Games - Zartan

	Games - Zartan

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.

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 also was, too, 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 bouts of schizophrenia. After the initial public outcry, Hasbro removed this information from future figures.

Animation

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 camoflauge abilities are negated by the sun.

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 siblings Zarana and Zandar, as well as Monkeywrench and Thunder Machince driver Thrasher.

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 posesses a slight Austrailian accent. It is yet unclear if he is the Dreadnok's leader in Sigma 6 or not.

Comics

Zartan was first introduced in the comics 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 ventrilaquist, 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. Zartan accidentally killed Storm Shadow's uncle, who was impersonating Snake Eyes at the time with one of Storm Shadow's arrows. 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 Austrailia 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 absolutly no finese at all. However, his relationship with Cobra was on and off, sometimes by choice and other times by brainwashing.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Zartan ]

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