Zartan

The 1984 Zartan action figure featured UV reactive plastic. In its natural state, Zartan appeared Caucasian, but when exposed to sunlight, Zartan's skin changed to a dark blue. The action figure also came with thermal sensitive stickers that were applied to Zartan's chest- and thigh-armor. These stickers changed from maroon when cold, to aqua at room temperature, and blue when hot.[9] Zartan was sold with an accompanying "swamp skier" called the Chameleon, which also contained thermal reactive plastic. 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. A small face mask, included in a detachable backpack, completed the disguise.[10] The action figures for Zartan's brother Zandar and sister Zarana were also constructed of the same UV reactive plastic.

Zartan was updated in 1993, as part of the Ninja Force line.[11] A complete departure from his classic uniform, Zartan wore a leather jacket and neon green pants. Instead of a cowl, he wears a short orange mohawk on his otherwise bald head. All the Ninja Force figures were designed with a "real ninja move". Zartan was designed with a spring-action hip; if Zartan's right arm was pushed back, his upper torso turned right. When the arm was let go, the torso sprang back forward, resulting in a punching motion with the right arm.[12]

After the line was canceled in 1994, Hasbro made several attempts to resurrect A Real American Hero through repaint series. Zartan was released only once in this four-year period (1997–2001) at the tail-end. Because of difficulty obtaining the original mold, Hasbro compromised, and repainted the 1990 SAW-Viper body with a modified Zartan head. Although true to the classic look, both this figure and the Ninja Force release are unpopular reinterpretations of the character.

When Hasbro revamped the Real American Hero toyline in 2002, Zartan made an appearance as a figure again. Zartan sports his trademark hood and an open vested shirt. This figure was offered with a variety of paint schemes including with disguises in the Spy Troops line.

In 2004, Zartan was redesigned again for Valor vs Venom. 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.

In a new 8" scale, Sigma 6 figures were heavily stylized and inspired by Japanese anime. Zartan released in the "Commando" collection in 2006, featuring his Sigma 6 outfit. 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.[13]

2007 was the anniversary of the launch of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, the third major reinvention of the G.I. Joe brand since 1964. To celebrate, Hasbro created new figures based on the A Real American Hero line, featuring modern sculpting with updated and increased articulation (including the replacement of G.I. Joe's trademark O-Ring construction). Zartan was unveiled at the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con, and the figure, based on designs from the Devil's Due comic series, included a removable mask and also changes color like its 1980s counterpart. A second 25th Anniversary-era figure, more closely hewing to the original figure from 1984, was released in 2008 that does not change color, but came with a scaled down version of the Chameleon swamp skier and two removable masks. Zartan was also released on the G.I. Joe Hall of Heroes Line to commemorate the 25th anniversary figures. He came with three face masks, his trademark pistol and a sniper rifle.

Zartan was released in the second wave of figures for the Pursuit of Cobra line in 2010. 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".[14]

Zartan first appeared in issue #24 of the Marvel Comics series. He was fully introduced in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #25 (July 1984). Zartan can imitate anyone he wishes to an exact physical and vocal likeness.

Zartan was featured in issue #48, where he had been brought into The Pit, the Joe's Headquarters, disguised as an injured Joe, Ripcord. He almost escapes, by impersonating various Joes, such as Doc, Tripwire, General Hawk and Gung-Ho. Zartan is confronted by Sgt. Slaughter while impersonating Gung-Ho, as the real Gung-Ho is standing next to him. Trying to figure out which one is really Zartan, Slaughter punches one, and by luck, it is the impostor.[15] Zartan eventually does escape, with the help of the Dreadnoks.[16] This leads to Cobra Commander's assault, which destroys the Pit.[17][18]

Zartan is famous for delivering the killing blow to Serpentor during the Cobra Civil War, by shooting the Cobra emperor in the eye, with the same longbow that he used to kill the Hard Master years ago.[19] After the war, Zartan leaves Cobra and the Dreadnoks, while his sister continues to work with Cobra. Zartan disguises himself as the Arashikage Blind Master, in order to mentor a boy named Tyrone.[20] 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. The mission is interrupted by the return of the real Cobra Commander, who traps Billy, Zartan, Fred VII, Tyrone, Captain Minh, Raptor, and several others in a landlocked freighter, which he then buries under a volcano.[21] After several months of digging, Billy and Zartan manage to escape, while most of the others die from tainted food.[22]

Zartan also faced off against Shipwreck in the UK Action Force series.[23]

Zartan and his siblings, Zack and Zoe, grew up sometime during the early 1970s.[24] As a child, he was diagnosed with an unknown mental health condition requiring medication. They were raised by their French actress mother and movie-mask sculptor father. They grew up in a broken home with a temperamental father.[25]

Sometime after he began working as an assassin and mercenary, using his disguise abilities. Zartan also worked for a government agency under the name Amauri Sanderson. He underwent a top-secret French genetic experiment, which infused him with chameleon DNA, giving him the ability to blend into his background. During an arms deal with Destro, Amauri Sanderson met the leader of a motorcycle gang who was the original Zartan. Amauri joined the Dreadnoks and reunited with Zandar and Zarana. He was later approached by several Dreadnoks for the purpose of overthrowing the leader, who considered all the members expendable. When the insurrection was exposed, the leader planned to have Amauri executed by dismemberment. Zandar and Zarana incited a rival gang to attack, which gave them the opportunity to free their brother. The traitorous Dreadnoks teamed up with the rival gang, and Amauri fought and overpowered the leader and his rivals. With no one left to back him up, the leader was killed by Buzzer, Torch, and Ripper, and Amauri assumed the identity of Zartan.[26]

Zartan is introduced in G.I. Joe Origins. He was orphaned as a young boy, and made his way by pickpockets on the street. When he was confronted by the local police, he gave them the name "Zartan" that he saw on a movie poster behind them, eventually adopting it at the beginning of his named career. Years later, Zartan is a Cobra agent answering directly to Baroness. He was tasked with infiltrating a presidential airliner, to ensure the continued cooperation of President Rumanapar. His mission is a success, and he contacts Baroness for extraction. Displeased with Zartan, Baroness sends him to be a test subject for Destro's teleportation device. Destro sends him to assassinate Nico Mandirobilis; however, the teleportation process was not finalized, and Zartan's body quickly disintegrated.[27]

With Zartan's complete genetic map stored in the M.A.S.S.' Relay Star Satellites, Cobra geneticist Doctor Taggac was able to brew a plasmid medium, which injected into a blank clone body, reformatted the slug into a copy of Zartan. The body was corrupt, with unstable skin lividity, numerous cancers, renal failure and more. Taggac used bio-magnetic pads to stabilize the body, and began teaching Zartan how to live again. This instruction included both physical elements and basic language and math skills. Zartan's unique biology gave him the ability to change his appearance and skin tone, a skill which Taggac attempted to keep secret from Cobra. Eventually the magnetic pads were surgically implanted beneath the skin, giving him a normal appearance. He expressed a desire to leave the lab and go to the outside world, and days later he kills a guard and poses as wait staff, to escape before anyone notices he was gone.[28]

Cobra agents track him using a subcutaneous transmitter, but he evades them, fakes his own death, and sneaks back into the lab. He pulls a gun on Taggac, and forces him to contact Cobra Commander. Zartan negotiates his services as an assassin, and when the terms are agreed upon, he kills Taggac.[29]

Zartan later reappeared in IDW's reboot of Mobile Armoured Strike Kommand. Here, he identifies as "Emil Zartan" and infiltrates the MASK team to steal their technology so he can sell it.

Zartan first appeared in the G.I. Joe mini-series "The Revenge of Cobra", along with Dreadnoks Buzzer, Ripper and Torch. He and the Dreadnoks abduct Colonel Sharp, so that Zartan can impersonate him and free Cobra Commander from prison. In the cartoon, his disguise techniques are all masks, make-up and vocal impersonating techniques. In "The Revenge of Cobra", Zartan and the Dreadnoks recover a piece of Destro's Weather Dominator, offering to sell it to the highest bidder, Cobra or G.I. Joe.[30]

Zartan is also initially able to change the color of his skin to perfectly blend in with his background. Zartan's camouflage abilities are negated by the sun, causing his skin to turn blue (much like his action figure), and weakening him significantly. However, both aspects were dropped almost immediately after the first season began. "Jungle Trap" was the last episode to showcase this particular ability.[31]

Zartan appeared throughout season one of the cartoon, and was one of the few Cobra characters to carry over to season two, along with Cobra Commander, 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 Thrasher. The Zartan of the cartoon had a rivalry with Destro, who 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. Zartan also helped Cobra replace people with Synthoids in one episode.[32]

In G.I. Joe: The Movie, Zartan is seen being angry with Cobra Commander, for blaming his lacking courage on the troops. Zartan is given a valuable gem by Pythona of Cobra-La, so that he and his Dreadnoks will aid them in freeing Serpentor. 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.[33]

Zartan appeared in the direct-to-video CGI animated movie G.I. Joe: Spy Troops, voiced by Colin Murdock.[34]

Zartan appeared in G.I. Joe: Sigma 6. His disguise techniques are due to hologram generators in his suit.

Zartan makes two appearances in the G.I. Joe: Resolute series.

Zartan first appears in the G.I. Joe: Renegades episode "Dreadnoks Rising" as the leader of the Dreadnoks. He reappeares in "Knockoffs" and "Cutting Edge."