The mysterious man known as Zartan is considered nearly as deadly as Storm Shadow or Snake-Eyes. Besides being a highly accomplished martial artist, he is almost unequaled as an archer and is unsurpassed as a master of disguise. He uses a form of holography and hypnotism to change his appearance. He is also a ventriloquist and can throw his voice in over 20 languages and dialects.

    Zartan's earliest origins are unknown. Some believe he received his military training in Europe, possibly St. Cyr. At some point in his early career, he was approached in a bar by the man who would become Cobra Commander. 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 Cobra Commander's brother, who also perished. Cobra Commander blamed Snake-Eyes for the death of his brother, even though Snake-Eyes had nothing to do with it. Zartan infiltrated the ninja clan that had taken Snake-Eyes in, by becoming the apprentice of the Sword Master Onihashi. However his teacher purified him, and Zartan no longer felt he had anything to prove by killing Snake-Eyes, he had finally found satisfaction in life under his teacher. However, Cobra Commander threatened to reveal Zartan's true motives to his teacher, and thus he was forced to go through with the hit.

    Having access to the Arashikage household due to his position, Zartan stole one of Storm Shadow's arrows -- under the guidance of the Faceless Master (Firefly). Using a sound amplifier, Zartan honed in on Snake-Eyes breathing so he could kill him from behind the screen in the room he was practicing. He mistakenly killed the Hard Master, the clan leader, who was in fact demonstrating to Snake-Eyes the technique of the Cloak of the Chameleon. Zartan fled and escaped, while the clan believed it was a jealous Storm Shadow who had been responsible. Onihashi could not be fooled when Zartan returned. His shame was so great over the atrocity perpetrated by his student that he committed suicide. The tragic incident took all that Zartan had wanted from him, and the guilt over his master's death drove him over the edge. He took up with a rotten band of miscreants known as the Dreadnoks, and became their leader. They set up in the Florida Everglades, frequently working for Cobra Commander as thieves and mercenaries for hire. Storm Shadow, soon joined Cobra, hoping to learn the identity of the Hard Master's murder and clear his name.

    Cobra Commander came to Zartan whilst being sought after by the Joes Mutt & Junkyard, Tripwire and Torpedo. After a skirmish in the swamp, the security of Zartan's hidden shack was compromised, forcing him and the Dreadnoks to abandon it. In retaliation, Zartan sought out the Joes' secret base. He and the Dreadnoks discovered the Joes' aircraft at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, destroying much of it. Storm Shadow later left Cobra, and deduced that Zartan was his uncle's murderer, and swore vengeance.

    When the Joe, Ripcord, parachuted onto Cobra Island, he was confronted and subdued by Zartan. Zartan switched outfits with the unconscious Joe, and when the Joes arrived to extract Ripcord, they picked up the disguised Zartan by mistake. Inadvertently, the Joes brought Zartan right into their secret headquarters the Pit. Once inside, Zartan attempted to escape, after a long chase and battle with Gung-Ho, Sgt. Slaughter finally managed to subdue him. However Zartan was rescued soon after by his younger siblings, Zarana and Zandar. Some time after his return to Cobra Island, Zartan and the Dreadnoks sided with the Cobra Commander imposter, Fred VII, and the Baroness, against Serpentor and Dr. Mindbender in the Cobra civil war. Mindbender cut a deal with the U.S. government and the Joes were ordered to assist Sepentor's forces in the conflict. They were on the verge of victory, partially due to Fred VII's inept leadership, when Zartan shot and killed Serpentor. Seeing his commander die before his eyes, Mindbender buckled and cut a deal with Fred VII, ending the war.

    Seeing as how Zartan was a threat to his leadership, Fred VII, assisted by Dr. Mindbender, planned to do him in. Yet they were ambushed by the Red Ninjas, renegade members of the Arashikage. The ninja clan had taken up with Zartan in an effort to kill Storm Shadow for the trouble he had brought to their clan by bringing an outsider in -- Snake-Eyes. Zartan planned to kill Storm Shadow, before Storm Shadow could kill him and revealed his plans to Fred VII, he set up an uneasy alliance with Fred once again. Zartan and the Red Ninjas attacked Storm Shadow's ninja school, but were unsuccessful in killing Storm Shadow. In a dramatic car chase through San Francisco, it finally ended when Zartan's vehicle was forced off the Golden Gate bridge and into the waters below.

    Zartan escaped a watery grave and continued his criminal activities. However, he was soon confronted by the Blind Master, a veteran who had been befriended and taken in by the Hard Master many years ago. Although Storm Shadow had forsworn seeking vengeance, the Blind Master had not. The Blind Master fought and overcame Zartan, and was prepared to kill him. Just at that moment, his student, Tyrone, showed up and stopped him. As the student left in tears at the sight of his teacher about to commit cold blooded murder, the Blind Master realized his mistake and turned to go after his student to apologize. Zartan took advantage of the distraction and delivered a deathblow to the Blind Master. With his dying breath, the Blind Master revealed that Onihashi had forgiven Zartan with his dying breath. This so shocked Zartan that he assumed the guise of the Blind Master and renounced his evil ways. Taking up with Billy, the original Cobra Commander's son and Storm Shadow's ninja pupil, Zartan confronted Fred VII, on Cobra Island. As Zartan and Billy attempted to expose him for the imposter that he was, the original Cobra Commander returned. The two were included with Fred VII and many Cobra officers that the Commander saw as traitors. The Commander imprisoned them in the land locked freighter and buried them alive beneath the volcano. Sometime later, Cobra Vipers found a tunnel leading out of the freighter. The freighter was filled with dead bodies. All but two of the bodies were accounted for - Zartan, Billy. Zartan and Billy had escaped together and sought out Destro for asylum from Cobra Commander. Instead, they found Destro being hunted down by Cobra Commander and worked with the Joes to help him rescue the captured Baroness. During the rescue, Zartan and Storm Shadow worked together, leaving the impression that the vendetta was truly, at long last settled.

    Cobra meanwhile, abandoned Cobra Island and recaptured the Silent Castle, held by Destro in Trans-Carpathia. Destro and the Baroness managed to escape with the help of the Joes and joined Zartan on Cobra Island. Zartan had returned to the island and discovered Cobra Commander planned to revive the dead Dr. Mindbender. Knowing of a computer disk that could be used to revive Mindbender, and guessing Mindbender's body being preserved for replication, Zartan had alerted the Joes. Together with Destro and the Baroness, Zartan managed to recapture the Silent Castle, while the Commander and most of the forces were away in Millville. There, in Millville the mad scientist Dr. Mindbender had been abruptly awoken. Expelling the remaining Cobra forces, Destro and the Baroness were once again lord and lady of the castle, and Zartan remained with them in asylum from Cobra. However, Cobra had backed the winner in a civil war in the neighboring nation of Borovia. Becoming the fully legitimate power behind a government of a real nation.

    Cobra Commander learned from Mindbender of brain implants he had surgically placed in both Zartan and Destro back from their days with Cobra. Paying an unexpected visit on his neighbor, Cobra Commander walked right up to the castle doors alone. Revealing his face, both Destro and Zartan's implants were triggered. Soon after they were given evil personas to imitate their former allegiance to Cobra. Brainwashing Baroness, Billy and the recently captured Storm Shadow with a new improved Brain-wave scanner, Mindbender turned them to Cobra's side once again. Cobra then launched an assault on Wolkuckuckland, bordering Borovia. The Joes aided the nation in forcing Cobra out of their country, stopping Destro and Zartan's forces in their tracks. Still bent on expanding into Wolkuckuckland, Zartan was sent to assassinate President Metz, Cobra's puppet governor of Borovia. In order to make it look like Wolkuckuckland was responsible and incite Borovia into war. However upon the cruel dictator's death the people rejoiced and proclaimed Wolfgang the man who had been framed for the assassination by Zartan, as their liberator.

    A short time later, the G.I. Joe team was team was disbanded by the U.S. military. Soon afterward, Cobra forces fell to a unified attack by regular military forces. Most of Cobra's "high command" disappeared in the wake of the conflict. After laying low for some time, Zartan resurfaced in the United States, leading the Dreadnoks -- now a organized, national biker gang. He also developed a seemingly incurable skin condition brought on by years of his own genetic manipulation, intended to enhance his chameleon-like abilities. He also met a person that he didn't even know existed -- his teenage daughter, Zanya. After a few years passed, much to the chagrin of Zarana, Zartan seemed intent on passing leadership of the Dreadnoks onto his Zanya. In 2001, Cobra Commander reemerged and contacted his former lieutenants, hatching a new plan for world domination. He held a meeting at Zartan's Dreadnok compound in the Everglades, hoping to add the growing number of Dreadnoks to Cobra's ranks. But soon after Destro arrived, he forcibly took control of Cobra from Cobra Commander. Zartan wasn't thrilled by the idea of following Destro's leadership, but the weapons supplier claimed that he knew how to cure Zartan's condition and persuaded him to again work for Cobra. The first battle between Cobra and the reinstated G.I. Joe team occurred in the swamps outside of the Dreadnok compound. Destro revealed his plan to take over the world used nano-mites, microscopic machines, to infect not only people, but computer systems around the world to bring the planet's technology to a standstill. He revealed that Zartan, too, was infected with the nano-mites. Eventually, the Joes defeated Cobra after a battle in Washington, after which Zartan, Zanya and many of the Dreadnoks escaped. It was later revealed that "Destro" had in fact been Destro's son, Alexander.

    After the end of the nano-mite threat, Cobra Commander returned to take control of Cobra. He threatened the lives of his old high command to ensure their loyalty, and made Zartan believe the once again brainwashed Storm Shadow would carry out his long-forgotten revenge against Zartan. The Dreadnoks continued to work for Cobra, and Zartan was surprised to learn that his previous nano-mite infection had cured his skin condition. He was reunited with Zarana at the Dreadnok chapter in Chicago, where Dr. Mindbender was working on an advanced Battle Android Trooper. When the BAT went berserk and escaped, the Dreadnoks and the Joes had to work together to stop the rampaging android. Some time later, Cobra Commander was captured by the forces of a revived Serpentor and was being held on Cobra Island. Both Cobra, the Dreadnoks and G.I. Joe soon staged an assault on Cobra Island. During the fighting, Zartan was attacked by a soldier. In the ensuing fight, Zartan stabbed his unknown attacker, and was shocked when the soldier revealed himself to be Zandar. He had joined the Coil, tired after years of being subordinate to his brother as his power and organization grew. Zartan immediately took his Dreadnoks out of the fight and left the island, carrying his wounded brother in his arms.

    After Cobra Commander once again took control of Cobra Island, Zartan arrived there to reconcile his leaving in the midst of the battle and hoping to make up for the treacherous actions of Zandar, who had since recovered from his injuries. They made a secret deal for Zartan and Cobra Commander to switch places. When the Joes baited the Commander into attacking a military train supposedly holding Destro, it was a disguised Zartan who arrived leading the Cobra forces. Though all the Joes still believe Cobra Commander to be the culprit, it was Zartan who, after a hand-to-hand fight with Hawk, shot the Joe commander in the back, leaving him paralyzed. The still-disguised Zartan was then taken to a federal installation to await interrogation. Cobra Commander eventually led the Dreadnoks to rescue Zartan and they headed back to Cobra Island, where Destro was now running the organization. Many of the Cobra agents betrayed Destro and allowed the Commander to get past the Island's defenses. Zartan and Zandar then watched as the Commander took control of the weapon known as the Tempest, a device that could seed the clouds to make it rain. With Dr. Mindbender's help, it was used to make the flesh-eating Death Angel virus rain down upon a chosen area. Zartan decided had no interest in helping commit mass murder, and he and the Dreadnoks left the island. They remained in the Everglades while the Joes defeated the Commander's plans and dealt with a new threat known as the Red Shadows.

    In the wake of their defeat at the hands of the Joes and an attack by the Red Shadows, Cobra was again scattered across the globe, and Cobra Commander's whereabouts were unknown. Eventually, he emerged in the United States and infiltrated the White House by disguising himself as Chief of Staff Garret Freedlowe. He used technology developed by Zartan to impersonate Freedlowe, but Zartan was not involved. His sister Zarana had stolen the technology without his knowledge, and later also let the Commander use it to disguise the faces and voices of the former Cobra agents who made up the Phoenix Guard. The group was commando unit created by the Commander to infiltrate, kill and usurp the G.I. Joe team, and Zarana was one of its members. After attacking the Joes, the members of the Guard were defeated and arrested. Due to Zarana's treachery, Zartan showed little interest in helping her get out of prison. Zartan later encountered Joes Duke and General Philip Rey when the pair came to the Everglades searching for answers about Rey's past. In one of his many aliases, Zandar had some connection to the men who used the process that created Serpentor to give life to General Rey. Zartan turned Zandar over to the  two Joes, again believing that anything Zandar was involved with on his own did not concern him. Duke and Rey got the information they needed and left the swamps. Zartan and the Dreadnoks have since had no contact with G.I. Joe or Cobra.


Original Marvel era biography written by Rod Hannah of Zartan's Domain.


Artwork: G.I. JOE #125 (interior) by Larry Hama; G.I. JOE Yearbook #1 (back cover) by Michael Golden; G.I. JOE #52 (interior) by Rod Whigham and Andy Mushynsky; G.I. JOE #139 (interior) by Chris Batista, courtesy of Rod Hannah; G.I. JOE vol. 2 #11 (cover) by Joe Benitez & Victor Llamas.