Highlights

  • Call of Duty 2024 may benefit from incorporating the Dark Aether lore explored in Vanguard's Zombies mode.
  • The Dark Aether entities have rich backstories and potential for fascinating plot lines in upcoming CoD iterations.
  • The next Zombies mode of Call of Duty could offer a more engaging story by further exploring the Dark Aether Lords.

Rumors and expectations are flying high ahead of this year’s Call of Duty release. While a new installment is inspiring excitement and anxiety alike, the potential for further exploration of elements in Call of Duty: Vanguard is just as intriguing. More specifically, the upcoming iteration of Call of Duty would benefit from addressing the Construct-sized elephant in the room.

While much of the gameplay in the Zombies mode of Call of Duty: Vanguard was met with criticism, one consistently engaging aspect was the presence of the Dark Aether entities. In Vanguard Zombies, players utilize the Artifacts of four rival Dark Aether lords for in-game benefit. Yet these omnipotent, ultra-dimensional beings went far beyond some momentary gameplay advantages; they were central to some phenomenally rich lore. Considering that the Lords were one of the strongest elements in Vanguard, the upcoming Call of Duty (rumored to be titled Call of Duty: Black Ops Gulf War) would get a lot out of incorporating these Dark Aether entities.

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Rich Lore of Dark Aether Lords in Call of Duty

The Dark Aether Lords have some of the most fascinating and emotionally resonant backstories in the Call of Duty universe. An ultra-dimensional realm that’s existed since time began, the Dark Aether is full of warring factions trying to harness the power of the Construct, a large sentient Monolith that hangs over the Dark Aether. One of these entities, an Elder God named Kortifex the Deathless, spent millennia in an unsuccessful campaign to become an Archon, a recipient of the Construct’s powers.

In an attempt to cross over into the Earth dimension, several Dark Aether entities imparted themselves onto Artifacts that were then sent to different human civilizations. Saraxis the Shadow created a dragon and sent it to Japan; Bellekar the Warlock created a mask for the Mayans; Inviktor the Conqueror, a legendary soldier, created a shortsword used by the Ancient Greeks, binding himself to Achilles during the siege of Troy. Nauticus, commander of Kortifex’s night legions, created a war horn received by the Norsemen, who believed him to be the Emir, the father of the Frost Giants. Kortifex, living up to his rather uncaring reputation, simply put two pyramids on a stick and sent them to the Egyptians.

Fast-forward to the Vanguard Zombies story-line. The dreaded SS officer Wolfram Von List employs demonologist Gabriel Krafft to summon Kortifex the Deathless. Kortifex tells Von List that if he summons an army of the Nazi undead, he’ll be able to win the war. Bellekar unleashes a call to Allied Commandos to stop Von List in Stalingrad, where the gameplay of Vanguard Zombies begins.

The defeat of Kortifex in Call of Duty: Vanguard leaves a Dark Aether power vacuum that may prove instrumental in this year's Call of Duty installment.

Rumors for Gulf War iteration of Call of Duty Zombies

With such incredible background lore, it’s clear how these Dark Aether entities have the potential to create fascinating plot lines. There are several rumors concerning how the Dark Aether entities could play into the upcoming release of Call of Duty.

Mr. Peeks in Vanguard Zombies

While the lore of the Dark Aether is sprawling, one fascinating detail surrounds the backstory of Kortifex and Saraxis. Saraxis had Kortifex’s child, who was then punished by Kortifex in an act of “unspeakable cruelty.” The recurring appearance of Mr. Peeks, a blood-covered stuffed rabbit that sometimes exhibits sentience, shows in enough of the best moments in Vanguard Zombies to suggest that this cursed toy is the vessel for Kortifex’s child. This would certainly have implications for the next Zombies mode installment of Call of Duty.

Project Janus in the Upcoming Release of Call of Duty

In Call of Duty: Vanguard, the Societe Occulte is a secret organization who attempt to harness the power of the Dark Aether. As the upcoming Gulf War iteration of Call of Duty is chronologically positioned to pick up where 2020’s Cold War left off, it would follow that elements of that installment would be making returns. Though the Societe Occulte isn’t mentioned in Call of Duty: Cold War, institutional projects such as Requiem and Project Janus share similar aims of capturing Dark Aether powers. Perhaps the Societe Occulte and Project Janus will be more firmly connected in the upcoming storylines, further exploring the Dark Aether’s influence on the human realm.

Dark Aether Lords Can Make Call of Duty 2024 a Gold Mine of Lore

The Dark Aether Lords were one of the most engaging and celebrated aspects of Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies. Getting to know more about them in the next Call of Duty iteration will not only enrich the world, but offer a more fascinating portrait of the universe’s human characters. While having to contend with omnipotent entities in previous installments of Call of Duty, the human characters show their true colors. Further exploring the Dark Aether can lend the next Zombies mode of Call of Duty a better story.