Petraeus a now unlikely defense secretary in Call of Duty

More than a decade in the future, we'll see a still-strapping Secretary of Defense David Petraeus greeting troops aboard the decks of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Barack Obama.

OK, so that reality seems a little less likely in our world of carbon-based life forms now that Petraeus has resigned his CIA post amid an adultery scandal, but it's still very much part of the digital world in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.

The designers at Activision Blizzard thought the much-admired general made the most sense for a future leader of the U.S. military, and few would have disagreed with the choice before it was revealed last week that Petraeus had been engaging in his own secret ops with his biographer, Paula Broadwell. In fact, the scandal broke and Petraeus resigned on Friday, just a few days before the long-awaited game launched for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

But it was too late, and there stands future SecDef Petraeus on the digital deck of the Obama. The disgraced general's role in the game is actually pretty limited, but the company obviously thought it was a hot enough topic to issue this statement to reporters:

General Petraeus was not paid, was not involved in the creation of the game, and has not been asked to endorse the game. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and its fictional storylines are aimed at providing fun and enjoyment. It is clear to game players that his character and others that are based on real-life figures are fantasy.

Including Gen. Petraeus and other real-life figures was strictly a creative decision made many months ago when the storyline was drafted. We are not commenting further on the latest news or Gen. Petraeus. His service to his country and career accomplishments are a matter of public record.

With Petraeus' career in public service coming to an apparent end, it's likely he'll find plenty of opportunities in the private sector. Perhaps he could follow in the footsteps of Lt. Col. Oliver North, who met with plenty of scandal in the 1980s Iran-Contra affair, and most recently served as a military adviser... to the creators of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.

Watch Petraeus' likeness aboard the U.S.S. Obama in the video below: