CHARACTER · ORIGIN
Ghost's Backstory, Family and Real Name
Ghost is a callsign. The name under it, in both timelines, is Simon Riley, a British SAS soldier attached to Task Force 141.
From my notes. The original-timeline Call of Duty Wiki account says that during the Roba storyline, Marcus Washington killed Simon's mother, brother Tommy, sister-in-law Beth and nephew Joseph (also called Jacob in one account). That is the original Simon Riley's backstory, chiefly told in the Modern Warfare 2: Ghost comic material; it is not a reboot event and should not be described as something the MW2 campaign depicts. The reboot's background is separate and less detailed.
2009 comics and campaign
Reboot
Questions
Is Ghost British?
Yes in both timelines. The wikis place him in the British SAS before Task Force 141.
Did Ghost have a wife?
The 2009 wiki does not list a wife. It lists family members who die before the campaign. The reboot page does not add a spouse.
Who killed Simon Riley's family?
In the original 2009 Modern Warfare timeline, Marcus Washington kills them during the backstory summarized in Modern Warfare 2: Ghost. Do not conflate that comic history with the reboot timeline.
Keep reading
Sources checked 23 October 2026
Updated .