Zero briefed him on the way, telling that his first order of business was to meet up with a contact with the codename ADAM, an American mole in the KGB. Unbeknownst to him, however, he was secretly being followed by XOF commander Skull Face, who had been ordered to follow, assist and clean up after Snake. Shortly after his landing, The Boss appeared before him on a white horse. Snake demanded an explanation for her actions, but she refused to provide one, and instead disarmed him with ease, dismantled his gun, and destroyed the D-21 prototype. Unbeknownst to Snake, also she used this opportunity to plant a transmitter on his person so she could keep track of his movements. The Boss then told him to leave the area, saying she would have to kill him if he persisted in following her, before riding away.
Undeterred, Snake continued to where he was scheduled to meet with ADAM, but he instead met a mysterious woman who identified herself as EVA and claimed to be ADAM's partner. She provided him with a new gun, intel on Sokolov's whereabouts – telling him that he was held at Graniny Gorki, a Soviet research plant in the area – and a scientist disguise to help him infiltrate the base. Though Snake was wary towards EVA to begin with, as she failed to give him the correct countersign to prove her identity, he became convinced that she was on his side when she helped him to fight off another attack from Ocelot, who attempted to enact revenge on Snake for his humiliating defeat during the Virtuous Mission. He did, however, also prevent EVA from shooting the fleeing Ocelot, allegedly because he was "still young," although he had actually taken a liking to him.
Making it to Graniny Gorki, Snake donned his scientist disguise and infiltrated the complex. As he searched for Sokolov, he came across the bitter Soviet scientist Aleksandr Leonovitch Granin, Sokolov's professional rival, who drunkenly told him about the prototype designs for Metal Gear he was working on and how he planned to share them with a friend in America as revenge against his superiors for not appreciating his work. Granin also told Snake of the Philosophers' Legacy, and explained that it was responsible for making Volgin as wealthy and powerful as he was. When Granin learned that Snake was an American agent and on a mission to extract Sokolov, he happily told him that Sokolov was actually being held at the military compound of Groznyj Grad where he was being forced to continue his work on the Shagohod, and then handed him a key card that would help him gain entry to the fortress, in the hopes that Snake would succeed in his mission and that having Sokolov out of the way would help him advance his own career.
During his trek through Tselinoyarsk, Snake fought and defeated various members of The Boss's COBRA Unit, including The Pain, The Fear, The End, and ultimately The Fury. He also had another run-in with Ocelot, who challenged him to a gun duel at the Bolshaya Past crevice, which ended inconclusively when Ocelot fled the scene after noticing one of The Pain's hornets scouting the area. Faced with having to infiltrate the Groznyj Grad fortress, in order to locate Sokolov and get closer to the Shagohod, Snake was told to incapacitate the GRU officer, Ivan Raidenovitch Raikov, who was Volgin's secret lover, and steal his uniform in order to infiltrate the base. Snake's infiltration attempt did, however, fail when he happened to run into Volgin, who saw through Snake's disguise, resulting in his capture after losing another hand-to-hand encounter with The Boss.
Snake awakened with a bag over his head in an interrogation room to the sounds of Sokolov's apparent death at Volgin's hands. Volgin then turned his attention to Snake, repeatedly hitting him and electrocuting him with his lightning powers, while demanding to know the details of his mission and if he had any accomplices. When Snake refused to break, The Boss stepped and tried to convince Volgin that his attempts were in vain as she had personally trained Snake to never give in to torture, but a frustrated Volgin instead intensified the torture while asking Snake if he was after the Philosophers' Legacy he had in his possession, before telling him that he had hidden the Legacy in an underground vault in Groznyj Grad, so he would never get his hands on it. During the torture, a transmitter fell from Snake's body. When Volgin demanded an explanation, The Boss claimed that she had planted it on him to track his movements. Volgin then demanded proof and that she and Snake were not colluding against him and asked her to cut out Snake's eyes. Before The Boss could so, however, EVA, in her disguise as Tatyana, intervened and demanded that they stop, causing Ocelot to step in and accuse her of being the spy who had aided Snake. He decided to settle the question with a game of Russian Roulette, and prepared to shoot EVA. Snake, attempting to protect EVA, bumped into Ocelot, causing the gun to discharge in his face, which saved her life at the cost of his own right eye. Satisfied with what had taken place, Volgin departed, telling a distraught EVA to join him in his room. Ocelot, meanwhile, congratulated Snake on surviving the torture and punched him in the back (unbeknownst to Snake, placing the transmitter on his body again), before also departing. The Boss, meanwhile, covertly handed Snake a gun and a fake death pill and told him to make his escape when he had the chance. Before the guards arrived to grab Snake, EVA leaned in on him and quickly explained her hidden escape route from Groznyj Grad, telling him to meet her in the sewers under the complex.
Back in his holding cell, Snake managed to outwit the prison guard, Johnny, and made his escape from Groznyj Grad. By sneaking into the sewers, Snake headed to the rendezvous site EVA had told him about to meet her there. EVA, however, radioed in to warn that his escape had been discovered and that the Ocelot Unit was hot on his heels. Trying to evade their pursuit, Snake found himself surrounded at a dead end where the sewer dropped off into a waterfall. Ocelot showed up once more, demanding that the unit did not interfere as he gloated about getting to enjoy his revenge and loaded his revolver with a single bullet. As Ocelot cycled through the empty chambers, Snake narrowly escaped by jumping from the waterfall and landing in the pool below, almost drowning in the process and suffering a near-death experience involving the deceased COBRA member, The Sorrow. Snake reunited with EVA behind a waterfall in Tikhogornyj, retrieved his equipment from her, and adopted the use of an eye patch. He returned to Groznyj Grad and successfully destroyed the Shagohod's hangar, eventually defeating Volgin and destroying the Shagohod itself.
Snake and EVA then made their way to Rokovoj Bereg to board a WIG that EVA had stashed away as an escape vehicle. With enemy soldiers still on their tail, EVA was severely injured in a motorcycle crash, needing to be escorted through Zaozyorje by Snake while maneuvering around a search team. Upon their arrival to the lake, however, The Boss was waiting, and she confronted Snake in a field of white flowers. She reminded him of his duty as a soldier, prior to engaging him in a final duel. To ensure that Snake would carry out his mission, The Boss radioed Russian fighters, who were only ten minutes away from their position, to begin bombing Rokovoj Bereg. She gave Snake some parting words, which would come to greatly shape his worldview and haunt him for the rest of his life:
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There is nothing more for me to give you. All that's left is for you to take my life by your own hand. One must die and one must live. No victory, no defeat. The survivor will carry on the fight. It is our destiny. The one who survives will inherit the title of Boss, and the one who inherits the title of Boss will face an existence of endless battle.
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~ The Boss to Naked Snake
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Snake fought his mentor with great reluctance, and after a fierce battle, his mastery of CQC now matching hers, he eventually incapacitated her. As Snake approached the injured Boss, she gave him the Philosophers' Legacy, explaining that she had stolen it from Volgin earlier, and told him to keep it safe. She then calmly gave him her gun and urged him to finish her off. Snake hesitantly obliged and pulled the trigger.
Snake and EVA then started to make their escape in the WIG, but before they could do so, they were once again confronted by Ocelot, as he used a flying platform to board the plane and challenge Snake to another fight. After an inconclusive fist fight, Ocelot instead suggested that he and Snake should settle it in a game that combined Russian roulette and quick draw, but not before they exchanged their real first names with each other (Adamska and John). After they both fired off their guns without killing each other, an amused Ocelot revealed that he had played a trick on Snake and that the bullet was a blank. He gave Snake a wry smile as he hinted they would probably meet again. He then jumped off the plane, allowing Snake and EVA to leave the area.
EVA and Snake eventually made their way to Galena, Alaska, where two sought refuge in an abandoned cabin, sharing together a night of tumultuous passion. As Snake awoke the next morning to find EVA had left him sometime during the night, having taken the Philosophers' Legacy with her, he also discovered a tape recording she had left behind for him before she abandoned him. In it she explained that she had never been the real EVA, but was actually a triple agent working for China. While under orders to kill anyone who knew this, she had nevertheless decided to spare his life, denying that she had done so because she had fallen in love with him, but instead because she had personally promised The Boss that she would keep him alive. She also told him the truth about The Boss' mission: namely, that The Boss had been a double agent all along, the U.S. government having staged her supposed deflection in an attempt to both steal the Philosophers' Legacy from Volgin and destroy the Shagohod in one fell swoop. However, as a result of Volgin's unanticipated decision to detonate one of the American nuclear warheads in a display that would destroy Sokolov's research facility, the U.S. was forced to go with a change in plans, having decided that sacrificing The Boss' life at the hands of Snake, her own favorite trainee and disciple, would be the best way of outwardly proving America's innocence to the Soviets. The Boss herself had agreed to this alteration of the original plan, willingly giving up her life and reputation to save both her country and the world from nuclear war, all the while knowing that history would later remember her both as a traitor and a war criminal.
Snake eventually rendezvoused with the U.S. government, and was lauded for his efforts. In a ceremony at Langley Air Force Base, Snake was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the codename of "Big Boss" by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Meanwhile, members of the government talked about his great skills as both a soldier and agent, considering that he might be the right man to train and head a new unit of other people with his abilities.
The newly-christened Big Boss, however, found no feeling of pride or accomplishment in the whole affair. Having learned the true nature behind Operation Snake Eater, he only felt shame. When Zero tried to congratulate him, Big Boss was unable to look him in the eye, and quietly left the ceremony.
As he stood over The Boss' anonymous grave at Arlington National Cemetery, Big Boss came to the conclusion that he had lost sight of what he was fighting for, and with it his patriotism for his country. Because of this, as well as his blaming himself for allowing it to happen, he retired from FOX.
Post-Snake Eater
In 1970, Big Boss officially formed FOXHOUND, to carry on the tradition of the FOX Unit.
The Patriots and Les Enfants Terribles
After Zero obtained control of the Philosophers' Legacy, Big Boss was invited to join in his formation of a new organization, comprising Sigint, Para-Medic, Ocelot, and himself, which would later be known as the Patriots. Dedicated to achieving a unity of thought and awareness in honor of The Boss's final wishes, Big Boss was chosen to be an icon for the group, having known The Boss better than anyone else.
Around this time, Big Boss participated in a mission to rescue EVA from Hanoi in 1971, who later joined Zero's organization herself. Stories about Big Boss, riddled with exaggeration and misrepresentation, were disseminated by Zero among the masses, elevating him to the status of an idol; a symbol to control the people. Friction developed between the two as Zero's lust for power grew, with Big Boss resenting his role as the puppet.
Afraid of losing Big Boss, Zero planned to finish up a secret project called Les Enfants Terribles wherein Big Boss's DNA was used to create genetically enhanced soldiers. The clones Solid Snake, Liquid Snake, and Solidus Snake were produced in this project and were collectively known as the "Sons of Big Boss." Other heirs to Big Boss's genetic legacy included the dozens of failures produced early in the experiment, in addition to the abortion of six fetuses during the creation of Liquid and Solid Snake. Big Boss eventually found out about the project, which became the last straw for him. Determined to oppose Zero and his plans, Big Boss broke away from the Patriots.
Big Boss left the United States and FOXHOUND, drifting from country to country as a lone soldier. During this time, he returned to Vietnam to join an LRRP (Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol), and fought alongside SOG (Studies and Observation Group), the Green Berets and the Wild Geese, completing more than 70 missions.
Meeting Kazuhira Miller
In late 1972, Big Boss was hired by the Colombian government to work with its army. There, Big Boss's unit ambushed guerrilla leader Kazuhira Miller and his unit, wiping them all out except for Miller. Big Boss later established his own mercenary group known as Militaires Sans Frontières (Soldiers Without Borders), or MSF for short, and recruited Miller as second in command. In order to ensure Miller was pardoned by the base commander instead of interrogated and/or executed, he also blackmailed the base commander with a private journal dealing with subject matter that could result in the latter's execution.
Peace Walker Incident
On November 4, 1974, Big Boss stationed MSF in the Barranquilla Coast of Colombia, where he was approached by Ramón Gálvez Mena and Paz Ortega Andrade from Costa Rica, a "Nation without a Military." Since the Cuban Missile Crisis, Latin America had become a key to maintaining the power balance between East and West. Despite this, an unknown armed force stationed themselves in various regions of the country, claiming to be an "international police force" hired by the Costa Rican Development Agency (known as CODESA). Gálvez doubted their claim believing they were actually employed by "la cia."
Big Boss initially refused to hold back the invasion, not wanting his unit to become "dogs of war." Big Boss eventually agreed when Gálvez showed Big Boss a recording from Paz's missing friend in which the voice of The Boss could be heard. Big Boss accepted, taking Gálvez gift of an off-shore base and establishing it as the new Mother Base for the Militaires Sans Frontières.
Six days later, to preserve peace in the region, MSF moved into action. Big Boss and Miller quickly discovered that the CIA was bringing nukes into Costa Rica. On his way to Nicaragua, Big Boss enlisted the help of a Sandinista National Liberation Front unit led by Amanda Valenciano Libre to find out more information, while undercover as a Colombian ornithologist, though he was eventually forced to take Amanda to Mother Base after she was injured while trying to save her younger brother Chico.
Big Boss rescued Chico and headed to Mount Irazu, where the nukes were stationed. There, he encountered Pupa after overhearing an argument between Huey Emmerich and Hot Coldman. Learning about the Peace Walker project, as well as an AI facility in a Mayan Pyramid, Big Boss recruited Huey to MSF.
At some point, Snake and Miller executed a mission with the aid of a shared cardboard "Love Box" disguise, successfully bypassing both an enemy truck and an AI weapon. However, the cramped space between them caused problems, which along with Miller's sunglasses effectively blinding him, caused them to trip up on occasion, with Miller also complaining about Snake's supposed bad breath. Eventually, they became so annoyed with each other that Snake inadvertently blew their cover, lifting up the box while still within enemy sights and expressing irritation at the Miller's complaints.
Afterwards, he managed to help Cécile Cosima Caminades, the missing friend of Paz, as well as learn a disturbing truth; The Boss's voice he had heard was actually an AI programmed in her image, known as the Mammal Pod.
Big Boss encountered Strangelove, who hated him, and took out Chrysalis and Cocoon. He attempted to stop Peace Walker]] from reaching Nicaragua, but ultimately failed. Boss followed Paz, who had been captured by Coldman, and found Peace Walker. Gálvez (whose real name was Vladimir Zadornov) revealed he was actually using Snake so the Soviet Union could conquer Central America with ease. Big Boss was forced to stop Peace Walker from causing a nuclear war after Coldman activated the launch sequence.
At the end of the fiasco, Snake decided to formally identify himself as Big Boss after learning of The Boss "putting down her gun", which he viewed as a betrayal of herself as a soldier. He removed The Boss's former bandana from his head following Peace Walker's sacrifice. Big Boss, under Kaz, Huey, and Strangelove's suggestion, commissioned the creation of Metal Gear ZEKE using parts salvaged from the AI weapons.
While ZEKE was nearing completion on Mother Base, Big Boss deduced there was a spy among the ranks of MSF. Zadornov managed to escape several times while Zeke was being built, and the man hinted as much after Big Boss shot him in self defense. Before they could think of what this could mean, Big Boss received word that ZEKE was hijacked, and rushed to confront the hijacker.
To their shock, MSF learned that the hijacker was Paz (who was actually Cipher agent Pacifica Ocean). The mission was planned by Cipher in order to get Big Boss to rejoin them. After he refused, Paz threatened to launch a nuke at the East Coast and frame the MSF. Big Boss defeated ZEKE and although Paz was seemingly killed, he suspected she survived. Miller admitted that he too was working for Cipher as a businessman, though Big Boss forgave him. In time, they would come to be known as the founders of "Outer Heaven."
Snake and Miller eventually discovered Paz's tapes and diary left behind on Mother Base. It was clear that her commitment to Cipher was wavering but with Paz's disappearance, nothing else could be certain.
At some point, Snake used Miller as "Subject D" for the R&D Team's Human Slingshot project, due to a lack of volunteers, upon receiving a report on the weapon. At another point, Snake and at least three MSF soldiers successfully executed a mission near a beach, although Snake was so exhausted that he delayed returning and let his men leave on the extract chopper, much to their gratitude, while requesting a second chopper to pick him up.
Ground Zeroes Incident
In February 1975, Big Boss and Miller received a request by the IAEA to inspect Mother Base. Although the official reason given was because they had purchased nuclear fuel from Uzbekistani officials, they both knew that the real reason was because Cipher influenced them as revenge for their earlier defeat. Big Boss stated that they send the IAEA an official letter of refusal due to their status as a private company, not a nation under the NPT. However, Huey, the only MSF member who supported the inspection, ended up sending another letter that indicated that they changed their minds, forcing Big Boss to allow the inspection to happen because it would have otherwise drawn too much suspicion. In preparation, various AFVs save for ZEKE were relocated to shore as well as various trouble-making personnel ordered to take mandatory R&R. All civilians save for Huey, including Cécile, were given papers to travel back to their home countries. The remaining members of the FSLN group made rendezvous with Amanda who was already at Cuba. Big Boss also learned that Strangelove had resigned from MSF and left Mother Base a week earlier (he had been away on an assignment at the time and thus had been unaware before then).
Ten days later, Big Boss's suspicions about Paz's survival were eventually confirmed, when he learned that she had been rescued by a Belizean fisherman while she lay adrift in the ocean. Cipher suspected Paz was compromised as a double agent, and was being interrogated and imprisoned within Camp Omega, a maximum security military prison facility located on the southern tip of Cuba. Big Boss suggested to kill her due to her knowledge of MSF but Kaz opted to instead rescue her as she was their only viable link to Cipher. They decided to retrieve her later, as they had the inspection to worry about. Unfortunately, after Chico ended up sneaking off a supply ship that was refueling at Santiago de Cuba en route to Amanda in Havana, as well as his being captured, Big Boss and Miller were forced to revise their plan to do a solo rescue op, after Chico confirmed their locations in an SOS transmission. Big Boss volunteered to be the one to undergo the operation, thereby missing the inspection. For the mission, Big Boss assembled a skeleton crew to assist him, including the helicopter pilot Morpho, and one of his top operatives, an exceptionally talented MSF medic, to provide medical support if need be.
On March 16, forty hours since Chico's last contact, Big Boss had arrived and scaled the cliff. During the infiltration, U.N. inspection teams departed from Mother Base, with Miller holding down the fort. When nearing Chico's cell, Miller radioed in telling him that they notified Amanda about Chico's current status, and expressed some disturbance regarding her oddly being elated about being "ready for the worst" regarding her brother. Big Boss eventually located Chico, although he was later forced to choke him into unconsciousness due to the latter panicking at the sight of him, and thus risking his getting caught by the guards. He later carried Chico all the way back to the chopper, due to his ankles being pierced with a nut and bolt.
Afterwards, Big Boss inquired Chico about Paz's status. He was then supplied with a cassette tape containing Paz being tortured by various personnel, with Chico claiming that she had died. Big Boss managed to deduce Paz's location after further inspection of the tape, and managed to retrieve her, who was alive, albeit unconscious, and took her back to the chopper. Shortly after boarding, however, the medic looked over Paz and decided emergency surgery had to be carried out to remove a bomb implanted in her abdomen. Big Boss assisted the medic in holding down Paz as he cut her open, and was also able to find the bomb implanted in her; he immediately tossed it out of the chopper.
The team's return to Mother Base occurred in the middle of an attack by XOF forces. Miller and Big Boss provided support and cover fire for MSF soldiers attempting to evacuate the base via chopper, narrowly escaping before the strut collapsed. After telling Big Boss that the inspection was actually a smokescreen, a furious Miller tried to interrogate Paz irritably, only to be restrained. Big Boss eventually witnessed Paz's death when she exploded after jumping out, learning that she had in fact been implanted with two bombs rather than one as earlier believed. Big Boss only suffered limited injuries from the explosion as the medic jumped in front of him and shielded him with his body as the bomb went off, thereby taking the brunt of the explosion himself. Regardless, the explosion made the MSF chopper spin out of control, sending it into a collision course with a pursuing XOF chopper.
Later, Big Boss, Miller, and the medic were treated in a hospital emergency room, where both Big Boss and the medic's lives was saved by a medical team but, Big Boss would fall into a coma due to injuries sustained from the crash. The medic, meanwhile, was then placed into an artificially induced coma.
Nine-year Coma
Once the two men were stable enough to be moved, Zero had EVA move both Big Boss and the medic to Dhekelia SBA Memorial Hospital in Cyprus in order to be hidden, to receive medical treatment, and to be looked after while they are in their comas. Zero controlled the information so that their enemies, including Skull Face and XOF would not be able to find them while they were unconscious.
Ocelot and Zero talked, with the former being in charge of the security at the hospital. During the conversation, Zero told Ocelot that he aimed to create another Snake, with Ocelot angrily assuming it was a product of the Les Enfants Terribles project. Zero explained he actually planned for the medic to become a mental copy of Big Boss, and act as a body double meant to divert attention away from the real Big Boss. Ocelot, who only cared Big Boss's best interests, reluctantly agreed to the plan.
After Miller recovered from his injuries, he noticed that Big Boss was missing. Contacting Zero, he explained that for Big Boss's safety, Miller had to stay away from Big Boss until the latter woke up from his coma. Zero said that the code word for when Big Boss woke up was "V [had] come to." Unbeknownst to Miller, Zero was actually referring to the medic, who would act as the new Big Boss, while the real one was to disappear out of the public eye.
In 1976, Skull Face sent Zero a lapel pin that belonged to The Boss which Skull Face recovered from Tselinoyarsk, and coated the lapel pin with a form of the vocal cord parasites that infected Zero when the latter accidentally pricked his finger. Skull Face, not content with just killing Zero, coated the lapel pin with a form of parasites that would eventually send Zero into a vegetative state that he would remain in for the remainder of his life.
In 1977, Zero visited both Big Boss and the medic, though he ignored the latter for the most part. He only inquired about the medic when asking the doctor which was the real Big Boss and that the doctors did as instructed. When Zero asked if either of them had woken, the doctor told him that both Snakes' EEGs showed stable activity levels. However, there was no change and that the doctors moved their muscles every four hours, so that they'd be ready to move should they wake up. Zero told the doctor that the two would be in the hospital for the rest of the duration of their comas due to the risk of moving them, and their location was safe. After talking to Big Boss spiritually about the time Zero visited Big Boss in hospital following the Virtuous Mission, Zero left the hospital and went back into hiding for good.
Awakening
In early 1984, Big Boss awoke from his coma in the Cypriot hospital, while the medic remained unconscious. Over several sessions, Ocelot briefed him on what had happened in the years he had been unconscious, and told him that XOF had learned of his recovery and that the "Man on Fire" had awakened too. Recognizing the man who had saved his life during the attack on Mother Base, Big Boss was made aware of the plan to make the medic into his physical and mental doppelganger, not only as a decoy to protect him from Cipher, but to be his face on the world stage until the time came for his own resurgence. Justifying to himself that the medic had risked his life to protect him previously, and possessed the skills to take on this dangerous role, Big Boss agreed to the plan, despite knowingly placing the lives of innocent hospital patients at risk in the event of an attack.
Big Boss also received information from Ocelot regarding Les Enfants Terribles, learning that the project was abandoned in 1976, and they discussed how they should respond to any potential encounter with the missing clone "Eli", who had given his British handlers the slip somewhere in Southern Africa. Big Boss stated that he felt no real connection to him, but ordered that he should still be treated like a human being and nothing more.
Big Boss was told by Ocelot that the war business Miller and himself started in the 1970s had a favorable influence on Cipher by directing the public's animosity outside their countries, they could unify their frame of mind, that guns for hire could continue the cycle, and the rewards would benefit the economy. One day war would become a business to manipulate the minds of the public.
Concerning Zero's location, Ocelot said there were no leads, and they were not even sure if Zero was still alive, but the protocol he put into place was still progressing. Ocelot compared Zero to Big Brother due to his controlling of information and said that Big Boss was the Big Brother of the battlefield. However, Zero would eventually have nations under his control, he would control people's way of life and extend oppression to the whole world. One day, Big Boss and Ocelot would have to fight this oppression Zero had created.
Zero had been attacked, but Ocelot said that while the details were not completely clear, a biological weapon was used. Zero received medical treatment, but he had not shown any progress in recovery. Since the attack, Zero's speech and actions became unhinged, and Zero's new location was unknown, having used a blackout in New York to disrupt the transportation and information grids and had been covered up. While the AI Cipher used would have the answers, it had been sealed off. While Skull Face successfully attacked Zero, even he didn't know where he was now.
Now that Zero was too ill to continue running Cipher, Ocelot revealed that Donald Anderson had taken over command of Cipher, as well as the AI he oversaw. The idea came to mind in 1974 when the Mammal Pod penetrated NORAD, but due to what happened during the Peace Walker Incident, the new AI had been given restrictions and its purpose was to filter data it collected before passing it on to people, guiding their decision making. They achieved this by recruiting Strangelove into DARPA. That Zero's last request was for Big Boss to be safe. Anderson's new project was called "the Patriots", which was going to be used to drive society to unify the world.
Phantom Pain Incident
The medic awakened on February 26, 1984, and on March 11, Big Boss made his move. Disguising his face in bandages, Big Boss saved the still-recovering medic, whom he dubbed "Ahab," from a female assassin, forcing her to jump from a window after setting her on fire. When Ahab asked who he was, Big Boss told him that he was "talking to himself," identified himself as "Ishmael," and explained that "he's been watching over him for nine years" and that the whole world wanted him dead. After Ishmael injected Ahab with digoxin to help him move, the two proceeded to escape the hospital.
Due to the digoxin taking too long, Ahab and Ishmael opted to use the elevator where they encountered Tretij Rebenok and the Man on Fire, the latter who caused Ahab's arm to dislocate, which Ishmael helped put back into place, telling Ahab that next time he should do it himself, advising him that it was good to fix his injuries while hiding from the enemy. The hospital was then raided by a XOF strike force who came to liquidate Big Boss, and to achieve this they began to indiscriminately and systematically kill everyone they came across in the hospital, regardless of whether they were staff or patients. As they sneaked through the corridors of the besieged hospital, Ishmael saved Ahab from multiple close brushes with death by the hands of the XOF soldiers. While hiding among dead doctors and patients, they were caught by a XOF squad who were distracted and killed by the Man on Fire, who's attack caused Ahab's ankle to dislocate, which Snake fixed himself. Ishmael, meanwhile, realized the Man on Fire's weakness, shot the sprinklers, causing him to disappear. Ishmael and Snake were then able to recover some firearms from the fallen XOF soldiers, and was now able to fight back against the strike force. Making their way to the entrance hall, Ahab and Ishmael separated as the latter ran interference to distract the soldiers and allow Ahab to escape.
After making it outside, Ishmael commandeered an ambulance and used it to run over the Man on Fire to save Snake who he then proceeded to drive to safety. Ishmael drove, evading XOF soldiers, but he was knocked unconscious after taking a shot from a helicopter. Ahab attempted to drive the ambulance, but he crashed into a river bank. Recovering from the accident first, Ishmael was pulled from the vehicle by Ocelot and left the unconscious Ahab in the ambulance.
Ocelot returned to the base area to meet with Big Boss, who discarded his bandages and role of Ishmael, and received clothing, an eyepatch and a motorcycle from his ally. Ocelot then gave Big Boss a U.S. passport and told him to go by the name in said passport and advised him to change his face, so he could return to the States without incident. Ocelot then informed him that the medic would be Big Boss from here on out, and believed himself to be Big Boss, with the real Big Boss summarizing that the medic was his "phantom."
Ocelot told Big Boss it was necessary as the whole world wanted him dead and assured once again him that the phantom would be all right and that he could handle it. Before going their separate ways, the two smoked a cigar and Ocelot left with D-Horse, though not before Big Boss promised that they would meet again. Big Boss then used the motorcycle to be on his way and began his long term plan to create his new military nation: Outer Heaven.
Big Boss's plans following the hospital escape were orchestrated by Ocelot, who guided the medic in his new role of Venom Snake and stand-in for the real Big Boss. He intentionally used Venom Snake and his mercenary company Diamond Dogs to further the legend of his own name, all the while making preparations for the establishment of the "true" Outer Heaven, outside of the public eye.
Sometime after Venom Snake defeated Skull Face and regained his memories, Big Boss sent a cassette tape to Venom Snake, labelled "From the Man Who Sold the World," which revealed the truth:
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Now do you remember? Who you are? What you were meant to do? I cheated death, thanks to you. And thanks to you I've left my mark. You have too – you've written your own history. You’re your own man. I'm Big Boss, and you are too… No… He’s the two of us. Together. Where we are today? We built it. This story – this “legend” – it’s ours. We can change the world – and with it, the future. I am you, and you are me. Carry that with you, wherever you go. Thank you... my friend. From here on out, you’re Big Boss.
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~ Big Boss
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Big Boss's actions, however, made him an enemy of Diamond Dogs' XO and former comrade Kazuhira Miller. Feeling that he had been betrayed after learning the truth, Miller decided to oppose Big Boss and intended to aid his phantom and "sons" in bringing about his downfall.
Later career
Since then, Big Boss appeared in numerous territorial and ethnic conflicts around the world. At some point during the Mozambican Civil War, he rescued a RENAMO soldier by the name of Frank Jaeger from imprisonment and torture. Big Boss later took both Jaeger and his foster sister, Naomi Hunter, to the United States where he helped them establish normal lives. Big Boss and Jaeger eventually returned to Africa to continue fighting, leaving Naomi behind in America.
Big Boss achieved near-mythical status due to his extraordinary military career and the exploits of Venom Snake, earning him the "Legendary Soldier" moniker. He was heralded as a true hero and made the front covers of popular magazines in many countries. Afterwards, he served as a combat instructor and worked to reintegrate former child soldiers into society. One of them was a young Sniper Wolf, whom he rescued from a harsh upbringing and raised as a soldier.
At some point during the Gulf War, information regarding Big Boss's genes was used for experimentation on various soldiers serving in the conflict. However, many of these soldiers would later suffer from side effects attributed to Gulf War Syndrome, and their offspring would suffer from physical deformities (nicknamed the "Gulf War Babies").
In the early 1990s, he returned to the U.S. to once again take command of FOXHOUND, the special forces unit he founded almost two decades earlier. While serving as FOXHOUND commander, he secretly built up his mercenary company Outer Heaven into a larger military establishment, with Venom Snake acting in his stead. During this time, he was responsible for the wild and instinctive strategies utilized by FOXHOUND during operations, which often appeared to be planned with little caution and detail.
Circa 1995, David, a former Green Beret who had fought in the Gulf War, joined FOXHOUND. Knowing that David was one of his three cloned sons, Big Boss designated him the codename Solid Snake. Big Boss taught Snake the techniques of CQC and the importance of having the will to survive on the battlefield. At some point, he told Snake that he was his father.
Outer Heaven Uprising
In 1995, the U.S. learned of Metal Gear's development in Outer Heaven. Big Boss commissioned FOXHOUND to infiltrate the fortified nation and destroy the weapon before anyone else so he could buy Venom Snake time to finish the TX-55 Metal Gear.
Big Boss first sent in Gray Fox. When Fox was captured, Big Boss briefed Solid Snake, FOXHOUND's least experienced member about the situation. He then sent him in a follow-up mission codenamed Operation Intrude N313 to rescue Fox and destroy Metal Gear, while also informing Venom Snake of the operation.
Later, Solid Snake showed skills beyond Venom Snake's expectations, leading Big Boss to start feeding Solid Snake with false information and eventually telling him to abort the mission to prevent Solid Snake's success.
Afterwards, Venom Snake confronted Solid Snake personally, calling himself Big Boss. After engaging the base's self-destruct countdown, Solid Snake and Big Boss's phantom fought one on one, and the latter was ultimately killed. With his "phantom" and best man dead, Outer Heaven destroyed, the real Big Boss left FOXHOUND for good and used Venom Snake's death to fake his own before going into hiding.
Following NATO's subsequent bombing of the area, Big Boss rescued many of the survivors, including refugees, orphans, and Resistance members. However, he only did this because he intended to use them on the battlefield. He later fled with the survivors to Central Asia.
Zanzibar Land Disturbance
In 1997, Big Boss and his followers participated in the Mercenary War, giving a fledgling nation on the border of the former USSR, Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan its independence. Zanzibar Province, a former autonomous zone of the USSR, thus became Zanzibar Land with Big Boss as its president. Recruiting war orphans from across the Third World and raising them as soldiers, Big Boss hoped to create a nation by and for soldiers where soldiers were honored, not treated as political tools. Some of the children in Zanzibar Land would come to view Big Boss as a father figure. Big Boss recruited Gray Fox to his cause and, to ensure Zanzibar Land's success, he once again commissioned the creation of a Metal Gear: Metal Gear D. This time, Dr. Madnar developed the new model of his own free will, after being branded a madman in the U.S. Dr. Madnar was also rumored to have provided Big Boss with cybernetic body parts to compensate for the injuries he received in Outer Heaven, under orders from an Eastern Bloc despot, who couldn't resist getting his hands on the legendary soldier.
In December 1999, Big Boss was forced to contend with ex-FOXHOUND agent Solid Snake, who had been sent to infiltrate Zanzibar Land's stronghold. Elite mercenaries were dispatched to eliminate the intruder, but each were thwarted by Snake. In recognition of his professionalism, a dying Black Ninja imparted Snake with knowledge on Dr. Kio Marv's location, claiming that Zanzibar Land's leader would have wanted him to.
Despite Big Boss's efforts, Metal Gear D was destroyed and his most trusted lieutenant Gray Fox was defeated in hand-to-hand combat by Snake. Big Boss then confronted Snake in the underground base, appealing to the warrior within Snake that craved the world of perpetual warfare that he was trying to create. Having spent his entire life on the battlefield, Big Boss could not conceive of a world without war, and stated that the best soldiers were otherwise dead weight and useless when removed from the battlefield. After Snake proclaimed his defiance, Big Boss imparted the final words of his own mentor, before challenging his former subordinate to one final battle.
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It doesn't matter who wins here. Our fight will continue. The loser will be liberated from the battlefield, and the winner will remain. And the survivor will live out the rest of his days as a soldier.
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~ Big Boss to Solid Snake, in Zanzibar Land
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Big Boss attempted to gun down Snake, but ultimately fell to Snake's makeshift flamethrower, having underestimated his initially unarmed opponent. Big Boss yelled Snake's name as he was engulfed in flames, unwilling to concede the battle, but eventually collapsed from severe burns and was left for dead by Snake.
After "death"
Sometime after his defeat in Zanzibar Land, Big Boss's body was recovered by the Patriots. Despite suffering major injuries, he was still alive. The Patriots then had him injected with nanomachines in order to artificially induce a coma, preserving him as an icon for the organization. Big Boss's genome was then used to identify the so-called "soldier genes," which were implemented in the Next-Generation Special Forces via gene therapy. Big Boss's body was later believed to be in cold storage to preserve his remains.
In February 2005, Big Boss's body was one of the demands issued by a rogue FOXHOUND Unit, which had launched a revolt on Shadow Moses Island under the command of Liquid Snake. Liquid planned to use Big Boss's DNA to cure genetic mutations in the Genome Soldiers, and to recreate Big Boss's dream of Outer Heaven, utilizing the threat of a nuclear strike with the stolen Metal Gear REX. In doing this, Liquid hoped to surpass the father for whom he had developed an intense hatred. Big Boss's supposed death had also led a vengeful Naomi Hunter to make Solid Snake a target of the FOXDIE virus, though only Liquid's genome proved recognizable to the bio-weapon, which led to his death.
Prior to 2014, Big Boss's DNA and biometric data was used for the Patriots' ID recognition system, the use of which allowed access to their AI network. The Patriots also declassified documents relating to Big Boss's exploits during the 1960s, which contributed to a resurgence in his popularity, with soldiers beginning to adopt CQC techniques.
Data relating to the location of Big Boss's comatose body was stored in the Patriots' AI, GW. This data fell into the hands of Raiden supplying the information to the Paradise Lost Army led by EVA, now known as Big Mama. Using the body parts of Liquid and Solidus Snake, EVA had Big Boss's body rebuilt, eventually restoring him to his former appearance, though he remained in a comatose state due to the Patriots' nanomachines within him.
Guns of the Patriots Incident
By 2014, a tombstone to commemorate Big Boss had been erected in Arlington National Cemetery. Placed next to The Boss's grave, it read: "A Hero Forever Loyal to the Flames of War, Rests in Outer Heaven. 193X - 1999."
Due to his identical genome to Big Boss, the remains of Solidus Snake were used as a decoy in order to fool both the Patriots and Liquid Ocelot. Prior to GW's destruction, with which Liquid Ocelot had infiltrated the Patriots' AI network, access to the core AI JD was opened, revealing the location of Zero. After the FOXALIVE virus was uploaded into GW, the Patriots' system of control was destroyed thus allowing Big Boss to awaken from his coma. Now fully revived, he proceeded to track down Zero.
Big Boss found that his former friend was now in a vegetative state, dependent on life support and confined to a wheelchair. He then took Zero to Arlington National Cemetery, the location of The Boss's grave. There he witnessed Solid Snake attempt suicide and commended him when he refrained. Big Boss revealed his presence to the startled Snake, disarming him with CQC after the latter drew his weapon in surprise. Embracing him in a hug, Big Boss told his "son" (or rather "brother"), that he felt no hatred between them, and proceeded to explain his resurrection and the truth behind Liquid Ocelot.
Elaborating on the history of the Patriots, Big Boss described the struggle between Zero and himself to Snake. Big Boss stated that, although there was bad blood between him and Zero, all he felt now was "a deep sense of longing, and pity." He pondered on whether Zero despised or feared him. Big Boss proceeded to switch off Zero's air supply machine, killing him, and finally ending their conflict.
Soon after, Big Boss began to feel the effects of the new FOXDIE virus, which he had knowingly contracted from Snake. While in pain, he requested that Snake take him over to The Boss's grave, and assured him that the old FOXDIE mutation wouldn't cause an epidemic as the new strain would supplant it. When he arrived at The Boss's grave, he reflected back on the day he killed The Boss, sorrowfully admitting that he was "already dead" ever since. He then reflected on The Boss's will, finally understanding it after all those years. He stood and saluted, echoing his salute 50 years beforehand.
Sharing one final smoke, Big Boss finally made peace with his last living son, and, as a last request, pleaded with Snake to spend his final days in peace, not to waste them fighting. Moments later, Big Boss passed away at the grave of the woman whose life and death had made him into the person he was.
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