Zartan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zartan was a mercenary who often worked directly for Cobra Commander and was one of the main villains in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic and television series.
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[edit] Hasbro Toy
The 1984 and 1985 Zartan action figure featured a removable mask that changed Zartan's usual face that featured large black triangular eye make-up, to a more normal-looking Caucasian male face. More interesting was that the plastic representing Zartan's skin on his face and arms was thermal reactive. When in its natural state, Zartan appeared Caucasian, but when exposed to a small amount of heat, say from direct sunlight, Zartan's skin changed to a dark blue. The Zartan figure also came with thermal sensitive stickers that were applied to Zartan's chest and thigh. These stickers changed from maroon when cold, aqua at room temperature, and blue when hot. The action figures for Zartan's brother Zandar and sister Zarana were also molded from thermal reactive plastic.
In 1984, Zartan was sold with an accompanying "swamp skier" called the Chameleon. This vehicle was also made of thermal reactive plastic. Also of note is the fact that when Zartan was originally released in the toy line, it stated on his file card that he suffered from Paranoid Schizophrenia and Multiple Personality Disorder. After the initial public outcry, Hasbro removed this information from future figures.
[edit] Animation
[edit] A Real American Hero
Zartan first appeared in the "Revenge of Cobra" mini-series along with Dreadnok members Buzzer, Ripper and Torch. He and the Dreadnoks abduct Colonel Sharp so Zartan can impersonate him and free Cobra Commander from prison. In the cartoon his disguise techniques are all masks and make-up. He is also able to change the color of his skin to perfectly blend in with his background. Zartan's camouflage abilities are negated by the sun. He's left-handed and Anti-hero
Zartan appeared through out season one of the cartoon and was one of the few Cobra characters to carry over to season two along with Cobra Commader, Baroness and Destro. In the second season of G.I. Joe, he expanded the Dreadnoks to include his younger siblings, Zarana and Zandar, as well as Monkeywrench and Thunder Machine driver Thrasher. The Zartan of the cartoon had a rivalry with Destro, whom considered Zartan a petty criminal. He was also a more cowardly character, often fleeing battle when things turned against him, his loyalty usually lay with Cobra Commander, even after Serpentor took control of Cobra. He appears in G.I Joe: The Movie, and is given a valuable jem by Pythona of Cobra-La so that he and his Dreadnoks will aid them in freeing Serpentor. They accomplish this, but Zartan himself is curiously absent after this, and is not seen in the final battle at the end of the film. He does not appear in the DIC produced Season Three, but his sister Zarana does, and the Dreadnoks are still working for Cobra, so it can be assumed Zartan is still around.
[edit] Sigma Six
Zartan appeared in the Spy Troops DVD and in the Sigma 6 series, with his diguise techniques now due to hologram generators in his suit. In Sigma 6 however, he possesses a slight Australian accent. It is yet unclear if he is the Dreadnok's leader in Sigma 6 or not, but it was hinted at in the episode "Hidden", the first episode of Season 2 of Sigma 6.
[edit] Comics
Zartan was first introduced in the comics very early on in the series, in issue #25 and was created by Larry Hama. Zartan is the greatest master of disguise on the planet. He can be anyone he wishes to an exact physical and vocal likeness. This is done through a mix of holograms, illusions and hypnosis. Zartan is also fluent in twenty languages and dialects, a ventriloquist , an expert martial artist, master archer and the leader of the biker gang known as the Dreadnoks. His status as well as membership with Cobra enhanced the already nasty reputation of the Dreadnoks.
Zartan, his sister Zarana and brother Zandar apparently lived in an orphanage for sometime before Zartan killed a bully who was picking on Zandar in a fight. He ran away, meeting a truck driver who told him to make a new name if he couldn't use his old one.
Sometime after he began working as an assassin and mercenary, using his disguise abilities. Zartan also worked for a government agency under the name Sanderson. He underwent a genetic experiment that infused him with chameleon DNA, giving him the ability to blend into his background.
His first encounter with Cobra was when the man who would become Cobra Commander hired him to kill Snake-Eyes on Firefly's recommendation. Zartan entered the Arashikage dojo as the student of the clan's swordsmith Onihashi. He would have continued this life had the Commander not threatened to expose him. Using one of Storm Shadow's arrows, Zartan accidentally killed Storm Shadow's uncle, who was impersonating Snake Eyes at the time. This event destroyed the clan, and caused Storm Shadow to join Cobra in an attempt to find the real killer.
The exact details of how Zartan came to lead the Dreadnoks are unclear. It is known he used the gang (at the time only Buzzer, Ripper and Torch) as hired muscle on jobs that required it. Somewhere along the way, he became their leader and moved them from Australia to the Florida Everglades. Zartan and the Dreadnoks were used by Cobra as hired muscle for jobs that required his unique skills or jobs that required absolutely no finese at all. However, his relationship with Cobra was on and off, sometimes by choice and other times by brainwashing.
He began to expand the Dreadnoks, first adding in his siblings, Zarana (who served as his second-in-command) and Zandar, then eventually the explosives expert Monkeywrench, the Thunder Machine driver Thrasher, the enforcer Road Pig, the poacher Gnawgahyde and the pirate Zanzibar.
Zartan is famous for delivering the killing blow to Serpentor during the Cobra Civil War by shooting the Cobra emperor with his longbow. After the war, Zartan eventually deserted Cobra and the Dreadnoks while his sister stayed with Cobra Commander. He briefly aided the Joes and suggested to them that Dr. Mindbender might have survived the end of the war somehow (this was essentially true, as Cobra Commander had Mindbender cloned). He then went on to work with Destro and retook the Silent Castle. At this time, Mindbender revealed to Cobra Commander that he had previously implanted a kind of sleeper program in both Destro and Zartan--the trigger was the Commander's unmasked face. Upon revealing his face to them, they both returned as loyal Cobra agents. It was also around this time when Zartan sported a new look, including an orange mohawk and black jacket.
Zartan continued to be a part of Cobra until the organization was defeated in 1994. After this, partially due to the brainwashing, Zartan began to expand the Dreadnoks beyond anything previously seen, taking his crew across the United States. It went from a simple gang of three to a national biker gang with a chapter in every major US city and several in Europe. It was also around this time his daughter Zanya found him. Zartan took her in. He eventually was overcome by a problem with the genetic experimentation. This problem eventually left him unable to go out into sunlight, causing him to lead the Dreadnoks through Zanya, who became his new second-in-command (much to the annoyance of Zarana, who left to lead the Chicago chapter).
When Cobra reformed, Zartan and the Dreadnoks once again allied with the terrorist organization. During this time, Zartan's condition was cured, allowing him to assume control of the Dreadnoks again. This alliance lasted until Cobra's defeat at the Monolith Base. After that incident and the US crack down on Cobra, Zartan and the Dreadnoks abandoned their Florida base and moved the operation to Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
In the present Devil's Due storyline (G.I. Joe: America's Elite #6), Zartan has revealed a schizophrenic nature by forgetting who he really is/was and confusing it with the identities he has assumed. This is a clear reference to his original file card that stated his mental nature. His current fragile state of mind is known only by his siblings and his daughter.
| Toy Line | G.I. Joe | G.I. Joe Adventure Team | G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero | Action Force | Sgt. Savage and the Screaming Eagles | G.I. Joe Extreme | Hall of Fame | Masterpiece Edition | Timeless Collection | Classic Collection | G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 |
|---|---|
| Comics | List of G.I. Joe comics |
| Animated Series | Sunbow series | DiC series | G.I. Joe Extreme | Sigma 6 |
| G.I. Joe Characters | Duke | Snake-Eyes | Scarlett | Stalker | Hawk | Flint | Lady Jaye | Roadblock | Shipwreck | Cover Girl | List of G.I. Joe ARAH characters |
| G.I. Joe Villains | Cobra Commander | Destro | Baroness | Zartan | Storm Shadow | Dr. Mindbender | Serpentor | Firefly | Overkill |
| Movies | G.I. Joe: The Movie (1987) | Spy Troops (2003) | Valor vs. Venom (2004) |
| Factions | G.I. Joe | Cobra | Dreadnoks | Oktober Guard | Iron Grenadiers | Cobra-La | Arashikage | Phoenix Guard |
| Video Games | G.I. Joe | The Atlantis Factor |
