If you’ve spent any time in the dark, depressing halls of Alcatraz in Call of Duty: Black Ops II, you know that survival isn't just about shooting straight. It’s about the gear. Specifically, it's about a piece of silverware. It sounds ridiculous when you say it out loud, but the Golden Spork in Mob of the Dead is arguably the most iconic melee weapon in the history of Zombies. It’s a one-hit kill until round 34. Think about that for a second. Most wonder weapons start to drop off in the late 20s, but a literal piece of cutlery stays lethal well into the high rounds.
Getting it is a nightmare. Honestly, it’s one of the most tedious, multi-step Easter eggs Treyarch ever designed for a single item. If you mess up the order or miss a single pixelated detail, you’re stuck with a regular knife while Brutus crushes your skull. You have to be precise. You have to be patient. And you definitely have to know the difference between the standard spoon and the golden upgrade.
The Foundation: Why the Spoon Matters First
You can't just find the Golden Spork in Mob of the Dead lying around in a cafeteria tray. That would be too easy. First, you need the silver spoon. This is the prerequisite that trips up most players because it requires "Afterlife" mode, which is the soul-leaving-body mechanic unique to this map.
Go to the cafeteria. Look at the back wall near the windows where the zombies break in. There’s a small table with a tray, and if you look closely, there’s a silver spoon. It’s just sitting there, mocking you. You can’t pick it up. To get it, you have to go into Afterlife near the cafeteria, find the small portal/hole in the wall above the cafeteria entrance, and zap the spoon. It won't fly into your hand. Instead, it disappears. This is your first sign of progress.
Once it’s gone, head down to the infirmary. There’s a tub filled with blood. It’s gross, it’s Alcatraz, and it’s exactly where your spoon went. Interact with that tub, and the spoon will emerge. Now, you’ve got a weapon that’s slightly better than your starting knife, but let's be real: you didn't come here for a silver spoon. You came for the gold.
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Upgrading to the Golden Spork in Mob of the Dead
Now the real work begins. To turn that silver into gold, you need to feed the map. This part of the process involves the Blundergat, which is the map’s signature shotgun. If you don't have the Blundergat (either from the box or the free Easter egg involving the five blue skulls), you can't finish the spork. Period.
Take your Blundergat and head to the cafeteria. There is a specific wall—near the workbench—where you need to get kills. But not just any kills. You need to use the Acid Gat or the Vitriolic Withering (the upgraded version). The game tracks your kills in this specific zone. You’ll know you’re doing it right when you hear a distinct, ethereal laughing sound. That’s the map acknowledging your blood sacrifice. It takes about 50 to 100 kills depending on the round and your accuracy. Don't rush it. If you leave the cafeteria too early, you'll have to start the tally over.
The Bathtub Ritual
Once the laughter stops and the kills are registered, head back to that same tub in the infirmary. This is where things get weirdly specific. You have to hold the interact button (Square/X/F) on the tub to place your silver spoon inside. It will sink into the blood.
Now, go to the showers. You need to get kills with the Acid Gat in the shower area until the spoon is "ready." This is a common misconception; many people think you just wait a few rounds. No. You need more blood. After you've cleared a wave or two in the showers, go back to the tub.
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If you’ve done it right, a skeletal hand will rise from the blood holding the Golden Spork in Mob of the Dead. Grab it. It replaces your melee entirely.
The Math Behind the Damage
Why go through all this? Because the damage scaling is insane. Most melee weapons in Zombies are useless by round 10. The Bowie Knife loses its one-hit-kill potential at round 12. The Galvaknuckles, which cost a fortune, stop being a one-hit kill around round 14.
The Golden Spork? It does 4,000 points of damage.
In Black Ops II mechanics, a zombie's health increases by 10% every round after round 9. By doing the math, the spork stays a one-hit kill through round 33 and becomes a two-hit kill on round 34. This makes it an essential tool for "point whoring" in the mid-game and a literal lifesaver if you get cornered without ammo in the high rounds. It’s the ultimate backup plan.
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Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
The most frequent fail point is the "Ghost Spoon." Sometimes players zap the spoon in Afterlife but forget to check the tub. If you don't interact with the tub immediately after zapping it, the game can occasionally glitch out, or you'll just spend twenty minutes wondering why the kills aren't counting.
Another huge mistake is trying to do the cafeteria kills with a regular Blundergat. It must be the Acid Gat. You need the green goop. The trap kills don't count either. It has to be weapon damage from the player who is actually trying to get the spork. If you’re playing co-op, each player has to do their own kills to "earn" their spork, though the steps can be done simultaneously if you’re coordinated.
Pro-Tips for Efficient Crafting
- Round Management: Try to start the spoon quest as early as round 10. If you wait until round 25, getting those Acid Gat kills in the tight cafeteria space is a death wish.
- The Tomahawk Synergy: Use the Hell’s Retriever to soften up mobs before finishing them with the Acid Gat in the cafeteria. It speeds up the kill count significantly.
- Double Tap II: While it doesn't affect melee speed, having it for your Blundergat makes the kill-earning phase much safer.
Why Mob of the Dead Still Holds Up
There’s a reason people still talk about the Golden Spork in Mob of the Dead over a decade after the map's release. It represents a peak in Treyarch’s quest design. It wasn't just a "buy this off the wall" power-up. It was a ritual. It forced you to interact with the environment, use specific weapons, and master the map's layout.
When Blood of the Dead came out in Black Ops 4, they brought the spork back, and even added a "Golden Scalpel" and "Citty's Toaster" (the upgraded spork), but it never felt as visceral as the original. The original Alcatraz had an atmosphere that made every step of the quest feel like you were uncovering something cursed.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Run
If you're booting up Black Ops II tonight, follow this exact sequence to ensure you don't waste time:
- Build the Plane: You need to get to the Golden Gate Bridge at least once to "reset" certain map states, though strictly speaking, the spoon can be started before the first flight. It's just easier with the extra points from the bridge.
- Get the Blundergat: Don't even bother with the spoon until you have the Gat and the acid kit parts (found in the infirmary, the cell block, and the wardens office).
- The Afterlife Zap: Don't waste your Afterlife shocks. Use the one near the cafeteria specifically for the spoon and the nearby perk machine.
- The Tub Check: Always check the tub immediately. If the spoon isn't there, you didn't hit it right in Afterlife.
- Kill Tally: Stay in the cafeteria until you hear the laugh. If you don't hear the laugh, the tub won't give you the prompt to stir the blood.
The Golden Spork isn't just a meme weapon. It’s the difference between dying on round 20 because you ran out of ammo and cruising to round 40. It takes work, but in the tight corridors of Alcatraz, having a 4,000-damage melee weapon in your back pocket is the best insurance policy you can buy.