Pantheon

Pantheon is an international paramilitary terrorist organization that was previously a top-secret division of the Central Intelligence Agency before it was disbanded for its bioweapons program. It is an antagonistic faction featured in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

Background[]

Founded sometime before the 1970s, Pantheon was initially one of the CIA's most ruthless special activity subdivisions. While its operations were effective, their brutal methods became increasingly unpalatable to the U.S. government as the Cold War began to wind down.

Project Cradle & Initial Disbandment[]

In the 1970s, Pantheon became involved with Advanced Technologies and Applications (ATA), a major CIA black ops research program. Among its projects was Project Cradle, originally aimed at creating super-soldiers through experimental performance-enhancing drugs and psychedelics. Over time, however, it evolved into a full-scale biological weapons program. The project's experimental nature ultimately led to its downfall, as test subjects often succumbed to uncontrollable mania and psychosis.

In the 1980s, CIA assassin William Calderon volunteered for Project Cradle. During testing, Pantheon scientists attempted to manipulate and indoctrinate him into becoming a loyal super-soldier, but his violent tendencies under the experimental agent rendered this effort a failure. Another Pantheon agent, Jane Harrow, also volunteered for the program, though the effects on her remain undocumented. Eventually, Calderon's escalating mania drove him to sabotage the facility, prompted by a voice in his mind. This act of sabotage nearly destroyed ATA, as a viral outbreak spread, leading to massive contamination and the eventual shutdown of Project Cradle. Deputy Director Daniel Livingstone formally disavowed Pantheon, resulting in its closure.

Survivors of Project Cradle were placed in a rehabilitation program in an effort to cure their mania. However, Pantheon agents had already infiltrated the program, threatening and brainwashing many survivors, including Calderon, into amnesia to prevent leaks of the conspiracy and Project Cradle to the public.

Reformation[]

Although officially disbanded by Livingstone, Pantheon continued operating well into the 1980s, reformed as an independent paramilitary group backed by an unidentified cabal with mysterious political ambitions for the post-Cold War era. Still led by its original American agents, Pantheon began recruiting rogue and former Western military and intelligence operatives from around the world. During this resurgence, CIA officer Jane Harrow spearheaded efforts to revive the defunct Project Cradle, bringing former Soviet bioweapons expert Matvey Gusev on board to refine the bioweapon.

Prior to 1989, Pantheon approached Saddam Hussein, offering to him a functional biological weapon with full operational capabilities and other advanced military technology in exchange for access to Iraqi military bases, manpower and resources. Saddam agreed to this alliance, providing the use of his military facilities including one of his palaces for their covert underground experimentation.

In December 1989, Pantheon learned that CIA agent Jason Hudson suspected the infiltration of the CIA by an unknown enemy. To avert exposure, Pantheon collaborated with drug lord Raul Menendez and his cartel, leaking details of their plan to assassinate or capture him during Operation Just Cause. This intelligence breach resulted in the deaths of both Hudson and Alex Mason, with Frank Woods left crippled.

In March 1990, Harrow anonymously tipped Livingstone about fund transfers between Menendez and Russell Adler. Eager to remove Adler from the agency, Livingstone moved to detain the framed agent. However, Adler became aware of the plot during an operation in Morocco and quickly went into hiding.

Pantheon Conspiracy[]

On January 23rd, 1991, Pantheon agents received intelligence about Iraqi Defense Minister Saeed Alawi's defection to the West. Tipped off by Harrow and CIA moles, Pantheon quickly deployed a large strike force to capture or eliminate Alawi. As the CIA team moved to exfiltrate, Pantheon forces ambushed them, deploying an attack helicopter in an attempt to neutralize the team. While the helicopter failed to eliminate the team, Pantheon succeeded in thwarting Alawi's defection.

Following the operation's failure, Harrow and Jackson Caine joined Deputy Director Livingstone's debriefing of Troy Marshall and Frank Woods. Observing their suspension, Harrow discreetly pressed Livingstone to enforce it, aiming to impede their investigation into Pantheon.

On the night of February 2nd, a large Pantheon strike force covertly infiltrated the CIA black site beneath Capitol Station to interrogate and eliminate Adler. As Harrow departed a political gala, she encountered "Case" and warned him of Livingstone's attempt to capture the Rogue Black Ops team. Afterward, she tipped off Caine, who began searching the building. Meanwhile, the Pantheon force breached the black site, eliminating much of the staff. Caught off-guard, the CIA remained unaware of the site's compromise until Marshall and his team neutralized the strike force, eventually evading Pantheon agents in a car chase.

In the early hours of February 5th, Pantheon agents fortified positions in Anbar Province to assist Iraqi forces launching Scud missiles. However, the Rogue Black Ops-SAS team eliminated most of the Pantheon garrison stationed in the desert. Hours later, Pantheon agents positioned at Saddam's palace attempted to repel the combined strike force but were swiftly overpowered, allowing the Rogue Black Ops team to retrieve a sample of Project Cradle.

Before February 7th, Harrow led a Pantheon team to recover Project Cradle canisters from the abandoned Advanced Technologies and Application (ATA) facility in eastern Kentucky.

On February 11th, Pantheon agents were alerted to an infiltration of the Luttazzi Casino, where they had secured sensitive documents through a mutually beneficial deal. Despite efforts to prevent recovery, the Rogue Black Ops team successfully retrieved the documents.

On February 13th, Pantheon forces joined Iraqi forces in a battle to defend Al-Makheel International Airport from a U.S. task force. Initially luring the Rogue Black Ops team into a feint, Pantheon forces were ultimately outmaneuvered when Adler led his team in seizing an Iraqi tank, downing the Pantheon cargo plane attempting to extract Gusev from Kuwait. Gusev's capture and interrogation compromised Pantheon's operations in Vorkuta.

By February 15th, Pantheon had mounted a large-scale operation in Vorkuta to recover additional Project Cradle samples. The Rogue Black Ops team infiltrated and sabotaged the Vorkuta garrison, capturing Harrow and transporting her to their safehouse in Bulgaria for further questioning. Though Pantheon forces successfully extracted samples and began placing them with explosives around Capitol Hill to launch a false flag attack against the U.S. Congress by framing the Iraqi government for committing the terrorist attack with the goal of ousting Livingstone from the CIA under the pretext that the attack is done with the CIA-funded bioweapon. With Livingstone gone and out of the way, the Pantheon can move in and take over the CIA. Harrow's capture delayed the plan.

On February 16th, Pantheon forces located Harrow in Bulgaria and launched a large-scale siege on the safehouse to recover her. Although initially successful in rescuing her, they suffered heavy casualties due to the Rogue Black Ops team's defense. Harrow was declared missing following a confrontation with "Case." Soon after, Pantheon agents stationed at Capitol Hill were detained or eliminated by Livingstone, and a tip-off from Troy Marshall led to the recovery and defusing of the Cradle samples.

Two weeks after Harrow's disappearance, Jackson Caine assumed leadership of Pantheon's CIA operations. During a covert meeting between Livingstone and the Rogue Black Ops team, Caine infiltrated Livingstone's office to search for classified files. He was soon assigned to lead Crimson One, a Pantheon hit squad tasked with eliminating the Rogue Black Ops team.

Known Members[]

Name	Rank/Position	Status
Jane Harrow	Commander	Unknown
Springer Greyson	Executive Director of the USATA	Unknown
Jackson Caine	Agent; Leader of Crimson One	Alive
Arcus One	Pilot	K.I.A.
Matvey Gusev	Scientist	Alive (P.O.W.)