Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 brings back the notable supporting character, Frank Woods. Woods played an important role in four of the Black Ops games. However, the latest installment depicts him as a paralyzed man bound to a wheelchair. Accordingly, fans are wondering why Woods is in a wheelchair and what caused him to be bound to one. Did someone shoot Woods in the spine? Were his legs crippled in a battle?
Here is Frank Woods’ wheelchair-ridden status explored.
Why Frank Woods is in a wheelchair in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Frank Woods is in a wheelchair in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 because he was shot and paralyzed by Raul Menendez. Menendez was the main antagonist of Black Ops II.
Woods’ paralysis is not a new sight to veteran Black Ops players, as he was shown in this state in Black Ops II during the 2025 setting of that game.
The story of Frank Woods’ paralysis is chronicled in the single-player campaign mission of Call of Duty: Black Ops II, “Suffer With Me,” where he is a playable character. This mission, set in 1989, saw Woods and best friend Alex Mason go on a mission in Panama to capture Manuel Noriega, the commander of the Panamanian Defense Forces and de-facto President of the country, who was initially allied with the CIA and PDF, having helped them capture Raul Menendez but later betrayed them by helping Menendez.
Woods eventually encountered Menendez during this mission and successfully blinded him with a gunshot. Unfortunately, he was soon tricked into killing Alex Mason. Menendez then caught Woods off-guard and shot him in the legs, leading to his paralysis.
Following his paralysis, Woods got a desk job at the CIA. He remained there until the events of Black Ops 6, set in 1991. There, he met Troy Marshall and Jane Harrow, two major characters from the new game.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
