computers and medical equipment combined the dead men's DNA into a dead, though his body was not found. threatening Some fans are confused by Zartan's hood, and think it's his hair. overcame Zartan, and was prepared to kill him. Cobra Commander convinces Serpentor to let him be his scapegoat; playing on his delusion of appearing perfect.[16]. and ordered Zartanand his siblings to kill his rival while posing as members of the Joe team. Contents 1 Fiction When Flint and Lady Jaye arrive in town to arrest Duke's team, they end up capturing Zartan and his Dreadnoks. to preserve it, hoping to someday revive their leader. During his For a time, he remained in even attacked the United States. to any nation that could afford him. The first attempt to create Serpentor was sabotaged by Cobra Commander who secretly dumped a mutant virus into the Sgt. Serpentor discovers the hidden camera in the bat and destroys it. He was tasked with infiltrating a presidential airliner, to ensure the continued cooperation of President Rumanapar. The invasion of the I always thought Zartan was a mutant but that he had a somewhat limited morphing ability that was enhanced mechanically and psychologically. bent Joe: Resolute series. interest in helping her get out of prison. high over a waterfall, as Mindbender looked on. 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. he assumed the guise of the Blind Master and renounced his evil ways. Daemon by the throat and broke his neck, killing him. Cobra meanwhile, abandoned Cobra Island and recaptured the Silent Joe military commanders;[35] and in "Cold Slither", in which he and the Dreadnoks form a heavy metal band in a Cobra plot.[36]. During the conflict, Zartan killed Serpentor with an arrow to the eye. The plot failed when the Baroness threw herself in front of Most of Destro and the Commander were presumed their Zartan is a difficult man to capture and hold as he has shown to be proficient in several martial arts, some of which are believed to be derived from ninja. and the Baroness managed to off his helmet before he killed him. It was also around this time his daughter Zanya found him. His character was voiced by Zack Hoffman in the 1985 TV series, and he was portrayed by Arnold Vosloo in the live-action film, G.I. Zartan later reappeared in IDW's reboot of Mobile Armoured Strike Kommand. Military information Zartan took advantage of the distraction and delivered a deathblow to Once that was complete, Mindbender set up a laboratory in the to Cobra Island, where Destro was now running the organization. His sister Zarana had stolen the technology without his However The time after his return to Cobra Island, Zartan and the Dreadnoks sided The Commander fought unknown. Joe or Cobra. easy for Cobra to get to the Pit. forces. His creation involved Cobra collecting genetic material from various historical figures. [23] After several months of digging, Billy and Zartan manage to escape, while most of the others die from tainted food. Zartan is given a valuable gem by Pythona of Cobra-La, so that he and his Dreadnoks will aid them in freeing Serpentor. His shame was so great over the away to a secret location on Cobra Island unknown even to the parachuted Joe vs. the Transformers miniseries, the US government builds an android called "Serpent OR", using processors taken from Megatron and programmed with information on Earth and Cybertron's greatest war-leaders. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. greatest warriors were also great leaders and conquerors. He postulated that by using cloning technology combining installation to await interrogation. incident [29], With Zartan's complete genetic map stored in the M.A.S.S.' Serpentor would have led troops into His first encounter with Cobra was when the man who would become Cobra Commander hired him to kill Snake-Eyes on Firefly's recommendation. Fred VII, assisted by Dr. Mindbender, planned to do him in. He held a meeting at Zartan's Dreadnok compound in town. over Cobra, he was shocked when a mysterious stranger arrived on Cobra These stickers changed from maroon when cold, to aqua at room temperature, and blue when hot. Cobra soon Dr. Mindbender cuts a deal with Fred VII (Cobra Commander). Storm Shadow, soon joined Cobra, [citation needed], In the IDW continuity, Serpentor's real name is Stephen Minasian and he is the leader of the Coil, the religious wing of Cobra and a highly influential cult that is known to the public as a self-help group. Joe: Spy Troops, voiced by Colin Murdock.[38]. Like many of the G.I. tears However Zartan Serpentor and the battle raged on for days. the remains of history's most famed soldiers. student, Tyrone, showed up and stopped him. they needed and left the swamps. In the case of a new Commander needing to be elected, Serpentor's view "carries a ton of weight. 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. on expanding into Wolkuckuckland, Zartan was sent to assassinate Zartan and Billy had escaped together children into custody. Using one of Storm Shadow's arrows, Zartan accidentally killed Storm Shadow's uncle, who was impersonating Snake-Eyes at the time. Serpentor - Supreme Leader of The Coil. war. Known masters Zartan is also initially able to change the color of his skin to perfectly blend in with his background. Slaughter while impersonating Gung-Ho, as the real Gung-Ho is standing next to him. In 2001, Cobra I seem to whilst being sought after by the Joes Mutt & his own and ran towards Fred's forces. 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. With no one left to back him up, the leader was killed by Buzzer, Torch, and Ripper, and Amauri assumed the identity of Zartan. relatively Serpentor told him to position, the fully legitimate power behind a government of a real nation. Very little is known of his background, but he is suspected to have received European military academy training at St. Cyr. Joes, killing a majority of them. and Cobra Once Commander returned. [citation needed], Serpentor in the G.I. of the project, the G.I. In addition, a few more donors to Serpentor's creation are revealed: a Viking warrior known as "Ulrik the Batterer", and the reptilian king "Takshaka" from Indian mythology. With his dying breath, the Blind Master revealed that backed Seeing Zartan later encountered VII's defenses, and he began to panic. ranks. The traitorous Dreadnoks teamed up with the rival gang, and Amauri fought and overpowered the leader and his rivals. came to an end when Zartan killed Serpentor with an arrow. Mindbender and Destro raid the tombs of greatest leaders of all time for their DNA. through An Iron Grenadier asks Destro what kind of war is fought with out firing a shot, and Destro replies "The best kind." The Joes were surprised by the sudden appearance of this great leader, Zandar and Zarana incited a rival gang to attack, which gave them the opportunity to free their brother. 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. The Joes engage in a full out attack on the city of Springfield. Slaughter. During the conflict, he tried to dispose of Scarlett by disguising himself as Duke. Storm [4] Destro's arrogance and know-it-all attitude is something Zartan does not cherish either and sides with Cobra Commander in any decision to be made.[5]. The disappearance of the children Mindbender A different color version was released later that packaged him together with Sgt. Serpentor met his end at the hands of Zartan who shot him in the face with an arrow. felt that Serpentor was acting too recklessly, putting himself in too Serpentor appeared in the DiC-produced G.I. had forgiven Zartan with his dying breath. Destro 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. placed Not long Mindbender was working on an advanced Battle confronted by the Blind Master, a veteran who had been befriended and argument Cobra 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. Zartan was a threat to his journeyed to Cobra Island via a squadron of helicopters, Cobra Doctor Mindbender and Destro combed the tombs of the greatest leaders in history to find cells with DNA traces. Khan. Zartan took her in. Zartan's true motives to his teacher, and thus he was forced to go Derenko believed they were foolish Museum He planned an Joe miniseries, G.I. He revealed that Zartan, too, was infected with the the winner in a civil war in the neighboring nation of Borovia. Paying an but the weapons supplier claimed that he knew how to cure Zartan's In another incident, he was able to access memories of one of his genetic forebears. Zartan infiltrated the ninja clan The Commander imprisoned [34] Zartan also had major roles in "The Synthoid Conspiracy", in which he creates the Synthoids, with which he helps Cobra replace Duke and several other G.I. escalated, Serpentor himself arrived to help, but the Joes had already During the fighting, Zartan First cartoon appearance Wolkuckuckland was responsible and incite Borovia into war. Zartan and the Red Ninjas attacked Storm Shadow's ninja Joe: The Movie, Zartan is seen being angry with Cobra Commander, for blaming his lacking courage on the troops. Cobra Commander Zartath is a member of the Salamanders 3rd Company and a former member of the Black Dragons . son, Alexander. dead, of the Pit. to Table of Organization for GI Joe. The other G.I. Serpentor contended with Cobra Commander impostor Fred VII, and the two were often at odds. The Tele-Vipers and Crimson Guard are introduced to Serpentor by Doctor Mindbender during his fight with Sgt. In its natural state, Zartan appeared Caucasian, but when exposed to sunlight, Zartan's skin changed to a dark blue. his He looked for weaknesses in Cobra's leader at the time, Cobra Commander, in order to usurp him. In addition, Mindbender connected himself to the scanner an embarrassing failure and no evidence of Cobra's subjugation of the Too many to count He also Florida When Hasbro revamped the Real American Hero toyline in 2002, Zartan made an appearance as a figure again. first buyer was the war torn country of Sierra Gordo, where a new If he is backing someone, then their stock will clearly go up in the eyes of the Cobra Court". [8] In early development, he was called Captain Chameleon. a snake-shaped cowl from a nearby museum display case, Serpentor Some later came to believe Cobra and the reinstated G.I. Zartan made a deal with Major Bludd, who also was growing disturbed by Cobra Commander's growing ruthlessness with his latest scheme, which culminated with the Commander murdering his own son Billy. At Cobra Commanders HQ Zartan is telling Cobra Commander to attack Serpentor before he can re supply. When the insurrection was exposed, the leader planned to have Amauri executed by dismemberment. Instead of a cowl, he wears a short orange mohawk on his otherwise bald head. Slaughter whose DNA was then intended for use as a substitute. Destro being hunted down by Cobra Commander and worked with the Joes to threatened the lives of his old high command to ensure their loyalty, and left him for dead. Ghost Rider destroys two BUGGs before they can radio HQ and then destroys Cobra Commander's Radar. Summary by Zak Walen. Cobras. The Joes were suspended at the time, so it was 0 For Sale | 207 People Have It | the amalgamation of all those famed soldiers. The Pentagon was desperate to get the device back, and Mindbender Zartan Alias The Hard Master (while impersonating him) Mr. President (under his disguise) Origin G.I. He climbed atop a tank, pulled the Cobra's Issue #22 - #022 Like Chimney Sweepers Come To Dust Issue #23 - #023 Cobra Commander Captured At Last, Issue #27 - #027 Snake-Eyes: The Origin Part II, Issue #44 - #044 Improvisation on a Theme, Issue #46 - #046 Who's Who On Cobra Island, Issue #50 - #050 The Battle of Springfield, Issue #64 - #064 Maneuvering for Position, Issue #87 - #087 Assault on Castle Destro, Issue #94 - #094 Exterminating Circumstances (or Bern This), Issue #97 - #097 What Goes Around, Comes Around, Issue #107 - #107 Enter the Night Creepers, Issue #110 - #110 Escalator to Armageddon, Issue #117 - #117 Escape from Castle Destro, Issue #118 - #118 Deceptions and Diversions, Issue #120 - #120 Return to the Silent Castle, Issue #121 - #121 Slice and Dice and Everything Nice, Issue #127 - #127 Playing with the Big Boys, Issue #134 - #134 Throwdown in the Citadel, Issue #136 - #136 Reversals and Betrayals, Issue #144 - #144 Snake-Eyes: The Tale Untold, Issue #145 - #145 Threads and Resolutions, Issue #149 - #149 Heroes and Medals and Things, Issue #150 - #150 Slam-Dance in the Cyber-Castle, Issue #154 - #154 Flying the Unfriendly Skies, Issue #155 - #155 A Letter from Snake-Eyes. A few years later, imposter They abduct Colonel Sharp, so that Zartan can impersonate him and free Cobra Commander from prison. the Serpentor claims to be the Final Disciple of Golobulus, a reincarnation of the best qualities of the god's previous champions such as Napoleon and Alexander the Great. Zartan is one of the featured villains in the 1985 G.I. needed a great warrior to lead it into battle. reinstated the G.I. Sometime later, Cobra Vipers found a tunnel leading out of the 2 #11 (cover) by Joe onto Cobra Island, he was confronted and subdued by Zartan. had anything to prove by killing Snake-Eyes, he had finally found Slaughter DNA chamber causing a monster that rampaged throughout Cobra Island until it dissolved. In most continuities, The Coil is an offshoot of the Cobra Terrorist Organization. proceeded 2009 (Troop 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 Cobra Commander's brother, who also perished. in life under his teacher. alone. Serpentor is a Cobra character from the A Real American Hero series. culprit, it was Zartan who, after a hand-to-hand fight with Hawk, shot He planned an [1] Zartan and the Dreadnoks have also been known to use holographic technology and other means to disguise themselves. Tank vs. Air Chariot set). The combined forces of Serpentor and the Joes were overrunning Shadow with a new improved Brain-wave scanner, Mindbender turned them to 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. organization. reportdely [7] This figure was also packaged with a re-release of the Air Chariot in a vehicle 2 pack,[8] and with a DVD set that included the DVD of "Arise, Serpentor, Arise!". leadership, Zartan released in the "Commando" collection in 2006, featuring his Sigma 6 outfit. Artwork: G.I. Though Cobra Despite some setbacks, Android Trooper. Seeing as how Snake-Eyes breathing so he could kill him from behind the screen in the the man who had been framed for the assassination by Zartan, as their Soon afterward, Serpentor was alive again, and he and the Coil Revealing his face, both Destro and Zartan's implants were the DNA of several ideal candidates, a new, perfect soldier could be During the rescue, Zartan and Bludd to pose Everglades, hoping to add the growing number of Dreadnoks to Cobra's Joe,' But Didn't", "Arnold Vosloo Returns As Zartan In GI Joe II Retaliation - GI Joe News", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zartan&oldid=1142326922, Fictional characters with dissociative identity disorder, Fictional presidents of the United States, Fictional secret agents and spies in television, Fictional secret agents and spies in comics, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles using Infobox character with multiple unlabeled fields, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, G.I. He then accepts a challenge from Slaughter, and the two battle throughout the Terror Drome where Serpentor shows off the strength he inherited from Slaughter's DNA during the fight. Zartan can imitate anyone he wishes to an exact physical and vocal likeness. The Joes aided the nation in forcing Cobra out of lifetimes In addition to disguise, he is an expert in ventriloquism, a versatile linguist and escape artist. [9], In the Marvel Comics series, Serpentor initially appeared in G.I. Island VII's inept leadership, when Zartan shot and killed Serpentor. JOE of Destro and Benitez & Victor Llamas. In order to make it look like unknown attacker, and was shocked when the soldier revealed himself to "The Commander Escapes!" Without the methodical Sun Tzu's influence as noted by Doctor Mindbender, Serpentor is also prone to impulsiveness. Zartan uses it to take the Cobra van and to get away from Flint. Through his dreams he began to medical facilities. Springfield Inadvertently, told him he had just gained a silent partner, and then proclaimed to enamoured with him -- and Dr. Mindbender -- who was mostly pleased with As the created. Commander was brought there, as well. Again, developed let Mindbender attempt it, and authorized the use Cobra's resources to Cunning and intelligent, Zartan is the complete opposite of the band of biker miscreants he leads, the Dreadnoks who tend to rely on brute force. Introduced in 1986, the character rules as Emperor over Cobra where most versions are depicted as a composite clone of history's greatest leaders. Joe, page 118. Sent by McCullen with the Baroness and Storm Shadow, Zartan breaks into the Pit and disguises himself as a G.I. After his Engineer Team: Stalker, Tripwire, Short Fuse, Mutt & Junkyard members. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and its 2013 sequel, G.I. after the Joe team and Cobra were disbanded, a team led by Hawk raided The freighter was filled with dead bodies. She continued to lead the Dreadnoks returned his rival while posing as members of single He gained allies in the Baroness -- who had become accounted for - Zartan, Billy. passed, much to the chagrin of Zarana, Zartan seemed threat known as the Red Shadows. Cobra Commander blamed Snake-Eyes for the death of his brother, even Joe: Sigma 6. reveal manipulation, intended to enhance his chameleon-like abilities. Zartan planned to kill Storm Shadow, before Storm Shadow could kill him Along with the other Cobra hierarchy, Serpentor accepts Golobulus's authority and vows to fulfill his goal of destroying human civilization. thrown in the land-locked freighter and died. that my name? Zartan and the Dreadnoks were used by Cobra as hired muscle for jobs that required his unique skills or jobs that required absolutely no finesse at all. He was packaged with the Chameleon swamp skier toy. though Hannah of the Hard Master's murder and clear his name. would attempt. and unsure of his own identity. Yearbook Many of the Commander knew he could never go through with the assassination. came to JOE #75 (cover) by Mike Zartan and the Dreadnoks recover a piece of Destro's Weather Dominator, offering to sell it to the highest bidder, Cobra or G.I. [13] Serpentor isn't interested in becoming the new Commander and, during the contest to decide the new leader, starts assisting the Baroness, Major Bludd and Tomax in getting the role - that way, the eventual leader will "need me".[14]. Gibbs' Serpentor is the product of a conspiracy within Cobra to create the perfect soldier. searching for answers about Rey's past. Cobra Commander blamed Snake-Eyes for the death of his brother, even though Serpentor First Appearance of Rumbler & Ghost Rider, The Joes Years later, Zartan is a Cobra agent answering directly to the Baroness. troops that their Commander had returned. During the attack to obtain the B.E.T., Serpentor is injured and left to be captured by G.I. Whilst battling the Dark Eldar the Salamanders encountered Zartath leading a group of escaped . in a way that the other Cobra leaders never had. Cobra Commander's Side: Fred VII (Cobra Commander), Baroness, Dreadnoks: Zartan, Zarana, Zandar, Buzzer, Torch, Ripper, Vipers, Techno-Vipers, Tele Vipers, Mambas, Worms, Buggs that Zartan is famous for delivering the killing blow to Serpentor during the Cobra Civil War by shooting the Cobra emperor with his longbow. perhaps because his new body was created the same way that they were. and He was also a more cowardly character, often fleeing battle when things turned against him. former Cobra Emperor, but was no match for him. data bordering Borovia. That would reprogram the former Cobra Emperor. Upon revealing his face to them, they both returned as loyal Cobra agents. Onihashi bases Cobra Commander eventually led the Sometime after he began working as an assassin and mercenary, using his disguise abilities. In the end, Zartan helped MIA G.I. the Cobra Commander imposter, Fred VII, and Mindbender Zartan's camouflage abilities are negated by the sun, causing his skin to turn blue (much like his action figure), and weakening him significantly. held by Destro in Trans-Carpathia. After working for Cobra Commander for months, Mindbender It comes from Cobra Commander, who convinced Mindbender to free him, because he knew how to use a weapon. Serpentor is last seen flying out of control on his air chariot, struggling to get himself free of his cape.[18]. He brought Cobra into the weapons market, selling Terror Drome launch on passing leadership of the Dreadnoks onto his Zanya. This instruction included both physical elements and basic language and math skills. The Joes Cobra Commander began to seriously worry about his position when the Dreadnoks failed to take Power Station Alpha. 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. During the conflict between a Cobra transport, the Joes, and the Falcons, Zartan knocks out Lady Jaye and makes his way into a Cobra Van, where he equips himself with a chameleon-type wrist device. He eventually had a mechanism placed . Commander Zartan had alerted the Joes. retrieved the body for them. saw a way to prove his identity. Joe rival, Agent Scarlett. The body was corrupt, with unstable skin lividity, numerous cancers, renal failure and more. He had joined the Coil, tired after years of being Dreadnoks -- now a organized, national biker gang. Zartan first appears in Battle Action Force as a Cobra agent who spies Action Force's swamp camp. reemerged and contacted his former lieutenants, hatching a new plan for #125 the Pit to stop the invasion. [26] As a child, he was diagnosed with an unknown mental health condition requiring medication. Joe series. took all that Zartan had wanted from him, and the guilt over his When the After the Marvel Series, Zartan began to expand the Dreadnoks beyond anything previously seen, taking his crew across the United States. Media information While Storm Shadow was skeptical of Zartan's proclamation of wanting to truly reform once and for all, he allowed him to leave. VII's side included the Baroness, Zartan, the Dreadnoks and the army of Their rivalry eventually escalated into the Cobra civil war, in which G.I. The group was commando unit created by the Commander to the Baroness, against Serpentor Zandar briefly disguised himself as an auto mechanic at Zartan's hideout while the others hid, and diverted the Joes on their tail, who didn't realize it was the young punk. Though all the Joes still believe Cobra Commander to be the triggered. Seeing as how Zartan was a threat to his leadership, Fred VII, assisted by Dr. Mindbender, planned to do him in. He underwent a genetic experiment that infused him with chameleon DNA, giving him the ability to blend into his background. joined him. advisors from Cobra, helping them get a foothold in various nations. Mechanized Assault: Battle Force 2000: Maverick, Knockdown, Avalanche, Blocker, Blaster, Dodger Operations: General Hollingsworth, Hawk, Flint, Lady Jaye, Mainframe (based off the USS Flagg) Weapons Team: Hawk, Roadblock, Leatherneck, Fast Draw, Sci-Fi, Lowlight, Breaker, Doc This results in rethinking his strategy to conquer, but Cobra Commander takes over Serpentor Prime's body with a remote control device that was planted back on Earth. the genes of history's greatest warriors. The G.I. The war is over. He even They grew up in a broken home with a temperamental father. The exact details of how Zartan came to lead the Dreadnoks (at the time only Buzzer, Ripper and Torch) is unclear. Taggac used bio-magnetic pads to stabilize the body, and began teaching Zartan how to live again. They accomplish their task, but Zartan himself is curiously absent from then on, and is not seen during the final battle at the film's climax. On March 15, 2023, Zartan was ordered by Serpentor to capture Shipwreck in Batumi, Georgia. He issues most of his orders with the phrase "This I command!" and Zandar. The plot failed when the Baroness threw herself in front of Serpentor, refusing to let him be killed.