The Boss

The Boss (ザ・ボス), also known as The Joy and Voyevoda (meaning "Warlord" in Russian), was the "final daughter of the Philosophers", and the mentor of Naked Snake (Big Boss). She was the founding leader of the Cobra Unit, where she was known as "The Joy", but, following its disbanding at the end of World War II, she was granted the codename "The Boss". Together with Naked Snake, she developed the technique of Close Quarters Combat.

In the Virtuous Mission, The Boss wears a bandanna and Olive Tan camouflage (which appears to be the "staple" of the FOX unit battle fatigue). After he pulls it off of her head when he is thrown off a bridge by her, it is this very bandanna which Snake dons for the remainder of the game. The Boss comments on his inability to let go of the past by taunting him for wearing her bandanna as a reminder of her during his mission.

Early Years
Not much is known about the Boss' childhood. She was born as the daughter of one of the higher ranked members of the Philosophers' Wisemen's Committee, and grew up in the care of the Philosophers.

Prior to her founding of the Cobra Unit, she was an instructor and lecturer at one of the Philosophers' training and schooling facilities. In 1942, The Boss founded the Cobra Unit - an elite group of individuals each with their own special and unique ability - and participated in the landing at Normandy. She took part in many special operations thereafter (including the destruction of many V2 rocket launch bases) and contributed heavily to the allied forces' eventual victory in the war. At the time, The Boss was pregnant with her child, and during the landings on the beaches she gave birth to a boy, Adam. The cesarean section required in the chaos left her with a snake-shaped scar on her torso.

It was around this time that The Boss first met Major Zero in the SAS, and Jack, later to become Naked Snake. She spent over a decade with Jack, training him as her disciple.

Due to her exposure to radiation during the Janurary 11, 1951 Nuclear test in Nevada, she was chosen for participation in the 1960 Mercury Project, during with radiation was an inevitability. She unofficially became the first person in space, and seeing the Earth from above sparked her dream of uniting the world as one.

One year later, The Boss was ordered to take part in the Bay of Pigs Invasion at Bahia de Cochinos, Cuba. Her unit annihilated, the Boss lost faith in the US government.

Later, two years prior to Operation Snake Eater, The Boss was sent on a mission that culminated in the assassination of her lover, The Sorrow, who had returned to the Soviet Union after the disbandment of the Cobra Unit.

See Operation Snake Eater

In 1964, The Boss was then ordered to take part in a major operation to recover the Philosophers' Legacy from Colonel Volgin - known as the Virtuous Mission. In order to acquire the Legacy, The Boss had to trade her way into Volgin's ranks - and to do so she was given two portable nuclear warheads, one of which was ultimately used by Volgin to destroy Sokolov's design bureau. However, with the destruction of the bureau, The Boss' mission was greatly expanded and revised - this time she would have to also help prove the innocence of the United States in a mission known as Operation Snake Eater. One week later, the U.S. government sent in an operative with orders to assassinate The Boss. The man sent carry out those orders was Naked Snake - The Boss' beloved protege.

Understanding the fact that in order to save the world and her country she had to give her life, The Boss subtly helped Snake with his mission while at the same time keeping Volgin's trust. After Snake defeated Volgin and destroyed the Shagohod, The Boss met Snake in a field of white flowers to tell him of the Philosophers and remind him of his duty as a soldier prior to engaging him in a final duel.

"One must die and one must live. No victory, no defeat. The survivor will carry on the fight. It is our destiny... The one who survives will inherit the title of Boss. And the one who inherits the title of Boss will face an existence of endless battle."

- Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

After falling at the hands of her most loved disciple, The Boss passed the microfilm to Naked Snake. She also explained what had happened to EVA, who in turn told Snake. In the end, she left everything in the hands of Snake.

Despite her death, the Boss' ideal (or what was perceived of it) greatly influenced the events that came later. Her ideal formed the basis of the Patriots, until Big Boss decided that The Patriots no longer followed her ideals, and formed Outer Heaven and Zanzibar Land. Fifty years later, Big Boss remarked sorrowfully that her death had greatly affected him to that point, going as far as to comment that he had been dead since the day he killed her.

Trivia

 * you can actually hear the boss yell her codename (The joy) if you have substance. it is only available under secret theater.
 * when metal gear 4 starts or during the "3 days earlier" cut seen you will see solid snake standing at the bosses grave. the graveyard is also covered with the flowers that naked snake left the boss. solid will also say "the dead have ears you know." witch sounds like "the dead speak." a line the sorrow said.
 * in MGS4 examine the snakes cigarettes to see that the brand is "the boss".
 * in MGS4 the big boss, or naked snake, dies on the bosses grave. this leaves only soldus snake the only person related to the boss not to be buried around the boss.