Zandar
Encyclopedia
Zandar is an adversary in the cartoon, toy and comic book line of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
fictional universe.
and Zarana
. He is a member of the Dreadnoks
, mercenaries who worked for Cobra and enemies of G.I. Joe. While he possesses skill in disguise, he excels at his specialty as a master of camouflage and covert movement. He has the uncanny ability to blend into crowds and not be noticed. Zandar was usually a background character both in the cartoon and comics, but this has changed in later years. Zandar is also a master of silent weapons, including harpoons, crossbows, bowie knives and silenced handguns.
. He carried a speargun
and had a pack of spears on his back.
and Zandar was nowhere to be seen.
In the Marvel Comics
G.I. Joe series, he first appeared in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #51 (September 1986) as part of a successful rescue attempt of Zartan. 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.
During the first Cobra civil war (which takes place on Cobra Island
) Zandar and his siblings commanded troops on the side of Cobra Commander
. A few issues later, Zandar is seen helping a squad of Dreadnoks oversee the new Cobra stronghold of Broca Beach, New Jersey.
Zandar helps successfully create a new call center for Cobra marketing schemes; this despite interference from a G.I. Joe squad.
capture Scarlett and Snake-Eyes.
Zandar turned up alongside the Baroness
when Cobra made a deal with radical terrorist Tyler Wingfield in Devil's Due's G.I. Joe: Frontline. He and the Baroness kill four Joe agents
.
Later it was revealed that years in Zartan's shadow as the "unseen, unremembered brother" have left him resentful enough, that it was possible for Serpentor
to manipulate his emotions and enlist him as one of the Coil's top agents. Zandar single-handedly captured Cobra Commander.
Civil war took over Cobra Island once again. As a masked member of the Coil, Zandar fought Zartan, but the younger brother lost, taking a knife in the gut. Zandar removed his mask, revealing himself to Zartan, who hadn't realized until that moment it was Zandar fighting him. Before falling unconscious, Zandar speaks some "last words" for his twin, an apology for having left her side. Zartan pulls all his forces, which would have lost the battle for Cobra if Cobra Commander hadn't personally seen to Serpentor himself being taken down. Without a leader, the Coil fell to Cobra's newest troopers, the Neo-Vipers.
Zandar later resurfaced alongside Cobra Commander (posing as Zartan) at the Dreadnok compound in Florida. He personally derailed the accusations of their hostage, Mindbender, of Zandar's treason, which was already well known to Cobra Commander. Cobra Commander defended Zandar from Mindbender's insults, accusing the backstabbing doctor of knowing nothing of loyalty and the strains it can put on a man's emotions.
Zandar's actions come back to affect him when Duke
and former Joe commander, Phillip Rey, arrive at a Dreadnoks HQ to confront him for information. Zartan literally throws Zandar at the pair, saying that apart from killing him, the two can do what they wish; this is Zandar's punishment for betraying Cobra.
When the Dreadnoks went on a suicide run into a top secret government prison facility where Zartan (disguised as Cobra Commander), was located, Zandar hopped into action with the other Dreadnoks. In an attempt to prove himself he recklessly went after Stalker and Lifeline
. While Stalker managed to knock him unconscious, the Dreadnoks were successful in freeing Zartan.
Cobra Commander shocked all the Dreadnoks when he revealed that now Zandar must pay for his treason, and he used it to buy Zartan's loyalty. However, when Cobra was doomed to failure in the Tempest crisis in Badhikstan, Zartan and Zandar took their leave of Cobra, and went back into their underground anarchist biker scene in Montreal.
One year later, rumor leaked of Zartan's return to Florida
for an unknown object. Fearing it was a WMD or something dangerous, General Joe Colton sent Stalker and Storm Shadow to investigate. Zandar was there, although it took the Joes a long time to realize it, and by that time he had the jump on them. Poisoning Stalker with a dart and stunning Storm Shadow with a grenade, he managed to distract and evade them long enough to trap them in a pitfall.
When Zartan, Zarana and Zanya arrived, Zandar surprised them all, with G.I. Joe hostages. However, he was not the only person scouting the Dreadnok compound, and with Gung-Ho
's help in escaping the pitfall (and later ambushing Buzzer
, Ripper
, Torch
, Zarana and lastly Zandar), Storm Shadow managed to discover Zartan's intentions (simply searching for a photograph - the only memory left from Zartan's past), and let the Dreadnoks go. Afterward, Zandar and Zarana lectured Zartan's daughter Zanya about Zartan's schizophrenia.
His betrayal in the past, Zandar again serves as Zartan's "Behind-the-Scenes" man.
Growing up, Zandar and Zarana were so inseparable they chose to live on the streets rather than be separated to different foster homes. They sometimes dressed alike, even as young adults. The twins never stopped searching for their brother, finally locating him in Australia and helping him take control of the Dreadnoks.
. In the five-part episode "Arise Serpentor, Arise," Zandar and Zarana join Zartan in finding new recruits for the Dreadnoks.
.
was Zandar, "the leader of the Dreadnoks and master of disguise though he looked more like a member of Duran Duran circa Arena than a crazed killer".
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is a military-themed line of action figures and toys in Hasbro's G.I. Joe franchise. The toyline lasted from 1982 to 1994, producing well over 500 figures and 250 vehicles and playsets. The line reappeared in 1997 and has continued in one form or another to the...
fictional universe.
Profile
Zandar is the brother of ZartanZartan
Zartan is a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, by Hasbro. He is a mercenary who often worked directly for Cobra Commander, and is one of the main villains in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic and animated series. His character was voiced by Zack Hoffman in the 1985 TV...
and Zarana
Zarana
Zarana is the sister of Zartan and Zandar in the fiction setting of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. She has short naturally auburn hair that has been dyed pink and is usually depicted with a tattered hot pink T-shirt and blue pants. Zarana is a master of disguise who can fool even the best...
. He is a member of the Dreadnoks
Dreadnoks
The Dreadnoks are a fictional biker gang who act as villains in the G.I. Joe saga, which have been represented in several types of media, including toylines , comic books series , and television cartoons .All Dreadnoks are uncouth and violent, and usually engage their enemies with...
, mercenaries who worked for Cobra and enemies of G.I. Joe. While he possesses skill in disguise, he excels at his specialty as a master of camouflage and covert movement. He has the uncanny ability to blend into crowds and not be noticed. Zandar was usually a background character both in the cartoon and comics, but this has changed in later years. Zandar is also a master of silent weapons, including harpoons, crossbows, bowie knives and silenced handguns.
Action figure
The Zandar figure was released in 1986, and was made of the same UV reactive plastic as Zartan and Zarana, when exposed to direct sunlight. Zandar's Caucasian skin would turn dark blue. Zandar was introduced with the second wave of Dreadnok figures, along with his twin sister ZaranaZarana
Zarana is the sister of Zartan and Zandar in the fiction setting of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. She has short naturally auburn hair that has been dyed pink and is usually depicted with a tattered hot pink T-shirt and blue pants. Zarana is a master of disguise who can fool even the best...
. He carried a speargun
Speargun
A speargun is an underwater fishing implement designed to fire a spear at fish.The basic components of a speargun are:A spear, a stock/barrel, and a handle/grip containing a trigger mechanism...
and had a pack of spears on his back.
Marvel Comics
Zandar and Zarana operated several scams and schemes for Cobra, using their advanced skills as con artists. Later Zarana spent a lot of time with Cobra CommanderCobra Commander
Cobra Commander is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe franchise. He appears in the toyline, animated series , comic books, video games, and movie as the usual principal antagonist. He is the supreme leader of the terrorist organization Cobra, and archnemesis of the Joes...
and Zandar was nowhere to be seen.
In the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
G.I. Joe series, he first appeared in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #51 (September 1986) as part of a successful rescue attempt of Zartan. 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.
During the first Cobra civil war (which takes place on Cobra Island
Cobra Island
Cobra Island is a fictional country located in the Gulf of Mexico. It is the main base of operations for the fictional Cobra Organization featured in the G.I. Joe toyline from the 1980s. It is featured in the G.I. Joe cartoon and the comic book series created by Marvel Comics and Devil's Due...
) Zandar and his siblings commanded troops on the side of Cobra Commander
Cobra Commander
Cobra Commander is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe franchise. He appears in the toyline, animated series , comic books, video games, and movie as the usual principal antagonist. He is the supreme leader of the terrorist organization Cobra, and archnemesis of the Joes...
. A few issues later, Zandar is seen helping a squad of Dreadnoks oversee the new Cobra stronghold of Broca Beach, New Jersey.
Zandar helps successfully create a new call center for Cobra marketing schemes; this despite interference from a G.I. Joe squad.
Devil's Due comics
Zandar fights against invading Joe forces when Zartan's expanded Everglades headquarters comes under attack. He and Road PigRoad Pig
Road Pig is a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series of the 1980s. He is affiliated with Cobra as one of the Dreadnoks and debuted in 1988.-Profile:His real name is Donald DeLuca...
capture Scarlett and Snake-Eyes.
Zandar turned up alongside the Baroness
Baroness (G.I. Joe)
The Baroness is a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline by Hasbro, originally appearing in the first issue of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic series by Marvel Comics in June, 1982. The Baroness is a villain, usually associated with G.I. Joe's enemy, Cobra.Baroness...
when Cobra made a deal with radical terrorist Tyler Wingfield in Devil's Due's G.I. Joe: Frontline. He and the Baroness kill four Joe agents
Greenshirts (G.I. Joe)
Greenshirts is a term applied to the generic-looking soldiers from the cartoon G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. The Greenshirts are the equivalent of "extras" in that they are in the story to serve merely as background characters and have little to no speaking parts. Due to the unique look of each...
.
Later it was revealed that years in Zartan's shadow as the "unseen, unremembered brother" have left him resentful enough, that it was possible for Serpentor
Serpentor
Serpentor is a fictional character from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, a line of military-themed toys created by Hasbro. The character was introduced in 1986 as a toy with an air chariot and included in the animated series that same year.-Toys:...
to manipulate his emotions and enlist him as one of the Coil's top agents. Zandar single-handedly captured Cobra Commander.
Civil war took over Cobra Island once again. As a masked member of the Coil, Zandar fought Zartan, but the younger brother lost, taking a knife in the gut. Zandar removed his mask, revealing himself to Zartan, who hadn't realized until that moment it was Zandar fighting him. Before falling unconscious, Zandar speaks some "last words" for his twin, an apology for having left her side. Zartan pulls all his forces, which would have lost the battle for Cobra if Cobra Commander hadn't personally seen to Serpentor himself being taken down. Without a leader, the Coil fell to Cobra's newest troopers, the Neo-Vipers.
Zandar later resurfaced alongside Cobra Commander (posing as Zartan) at the Dreadnok compound in Florida. He personally derailed the accusations of their hostage, Mindbender, of Zandar's treason, which was already well known to Cobra Commander. Cobra Commander defended Zandar from Mindbender's insults, accusing the backstabbing doctor of knowing nothing of loyalty and the strains it can put on a man's emotions.
Zandar's actions come back to affect him when Duke
Duke (G.I. Joe)
Duke is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 lines of military-themed toys. The character is featured in both the animated series and comic books. Duke is portrayed by actor Channing Tatum in the 2009 live-action film, G.I. Joe: The Rise of...
and former Joe commander, Phillip Rey, arrive at a Dreadnoks HQ to confront him for information. Zartan literally throws Zandar at the pair, saying that apart from killing him, the two can do what they wish; this is Zandar's punishment for betraying Cobra.
When the Dreadnoks went on a suicide run into a top secret government prison facility where Zartan (disguised as Cobra Commander), was located, Zandar hopped into action with the other Dreadnoks. In an attempt to prove himself he recklessly went after Stalker and Lifeline
Lifeline (G.I. Joe)
Lifeline is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is the G.I. Joe Team's rescue trooper and debuted in 1986.-Profile:...
. While Stalker managed to knock him unconscious, the Dreadnoks were successful in freeing Zartan.
Cobra Commander shocked all the Dreadnoks when he revealed that now Zandar must pay for his treason, and he used it to buy Zartan's loyalty. However, when Cobra was doomed to failure in the Tempest crisis in Badhikstan, Zartan and Zandar took their leave of Cobra, and went back into their underground anarchist biker scene in Montreal.
One year later, rumor leaked of Zartan's return to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
for an unknown object. Fearing it was a WMD or something dangerous, General Joe Colton sent Stalker and Storm Shadow to investigate. Zandar was there, although it took the Joes a long time to realize it, and by that time he had the jump on them. Poisoning Stalker with a dart and stunning Storm Shadow with a grenade, he managed to distract and evade them long enough to trap them in a pitfall.
When Zartan, Zarana and Zanya arrived, Zandar surprised them all, with G.I. Joe hostages. However, he was not the only person scouting the Dreadnok compound, and with Gung-Ho
Gung-Ho (G.I. Joe)
Gung-Ho is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books, and cartoon series. He is the G.I. Joe Team's original Marine and debuted in 1983.-Profile:...
's help in escaping the pitfall (and later ambushing Buzzer
Buzzer (G.I. Joe)
Buzzer is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series of the 1980s. He is affiliated with Cobra as one of the Dreadnoks and debuted in 1985.-Profile:...
, Ripper
Ripper (G.I. Joe)
Ripper is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series of the 1980s. He is affiliated with Cobra as one of the Dreadnoks and debuted in 1985.-Profile:...
, Torch
Torch (G.I. Joe)
Torch is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series of the 1980s. He is affiliated with Cobra as one of the Dreadnoks and debuted in 1985. He is often seen working closely with Ripper and Buzzer....
, Zarana and lastly Zandar), Storm Shadow managed to discover Zartan's intentions (simply searching for a photograph - the only memory left from Zartan's past), and let the Dreadnoks go. Afterward, Zandar and Zarana lectured Zartan's daughter Zanya about Zartan's schizophrenia.
His betrayal in the past, Zandar again serves as Zartan's "Behind-the-Scenes" man.
Background
In a flashback, it was revealed that Zartan, Zarana and Zandar were once in a Catholic orphanage, but after murdering another boy in defense of 10 year old Zandar, the 14 year old Zartan fled. He had locked Zandar in a box to keep him from interfering..Growing up, Zandar and Zarana were so inseparable they chose to live on the streets rather than be separated to different foster homes. They sometimes dressed alike, even as young adults. The twins never stopped searching for their brother, finally locating him in Australia and helping him take control of the Dreadnoks.
Sunbow
Zandar appeared in the second season of the Sunbow G.I. Joe cartoon voiced by Peter CullenPeter Cullen
Peter Claver Cullen is a Canadian voice actor, known as the voice of Eeyore in the Winnie-the-Pooh franchise, Optimus Prime and Ironhide in the original Transformers series, and the narrator in both of the original American Voltron series...
. In the five-part episode "Arise Serpentor, Arise," Zandar and Zarana join Zartan in finding new recruits for the Dreadnoks.
G.I. Joe: The Movie
Zandar also appeared briefly in the 1987 animated film G.I. Joe: The MovieG.I. Joe: The Movie
G.I. Joe: The Movie is a 1987 animated film spun off from the animated series G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, based on the original Hasbro toyline. It was produced by Sunbow Productions and Marvel Productions and was animated in Japan by Toei Animation.Created at the height of the G.I. Joe craze in...
.
Other works
Zandar's figure is briefly featured in the fiction novel 6 Sick Hipsters. In the story, the character Paul Achting spent four years collecting G.I. Joe figures to set up a battle scene between the Joes and Cobra. As he imagined the characters in his head, he described the Dreadnoks as "an elite team of maniacal mercenaries allied with Cobra for this battle", with the figures lying in the thick of the shag carpet, and sitting next to MonkeywrenchMonkeywrench (G.I. Joe)
Monkeywrench is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series of the 1980s. He is affiliated with Cobra as one of the Dreadnoks and debuted in 1986.-Profile:His real name is Bill Winkie...
was Zandar, "the leader of the Dreadnoks and master of disguise though he looked more like a member of Duran Duran circa Arena than a crazed killer".