Within hours, Russia launches a full-scale, surprise invasion of the United States East Coast. Soldiers are dropping into Virginia suburbs. The U.S. Army is fighting on home soil. The Russian Airborne begins a march on Washington, D.C.
When players control Private Allen in "No Russian," they aren't playing a hero. They are playing the fuse to a bomb. In the end, Joseph Allen isn't remembered for his bravery in the streets of Afghanistan. He is remembered as the American who shot up an airport. That irony—that injustice—is the dark heart of Modern Warfare 2 . call of duty modern warfare 2 joseph allen
"Your Lieutenant Shepherd… sends his regards." Army is fighting on home soil
After a successful operation in Kabul ( "Team Player" ), Shepherd pulls Allen aside. Recognizing the young Ranger’s potential (and perhaps his expendability), Shepherd recruits him directly into an elite sub-unit of Task Force 141. Allen’s mission changes drastically: he is no longer a frontline soldier. He is going undercover. Shepherd gives Allen his most dangerous assignment: infiltrate the Russian ultranationalist circle led by Vladimir Makarov. Allen is given the alias "Alexei Borodin" and is ordered to earn Makarov’s trust. They are playing the fuse to a bomb
Makarov leaves Allen’s body at the scene, carefully ensuring that the Russian authorities identify the dead terrorist as a —Joseph Allen. The Fallout: World War III Allen’s death is the detonator for the game’s central conflict. The Russian government finds an American soldier’s body lying amidst the corpses of hundreds of their citizens. They conclude, logically, that the United States government orchestrated the massacre.
Makarov shoots Allen point-blank in the chest. But he doesn't just kill him; he uses him.
In the pantheon of Call of Duty protagonists, few have a career arc as meteoric—or as devastating—as Private Joseph Allen . While players control iconic figures like Soap MacTavish or Captain Price, Allen serves a different narrative purpose: he is the catalyst. His journey from a celebrated U.S. Army Ranger to a deep-cover CIA operative, and finally to a corpse used as a weapon of mass deception, is the single most important chain of events in Modern Warfare 2 . From the Streets of Kabul to Task Force 141 Players are first introduced to Joseph Allen in the game’s opening mission, "S.S.D.D." (Same Song, Different Day). Set at a Ranger training facility in Afghanistan, Allen is a fresh face, being evaluated by Sergeant Foley. He is competent, quick, and lethal—good enough to catch the eye of Lieutenant General Shepherd.