Sure thing! Here’s the rewritten article:
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Yeah, so here’s a thought—and spoilers inbound for those who haven’t played Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. No joke, if you ask me what the last Call of Duty campaign that really stuck out was, I’d have to say Black Ops 2. Sure, the new titles had some mind-bending stuff, Modern Warfare 2019 was a nice reboot (if a bit safe), and don’t get me started on how Infinite Warfare’s singleplayer didn’t get the love it deserved. But let’s be real, none of that hits like those glory days. I often find myself sipping coffee and bam—I’m back thinking about Black Ops 2 and that guy Raul Menendez, making a comeback for Black Ops 7.
Man, before Black Ops 2, the campaign modes in Call of Duty were fun, sure, but emotionally? Meh. Ghost’s betrayal in MW2? Shocking. But still. Cool mask, dude, but where’s the connection? And let’s not forget “No Russian”—unforgettable, yes, but I couldn’t tell one faceless pedestrian from another. General Shepherd, Makarov, Dragovich…all fell into that generic villain bucket. But then Raul Menendez shows up and actually makes me feel something. Crazy, right? And now I’m kind of worried he’s coming back.
Raul wasn’t just another evil dude with a generic mustache-twirling agenda. No, he had reasons—wild ones. Picture this: little Raul and his sister Josefina trapped in a burning barn. All because some American thought insurance fraud was a good idea. Josefina ends up disfigured, and Raul, well…he grows a bit of hatred for capitalism. Fast forward, he’s running with cartels, flipping tables against the American government, and setting up his “Cordis Die” revolution. All this boils up after some serious tragedy against his sister. I’m saying his return in Black Ops 7 has big shoes to fill.
Menendez had this whole vendetta—a personal one. Nothing like we’ve seen before. It’s all eye-for-an-eye kind of madness. Remember Frank Woods? This dude was a Call of Duty legend, and after Menendez tortured him and left him for dead, Woods was hell-bent on revenge. So Woods tries to nuke Menendez, but oops, the grenade bounces—thanks, Alex Mason—and, boom, Josefina dies. Where do I even start with this? The look on Woods’ face when he revisits this old wound, the shivers you get from the top-notch voice acting. And Mason throwing himself into the chaos only piles the layers on Menendez’s story.
Let’s rewind a bit. Menendez, after this whole grenade drama, flips to full villain mode—tricking Woods into shooting Mason, crippling Woods, and then offing Jason Hudson right in front of him. And, oh, Alex’s son David has to watch? That’s just salt in the wound. Poor Woods, stuck in a chair, haunted by all this, doesn’t even get the mercy of an easy out. Nah, Menendez wants him suffering, shackled by memories and regrets. Definitely one of Call of Duty’s darkest chapters.
Can you blame me for freaking out about this sequence? It was bold, risky—like shoving three beloved action heroes off a cliff all at once. Shocking, gut-punching. But still, I couldn’t entirely hate Menendez. Disagree with him? Sure. But understand where he’s coming from? Absolutely. This makes him different from the one-dimensional villains that litter the CoD history.
The layers to Menendez? They’re deep. Sure, his revenge isn’t quite on The Last of Us 2 level, but for Call of Duty, it’s miles ahead. Menendez, despite being twisted, had his moments of compassion. Not just for Josefina, but also for the folks riding with him in his Cordis Die cause. Farid, for instance. And let’s not forget his revolution had a bigger picture—lifting up the 99%, giving the poor a voice. Whether that’s a bit self-serving is a whole other story, but it paints him as this multi-faceted character. However…and here’s the sticky part—I don’t think Black Ops 7 will capture the magic. Especially since, spoiler alert, Menendez might not even be alive.
Now, Treyarch and Raven have already spilled that Alex Mason’s death is the canon output of this revenge tale. Although some folks are thinking otherwise, especially after that loaded trailer with the “The Truth Lies” tagline—it’s like canon is a bit wibbly-wobbly here.
Fast forward to the Xbox Showcase in 2025, and we get this Black Ops 7 teaser. Not exactly the mic-drop we hoped for, but my jaw definitely hit the floor. Zombies? We’re talking goosebumps. But Menendez and David Mason both back? Plot twist, my friends. Red butterflies, mind control—it’s classic Black Ops style. I swear, I thought we might be dragging the old scripts from BO2, but maybe not. Menendez, this guy—he might be messing with David’s mind. Somehow he’s pulling the strings, much like how Reznov did with Alex Mason. Possibly, David could be tag-teamed into carrying out Menendez’s agenda?! Mind-bending stuff, right?
In the end, does it mean Menendez’s actions are limited? Probably. Kind of hard being threatening when you’re a hallucination, I guess. New fans might scratch their heads wondering why this guy’s in their heads at all. Ah, but for us veterans, will it feel like bringing a legend back or some watered-down encore performance?
So yeah. Here’s hoping Black Ops 7 gives Raul Menendez a worthy comeback. I’m just saying, let’s not end up with another Makarov 2.0, okay? Fingers crossed.
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