Full spoilers ahead for the entire Black Ops 2 campaign, including all endings.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II has one of the most ambitious campaign structures in the series’ history — two interleaved timelines, branching story choices, Strike Force missions that change the outcome of the war, and multiple distinct endings determined by decisions made across the whole playthrough. It came out in 2012 and is still being played today. Here is the complete mission list, story summary, Strike Force breakdown, Raul Menendez’s full backstory, and every possible ending.
Black Ops 2 Campaign: Basic Facts
| Detail | Info |
| Release date | November 13, 2012 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC); November 18, 2012 (Wii U) |
| Developer | Treyarch |
| Setting | Two timelines: 1980s Cold War and 2025 near-future |
| Main protagonist (2025) | David ‘Section’ Mason — son of Alex Mason |
| Main protagonist (1980s) | Alex Mason — protagonist of the original Black Ops |
| Main villain | Raul Menendez — Nicaraguan drug lord turned global terrorist |
| Standard missions | 11 main story missions |
| Strike Force missions | Up to 4 (canon, outcomes affect ending) |
| Endings | Multiple — determined by player choices |
Black Ops 2 Full Mission List
Black Ops 2 has 11 standard campaign missions plus up to 4 Strike Force missions. The missions alternate between the 1980s backstory missions (playing as Alex Mason) and the 2025 present-day missions (playing as David Mason).
| # | Mission Name | Timeline | Setting / Brief Description |
| 1 | Pyrrhic Victory | 1986 — Angola | Alex Mason fights alongside Jonas Savimbi against Soviet-backed forces in Angola; sets up the relationship with Menendez |
| 2 | Celerium | 2025 | David Mason infiltrates a plane in Myanmar to steal the Celerium — a quantum computing device critical to Menendez’s plan |
| 3 | Old Wounds | 1984 — Afghanistan | Alex Mason and Woods work with the Mujahideen against Soviet forces; Menendez appears; Raul saves Mason’s life |
| 4 | Time and Fate | 1989 — Panama | Alex Mason raids Menendez’s mansion with Hudson and Noriega; the grenade incident kills Josefina — the defining trauma driving Menendez’s revenge |
| 5 | Fallen Angel | 2025 — Pakistan | David Mason infiltrates Khabul with Harper to gather intelligence on Menendez; crucial to record Menendez for maximum intel |
| 6 | Karma | 2025 — Cayman Islands | Section’s team tries to extract Chloe Lynch (Karma) from a nightclub before DeFalco kidnaps her; key branching decision |
| 7 | Suffer With Me | 1989 — Panama | Alex Mason and Woods hunt Noriega; Hudson orders Mason to shoot an apparent Menendez — who turns out to be a disguised Alex Mason; key player choice |
| 8 | Achilles’ Veil | 2025 — Yemen | Farid goes undercover with Menendez; key choice: kill Harper to protect Farid’s cover or sacrifice Farid |
| 9 | Odysseus | 2025 — USS Obama | Menendez, captured, is brought aboard the USS Obama — and uses it as his Trojan Horse to upload his virus and hijack the US drone fleet; key choice: shoot Admiral Briggs in leg |
| 10 | Cordis Die | 2025 — Los Angeles | David Mason defends LA against Menendez’s hijacked drone fleet attacking the city |
| 11 | Judgment Day | 2025 — Haiti | Final mission; David Mason confronts Menendez at the Vault; player decides Menendez’s fate — the choice that determines the ending |
The 1980s Missions: ‘Back in Time’ — Alex Mason’s Story
The 1980s missions are interspersed throughout the campaign as flashbacks, playing as a younger Alex Mason alongside Frank Woods and CIA operative Jason Hudson. These missions establish the backstory of Raul Menendez and explain how a Nicaraguan drug lord became the world’s most dangerous terrorist by 2025.
- Angola (1986) — Pyrrhic Victory: Mason and Woods work with UNITA rebel leader Jonas Savimbi against Soviet-backed MPLA forces. Menendez is encountered here as an arms dealer. The mission establishes that Menendez is already operating in the conflict zones of the Cold War proxy wars
- Afghanistan (1984) — Old Wounds: Mason and Woods are embedded with Afghan Mujahideen fighters. Menendez reappears — and saves Mason’s life during a Soviet attack. The two men have a genuine moment of connection before the Cold War’s political machinery drives them apart
- Panama (1989) — Time and Fate: The pivotal mission. Mason, Woods, and Hudson raid Menendez’s cartel compound with Noriega’s help. In the chaos, Woods throws a grenade he believes will hit Menendez — but it bounces into the room where Josefina, Raul’s beloved sister, is sleeping. She is killed. Menendez, believing Mason orchestrated her death, vows eternal revenge. This single moment is the origin of everything that follows in 2025
Who Is Raul Menendez? The Full Backstory
Raul Menendez is the primary antagonist of Black Ops 2 — and one of the most fully realized villains in the Call of Duty series. Understanding his backstory makes the entire campaign significantly more meaningful.
Menendez was born in Nicaragua. He grew up with his younger sister Josefina, who was disfigured in a warehouse fire that was deliberately set for an insurance scam — she survived only because Raul carried her out of the burning building. His fierce protectiveness of Josefina and his hatred of the powerful men who exploit the poor are the foundations of his character.
As an adult, Menendez built a cartel empire in Central America during the 1980s — operating in the chaos of Cold War proxy conflicts in Angola, Afghanistan, and Panama. He is extraordinarily intelligent, strategically brilliant, and ideologically driven — not a simple criminal, but a man who genuinely believes western power structures are corrupt and that he is fighting for the oppressed billions who make up his global movement, Cordis Die.
The defining event of his life is the Panama mission. When the grenade kills Josefina, Menendez’s grief and rage transform into an ideological purpose: to bring down the entire western world order. He spends the next 36 years building Cordis Die into a movement with billions of followers, acquiring the Celerium quantum worm, and engineering his own capture to get aboard the USS Obama — where he can deploy his ultimate weapon and hijack America’s entire autonomous drone fleet.
Menendez quotes the poem Ulysses by Alfred Lord Tennyson throughout the game — particularly the lines about striving, seeking, finding, and never yielding. The poem functions as his personal manifesto. References to Ulysses appear across the game’s levels, including on a piece of paper in the Odysseus mission.
Strike Force Missions: What They Are and Why They Matter
Strike Force missions are Black Ops 2’s unique contribution to the Call of Duty campaign formula — RTS-style missions where the player controls a squad of soldiers, drones, and mechs rather than a single character. There are up to four Strike Force missions, and their outcomes directly affect the game’s ending.
| Strike Force Mission | Availability | What’s at Stake |
| FOB Spectre | Always available after Celerium | Prevent SDC gaining control of a forward operating base; unlocks Russia camouflage on completion |
| Dispatch | Available only if maximum intel recorded in Fallen Angel | Prevent SDC data acquisition; unlocks Flecktarn camouflage |
| Second Chance | Only unlocks if DeFalco escapes with Karma in mission 6 | Second attempt to rescue Chloe Lynch after she was captured |
| Cerberus | Always available | Prevent SDC from acquiring prototype drone technology; unlocks Gold camouflage |
Completing all Strike Force missions results in the SDC (Strategic Defense Coalition — the China-led military bloc) joining NATO’s side against Menendez, and ensures the survival of the USS Obama and Admiral Briggs — provided Briggs is not killed later in Odysseus. Failing all Strike Force missions means the SDC stays hostile and the USS Obama is destroyed in the final battle.
Strike Force missions are canon — they are part of the official story, not side content. Their outcomes are locked in during your playthrough; replaying them after finishing the game will not affect the camouflage rewards unless you rewind the story and replay Judgment Day.
Key Story Decisions and What They Affect
Black Ops 2 has more meaningful player choices than any previous Call of Duty campaign. These are the decisions that change the ending:
Mission 4 (Time and Fate) — The CIA Mole File
In the cocaine bunker section, there is an intelligence file linking Menendez to a CIA mole. Soldiers are attempting to burn it — finding it before it burns reveals the identity of the mole (Hudson), which matters in Suffer With Me. This is optional but adds context.
Mission 6 (Karma) — Save or Lose Chloe Lynch
At the end of Karma, DeFalco attempts to escape with Chloe Lynch. Kill DeFalco before he escapes = Karma is saved immediately. Fail to kill DeFalco = Karma is kidnapped, triggering the Second Chance Strike Force mission. Either way, having Chloe Lynch alive for the final mission is crucial for the best ending — she is the only person who can shut down the drone hijack.
Mission 7 (Suffer With Me) — Alex Mason’s Fate
Hudson, believing he is ordering Mason to shoot Menendez, is actually directing Mason to shoot Alex Mason (Section’s father) who is disguised. The player must shoot Mason in the leg — not the head — to keep Alex alive. Shooting him in the head kills Alex Mason, permanently. If Alex survives, he appears at the good ending’s celebration. This is one of the most gut-punching moments in the campaign if you don’t know it’s coming.
Mission 8 (Achilles’ Veil) — Kill Harper or Sacrifice Farid
Menendez orders Farid (the undercover operative) to kill Harper to prove his loyalty. Killing Harper keeps Farid’s cover intact and allows him to survive to Odysseus. Sparing Harper blows Farid’s cover and he is killed. If Harper is alive for Judgment Day, he appears in the final mission. If Farid is alive for Odysseus, he can save Chloe Lynch.
Mission 9 (Odysseus) — Shoot Admiral Briggs in the Leg
During Odysseus, the player (as Menendez) is given the opportunity to kill Admiral Briggs. Shoot him in the leg — not fatally. If Briggs survives AND all Strike Force missions were completed, the USS Obama survives and Briggs commands it in the final battle, significantly impacting the ending.
Mission 11 (Judgment Day) — Menendez’s Fate
The final and most consequential choice: capture or kill Raul Menendez. This choice, combined with the fates of Alex Mason and Chloe Lynch, determines which ending plays out.
All Black Ops 2 Endings Explained
The ending depends on three factors: Menendez’s fate, whether Chloe Lynch survived, and whether Alex Mason survived.
Best Ending — Menendez Captured, Karma Alive, Alex Mason Alive
Section captures Menendez, who is taken into custody. Chloe Lynch (Karma) is present and shuts down the drone fleet before it can cause catastrophic damage. Alex Mason, having survived Suffer With Me, appears at a celebration with Frank Woods. Avenged Sevenfold performs. This is the ending most players aim for and is generally considered the canonical good outcome.
Menendez Killed — Karma Alive
Section executes Menendez at the Vault. Before he dies, Menendez activates a dead man’s switch — but Chloe Lynch is present to shut down the drone hijack before it triggers. Partial success — Menendez is stopped, but his death rather than capture is the less clean resolution. A Haitian child is seen trying to carry his wounded sister to US forces — a deliberate mirror of Menendez carrying Josefina from the fire decades earlier.
Bad Ending — Menendez Captured, Karma Dead
Section captures Menendez but Chloe Lynch is dead (either she was never saved or events led to her death). Menendez, in prison, triggers his device remotely. The drone fleet activates, attacking cities worldwide. Menendez escapes prison. Widespread destruction follows. Woods, presumably, is also dead if Alex Mason was shot in the head in Suffer With Me.
Worst Ending — Menendez Captured, Karma Dead, Alex Dead, Strike Force Failed
Multiple failures compounded: Menendez triggers his plan successfully, the drone fleet attacks, the USS Obama is destroyed (because Strike Force missions were failed), Alex Mason is dead, and the world’s infrastructure collapses. Cordis Die wins. This is the outcome of consistently making the wrong choices or failing Strike Force missions throughout the campaign.
What Is the Canon Ending of Black Ops 2?
The community consensus — and the ending most narrative analysis treats as definitive — is the best ending: Menendez captured, Karma alive, Alex Mason alive, Strike Force missions completed. This is the outcome that resolves all the storylines most completely, provides closure for David and Alex Mason, and represents a genuine victory over Menendez’s plans.
Treyarch has not officially designated a single canonical ending, and the game’s branching structure is intentional. However, the best ending is the one that fits most coherently with both the themes of the story (consequence, redemption, family) and the narrative closure for all surviving characters.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many missions are in Black Ops 2?
Black Ops 2 has 11 standard campaign missions plus up to 4 Strike Force missions, for a total of up to 15 missions in a single playthrough. The Strike Force mission Second Chance is only available if DeFalco escapes with Karma in Mission 6.
What is Mission 2 in Black Ops 2?
Mission 2 in Black Ops 2 is Celerium. David Mason (Section) infiltrates a cargo plane over Myanmar to steal the Celerium — a quantum computing device that Menendez’s forces are using to develop their cyberweapon. It is the first present-day mission where Section operates in the field.
When is Black Ops 2 set?
Black Ops 2 is set in two time periods: the 1980s (1984-1989) for the Alex Mason flashback missions, spanning Angola, Afghanistan, and Panama; and 2025 for the main David Mason storyline. The 2025 setting was near-future when the game released in 2012 — it is now in the recent past.
Who is Raul Menendez?
Raul Menendez is the main villain of Black Ops 2 — a Nicaraguan drug lord who became the leader of Cordis Die, a global revolutionary movement with billions of followers. His origin story spans the Cold War proxy conflicts of the 1980s and is defined by the death of his sister Josefina during the Panama raid in 1989. He is widely considered one of the best antagonists in the Call of Duty series.
What are the Strike Force missions in Black Ops 2?
Strike Force missions are RTS-style campaign missions where the player controls a squad rather than a single character. There are up to four: FOB Spectre, Dispatch, Second Chance, and Cerberus. Their outcomes affect the final ending — completing all of them results in the SDC joining NATO against Menendez and the USS Obama surviving.
What is the best ending in Black Ops 2?
The best ending requires: completing all Strike Force missions, saving Karma (Chloe Lynch) in Mission 6, shooting Alex Mason in the leg (not the head) in Mission 7, shooting Admiral Briggs in the leg (not fatally) in Mission 9, and capturing (not killing) Menendez in the final mission. This results in Menendez being imprisoned, Karma shutting down the drone fleet, and Alex Mason surviving to reunite with his son.
Final Thoughts
Black Ops 2’s campaign remains one of the high points of the franchise — and of narrative FPS campaigns generally. The dual timeline structure, the genuine moral weight of the choices, the complexity of Menendez as an antagonist who is comprehensible even while being monstrous, and the way player decisions compound toward meaningfully different outcomes all set it apart from standard CoD campaigns. The 11 main missions and up to 4 Strike Force missions add up to a campaign that rewards multiple playthroughs, and the difference between the best and worst endings is stark enough that getting the good ending feels genuinely earned.
