Zachary Zatara
Encyclopedia
Zachary Zatara is a fictional character
in the DC Universe
. Zachary is a descendant of the Homo Magi
just like his cousin Zatanna
and uncle John Zatara. He first appeared in Teen Titans (vol. 3) # 34, and was created by Geoff Johns
and Tony Daniel
.
, when magic in the DC Universe
was changed, Zachary developed abilities similar to his relatives, Zatanna Zatara
and John Zatara. Calling himself the "most popular teenaged magician", he briefly joins the Teen Titans. Zachary has little tact, patience, and modesty when it comes to his skills. As a result, he was left with few to no friends amongst the Titans, many of whom looked at him as a selfish brat.
During the initial "auditions" for the Teen Titans, Zachary met with Kid Devil
(Eddie Bloomberg), with whom he would share a very shaky friendship. One night after performing as a stage magician in Metropolis
, Zachary is approached by Eddie, who asks him about a mysterious candle he found. Zachary explains that Eddie's candle is magical in nature and Eddie lights it. They are transported to Neron
's realm and meet Neron himself. Although Zachary advises him not to listen to Neron's offers, Eddie makes a deal with the demon where he is transformed into a real demon. Neron then sends both the "new" Kid Devil and Zachary back to Earth. Zachary reluctantly keeps Eddie's secret.
Zachary helped Eddie gain entrance into the Teen Titans, and together they have multiple adventures. They battle Kid Crusader and, during one stint, went to New Azarath
, where they are almost eaten by the Phantasm
. Zachary remains a Titan for several months, before eventually quitting because one of his female teammates was driving him crazy, destabilizing his powers.
Zachary briefly appears in the limited series "World War III". Along with several other Titans he tries to stop the murderous rampage of Black Adam
in Greece. He is slammed into a wall and injured. The Titans are forced to leave him behind, but he receives medical aid from Greek authorities.
One Year Later
, he is performing as a professional stage magician in Japan with an attractive young Japanese assistant called "Bunny," who he treats with mixed amounts of kindness and condescension. The current Teen Titans come speak with him, as they are looking for Raven
. Zachary wants nothing to do with them and does not remember his times with Eddie or the Titans fondly. Still, he states that Raven had come to him in Japan and began to ask him "weird questions...about herself". After he kicks them out, it is revealed he possesses a secret photo of Raven. At the last second, he tries to call Eddie back, but they have already left and he goes back to his show.
Although Zachary has a less than close relationship with the Titans, he does agree to aid Robin and Ravager
defeat a gang of metahumans assembled by Robin's wanna-be nemesis, Dodge. He also worked with other magical heroes assisting the Justice League in holding back the citizens of New Krypton, and re-empowered a mystically weakened Superman to deal with his magical foe, Atlas.
During the incident involving the Terror Titans, Zatara became one of the imprisoned heroes forced to fight on the behest of the Clock King
, took over the Dark Side Club
Following escape from the Dark Side Club, Zachary, along with the rest of the former captives, is offered refuge at the Titans Tower. Zachary however rejects this, under the misunderstanding that he was being forced to join the team in order to get refuge. He returns to Metropolis with Bunny shortly after.
Zachary also appears in the Titans Tomorrow
arc. He is in the Reign in Hell
storyline, where he dares to attempt to banish the powerful entity Rama Kushna and is dealt heavy damage in retaliation. He is later forced to aid in the successful restoration of the goddess, something that left him drained and weak for a while.
Zachary has appeared in Metropolis
in issues of Superman
. He was recruited by Mark Merlin to search for Prince Ra-Man
.
Zachary co-stars in a back-up feature in Teen Titans alongside Black Alice and Traci 13. This began in May, 2010.
It is unknown how his magical strength level compares with his cousin Zatanna. His main limitation, if compared to his older cousin, is his inability to affect living beings directly. However, he has shown the ability to make doves appear out of his hat, and grant Superman a few minutes of sunlight energy, by indirectly manipulating the inanimate elements surrounding the living entities.
However, like Zatanna, he's a clever illusionist and showman even without resorting to his magic, albeit more inclined to brag and abuse his position. While Zatanna is a wide accepted member of the Justice League
and an entertainer loved by her public, Zatara is considered somewhat of a selfish brat, as insufferable in a team as he is successful onstage.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
. Zachary is a descendant of the Homo Magi
Homo Magi
Homo magi is a fictional sub-race of magic-using humans in the . The Homo magi first appeared in Justice League of America #164 , and were created by Gerry Conway and Dick Dillin.-Publication history:...
just like his cousin Zatanna
Zatanna
Zatanna Zatara is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Murphy Anderson, Zatanna first appeared in Hawkman vol. 1 #4...
and uncle John Zatara. He first appeared in Teen Titans (vol. 3) # 34, and was created by Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, where he has been Chief Creative Officer since February 2010, in particular for characters such as Green Lantern, The Flash and Superman...
and Tony Daniel
Tony Daniel
Antonio Salvador Daniel AKA Tony S. Daniel is an American comic book writer and artist, known for his work on various books for DC Comics, including Teen Titans, Flash: The Fastest Man Alive and Batman.-Career:...
.
Fictional character biography
After the events of Day of VengeanceDay of Vengeance
Day of Vengeance is a six-issue comic book limited series written by Bill Willingham, with art by Justiniano and Walden Wong, published in 2005 by DC Comics.-Publication history:...
, when magic in the DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
was changed, Zachary developed abilities similar to his relatives, Zatanna Zatara
Zatanna
Zatanna Zatara is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Murphy Anderson, Zatanna first appeared in Hawkman vol. 1 #4...
and John Zatara. Calling himself the "most popular teenaged magician", he briefly joins the Teen Titans. Zachary has little tact, patience, and modesty when it comes to his skills. As a result, he was left with few to no friends amongst the Titans, many of whom looked at him as a selfish brat.
During the initial "auditions" for the Teen Titans, Zachary met with Kid Devil
Kid Devil
Red Devil , formerly known as Kid Devil, was a superhero in the DC Comics universe. Created by Alan Kupperberg, Dan Mishkin, and Gary Cohn, he first appeared in Blue Devil #14.-Origin and early heroics:...
(Eddie Bloomberg), with whom he would share a very shaky friendship. One night after performing as a stage magician in Metropolis
Metropolis
A metropolis is a very large city or urban area which is a significant economic, political and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections and communications...
, Zachary is approached by Eddie, who asks him about a mysterious candle he found. Zachary explains that Eddie's candle is magical in nature and Eddie lights it. They are transported to Neron
Neron
Neron is a fictional demon, a comic book character published by DC Comics. He first appeared in the DC Comics cross-over event Underworld Unleashed #1, , and was created by Mark Waid and Howard Porter.- Publication history :...
's realm and meet Neron himself. Although Zachary advises him not to listen to Neron's offers, Eddie makes a deal with the demon where he is transformed into a real demon. Neron then sends both the "new" Kid Devil and Zachary back to Earth. Zachary reluctantly keeps Eddie's secret.
Zachary helped Eddie gain entrance into the Teen Titans, and together they have multiple adventures. They battle Kid Crusader and, during one stint, went to New Azarath
Azarath
Azarath is a fictional dimension featured in the Teen Titans comic book series and animated series. It is the birthplace of the character Raven.-Fictional history:...
, where they are almost eaten by the Phantasm
Phantasm (comics)
For the Phantasm character that first appeared in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, see Andrea Beaumont.Danny Chase is a fictional superhero in DC Comics publications.-Fictional character biography:...
. Zachary remains a Titan for several months, before eventually quitting because one of his female teammates was driving him crazy, destabilizing his powers.
Zachary briefly appears in the limited series "World War III". Along with several other Titans he tries to stop the murderous rampage of Black Adam
Black Adam
Black Adam is a fictional comic book character, created in 1945 by Otto Binder & C. C. Beck for Fawcett Comics. Originally created as a one-shot villain for Fawcett Comics' Marvel Family team of superheroes, Black Adam was revived as a recurring supervillain after DC Comics began publishing Captain...
in Greece. He is slammed into a wall and injured. The Titans are forced to leave him behind, but he receives medical aid from Greek authorities.
One Year Later
One Year Later
"One Year Later" was a 2006 storyline event running through the DC Universe. As the title suggests, it involves a narrative jump exactly one year into the future of the DC Comics Universe following the events of the Infinite Crisis event, to explore major changes within the continuities of the many...
, he is performing as a professional stage magician in Japan with an attractive young Japanese assistant called "Bunny," who he treats with mixed amounts of kindness and condescension. The current Teen Titans come speak with him, as they are looking for Raven
Raven (comics)
Raven is a fictional superheroine who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a special insert in DC Comics Presents #26 , and was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez...
. Zachary wants nothing to do with them and does not remember his times with Eddie or the Titans fondly. Still, he states that Raven had come to him in Japan and began to ask him "weird questions...about herself". After he kicks them out, it is revealed he possesses a secret photo of Raven. At the last second, he tries to call Eddie back, but they have already left and he goes back to his show.
Although Zachary has a less than close relationship with the Titans, he does agree to aid Robin and Ravager
Rose Wilson
Rose Wilson is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. She is a member of the Teen Titans and the illegitimate daughter of Deathstroke the Terminator.-Fictional character biography:...
defeat a gang of metahumans assembled by Robin's wanna-be nemesis, Dodge. He also worked with other magical heroes assisting the Justice League in holding back the citizens of New Krypton, and re-empowered a mystically weakened Superman to deal with his magical foe, Atlas.
During the incident involving the Terror Titans, Zatara became one of the imprisoned heroes forced to fight on the behest of the Clock King
Clock King
Clock King is a title used by two fictional characters, supervillains published by DC Comics. The first Clock King debuted in World's Finest Comics #111 , and was created by France Herron and Lee Elias.-Publication history:...
, took over the Dark Side Club
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
Following escape from the Dark Side Club, Zachary, along with the rest of the former captives, is offered refuge at the Titans Tower. Zachary however rejects this, under the misunderstanding that he was being forced to join the team in order to get refuge. He returns to Metropolis with Bunny shortly after.
Zachary also appears in the Titans Tomorrow
Titans Tomorrow
"Titans Tomorrow" is a storyline of a possible alternate future in the DC Comics Universe, from Teen Titans #17-19 , by Geoff Johns and Mike McKone...
arc. He is in the Reign in Hell
Reign in Hell
Reign in Hell is a 2008-2009 comic book limited series written by Keith Giffen, pencilled by Thomas Derenick and published by DC Comics. The title is a reference to a line spoken by Lucifer in John Milton's Paradise Lost: "Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven."-Plot:During the events of...
storyline, where he dares to attempt to banish the powerful entity Rama Kushna and is dealt heavy damage in retaliation. He is later forced to aid in the successful restoration of the goddess, something that left him drained and weak for a while.
Zachary has appeared in Metropolis
Metropolis
A metropolis is a very large city or urban area which is a significant economic, political and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections and communications...
in issues of Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
. He was recruited by Mark Merlin to search for Prince Ra-Man
Prince Ra-Man
Prince Ra-Man is a fictional comic book magician published by DC Comics. Mark Merlin first appeared in House of Secrets #23 , and was created by Mort Meskin...
.
Zachary co-stars in a back-up feature in Teen Titans alongside Black Alice and Traci 13. This began in May, 2010.
Powers and abilities
Like other members of the Zatara family, Zachary is able to manipulate magic by speaking spells backwards. So far, his powers have been shown to affect inanimate objects, summon simple objects into existence, and transmogrify one object to another.It is unknown how his magical strength level compares with his cousin Zatanna. His main limitation, if compared to his older cousin, is his inability to affect living beings directly. However, he has shown the ability to make doves appear out of his hat, and grant Superman a few minutes of sunlight energy, by indirectly manipulating the inanimate elements surrounding the living entities.
However, like Zatanna, he's a clever illusionist and showman even without resorting to his magic, albeit more inclined to brag and abuse his position. While Zatanna is a wide accepted member of the Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
and an entertainer loved by her public, Zatara is considered somewhat of a selfish brat, as insufferable in a team as he is successful onstage.
Appearance
- In his appearance in 52, Keith GiffenKeith GiffenKeith Ian Giffen is an American comic book illustrator and writer.-Biography:Giffen was born in Queens, New York City....
drew Zatara in fishnets like his cousin Zatanna as a joke, stating "As a goof, in the breakdowns, I drew that new [Zatara] kid in Zatanna’s fishnets-and-corset getup. The penciler actually drew him that way. My pleas to let it go through like that went unheeded." http://www.wizarduniverse.com/magazine/wizard/004350584.cfmhttp://www.dccomics.com/sites/52/?action=sketchbook&w=21&p=12
Kingdom Come
- Kingdom ComeKingdom Come (comic book)Kingdom Come is a four-issue comic book mini-series published in 1996 by DC Comics. It was written by Alex Ross and Mark Waid and painted in gouache by Ross, who also developed the concept from an original idea...
features a character Zatara, who is similar to Zachary Zatara in appearance, age, and reverse talking magic powers. He is the son of the late Zatanna and John ConstantineJohn ConstantineJohn Constantine is a fictional character, an occult detective anti-hero in comic books published by DC Comics, mostly under the Vertigo imprint. The character first appeared in Swamp Thing #37 , and was created by Alan Moore, Steve Bissette, John Totleben and Rick Veitch...
, and the grandson of Giovanni Zatara. Besides being a magician, he inherited his father Constantine's ability to see the dead.