Michael Duke is a secondary antagonist in Call of Juarez: The Cartel. Duke is the billionaire Chief Executive Officer for Peacekeepers International (PKI), a private military contractor gone bankrupt. After losing his contract with the Pentagon, Duke turned the company's prospects elsewhere, and now supplies weaponry to the Mendoza Cartel in Mexico. He is a descendant of Confederate general Robert E. Lee, a point he makes no hesitation in declaring.
Michael Duke is voiced by John Cygan.
Call of Juarez: The Cartel[]
On July 4th, 2011, FBI agent Patrick Stone is killed in a bomb attack while investigating the identity of the arms supplier for the newfound Mendoza Cartel, who had begun supplying drugs to local street gangs in preparation for a large purchase of military-grade hardware. With the case unsolved and the country on the brink of war with Mexico, Deputy Director Shane Dickson assembles a task force led by LAPD detective Ben McCall to continue the investigation and find those responsible for the bombing.
During their investigation, the team finds and captures Cartel prince Jesús Mendoza, learning that the syndicate is planning to purchase weaponry from Duke, following his company's much-scandalized attack on a children's hospital in Iraq. With DEA agent Eddie Guerra posing as Jesús, they meet with Duke in the ruins of Raytown, where he demonstrates his merchandise in a live-fire exercise and demands a different form of payment -- the Gold of Juarez, an ancient treasure preserved in the National Museum in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
The team succeeds in stealing the artifacts from tbe museum, but following Jesús' assassination and a forged text message by Antonio Alvarez, Cartel leader Juan Mendoza blames McCall and Duke for his son's death, appropriating Duke's weapon shipment. Infuriated, Duke retaliates by assaulting Mendoza and his men in an attack helicopter at a cemetery, but is shot down and killed by McCall and his squad. Following the eventual collapse of the Cartel, Duke is reported to have died while "resisting arrest".
Appearance[]
Regardless of climate or circumstance, Duke is typically seen wearing black slacks and a striped purple dinner jacket buttoned once at the belly, with a white undershirt and scarlet silk scarf beneath. He also wears red and white dress shoes. Though he appears relatively fit and healthy for his age, it has left him with long, silver hair kept slicked back, revealing a creased forehead and prominent, sunken jowls. Even indoors, Duke does not remove his large sunglasses, and thus his eyes are never seen. He is also a skilled marksman, wielding an Eagle as his sidearm during a botched "manhunt" in the ruins of Raytown.
Personality[]
As a powerful corporate officer and billionaire, Duke is quite condescending in manner, taking pleasure in the impatience or discomfort of others. He has little regard for human life, as he gleefully uses captured Vatos Locos gang members as live targets for his weapons, referring to them as "street scum".
He is a shrewd businessman, setting his own price and terms for transactions, though his indifference to external events and underestimation of his enemies make him vulnerable to betrayal by the likes of Antonio Alvarez. Despite his business connections with Juan Mendoza, he has little respect for the druglord, and considers him an uncultured 'philistine'.
Duke speaks with a peculiar Southern accent, and uses awkward Spanish and Mexican slang during address.
Owing to his veritable wealth, Duke is also an avid collector of military and cultural artifacts, ranging from World War II-era tanks and jet fighters to native Mexican folk art, and strongly desires to add the legendary Gold of Juarez to his private collection. After his death, his vast array of possessions became property of the United States government.
Quotes[]
About Gold of Juarez
"Is there a reason you brought us out here to the middle of nowhere?"
"I believe there is. A hundred-fifty years ago this was a thriving community, a gold mining town. A prime example of this country's greta can-do attitude. But then the mine closed and the town died. That's what money is; the lifeblood of this republic. Without it what do you have...nothing." - Duke and Ben McCall about Raytown
"We're here to get guns not give them away ese."
"We'll get to it, but first let me ask you something. What do you know about the treasure of Juarez?" - Eddie and Duke.
"I can't believe my men allowed these street scum to ambush them." - Duke commenting on the Vatos Locos.
Trivia[]
- Duke may be a reference to the actor John Wayne, who is referred to as "The Duke", John Wayne is famous in Hollywood for his numerous appearances in Western films.
- Michael is a Hebrew name which means "Who is like God?". This seems to fit his personality. Duke is of British origin meaning "Leader".
- Duke is a playable character in multiplayer unlocked at Level 48.