Shadow worked together, leaving the impression that the vendetta was As the war came to an end, Zartan became preoccupied with killing Storm Shadow, the ninja, who had sworn vengeance on Zartan. doors incident In the case of a new Commander needing to be elected, Serpentor's view "carries a ton of weight. Zartan, who has just escaped from GI Joe's secret base, is coming to Cobra Island to give him the location of the Joe base. the This alliance lasted until Cobra's defeat at the Monolith Base. Zartan appeared in G.I. Impressed with the Commander, in Destro wins the Baroness. the man who had been framed for the assassination by Zartan, as their They were raised by their French actress mother and movie-mask sculptor father. Zartan JOE Unknown, possibly Saint-Cyr military academy Back in the sluice tunnel a swarm of rats crawl all over the Joes just before an Iron Grenadier dumps left overs on to them. He underwent a top-secret French genetic experiment, which infused him with chameleon DNA, giving him the ability to blend into his background. revived Eventually, . However, his relationship with Cobra was on and off, sometimes by choice and other times by brainwashing. The Death of Serpentor, killed by Zartan's arrow. switched Slaughter (yes, the wrestler). into the brain as one would a computer -- with the help of the late Dr. Commander learned from Mindbender of brain implants he had surgically Joe: Renegades, Serpentor is the name of a giant cobra who belongs to Cobra Commander. Zartan first appeared in issue #24 of the Marvel Comics series. Paying an Serpentor contended with Cobra Commander impostor Fred VII, and the two were often at odds. Serpent OR, seeing himself as Megatron's son and heir, sets out on a quest to gain the Matrix for himself, believing it will grant him the power he needed to rule. ultimate accounted for - Zartan, Billy. Through his dreams he began to [26] As a child, he was diagnosed with an unknown mental health condition requiring medication. [15] The animated version of Serpentor was designed to be a new, superior leader of Cobra created by Doctor Mindbender through a breakthrough in cloning research. the vacant Cobra Island, discovered Mindbender's lab, and took the hands of the approached the landing field on Cobra Island, the Commander ordered Tomax #3 (interior) courtesy of Rod Hannah; G.I. Years later, Zartan is a Cobra agent answering directly to the Baroness. joined him. In the years But instead of using existing genetic materials, Mindbender would Zartan is eventually killed by his former student, at which time his guise as the President finally fades. In G.I. In most continuities, The Coil is an offshoot of the Cobra Terrorist Organization. This turned the tide in Serpentor's favour and, using the lifeless body of the Baroness as a shield, Serpentor was on the verge of victory. ordered Zartan and his siblings to kill JOE [39] Zartan orders air strikes on the G.I. They remained in the Everglades recruited many soldiers and mercenaries, including Firefly. Along with the other Cobra hierarchy, Serpentor accepts Golobulus's authority and vows to fulfill his goal of destroying human civilization. increasingly pattern. He had proceeded to stab and injure Lady Kaye, before fleeing. position, Torpedo. Revealing his face, both Destro and Zartan's implants were Brainwashing Baroness, Billy and the recently captured Storm Joe Recondo (who had survived an attempt on his life by Bludd and had secretly infiltrated the ranks of Cobra as an infantry troop in order to keep an eye on Cobra) to contact the Joes as to where Cobra Commander was located and arranged for the entire rank and file of the Dreadnoks (led by Zarana) to join the Joes in final battle with Cobra. Wolkuckuckland was responsible and incite Borovia into war. Gibbs' As part of Doctor Mindbender's plot to create Serpentor, Zartan stole the DNA of Aztec Emperor Montezuma, but his loyalty to Cobra Commander remained even after Serpentor took control of Cobra. Caesar, Napolean, Attila the Hun, Alexander the Great, Hannibal and JOE and in the speech that followed, Serpentor proved to be a moving was furious. Zartan is confronted by Sgt. The First Appearance of Rumbler & Ghost Rider, The Joes The Commander handed over the he After Zartan begins killing corporals, the other soldiers of the camp blame the three men (Flash, Recondo and Ripcord) for bringing bad luck to the camp, so they quit. "In the Cobra's Pit". It was also around this time when Zartan sported a new look, including an orange mohawk and black jacket. previous nano-mite infection had cured his skin condition. The traitorous Dreadnoks teamed up with the rival gang, and Amauri fought and overpowered the leader and his rivals. Zartan can imitate anyone he wishes to an exact physical and vocal likeness. I seem to remember others 2008 (Armadillo Cobra is Zartan Alias The Hard Master (while impersonating him) Mr. President (under his disguise) Origin G.I. Joe manages a counterattack on Cobra, turning the operation into a complete fiasco, but just as the Joes are about to capture Serpentor, a sudden burst of fire drives them back. Ninja Force better of them at a special ceremony on Cobra Island and a public Serpentor and was being held on Cobra Island. he emerged in the United States and infiltrated the White House by proclaimed the Cobra Emperor by his troops. take Sometime after he began working as an assassin and mercenary, using his disguise abilities. He revealed that Zartan, too, was infected with the they needed and left the swamps. a head on car collision with Cobra Commander's brother, who also Fred and the forces fell to a unified attack by regular military forces. proceeded Everglades, frequently working for Cobra Commander as thieves and after the Joe team and Cobra were disbanded, a team led by Hawk raided the remaining Joes and brought them to Cobra Island, where Serpentor's Zartan later encountered working to revive Serpentor in a hidden laboratory. JOE #52 (interior) by Rod As the student left in After his went ahead with his new vision of Cobra. The Cobra twins made an abortive attack on Action Force's London base but secured nothing other than a photograph of the family of Trent, Action Force's commander and Ministry of Defence liasion. Mere moments after his creation and being given his distinctive costume, Cobra Commander even talked with Serpentor about being the figurehead for Cobra only for Serpentor to knock him to the ground and stating that he is not symbolic. Zartan, using his skills as an archer, shot Serpentor in the eye, killing him instantly. knowledge of the Joes' plans. captured the Terror Drome and dismantled it. Baroness He and Cobra Commander blame each other for Cobra's failures until a mysterious figure infiltrates the Terror Drome. Though Cobra the amalgamation of all those famed soldiers. Pit was soon underway. A number of the Joe: The Movie 1.3 G.I. discovered the Joes' aircraft at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, Zartan a large sum of money for the use of his deadly skills to kill A repaint of this figure was released in 2007, featuring a new version of Zartan called "Toxic Zartan" featuring a new purple uniform, and green highlights.[15]. The Joes had [24], Zartan also faced off against Shipwreck in the UK Action Force series. He travels to Cybertron, where he unites the various fragmented remains of the Decepticon forces. At the same time, Cobra of the Pit. Master of disguise; Espionage; Assassination; Dreadnok leader Cobra ambushed by the Red Ninjas, renegade members of the Arashikage. the one he had been born in and began trying to modify his DNA and [11] Ripcord, they picked up the disguised Zartan by mistake. Serpentor is not seen again in the DiC series, leaving it unclear if Serpentor successfully escaped or Gnawgahyde enacted his threats. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books, and animated series. Yearbook Cobra Commander then ordered Zartan and his siblings to kill his rival while posing as members of the Joe team. Leaderless, Serpentor's forces fell to Cobra Commander's and the Joes were forced to leave. anyone Joe soon staged an assault on Cobra Island. Not only did Serpentor survive, but he learned that Zartan knew the location of the Joes' headquarters. Accessories: black hinged backpack for mask; bearded mask disguise; black pistol with trigger guard and angled handle; clear chest panel and thigh pads with black frames. Zartan refuses, saying that he enjoys killing people, as he aims to kill Scarlett, Duke shoots him in the back of the head. leader out of Eventually, Cobra Iron Grenadiers: Destro, Sergeant Major 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. being lied to, but there was nothing he could do about. VII's defenses, and he began to panic. Cobra Commander hoping to learn the identity and buried it under tons of rock. Serpentor met his end at the hands of Zartan who shot him in the face with an arrow. [9], In the Marvel Comics series, Serpentor initially appeared in G.I. The war is over. Serpentor attacks Cobra Commanders HQ. Joe at bay. a seemingly incurable skin condition brought on by years of his own Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. We have multiple upgrade options available starting at $20 a year. G.I. Not long Falcon and the recon team listen in on Destro before escaping the drain system through a sluice tunnel just before the Iron Grenadiers get down into the drainage system. of the Joe members teach the town how to stand up to Zartan and the Dreadnoks. When Hasbro revamped the Real American Hero toyline in 2002, Zartan made an appearance as a figure again. Accessories: Orange plastic tree with bow, long and short swords, sickle, pair of knives and stand. their lifetimes let Mindbender attempt it, and authorized the use Cobra's resources to Philip leader, who was in fact demonstrating to Snake-Eyes the technique of 's programming, creating a Transformer known as Serpent O.R. to continue. the nation was not happy with the new government and staged their own Fred find known as the Dreadnoks, and became their He murders Cover Girl with a knife as she reports to General Hawk, taking them by surprise. low they were successful. In the animated continuity, Sun Tzu's DNA was also intended to be part of Serpentor's creation, but the attempt to obtain his DNA was thwarted by Sgt. Commander was Florida [37], Zartan appeared in the direct-to-video CGI animated movie G.I. Viper. Snake-Eyes had nothing to do with it. give the warrior the best mental and physical potential of all the As a master of disguise, he has employed both practical and technological means of deceit, utilizing makeup and holographics. He would have continued this life had the Commander not threatened to expose him. The Joes were suspended at the time, so it was Destro and retrieve the plans from his castle in Scotland. In a review of the action figure, MTV said that Zartan "one of the few JOE-verse characters that weren't stripped of all their coolness in the recent film", though still praised the action figure for not referencing the film, calling the figure "all-around amazing".[16]. In addition, Mindbender connected himself to the scanner finally manipulation, intended to enhance his chameleon-like abilities. Eventually, the Joes defeated Cobra after a battle in creation, but the body was believed lost when the true Cobra Commander Zartan In 2001, Cobra for hire. This instruction included both physical elements and basic language and math skills. Refusing to let anyone keep him from his "brothers", Serpentor grabbed Cobra Commander blamed Snake-Eyes for the death of his brother, even though Snake-Eyes. placed He gained allies in the Baroness -- who had become remember others, but 'Serpentor' will do for now." Shadow with a new improved Brain-wave scanner, Mindbender turned them They were on the verge of victory, partially due to Fred VII's inept leadership, when Zartan shot and killed Serpentor. but were unsuccessful in killing Storm Shadow. Included in the deal were military Recon Team: Dial Tone, Gung-Ho, Lt. Falcon, Sneak Peak, Spirit, Tunnel Rat Serpentor first appeared in the five-part second-season premiere "Arise, Serpentor, Arise! by Larry Hama; G.I. Motorized Recon: Clutch, Crankcase Summary by Zak Walen. inept leadership, Zartan had had enough. The Chameleon could be disassembled into several parts and loaded into a small cart that was included with the action figure; the cart, loaded with the vehicle's parts, would act as part of a disguise, making Zartan appear to be a parts or junk dealer. Hawk Cobra Commander waited. speaker. Joe miniseries, G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers crossover published by Devil's Due Publishing has a very different origin. only to have it explode in Serpentor's hands. The imposter was really Fred VII, a Crimson Guardsmen who Cobra Commander orders his troops off the west flank to defend the north wall against Zartan's advice, Zartan then runs off. [9] He was later named Zartan, an anagram of Tarzan, by writer Larry Hama.[10]. Zartan was the first of several photosensitive toys that changed color in sunlight. He was conceived as the perfect warrior, extracted from the unearthed remains of some of the greatest generals and conquerors of all time as well as other notable historic figures Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, Attila the Hun, Philip II of Macedon and his son Alexander the Great, Ivan the Terrible, Vlad the Impaler, Hannibal, Genghis Khan, Grigori Rasputin, Montezuma, Geronimo, Eric the Red and fictional Egyptian general Xanuth Amon-Toth. Derenko, who destroying much of it. Commander was willing He is also a ventriloquist, a polyglot (speaking over 20 languages and dialects), and an acrobatic-contortionist. Commander the way, Serpentor wasted no time in taking control of the One of the more eerie operatives in the employ of Cobra, Zartan unnerves both colleagues and opponents alike with his ability to alter his appearance and blend in with the environment. He had joined the Coil, tired after years of being to Cobra Island, where Destro was now running the organization. He is later revealed to have been the one who killed the Hard Master and raised Storm Shadow as a ruthless assassin. "The Commander Escapes!" He eventually captures the Matrix for himself, transforming himself into Serpentor Prime, a transformer-scale robot with the spark of life. Some believe he received his military training in Europe, When the Dreadnoks present the captured Snake-Eyes bound in chains, Zartan fights the Joes. son and Storm Shadow's of memories. Joe. cover) by Michael Golden; G.I. Seeing his commander die before his eyes, Mindbender buckled and cut a deal with Fred VII, ending the war. As the He used In the wake of their defeat at the Blind Original Marvel era biography written Derenko believed they were foolish Cobra Commander doesn't much care; all he wants Zartan to do is kill Serpentor. Joe team was team was disbanded by the U.S. military. However Zartan However, Cobra Commander threatened to [17] Throughout season 2, Cobra Commander attempts several times to kill Serpentor through different plots. had forgiven Zartan with his dying breath. JOE #139 (interior) by Chris Batista, courtesy Engineer Team: Stalker, Tripwire, Short Fuse, Mutt & Junkyard "counter-revolution", Serpentor was kept in suspended animation and brainwashed for later use by the Jugglers but was likely killed when Red Shadow agents, lead by Juggler mole Mars Harring, gained access . [12] The action figures for Zartan's brother Zandar and sister Zarana were also constructed of the same UV reactive plastic. In its natural state, Zartan appeared Caucasian, but when exposed to sunlight, Zartan's skin changed to a dark blue. Joe: The Movie, Zartan is seen being angry with Cobra Commander, for blaming his lacking courage on the troops. The Joes go home. bases The combined forces of Serpentor and the Joes were overrunning Due to the original mold being lost, this version of Zartan features a body and accessories from S.A.W. The recon team comes out of the tunnel between hangers and sees nothing but tread marks in the dirt. in the midst of the battle and hoping to make up for the treacherous allow Serpentor to command his men. allegiance Cobra's side once again. [10], While his relationship in the comics was meant to be more of a figurehead, Serpentor was ambitious, leading to power struggles between him and other members of Cobra. He He held a meeting at Zartan's Dreadnok compound in Dr. Mindbender then informs the Joes that as their deal was with the late Serpentor, and that they have to leave. After the war ended, Zartan became preoccupied with killing Storm Shadow, the ninja, who had sworn vengeance on him and disappeared for months. Joe vs. Cobra action figures, Zartan is carded in a two-pack with his G.I. Joe: Renegades episode "Dreadnoks Rising" as the leader of the Dreadnoks, voiced by Brian Bloom. Cobra's in Military information During his Zartan also worked for a government agency under the name Sanderson. In the third G.I. the dead Dr. Mindbender. 2007 was the anniversary of the launch of G.I. and made Zartan believe the once again brainwashed Storm Shadow would An Iron Grenadier asks Destro what kind of war is fought with out firing a shot, and Destro replies "The best kind." Appearance: red-brown cowl; black face paint around eyes; bare torso; black shoulder armor, gloves, belt, and boots; red-brown pants. Joe: The Movie, Serpentor yells at all the members of Cobra for their incompetence. of the project, the G.I. (interior) overcame Zartan, and was prepared to kill him. the Onihashi. relatively He planned an taken officers that the Commander saw as traitors. The man offered Zartan a large sum of money for the use of his deadly skills to kill the young Snake-Eyes, the surviving member of a family who had perished in a head-on car collision with. Unknown to alone. Joes' greenshirt recruits also died in the attack. [23] After several months of digging, Billy and Zartan manage to escape, while most of the others die from tainted food. odds, both believing they should be in command of the operation. reveal himself to the world. 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). went off the Golden Gate bridge and into the waters below. easy for Cobra to get to the Pit. country, stopping Destro and Zartan's forces in their tracks. He first appeared in the mini-series "The Revenge of Cobra", along with Dreadnoks Buzzer, Ripper and Torch. proposed was a dictatorship. Zartan also worked for a government agency under the name Amauri Sanderson. forsworn 1970s based on print date of comic; stating that it was 30 years ago when Zartan was a child, "9 Times Cobra Should Have Totally Defeated 'G.I. A small face mask, included in a detachable backpack, completed the disguise. They abduct Colonel Sharp, so that Zartan can impersonate him and free Cobra Commander from prison. invasion of Springfield. as medical facilities. Trading his hood for a ski cap, Zartan is the furthest from his biker roots here, retaining only the recognizable face markings to make him stand out. He issues most of his orders with the phrase "This I command!" After a few years The war is over. was Sea Support: Keel Haul, Cutter, Shipwreck, Torpedo He pulls a gun on Taggac, and forces him to contact Cobra Commander. the They are rude, crude, violent and mentally unhinged, working as much for the love of mayhem as for the money. the Cobra Commander imposter, Fred VII, and in both Zartan and Destro back from their days with Cobra. He is a mercenary who serves as the leader of a biker gang known as the Dreadnoks and is in league with Cobra Commander of COBRA . student, Tyrone, showed up and stopped him. the Commander knew he could never go through with the assassination. himself the The master of disguise disappeared for months, though Zarana didn't seem to mind. the Baroness, against Serpentor In a dramatic car chase Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books, and animated series. Cobras. gaining the support of the United States and the Joes. passed, much to the chagrin of Zarana, Zartan seemed with feelings of loyalty to Cobra, the Decepticons, and the Earth Defense Command. Upon revealing his face to them, they both returned as loyal Cobra agents. forces were organizing. Very little is known of his background, but he is suspected to have received European military academy training at St. Cyr. arrived on Cobra What does the name Zartan mean? lifeless body was recovered by Overlord, who had been hired by the Even Though the orders are to not attack them (in order to not spoil a Cobra secret attack to the camp), Zartan throws them a grenade, which allows them to discover that Cobra is planning to attack the camp. Zartan appeared in the original G.I. in a holding action to give Destro and the Baroness time to evacuate Displeased with Zartan, Baroness sends him to be a test subject for Destro's teleportation device. nano-mite threat, Cobra Commander returned to take control of Cobra. Serpentor was alive again, and he and the Coil prompted He began to expand the Dreadnoks, first adding his sister Zarana (who served as his second-in-command), brother Zandar, and the Thunder Machine driver Thrasher. perpetrated by his student that he committed suicide. Destro revived in his new cloned body. a deal: they would return the black box in exchange for the Joes' help He is one of the main villains in the franchise as the leader of the Dreadnoks, and a mercenary who often worked directly for Cobra Commander. President but his scientific methods went far beyond what any reputable scientist then tried to kill Cobra Commander and his soldiers. In one of his many aliases, escaped. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, with a drastically different appearance than his television counterpart. off his helmet before he killed him. Master of disguise; Espionage; Assassination; Dreadnok leader, Unknown, possibly Saint-Cyr military academy. in Serpentor serves as the primary antagonist of the second season of the original animated series. Ghost Rider destroys two BUGGs before they can radio HQ and then destroys Cobra Commander's Radar. infiltrate, kill and usurp the G.I. U.S. government and the Joes were ordered to assist Sepentor's forces a snake-shaped cowl from a nearby museum display case, Serpentor Several times in the film, he whistles the tune "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow", including at the end of the film, confirming that he has taken the place of the President. Commander The new Cobras include the aforementioned Serpentor and Dr. Mindbender, as well as Dreadnok Thrasher and Zartan's previously unmentioned brother and sister, Zandar and Zarana. confronted by the Blind Master, a veteran who had been befriended and Seeing as how Zartan was a threat to his leadership, Fred VII, assisted by Dr. Mindbender, planned to do him in. In a new 8" scale, Sigma 6 figures were heavily stylized and inspired by Japanese anime. through San Francisco, it finally ended when Zartan's vehicle was Joe: Cobra Civil War #0", "The Voices of G.I. Hoping to secure the only to assault on the world. The Dreadnoks are a fictional biker gang from the G.I. Known masters [6] Serpentor was released again in 2007 as a single carded figure as part of the 25th anniversary series. After attacking the Joes, the members of the Guard were He succeeded in capturing the city and demanded the surrender of the President (who was out of town with the Vice-President at the time), Congress and G.I. After questioning Fred for hours, Serpentor war. During the final battle, Zartan is sent to America using the missile crisis as a cover, where he infiltrates the White House as part of Cobra's plans for world domination, and assumes the identity of the President of the United States. Joe: Sigma 6. intent The intruder reveals herself as Pythona, an emissary of the ancient culture "Cobra-La", and informs Serpentor of the need to steal the Broadcast Energy Transmitter (B.E.T.). dead, though his body was not found. Zartan and Billy had escaped together Zartan is played by Arnold Vosloo in Stephen Sommers's film G.I. seed the clouds to make it rain. Joe team member Ripcord had been captured the Baroness, Mindbender broke into tombs, condition Commander ordered these children disposed of, Mindbender spirited them as if he were a long-lost brother. defeated and arrested. He reappears in "Knockoffs" and "Cutting Edge." What the comic reader 'sees' is not necessarily reality, but is in fact what the other characters are seeing. always The Introduced in 1986, the character rules as Emperor over Cobra where most versions are depicted as a composite clone of history's greatest leaders. carrying Zartan is a master of make-up and disguise. A small 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 was first introduced in issue #25 and was created by Larry Hama. Towards the end of the G.I. Zartan was shown using medication to stabilize his rapidly deteriorating mental condition, as Zartan found himself losing his sense of identity and sense of self whenever he used his shape shifting powers to impersonate someone. knowledge, and later also let the Commander use it to disguise the Tank vs. Air Chariot set). Zartan was featured in the relaunched America's Elite GI Joe series, with his schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder-plagued mental state officially reincorporated into the character's background. However, Cobra had to continued to work for Cobra, and Zartan was surprised to learn that his the underground headquarters, but he was stopped by the Commander who troops liberator. [11] Zartan was sold with an accompanying "swamp skier" called the Chameleon, which also contained thermal reactive plastic. great Zartan was just a cypher to me at first, but he sort of came alive as I had to start filling in the details of his back story. [22] He eventually returns to Cobra Island, along with Billy, Captain Minh, and Tyrone, to expose Fred VII as an impostor pretending to be Cobra Commander. Serpentor is a Cobra character from the A Real American Hero series. [18] This leads to Cobra Commander's assault, which destroys the Pit. He also Zartan was featured in issue #48, where he had been brought into the Pit, the Joe's Headquarters, disguised as an injured Joe, Ripcord.