Metal Gear: The Story of Big Boss

Big Boss, also known as Naked Snake, Ishmael, Saladin, Jack, or simply John (his birth name), is one of the most significant and iconic characters of the Metal Gear series. His involvement and impact throughout the franchise are undeniable, as without him, many events and even other characters would never have existed.

Born in 1935, Jack began his military career at a young age and pursued it into the 1950s, when he became a disciple of The Boss, the famous leader of the Cobra Unit. She taught him everything she knew, like combat, weaponry, espionage tactics, survival, communication, and even psychology. During his mentorship under The Boss, Jack saw her not only as a teacher but also as a maternal figure and role model.

In 1954, Jack participated in the Bikini Atoll test, where the world’s first hydrogen bomb was detonated. Many of his colleagues at the event eventually developed leukemia and other illnesses, but Jack only suffered sterilization. He went on to take part in numerous operations and critical events, earning wide recognition and multiple honors throughout his career.

On August 24, 1964, under the command of Major Zero and supervised by The Boss, Jack undertook the Virtuous Mission as a member of the CIA’s Fox Unit. The objective was to rescue the Soviet scientist Nikolai Stepanovich Sokolov.

Using the codename Naked Snake, Jack infiltrated the Soviet region of Tselinoyarsk, successfully locating and escorting Sokolov to safety. During the mission, Snake encountered Major Ocelot, then a member of the GRU, the Soviet military intelligence agency, and defeated him in combat. Through Sokolov, Snake learned that the Soviet government had kidnapped him to force him to develop a new revolutionary weapon, the Shagohod. Sokolov begged Snake to inform his superiors of the weapon’s existence and ensure its destruction at all costs.

However, during the mission, The Boss betrayed Snake, revealing she had defected. Snake was ambushed by the Cobra Unit, defeated by his mentor, and left for dead. Sokolov was recaptured and handed over to the GRU’s rebellious colonel, Yevgeny Borisovich Volgin, along with stolen U.S. military technology. Volgin decided to demonstrate the stolen weaponry’s power, detonating Sokolov’s lab in the process.

Snake was gravely injured but rescued and taken back to the United States. The mission’s failure, The Boss’s defection, and the explosion at the lab all created significant tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Under increasing pressure, Snake and Major Zero were tasked with a new mission: to destroy the Shagohod and rescue Sokolov within a week to prevent the outbreak of a nuclear war.

During the operation, Snake aligned himself with EVA, an undercover spy. Together, they succeeded in destroying the Shagohod, stopping Volgin, and ultimately, Snake confronted The Boss in a decisive battle. Snake defeated his mentor, who died in his arms. In this mission, Snake also sustained a severe injury to his eye, leading to his iconic eyepatch. For his extraordinary efforts, Snake was given the distinguished title of Big Boss.

Years later, EVA volunteered to participate in the Les Enfants Terribles project, an initiative created to preserve Big Boss’s legacy through cloning due to his sterility. Using his DNA, EVA gave birth to two clones, Solid Snake and Liquid Snake. Displeased with the project and its implications, Big Boss chose to leave his military career to forge his own independent path.

Big Boss founded Militaires Sans Frontières alongside his trusted second-in-command, Kazuhira Miller. Based on the shores of Colombia, the MSF was a private military organization with no specific affiliations or political allegiances.

In 1974, Big Boss was approached by Galvez Mena and Paz Ortega Andrade, who asked for the MSF’s help in repelling an unknown military organization that had invaded Costa Rica. Initially reluctant to get involved, Big Boss suspected Galvez was part of the KGB and worried that intervening could make the MSF a target of the United States. However, Galvez gained Snake’s trust by presenting him with a recording, which seemingly contained the voice of The Boss.

Together with Galvez, Snake and Miller began construction of Mother Base, the MSF’s primary headquarters. With support from captured enemy forces converted to their side and Nicaraguan guerrilla fighters led by Amanda Valenciano Libre and her brother Chico, the MSF confronted the invading forces, known as Peace Sentinel. This organization had been smuggling nuclear weapons into Costa Rica.

Hot Coldman, a CIA operative in charge of the Central America station, along with scientists Huey Emmerich and Dr. Strangelove, had been developing a new Metal Gear model, the Peace Walker. Designed as a nuclear deterrent, this model featured an advanced AI system based on The Boss’s mind and voice. This explained the recording Galvez had shown Snake earlier. Coldman sought to use Peace Walker to stage a nuclear attack, but both Emmerich and Strangelove opposed his plans.

During the mission to stop Peace Walker, Galvez revealed his true identity as Vladimir Zadornov. He stole the plans for Metal Gear and attempted to launch a nuclear strike on Cuba, hoping to incite anti-American sentiment and secure a Soviet victory in the Cold War. In the chaos, Coldman activated Peace Walker before dying, leaving Big Boss with the challenge of neutralizing the machine.

In the end, Snake succeeded in stopping the attack, but Peace Walker sank into the ocean. Huey and Strangelove joined the MSF, as did Paz. However, Paz later revealed she was working under the orders of Cypher, a secretive U.S.-based organization led by Major Zero. Zero sought to recruit Snake into his cause, but Snake refused. In retaliation, Paz stole the ZEKE model Metal Gear built at Mother Base and attempted to use it to frame the MSF with a nuclear attack on the U.S. Snake and Miller managed to stop her, and Paz fell into the ocean, where she was presumed dead.

In 1975, Big Boss learns that Paz is alive and decides to rescue her to gather intel on Cypher. Chico, now a member of the MSF, attempts to infiltrate Camp Omega, where Paz is reportedly held, but ends up as a hostage himself. Boss infiltrates the camp to rescue both, succeeding in his mission. Onboard the extraction helicopter, accompanied by one of his most trusted soldiers, who also happens to be a medic, Boss realizes something is seriously wrong with Paz. A bomb has been implanted in her stomach. Before it can be removed, the bomb detonates. Simultaneously, Mother Base is attacked and destroyed. A mysterious man called Skull Face is revealed to be responsible for the attack and for planting the bomb.

Nine years later, Big Boss wakes up from a coma in 1984. At the hospital where he is recovering, a doctor warns him that he must disappear because enemy forces are searching for him. His memories are fragmented. Another patient named Ishmael, claiming to know him, insists that they need to escape together and offers to help him flee. Weak and debilitated from nine years of coma, Boss struggles to move, but with Ishmael’s aid, he tries to escape. They are chased by enemy forces and a strange flaming figure controlled by Psycho Mantis, a young child with psychic abilities. After a tense pursuit, the two manage to escape, and Ocelot rescues Boss.

Some time later, Big Boss, now fully recovered, travels to Afghanistan with Ocelot to rescue Miller, who is being held captive by Soviet forces. Boss successfully saves Miller, and they return to a newly built Mother Base, where they begin to plan their revenge against Cypher. Determined to rebuild their strength, Boss establishes the Diamond Dogs, transforming them into a powerful mercenary army.

While leading the Diamond Dogs, Boss uncovers Skull Face's plans to create a weapon that could surpass Metal Gear. Pursuing this investigation, Boss travels to Africa, where he learns that one of his clones, Liquid Snake (now known as White Mamba), is leading a militia of child soldiers terrorizing local villages. Pressured by the community, the Diamond Dogs are tasked with stopping the militia. This puts Snake face-to-face with his rebellious clone. Boss captures Liquid Snake and takes him to Mother Base.

In the climactic confrontation with Skull Face, Liquid Snake escapes from Mother Base, stealing a Metal Gear and taking Psycho Mantis as his ally. DNA tests conducted earlier reveal that Liquid Snake and Big Boss share no genetic connection. After Cypher's defeat, Boss discovers a mysterious tape revealing the truth: he is not the real Snake but a phantom, a double created to protect the true Big Boss. The trusted medic who accompanied Big Boss during Paz and Chico’s rescue had sacrificed himself in the helicopter explosion.

Understanding the risks to the real Snake, Ocelot convinced him to disappear and crafted a plan involving a decoy, Venom Snake, to serve as his figurehead. Through extensive hypnosis, the medic was turned into an exact likeness of Big Boss, mirroring him in both appearance and mentality. Later, Snake shares the truth with Venom Snake, revealing that his actions were independent and declaring that they are now effectively the same person. Together, they agree to work toward building a better world. Venom Snake fully assumes his role as Big Boss and commits to advancing their shared vision.

While operating behind the scenes, the real Big Boss focuses on the creation of Outer Heaven, a secret military base designed to be a haven for soldiers where they could live free from national control and work as independent mercenaries. Meanwhile, Venom Snake continues leading the Diamond Dogs as Big Boss’s public figure.

In the early 1990s, the real Big Boss passes control of Outer Heaven to Venom Snake and takes leadership of FOXHOUND, the U.S. special forces unit, to further consolidate the power of his mercenary empire through his decoy.

After Big Boss assumes command of FOXHOUND, Outer Heaven gains global attention in 1995 when Gray Fox, one of Big Boss’s top operatives, is reportedly captured. To distract from his underground activities with Venom Snake, Big Boss sends a rookie FOXHOUND recruit to rescue Gray Fox. The young soldier is none other than Solid Snake, a clone of Big Boss and the twin brother of Liquid Snake.

Big Boss underestimates Solid Snake's potential and skill. Solid Snake discovers Big Boss’s plans and defeats him in a battle that leads to the destruction of Outer Heaven. However, Solid does not realize that he actually killed Venom Snake, while the real Big Boss manages to escape.

In 1997, after abandoning FOXHOUND, Big Boss gathers his allies and founds Zanzibar Land, an independent nation in the province of the same name. Dedicated to creating a safe haven for soldiers and mercenaries, Zanzibar Land promises freedom from political manipulation. To reinforce his military capabilities, Big Boss recruits Gray Fox and begins developing a new Metal Gear project.

Once again, Solid Snake is sent to thwart Big Boss’s plans. Infiltrating Zanzibar Land, Solid destroys the new Metal Gear and defeats both Gray Fox and Big Boss. Zanzibar’s operations collapse, and Big Boss is again defeated by his son/clone. Though gravely injured, Big Boss's body is recovered and preserved for future use, serving as a genetic base to create enhanced soldiers.

Later, Liquid Snake gains control of Big Boss’s comatose body, intending to use it to cure the genetic deterioration affecting the cloned soldiers. Liquid and Solid Snake face off, and Liquid is ultimately killed by the FOXDIE virus, specifically designed to eliminate targeted individuals.

Big Boss’s body is later recovered by the Paradise Lost Army under the leadership of EVA, who had always loved him. She uses every resource at her disposal to bring him back to life.

After the events of Metal Gear Solid 4, an aged Solid Snake, whose genetic condition is deteriorating as a result of being a clone, reunites with the real Big Boss. In their final conversation, Big Boss expresses no resentment toward his son/clone. Shortly after, Big Boss succumbs to the FOXDIE virus and passes away.

Naked Snake, better known as Big Boss, is one of the most compelling and iconic characters in gaming history. His story throughout the Metal Gear franchise is a captivating journey of growth and complexity.

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